Chapter 118: Kyoto Of The Land Of Rivers
Shikaku Nara, Sakumo Hatake, and Tsunade, along with 2000 Leaf Ninja, headed to the Land of Rivers.
There was no send-off, no ceremony.
The Ninja left Konoha in batches, following their own captains in silence.
The Kiiroinu Battalion would become the Hokage’s eyes monitoring the Land of Rivers Battlefield, representing the Hokage in heading to the Land of Rivers.
Xinming hid in a cave for a long time until his wounds healed, then found the Front Line Camp under construction.
The camp was located in the center of the Land of Rivers, protecting the main grain-producing area in the eastern part of the Land of Rivers.
The camp’s walls and watchtowers were already completed, and the squads’ tents were being set up.
Xinming waited a long time, until Sakumo Hatake left the command tent.
“Xinming!” Sakumo Hatake’s originally tense expression turned to joy: “I thought something went wrong with your mission. It’s great that you made it back.”
Xinming handed over the mission scroll he had written and said: “Lord Sakumo, I uncovered some secret information and hope to report it to you privately.”
Sakumo Hatake turned and glanced at the Nara Clan Staff Ninja behind him, saying: “You all go rest first.”
The Nara Clan Staff Ninja gave Xinming an extra look but said nothing and left.
In a secluded place, Xinming said in a low voice:
“Lord Sakumo, this mission was supposed to be a death sentence for me.
Captain Sarutobi Senju had us three subordinates infiltrate the oasis separately; it was no different from suicide.
But for the mission, we went anyway.
An Anbu Ninja appeared and saved me. He had no prior connection with me but asked me to pass a message to you.”
Sakumo Hatake said instead: “Let’s not talk about the Anbu Ninja yet. You’re saying Sarutobi Senju sent three Chunin to infiltrate an oasis heavily guarded by Sand Ninja?”
His expression suddenly turned icy cold. This was the kind of thing Sakumo Hatake despised most.
Killing intent permeated the surroundings. Sakumo Hatake was good to his comrades from the same village but showed no mercy when killing Ninja from enemy villages.
“As Deputy Commander, I will thoroughly investigate the mission.”
Xinming said:
“Lord Sakumo, what I encountered on the mission isn’t important. After all, Captain Sarutobi Senju also died on the mission.
What the Anbu Ninja said is more critical.
That Anbu said the village high-ranking officials believe there’s a follower group around you.
The Anbu are investigating us.
Lord Sakumo, we know ourselves that we’re not a group, but to the village high-ranking officials, any force not loyal to the Hokage is a tumor on the village.
The Uchiha Clan has been under continuous suppression, which is the best evidence. The Senju Clan disagrees with the village high-ranking officials on certain matters and is now at a low point.
Lord Sakumo, please be very careful.”
Sakumo Hatake said:
“The Anbu are investigating a non-existent group around me? Why would that Anbu Ninja you mentioned remind me through you?
This is absolutely not the Anbu’s style. Anbu Ninja absolutely obey the Hokage.”
Just as Yoru had guessed, he took the initiative to show goodwill to Sakumo Hatake, who wouldn’t believe it rashly.
Xinming said:
“That Ninja wore a Fox Mask and was very strong.
He said he is your supporter and believes the examination system should replace the recommendation system. Perhaps he carried out missions with you before joining the Anbu.
Aren’t we all gathering frequently because we carried out missions with you?”
Sakumo Hatake said: “I understand. I’ll be careful of the high-ranking officials’ little moves, and you all should be careful too.”
In the Anbu Great Captain’s tent, Yoru received a new mission.
Kiiroinu said:
“The front battlefield doesn’t need Anbu for now. There are two troublesome nobles in Kyoto, Land of Rivers, who need assassination and cleansing.
The Hidden Sand Village declared war on Konoha, and some opportunistic elements have appeared among the nobles.
Some nobles in the Land of Rivers have sided early with the Hidden Sand Village, preparing to take over Konoha’s interests in the Land of Rivers after the Hidden Sand Village wins.
Fox, you go assassinate two nobles; those two nobles are core figures in the Land of Rivers who have defected to the Hidden Sand Village.
Per the agreement with the Land of Rivers Daimyo, Konoha cannot act against nobles, so this assassination must be covert; no one can tell it’s Konoha.”
Yoru took the scroll and roughly looked over the mission details.
Assassinating nobles was one of the Anbu’s most common missions; there were always shortsighted nobles who thought they could play both sides between Ninja Villages.
Kiiroinu added:
“Those two nobles definitely have Sand Ninja guards nearby, so be careful, especially to avoid large-scale building damage or innocent casualties.
If we overdo it, the Land of Rivers Daimyo isn’t stupid and will assume it’s us.”
“Good, I understand.”
Yoru returned to his squad’s tent area and called for Aries.
“Aries, take your squad and come with me to Kyoto, Land of Rivers.”
Aries’s parasitic insects were very suitable for gathering information.
Kyoto, Land of Rivers, spanned both banks of the Jishui River.
The river surged through a gorge over ten meters deep, with several wooden bridges connecting the banks above the gorge.
The banks of the gorge housed the residential area, commercial district, noble residential area, the Daimyo’s Tenshu Castle, and other places.
Yoru and the Aries Squad entered Kyoto, Land of Rivers, posing as merchants.
After checking into the inn, Yoru arranged:
“Aries, you’re in charge of monitoring the two nobles, the Great General of the Left Imperial Guard and the Minister of the Palace. Gather their movements, preferences, and confirm their guard strength.
Be especially careful; these two have Sand Ninja guards nearby.
When gathering information, do not contact the Konoha Guardian Ninja in the Tenshu Castle.
For this assassination, the Konoha Guardian Ninja must be completely unaware to avoid implicating them.
The assassination must not cause too much destruction in Kyoto, to prevent the Land of Rivers Daimyo from making trouble.”
Aries nodded and said: “Good, I’ll go gather information now.”
After the Aries Squad left, Yoru removed his mask, put on a face covering, and walked out of the inn pretending to be a merchant.
Many people in the Ninja world wore face coverings, so Yoru’s disguise wasn’t unusual.
With the Anbu’s meager funding, he couldn’t do any big business. He just looked without buying, wandering aimlessly.
Yoru arrived at a large bridge.
In the river under the bridge, white waves rolled.
Yoru spotted a reward poster by the bridge and instantly became interested.
The poster said that the war between the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass had interrupted the Land of Earth’s coal transport routes, and Kyoto urgently needed coal for power generation.
The Daizo-in of the Land of Rivers was offering a reward: anyone solving the coal problem would receive 1 million ryo.
Yoru looked at the rushing great river under the bridge and had an idea.
Wasn’t this 1 million ryo practically free?
Entering the Daizo-in of the Land of Rivers would also allow contact with nobles and approach the assassination targets.
Yoru followed the poster’s instructions and found the Daizo-in.
The Daizo-in was like the Ministry of Finance and Central Bank, wielding great power.
Yoru said to an official: “I can solve your electricity problem. Take me to see the Lord of the Treasury.”
The official saw Yoru carrying a ninja sword and guessed he was a powerful rogue ninja.
Soon, some officials escorted a woman into the room.
This woman exuded a mature older sister aura, about 30 years old, with her hair tied up high, revealing a white neck.
She wore a fitted white long dress, tailored perfectly—dignified yet graceful.
What caught Yoru’s attention was her rimless glasses, which made her face look even more refined.
“I am Koizumi Chisa, Lord of the Treasury of the Land of Rivers. My subordinate said you can solve the Land of Rivers’ power generation coal shortage?”
Yoru said: “I can’t solve the coal shortage.”
Koizumi Chisa slightly furrowed her brow, very confused: “If you can’t solve the coal problem, then why are you here?”
“Even the most powerful merchant guild in the Land of Fire, hiring dozens of Leaf Ninja, couldn’t transport coal out of the Land of Earth right now.” Yoru said:
“I can sell you hydroelectric power technology. Utilizing the Land of Rivers’ terrain advantages, you can completely abandon coal power and switch directly to hydroelectric power.”
“Hydroelectric power?”
Lord of the Treasury Koizumi Chisa’s eyes lit up. She had never heard the term and became slightly interested.
