novelhk Chapter 108 Mission Impossible
Chapter 108 Mission Impossible
Chapter 108 Mission Impossible
After a banquet filled with decadent music ended, the delegation rested in the city for the day.
As night fell, seeing that Yohei and Saori were still somewhat lost in thought, Taichi shook his head: "What's wrong? Still thinking about what happened during the day!"
Yangping hesitated, looking rather embarrassed. Saori, however, was somewhat indignant; as a girl, her feelings about the situation were clearly different from the boys'.
"Noda Mune is right about something: this is the adult world, and it's also part of this colorful world."
Yangping and Saori looked at Taiichi with puzzlement, anticipating his next move.
"We are ninjas, not those officials or nobles. What is the essence of a ninja? It is the power we wield!" Taiichi said, suddenly swinging his arm. A raging flame suddenly erupted from his entire right arm, enveloping it and making it seem as if the entire arm was made of fire.
Clearly, during this period, his fire attribute transformation and chakra control have improved significantly.
Yangping and Saori stared blankly at Taiichi's right arm, which was engulfed in flames, both stunned by Taiichi's move.
Taiyi looked at the two stunned people and nodded with satisfaction: "As long as you have enough power, everything you saw today will be easy to obtain."
"Lord Jiraiya is a womanizer who travels everywhere to gather inspiration, but he is so powerful that he does not tarnish the reputation of the Legendary Sannin."
O
I felt apologetic in my heart, thinking, "Jiraiya-sensei, I've exposed all your shameful secrets."
"Tsunade-sensei is also one of the Legendary Sannin, known as the most powerful medical ninja. Look at which man dares to be disrespectful in front of her." Taiichi looked at Saori, using his teacher as an example to encourage her.
Yangping and Saori were both starry-eyed. The reputation of the Sannin was well-known among the ninjas of this generation in Konoha. Moreover, Jiraiya and Tsunade were particularly close to them, and both had deep relationships with their teammate Taichi.
This greatly inspired the two and strengthened their resolve to continuously improve.
After a peaceful night's rest, the delegation leisurely enjoyed breakfast the following morning. During the meal, they were showered with enthusiastic arrangements, whether intentional or not. The sumptuous food, exciting service, and lavish decorations all showcased the extravagance of the upper-class nobility to Taiyi and his companions.
The city lord warmly invited them to stay, and the delegation lingered until the sun was high in the sky before finally leaving the city to continue their journey home.
On the evening of the seventh day, with their arrival in Daimyo Prefecture imminent, Noda Mune could no longer contain himself. While strolling along the riverbank, he lowered his voice and said to Taiichi, "The Daimyo lord greatly admires your talent, Taiichi. Would you consider developing your career in Daimyo Prefecture in the future?"
Taiyi feigned surprise, glancing frequently at Yangping and the other person in the distance, as if afraid they would discover him. He scratched his head and rubbed his hands together, looking bewildered.
"This—the movement of ninjas requires the Hokage's approval. If the Hokage agrees, then I naturally have no problem with it."
He deliberately spoke haltingly and vaguely, leading Noda Mune to mistakenly believe that his prior preparations had been effective.
"Haha, there's no rush. You can think about it some more. Of course, the Daimyo will also communicate with the Hokage."
Noda Muneya knew he couldn't push too hard; he was merely laying the groundwork. The real winning over would happen once the people arrived at the daimyo's residence. So he changed the subject, chatting with Taiichi about his past experiences. Taiichi listened intently, completely absorbed.
On the evening of the ninth day, when the magnificent walls of Kyoto finally came into view, Noda Muneko wore a confident smile. After two days of continuous overtures, he could sense Taiichi's closeness to the daimyo's prefecture, and his mission was now perfectly accomplished.
As Taiyi gazed at the approaching city gate, a hint of solemnity flashed in his eyes. The real test had only just begun.
Escorting the delegation through the gates of Kyoto, Taiyi and his companions were still astonished by the city's splendor, even though they had witnessed it once before.
The spacious central streets, the constant flow of people, the hawkers calling out their wares, and the rows of shops on both sides all highlight the unique character of Kyoto.
"Taiyi, there's still half the mission time left. Can we have some fun in the city after this mission is over?" Yangping quietly approached Taiyi and asked mysteriously, his eyes glancing at the bustling shops on both sides of the street from time to time, as if he was full of longing for it.
Little did he know that Saori had already seen through his furtive behavior. "What are you two whispering about?"
'
"We're saying we'll stay and play for a while after the mission is over, Saori, what do you think?" Taichi answered honestly.
"Really!" Saori looked suspicious. "Why is Yohei being so secretive? It's not like it's anything shameful."
Taiyi was also puzzled. Yangping had become much more active since entering the capital city. Could it be that he had also been won over?
But that shouldn't be the case. Along the way, he and his shadow clone had been monitoring everyone. Neither Yangping nor Saori had met with anyone from the delegation alone. He couldn't figure it out, so he stopped thinking about it. After all, everyone has their own secrets, and as friends, there was no need to pry too much.
The delegation finally arrived at the daimyo's residence. Taiichi's team had successfully escorted Noda Mune to this place, and the mission should now be considered complete. All that remained was for the daimyo's residence to stamp and confirm the mission document.
However, reality often contradicts expectations. Neither Daimyo nor Taiichi had achieved their true purpose for this trip, so how could they leave so easily?
As expected, as Noda Mune entered the daimyo's residence to report, Taiichi and the others waited in the reception room. However, not long after, a servant came to inform Taiichi that they should go to the post station to wait, as the mission letter could not be confirmed until tomorrow.
Taiichi thought to himself: Just as I thought. Without waiting any longer, he got up and led Yangping and Saori toward the post station.
Upon arriving at the inn, the three were seated in a small courtyard with several rooms. After everyone had chosen their accommodations, Taiichi chuckled at the two still eager to explore. "Then let's all go our own way," he said. "This vast city of Kyoto is perfect for exploring wherever we want!"
"Yay!" Yangping jumped up excitedly, only to feel embarrassed after landing.
Saori, on the other hand, was much more shy. Although she was happy, she was only slightly excited.
"Let's go." The three of them left the inn together, and Taiyi gave them a final reminder: "Although this is Kyoto, we still need to be careful."
"Hmm!" *2
At this moment, inside the daimyo's residence, Noda Munemasa knelt respectfully on the ground, reporting the results of his trip to the daimyo.
"—Sarutobi Hiruzen has agreed to all of the Daimyo's requests, but considering the recent signs of escalating border tensions between various countries, the manpower arrangements may have to be delayed a little longer," Noda Mune concluded.
"Alright, as long as they send someone, a few days' delay won't matter. You've done a great job." The daimyo, his face hidden behind a paper fan, didn't hold back his praise. "What about that Matsushita Taichi?"
"My lord, I used power and beauty as bait. Although the child outwardly refused, the longing in his eyes could not be hidden from me. Especially when talking about his orphan status, there was always a hint of resentment in his eyes, which clearly showed that he was unwilling to accept it."
As he spoke, Noda Mune took out a brocade pouch from his bosom and respectfully held it above his head with both hands. "This was a gift from the city lord. I did not take a single penny. I only wish to be loyal to you in recruiting talented people."
The daimyo looked at Noda Mune kneeling on the ground and gestured to a servant to take the brocade pouch. "Good! Lord Noda is indeed loyal. You have done a great job on this mission."
As she spoke, she took the brocade pouch from the waiter, placed it in her hand, and the jewels clattered together.
Without even glancing at them, the daimyo tossed them back in front of Noda Mune: "Since these were gifts from someone, you can keep them! Also, report to the Minister of Finance tomorrow; it's time for a promotion."
Upon hearing this, Noda Mune was overjoyed. He quickly picked up the brocade pouch in front of him and buried his head in the ground again, saying, "Thank you for your reward, sir. I will do my utmost to serve you."
The brocade pouch, once given and once received, became a reward. The powerful man, without spending a single penny, had his subordinates moved to tears of gratitude—that was the skill.
Seeing the excited Noda Mune below, the daimyo slammed his paper fan shut and pointed to a waiter beside him: "Go find that little ninja and tell him I have something to discuss with him!"
After Noda Mune left, the daimyo got up and walked to the window, gazing at the bright moon in the sky, thinking about the information he had received earlier, his right hand tapping his left palm with the paper fan from time to time.
"He possessed near-Jonin strength at the age of eight and had completed several A-rank missions—such a pawn is fit to be used by me."
By this time, Taiichi had been strolling around Kyoto for almost an hour. The vast city of Kyoto was indeed more bustling than Konoha. As the economic and political center of the Land of Fire, it was much more lively than Konoha.
Neither the population nor the level of the surrounding shops can compare to Konoha. No wonder so many people, after experiencing the prosperity of big cities, are unwilling to return to their hometowns.
Taichi wondered when Konoha would grow to the size of Kyoto.
Taiyi glanced at the man pretending to buy clothes not far behind him, then calmly looked away. This was the eighth one already.
Since leaving the inn, Taiyi noticed that there were people watching him. They changed the watchers every now and then, thinking they were doing it flawlessly. In fact, Taiyi just didn't want to expose them, and he was also waiting to see what they would do next.
Sure enough, after strolling around for a while longer, a man dressed as a servant of the daimyo's residence, led by the watcher, approached Taiichi: "Ninja-sama, the daimyo requests your presence!"
Taiyi looked at the waiter in front of him, feigning surprise followed by realization, and said, "Then—please lead the way."
Upon arriving at the Daimyo's residence, Taiichi was led to a private reception room. Upon entering, Taiichi found the Daimyo already seated at the head of the table, waiting for him.
Taiichi was slightly taken aback, then looked flattered and quickly stepped forward to bow: "Daimyō-sama, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
"Matsushita Taichi, how does Kyoto's night view compare to Konoha's?" The daimyo wasn't in a hurry and asked Taichi about his impressions of Kyoto.
"Far more prosperous than Konoha—" Taiichi said with envy, praising everything about Kyoto: the dazzling array of goods, the delicious food, and the colorful activities. It was as if every breath of air in Kyoto was sweet.
As Daimyo watched Taiichi talk incessantly, he saw the longing of a naive young man for the big city, and a fleeting smile appeared in his eyes.
"Then, Matsushita Taichi, would you be willing to come to the Daimyo's residence and work for me?" The Daimyo interrupted Taichi, stating his request directly.
The scene fell silent for a moment, with the occasional chirping of insects outside sounding particularly jarring at this moment.
Taiichi, who had been talking non-stop, suddenly fell silent. The Daimyo also waited quietly for Taiichi's answer without urging him.
The crucial moment has arrived. All the previous pretense was for the sake of gaining the trust of the esteemed leader at this moment. Blind flattery will only invite contempt; only appropriate assertiveness will make one appear more valuable. Every word to come could determine one's life or death; one must be extremely cautious.
Taiyi's previous longing vanished, replaced by an extremely solemn expression: "Daimyō-sama!"
Seeing the change in Taiichi's expression, Daimyo also unconsciously became serious.
"Does the Daimyo's residence offer various advanced ninjutsu techniques for me to learn?"
"No!" Daimyo's expression darkened slightly.
"Does the Daimyo Prefecture have any powerful Jonin to teach me?"
"No, not at all!" Daimyo said, looking slightly annoyed.
"Does the Daimyo Prefecture have enough companions to spar with?"
"Still nothing!" Daimyo's face had turned ashen.
"My lord, ninjas are judged by their strength. If I serve you now but do not receive training and improvement, what is my value?" Taiichi raised the crux of the matter.
"Oh!" At this moment, the daimyo became interested, sensing another meaning in Taiichi's words: "What are your thoughts? Tell me!"
"The daimyo recruited me simply to gain my power, but now the daimyo's government can't provide the resources to nurture me. So why not let me continue to grow in Konoha?" Taiichi analyzed calmly, as if he had already figured out how to pledge allegiance to the daimyo.
"Interesting, continue," Daimyo said with interest.
"Furthermore, with me in Konoha, I can respond immediately to any orders the Daimyo may give. And when I have enough power, that will be the day I come to serve the Daimyo," Taiichi said sincerely.
"Haha, good, good, Matsushita Taichi, you're absolutely right." The Daimyo laughed heartily, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration for Taichi. "That's right, I don't lack combat power like you right now, and having you stay in Konoha will indeed provide me with greater assistance."
The daimyo lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then decisively looked up: "Just as you said, you will continue to stay in Konoha, improve your strength, and at the same time help me gather some intelligence."
Taiyi's eyes brightened slightly, and he quickly lowered his head to acknowledge the slight change in his expression: "I wonder what kind of information the daimyo needs, so that I can focus on collecting it."
"Take a look at which geniuses Konoha has, and who else is worth recruiting. If there's anything you think is special, you can also pass on the information to me," the Daimyo stated his request.
"Yes, Daimyo!" Taiichi readily accepted the mission. He then looked at the Daimyo expectantly.
The daimyo seemed a little flustered by Taiichi's gaze. "What, is there another problem?"
"Lord Taikai, have you forgotten what my benefits are? Even for normal missions, there's a mission fee. I'm practically a spy." Taiichi was a little embarrassed, as if he had said something shameful.
"Ah, right, we were having such a pleasant chat that I completely forgot about something so important." Daimyo feigned sudden realization: "Taiichi, tell me, what do you want?"
Taiichi was delighted to hear this. Looking at the daimyo, he rubbed his hands together and said, "Daimyo-sama, you must have some ninjutsu data, right? Could you give me some? You can give me whatever else you want."
The daimyo was surprised to hear that Taiichi's request was so simple, but he was relieved to think that Taiichi could have such strength at such a young age.
"Go to the library of my daimyo prefecture. It contains all the books that the daimyo prefecture has collected over the years. You can go in and choose any 10 books," the daimyo said generously. "In addition, I will give you another 3000 million taels of silver. In the future, as long as you provide useful information, I will pay you according to the value of the information. How about it?"
"Thank you for your generosity, Lord Daimyo." Taiichi bowed in gratitude.
Watching Taiichi disappear from sight, the Daimyo withdrew his gaze, and his heavy voice echoed in the small reception room: "What do you think? Any ideas?"
At that moment, the wall next to them suddenly opened, and Taiyi's old acquaintance, the Minister of Finance, walked out.
"My lord, I don't think this boy has truly submitted."
"Oh, why do you say that?" The Daimyo asked curiously, not understanding where the Finance Minister had come to such a conclusion.
"He never knelt or bowed to the adults from beginning to end."
"Ah, right, I almost overlooked that." Daimyo chuckled, tapping his forehead with his paper fan. Then his expression darkened. "But it doesn't matter. As long as he accepted the gift and then passed on information to us, we won't have a choice in the future!"
"Your Excellency is wise!" The Finance Minister immediately flattered, "With such a mole in Konoha, our subsequent plans to win over Konoha will be much clearer."
Under the dim light, the two figures often reflected each other, and bursts of smug laughter could be heard from time to time in the small reception room.
Meanwhile, Taiyi, led by a servant, arrived at the library belonging to the Daming Prefecture.