Assassinating the Daimyo

The Daimyo waved his hand, his tone carrying a hint of emotion:

"No need for such modesty. You have all rendered great service by escorting my daughter back to the country. Especially in the face of enemy attacks, your ability to ensure her safety is truly commendable."

He paused, his gaze shifting toward Princess Tachibana with a touch of tenderness:

"Tachibana, you have worked hard as well."

Princess Tachibana lowered her head slightly and said softly:

"Father, this is what I ought to do."

The Daimyo nodded, then looked toward Amada and the others, his tone turning serious:

"Everyone, you must surely know by now that Tachibana is my daughter and the princess of Rice Field Country. Her returning home under a concealed identity was a move born of necessity."

He sighed and began to explain the ins and outs of the matter:

"I have no sons, which has led to complications regarding the succession of the throne. At that time, I suddenly remembered I had a daughter studying in the Land of Fire, so I wished to bring her here to be groomed as my heir. However, many ministers in the court opposed a woman inheriting the throne. Although I pushed back against the crowd, I feared they might resort to extreme measures to prevent Tachibana from returning."

Speaking to this point, the Daimyo's tone carried a sense of helplessness:

"To protect Tachibana's safety, I had no choice but to have her hide her identity and return as the daughter of a merchant. At the same time, I entrusted the ninjas of Konoha to escort her and ensure her safe passage."

Upon hearing this, Amada immediately understood the truth behind the situation.

He pondered to himself:

No wonder there were ninjas sent to assassinate Princess Tachibana. So, the issue of the throne's succession lies at the heart of this.

After the reception concluded, Amada and his group were arranged in the guest quarters of the palace.

Standing at the door of his room, Amada glanced left and right, and after confirming no one was around, he gently closed the door.

"Now, it is time to see what exactly Danzo wants me to do."

Amada muttered under his breath, taking the mission scroll Danzo had given him out of his ninja tool pouch.

He slowly opened the scroll.

Amada was completely stunned—

"Assassinate the Daimyo of Rice Field Country."

A stormy sea surged within Amada's heart.

He stared at the scroll in disbelief:

"Danzo actually wants me to assassinate the Daimyo of Rice Field Country? Why? Isn't Rice Field Country a vassal state of the Land of Fire? The Daimyo's attitude toward the Land of Fire seems perfectly fine, so why kill him? Could it be... that there is some inside information I am unaware of?"

Danzo's mission clearly had its own reasons, ones unknown to him.

But Amada could not fathom what benefit assassinating the Daimyo would bring to Danzo or to Konoha.

"Could it be that the Daimyo of Rice Field Country has secretly done something detrimental to the Land of Fire? Or does Danzo have his own private agenda?"

Amada pondered to himself, fearing that he would be the one left to take the fall once the mission was complete.

"No, I cannot act rashly."

Amada muttered softly.

Night fell, and the palace was plunged into silence.

Amada changed into a black night-traveling suit, his face covered by a mask, leaving only his eyes exposed.

He gently pushed open the window, his figure merging silently into the night.

He moved rapidly between the rooftops and walls.

Soon, he arrived on the roof near the Daimyo's bedchamber.

He leaned down, carefully lifted a roof tile, and observed the movements inside the room through the gap.

The Daimyo was sitting at his desk, holding a document in his hand, his brows furrowed as if deep in thought.

Just then, the door to the room was pushed open gently.

The middle-aged man who looked somewhat similar to the Daimyo during the day—Inada Kai—walked in.

His face carried a hint of urgency, and his tone was laced with pressure.

"Elder Brother, have you not considered it yet?"

Inada Kai walked to the Daimyo's side and said in a low voice:

"You must know, the terms offered to us by the Land of Wind are far better than those of the Land of Fire. As long as we agree to them, we will no longer have to suffer the exploitation of the Land of Fire."

The Daimyo sat at his desk, his brows locked in a frown, his expression full of hesitation.

He looked up, his gaze filled with a touch of worry:

"But if we do this, we will have offended the Land of Fire beyond repair. Can the Land of Wind and Sunagakure truly protect us? What if the Land of Fire launches a retaliation against us? What are we to do then?"

Inada Kai sneered, his tone carrying a hint of confidence:

"Elder Brother, you are too cautious. The strength of the Land of Wind is no less than that of the Land of Fire, and many ninjas from Sunagakure have already secretly moved into our main city. As long as we agree to their terms, they will support us with all their might. By then, even the Land of Fire will not dare to act rashly."

The Daimyo remained silent for a moment, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk; clearly, he was struggling intensely within.

He muttered in a low voice:

"But... wouldn't doing this be too risky? Princess Tachibana has only just returned to the country; I do not want her to face such a situation the moment she ascends to the throne."

Inada Kai shook his head, his tone tinged with a hint of impatience:

"Elder Brother, you cannot hesitate any longer! We have no way out. The people from Sunagakure are already losing their patience; if we do not declare our stance now, they will likely abandon us. When that happens, do you really think Konoha will let us off?"

Upon hearing this, the Daimyo's expression gradually turned grave.

He took a deep breath, a flicker of resolve flashing in his eyes:

"Very well. Once those Konoha ninja leave, we shall act."

A satisfied smile immediately appeared on Inada Kai's face:

"Elder Brother is wise! With this, the future of the Rice Field Country will have hope."

After saying this, he turned and left the room, his footsteps gradually fading into the distance.

Amada lay prone on the roof, hearing every word clearly.

A storm surged in his heart as he finally understood why Danzo wanted to assassinate the Daimyo.

Amada's brows locked in a tight frown, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts.

He recalled the conversation he had just overheard from the roof, thinking:

Has this Daimyo gone mad? Is switching sides something one can just do on a whim? Does he really take the Land of Fire and Konoha for fools?

The strategic significance of the Rice Field Country was far too great.

This country not only bordered the Land of Fire but was also adjacent to the Land of Wind, making its geographical location extremely vital.

More importantly, the Rice Field Country was a major producer of grain, and grain was the lifeblood of any nation.

The Land of Fire would never easily relinquish such an important vassal state.

As long as the Daimyo of the Rice Field Country harbored ulterior motives, Konoha would be forced to take action.

Amada suddenly realized that Danzo's assassination mission was likely not just Danzo's personal agenda.

As the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi was likely aware of it, or perhaps even tacitly approved of this operation.

"What a brilliant maneuver..."

Amada sighed inwardly.

"Once the Daimyo is dead, Konoha can legitimately support Princess Tachibana, who is close to the Land of Fire, to ascend the throne. In this way, the Rice Field Country will be firmly held in the hands of the Land of Fire."

Thinking of this, Amada no longer hesitated.

He knew that the Daimyo's collusion with the Land of Wind had already crossed the bottom line of the Land of Fire.

Whether for the interests of the Land of Fire or for the mission entrusted to him by Danzo, the Daimyo had to be eliminated.

"Since this Daimyo is courting his own death, he cannot blame me."

Amada muttered under his breath, a flash of resolve crossing his eyes.