Princesses of Four Nations

Deep in the mountains of the Land of Fire.

Kushina followed the main group to this place. Looking up, she could see the towering mountain peaks, hear the rushing water, see birds nesting on the cliffs, and see lush Trees everywhere.

Behind her was a rather large mansion, which looked like she would be living there soon.

Why would Bride Training?

"Because the Bride Training tests a woman's ability to endure hardship, this is the place they choose to conduct it."

Sayuri beside her explained.

Is it tough?

Kushina tilted her head; she didn't find it tiring at all, but rather thought the scenery was quite nice.

"For Kushina Ninja, this level of test must be nothing."

"Hehehe, I'll try my best to get good grades!"

Kushina had heard before coming here that not only did she have to pass the test, but the examiners would also give scores and rank everyone based on their performance. Since that was the case, she was determined to give it her all.

"Wow, quite a few people have come. Are they all daughters of Daimyo?"

Kushina glanced around and saw that there were probably over a hundred people present. If that was the case, then the Daimyo had far too many daughters.

"It's not just the children of Daimyo; children from the Branch Family families and trusted families are also sent here. They will accompany the princess of their home country to complete their training."

"I see."

Kushina looked around. Everyone was dressed differently, each with a strong national style. Girls with similar styles would stand together. Were they forming groups based on national affiliations?

The princess from the Land of Water had light blue hair tied into a ponytail with various colorful ribbons, and wore a dazzling bracelet on her wrist. At this moment, she was holding a dressing mirror and constantly examining her face.

She was completely immersed in her own world, but seemed like a very lively person. As Eiji would say, that's what you call a "gal" girl, right?

The princess from the Land of Earth seemed much more subdued, with a rustic air, messy short brown hair, and a shy look in her eyes.

The clothes were gorgeous, but they looked cheap, and he was looking around nervously.

Eiji said this type was called "yin jiao" (陰角), Kushina didn't understand it at the time, but now that she saw this guy, she immediately understood why it was called that.

The princess from the Land of Lightning is in great danger.

Even though she wasn't strong at all, Kushina just felt a sense of danger for some reason.

She had long, snow-white hair and was sitting cross-legged on a Large Bluestone, her arms crossed, looking completely unconcerned about anything.

The princess from the Land of Wind doesn't seem to have appeared yet, but it doesn't matter anyway, since my only interaction with them is this training session.

Kushina was actually quite intelligent; she accepted this premise immediately.

Although the Land of Whirlpools was now all that remained and had no vassals, as Eiji's Future wife, she had no reason to back down because of this.

While Kushina and Sayuri were having a pleasant conversation, they heard someone complaining from afar.

"I said, why choose such a awful place as a place for cultivation?"

Kushina looked in the direction of the sound and saw a large group of richly dressed girls walking towards her.

The group of girls was led by a woman whose most distinctive feature was her long blonde hair, styled into a double helix shape on both sides.

They look like two giant drills, with an air of displeasure towards everyone.

She looks like a princess from the Land of Wind, but what a strange hairstyle! Are all Daimyo's daughters so unconventional?

Speaking of which, everyone's hair color is different.

I have red hair, Sayuri has black hair, and the others have blue, brown, white, and now there's blonde hair too.

Just then, her gaze met that of Sayuri Lily beside her, and then she smirked and swaggered over.

"Greetings, I am Princess Shinka Shinazugawa of the Land of Wind." She bowed politely at first, then began to mock, "Oh dear, isn't this the illegitimate Sayuri, Sayuri? With your lowly birth, is it really necessary for you to participate in such rigorous Bride Training? Why don't you just find some country bumpkin to marry?"

Ugh, this guy's got no manners from the start.

"Greetings, but I must correct one point: my mother was not of lowly birth; she was an exceptionally outstanding woman."

Despite the mockery, Sayuri remained calm and spoke in a neutral tone.

Shinka clicked his tongue, immediately becoming displeased.

"Hey, what's with your attitude? You should know that the Ninjas of the Land of Wind are utterly defeating you. It won't be long before the Land of Land of Wind becomes the number one nation. Are you still going to act all high and mighty?"

The girls behind her joined in the laughter, seemingly trying to provoke Sayuri.

They were all daughters of branch Branch Families or retainers of the Retainer family, so they attached themselves to Shinka and echoed her words.

Kushina felt that although this girl was aggressive in demeanor, she seemed to be quite dim-witted.

Although the Three Great Shinobi Villages are currently at almost total war, it's understandable that their relations have become more intense, but they haven't reached the point of being on the verge of war. Otherwise, how could such a joint examination-like event be held?

So her bad attitude towards Sayuri was also because of the war; her view was that the two sides were currently hostile. Unfortunately, the older generation wouldn't think that way, since they were all relatives.

For a girl her age, perhaps hostility is just that simple.

Being with this girl made Kushina feel like she suddenly became smarter.

What's the big deal? A girl from Daimyo isn't anything special.

"I don't believe Konoha will lose this war. Besides, we are all powerless women. The outcome of a war is not something we can control. Why waste our breath on such trivial matters?"

Sayuri found her utterly baffling, thinking she was just a warmonger who spouted such arrogant words despite being completely powerless. She thought that if she had actually witnessed Eiji's power up close, she might think things through more calmly.

"Tch, anyway, our country will win! You'll fall into the abyss of defeat along with this red-haired weirdo, just like your sister!"

Shinka pointed at Kushina's nose.

When she heard her mention her older sister, Sayuri's face turned bitter.

Her older sister had already married far away to the Land of Lightning, forced to marry that rumored incompetent man.

The thought of her kind older sister ending up like that filled Sayuri with heartache.

"My sister is not a loser; she is a respectable woman. She sacrificed her happiness to fulfill her noble obligations, and I hope you will not continue to trample on her resolve," Sayuri said humbly. "Furthermore, Miss Kushina is not a strange woman; she is Ryuuzaki Eiji's fiancée, a woman of extremely high status."