The Test

Seeing Tsunade's bewildered expression, Yizhe understood perfectly well.

At this point, he finally understood what had happened.

It had all started because he had picked up a swordsman's insight from a novel and fed Daidao some nonsense, creating the current situation.

With that thought, he could only lean close to Tsunade's ear and slowly explain how it had all begun.

After hearing him out, Tsunade remained silent. She quietly drained the wine in her cup, shot Yizhe a cold look, then turned to the samurai kneeling on the floor. "Let's go! Lead the way!"

As she rose to leave with the samurai, she suddenly turned back and asked Shizune and Yizhe, "Are you two coming?"

"I'd better accompany you, Lady Tsunade. Perhaps I can be of some help," Shizune said softly, holding the little pink pig, Tonton, in her arms.

Though Tsunade's face showed no expression, Shizune, who knew her temperament well, understood that she was truly furious right now.

If not for the urgency of the situation, which allowed no delay, she would probably have erupted on the spot.

Tsunade then turned her gaze to Yizhe, wanting to hear what he had to say.

Feeling somewhat guilty, Yizhe inconspicuously avoided Tsunade's sharp gaze and looked toward the samurai waiting at the door. "After Daidao injured Lord Mifune, what happened?"

The leading samurai's face darkened as he shouted, "That traitor did not fare well after injuring Lord Mifune either. He took a counterattack from Lord Mifune and was badly wounded. Then he fled in fear of punishment. Lord Rikaku is leading men in pursuit!"

Daidao had reached this point entirely because Yizhe had misled him.

Yizhe bore an inescapable responsibility. If Daidao died because of this, he feared he would never know peace for the rest of his life.

If Daidao had been an enemy, then death would have been death, and Yizhe could have accepted it without guilt. But Daidao was not an enemy. He was a swordsman striving to revive the samurai.

In a sense, Yizhe actually admired Daidao greatly.

Therefore, he could not allow Daidao to fall into these people's hands. He had to save him!

"I don't know medical ninjutsu. How about I help you capture Daidao instead?" Yizhe asked tentatively, doing his best to smile kindly.

When they heard him say he did not know medical ninjutsu, both Tsunade and Shizune were puzzled. He had clearly learned the Healing Technique and Mystical Palm Technique only recently, so why was he lying and saying he did not know medical ninjutsu?

Still, thoughts were only thoughts. Since he was currently their companion, neither of them spoke up to expose him.

"Really?" The leading samurai was overjoyed. Samurai excelled in head-on combat, but when it came to tracking, they were inferior to ninja.

If they could obtain a ninja's assistance, that would be ideal!

"We heard Daidao vanished near the east gate. Lord Rikaku is leading a search there. Please, young man, go lend him a hand!" The leading samurai clasped his hands toward Yizhe.

"Of course, of course!" he readily agreed.

"Then... Lady Tsunade, I'll head east to search for Daidao!"

With his back to Tsunade, Yizhe casually tossed out those words. His Body Flicker Technique activated, and he vanished from the spot.

"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune gently tugged at Tsunade, who was staring blankly at the spot where Yizhe had disappeared.

"Hm?" Tsunade abruptly came back to her senses and said blandly to the anxiously waiting samurai, "Let's go!"

The group left the restaurant and headed straight for Mifune's residence. Along the way, the streets were brightly lit, and they could vaguely hear the clashing of blades and the battle cries of samurai.

The samurai of the Land of Iron had truly fallen into a riot!

"Lady Tsunade, Yizhe, he..."

"Don't worry about him!"

Shizune, walking at the rear, had just begun to say something when Tsunade, walking ahead, cut her off.

Tsunade looked up at the dim sky in the distance and said in an inscrutable tone, "The fact that he learned the Healing Technique and Mystical Palm Technique in such a short time without my guidance shows that he does have decent talent!"

"Then... have you decided to take him as your disciple?" Shizune asked curiously.

"I've said it before. There is no shortage of talented people in this world. Talent is not the standard for accepting a disciple!" Tsunade shook her head and continued, "Yet for him to meet me among the vast sea of people means that there is fate between us!"

"So, he has gained the opportunity to become my disciple!"

"So?" Shizune still did not understand.

"Then it depends on whether he has the qualifications to become my disciple!" Tsunade glanced back toward the east.

"What qualifications?" Shizune asked carefully.

"Character! As the saying goes, you can know a person's face but not their heart. Taking a disciple is a serious matter, so their character is naturally crucial! What happens with Daidao will be the test of his character!" she said earnestly.

"How do you intend to test him?" Shizune hugged the little pink pig in her arms even tighter.

"The matter of Daidao began because of him. If he truly assists those samurai in capturing Daidao, showing such cold-hearted ruthlessness, I will never accept him as a disciple. It would only mean that we are fated to meet but not meant to be master and disciple. But if he saves Daidao, then it proves that he at least possesses a sense of responsibility and dares to own up to his actions. Only someone like that is qualified to become my disciple!" Tsunade said quietly.

"I hope he doesn't make the wrong choice." Shizune looked anxiously toward the east.

Yizhe had only just arrived at the east gate when he encountered a group of samurai desperately searching for Daidao's trail.

Upon hearing that he was a ninja who had come to help, Rikaku and the others gave it no further thought and accepted him into their group to search together.

Seeing that they were still searching, Yizhe finally breathed a sigh of relief.

That meant Daidao was still safe for the moment.

If they had already found Daidao, then in his severely wounded state, he would likely have been unable to resist. He would have been in grave danger.

At that point, if Yizhe wanted to save him, a conflict with these samurai would have been unavoidable.

What was more, he was alone and outnumbered, making it even harder for him to cope.

Therefore, before that happened, he had to find Daidao first, take him away from this place, and hide him!

The samurai carried gleaming longswords as they searched house by house for Daidao's trail, looking as though they would dig three feet into the ground to find him.

Night had fallen, and nearly all the houses near the east gate had already been searched.

Only a few remained unchecked!

Suddenly, a booming voice shouted, "Daidao is here!"

"Daidao is—"

The voice cut off abruptly. Daidao had presumably silenced him, but it was already too late!

Countless samurai surrounded a low, modest house. Dim yellow lamplight illuminated the area.

Daidao had finally been discovered!

Yizhe was alone, unlike them, who had a whole group searching.

Although he had anticipated this outcome long ago, he had still been willing to try, hoping to find Daidao before the others did!

To avoid a conflict as much as possible!

But now, it seemed that the goddess of luck had not favored him.

He now had to consider how to rescue Daidao from the encirclement while ensuring his own safety.

"You, secure the perimeter! Don't let Daidao, that traitor, escape! Watch how I take him down!"

Rikaku, the leader, shouted loudly as he directed the many samurai into position.

Clang!

It was the sound of Rikaku drawing his sword!