The people of the Land of Water's daimyo have arrived!
Kakashi, who had hurried all the way from Konoha Village, stood before the gates of Kirigakure, looking at the grand and imposing convoy in front of him, momentarily lost in thought.
A group of nearly three hundred people.
At the front, some people opened the way; at the back, there were people with gongs and drums; nearly seventy percent were samurai bodyguards accompanying them.
Kakashi carefully looked at the palms holding their weapons, every single one was the elite among elites; there were even a few whose photos Kakashi had seen before, clearly well-known, famous swordsmen.
At the very front was a large sedan chair for a person to sit in; the curtain was lifted, and inside sat a dignified and noble woman, holding in her arms a four- to five-year-old child.
Behind the sedan followed five cargo-carrying wagons; the cargo compartments were covered with thick cloth so that people could not see what was inside.
After the three hundred people entered Kirigakure, they did not head toward the Mizukage's building but walked straight in one direction.
'That… isn't that the direction of Ryosuke's school?!'
In the convoy, there was the family crest of the Land of Water's daimyo; even if it was villagers with no knowledge, they knew why this group of people had come,
'Ryosuke!'
A month ago, Ryosuke had beheaded the Land of Water's daimyo in the street.
Now, they had come to demand an explanation.
The wagons rolled along the road, the ruts sinking deep, showing that what was inside was very heavy.
The villagers swallowed their saliva.
"Could it be that what's in the carts are some sort of explosives?"
"Directly blow the whole Kirigakure to the sky."
"The woman sitting in the sedan chair, who is she?"
The villagers whispered among themselves, talking more and more absurdly.
By the end, they were even speculating that the wagons contained five cartloads of explosives, planning to blow the whole of Kirigakure into the air.
These samurai, maids, the woman and child in the sedan chair, they were to be offered as sacrifices to the deceased daimyo of the Land of Water.
Just like visiting a grave.
The ordinary civilians did not know.
But the ninja of Kirigakure, the intelligence spies of various villages, and Kakashi, who had just followed the convoy into Kirigakure, recognized the woman in the sedan chair,
She was clearly the wife of the new daimyo of the Land of Water.
The child in her arms was the daimyo's only son.
Kakashi's expression became as strange as Zabuza's, the newly appointed daimyo of the Land of Water…
Exactly what did he want to do?
You have to say, humans are truly a strange kind of creature, clearly suspecting that what was in the wagons might be explosives, yet the villagers did not stay away; instead, driven by curiosity, they followed the convoy all the way to Ryosuke's open-air school.
Ryosuke sat on a chair.
Standing behind him were Sasuke and Rei, Mayuri and Takeshi, as well as more than thirty people from Hope Village.
At a distance of ten meters, the convoy stopped.
The samurai gave the order to halt; there was not a sound of bird or crow.
A retainer helped the daimyo's wife, Saito, out from the sedan chair.
The samurai made a path; she led her four-year-old son, walking gracefully forward.
Reaching Ryosuke...
Thud!
Both knees knelt to the ground.
One big, one small, a mother and her son.
One was the lawful wife of the Land of Water's daimyo.
One was the daimyo's eldest son, the future next daimyo.
At this moment, both knelt before Ryosuke, in dogeza, the most humble and devout posture, expressing respect to Ryosuke.
At the same time, the two said, "The former daimyo was fatuous and incompetent, taking human lives lightly, a traitor to the people and the ancestors. Thanks to sir for righting the chaos and saving the Land of Water from fire and water!"
When the two finished speaking, the retainers behind them, as if rehearsed in advance, all lifted the oil-cloth covers of the cargo compartments.
Exclamations rose from the crowd; only to see that on the five wagons, one cart of ancient books and classics.
One cart of gold, silver, and jewels.
One cart of fine silks and satin.
One cart of treasured swords and armor.
The last cart was empty, with only an official robe and hat placed there.
When Kakashi saw that official robe, his pupils contracted slightly.
This was clearly the official robe of the Chief Adviser of the Land of Water.
The so-called "Chief Adviser", assists the daimyo, manages state affairs; in the truest sense is one below and ten thousand above; also called "Grand Preceptor" or "National Preceptor", bearing the title of "Teacher of the Nation."
This position is an extremely special official post; most of the time it is vacant, and only those truly possessing both virtue and talent, able to convince the public, will be appointed as Chief Adviser.
Kakashi swallowed.
"Could it be…"
Saito slightly raised her head, pointing to the five wagons behind.
"I know sir does not value worldly goods, but one who wishes to do great undertakings always needs wealth at his side; these, take them as our token of sincerity. In addition..."
She pointed at the official robe on the last cart.
"I sincerely invite sir to return to the capital with me. Now the Land of Water is in ruins and is in great need of a man of insight like sir to work together with the daimyo to restore the Land of Water's glory."
To kill the previous daimyo, yet to have the current daimyo send wife and child to kneel and invite, obediently present gold and jewels, and offer the position of Chief Adviser…
The scene before their eyes shocked the nerves of villagers and ninja alike.
This was wealth they could never earn in a lifetime, and a high position they could never reach in a lifetime.
Countless eyes fell on Ryosuke, full of envy and longing.
But in Ryosuke's eyes there was not the slightest joy.
"So this is the old-guard bureaucratic faction's trick?"
Ryosuke had been waiting for the new daimyo to make a move.
Whether it was sending troops to suppress, ordering Kirigakure to assassinate Ryosuke, or hiring killers for an assassination, all would become part of Ryosuke's plan, with conflicts deepening subtly.
But the other side had taken the initiative to cut ties with the previous daimyo, sending gifts and an official position.
Once Ryosuke accepted, in the villagers' eyes, Ryosuke would shift from being "one of us" to being "one of them."
No matter what Ryosuke did, that would be "them," the favors of the official lords.
Even if Ryosuke refused, villagers were accustomed to compromise, they would feel the new daimyo seemed not bad, so life could just be muddled through for now.
Under the shadow of drug trade, the intensified thinking would gradually calm.
Ryosuke sighed lightly.
"When it comes to playing mind games, even ten of me can't beat this group of people who've spent their whole lives dealing with others."
Ryosuke walked forward and helped Saito up.
If you only looked at her features, she was not that beautiful, just proper.
But the aura in Saito's brows and eyes was too unique, rather than the wife of a daimyo, she was more like a chess player skilled in the contest of human hearts.
"This move of yours… is quite interesting."
Ryosuke said, "However, my temperament is not suited for being an official; on the second day after taking office, half the people in the court might have to die."
Saito gave a faint smile and said, "Those you kill must surely be great villains and evil men; if killed, so be it."
"Even your husband?"
"If the daimyo commits evil, he is as guilty as any commoner; as long as the evidence is conclusive, why can't he be killed?"
Ryosuke nodded.
This was the bureaucratic faction's response method.
After the previous daimyo hoarded wealth, the people's hearts had sunk to the lowest point, even appearing a rebel like Ryosuke who could stir people's hearts.
If such momentum was allowed to grow, more and more people would gather around Ryosuke.
By that time, it would be a change of the realm, a reshuffling of the cards.
So, the bureaucratic faction had two response methods,
First, recruit into the fold.
Second, install a "wise ruler" to stabilize the people's hearts; after one or two generations, when the people had fattened again, start the next round of exploitation.
Ryosuke believed that if he put on that official robe and joined them, he would surely have a lifetime of glory and wealth, and under the effect of a wise ruler, the realm would be peaceful, the people prosperous, a flourishing age.
Perhaps Ryosuke would die without finding a single flaw.
But that was a false flourishing age.
The world's structure had not changed, it was just a cycle, just a temporary compromise.
Besides, if he joined them, where would he go to earn soul fragments, draw for Stands, and continue to grow stronger?
In the Naruto world, by story logic, ninjas would only grow stronger and stronger.
The Masked Man was not yet dead; there were other tailed beasts, and after the tailed beasts, there might be even stronger opponents.
Ryosuke could not stop his steps toward becoming stronger.
Most importantly…
"A real man, living between heaven and earth, how could he stifle and remain long under another?"
Ryosuke had already transmigrated, already had a system.
Could it be just to be someone's grandson?
"Please go back; I will not take a single one of these things."
When these words came out, the whole place was in an uproar.
This was enough to make an ordinary person instantly become a financial magnate, and an official position to have one's name left in history, yet he abandoned it without even thinking.
Everyone was shocked into silence, except for Saito and Ryosuke standing in the center of sight, their expressions remained calm; this woman seemed to have already expected Ryosuke to refuse.
She nodded slightly, and again said, "In that case, I have another gift to give you, sir."
A lean swordsman wearing a bamboo hat and a gray-white kimono stepped forward from the back.
At his waist hung a long and a short blade; his expression was indifferent, his eyes gray-white, like…
A sword still sheathed, hidden in its scabbard.
"Mr. Miyamoto is the number one swordsman of the Land of Water; he has heard that Ryosuke-san is skilled in swordsmanship and wishes to ask for your guidance in a bout."
"If you win, I will exempt all taxes in all towns and villages within the Land of Water, what do you think?"
'Miyamoto…'
Kakashi suddenly recalled a person and could not help but speak in warning, "Ryosuke! Be careful of his swords!"
"The long blade can cut through steel; the short blade can slice the soul!"
The strongest swordsman of the Land of Water.
Ryosuke understood Saito's intent.
If the first round of buying failed, then use tax exemption as the condition to force Ryosuke to fight, to see how strong this so-called "invincible" really was.
If Ryosuke refused, he would face the complaints of the commoners; if he accepted, it was a risk.
However, Ryosuke had long wanted to cross blades with a strong samurai; besides, after Star Platinum unlocked time-stop, he had yet to have a suitable opponent, perfect to test the use of time-stop in battle.
"Stop at the point of contact?" Ryosuke asked.
Before Saito could speak, Miyamoto said in a tone so flat it was dull, "No, the job they gave me is, if there's an opportunity, kill you with one strike… so, you also don't need to hold back."
Ryosuke was stunned, then laughed out loud.
He was indeed a straightforward person.
"Want to fight?" Miyamoto asked.
"Of course," Ryosuke said.
Miyamoto frowned slightly, "Then where is your sword?"
"Don't need it for now."
A trace of anger appeared in Miyamoto's eyes, he had heard of Ryosuke's battle record, which was why he accepted Saito's invitation and came specifically to fight him, and yet the other party wasn't even going to draw his sword.
"You are… a bit too arrogant!"
"Sorry, I'm not insulting you, it's just that my sword is currently being repaired and reforged; besides..."
On Ryosuke's skin, faint golden ripples flickered.
Star Platinum appeared behind him; man and Stand together raised a hand to point at Miyamoto, "Don't forget, you are the challenger."
The surrounding street lamps flickered unsteadily; natural energy swept up a violent wind, shredding the hazy thin mist.
Everyone felt as if drenched in a bucket of cold water, yet also as if a blade was pressed to their throat.
'This is… the pressure when Ryosuke enters battle mode!'
Kakashi looked at Ryosuke, his mouth half open.
How long had they been apart? Ryosuke had actually grown stronger again?
"You have three chances to swing your sword; after three times, you will lose."
Ryosuke beckoned to Miyamoto.
"Come, let me see, what is a 'samurai.'"
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