Chapter 160: Land of Water: We Also Want Guardian Shinobi!

Half a month later, in the capital of the Land of Water. The Matsuyama family’s merchant caravan crossed the sea, traveling all the way to Kyoto, the capital. "Mr. Koji, welcome to the Land of Water. You must be tired from your long journey. Please, come in and sit!" "Thank you, Mr. Hattori." Matsuyama Koji alighted from his carriage and followed the other man into the hall. Many nobles were seated inside. Upon seeing Matsuyama Koji, their eyes turned towards him. When they noticed the family crest on his chest, expressions of sincere welcome appeared on their faces. Matsuyama Koji found it quite absurd. Even as the eldest son of the Matsuyama family, he might not receive such a warm welcome in the Land of Fire, yet here in the Land of Water, he was given this treatment. These people... An inexplicable nervousness rose within him. However, Matsuyama Koji quickly composed himself. Socializing among nobles was already second nature to him; the only unfamiliar aspect this time was being the center of attention. After a round of disingenuous pleasantries, it was time for informal networking and introductions. Hattori Hiroyuki introduced them one by one. Unnoticeably, he led Matsuyama Koji into a small private room. "Koji-kun, our two families have had many dealings in the past, so we can be considered acquaintances. These are all my friends, all nobles from Kyoto," Hattori Hiroyuki said with a smile. "A pleasure to meet you all." Matsuyama Koji was respectful without being obsequious. These individuals were likely Hattori Hiroyuki’s own circle, but perhaps they weren’t here just for business. After a few more cups of wine, someone finally stated their true purpose. "Koji-kun, I hear that in your Land of Fire, you recently established Guardian Shinobi. I wonder, what is the significance of these Guardian Shinobi?" "The Guardian Shinobi’s primary duty is to protect the Daimyo. However, because they are in Kyoto, we nobles also benefit, making things somewhat safer than before," Matsuyama Koji replied with a smile. Then, he lamented, "Thanks to this, the number of wealthy merchants coming to our capital in the Land of Fire has increased." "Oh? Is that so?" Hattori Hiroyuki prompted, subtly digging for more information. Matsuyama Koji sipped his wine and nodded lightly. "Yes, as you know, I used to manage casinos more often. Recently, the number of wealthy patrons has been three to four times what it used to be!" "Three to four times?" Everyone was secretly astounded. You couldn’t squeeze much from the poor; casino clients, aside from a few big whales, ultimately depended on the wealthy. These were the mainstays. Such a significant increase... It was truly astonishing! "Why would that be?" "Security, of course! With the Guardian Shinobi, is there even a need to mention Kyoto’s security? What wandering bandits would dare cause trouble in the capital?" Matsuyama Koji said with a slight smile. "Once the reputation is out, clients naturally feel more at ease coming to the Land of Fire." Everyone exchanged glances and nodded in silent agreement. That made sense! Recently, they had been hearing from merchants about how safe it was to do business in the Land of Fire, though they hadn’t understood why at first. Later, they learned it was related to the Land of Fire’s Guardian Shinobi. The Guardian Shinobi protected the Daimyo and Kyoto, and were also responsible for clearing out surrounding bandits, bringing peace to the Land of Fire’s vicinity. Thus, an idea had formed in their minds, leading them to ask Hattori Hiroyuki, through their channels, to invite Matsuyama Koji. Matsuyama Koji appeared somewhat tipsy. He smiled proudly. "We’re all friends here, so I won’t hide it from you. Lately, we’ve even reduced our commissions to Konoha!" "Oh? And Konoha tolerates that?" Hattori Hiroyuki asked in surprise. Matsuyama Koji looked at him strangely. "Why shouldn’t they? We’re the ones paying. We are the masters. It’s our freedom to choose whom we give our business to! Do we need to care about their expressions?" Everyone was momentarily stunned. Well... he wasn’t wrong, but the hidden villages wielded immense power, and they still didn’t dare to confront them so directly. After chatting a while longer and finding that Matsuyama Koji indeed had no more information to offer, they dispersed the banquet. Back in the small room, the nobles sat facing each other. "Guardian Shinobi, protecting the Daimyo... it’s indeed a good pretext. I hear they’ve even expanded recently, recruiting several clans." "But they have Danzo," someone questioned. Without Danzo, the Guardian Shinobi could never have achieved such a scale. "But we have the Kaguya clan and the Yuki clan," Hattori Hiroyuki countered. The combined strength of the Kaguya and Yuki clans was definitely not weak, and it was now clear both clans sided with them, having long since fallen out with Kirigakure. Guardian Shinobi was a good pretext. Moreover, a ninja force belonging to the Daimyo and nobles! How tempting was that? So what if there were hidden villages? Weren’t they the ones footing the bill anyway? And they would merely be supporting ninjas loyal to them. "We can try." "Agreed!" "First, we’ll work on our own families. Then, our several families will do more groundwork to get the Guardian Shinobi established as soon as possible." --- Returning to his lodgings, Matsuyama Koji let out a long sigh of relief. Feigning drunkenness wasn’t difficult. However, feigning drunkenness while also making others believe you were truly drunk and speaking the truth was indeed very hard! "Busaku-san, are you still there?" "Yes." A deep voice responded. Matsuyama Koji breathed a sigh of relief. This was the country of the Blood Mist! He had only agreed to come to the Land of Water because he had someone following and protecting him; otherwise, he wouldn’t dare set foot in this dreadful place. Though profitable, it was also perilous. He sat down and asked, "Will this be enough?" "Mm." --- In Konoha, Tsunade looked at the report, clicking her tongue in amazement. "You really have your ways!" Kyohiko’s methods left her in awe! It was public opinion again. But this time, the main targets had shifted from ninjas to the Daimyo, nobles, and wealthy merchants of the capital—these were the main clients for ninja commissions. She wasn’t worried that the Land of Water wouldn’t take the bait. When that time came, Kirigakure would face a situation similar to Konoha’s. "These are just some measures regarding public opinion, at most guiding the trend. They can’t directly interfere with their decisions. The main thing is that the Land of Water itself has its own ideas," Kyohiko shook his head. Kirigakure’s attitude was clearly different from Konoha’s. The situation in the Land of Water was even more different from that of the Land of Fire. At the very least, the Land of Water’s Daimyo was not as enlightened or intelligent as the Land of Fire’s. Besides, if nothing else, Kirigakure was already showing signs of conflict with the Kaguya and Yuki clans. If another spark was added, she didn’t believe Kirigakure could sit still. Tsunade deeply agreed, nodding in approval. "Indeed, we also have to thank the Matsuyama family for their cooperation in this matter. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so easy for our people to infiltrate." Furthermore, she found the Iburi clan’s abilities to be incredibly useful! Not just as intelligence ninjas. As bodyguards, they could protect their employers in real-time, even entering business venues and avoiding some dangerous areas. Tsunade couldn’t help but say, "Kyohiko, after the Iburi clan’s problem is resolved, their potential is very high. There are many other areas where their usefulness can be explored; it shouldn’t be limited to intelligence." She was very envious. Such ninjas could also be used as personal bodyguards, especially after their abilities stabilized. "I understand, but currently, the curse mark isn’t very stable, and the other ability also needs further verification and training. It might take a few years to see results," Kyohiko understood Tsunade’s thoughts. However, the current situation was indeed unsuitable for further dispersing the Iburi clan into other fields. "It seems we have no choice." Tsunade sighed but understood the reasoning. She didn’t press him. For safety and humanitarian reasons, deeper experimentation was prohibited; this type of curse mark needed to be tested layer by layer before it could be applied to humans. Therefore, it was normal for things to be a bit slow. If things suddenly sped up, she would then worry if Kyohiko had been corrupted by Orochimaru. --- Kyohiko had been laying the groundwork for the Land of Water affair for half a month. Public opinion was now slowly fermenting, and further operations by the Anbu were no longer necessary. All they had to do was wait. Wait for problems to arise internally within the Land of Water. Therefore, many Anbu personnel had already been withdrawn. The Iburi clan’s debut was undoubtedly a success. Even if they had used a trick, they had showcased their unique abilities. These abilities didn’t overlap with any other clan in the village, so no clan would be hostile towards them or feel that Konoha was infringing on their interests. The Iburi clan’s integration was quite successful. However, the curse mark issue remained a current problem. "Senpai, how is the situation?" "Difficult!" Orochimaru frowned. He had recently been researching Kurokawa’s constitution. This special Sage Body intrigued him greatly; he had wanted to study it before but lacked good experimental materials. If the old man (Hiruzen) were still Hokage, he would probably have let himself go wild. But the current Hokage was Tsunade, whose policies and attitudes on many matters were completely different. He didn’t want to ruin their relationship. However, as a result, the experimental progress inevitably slowed down. Orochimaru spoke, pointing to one of the monkeys. "Look at it." The monkey had transformed into a terrifying monster, completely unrecognizable from its original form, and was now frantically ramming the bars of its cage. "Out of fifty, it’s the only one that survived, and it’s gone mad. Even using various methods to suppress and modify it has been futile." Orochimaru sighed. Sage power. This was the most difficult problem he had encountered. "Ryuchi Cave is also one of the sage regions. They should also have methods for training sage power, right?" Kyohiko asked. Orochimaru nodded, then hesitated for a moment before saying, "Ryuchi Cave is completely different from your Mount Myoboku. Someone like Manda has no access to Sage Mode training methods at all." Even if Manda did, that creature wouldn’t teach him. Orochimaru continued, "Given Ryuchi Cave’s style, even if they have it, it would be extremely difficult to obtain. But perhaps, when I have some free time, I’ll go look for it." Kyohiko said no more. Ryuchi Cave’s style was indeed crueler; they didn’t value human life at all. And given Orochimaru’s suspicious and life-cherishing nature, he might not be willing to let Ryuchi Cave teach him Sage Mode. In the original timeline, Orochimaru had missed out on Sage Mode. "Is something the matter?" Orochimaru turned back. Kyohiko said, "Things are proceeding smoothly in the Land of Water. I believe there will be results in one or two months at most. After that, everyone might need to get moving." "No problem. But regarding Danzo, are you really sure you can handle him?" "Mm, once things get chaotic in the Land of Water, I’ll make a trip to Kyoto and have a good talk with the Daimyo." Kyohiko nodded. Then, he added, "I’ve also sent word to the Hyuga clan." "Hiashi, that fellow..." Orochimaru paused his work, then chuckled lightly. "Forget it. Anyway, the Hyuga clan can’t fall into chaos." The Hyuga clan’s main family system ensured the main family held absolute authority; no matter what, it was impossible for the clan to descend into major turmoil. "I don’t know what they’re planning, but I hope nothing goes wrong at this critical juncture." --- Within the Hyuga clan compound, Hizashi and Hiashi sat facing each other. They had such gatherings several times a month, and over this period, the two brothers’ relationship seemed to have improved. "Hizashi, on this trip to the Land of Water, you must remember to bring back a few children with the Shikotsumyaku. Also—" Hiashi’s facial muscles twitched slightly. "Prioritize your safety. If it’s truly impossible, then let it be. The Hyuga clan doesn’t necessarily need the Shikotsumyaku." "I will bring back some promising candidates!" Hizashi’s tone was solemn. "As Kyohiko said, our clan truly hasn’t produced an existence comparable to the Ancient Glory of old for a long time, and moreover..." He didn’t finish, but Hiashi knew what his younger brother wanted to say. They hadn’t even produced a single Kage-level ninja. Were the Hyuga not diligent enough? Every member of the Hyuga clan was incredibly diligent, training their bodies and taijutsu from a young age to maintain the current Byakugan activation rate. Their ancestors could achieve such strength with Gentle Fist and Byakugan, yet they could only resort to unorthodox methods. It was clear the Hyuga clan was indeed declining. If this continued, in a hundred or two hundred years, would the Hyuga clan fall into obscurity? This was a problem that worried both of them greatly. Therefore, the Shikotsumyaku was indeed very important! "Then I’ll be relying on you." Hiashi stood up, about to bow to Hizashi. Hizashi quickly stopped him. "I’m just helping... never mind. In short, you don’t need to thank me. I’m also doing this for the clan." After speaking, he stood up. "Once the letter is sent and we receive a reply, I will head to the Kaguya clan." "Come back alive." Hiashi, rarely showing such emotion, revealed his inner feelings. Hizashi nodded, turned, and left. --- Kyohiko had estimated it would take one or two months for things to ferment, but in reality, after only half a month, his Anbu personnel had gathered news. Word came from Kyoto in the Land of Water that they intended to establish Guardian Shinobi for their capital. Their duties would be similar to those of the Land of Fire’s Guardian Shinobi, with the aim of protecting the Land of Water’s Daimyo, but Kirigakure had yet to respond. Both sides were taking a hard stance. Thus, Hizashi embarked on his journey to the Land of Water. However... he was not traveling alone. Hizashi glanced to his sides and couldn’t help but say, "Is this really necessary? I’m a Jounin, after all. Do I need your protection just to go to the Land of Water?" "I’m not protecting you," Kyohiko shook his head. "It’s cover." "Cover?" "Mm." Kyohiko nodded. Hizashi thought for a moment, then began to understand. It wasn’t to cover himself, but to use his name as cover for Kyohiko’s own operational direction. Kyoto? Hizashi thought of the "Darkness of the Shinobi World" currently in Kyoto (Danzo), and combined with Kyohiko’s recent actions, he gradually understood the other’s calculations and subsequent moves. He’s going to eliminate Danzo! Hizashi was shocked inwardly but didn’t dare ask too much. He just thought for a moment and said, "How should I cooperate with you?" "Just stay in Kyoto for a few days. You don’t need to worry about anything else."