"Next, let me go into detail about the specifics of the Fire Nation's request."
The chief representative of the Fire Nation first shot a glance at Guy, who had just been shaken awake. He looked groggy and utterly unpresentable, certainly not the kind of man one could entrust with formalities, so the official turned his attention to the much more composed Neji.
"As stated in the mission previously sent to Konoha, your task is to escort our princess safely to the Hidden Leaf."
Neji nodded. "The Hokage has already briefed us in full. There's less than a month left before Konoha hosts the multinational Chūnin Exams. As a symbol of the Fire Nation's support for the village, Her Highness will attend the event in person. Therefore, Konoha must spare no effort to demonstrate its stature as the foremost of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, ensuring the success of this joint examination."
The Fire Nation official nodded. "Exactly. Since your Hokage already understands the importance, I won't repeat myself. What I'd like to discuss next is Her Highness herself."
"The princess? That sounds amazing!" Lee's eyes lit up as he threw a fist into the air. "It must be a mission filled with incredible challenges! Wonderful!"
"Hey, hey!" Tenten sighed. "Protecting a princess is a delicate and precise operation. One mistake could spell disaster."
"Mm, Tenten is right," Guy added with an uncharacteristic air of solemnity, at least, for a moment. Then came the usual whiplash: "That's why we must redouble our efforts to protect our princess! Lee, starting today, add one hundred more push-ups to your daily routine!"
"YES, GUY-SENSEI!" Lee shouted, fiery-eyed and full of zeal.
"…What the heck does that have to do with push-ups?" Tenten groaned and rubbed her temples. Traveling with these two clowns was pure suffering.
Even Neji felt secondhand embarrassment. His brows knit tightly together in frustration. But there was nothing more he could say. He simply sighed and shifted the attention back to the matter at hand.
"Please don't mind them," he said to the Fire Nation official. "Let's return to the topic at hand."
Watching Guy and Lee act like fools in front of high-ranking officials, the representative silently questioned whether these people were really fit to guard a royal. But orders were orders, this assignment had come from the Fire Daimyō himself. He had no authority to object. So he simply relayed everything he knew to Neji.
…
In the training courtyard of the estate, a duel was taking place.
Several armored warriors were taking turns clashing swords with a young girl, no older than fourteen, yet none could best her.
She wore a red and white battle gown with wide sleeves and a silver sash tied tightly around her slender waist. Her skin was fair and flawless, her brows fine, and her smile, though elegant, carried an air of aloof nobility. Her ears were bare of jewelry, yet the delicate luster of her earlobes outshone any ornament. Long, soft chestnut hair flowed behind her, giving her a fresh, unrestrained look.
In her hand was a slender, narrow-bladed rapier, which she wielded with stunning finesse.
Kirito watched from the shadows, slightly taken aback. The girl's face was indeed beautiful, but what truly impressed him was her swordsmanship, fluid, graceful, yet precise and fierce.
The rapier danced in a flurry of sword blossoms, dazzling to the eye. Her opponent, though wielding a traditional katana, could barely keep up.
Kirito shook his head.
This man dressed as a proper samurai, but his technique was all for show. His stance was weak and unstable, pure decoration. He looked the part, but had no substance. By contrast, the girl's footwork was solid and grounded. Her balance and body control revealed years of disciplined training.
In this era ruled by shinobi, the old way of the sword had already fallen into decline. Most samurai were now little more than nobles' playthings, flourishing blades with no killing intent, meant more for aesthetics than actual combat.
Shinobi, despite holding real power, were looked down upon by both aristocrats and commoners alike. After all, ninjas contributed nothing tangible to society. Their techniques were mysterious, resource-consuming, and unproductive. People feared what they didn't understand. Shinobi were weapons, tools to be used, not humans to be respected.
"Who's there?!"
Kirito was shaken out of his thoughts. Lost in his own head, he hadn't realized he'd been spotted. Though to be fair, he hadn't been trying to hide.
He'd come purely out of curiosity, having heard the clashing of blades. Now that the situation was clear, he was just about to quietly leave. But it was already too late.
"I'm from Konoha," he said calmly, stepping into view. "I came with the escort team. I heard sounds of fighting and followed them here by accident. My apologies."
"Konoha?" one of the young noblemen sneered. "Hmph… so a lowly shinobi dares trespass?"
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters