Chapter 225: The Daimyo: Hiss! This Plan Is Too Brain-Burning!

"Right! The jutsu Kyohiko used to knock back Asuma, it seems to be the Superhuman Strength technique?" Tsunade pondered for a moment, then sighed softly. Ryoho Kyohiko’s application of Superhuman Strength and the Yin Seal had already surpassed her own. Thinking back a few years, this child had only just begun to show his talent. Although his talent was extremely high, it was limited to certain areas. Not like now. There was almost no field that Kyohiko was not proficient in. If one had to say... the only ninjutsu field Kyohiko was not good at was probably Fire Style. Basically, she mostly saw Kyohiko use Water and Lightning Style. She had also seen Wind and Earth Style a few times. As for Fire Style, Tsunade had no deep impression. However, Tsunade didn’t think that Kyohiko couldn’t even learn Fire Style ninjutsu. It was more likely that—the other party simply had no need to learn it. Although Fire Style had great destructive power, for Kyohiko, he already had better-to-use Lightning and Water Style; he simply didn’t need that. "Sigh, I wonder when I can retire!" Tsunade tapped on the table, sighing with boredom. Shizune couldn’t help but say. "Tsunade-sama, others would kill to serve for a few more years. Why are you the only one thinking about retiring every day? Have you paid off your debts?" Tsunade waved her hand, resting her head on one hand while approving documents. "Hey, this is different!" "The old man, he has his problems, but he also has his merits. He stayed on before mainly because there was no successor. Of course..." "That guy Danzo, death is too good for him!" Mentioning Danzo, Tsunade’s brow twitched, and anger flared up. If she hadn’t come back, Orochimaru might have been running wild in the direction of eternal life and the Reanimation Jutsu. At that time, even if he came back, she might have lost a good friend. --- At the Konoha Ninja Academy. After the chaos caused by the event, the school quickly returned to calm. However, inside the school, the clamor continued. At least, for Uchiha Shisui, it was so. He held a book, just wanting to find a quiet corner, but alas... A figure suddenly appeared in front. "Uchiha Shisui, come and duel with me!" It was a black-haired boy. Shisui looked up and sighed silently. This trend is really not good! But ever since Might Dai and Might Gai became famous, a trend of challenging people to duels had appeared throughout Konoha, especially among the children of this generation. It was one thing for peers, but even those a few years older were this childish... How frustrating! Shisui quietly looked at the other party, then continued to read his book. "I don’t know swordsmanship." Gekko Hayate said with dissatisfaction. "Nonsense! I remember that your Uchiha clan is a family skilled in swordsmanship. Your Uchiha-style kenjutsu is very strong!" "You can’t be thinking I’m still young and trying to trick me, right?" Shisui looked puzzled. Young? Who’s the young one here! He looked at himself, then at the other person, and fell into a long silence. Besides the rumors about Might Gai in the village, there were naturally also some stories about Hatake Kakashi. At this moment, Uchiha Shisui finally understood how difficult Hatake Kakashi’s situation was back then. "I really don’t know it." "Really? I don’t believe it!" Gekko Hayate’s hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his face serious. "And, a person who doesn’t know the sword, why carry a sword with you? Come, let’s have a match, Uchiha Shisui!" It seems I can’t carry eye-catching things like swords when I go out in the future. No, wait! I’m already being targeted, so not carrying it is useless. Shisui sighed. Really... how helpless! His face was serious. "After this duel, you can’t look for me again. If you agree to this condition, I will duel with you." Gekko Hayate said seriously. "Alright, on a samurai’s honor!" Shisui’s mouth twitched slightly. This guy... fine! He gripped the hilt of his sword, closing the book with his left hand. "Then let’s begin." "Please guide me!" Gekko Hayate even formed the Seal of Confrontation. Shisui also solemnly returned the gesture. Then, he drew his sword. His arm and blade danced in the wind like a willow branch, his single hand forming what looked like a clone technique seal. In an instant, six Uchiha Shisuis appeared before Gekko Hayate, and then all of them disappeared from the spot. His pupils shrank. Is this the Dance of the Crescent Moon? No! So fast! He sensed a faint breeze and immediately slashed backwards with his sword, simultaneously dispelling the genjutsu’s interference. But when his vision returned, he only saw Shisui’s sword at his neck. And he... had only blocked the other’s kunai. "You lose." Shisui sheathed his kunai and sword and continued to read his book. Gekko Hayate was dejected for a while. Then, he saw Shisui leaving, gritted his teeth, and chased after him again. "Can I look for you for guidance again in the future?" "Didn’t we already agree?" Doesn’t keep his word! Shisui frowned. Gekko Hayate bowed deeply. "Please!" Shisui was stunned for a moment. "Why do you have to find me?" Gekko Hayate said truthfully. "Gai-senpai said that if one’s talent is not good enough, then find someone with good talent to chase after. That way, at least you can get a high-ranking position. I think in the academy, you are the most talented." Uchiha Shisui was stunned. Then, he put away his book and became serious. "But you are already very outstanding... Sorry, I don’t mean anything else. I mean, your swordsmanship is actually already very good. I just used genjutsu just now." Gekko Hayate answered. "The enemy won’t just use swordsmanship." Shisui was silent for a few seconds. "Can I ask a question?" Gekko Hayate nodded. "Of course, please ask." To be honest... in the academy, not many people were willing to be friends with Shisui. He himself understood the reason very well—Uchiha. This name was enough to deter most people. Gekko Hayate was the first person to actively approach him and issue a challenge, and his persistence surprised him and earned his admiration. Shisui voiced his question. "Why do you work so hard?" This question, most people in the clan didn’t know, or would never think about. But these people in the school seemed to be all working very hard, and more and more people were joining the running army. The person before him was one of them. Gekko Hayate was silent for a few seconds. "My mother was originally an excellent ninja, but to treat me, she lost her ability as a ninja forever..." "I must take on her share and become a more excellent ninja!" After he finished speaking, he bowed deeply. "Please!" Shisui was stunned for a few seconds, then nodded lightly. "Alright, I promise you." "Really? Thank you so much!" Gekko Hayate was overjoyed, then immediately gripped the hilt of his sword. "I will work twice as hard and come to you for guidance again after I’ve made progress." Then, he quickly left. Gekko Hayate was more than a year older than him. The two of them were not very close, but Shisui knew that the other had been quite weak before, and only became healthy after being treated by Tsunade-sama and his teacher. He hadn’t expected that behind the cure, there was such a hidden story. For his mother’s share... it’s indeed very heavy! But I am for the survival of my clan. Shisui held his book, but had no desire to continue reading. Uchiha Secret Assassination Techniques. "The essence of genjutsu is deception." "How can loyalty gained through deception be guaranteed?" Only by winning over reliable partners, cleaning up the inside, and creating my own power can I truly save the family. But now, what I need to do is... make the weak waverers in the family firm up. For example—the shameful yet respectable Uchiha Fugaku. He walked quickly towards the clan compound. --- In the Uchiha clan’s territory. Uchiha Shinji walked towards the basement of his house. After a moment, in the dim light of the basement, shadows swirled. Shinji looked around. At this moment, a voice sounded. "Have you thought it through? Aren’t you worried that I’m out for revenge?" The shadows gathered and formed into a human shape. Uchiha Shinji said. "Back then, it was indeed the guys from the Uchiha clan who lacked foresight, and I was too young at the time and had no say. It’s different now..." "Our generation has suffered greatly at the hands of Senju Tobirama and his disciples. As long as you stand up, you will surely have a huge following!" Uchiha Shinji lowered his head. The black shadow laughed loudly. "Very good. The Uchiha of the past, if there had been a few more people like you, I would have already established my own ninja village, and even unified the shinobi world. Why would I need to wait until now?" "Of course, your power is beyond doubt. Now, it is time for you to return and unify the shinobi world!" Uchiha Shinji knelt down. The black shadow nodded lightly. "Indeed, it is time." "What should I do?" "Wait first. I will tell you what to do later. Heh, Konoha will pay the price for their foolishness." "Yes!" --- In Kyoto. Four people arrived in a certain corner here via the Flying Thunder God. "Are we going directly to the Daimyo’s mansion?" "Mm, you wait outside. I’ll go in and see him alone." As Ryoho Kyohiko spoke, he disappeared in a body flicker. The matter of the Guardian Shinobi still had to be communicated to the Daimyo. And during this period, the relationship between Konoha and Kirigakure was far from good, and he had a mind to seize some overseas interests. So, expansion was imperative! Outside the gate, two guards saw Kyohiko and were stunned for a moment, but still braced themselves to block him. "Are you Kyohiko-sama?" Ryoho Kyohiko nodded. "Yes. Please go and report. I am here regarding the matter of the Guardian Shinobi." The other party breathed a sigh of relief and immediately went in to report, not daring to linger. They knew Ryoho Kyohiko. The powerhouse who had killed Danzo, his strength was one of the best in the current shinobi world, with few rivals. Who would dare to offend such a person? After the two came out, they immediately apologized. "We’re sorry, we didn’t mean to..." Ryoho Kyohiko smiled and nodded. "As guards, this is your duty. I understand. Thank you for reporting. I’ll go in now." Then, he walked quickly inside. The two guards exchanged a look, quietly breathed a sigh of relief, and then whispered. "This one is very different from Danzo." "Indeed. If it were Danzo, I wouldn’t have dared to stop him at all. It’s a good thing Danzo is dead... sigh, I wonder what the days ahead will be like!" The Guardian Shinobi had its pros and cons. As for what Kyoto would be like in the future, no one could say for sure now. --- Inside the hall. The Daimyo sat in his seat, waiting for Ryoho Kyohiko’s arrival. Seeing the handsome young man walk in quickly from outside, a look of joy appeared on his face, and he quickly stood up from his seat. "Kyohiko, you’re finally here. I thought you had already forgotten about my matter!" Ryoho Kyohiko reported verbally. "Daimyo-sama, Konoha has indeed been a bit busy recently. We’ve just reached a preliminary cooperation with Sunagakure, and plan to expand trade in both the ninja and commercial sectors later." The Daimyo nodded repeatedly, smiling. "I know. Tsunade has already reported this matter. Well done!" Ever since Danzo died, the cooperation between the Land of Fire and Konoha had become closer, and the benefits had also been fed back more and more. For example—the matter of the Land of Wind and Sunagakure. Konoha gained benefits on the ninja level, while the nobles and merchants of the Land of Fire could send their subordinates to trade in Sunagakure, benefiting both sides. Therefore, the nobles’ view of Konoha had also changed greatly, and the pressure on him had lessened a lot. There was just one thing. The matter of the Guardian Shinobi had been slow to be implemented. After he finished speaking with a smile, he turned the topic to the Guardian Shinobi. "Kyohiko-kun, this time with the Guardian Shinobi, how do you plan to handle the training?" Ryoho Kyohiko spoke, taking out a scroll. "Daimyo-sama, a team cannot be entirely composed of elites. I hope you can understand this point. So my idea is, a small number of elites plus a majority of ordinary ninjas. They don’t need to master too many techniques or theories..." "Please have a look, Daimyo-sama." Konoha and the Land of Fire were nominally superior and subordinate, but in reality, they were more like collaborators. Both sides had always maintained this tacit understanding, which was also the reason why the Land of Fire and Konoha had always been strong. The Daimyo read it carefully. A few seconds later, he fell into deep thought. In Kyohiko’s proposal, the elite of the Guardian Shinobi would protect the Daimyo, while the ordinary Guardian Shinobi would be samurai who had learned chakra refining, basic ninjutsu, and the use of ninja tools. If so... The Daimyo looked at Kyohiko with some worry. "Won’t there be too many?" Too many ninjas outside might not be a good thing for Konoha or the country. Ryoho Kyohiko prompted. "Please look further." The Daimyo nodded lightly and continued to open the scroll, looking at the back. Then, a look of astonishment appeared on his face. Expansion? He looked up at Kyohiko in surprise, then lowered his head to continue reading a few seconds later. After a few minutes, the Daimyo finally finished reading the entire scroll. He took a deep breath. Ryoho Kyohiko... is not simple! "The Guardian Shinobi protect the capital and the people everywhere, preventing them from being harassed by wandering ninjas and bandits, while the ninjas take on more commissions from merchant caravans and businessmen." The Daimyo tapped his finger lightly. The most numerous samurai were not in the Daimyo’s mansion, but with those nobles and families. This meant that most of the Guardian Shinobi would be the subordinates of nobles and commoners. The power in his hands would be the elites from the Fire Temple and Konoha. For Konoha, this would also reduce a lot of income, but Konoha planned to expand its business, sending out a group of people to be mercenary ninjas, to excavate mines... Seems good? Hiss! The Daimyo’s brain was burning a little. The plan was a good plan, but he couldn’t sort out the pros and cons for a moment and couldn’t make up his mind. At this moment, he finally understood what Sarutobi Hiruzen had meant—"Kyohiko is very smart, but also very troublesome." Indeed. Very smart, and very troublesome! The Daimyo knocked on his head. Finally, he looked at the young man before him. "Are you sure?" Ryoho Kyohiko looked at the Daimyo. "We can try it first, promoting it in a small area. We don’t have to push it nationwide immediately. If the effect and response are good, then we can push it nationwide. It’s just that you need to pay attention, the majority of the Guardian Shinobi’s power must still be in your hands." The Daimyo nodded. He certainly understood this principle. Promote it slowly... The Daimyo pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Step by step, this is indeed a mature method. I think this plan is not bad. You go back and discuss it with the village. If Tsunade and the others agree, then draw up a charter and submit it again." "Yes. Also, the matter of mercenary ninjas..." The Daimyo answered without hesitation. "You can handle that as you see fit. I trust your ability and judgment!" Let the professionals handle ninja matters!