The Daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields

You must understand, even someone as powerful as the God of Shinobi from the days of Konoha, Senju Hashirama, had to negotiate with the Daimyo of the Land of Fire before he was granted a plot of land to establish the Konoha ninja village within the borders of the Land of Fire.

Dongfang Mao's method of seizing territory through sheer force is truly unprecedented.

Although the scale of the Land of Rice Fields cannot be compared to that of the Land of Fire, the nature of the act remains the same.

The Land of Rice Fields is a nation recognized by all others, possessing an independent government!

Theoretically speaking, the Daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields stands on equal footing with the Daimyo of any other nation.

For a time, this behavior by Dongfang Mao sparked intense discussion throughout the Ninja World.

Some felt that this so-called Grand Governor Dongfang Mao had defied the world's moral order, capturing cities and committing such heinous atrocities within them that his crimes were too numerous to record.

Others scoffed, believing Dongfang Mao to be ignorant of the heights of the heavens and the depth of the earth, thinking that by challenging a nation as an individual, he would surely be annihilated by the armies of the Land of Rice Fields before long.

Still others, who had long been jealous of the Land of Rice Fields playing both sides and trading constantly with the great powers of the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning, secretly gloated, gathering together to wait for the Land of Rice Fields to make a fool of itself.

Even if this reactionary force were eventually extinguished, the Land of Rice Fields would undoubtedly be nailed to the pillar of shame among nations, mocked at will.

However, most of the great powers, such as the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning, chose to ignore such news.

When this information was compiled into documents and delivered to the hands of the Daimyo of these great nations, most merely glanced at it twice, offered a simple comment of "death-seeking fool," and tossed the file into a corner.

Regardless of how the outside world evaluated the matter, once the news reached the royal capital of the Land of Rice Fields, the Daimyo Mansion within the city erupted into total chaos.

"Useless! Useless! What are those people in Tsukimiura doing!"

At this moment, in the main hall of the Daimyo Mansion, which was paved with deep blue brocade carpets, the Daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields—dressed in luxurious, floor-length robes with a short cape draped over his shoulders—slammed his palm heavily onto the desk, his face twisted in a hideous expression.

The noble officials lined up before him also wore grim expressions.

The fall of Tsukimiura was a slap in the face to the Land of Rice Fields and the Daimyo, and it had little to do with them personally.

But with Tsukimiura gone, the massive trade tax revenue and the regular tribute gifts from the city's official families were also gone, which had a great deal to do with many of them.

For a moment, many in the hall could no longer sit still.

"Lord Daimyo, this humble one believes we should immediately dispatch troops to quell the rebellion!"

One official stepped forward to advise.

"Nonsense! Do you think I need you to tell me that?"

The Daimyo glared, frightening the official into shrinking his neck and hurriedly retreating back into the ranks.

The Daimyo stood up abruptly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the ministers in the hall.

"Who is willing to go to Tsukimiura and suppress the rebellion?"

Yet, as soon as these words were spoken, a sudden silence fell over the room. Although there were many military officers among the ministers, the Land of Rice Fields had been at peace for far too long.

Their bones had long since been softened and eroded by fine wine and beautiful women.

Who knew how to fight? Who was capable of fighting?

Seeing this, the Daimyo's face darkened further. Just as he was about to erupt, a loud, resonant voice suddenly rang out.

"This humble one is willing to go!"

A military officer clad in armor stepped out with long strides and knelt on one knee, his armor clanking.

The Daimyo's eyes brightened upon hearing this, but seeing the somewhat unfamiliar face, he couldn't help but ask in confusion.

"Who are you?"

"This humble one is Inoue Kojiro, recommended by my elder sister, Inoue Zhangzi. I currently serve in the Great Guard Corps as a sub-commander!"

Upon hearing Kojiro's words, the Daimyo was stunned, then recalled the concubine in his inner palace—the one with the voluptuous figure and skin as white and tender as milk.

He swallowed his saliva in secret, then began to scrutinize Kojiro.

Seeing that the man was sturdy and possessed a certain martial air, he nodded with some satisfaction.

"Since you are Zhangzi's brother, I shall appoint you as the General of Tsukimiura Defense. Lead thirty thousand of the Rice Field Squads, and within one month, quell this rebellion for this Lord!"

Hearing that he had suddenly transformed from a squad sub-commander into a general commanding thirty thousand troops, Kojiro's face flushed red, and he replied with excitement.

"This humble one will certainly not fail the high expectations of Lord Daimyo!"

As for the so-called rebellion?

He didn't take it to heart at all. It was just some ignorant, foolish thief who had seized a border town and dared to stir up trouble.

Before his army of thirty thousand, were they not like a mantis trying to stop a chariot? This mission was clearly a gift of merit!

Kojiro could already envision the scene of his return, where he would be honored and rewarded.

When that time came, he would also purchase a grand mansion in the city, follow the example of those noble lords by keeping several beautiful concubines, and feast and sing every night—that was what one called a happy life!

Thinking of this, the corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily, and even the hand gripping his sword hilt trembled slightly with excitement.

The officials on the side, hearing that the Daimyo had so rashly appointed an in-law to suppress the rebel army, felt a sense of worry, but they dared not openly oppose the Daimyo's decision. They could only attempt to ask:

"Lord Daimyo, this rebellion in Tsukimiura was not only launched without a sound, but we also only learned of it after such a long time; it must be more than it seems. Perhaps we should ask the Land of Fire or the Land of Lightning to send some ninjas to assist us?"

However, upon hearing this, the Daimyo's face instantly turned gloomy. He stared fixedly at the official who had spoken, his eyes looking as if they would devour a person whole.

"A mere rebellion in a small town, and you want to go begging the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning for help? Do you think the joke our Land of Rice Fields has become isn't big enough already?"

Hearing the Daimyo's roar, the official turned deathly pale and hurriedly knelt to the ground.

"Your Excellency, please calm your anger!"

"Calm my anger? You lot, besides telling me to calm my anger all day long, what else are you even capable of?"

This time, the Daimyo's outburst was so sweeping that all the officials present could not help but lower their heads.

Seeing this group of spineless cowards, the Daimyo snorted in dissatisfaction, but knowing the nature of these good-for-nothings, he couldn't be bothered to lash out further.

At the same time, he suddenly realized that while his army of thirty thousand seemed like a sure victory, if there were any slip-ups... his Land of Rice Fields would lose face all over again.

To ensure there were no accidents, the Daimyo spoke up once more.

"The Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning have ninja, but does my Land of Rice Fields not? This time, I will dispatch ten more household ninja to accompany the army to suppress the rebellion, to ensure nothing goes wrong. That is all, dismissed!"

Seeing that the Daimyo's mind was made up, the others dared not say anything more; they bowed to him one after another and left the great hall.

Once everyone had dispersed, the Daimyo picked up some letters sent by the daimyo of other nations from his desk.

Looking at the "condolences" between the lines of the letters, veins bulged on the Daimyo's forehead, and he violently flipped the desk in front of him!

"Bastards! Damn you, Tsukimiura, damn you, Dongfang Mao! How dare you make me lose such face! I will tear you into ten thousand pieces!"

As the Daimyo roared, the maidservant nearby was so terrified that she prostrated herself on the ground, trembling.

After a long while, the Daimyo finally regained his composure and glared at the maidservant on the floor.

"Go tell Zhangzi to wash herself clean at once..."

As he spoke, a flash of brutality crossed his eyes.

"And tell her, this Lord is currently feeling very fired up!"