Discussion in the Front Hall

"Where is he now? Too afraid to come himself, so he sent you to fetch me?"

Tsunade suppressed the fury in her heart and asked through gritted teeth.

"The Grand Governor has just taken over the Magistrate Office and is occupied with official business. I ask that Lady Tsunade be understanding."

Inumaru's tone remained devoid of ripples.

"Heh, a fine Grand Governor indeed, even seizing the Magistrate Office."

Tsunade let out a cold snort and stepped forward.

"Lead the way. I want to see how he intends to explain himself once I lay eyes on that brat!"

Inumaru bowed and retreated to the side, his arm tracing a respectful arc.

"Lady Tsunade, please."

Tsunade strode out of the room with long, purposeful steps, Shizune following closely behind while clutching Tonton.

When they reached the street, they discovered the entire road glistening with water; it had clearly been scrubbed clean, to the point where not a single bloodstain remained.

Yet, the scent of blood lingering in the night air was so thick it was almost impossible to disperse.

Tsunade let out a cold snort in her heart; the brat was certainly thorough.

She then cast her gaze toward the New Martial Army currently occupying the street.

Squads of fully armed New Martial Army soldiers were patrolling back and forth, their refined iron armor gleaming coldly under the torchlight, the blades at their waists all forged from superior materials.

"Heh..."

A sneer curled the corner of her mouth; she finally knew where the 30 million she had previously given to Dongfang Mao had gone.

No wonder he had spoken so sweetly and agreed so readily at the time; it turned out he had been hoodwinking her all along.

Yet, compared to this, what concerned Tsunade more was where Dongfang Mao had found so many people, and how he had managed to make them so fiercely loyal in such a short time, willing to commit such earth-shattering acts for him.

One had to understand that the Daimyo's rule was as unshakable as the sun, moon, and stars. Almost everyone naturally accepted the rationality and legitimacy of the Daimyo's governance.

Therefore, even when ninjas fought until the world turned dark, almost no one had ever dared to so blatantly seize cities and challenge the iron law rooted in everyone's hearts.

Carrying heavy doubts, the group passed through streets filled with the smell of gunpowder and finally arrived at the Magistrate Office.

The official residence before them was already unrecognizable and in complete shambles.

"That was a truly ruthless strike..."

Looking at the state of the courtyard, Tsunade's eye twitched, and she couldn't help but offer a three-second moment of silence for the city deputy she had never met.

Without another word, she strode into the inner courtyard, only to be blocked by two personal guards in front of the main hall.

"The Grand Governor has just retired to rest."

The guard said with a troubled expression.

"The Grand Governor fought through the night, it is truly..."

"Hah!"

Hearing this, Tsunade was so angry she laughed, her golden hair strands dancing without wind.

She stared fixedly at the tightly shut lattice doors, her knuckles cracking as she clenched her fists.

Was he truly exhausted to the point of unconsciousness, or was he hiding from her out of a guilty conscience? The answer to that question would likely have to wait until the person in question "woke up."

It was not until noon that Tsunade, who had not slept all night, finally led Shizune toward the front hall under the notification of the guards.

The moment she stepped into the front hall, she discovered it was already packed with people.

Familiar faces like Yasuke and Luzhen were among them, along with several strangers she had never seen before. Over a dozen gazes converged on her at once, causing the reprimand already on Tsunade's lips to choke in her throat, eventually transforming into a cold glare that pierced straight toward Dongfang Mao, who sat in the seat of honor.

"Hahaha, everyone, look who has arrived!"

Dongfang Mao seemed completely oblivious to that piercing gaze, springing up from his seat and rushing to Tsunade in two or three strides.

Before she could react, he grabbed her wrist and raised it high.

"If not for my sister Tsunade, we would never have taken Tsukimiura so easily. The first merit of this battle belongs to none other than her!"

At Dongfang Mao's signal, the entire hall erupted into thunderous applause.

Tsunade opened her mouth, only to find herself completely speechless.

Her overflowing rage was stifled in her chest, turning into an indescribable sense of frustration.

What kind of situation was this? She, the one kept in the dark, had instead become the greatest hero.

Dongfang Mao spread his arms and pressed his palms downward in the air.

In an instant, the applause ceased, and the entire hall fell into a silence so deep one could hear a pin drop.

He personally helped Tsunade to her seat.

Tsunade knew that she could not rebuke Dongfang Mao in such a setting, so she could only glare at him fiercely.

Seeing that Tsunade had no other extreme reaction beyond her sharp gaze, Dongfang Mao finally breathed a sigh of relief in his heart before returning to the seat of honor at a leisurely pace.

"Today, I am announcing a decision: we have taken Tsukimiura, and my New Martial Army serves no monarch. The Magistrate Office shall henceforth be renamed the Grand Governor's Mansion."

Having said this, Dongfang Mao swept his gaze across the room. Seeing that everyone—save for Tsunade, whose expression was somewhat peculiar—wore an air of acceptance, with no one jumping up to lecture him on the grand principles of loyalty and patriotism, Dongfang Mao nodded in satisfaction and turned his attention to Yasuke.

"Yasuke, have the casualty statistics been compiled?"

Yasuke stepped forward, nodded, and spoke with a heavy expression.

"There are 216 wounded, and 149 dead, including Zenpachi."

As these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall instantly turned somber.

Tsunade, seated to the side, felt a jolt of surprise upon hearing this.

She had not expected the battle yesterday to be quite so brutal.

The number of casualties was already comparable to a medium-sized ninja skirmish.

But she inwardly shook her head a moment later; in ninja wars, the casualties were all ninjas, and the two could not be spoken of in the same breath.

Dongfang Mao, hearing the report, felt a secret sense of relief. Fortunately, he had the scrolls provided by Tsunade, which allowed them to smuggle weapons into the city silently and pull off such a surprise attack; otherwise, had they assaulted the city head-on, the casualties would have been many times higher.

"Hand the wounded over to the Ministry of Health for treatment. Give the fallen soldiers a proper burial with full honors, and deliver their pensions to their families starting today."

The group nodded silently. Although they did not know what this Ministry of Health was, it was clear that Dongfang Mao had more to say.

Tsunade, hearing this, suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.

"What I am about to say next, you must all listen to carefully."

Dongfang Mao suddenly raised his voice, and everyone immediately straightened their backs and pricked up their ears.

"Effective immediately, nine ministries are to be added to the Grand Governor's Mansion.

Ministry of Revenue: Oversees city household registration and civil affairs.

Ministry of Finance: Oversees city finances and the allocation of funds and grain.

Ministry of Taxation: Oversees the collection of taxes within the city.

Ministry of War: Manages the selection and appointment of military officers and the issuance of military orders.

Ministry of Rites: Manages etiquette, diplomacy, and the construction of schools within the city.

Ministry of Personnel: Manages the appointment, assessment, promotion, and demotion of officials.

Ministry of Justice: Manages judicial administration and prison oversight.

Ministry of Works: Manages engineering construction, the forging of weaponry, and the management of craftsmen.

Ministry of Health: Responsible for establishing a wartime medical system, managing city pharmacies, training physicians, and medical research and development.

Each ministry shall have one Minister, two Senior Vice Ministers, and two Junior Vice Ministers, with various bureaus and directors established under them."