Female Ninja Mochizuki Chiyome / Harvest Day Arrives

"Hahaha! Such a spirited girl is quite nice, she looks very appetizing." Tawara Toda said with a hearty laugh.

Chapter 226 Female Ninja Mochizuki Chiyo

Even though the rice harvest was still a few days away, the villagers were already busy preparing to safeguard their future.

Each samurai used their skills to divide the work and lead the local farmers in their respective tasks.

For example, when Shirou was patrolling the village, he discovered a simple forge. Since he was skilled at making various tools, he discussed it with his companions and took on the task of making tools.

The impoverished mountain villages are largely ignored except by the officials and soldiers who come to collect taxes each year. It takes half a day to walk to the city market, so everyone is self-sufficient. Although there isn't much ore or iron here, they usually just sharpen shears and mend farm tools.

However, with a skilled blacksmith and all the necessary tools, there's still quite a lot that can be done.

Adding anti-climb wires to the protective wall, attaching iron spikes to thin wooden strips to make the simplest arrows, and setting up traps in some hidden places might have a surprising effect.

For the next few days, the village was filled with the sound of ping-pong during the day, with Yukino helping him out.

On the other side, a group of men were gathered together, making encouraging noises.

"Heave-ho! Heave-ho! Heave-ho!"

Four or five men were seen carrying a thick tree trunk more than three meters long as they walked out of the woods. Behind them, a tall, strong man with blue hair was carrying an equally impressive tree trunk and following behind, offering words of encouragement from time to time.

"Keep going! Keep going! Just a few more steps and we'll be there!"

Leading the group of farmers who used to be responsible for chopping firewood, Tawara Toda went to the back mountain of the village and carried back long, round logs that had been cut down from the forest and were ready to be dried and used as firewood. They laid them on the ground to be used as a barrier to prevent horses from charging into the village.

Houzoin Inshun began training the local farmers. They selected tough bamboo, sharpened one end, and used it as a bamboo spear. Although it wasn't a very good weapon, it wouldn't easily break even if it was cut by a knife. Against the fragile human body, as long as it wasn't aimed at the bone, it was just as effective as a knife blade if you used a bit more force to pierce it.

"Drink! Ha!"

"That's it, ten more times! Imagine a bandit standing in front of you, and stab him in the body."

"When you draw your gun, don't blink, aim at the opponent, don't be nervous, keep your hand steady! As long as you hit the opponent, you win. Even Buddha has a Vajra in a fit of rage; you are fighting to protect your families! It's something to be proud of."

Yes! Drink! Ha!

The shouts of the young and strong men in the village rang out from time to time. They were inevitably uneasy, but they also understood the seriousness of the matter. The only thing they could do was to train their bodies to draw their guns and thrust them out before they could even think.

Although Kojiro was taciturn, since he had eaten the rice of this village, he silently took on the job of patrolling and guarding, and he was indeed very suitable for this kind of work.

As long as he stands before the mountain gate, he can guarantee that no matter how powerful an opponent comes, he can be stopped until a victor is determined. He does not rely on magic to fight and can still use sword skills, making him the strongest being here in one-on-one combat.

Meanwhile, Soji and Nobu were by the well, playing with the village children.

Shirou, having just finished forging, returned to the doorway and watched the two girls and children bickering and playing carefree. He felt that even for the sake of these children, he had to protect this village.

"Yes." Yukino put down the package containing writing implements and joined the group of players with a smile.

"She's still just a kid." Shirou chuckled when he saw the girl's happy smile.

"Hey, Shirou, how's the preparation going?" Soji noticed them and ran up to ask with a smile.

Shirou replied, "The temporary preparations are all complete. We're just waiting for the rice harvest before setting up the defenses."

"Really? Speaking of which, the way you look in a kimono does remind me a bit of my Kinami Brother, Chikunan. When he had free time, he would often take me to play with the neighborhood kids." Soji looked Shirou up and down, smiling with a hint of nostalgia.

Because he was going to do forging work, Shirou had taken off his samurai outfit and was only wearing a casual kimono.

'Kinami Keisuke... well...' Shirou sighed inwardly, but didn't ask aloud. Instead, he retorted:

"No, to be honest, I'm really bad at dealing with kids. If I let them be willful, it'll cause big problems. If I lecture them, they'll think I'm being long-winded."

"Yes, but if you see a child in need of help, then you should never let go again." Soji smiled at Shirou, giving him a knowing look.

At this very moment, high up on the mountain behind the village, through dense forests Yamen Cliff, a stream flows out from the mountain, and the light of burning firewood shines. Around them, bandits sit on the ground, and women in kimonos pour them wine. A banquet is being held here.

Black-haired, red-eyed girl, wearing a long robe, was holding a wine cup and sitting high on a wooden chair covered with a tiger skin. Not far from her feet, three adult-sized skulls, scorched by fire, hung on a wooden stake.

These three were originally the three leaders of the bandits here. Because she brought two more people with her, three of them were killed. In this way, there are still forty bandits, and the game is fair.

The black-haired girl, the Oda Nobunaga, looked down at the bandits sitting below and declared:

"There has never been justice in this world! War, earthquakes, storms, fires, famine, plagues, disasters will never stop. Even without war, even if there are no bandits, the bandits will still come. Disasters will still happen, year after year."

That's the truth. In a world like this, let me teach you how to live a fulfilling life!

"I greatly value talent. Regardless of your background—whether you are farmers, thieves, or robbers—as long as you have ability, I will employ you. Even if you want to become like Monkey, it's not impossible, as long as you have enough skill."

"My ambitions are also vast. Don't worry if your current knowledge and abilities are insufficient; just study diligently every day. I will give you opportunities to demonstrate your skills after you've mastered them. Whether it's strategy, diplomacy, military tactics, martial arts, or finance, anything is possible. As long as you have sufficient ability, I will grant you the corresponding position."

"Natural disasters? Man-made calamities? Gods and Buddhas? Ghosts and monsters? There's nothing to be afraid of. You just need to follow me and become someone even the ghosts of Rashomon fear!"

"Ooooh! Mountain Bandit King!"

"Yes, Chief!"

"My blood is boiling! I'm not going to lose to those samurai in a fight!"

"Let a few warriors come, I'll kill them all! Let's take the castle down the mountain!"

Demon Nobunaga pointed to the ninja girl on the roof and continued:

"See this alluring young woman? She's a ninja who harbors a deep-seated hatred for me, wishing she could kill me right now to avenge herself. She's only staying there because she can't defeat me. But she has enough talent, so I'll allow her to stay by my side."

"My men, strive to improve! Become stronger! Starting as lackeys is fine, fight to build up your achievements! If you have enough strength to plunder, even if you cut off my head, I will have no complaints."

"Oh my!"

"Incredible! This leader is absolutely insane!"

"Wow, that's amazing! So amazing! I have a feeling that if I just follow the leader, I might actually become the strongest bandit here!"

The bandits were roused to a fever pitch! They raised their long swords high and cheered.

After the shouts rang out three times, the bandits' bodies changed. Under the influence of the Holy Grail, the bandits, like their hearts, developed symbols of 'demons' who lived by plundering and killing.

Although it was only a phantom, irregularly twisted ghost horns grew from its forehead and the sides of its head.

"I feel like I've gotten stronger!"

"I've gotten stronger, wahahaha!!" The bandit grabbed the rock on the ground and lifted it high.

"Baka! You need to use your strength in the right place! I can do it seven times tonight!" The bandit picked up his stolen wife and headed towards the bamboo forest.

"Hahaha!"

"Let's party! Eat, drink, and hug! Don't worry about anything. When we run out of ingredients, we'll just plunder!" Nobunaga the Demon said with a laugh, raising his sake cup.

"Yes, okay, thank you, leader!"

"Following a leader like this is wonderful!" The bandits happily began to eat and drink.

In just over a day, the Demon Nobunaga had subdued the bandits. First, he had the three original leaders executed to establish his authority, then he distributed the leaders' wealth, followed by coercion and enticement, and finally, he even gave them their ideals.

Even if we consider her in later generations, she would be considered one of the most outstanding leaders.

'By slowly strengthening their bodies with the Holy Grail every day, even bandits will become very strong. At that point, that village will be no match for them, Shirou will be mine.'

With this in mind, the Demon King Nobunaga, in high spirits, raised his cup and invited the ninja girl sitting high up, "Hey~! Mochizuki, how about you come down for a drink?"

"Tsk... No need!" Standing on the roof, Mochizuki Chiyome bit her lip, but had no choice. She simply jumped off the roof and walked into the woods.

"Hmm, what a woman who doesn't know any humor. What a waste of her attire." Nobunaga regretfully brought the raised sake cup to his lips, took a sip, and turned to another of his helpers, asking, "What do you think, Izou?"

"Well, boss, let her be. Judging from my experience, she'll still do a good job when it comes to killing," the long-haired man with a ponytail replied with a sinister smile.

This is a samurai man with a messy ponytail, gray curly hair covering half of his face, a wicked smile on his lips, and a red scarf wrapped around his neck.

"Speaking of which, boss, when are we going down the mountain? There must be plenty of samurai worth killing there, right? I'm really looking forward to seeing some exquisite swordsmanship! Hehehe!" the man said with a sinister laugh.

"Well, just bear with it a little longer. Tomorrow, use the heads of the bandits from the nearby mountains to bear with it. When the rice ripens, that will be the time for the final battle," said Demon Nobunaga, sipping his sake.

In the woods of the mountains, a large tree was pierced by more than a dozen kunai, bearing various cuts. A black-haired girl, venting her anger, was panting and muttering hoarsely, "Damn it! Bastard! Oda! I'll definitely kill you! I'll definitely kill you!"

Mochizuki Chiyome was a female ninja who served the Tiger of Kai Takeda Shingen family. Because her ancestor Koga Saburo borrowed the supernatural power of Mount Ibuki Great Spirit, he received a curse passed down through generations, and the spirit of the Yamata no Orochi resided in his body.

Therefore, she was appointed as the head of the Miko in the Takeda clan's territory, responsible for training priestesses and female Miko in dance, seduction, sowing discord, assassination, intelligence gathering, and information gathering.

Because the Mochizuki family had no male heirs, Takeda Shingen arranged for his nephew to marry into the Mochizuki family and take over the family business, thus becoming her husband Mochizuki Moritoki.

After Takeda Shingen's death, the new head of household, eager to prove herself, launched a war against Oda Nobunaga, only to suffer a crushing defeat, in which her husband also died.

After that, as the defeated party, she led her family to flee and seek refuge in the Sanada family's territory. Not long after, news of Oda Nobunaga's death arrived, and she lost her chance for revenge.

So when she heard Oda Nobunaga's name, she rushed forward to fight, single-mindedly seeking revenge for her husband. However, the difference in strength was too great. The advanced ninjutsu of the Koga-ryu that she possessed, as well as the curse from Yamata no Orochi within her, had been greatly weakened after arriving in this world. As for other Hidden Weapon or poisons, they could not harm Oda Nobunaga, who possessed Monstrous Strength.

Faced with thousands of matchlock guns, she had no choice but to flee.

Just two days ago, the powerful demon king Oda Nobunaga actually came to her door, demanding that she pledge her allegiance to him. In return, he would keep her by his side and give her a chance for revenge.

She was now suppressing her anger and hatred, waiting for an opportunity—an opportunity to kill Oda Nobunaga with her own hands. Of course, attacking a village was the same whether it was this demon king before her or Nobunaga, who was called "nobu" and seemed like a mischievous girl.

Due to the intense exercise, even the black cloth wrapped around her head fell off, revealing her heterochromatic pupils. They were golden vertical pupils, proof that she had been possessed by the Yamata no Orochi, the Great God of the Sea. They formed a stark contrast with her other deep blue sapphire eye.

After arriving in this world, the curse, whose influence had been weakened, was revived under the influence of hatred, bringing her not only the oppressive feeling and pain of being haunted, but also power.

Mochizuki Chiyome reached out and put the kunai away from the tree, then turned to leave.

Just then, the piercing cries of birds echoed through the woods, causing the girl to frown and stop in her tracks.

He turned around and forcefully flung something away!

BOOM!!!

With a loud crash, the large tree inside collapsed, startling the nocturnal birds in the forest, which then flew away.

A cracking sound startled the man and woman in the middle of their activity, and they both cried out in pain as if their bones were being broken.

Chapter 227 The Harvest Day Arrives

Living in the village was quite a novel experience. As agreed, the farmers provided the seven samurai with two full meals of rice each day. In this era of scarce resources, being able to eat plain white rice was a status symbol for the upper classes, such as nobles and samurai. Although it was a bit monotonous, the samurai could accept it. After a few days, the samurai got used to life here.

Kojiro, with a twig in his mouth, practices swordplay alone here, patrolling the edge of the village by himself.

Nobu is always on the go, running around all day. He only comes back on time for meals. Sometimes he brings back wild fruits he picked from who-knows-where, and sometimes he comes back wearing a wreath made of wildflowers from the mountains. He's more like a child than a child.

However, no one expected her to be of much help; they were just hoping she wouldn't cause any trouble. Now that they left her alone, Nobu could occasionally use her gun to go hunting and bring back some pheasants, ducks, or rabbits.

Okita Souji was responsible for staying behind, but in reality, she spent most of her time playing with the children. Having devoted herself to kendo since childhood, she died of a terminal illness at a very young age. Like a big kid, she was very popular with the mischievous children here.

Lately, even Yukino seems to be influenced by them; she doesn't eat properly anymore, and while holding her rice bowl, she sometimes wanders off somewhere.

However, this relaxed attitude might be just right. Everything proceeded step by step, Shirou was in the forge, crafting various small tools.

With the help of a group of villagers, Tawara Toda moved all the felled trees to an open space near the intersection where they would be used.

Even after all the preparatory work was completed, the farmers had no time to rest before another busy period began.

A gentle breeze carries the sweet fragrance of ripening rice throughout the village. The plump ears of rice sway gently in the breeze, and Kakashi (the scarecrow), whose clothes flutter in the wind across the fields, is taken down. Finally, the village welcomes the day to harvest the rice.

The farmers took off their straw sandals, picked up their sickles, and went down into the fields. They skillfully cut the rice into bundles, carried them to the riverbank, and the women used wooden carts to thresh the rice. Then they laid it out in the scorching sun to dry, removing any residual moisture to prevent it from molding during storage due to rainy weather.

At this time, the mischievous children in the village also ran to the fields to help pick up the few rice stalks and weeds that had been missed and fallen.

On a day of bountiful harvest, which should have been a time of joy, the farmers here, before they could even smile, immediately realized the perilous future that was about to befall them, and their faces turned bitter again.

"Will we even be able to eat the rice that's been milled from this rice? We're so unlucky... By the time this rice dries, the bandits will be here soon," a villager said helplessly.

"Shut up! Get to work!" a villager shouted from the side. He was the leader of the villagers who had invited Shirou and the others.

"Aichi is right, we've done everything we could! We've brought in samurai, they'll set up defenses, and they've even taught us how to fight with bamboo spears, let's fight them!"

"That's right! Why should those damned bandits steal the rice we've worked so hard to grow all year? This time, it's either them or us who die!"

"Yes! Let them come over here, let us tell them who owns this rice!"

The villagers channeled their anger into motivation, grabbing rice stalks and wielding sharpened sickles, thus speeding up the harvest.

The samurai watching the farmers work from the high ground on the shore smiled, and Shirou and Tawara Toda nodded to each other.

"After training, the villagers have gradually developed the determination to confront the bandits head-on," Shirou said happily. As long as the villagers are determined and do not panic and make basic mistakes during battle, then with training and knowledge of how to use defensive facilities, they can minimize casualties.

"Ah, in that case, people's hearts are at our disposal," said Tawara Toda with a smile.

"Yes, according to the plan, once the fields here are all harvested, we'll divert the stream flowing down from the mountain to flood this area, and then one side of the village will be safe."

The villagers worked from day to night and finally finished harvesting all the grain in the fields.

The next day, Shirou and the others sounded the alarm and convened a strategy meeting.

Supported by his son, the village chief, leaning on a cane, arrived at the century-old tree in the center of the village, at which point everyone had arrived.

Shirou continued, "Also, there's something I need to clarify now. The bridge over the village must be demolished, and we'll have to abandon the houses on the other side. Otherwise, if bandits attack, we won't have enough manpower to defend them. The families living on the other side of the bridge should all move over here."