Teasing (1)

Sure enough, after traveling for a while, Sosuke and the others arrived at the Royal Capital of the Land of Fire.

Compared with the plain, simple Konoha, the bustling Royal Capital was far more suitable for the people of the Land of Fire to live in.

The streets were crowded with people and carriages, and trade was convenient for the townsfolk. Although the war had only recently ended, everything in the Royal Capital seemed completely untouched by it.

After finding the Daimyo Mansion in the Royal Capital, Sosuke and the others explained why they had come and were granted an audience with Shijimi Nobuo, the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire.

At first glance, Shijimi Nobuo looked like a kind, chubby, middle-aged man.

Though he wore splendid clothes, he showed none of the arrogance common among nobles. Instead, he spoke to Sosuke and the others in a warm, affable manner.

He did not slight them because of their youth, either. He received them without a single lapse in courtesy, treating them entirely as honored guests. His manner left Sosuke and the others with a very favorable impression.

Yet beneath Sosuke's glasses, his eyes flickered with a strange light as he privately speculated about the Feudal Lord's behavior.

Was it necessary for a Feudal Lord to be so courteous to us? Was he trying to show goodwill toward Root, or toward the Hyuga and Uchiha Clans? How much did he know about Danzo's plan to ally with the Hyuga Clan against the Uchiha Clan?

His face betrayed none of his thoughts as he spoke with the Feudal Lord in a respectful, courteous manner.

A short while later, Shijimi Nobuo excused himself, and they were led to a splendid palace.

There, Sosuke and the others saw the target of their mission: Shijimi Tamako.

When Shijimi Tamako looked up and saw the three of them, her brows furrowed slightly, and her gaze struck them coldly.

Looking at Sosuke and the others, who were clearly still boys, she coldly asked the maid kneeling beside her,

"These are the Konoha Ninjas my father arranged for me? Does Konoha really think so little of me, Your Highness, that they sent three brats?"

With that, she angrily flung her sleeve aside and walked toward her private chambers, her face dark with displeasure.

Seeing the Feudal Lord's daughter throw a tantrum the moment they met, Sosuke and the others could only smile wryly.

Weren't you a girl yourself? How could you call other people brats?

Sosuke, in particular, couldn't help but smile wryly as he thought,

Have I been overthinking this? Was Danzo's only goal simply to send us here to be this rather willful princess's sparring partners and bodyguards?

Still, after Shijimi Tamako left in a huff, the three of them were temporarily shown to their quarters to rest.

Their time from then on would revolve around the princess anyway, so they weren't worried.

The three rooms were side by side, each separate from the others.

They each returned to their own rooms, and Sosuke resumed refining his chakra and trying to break through to the third gate of the Eight Inner Gates.

Time always flew by when he was training.

When Sosuke woke from his training, night had fallen.

Just as he was about to go out and find something to eat,

his Slash Path sensed a great number of people closing in on their lodgings.

Just then!

Shackle and Pupil, from the room next door, hurried over and said,

"Captain Aizen, we're surrounded!"

Sensing the sheer number of people outside, Sosuke wasn't overly concerned. He quietly instructed them to protect the Feudal Lord's daughter first, then carefully considered who would dare send so many people to attack the Daimyo Mansion.

But Shackle's next remark gave him a clue.

Frowning in puzzlement, he said,

"The attackers seem to be carrying wooden swords, not iron ones. Strange!"

At that, Sosuke immediately understood. Could the Feudal Lord's daughter have hired them to deal with the three of them during the day—or was this some kind of test?

He quietly said to Shackle and Pupil,

"Don't use lethal force. If I'm right, they're probably all samurai hired by Miss Tamako. Perhaps she simply ordered them to teach us a lesson."

Shackle and Pupil couldn't quite believe him.

All these people, just to teach them a lesson? Was the princess an idiot?

But the wooden weapons in the attackers' hands left little room for doubt. The boys' tempers flared at once!

They were just samurai carrying wooden weapons. They'd seriously underestimated them.

Wearing their masks, Sosuke and the other two calmly walked out of the building and faced the adult samurai surrounding it.

Shackle glanced toward one spot, then said to Sosuke,

"Captain Aizen, Miss Tamako is on the high tower over there. Looks like these samurai really are here because she hired them to teach us a lesson. What should we do?"

Pupil could hardly stand it. He said angrily,

"What do you think? If she looks down on ninjas so much, then we'll knock these samurai flat! Let's show her what we can do!"

Shackle ignored him and looked to Sosuke, waiting to hear his opinion.

Now that he knew it was all a prank by Miss Tamako, Sosuke didn't really mind. Still, so they could get along better with the princess in the future, he decided it would be best to settle things once and for all.

Sosuke didn't answer. He took a quiet step forward, a smile tugging at his lips. As he looked at the people gathered around them, his right hand slowly drew Kyoka Suigetsu from his waist.

"Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."

At his whisper, everyone present seemed to see a hazy glimmer flash across the blade.

Then Sosuke began walking toward the princess atop the tower, taking slow, measured steps.

At that moment, the samurai began attacking Sosuke and the others. They were a band of fallen samurai, but there was no doubt their Taijutsu was formidable.

Shackle, Pupil, and "Aizen" struggled to handle so many samurai.

Amid the chaotic melee, Sosuke walked among them with a faint smile, as relaxed and carefree as someone strolling after a rain shower.

It was as though no one could see him, as if the entire world had forgotten he existed!

On the high tower,

Miss Tamako nibbled daintily on delicate pastries as she watched Shackle, Pupil, and "Aizen" fight.

She wasn't looking down on them. Rather, she was carefully studying the ninja's fighting style, noting its finest points.

Seeing that the three little ninja could fight with such ease despite being surrounded by so many samurai, she couldn't help sighing.

"Ah, as expected, ninjas have their strengths. Even a few brats can fight this well."

"Your Highness Tamako, what have you noticed? They don't look all that impressive to me. If that's all they can do, couldn't you handle it easily yourself?"

One of the maids asked in puzzlement.

"You really don't understand what makes ninjas formidable. Their ninjutsu is strange and unpredictable. These brats can already match the samurai with Taijutsu alone. If they used ninjutsu, I'm sure these samurai would be defeated in an instant."

Just then,

"Clap, clap, clap."

"Miss Tamako, thank you for praising ninjas."

A soft round of applause sounded beside her, along with Sosuke's rich, magnetic voice.

In an instant, the sudden applause at her side made Shijimi Tamako's hair stand on end.

A sheen of cold sweat appeared on her fair forehead!

When had he gotten here?! How could anyone be here?!

The maids beside her stared at the Sosuke who had suddenly appeared next to Her Highness Tamako as if they'd seen a ghost, their faces filled with terror.

Sosuke looked at everyone, the corners of his mouth lifting into a faint smile.

"It's hard to step over ants without crushing them. Leaving behind your precious treasures and generous recommendations takes a delicate touch. Remember... before us, there are no worthy opponents!"