Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 357 One-Way Assassination

A day later, a document appeared on the desk of the Daimyo of the Land of Wind.

Daimyo opened the document and found it contained a brand-new design for an underground water conservancy project. The Land of Wind suffers from water scarcity, a problem they've had for centuries. If this plan could truly solve their water problem…

The daimyo of the Land of Wind's eyes lit up instantly, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips. "Hahaha, very good, very good!"

"I want to inform the nobles and other vassals in the country that I do not want them to get involved in the internal affairs of the Land of Earth. That is their business, and it is better for us outsiders not to interfere."

"Yes."

Meanwhile, in the Land of Fire, at the Daimyo's residence.

The elderly daimyo of the Land of Fire had just gotten out of his maid's bed when he suddenly found a document on his desk.

He frowned, about to unleash a torrent of curses, but after a moment's thought, he decided to open it anyway. What he saw immediately excited him.

To be honest, what he gained here wasn't wealth or status, because he's already at the pinnacle of the world in those two things.

In his view, the Land of Fire was the most powerful and wealthiest country, bar none.

But now he is old, and what he values ​​most is youth and life, and this document can give him just that.

This describes a bloodline extension and modification technique, the price of which is replacing one's entire bloodline with that of a child of the same lineage and bloodline. Ideally, the child should be of the same sex and under eight years old.

But none of that mattered to him. He desperately wanted to live. Sacrificing one or two sons for ten or twenty years of life, or even eternal youth, was a deal he understood perfectly.

"Pass down the order: I do not want anyone to interfere in the affairs of the Land of Earth, or don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Lord Daimyo, if only we had ninjas..."

"Then stop their funding for several years."

Early October, the capital.

The gates of Daming Prefecture were tightly closed, and a somber atmosphere pervaded the interior.

The struggle between the second and third princes has reached a fever pitch.

The second prince controlled the capital's garrison, while the third prince won over most of the civil officials. The two forces confronted each other inside and outside Daming Prefecture, neither willing to give in.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, the lords of the eighteen small kingdoms united to support the princess and her husband.

The two princes were furious. They said that those small countries had no right to support their rule over the country. They had even planned to send troops to destroy them once they obtained the position of daimyo.

But that wasn't the end of it. The daimyo of the Land of Wind and the daimyo of the Land of Fire simultaneously claimed to be related to Keita Ida and implied that he was also qualified to inherit the daimyo position.

After all, we are all descendants of gods.

At this moment, Keita Ida, who should now be called Keita Kaguya, is traveling along the official road towards the capital with his wife, Ayano Ueno, in a carriage.

The carriage was ordinary; there was nothing special about it from the outside.

However, steel plates are embedded in the inner walls of the carriage, which can withstand attacks from ordinary ninjutsu.

The carriage was covered with thick cushions. Ayano leaned on Keita's shoulder, holding a cup of hot tea in her hands.

"Are you nervous?" Keita asked.

"A little. After all, we have to go back and face those things."

Qi Tai held her hand: "I'm here."

Ayano looked up into his eyes. There was tenderness, determination, and something else she couldn't quite understand in those eyes—ambition, or perhaps a kind of unwavering confidence.

"Keita. Do you still stand by your promise to me?"

Which one?

"You will always love me."

Qi Tai suddenly laughed, and whispered in the princess's ear, "Haven't I shown you enough love day and night?"

Princess's ears turned red, but just then, a commotion arose ahead. Qi Tai lifted the carriage curtain and saw nearly a hundred men in black standing on the road ahead.

These people were dressed in ordinary black night clothes, their faces were covered with masks, and they carried knives and swords.

Their posture was casual, but their eyes were sharp; they were clearly not ordinary bandits.

However, Keita was no ordinary person; he could tell at a glance the dense chakra within these people's bodies.

These people were ninjas, and not just any ordinary ninjas; they were private soldiers kept by nobles.

Is he working for the second prince? Or for the third prince?

But it doesn't matter anymore, because the black people have already charged in.

The kunai shuriken flew out, but was quickly blocked by the water shield. Over the years, the local ninjas of the Land of Earth, who had been sponsored by the Ida family, had finally made their move.

Most of them were orphans, or even the offspring of some ninjas' one-night stands. They were originally just a little talented, but under the training of the Ida family, they were able to stand on their own.

"Young Master Qi, you all go first. Leave this to us." A young girl blocked the way for the group, drew two long swords from behind her, and led a group of ninjas, nearly a hundred people in total, to stop them.

Qi Tai nodded and lowered the carriage curtain: "Let's go."

The carriage restarted and continued its journey towards the capital.

Keita held Ayano's hand and felt that her palm was a little cold.

"Don't be afraid. Those people are our family's guards."

"I know," Ayano said, but her hand still didn't loosen. She knew her husband was mysterious, but it was this mystery that attracted her, made her have thoughts, and made her forget her feelings.

Now that things have come to this, there are some things she doesn't want to delve into anymore. As long as he treats me well every day from now on, that's enough.

On the way forward, similar assassination attempts occurred three more times, but these ninjas were not very strong, and each time new ninjas appeared to stop them.

However, the accompanying troops still suffered losses, and it wasn't until they were about to reach the outskirts of Daming Prefecture that elite troops finally appeared.

This time they couldn't get there easily, and Keita Ida stepped out of the carriage for the first time, drawing his sword.

The princess was surprised to discover that her refined and gentle husband was actually skilled in swordsmanship!

She couldn't discern the depth of the attack; all she saw was the aura emanating from her husband's blade, which could carve a ten-foot-long trench in the ground.

In the bamboo forest, Qi Tai's figure moved swiftly, his blade flashing like snow, each swing precisely severing the enemy's weapons or limbs.

His movements weren't fast, but each movement was just right, with not a bit more or less force.

"He... is so brave!" The princess's heart pounded. No wonder, no wonder he was so strong that he could last a day and a night, forcing her to bring two maids to spar with him.

At this moment, the princess was happy again!

However, not long after, several more assassins appeared.

They weren't dressed in night clothes or wearing masks; instead, they were dressed in ordinary clothes, yet each of them exuded an aura far surpassing that of the previous assassins.

Their posture, breathing rhythm, and the chakra fluctuations emanating from their bodies all indicate that they are not ordinary ninjas; they are the elite of Iwagakure (Hidden Stone Village).