Tsunade's Frustration

"Strange..."

The retainer of the city deputy walked through the streets of the slums, his brow furrowed by the stench of the mountains of garbage piled on either side.

He felt a lingering doubt in his heart; the merchant caravans he had seen earlier were quite large in scale, so why would they choose to set up camp in such a place within the city?

For a moment, as he stared into the ink-thick shadows deep within the alleyway, he felt that something was wrong, and a sense of unease gnawed at him.

Yet, bound by the deputy's orders, he had no choice but to steel himself and press onward.

He had not taken many steps when a shrill, miserable scream erupted from behind him. He whipped his head around, only to see the tax collectors and guards who had accompanied him being tackled by several dark figures.

The dull thud of blades piercing flesh mingled with desperate cries, echoing through the gloomy alley.

Seeing this, the retainer's hair stood on end, cold sweat drenched his spine, and his heart hammered against his ribs as if it might shatter his chest.

Just as he opened his mouth to shout, a cold blade was pressed against his throat, causing him to freeze instantly. His throat bobbed violently, and his voice trembled.

"A-a few Champions, please, show mercy!"

The burly man leading them scanned the retainer's luxurious robes and spoke in a rough voice.

"Judging by his attire, he's an official. Bind him and drag him to see the Grand Governor!"

Before the words had even faded, several men lunged forward.

The retainer dared not resist, allowing them to tie him up tightly.

As he was shoved toward the depths of the dark alley, the faces of his enemies flashed through his mind, yet he could not fathom who would dare to strike with such ruthlessness.

It was not until he reached the end of the alley that he realized his assumptions were entirely wrong. Before him, in the garbage dump of the slums, stood a dense mass of over a thousand soldiers. A forest of blades and spears greeted him, and an aura of slaughter washed over him.

"This... this..."

He opened his mouth, but his throat felt as if it were being gripped by an invisible hand, unable to squeeze out a single sound. His legs turned to jelly, cold sweat soaked his back, and only one thought remained in his mind.

"How did they smuggle these weapons and armor into the city?"

Before he could dwell on it, a man behind him gave him a violent shove, and he stumbled forward, falling heavily to his knees.

"Grand Governor, this fellow brought a group of people in just now. Could it be that our operation has been discovered?"

Dongfang Mao, standing at the front, held a tall, upright posture, his light armor gleaming coldly in the twilight. Hearing Yasuke's report, his narrow, phoenix-like eyes narrowed slightly.

"Check if he has anything else on him."

Yasuke nodded, pinning the trembling retainer down. After searching him for a moment, he pulled a black booklet from the man's inner robe.

Dongfang Mao took the booklet, flipped through it briefly, and let out a cold laugh.

"It seems we really were noticed, though they didn't come for us—they came to collect taxes."

As he spoke, Dongfang Mao slowly crouched down to look at the shivering retainer.

"Tell me, what is your name, and what position do you hold in Tsukimiura?"

The retainer looked up, trembling, but froze the moment he saw Dongfang Mao's face. The man was excessively young, with delicate, painted features that still held a trace of boyishness.

Under the moonlight, his refined profile appeared harmless, standing in stark contrast to the murderous army surrounding him.

His Adam's apple bobbed; he could not comprehend how such a seemingly frail youth could command such a ferocious force.

But the blade still pressed against his throat reminded him that this was not a man to be trifled with.

"Th-this lord, my name is Shimizu Yano. I am... I am the city deputy's retainer, and I usually handle the city's administrative affairs for him..."

Dongfang Mao's eyes lit up upon hearing this; he had not expected to catch such a big fish.

A scholar who was well-versed in the city's administration—with this man, his troubles after the deed was done would be significantly reduced.

"Lock him up and leave two men to guard him."

Dongfang Mao stood up and waved his hand, ordering the men to drag Shimizu Yano away.

Shimizu Yano felt as if he had been granted a reprieve; his legs were weak as he was dragged off, his back already soaked through with cold sweat.

At this moment, he no longer cared what these people intended to do; he was simply grateful to be alive.

"BOOM—!"

The very moment he was shoved into the dungeon, a deafening explosion erupted from the west side of the city.

Immediately following, a pillar of crimson fire tore through the night sky, staining half the heavens the color of blood.

Amidst the rolling smoke, countless sparks could be seen scattering like falling stars.

Dongfang Mao's pupils contracted sharply, and he spun around to face the soaring flames.

"Mataichi has made his move!"

He reacted quickly, looking at the men around him. His young face was now as sharp as if carved by a knife, and his armor reflected the cold, bloody light of the fire.

"Everyone, move out!"

"Understood!"

A thousand elite soldiers responded in unison, the sound waves causing the tiles of the surrounding brick houses to rattle.

Amidst the clatter of iron armor, Yasuke, Kyuzo, and Zenpachi led their respective battalions, transforming into three torrents of steel as they charged toward the three great families of Tsukimiura.

As for Dongfang Mao, he led over a hundred elite soldiers and charged straight toward the Magistrate Office where the acting lord resided!

Meanwhile, inside a casino in the southern part of Tsukimiura, the sounds of dice rattling and gamblers shouting rose and fell in waves.

Tsunade spun the dice in her hand with boredom, tossing them out listlessly and watching them tumble inside the bowl.

For some reason, during these moments that used to be so thrilling, Tsunade now felt a sense of dullness, a touch of impatience welling up in her heart. Before the dice had even stopped rolling, she slammed the bowl upside down over them.

"I'm done playing."

Leaving those words behind, she ignored the confused looks of the surrounding gamblers, stood up, and dragged Shizune along. She strode over to the wine table, grabbed a flagon, and tilted her head back to gulp it down; the pungent liquor trickled down the corner of her mouth, soaking her collar.

The burning sensation in her throat eased the irritation in Tsunade's heart.

"Shizune."

Tsunade raised a hand to wipe her mouth, her drunken eyes clouded with a rare hint of grievance.

"Tell me, what exactly is wrong with Mao? It's just building a village; can't he just leave it to the people below to handle? He, on the other hand, only comes over to spend a short while with me in the morning before leaving again. I can't even catch a glimpse of him!"

Shizune's mouth twitched at these words, not knowing who it was that insisted Mao supervise everything personally to ensure no one cut corners.

Now, she was the one unhappy about it.

But seeing Tsunade's current state, she couldn't help but feel a bit of pity and asked tentatively.

"Since Lady Tsunade wants to see Mao, why don't we go back to the village and take a look?"

Tsunade felt a flicker of excitement upon hearing this, but she hesitated.

"But Mao said the village is undergoing renovations and the environment isn't very good right now. He told us to stay here and wait for a while, promising to give us a surprise once the village is finished.

If we go back now, do you think the surprise will be ruined, and will Mao be angry?"

"I don't think so, Mao he..."

Before Shizune could finish her sentence, she was suddenly interrupted by a deafening explosion.

Her entire body shuddered, and Tonton, tucked in her arms, let out a squeal and burrowed into her bodice in fright.

"Lady Tsunade!"

Shizune pointed toward the window in terror, where flames were soaring into the sky in the west of the city, staining half the night sky blood-red.

What was even more alarming was that the streets, which should have been fast asleep, were now in an uproar. The sound of chaotic footsteps, panicked screams, and the sharp clashing of metal rang out with piercing clarity in the night.