The scent of rice seedlings drifted from the paddies outside the gates of the Land of Rice Fields' capital.
Early the next morning, Shinichi brought Scarface to the city gates.
Scarface carried a bundle on his back as he followed beside Shinichi.
The two soldiers guarding the gates were dozing against the foot of the wall.
One looked up and saw Shinichi. His eyelid twitched, and he quickly pulled back his outstretched foot.
The two entered the city smoothly, without being stopped.
They followed the dirt road into the streets, passing a tea shop.
Several people sat in a circle beneath the tea shop's thatched awning, listening to a lively tale.
In their midst was a young man dressed as a shop assistant, talking with spit flying.
"When we came to the Land of Rice Fields that day, bandits tried to rob us!"
"Guess what happened?"
"We met a lord from the Hyuga Clan!"
"That Hyuga Clan Leader looked only in his teens."
"He just raised his hand and pushed forward like this."
"Those Wandering Ninja all went flying and slammed straight into the mountainside!"
Some of the tea drinkers curled their lips, while others looked unconvinced.
"Keep making things up. How capable could a teenage ninja possibly be?"
"If this Hyuga Clan really is that powerful, where are they now?"
Scarface grinned as he listened.
He turned to glance at Shinichi.
Shinichi kept walking without stopping.
Before long, they reached the palace gates of the daimyo's residence.
It was still the same brick-and-tile house with two courtyards.
The guard had been leaning against a gatepost, staring into space, when he turned and got a clear look at Shinichi's face.
He jumped in fright. He would never dare stop him as he had last time.
The guard hurriedly bowed and extended a hand to usher him inside.
"Hyuga Clan Leader, please come in!"
As he spoke, he signaled his companion with his eyes to hurry inside and announce their arrival.
Meanwhile, in the reception hall of the daimyo's residence.
The daimyo was sitting with several nobles, talking.
All of them wore troubled expressions as they discussed the bandit problem in the Land of Rice Fields.
"Your Highness, the Hyuga Clan Leader has arrived!"
At the announcement, the daimyo immediately rose and strode out to greet him.
Smiling, the daimyo came to the threshold to personally lead the way.
"Clan Leader Shinichi, please take the seat of honor."
Seeing this, the nobles in the room hurriedly rose as well.
They dared not speak, but their eyes kept studying Shinichi.
Was this the Hyuga Clan Leader?
He looked far too young.
Shinichi walked to the seat of honor and sat down.
The daimyo sat down after him and let out a long sigh.
"Clan Leader Shinichi, to tell you the truth, we were just worrying about these bandits."
A noble in silk beside him could not help speaking first.
"It's simply impossible to do business anymore!"
"My family's caravans have already been robbed several times this year!"
"Now, even if I offer double wages, my people absolutely refuse to go out."
Another noble repeatedly slapped his thigh.
"You've only had your trade routes cut off. A band of bandits outright occupied my rice paddies in the countryside!"
"The farmers were so frightened that they all ran away."
"The rent is nearly due this year, and I haven't collected a single grain."
The daimyo's expression grew even uglier as he listened.
"I've spent money hiring quite a few Wandering Ninja to eliminate the bandits before."
"But those people were completely unreliable."
"The moment I paid them, they vanished."
"Or just after they wiped out one band of bandits, another appeared!"
After listening, Shinichi raised his head and spoke.
"Rest assured, Your Highness. Hyuga Village is the Land of Rice Fields' Shinobi Village."
"We Hyuga will take on the mission of clearing out the bandits."
At these words, the daimyo and the nobles all froze.
None of them had expected this teenage boy to agree so readily.
Shinichi continued.
"Within six months."
"Hyuga Village will completely clear out all the bandits and Wandering Ninja within the Land of Rice Fields."
The noble who had lost his fields curled his lips and muttered under his breath.
"Easy enough to say."
"Those Wandering Ninja made the same promises before accepting their missions."
"And what happened?"
"As soon as they got the money, they ran faster than anyone."
Though he had lowered his voice, everyone in the room heard him clearly.
Scarface frowned and stepped forward.
Shinichi raised a hand to stop Scarface.
He looked at the noble.
"Rest assured, everyone. Hyuga Village keeps its word!"
"If we fail to clear them all out within six months."
"We won't take a single ryo of silver in payment for this mission."
The noble jolted and abruptly sat up straight.
The daimyo could hardly stay seated either, leaning forward slightly.
"Clan Leader Shinichi, do you mean that?"
The noble slapped his thigh and exclaimed loudly.
"If Hyuga Village really can clear out the bandits."
"I'll add another thirty percent to the payment for this mission!"
Shinichi looked at the daimyo, his expression unchanged.
"I do."
The daimyo turned toward the nobles beside him.
Understanding his meaning, they immediately gathered to discuss it.
The bandits had to be cleared out, but they needed to settle how to pay for it.
The daimyo's brows knotted tightly, and his heart ached at the expense.
The Land of Rice Fields' treasury only took in around three billion ryo a year.
The five hundred million ryo he gave Hyuga Village each year was already bleeding him dry.
But as long as the bandits remained, he could not collect taxes.
The daimyo gritted his teeth, steeled himself, and held up two fingers.
"I'll put up two hundred million ryo!"
Hearing this, the noble who had lost his fields feared the daimyo might change his mind.
He hurriedly cut in.
"His Highness will cover the bulk, and our families will cover the rest!"
"We'll put together one hundred million ryo!"
"Three hundred million ryo in total!"
The other nobles nodded repeatedly as well.
The noble in silk added another remark.
"As long as the trade routes reopen, we'll earn that money back in less than two years."
Seeing that they had raised the money, the daimyo called toward the door.
"Someone, bring paper and a brush!"
An attendant hurried in carrying a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, then laid them out on the low table.
The daimyo picked up the brush and dipped it in ink.
This was a deal worth three hundred million ryo, after all. Only putting it clearly in writing would set his mind at ease.
He wrote down the bandit-suppression mission on the paper.
Hyuga Village was to clear out all the bandits and Wandering Ninja in the Land of Rice Fields within six months.
The daimyo's residence and several noble families would jointly pay three hundred million ryo.
After finishing, the daimyo put down the brush and took his daimyo's seal from inside his robe.
In the Land of Rice Fields, a document bearing this seal was binding.
The daimyo pressed the seal firmly onto the paper.
A bright red seal impression remained on the white paper.
The daimyo picked up the document and handed it to Shinichi with both hands.
Shinichi reached out to take it and glanced over it.
He folded the document, tucked it inside his robe, and stood up.
"No need to see me out, Your Highness. Farewell."
With that, Shinichi turned and walked out of the hall.
Scarface followed behind him, grinning as he passed the noble who had lost his fields.
The noble froze for a moment, then awkwardly turned his head aside.
The two walked out through the palace gates of the daimyo's residence.
Scarface rubbed his hands together excitedly, his voice booming.
"Clan Leader, three hundred million ryo!"
"What do we do next?"
Shinichi glanced toward the outskirts of the city.
"Back to the village. Prepare to wipe out the bandits!"
Before you continue