In the moment after the explosion, the people in the mansion were awakened.
Raging flames spread in all directions, creating a scene of terrifying horror, even the guards' first thought was to flee.
But facing their duties, they immediately ran towards the well, filled up buckets with water, and rushed to the fire's location to extinguish it.
However, the raging fire was already uncontrollable, sweeping everywhere with the wind, devouring everything without restraint.
A fire occurring at such a time must have been man-made.
A naturally occurring fire could not become so fierce in such a short time.
Moreover, at such an important place as the Daimyo's Mansion, even the servants working late at night couldn't possibly make such a careless mistake.
Furthermore, from the initial sound of the explosion, both Chou and Akakage were very clear on what caused it.
The sound of an Explosive Tag detonation.
The root cause of the fire was that someone had used Explosive Tags to ignite the flammable areas of the Daimyo's Mansion, causing the fire to spread tremendously and uncontrollably in an instant.
A premeditated attack, undoubtedly the most troublesome thing, especially at a crucial moment in the Land of Demons' expansion plans.
This matter must be stopped.
"Leave this to me, you go protect the Daimyo of the Land of Bear."
No matter what Akakage's task was at the moment, the safety of the Daimyo of the Land of Bear is certainly the top priority for the Land of Demons.
The Land of Demons needs the official endorsement of the Land of Bear to execute a series of expansion plans.
The Daimyo of the Land of Bear is the key figure.
If anything happens to him, the Land of Demons' plans in the Land of Bear will be postponed for years.
Moreover, the sons of the Daimyo of the Land of Bear are all worthless, and the Land of Demons does not need such an inept Daimyo.
They need an ambitious Daimyo.
Akakage earnestly nodded, just about to turn and leave, when suddenly his body froze, and he looked towards a certain direction with a grim gaze.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Akakage's strange expression, Chou quickly asked.
"My Shadow Clone has disappeared."
Chou's expression also changed slightly upon hearing this.
Shadow Clone Jutsu is different from ordinary Clone Jutsu, and differs slightly from the basic Escape Technique type of clones.
Shadow Clone is a physical clone with consciousness independent from the body, and possesses a certain degree of resistance determined by the caster.
Whether the Shadow Clone is actively or passively dispelled, the experiences of the Shadow Clone will be fed back to the original body.
Therefore, many times, Shadow Clone is a crucial ninja technique for gathering intelligence.
This technique was developed by the Second Hokage of Konoha, Senju Tobirama, originally designed to serve espionage.
Only Chunin and Jonin are able to grasp and master such high-level Ninjutsu.
Akakage is a hidden operative of the Land of Demons within the Land of Bear's ranks, naturally he has learned this convenient espionage-working technique.
In interacting with Chou, he separated a Shadow Clone to ensure Princess Tamahime's safety.
His Shadow Clone disappeared, not through active dispellation, but due to attack and dispellation by an enemy.
This means there was trouble with Princess Tamahime.
This was precisely why Akakage's expression turned grim.
Chou also understood this point, quickly calmed himself, and decisively changed his previous decision, saying to Akakage, "I'll take care of the Daimyo of the Land of Bear, you go bring Princess Tamahime back safely. Be cautious, anyone capable of defeating your Shadow Clone is no ordinary ninja."
Akakage nodded and vanished from the spot.
Based on the memories transmitted when the Shadow Clone was attacked and dispelled, Akakage could determine which direction the enemy escaped towards after abducting Princess Tamahime.
Watching Akakage leave, Chou's honest face seemed to carry a hint of helplessness.
He sighed and muttered quietly, "The princess sure has her fair share of misfortunes, is this the trouble of being an unparalleled beauty?"
But thinking it further, in the Underground Black Market, a woman with a bounty of 65,000,000 ryo is a rare high reward target, especially one specifically designated alive.
If any Bounty Hunter completes this business, it wouldn't guarantee a lifetime of care-free eating and drinking, but at least they could live leisurely for a long time without worrying about working hard for a living.
"No wonder the Daimyo of the Land of Bear asked Akakage to protect her, such an important 'treasure', would be disappointing if not sold at a good price considering her worth."
A noble's life does not seem as glorious as it appears.
There are glamorous ones, as well as those ugly and greedy.
In other words, this attack on the Daimyo's Mansion is also a tragedy induced by Princess Tamahime.
This is why Chou said the princess has 'many misfortunes'.
If they can't bring the princess back, Akakage would lose the trust of the Daimyo of the Land of Bear; for Akakage, the princess is more important than his own life as she pertains to his crucial mission.
Chou believes that with Akakage's capabilities, he could handle everything over there, so he calmly moved toward the Daimyo of the Land of Bear's location.
Princess Tamahime is indispensable, but the Daimyo of the Land of Bear is equally significant.
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"That foolish princess!"
During the pursuit, Akakage cursed under his breath more than once.
Sure enough, women only impact his mission efficiency, only create such meaningless trouble for him.
Only relying on a little cuteness, the Black Market bounty hunters persistently chase, such determination doesn't move Akakage, only irritates him.