The End

The woman changed her strategy, abandoning long-range attacks. She stowed her blowdart and drew a short blade to engage in close-quarters combat. Following the ancient traditions of her ninja lineage, she relied on speed and precision to slaughter all enemies. According to her clan's training, one must close the distance when facing a chakra-wielding ninja; ordinary chakra users would inevitably die at the hands of a traditional ninja like her. They were riddled with openings—the moment they formed hand seals, the instant they released ninjutsu, the landing point after a Substitution Technique, or the inability to neutralize poisons. This man was a bit troublesome, but he would ultimately die by her blade.

The woman made no attempt to hide her intent, charging straight forward with blinding speed. Her short blade neared Uchiha Zhuang before the wind could even catch up to her. Uchiha Zhuang understood that ninjutsu was of little use in this environment; attempting it would only expose an opening for a lethal strike. He barely managed to draw his short blade to shield his chest, but the woman's thrust vanished, and she disappeared from his sight. Trying that again? Uchiha Zhuang instantly cast Water Style: Water Formation Wall, but there was no one behind him. Just then, he felt the floorboards shift beneath his feet, and the woman appeared in an instant, blade in hand. This woman had rigged the room with hidden traps; she was a truly cunning ninja. Uchiha Zhuang's eyes could track her conventional movements, but his body struggled to react in time. The woman's blade finally sliced Uchiha Zhuang's chin. Having landed her strike, she quickly retreated outside his attack range and stood waiting, blade held ready. The wound on his chin began to go numb, his tongue started to swell, and black streaks of blood seeped from the cut. Uchiha Zhuang sensed the situation; she was a formidable woman. He might actually lose his life here today.

Facing this desperate situation, Uchiha Zhuang's heart grew calm. No longer angry or hesitant, he began to devise a strategy to defeat her. His greatest advantage was his ninjutsu, while hers was her peerless speed. How could he use raw power to restrict her movement? Uchiha Zhuang pondered as the woman across from him began pulling out blowdarts, returning to long-range harassment. Realizing her intent, Uchiha Zhuang smiled. Just you wait, woman. As she prepared to blow a dart, Uchiha Zhuang threw a smoke bomb. Dust filled the room, the thick haze severely obstructing her vision. She quickly pulled a scarf over her nose and mouth, crouching in a corner in high alert. Uchiha Zhuang charged through the smoke, throwing a flurry of shuriken to block any escape route. Trapped in the corner, the woman lunged again, holding her blade with an underhand grip while pushing the hilt with her palm. She leaped, kicked off the wall, and thrust toward Uchiha Zhuang with the speed of a released arrow. Uchiha Zhuang did not dodge or parry, meeting the strike head-on. The blade sank deep into his torso, but at that moment, he grabbed her tightly, and she could not break free. "Water Style: Water Prison Technique," a voice echoed. Before his shadow clone popped into smoke, Uchiha Zhuang had already completed the jutsu, using the clone's frontal perspective as a screen to cast the Water Prison Technique the moment the clone restrained her.

Trapped within the water, the woman stared at Uchiha Zhuang with wide, watery eyes that seemed to scream, Despicable and shameless! But Uchiha Zhuang was already accustomed to such praise. He took out a Senzu Bean and ate it; of the two he had left, only one remained. Yet, facing an unknown, lethal poison, Uchiha Zhuang felt no regret. He maintained a clone to sustain the water prison while he walked slowly toward the middle-aged man. Now that the threat was cleared, he could properly size up this man hailed as the pillar of the Land of Water: Mado Tadamori.

He had a receding hairline, a greasy, bloated face, and thick limbs with excessive body fat; the flesh on his chest and belly sagged heavily. While a life-or-death battle had been raging, these people hadn't even bothered to put on clothes, still watching the spectacle. Uchiha Zhuang looked at them, speechless. Just then, a man's voice sounded from outside the sliding door of the balcony: "Lord Mado, are you alright? An assassin just infiltrated the premises. Do you need us to enter and protect you?" Uchiha Zhuang sensed the jonin on the roof. Under the pressure of Uchiha Zhuang's furrowed brow and the short blade pointed slightly toward him, Mado Tadamori chose to be a man who knew the times. "I am fine. Do not disturb me. No one is to step foot in this room for the rest of the night, or I will have you killed!"

After dismissing the jonin, he turned back to look at Uchiha Zhuang in terror. Uchiha Zhuang stared at the man with interest, and after a long silence, asked, "Which one is the Finance Minister's daughter?" Upon hearing this, the naked women shifted their hips, isolating a young, beautiful, fair-skinned girl. Uchiha Zhuang looked at the specks of blood on the bedsheets and nodded. He turned back to Mado Tadamori and asked, "When do you plan to return the country to the Daimyo?" The man feigned composure and said, "I have already planned to return the Land of Water to the Daimyo. After all, I am only managing state affairs on his behalf temporarily." Uchiha Zhuang, noncommittal, continued, "The common people are starving. Do you know this, or are you too busy indulging in wine and women?"

Mado Tadamori defended himself: "I have been rushing to purchase grain from neighboring countries, but the routes are long and difficult to transport, and there are countless bandits and robbers seizing the supplies along the way!" At this, Uchiha Zhuang couldn't help but recall the bandit stronghold he had cleared in the Land of Rivers, and the dozens of women there who lacked even rags to cover themselves. "Furthermore, opposition forces within the country are constantly suppressing me, trying to drive me out of the Land of Rain. It is pitiful that I have devoted myself entirely to the Daimyo and the Land of Rain, only to be insulted like this in my old age!" Mado Tadamori pretended to wipe away tears, glancing at Uchiha Zhuang from the corner of his eye. Seeing no reaction, he continued to complain: "I have spent my life in the saddle. To honor the dying wish of the old Daimyo, I have been cautious, never slacking in my service to the country and its people. Facing the schemes of political enemies and the curses of the commoners, I have never retreated from the endless assassinations. I swear to live and die with my country! I will not allow dirty politicians to corrupt our nation! Champion, you are also from our Land of Water, aren't you? I hope we can resolve our own country's affairs ourselves. Are you willing to lend this poor old man a hand? Clear out the trash and vermin in the high ranks and return a beautiful country to the common people! Are you willing to join me?" Mado Tadamori grew more impassioned as he spoke, eventually standing tall and delivering his speech with great emotion.

Uchiha Zhuang watched the heartfelt performance of the Land of Rain's pillar with mild interest, secretly applauding. "Actually, I have no interest in power. I want to ask, if I defect to you, what are the benefits?" Mado Tadamori had fully recovered by now, seemingly returning to his usual state of being pampered and holding absolute power. He said softly, "Everything below me is yours to take—money, women, land, houses, shops, or even the position of Grand General in the country. After all, you have already demonstrated your prowess before me. You should know that I love valiant young men; I like you, kid. I won't hold today against you. Go wait outside; I will send someone to notify you tomorrow." Having said this, he ignored Uchiha Zhuang and turned back toward the women, attempting to resume his activities.

"Lord Mado Tadamori, sumimasen (sorry), I accepted a commission for your dog life, so I have to kill you." "Oh!?" Mado Tadamori, who was grabbing a woman by the hair, turned around and said, "Then, what is the bounty? Five hundred million ryo or a billion?" "Heh," Uchiha Zhuang gave a dry laugh. "Thirty million ryo."