Victory and Death

That night, on the way back to their quarters, Mito was still stirred up and unable to calm down for a long time.

"To put an end to the war, the daimyo truly went to great lengths," she said with feeling.

"Yeah." Shusen agreed. "The daimyo kneeling like that really caught me off guard. Fire Country should be able to settle down after this."

Ryū walked ahead without saying a word.

The daimyo's kneeling in the hall earlier had moved everyone present.

Out of consideration for his status and dignity, the clan heads had been left with no choice. In the end, the ninja clans with grudges and disputes against one another signed ceasefire agreements under his mediation.

The daimyo himself was delighted with this outcome, but Ryū felt it was highly inappropriate.

The clans had not agreed to a ceasefire willingly. They had merely been morally coerced by the daimyo. This was a false peace, one that could not last long. Given enough time, war would still break out.

Moreover, the daimyo had little prestige to begin with. What he had done today was spending his own reputation. He could pull this trick at most once; if he tried it again next time, few ninja clans would likely buy it.

"Have to say, the daimyo really made a foolish move."

Ryū secretly shook his head.

A month ago, the daimyo had secretly sent money and provisions to Uzushio Village. At the time, Ryū had thought him deeply concealed and wise beneath a foolish exterior. Yet after tonight, his understanding of the daimyo had changed again.

Was the daimyo truly foolish, or only pretending to be?

"Don't let your guard down in the palace, and don't wander around. We'll stay one more night and return the day after tomorrow."

Ryū instructed his children.

The two naturally obeyed.

Before long, led by guards, they arrived at the side chambers arranged for their temporary stay. They each returned to their rooms to wash up and rest.

Shusen had many thoughts, constantly pondering how he could obtain Hashirama Cells.

After interacting with Hashirama today, their relationship had grown considerably closer. This was a rare opportunity. If he failed to make progress before they returned the day after tomorrow, his chances of obtaining Hashirama Cells in the future would become even slimmer.

"Should I fight him while wearing Black Zetsu's disguise and see if I can scrape his skin?"

"No, no. What if he hits me with a Top Transformed Buddha and kills me instantly? It'd be too late for tears."

"I need to outsmart him. But how... I can't exactly say, 'Hey, Hashirama, I can tell you have extraordinary bones. Cut off a piece of your flesh and give it to me, will you?'"

The more Shusen thought about it, the bigger his headache grew. This felt even harder than gouging out a Byakugan.

Time always passed quickly when one was thinking. The night quietly slipped away like that.

At dawn the next day, Ryū went out to attend a meeting of clan heads organized by the daimyo.

Only the heads of ninja clans could attend this meeting. Its main purpose was to refine the ceasefire agreement established the previous night, so Ryū brought only two guards and told Mito and Shusen to remain in their quarters.

After Ryū left, Mito sat quietly in the sitting room reading. Every so often, she turned to look out the window as the pages rustled softly.

"Sis, are you distracted?"

Shusen paced back and forth in front of her, unable to resist asking.

"How am I distracted?" Mito frowned, finding her younger brother baffling. He had been wandering around in front of her all morning, and she had no idea what he was doing.

"If you aren't distracted, why are you holding your book upside down?" Shusen scratched the back of his head and asked in surprise.

"..."

Mito's face quickly reddened. Rather than turn the book right-side up, she stubbornly said, "Reading from different angles gives you different insights!"

"Really?"

Shusen was doubtful, suspecting his sister was spouting nonsense with a straight face.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Sis, should we go find Big Brother Hashirama? I didn't get to talk with him enough yesterday."

Mito was tempted, but she had her concerns and shook her head. "Father told us not to wander around the palace."

"What does it matter? We're only going to find Big Brother Hashirama, not anywhere else." Shusen persuaded her. "I truly admire Big Brother Hashirama. Once we return to Uzushio Village tomorrow, who knows when we'll see him again?"

Mito was moved by those last words. After considering it for a moment, she closed her book. "All right, then I'll take you..."

"Uzumaki Shusen, get the hell out here!"

A furious shout suddenly came from outside.

Shusen and Mito were both stunned, feeling that this scene seemed strangely familiar.

Half a month ago in Uzushio Village, hadn't Hyuga Rika come knocking in much the same aggressive manner?

"Who did I offend now?"

Shusen was confused and frustrated, not knowing who had come to cause trouble for him again.

He had clearly worked so hard to disguise himself as trash, yet trouble kept finding him. If he stopped pretending, wouldn't things get even worse?

The siblings immediately went outside and saw a silver-haired man with shoulder-length hair and delicate features standing in the courtyard, glaring at them like a tiger watching its prey.

"Kaguya Wuzhan!"

Mito immediately recognized him and grew wary.

Kaguya Wuzhan was Kaguya Izui's eldest son and the Kaguya Clan's most outstanding genius. Along with Mito, Hashirama Senju, Uchiha Madara, Sarutobi Sasuke, Hyuga Tenjin, and Kurama Yaichi, he was known as one of the Seven Heroes of the Warring States Era. Naturally, Mito was no stranger to him.

Kaguya Wuzhan's gaze swept past Mito before locking onto Shusen. In a hostile tone, he said, "You're Uzumaki Shusen? Hmph, a nobody!"

Shusen's anger immediately flared. You knew I was a nobody and still came looking for trouble? What the hell is wrong with you?

"Kaguya Wuzhan, what do you want?" Mito asked coldly.

"This has nothing to do with you." Kaguya Wuzhan impatiently waved a hand, his sole target Shusen. "Uzumaki Shusen, answer me. What did you do to Rika?"

Rika?

Shusen suddenly understood where this trouble had come from.

"You want to know? Heh, I'm not telling you." Shusen raised a brow and shot back.

He had been trying hard to make himself look ordinary, but the other party had come right to his door to bully him. Besides, the Kaguya Clan and Uzumaki Clan were mortal enemies to begin with. He could not back down now.

"I'm warning you, Rika is not someone you can lay your hands on. She can only marry me in this lifetime!" Kaguya Wuzhan gritted his teeth, blinded by jealous rage.

"Lunatic."

Shusen really wanted to curse him out. He needed to find Hashirama and get some cells; he had no time to waste on this idiot.

"Wanting to marry Rika is your business. Why come looking for me?"

"You!" Kaguya Wuzhan snapped. "Uzumaki Shusen, I challenge you to a duel!"

"Did you forget? Your father signed a ceasefire agreement right in front of the daimyo last night."

"Who takes that worthless piece of paper seriously? I'm asking you, do you dare face me like a man, openly and honorably? We shall decide both victory and defeat—and life and death!"

Mito grew furious. She had long thought Hyuga Rika was no good. Before she had even married into the family, she had already caused so much trouble. If she truly became her younger brother's wife, wouldn't she curse him to death outright?

"My brother can't be bothered with you. If you want to fight, I can accompany you." Mito spoke lightly, once again becoming fiercely protective of her brother.

"I'm looking for Uzumaki Shusen. Get the hell out of my way!"

Seeing that Shusen did not dare respond to his challenge, Kaguya Wuzhan could no longer suppress his rage. He activated the Kekkei Genkai, Shikotsumyaku, and ten finger bones shot forth like bullets.