Chapter 186: The Daimyo Disappears
With the Nine Samurai of the Thundercloud now excluded from the castle's defenses, Dana had his own men pull back as well, to avoid further agitating the inexplicably paranoid Daimyo.
And the reply from the Third Raikage was much slower than he had expected. He had thought he would get a reply in a few hours, but it didn't come until the next day.
The Third Raikage didn't say much in his letter. He just told him to act as he saw fit, but not to push too hard.
From the timing and the wording of the letter, it was not difficult to see his hesitation.
In his own letter, Dana had suggested that they use this opportunity to firmly establish the power dynamic between the Cloud and the Daimyo's court, to intervene forcefully, to expel all non-Cloud ninja from the court, and to thoroughly investigate the previous attacks, and to drag the mastermind out into the open.
But the Third Raikage had spent 43 years under the traditional ninja village system. Though things had changed a lot in recent years, he instinctively felt that a ninja should not push their own Daimyo too hard.
It seemed that it was not just him, but all the ninja in the world, who, in their hearts, accepted this "village-daimyo" relationship that, in Dana's eyes, was so unreliable. It even had nothing to do with strength. Even the God of Shinobi, even the Asura of the ninja world, had seemingly never thought in this direction.
Dana had been trying to push for a change in this regard, but a change in perception seemed to be more difficult than any other reform.
But while the Third Raikage was hesitating, the Daimyo was growing more and more insane by the day.
No, to be precise, more and more agitated by the half-day.
In the evening, he had had the Nine Samurai hand over their duties. By noon, he was refusing to see anyone. And then, another half-day later, he had ordered the Nine Samurai to leave the capital.
When the order was given, everyone thought the Daimyo had gone mad.
In theory, he had the right to order anyone to leave his castle, even his own wife. But not in such a direct manner.
Many in the capital were stunned by this series of actions and began to wonder if the Daimyo had gone senile. It was said that a few of his sons were starting to get ideas.
But to everyone's surprise, when Yotsuki Dana received the news, he was not angry. He did not even go to the Daimyo for an explanation. The man who was rumored to like to step on people's faces and interrogate them had just smiled and accepted the Daimyo's decision. That very evening, he and all the Cloud ninja had left, in a grand and public display.
They had all tied their forehead protectors to their heads and had marched in a long line, from the castle, through the core of the capital, and then out the main gate.
In a side room of the castle, Natsu and Momo were watching the Cloud's procession from their balcony.
"Young Master Yotsuki is leaving," Momo said.
Natsu remembered what he had told her before he left. "Momo," she said, "you'll stay with me tonight. Don't wander off."
Momo was a little hesitant. She would be scolded if she was found sleeping in the young lady's room. But in the end, she decided that the temptation of sleeping with her was too great.
In the castle, the Thunder Daimyo was clutching a famous sword he had collected for many years but had never used. "Are they gone?" he asked nervously.
A servant peeked out the window. "They're gone, Lord Daimyo," he said after a long moment. "A lot of them are gone."
"Are they all gone?" he asked. "Good. Good." He seemed to be in a trance.
The servant looked at the sword in his hand and his bloodshot eyes and instinctively backed away.
From an angle the Daimyo could not see, a sneer appeared on the servant's face.
"Lord Daimyo, would you like some tea?"
Just as he was going to pour the tea, the bedroom door was pushed open.
The tall, black-haired swordsman and the sallow-faced ninja.
The two mercenaries who were the only ones allowed to be his personal bodyguards. They walked in.
"What is it?" the Daimyo said nervously. "Are the Cloud's men back?"
"The Daimyo did not summon you," the servant said, his voice a little panicked. "How dare you come in? Get out!"
The sallow-faced ninja looked at him with a deadpan expression, and the servant froze, as if he had been hit by a paralysis jutsu.
Orochimaru slowly took the teacup from the servant's hand and took a sip.
"Interesting," he said. "They say ninja are full of schemes and tricks, but you people are not so bad yourselves. But it doesn't matter anymore. Lord Daimyo, after this cup of tea, it will be time for you to go on a journey."
After leaving the capital, Dana had been walking with his eyes closed. But it did not affect his movement. The men around him did not disturb him. They all knew that when he closed his eyes, he was usually using his sensory ability.
Sometimes, he was just asleep.
The remaining seven of the Nine Samurai, on the other hand, were a little dejected. In their view, as the Daimyo's protectors, to be driven out was a great humiliation.
In all honesty, in all their years of guarding the castle, there had never been a single breach. For so many things to have happened in just a few days, even their captain, Boku, was a little bewildered.
When he got back to the village, he would be a laughingstock for years. Even the veteran Boku was sighing. He felt he had failed the mission the village had given him.
After a few more kilometers, Dana waved his hand and had his men make camp on a mountain.
No one asked why. They just silently waited for his next order.
For the castle, tonight would be a sleepless one. But for these Cloud ninja, it was just an ordinary, and a little boring, night.
And tonight, he only did one thing, a very important thing.
He waited. Like a baker waiting for his dough to rise. It seemed he was doing nothing, but the time was not being wasted.
The next morning, he opened his eyes.
"Someone is approaching from the north," he said. "Don't stop them."
"Yes, Lord Dana."
A few minutes later, an old man in a coarse linen robe slowly walked over, as if in a dream.
He stumbled to a stop in front of him and then, as if he had suddenly disconnected, he froze for a long moment. "The Daimyo is in my... hands," he said in a daze. "Come... alone... to Qin Island."
With that, he collapsed. Dana immediately had him taken care of.
And so, the final piece of the puzzle was in place.
"You will return to the capital," he ordered. "Take over the defense of the castle. If there is any chaos in the capital, suppress it."
"My lord, what about the mercenaries?"
"Take them into custody," he said calmly. "Kill any who resist."
With that, he set out for Qin Island, an island on the eastern coast of the Land of Lightning.