The Final Section, Tamamachi Seiyo!

The Daimyo sat by the window, a Shogi board laid out before him. It was Asuma's favorite game, but the Daimyo had no opponent across from him; he was playing against himself.

"My Lord, the Prime Minister's fundraising was very successful," a figure appeared below the window, kneeling to report the entire process of Ming Jing's fundraising to the Daimyo. The Daimyo listened while using his fan to move the chess pieces. By the time the report was finished, the Daimyo's game had also reached a conclusion.

After a moment of silence, the Daimyo slowly said, "The Kurama Clan truly lives up to its reputation as the best at Illusion Techniques! That's fine, then. I'll invest that money elsewhere! But those merchants are surprisingly wealthy; perhaps it's time to consider raising taxes?"

The person kneeling outside the window dared not respond to the Daimyo's question. He remembered his predecessor was transferred to the border of the Land of Rain not long after he'd tried to be clever and join the Daimyo's conversation.

"Well... never mind. Let's see what Mr. Ming Jing does next!" The Daimyo pondered, smiled slightly, and refocused his attention on the chessboard.

On the third day, while Yuexi was tallying the donations, Ming Jing and Qing Yan went out again. This time, however, it wasn't for a stroll but a purposeful visit to someone: Tamamachi Seiyo—the Land of Fire's most renowned agricultural expert, hydraulic engineer, and civil engineering specialist, currently sixty years old.

Tamamachi Seiyo lived on a small mountain outside the Royal Capital, which he had planted full of Eastern Maples. When the wind blew, it looked as if the entire mountain was ablaze. Ming Jing stopped and looked at the scene before him. "It seems Mr. Tamamachi Seiyo is a passionate person!"

"How did Young Master know?" Qing Yan, living up to his reputation as the best teammate, gave Ming Jing another opportunity to show off.

"Because the flower language of the red maple is passion! Let's go!" Ming Jing smiled, seizing the moment, and walked contentedly toward the buildings on the mountain.

The two reached the courtyard and saw a young girl, no older than fifteen, diligently sweeping the ground with a broom. Ming Jing compared them and decided it would be better to have Qing Yan knock on the door; after all, Qing Yan looked more mature.

So, Ming Jing took a step back, and Qing Yan stepped forward, calling out to the young girl in the courtyard, "Miss, is Mr. Tamamachi Seiyo at home?"

"What do you want with my grandfather?" the young girl asked, looking up at Qing Yan.

"It's something important. Please inform Mr. Tamamachi Seiyo that Prime Minister Akira Kurama is here to visit." Qing Yan tried his best to appear less stern and deliberately slowed his speech.

"Oh, okay, wait a moment!" The young girl nodded, glanced at Ming Jing behind Qing Yan, put down the broom, and ran into the house.

"Thank you," Qing Yan called politely to the girl's retreating back before stepping back behind Ming Jing.

After a while, there was movement from inside the house, and a slender old man emerged. His back was straight, and each step he took was vigorous. As he approached, Ming Jing realized the old man was quite tall, nearly 1.9 meters.

"I am Tamamachi Seiyo. I heard the Prime Minister was looking for me? Where is he?" Tamamachi Seiyo looked at Qing Yan, tilting his head.

"Apologies, I am the Prime Minister, Akira Kurama. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Tamamachi." Ming Jing had no choice but to raise his hand to signal himself.

"Hmm??" The old man looked down, then squatted down, stroking his chin. "You're quite good-looking! Too bad you're not as handsome as in the newspapers. By the way, do you have a partner? How about dating my granddaughter?"

"..." Ming Jing's expression stiffened. Was this really the best hydraulic and civil engineering expert in the Land of Fire, or even the world? He was trying to set him up with his granddaughter on their first meeting! How much did this old man dislike his granddaughter?! Was that moment of unreliability just an illusion? It must have been an illusion!

"Grandpa..." While Ming Jing was in a daze, a broom descended from the sky, hitting Tamamachi Seiyo squarely on the head. The young girl then said, suppressing her anger, "Hurry up and invite our guest in!"

Well... this grandfather-granddaughter relationship is quite unique! Ming Jing and Qing Yan exchanged glances, thinking to themselves.

"Ahahaha... Sorry, sorry! Please, come in!" Tamamachi Seiyo laughed heartily, stood up, and gestured them inside.

"You're too kind, please," Ming Jing nodded and walked in. As soon as they were seated, the young girl brought over freshly brewed tea.

Tamamachi Seiyo nodded with satisfaction at his granddaughter, then whispered to Ming Jing, "Really, aren't you going to consider it? Look how sensible my granddaughter is!"

Ming Jing secretly rolled his eyes, too lazy to engage with the old man's words. He got straight to the point: "Mr. Tamamachi, my name is Akira Kurama, and I am currently the Prime Minister of the Land of Fire. I apologize for this unannounced visit, but I hope to persuade you to come out of seclusion and oversee the excavation of a canal."

Tamamachi Seiyo immediately got into character. He frowned. "Hmm, I saw the newspaper today. The Prime Minister looked much more dashing in print. Cough cough... What I mean is, emotionally, I support your idea, Prime Minister, but technically, it's a bit far-fetched!"

I'm so sorry I'm not photogenic enough to impress you! To be reminded twice by the elder!

Ming Jing took a breath, reminding himself of the purpose of his visit. He adjusted his mindset and asked, "You are an expert in hydraulics and civil engineering, and your opinion in professional matters carries the most weight. I'd like to ask, if there are technical challenges, can they be overcome with the abilities of ninjas?"

Tamamachi Seiyo closed his eyes in thought, then retrieved several maps and books from his study. After flipping through them and doing some calculations, he said, "Hmm... relying solely on Konohagakure ninjas might be a bit troublesome. Based on my understanding, there aren't many ninjas with Earth Release in Konohagakure. However, with ninjas who have Lightning Release, it should be achievable."

"If ninjas can solve it, then it's not a problem!" Ming Jing declared domineeringly. What if Konohagakure ninjas couldn't do it? Ming Jing would go to the Land of Rain and fool some big boss. If that didn't work, he'd just take on missions in the Land of Earth.

"Well, seeing the Prime Minister so confident puts my mind at ease. Then there's only one last issue!" Tamamachi Seiyo stared at Ming Jing with a serious expression. "My granddaughter won't allow me to travel far."

What kind of issue is that?!

Ming Jing stared back at Tamamachi Seiyo, not backing down. "Sir, are you joking? Your granddaughter looks less than fifteen years old. How can she decide your travel plans?"

To Ming Jing's surprise, a broom descended from the sky and hit him on the head with a thwack. Qing Yan beside him was also dumbfounded. Hadn't the young girl just left? How did she return so suddenly?! Could she be a hidden master? Qing Yan's expression grew serious.

"I'm sorry, I, Tamamachi Kiki, am already twenty-two years old! I just developed late! I don't let Grandpa travel because it's too dangerous outside, and an old man can easily get into accidents." Tamamachi Kiki held the broom in one hand and her fist in the other, looking as if she could go berserk at any moment.

"Hehehe... Miss Tamamachi certainly knows how to maintain her youthful appearance!" Ming Jing's eye twitched. Most people only grew in chest size, not height, but this one hadn't grown in either. After the compliment, Ming Jing's tone shifted, filled with compassion. "But on the border, tens of thousands of disaster victims are homeless. They are also someone's children, flesh and blood! Miss Tamamachi, can you bear to watch them suffer like this?" Hmm, if there wasn't a broom hovering over his head, the effect would surely be even greater!

"B-but there are bandits and robbers everywhere outside. My grandfather is old; he can't endure such a strenuous journey..." Tamamachi Kiki gritted her teeth, wavering slightly.

"How about this!" Ming Jing took the broom off his head. He looked at Tamamachi Kiki and said, "We will protect Mr. Tamamachi's safety! I guarantee that Mr. Tamamachi will not be harmed in the slightest!"

"You? You and him?" Tamamachi Kiki glanced at Qing Yan beside him and asked with a hint of arrogance, "You can't even dodge my broom, how can you protect my grandfather?"

"I can't let Miss Tamamachi knock over the teacups and spill tea on the seats, can I?" Ming Jing asked with a slight smile.

"You!..." Tamamachi Kiki glared at Ming Jing, surprised by his sharp tongue, able to twist black into white.

"How about this!" Ming Jing interjected before Tamamachi Kiki could finish. "Let's have a match, you and I. If I'm fortunate enough to win, Mr. Tamamachi will come with me, how about it?"

"Okay! I won't hold back this time." Tamamachi Kiki immediately nodded. Tamamachi Seiyo watched the two make a bet with great interest, as if it had nothing to do with him.

A moment later, Tamamachi Kiki changed into a Kendo uniform, a samurai sword at her waist, and stood in the courtyard. The scene instantly became more beautiful. Ming Jing held a Han Sword in one hand, quietly watching Tamamachi Kiki.

"Be careful!" Tamamachi Kiki warned, then suddenly charged at Ming Jing. With a flick of her thumb, the sword was slightly unsheathed.

Ming Jing looked at Tamamachi Kiki in surprise. Isn't this the standard charge used by samurai? Is this girl a samurai in the ninja world? Does she have any connection to Mifune?

In the blink of an eye, Tamamachi Kiki closed in on Ming Jing. Amidst a cold glint, the sword was drawn!

Ming Jing narrowed his eyes and slid backward without lifting his feet. Tamamachi Kiki threw the sword sheath in her hand at Ming Jing, then gripped the sword with both hands and thrust forward fearlessly.

Just then, Ming Jing's feet stopped sliding backward, and his upper body continued to fall back, avoiding the tip of the blade. At the same time, he flicked his Han Sword upward, which landed precisely against Tamamachi Kiki's chest.

The two paused, and the next moment Ming Jing fell to the ground, lacking the strength to support himself from behind. Tamamachi Kiki was stunned, then bit her lip in annoyance.

Tamamachi Seiyo walked to his granddaughter's side and said with a smile, "Now you realize it, don't you? You never believed me when Grandpa told you this before."

"Hmph, he just got lucky this time!" Tamamachi Kiki snorted, wondering inwardly if she had been too hasty. This guy only had two moves from start to finish: a backward dodge and an upward flick. Really, it's so annoying to fail!

Ming Jing got up from the ground and looked at Tamamachi Seiyo, saying, "Now, sir, you can come with me."

"The Prime Minister truly has the disaster areas in his heart. When shall we depart?" Tamamachi Seiyo asked eagerly.

"Tomorrow, I'll come here to pick you up!" Ming Jing said happily.