Kurama Yakumo wore a chest-high Ruqun custom-made for her by Ming Jing. The pink outfit made the little girl's pale complexion look less sickly. Mirai Kurama followed behind Yakumo. For the past two years, this girl skilled in healing had been responsible for caring for the Kurama Clan's Miss.
"Brother, you're back!" Yakumo was delighted to see Ming Jing. In her heart, Brother was the greatest brother in the world, capable of almost anything. Whatever she wanted, Brother would find a way to get it for her. Ming Jing doted on Yakumo, and Yakumo was equally dependent on him. Their sibling bond was so close that even Koji Kurama was a little jealous. He often said that if Yakumo depended on him that much too, he would willingly go fight the Nine-Tails.
"Mm, Yakumo, slow down." Ming Jing looked at Yakumo completely differently from how he looked at Hinata. He truly treated Yakumo as a younger sister to cherish. Seeing her run over, he immediately ran to her first and took her little hand, only relaxing afterward.
"Hehehe... Don't worry, Brother! Yakumo is amazing!" Yakumo grinned, letting Brother hold her hand.
"Mm-hm, Yakumo is the best! Come on, Brother found a friend for Yakumo today!" Holding Yakumo's hand, Ming Jing led her over to Hinata and introduced her. "Yakumo, this is Hinata Hyuga, the Miss of the Hyuga Clan. She's visiting our home today!"
Yakumo curiously studied Hinata's eyes. After hearing Brother's introduction, she held out her little hand and said brightly, "Welcome to our home, Hinata. My name is Kurama Yakumo, hehe..."
"N-Nice to meet you. My name is Hinata Hyuga. I'm very glad to meet you," Hinata said politely as she looked at Yakumo. To be honest, when it came to etiquette, the Hyuga Clan was probably the best in all of Konoha.
"Haha, can I call you Hinata? This is my first time meeting someone my own age!" Yakumo said happily.
"You can." Hinata nodded. She did not reject Yakumo's naturally familiar manner.
"Hinata is so nice! Hinata, come see my room! There are lots of fun things, all gifts from Brother." As she spoke, Yakumo grabbed Hinata's hand and ran toward her courtyard, not forgetting to turn back and tell Ming Jing, "Brother, I want secret garlic pork ribs and Kung Pao chicken for dinner tonight! Hinata, stay for dinner! The chef at my house is the best in the world!"
Ming Jing did not catch Hinata's response clearly. He turned to Tsukishiro Yuexi with a wry smile and said, "Did you hear that? Miss wants secret garlic pork ribs and Kung Pao chicken tonight. Tell the kitchen to prepare them."
"Understood." Tsukishiro Yuexi nodded and jogged out of the courtyard to notify the chef.
When she returned, she had a middle-aged man behind her. He was a gatekeeper of the Kurama Clan. The gatekeeper walked up to Ming Jing, cupped his hands, and said, "Young Master, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire has come to visit."
"Hmm?" Ming Jing frowned slightly. He held no particular prejudice against the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. He simply disliked the daimyo system of the Naruto World. In this world, anyone who wanted to achieve something in politics had to become a daimyo's retainer. Retainers were further divided into upper and lower retainers, known respectively as "patron kin" and "dependent kin." Ming Jing happened to dislike that system of retainers. It was equivalent to tying the Kurama Clan completely to the daimyo.
"Where is the daimyo now?" Though he disliked it, he still had to receive him. After all, the man was the daimyo, Konoha's biggest financial backer.
"We have already invited the daimyo to take a seat in the main hall," Tsukishiro Yuexi replied.
"Mm, you've worked hard. Return to your post." Ming Jing nodded and said this to the gatekeeper before heading toward the main hall with Yuexi and Qing Yan.
When they reached the main hall, they happened to hear the daimyo saying inside, "My, my... The Kurama Clan's residence is decorated wonderfully. I've grown quite fond of it!"
"If the daimyo likes it so much, Akira Kurama can give it to the daimyo later," came a fawning voice. Ming Jing could not help stopping. He wanted to hear how this daimyo would answer.
"My, my... That won't do, that won't do!" The daimyo tapped the table with his fan and said, "Such a beautiful residence must have taken considerable thought from Ming Jing. A gentleman does not take what others cherish. After I return, I'll have someone build another one for me."
"The daimyo loves his people as his own children. We are so moved to be bathed in the radiance of the daimyo's benevolence!" There was even a trace of tears in the fawning voice, as though its owner had truly been moved to tears.
What a talent!
Ming Jing no longer hesitated. He stepped out and deliberately glanced at the owner of that fawning voice. The man had a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks. Sure enough, he fit the passionate anime rule that one's appearance reflected one's heart.
Ming Jing walked before the daimyo, cupped his hands in salute, and said, "Akira Kurama greets the daimyo."
"Mr. Ming Jing!" The daimyo stood up, walked over, and seized Ming Jing's hand. He said excitedly, "After reading Mr. Ming Jing's great work last year, I benefited greatly! I have always hoped to invite Mr. Ming Jing to the Royal Capital to teach!"
Ming Jing answered neither servilely nor arrogantly, "Your Excellency overpraises me. Ming Jing's studies are still shallow. How could I dare travel abroad to lecture and mislead others?"
"Mr. Ming Jing truly possesses the bearing of a gentleman!" The daimyo looked deeply impressed. He continued, "This time, apart from meeting the Hokage during my visit to Konoha, I also wanted to speak with Mr. Ming Jing! I hope Mr. Ming Jing can clear up my doubts."
"I do not deserve such praise." Ming Jing stepped back and cupped his hands in salute once more. "Please speak, Your Excellency. Ming Jing will tell you everything he knows."
"Good, good, good!" The daimyo clapped happily. Pulling Ming Jing down to sit, he asked, "Mr. Ming Jing, what do you think of the current state of the Land of Fire?"
"I cannot answer that question, Your Excellency." Ming Jing shook his head with a wry smile. "Since I can remember, I have never left Konoha. I do not understand the situation in the outside world, so I cannot answer Your Excellency's question."
"Is that so?..." The daimyo was somewhat disappointed, but before Ming Jing could breathe a sigh of relief, the daimyo was full of energy again. He said cheerfully, "Since Mr. Ming Jing does not understand, I shall tell you! My Land of Fire fought the Land of Wind, the Land of Lightning, and the Land of Earth last time. Though we won, it was a hard-fought victory. At present, there are bandits and refugees causing trouble within the country. I do not know how these groups came about. A large group of retainers under me work diligently every day, yet the money I receive keeps decreasing. One retainer had a good idea and proposed raising taxes, so my purse swelled a little. My, my... Oh, right. I received word earlier that flooding had occurred along the border with the Land of Rain. Tens of thousands of subjects have been left homeless. But drought has also struck the border with the Land of Grass, and tens of thousands of subjects there have nothing to eat."
After hearing this, Ming Jing was speechless. Was this daimyo brain-dead? The points he mentioned were all signs of a dynasty's downfall in ancient China! Natural disasters and man-made calamities alongside bandits, corrupt officials and miscellaneous taxes—the Ming Dynasty that once crushed Toyotomi Hideyoshi had fallen exactly like this!
Should I hurry up and change my nationality? It feels like the Land of Fire could be finished at any moment!
"Sir, what do you think should be done?" After venting, the daimyo looked at Ming Jing. He might have been foolish, but he was not beyond saving. That said, how had the Land of Fire survived its crisis without Ming Jing? That question was worth considering carefully.
"Your Excellency, based on your description, the Land of Fire's current situation does not look very optimistic," Ming Jing chose a tactful way to put it.
"Huh? Is that so? Why do I feel like things are all right?" The daimyo froze, tapped his head with his fan, and asked in confusion.
All right my ass! In China, people would overthrow you in minutes under these circumstances!
Ming Jing grumbled inwardly. It seemed he had overestimated this daimyo's intelligence. Or had he underestimated the tolerance of the Naruto World's common people? Otherwise, why had this rotten country not collapsed even by the Fourth Ninja Wars?
As if he had not seen Ming Jing's expression as though looking at an idiot, the daimyo asked with a smile, "Mr. Ming Jing, do you think there are any areas where the Land of Fire needs improvement?"
"Um... Well..."
Dear audience, how do you think Ming Jing should answer at a time like this?
In any case, Ming Jing was dumbfounded!
Sure enough, the world of a passionate anime could not be judged by common sense! Maybe the people of Japan just liked this sort of suffering?
Before you continue