Targeted Assassination of Kanjuro

Kanjuro handled these matters within the Daimyo's Mansion. During Oden's absence, he managed the finances of Kuri, wielding considerable power.

Recently, Orochi borrowed money from Kuri again, using the same excuse as before: he had just become a general and was not yet able to manage the finances effectively, resulting in poor revenue, so he needed to borrow money.

Although I really didn't want to lend it, Orochi is now the shogun, albeit only the acting shogun, but he still has the same power. Orochi is the one who is currently managing Wano Country.

As Oden's retainers, they should set an example by not refusing Orochi's requests, as this would greatly affect Oden's reputation.

If they refuse to lend money to the Orochi, who knows what rumors might circulate.

The money borrowed was within a reasonable range, but Kanjuro would always give Orochi double the amount, causing Kuri's wealth to dwindle.

Now that Oden is away from Kuri, the most powerful people are just a few retainers. The other retainers don't care about money and don't know much about the situation.

Kanjuro needs to manipulate his daily spending and finances to cover up the extra money he gives to Orochi.

"Creak!" The window suddenly opened, and a gentle breeze blew in, scattering the papers on the table.

Kanjuro saw this, stood up, and went to the window to close it. Suddenly, his outstretched hand froze in mid-air, his pupils contracted, and he noticed a letter tucked in the crack under the window, with the words "Kanjuro Kurozumi" written on it in large characters.

This was his surname, and no one in the Kuri knew it. How could someone have revealed it? He was extremely vigilant, and at that moment, many thoughts raced through his mind.

Could it be Orochi? I usually have a secret way of communicating with Orochi, I wouldn't use this method to send messages.

Could it be Kin'emon and the others? That's impossible. They haven't shown any unusual behavior lately, and besides Orochi, only a handful of people know my true identity.

He quickly pulled out the letter, but didn't read it immediately. He put it in his pocket and hid it, then quietly closed the window, glancing around cautiously before doing so.

The door was closed, Kanjuro returned to his seat, took out a letter from his pocket, opened it, and began to read. Little did he know that a gaze was watching him discreetly from the shadows—that of Asura Doji. After hearing Teach's words, he realized that Kanjuro was a mole sent by Orochi, and without concrete evidence, he had set his sights on Kanjuro.

Kanjuro's actions were very strange and cautious, hiding some small secrets. Asura Doji already knew about Kanjuro's actions. Having spent so much time together, he believed he understood Kanjuro quite well. He wasn't strong, but he was very reliable.

But now, looking back carefully, I realize I never truly understood Kanjuro, and I can't see through him now.

Kanjuro, with a furrowed brow, finished reading the entire letter. It told him to go to the forest east of Kuri, where the Orochi had something to give him.

The new note below is "Orochi," and the person who delivered the item is a member of the Orochi's Oniwabanshu. The Oniwabanshu is an armed force that protects the Shogun's mansion. It consists of samurai and ninjas and is directly under the Shogun. When Kozuki Sukiyaki Oniwabanshu still the Shogun, the Oniwaban was called Kozuki's Oniwabanshu. Now that Orochi has become the acting Shogun, all the members of the Oniwabanshu have left, and Orochi has reorganized the Orochi's Oniwabanshu.

Kanjuro was half-believing and half-doubting, but quietly left his room. "Hey! Kanjuro, want to go out for a stroll?" Kin'emon and Asura Doji, who were guarding the gate, saw him and Kin'emon asked with a smile, greeting him.

Kanjuro was a tall, ugly man with long, bushy hair that reached the ground, ending in the shape of a calligraphy brush. He had straight bangs, crescent-shaped eyes, a high nose, thick lips, and rosy cheeks. His facial features were sharply defined. He wore a traditional vest and robe, similar to the attire of Japanese Kabuki actors, and wore straw sandals. His red hair made him look like a monster, and he had once been known as Hiyori, the monster. Although his appearance was not exactly appealing, no one ever rejected him, and he was successfully accepted.

"Hmm, it's been a long time since I've been out. Come see the beautiful Kuri that Oden built," Kanjuro said with a smile, looking completely harmless.

"Haha, that's true. It's been a long time since I've seen it. I'll go down and stroll around tonight too." Kin'emon. He hadn't been down there for a long time and was looking forward to seeing the streets of Kuri at night.

Laughing and chatting, Kanjuro left and walked down the hill. After a while, Asura Doji looked at Kin'emon and said, "Kin'emon, my stomach is a little upset, I need to go take care of it. Could you keep an eye on it for me?"

"Okay, hurry back!" Kanjuro nodded, Asura Doji entered the mansion, but his mind was already on Kanjuro who had left. He secretly jumped over the wall, went down the other side of the small hill where the Daimyo's Mansion was located, and then ran towards the place where he had agreed to meet Teach.

In the forest east of Kuri, Kanjuro held his weapon, a greatsword shaped like a calligraphy brush. It was made of a special material that was extremely hard and fireproof, which complemented his abilities perfectly.

Kanjuro looked around warily. He came from a theater troupe and had excellent acting skills. He was good at impersonating others and had never been discovered or suspected. This was because he had shown a very calm side during his undercover work at Kozuki, which was why he was assigned to manage Kuri's finances.

At this moment, he was still acting when a ninja dressed in black suddenly appeared on a tree. He was so fast that even he didn't notice him. He carefully looked at the ninja in front of him. The ninja was wearing a special ninja outfit with a snake character clearly visible on his shoulder. This was the standard uniform of the ninjas in the Orochi's Oniwabanshu, which was established by Orochi.

"Lord Kanjuro, this is something Lord Orochi asked me to give you, to deliver it to you personally." The ninja in front of him said, taking out a wooden box from behind him, slightly opening it, and revealing a Devil Fruit inside.

Kanjuro's eyes lit up, and his doubts suddenly lessened considerably. This was Devil Fruit, after all; his ability came from eating such a Devil Fruit. But he was already a Devil Fruit user, so what use would it be to give him another one?

"What do you want me to do?" Kanjuro asked, looking at the ninja in front of him.

"Lord Orochi wants you to cultivate another confidant, another thorn in the side of the Kozuki Clan. This will be very useful for the greater cause," the ninja in front of him said coldly, holding a wooden box in his hands, seemingly unaware of the preciousness of Devil Fruit.

"Okay, I understand." Kanjuro nodded and stepped down from the ninja, who in turn jumped down from the tree. The two slowly approached each other.

In the shadows, Kanjuro unconsciously reached behind his back and grasped the hilt of the brush sword.

Two meters apart, the ninja in front of him suddenly attacked. Kanjuro tried to make a move, but the ninja beat him to it, forcefully grabbing at Kanjuro with a powerful claw while keeping the wooden box in his other hand hidden away.

Kanjuro was prepared and dodged the claw, but his clothes were still torn open, leaving several rips, which was very dangerous.

Kanjuro breathed a sigh of relief. That attack was truly dangerous; its destructive power terrified him. Had he been hit, he would have been seriously injured at the very least.

Kanjuro drew his weapon, staring intently at the ninja before him, ready for battle. He coldly asked, "Who are you? How do you know my identity?" From that last attack, he was certain this man was an enemy; otherwise, he wouldn't have gone for the kill.

The man before him was none other than Teach, dressed as a ninja. Instead of answering Kanjuro's question, he smiled and asked, "How did you know I was an imposter?"

"Your aura doesn't resemble that of a ninja at all." Since he knew his identity, he still dared to ambush him. Although he didn't know who this person in front of him was, in Kanjuro's eyes, Teach was already a dead man. He wouldn't let this enemy who knew his identity live. Maybe he could find out from Teach who else knew his true identity.

Even when faced with a dead body, Kanjuro was willing to give Teach an answer, "Besides, one of Kozuki's undercover agents is enough; having more people would only increase the risk of exposure."

As soon as he finished speaking, Kanjuro made his move, wielding a greatsword and slashing at Teach. Although it had no blade, it was extremely hard and covered in Haki.

Teach easily dodged the attack, then with a backhand swipe, he grabbed Kanjuro's brush-shaped greatsword, while his other claw reached for Kanjuro.

I didn't expect Teach to be so powerful; his current strength is beyond what I can handle.

He sensed immense danger from the claw, but remained remarkably calm, already devising a plan. With a single hand, he formed a brush pen. "Ink Snake!"

Although his drawing skills appeared terrible, he actually possessed extraordinary abilities. When he unleashed his power, a lifelike snake was drawn in an instant. His power was like that of Ma Liang's magic brush in his previous life, turning what he drew into reality, transforming it from two-dimensional to three-dimensional.

A fierce serpent made of ink suddenly appeared, biting at Teach's head. Teach sneered, grabbed his greatsword, and jumped aside to avoid the serpent. Although he could deal with the Ink Snake, the ink it produced would get on him.

Kanjuro's strength was far beyond Kanjuro could match, and in order not to be led by the nose by Teach, he had no choice but to give up his weapon.

Losing his weapon did not affect his combat effectiveness. In a short time, he held a brush knife made of his ability, which looked similar to his original weapon.

This is actually a very overpowered ability. The creatures he draws are all alive. The more realistic and lifelike they are, the higher their intelligence and the stronger they are. If he were to develop it further, he could draw the powerful beings he knows well, but it's unknown whether he would have that ability.

"Ink Crane." With a flick of the brush, this was no longer just a painting technique; rather, it meant being able to instantly create any creature one could draw, and this Ink Crane was one of them.

With those sharp eyes and wingspans of at least seven or eight meters, Kanjuro leaped onto the back of the Ink Crane and flew into the air.

"Ink Dragon!" With a flourish of his brush, an Ink Dragon tens of meters long appeared and charged toward Teach. Teach leaped into the air, using Geppo to strike straight toward Kanjuro.

The Ink Dragon possesses its own intelligence, but it is ultimately a drawing and has no power to threaten Teach. It can fly, and its massive body stands in front of Kanjuro.

Compared to Teach's speed, Ink Dragon's reaction was somewhat slow. Geppo moved back and forth in mid-air, directly avoiding Ink Dragon in the air, with Kanjuro as the target.

Kanjuro's ability is very troublesome. Although it is not very lethal to Teach, it is very effective in restraining him.

Flying in the air is troublesome. Teach's speed and agility are greatly reduced in the air. As Swordmaster, Kanjuro's reaction speed is very sharp, and with his own abilities, he even gained the upper hand for a time.

However, if Teach seizes the opportunity to severely injure Kanjuro, he can turn the tide. Now in his thirties, Kanjuro's strength is nearing its peak, and he still has considerable room for improvement. With his powerful swordsmanship and the advantage of flying, he can be said to be evenly matched with Teach, and neither can gain the upper hand.

Teach is preparing for a full-scale attack. It's unclear when this situation will end, and the intense fighting will attract the attention of the samurai in Kuri.

"Demon Claw - Rift Valley!" A powerful Claw Strike unleashed ten massive, ten-meter-long sword beams. The enormous attack range left Kanjuro with nowhere to escape. "Ink Magic - Shield!" With a flick of his brush, ink shields appeared one after another in front of him. He had great confidence in the shields he had drawn; they were no worse than real shields.

However, Kanjuro's expression immediately changed. Under Teach's ten slashes, the shield he had drawn was like a bubble, instantly shattered. Sharp slashes came head-on.

Kanjuro as he held his sword horizontally, trying his best to block the attack.

Faced with this powerful slash, the Ink Crane beneath its feet shattered instantly, unable to maintain its form, and was split in two before turning into ink and falling from the sky.

The ten sword lights generated by the Claw Strike landed on Kanjuro's body in an instant, tearing his clothes and ripping Kanjuro body apart. Blood and flesh clashed in the air, and the intersecting sword lights collided and exploded within Kanjuro's body.

"Ah!" Blood was dripping from Kanjuro's body, leaving numerous bloody welts. How could Kanjuro possibly withstand Teach's deadly Claw Strike?

Kanjuro was seriously injured, and the situation was clear. However, someone like Kanjuro could not be defeated so easily. In addition to his shield, he had many other defensive methods. At the same time, he used the creatures he drew with his ability to interfere with Teach's actions. This time, he was even more cautious.

However, as Teach continued his attacks, Kanjuro's injuries worsened. While defending against Teach's attacks, he also moved towards Kuri. Once he reached Kuri, he would be safe.

Although he can fly with his ability, if he tries to escape, Teach will destroy the mount he has drawn, and redrawing it will consume more of his energy.

Suddenly, Kanjuro's eyes lit up as he spotted a familiar figure. He cried out as if he'd seen a savior, "Asura Doji, come quick! Orochi has sent assassins!"