Making Up His Mind

Tsunade's mind had gone completely blank. Her body, which could supposedly split mountains and shatter rocks, felt utterly weak and limp, tingling all over.

Her fingers unconsciously clutched at the hem of her clothes. In Dongfang Mao's arms, Tsunade didn't dare move. Only when he let go did she suddenly snap out of it.

"I'll take a look at those ninjutsu myself first. I... I'll go downstairs and discuss compensation with the owner..."

Tsunade pointed frantically at the battered wall nearby, then turned and strode away, looking very much like she was fleeing.

Dongfang Mao, meanwhile, felt a little confused.

Usually, Tsunade was completely shameless about putting her hands on him. She would even drag him into the mountains from time to time, where they'd admire the towering peaks and enjoy the breeze rustling through the pines. He'd never seen her show the slightest embarrassment.

So how come a light hug, just to thank her, had made her react like a startled cat?

Dongfang Mao scratched his head in confusion. After all, in his previous life, he'd just been a college student who died on the road to getting laid. How could he possibly understand a woman's thoughts?

He decided not to dwell on it and refocused on the Space Scroll in his hands.

His gaze was intent, full of curiosity.

Just as Dongfang Mao was about to study it closely, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

"Big brother!"

Recognizing Inumaru's voice, Dongfang Mao slipped the scroll into his clothes and became alert.

"Come in!"

The next moment, Inumaru pushed the door open and entered.

"Big brother, I've got a general understanding of the situation."

He quickly came to the table, pulled a grease-stained map of the Land of Rice Fields from his clothes, and pointed to the lower-right corner.

"This is where Tsukimiura is. Since it's remote and borders the Land of Fire, the Daimyo Mansion of the Land of Rice Fields doesn't have much control over it. The local families usually elect the city magistrate themselves.

"But Tsukimiura is an important commercial hub, so there's a lot of money to be made. It also costs a great deal to be elected city magistrate. So, once they take office, the magistrates usually squeeze every last bit of money out of the people to recoup their expenses."

Dongfang Mao's eyes flashed with interest. His fingers unconsciously tapped the tabletop.

"Back when we were in Sakaki City, near the stronghold, those officials didn't dare go this far. Tsukimiura really is in a league of its own."

Inumaru couldn't help sighing at this, then continued.

"Besides the city magistrate and the other officials, the military officers in town are just as brazen. They spend every night carousing in the pleasure quarter.

"They even sell the fine equipment the Daimyo Mansion just sent them to merchants, then hand the soldiers worn-out junk to make do with."

"That's why the soldiers guarding the city looked the way they did when we first arrived."

Hearing this, Dongfang Mao's thoughts began to race. From Inumaru's description, Tsukimiura was like a rotten tree hollowed out by worms, ready to collapse if anyone gave it the slightest push.

It was practically begging to be taken over.

If he could topple this decaying city and seize control, wouldn't that be far better than hiding deep in the mountains?

The more Dongfang Mao thought about it, the more tempted he became.

But even as the idea excited him, one problem after another came to mind.

Manpower.

If the stronghold had still been intact, Dongfang Mao felt he could have taken a chance.

After all, he hadn't spent so much money raising those men for nothing.

They were all armed and armored, drilled every day, and followed orders without question. They could absolutely be called elite troops.

If he'd lived in ancient times in his previous life, Dongfang Mao would have dared to raise an army outright.

But that had been in the Land of Fire, a powerful nation. And those people had fought dirty, bringing in ninjas who'd beaten him half to death.

Now, apart from the wounded, Dongfang Mao had only a little over seventy men under his command. So even though Tsukimiura was rotten to the core, his forces still weren't enough to take the city.

At the thought, his brow furrowed.

Inumaru, standing nearby, keenly noticed Dongfang Mao's changing mood and cautiously asked, "Is something troubling you, big brother?"

Dongfang Mao didn't hide anything. He pointed to Tsukimiura on the map.

"Inumaru, look. The Land of Rice Fields is small and poor, and its strength has been declining for years.

"And Tsukimiura sits right on the border, beyond the Daimyo Mansion's control. Even if something happened, they'd be too far away to do anything.

"Taking into account what you just told me about the state of Tsukimiura, I want to take it and make it our base. Then we wouldn't have to go back to hiding deep in the mountains. But..."

Dongfang Mao sighed.

Inumaru didn't answer right away. His eyes darted about as he thought it over. Then he seemed to realize something and chuckled.

"Big brother, have you forgotten what we were before we went up Mount Yoshino?"

"Refugees. What about it?"

Dongfang Mao answered instinctively, but before he'd finished speaking, his expression suddenly froze. A moment later, his eyes lit up, and he smacked his left fist into his right palm.

"Right! Refugees! There are so many refugees along the road to the border, and they're all nearly starving to death. If we give them food, why wouldn't they work for us?"

Dongfang Mao jumped up from the edge of the bed and gave Inumaru a hearty slap on the shoulder.

"Clever thinking, Inumaru. You really are the sharpest scout on Mount Yoshino."

"You flatter me, big brother."

Inumaru accepted the praise modestly, then reminded him, "Big brother, even if we can recruit refugees, the more important things are money, food, and equipment. We didn't bring much money or food out of the stronghold, and taking in all these refugees will cost us quite a bit more."

Dongfang Mao's expression turned grave.

Money and food really were a major problem. What little he had on him would barely be enough to maintain their current situation, let alone build a much larger force.

Should I go back to my old line of work?

But the thought had barely occurred to Dongfang Mao before he rejected it.

Tsukimiura was a necessary stop for merchants traveling through the area, and refugees had gathered just outside the city. To protect the merchants, someone was bound to be keeping watch along the roads.

So he could forget about robbing the rich to help the poor. If he accidentally alerted the enemy, he'd only end up worse off.

Dongfang Mao thought it over again, then took out the money he had left and handed it to Inumaru.

"Here. Take this money and find Yasuke. Exchange all of it for food, then head back to that village and start recruiting refugees. I'll find a way to make up the rest."

"Yes!"

Inumaru took the money and left, leaving Dongfang Mao alone in the room.

His expression began to shift, conflict and unease showing on his face. He got up and paced back and forth around the room.

After quite a while, he finally sighed. The tension eased from his face, as if he'd made up his mind.

"Forget it. Anyone who wants to achieve great things can't afford to be fussy about the details. Since I decided to rely on someone powerful before, I might as well see it through. It's just another bowl of rice earned by leaning on someone. I'm doing it!"