aircannonsinc Chapter 358 Using Oneself as Bait
Chapter 358 Using Oneself as Bait
Qi Tai's brows furrowed deeply.
He had anticipated that the ninjas of Iwagakure would intervene in the struggle for the throne, as intermarriage between ninjas and nobles was already common.
Although they cannot openly support it, as long as they do not reveal their identities or bring the matter into the open, no one will hold a grudge or bring it up, since everyone has done it before.
"I admit you're very intelligent, but some things can't be accomplished with just intelligence, and there are things you can't control. I advise you to go back with Her Highness the Princess and be a good husband to her."
"No need for you to worry about that."
Qi Tai took a step forward, changed his double-headed sword-wielding posture, and this time he was going to get serious.
Uncles, it's up to you now.
After silently reciting the order in his mind, Ji Tai's eyes flashed with a cold light as he drew his sword and charged forward.
"For Young Master Qi Tai, charge!"
The ninjas who arrived with them, disregarding their own injuries, rushed forward.
A battle broke out instantly, but some things couldn't be changed: Keita and his group had poor ninja talent and genes.
Furthermore, they did not utilize the education system of the Land of Waterfalls, so the gap in strength between the two sides was too great.
Even if neither side uses any large-scale ninjutsu, the difference in ninjutsu and taijutsu between them is simply not in the same league.
In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, half of the guards had fallen.
Keita gripped the knife, his palms sweating.
He had learned swordsmanship, and his physical abilities, honed from childhood by his father and uncles, far surpassed those of humans, but he had not learned ninjutsu.
All his abilities are focused on one thing: the precise control and cutting enhancement of chakra.
He can attach chakra to the blade, making it sharp enough to cut through steel.
He can sense subtle changes in the surrounding environment through chakra and predict the enemy's attack trajectory in advance.
However, he has too many shortcomings. His strength is only at the level of a Jonin, and he also has to protect the princess behind him.
"Keita..." Ayano poked her head out of the carriage, her face pale.
"Go back!" Qi Tai shouted sternly. "Don't come out!"
At that moment, the ninja on the other side gritted his teeth and threw a kunai with an explosive tag attached at the carriage.
With a single slash, Qi Tai instantly cleaved him in two. Suddenly, two hands reached out from the ground, firmly grabbing him and pulling him back to the ground.
It was earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a technique used in Chinese metaphysics), damn it!
Enraged that they had violated the rules and revealed their identities, Qi Tai swung his sword and instantly cut the two men in two.
However, it was too late; the kunai was already firmly embedded in the carriage.
"Princess, jump out of the carriage..." he shouted.
But he knew perfectly well that the princess didn't have the courage. Just as the explosive talisman was about to detonate, the ground surged, and a giant worm exhaled, crashing into the carriage and swallowing the princess and her maid whole.
The explosive tag detonated, injuring the giant insect, but the princess and her maid were unharmed when the insect spat them out, only getting covered in disgusting slime.
"Thank goodness, the princess is alright!" Qi Tai turned around, glaring fiercely at the scarred ninja. "You almost ruined my plans, you deserve to die!"
Then, a highly refined blade of light grazed his nose, leaving a shallow bloodstain on his forehead.
"Such a fast blade. Are you a ninja?" The scarred ninja took a few steps back and reached up to touch his forehead.
Unexpectedly, with just this light touch, his upper head was gently pushed off, sliding to the ground, and his body fell vertically down.
"No, but killing you is enough."
Just then, a series of rapid footsteps came from afar.
Dozens of warriors clad in black armor surged from the horizon, wielding long swords and carrying short guns at their waists, their steps perfectly synchronized, like a black tide.
The leader, his body covered in blood, tossed out two severed heads. Kurosaki Ichiro shouted, "The Second Prince and the Third Prince are dead! Why don't you all retreat at once?"
The faces of the many Iwagakure ninjas were ashen. The second and third princes were both dead, so now the only heir to the throne was Ueno Ayano.
I never expected him to use himself and the princess as bait. What audacity!
Everyone could guess that they had fallen into a trap. Of course, it wasn't exactly a trap, but no one would have thought that the son of a merchant was actually a peerless swordsman.
"Damn it..."
Keep fighting. Although the second and third princes aren't much, they are at least the rightful heirs.
If an outsider were to assume the position of Daimyo, the interests of Iwagakure would inevitably be affected.
But they can't fight anymore.
It's not that they can't win. Although the people Kurosaki Ichiro brought are strong, the elites of Iwagakure may still be able to put up a fight.
The problem is that if the fighting continues, without them using powerful ninjutsu or their most powerful signature ninjutsu, they simply cannot win, and their identity as Iwagakure ninjas will be exposed.
For a ninja village to participate in the power struggle during a change of leadership is a major taboo in the entire ninja world. If this is confirmed, the other four great nations will have a reason to unite against Iwagakure.
"Let's go." The remaining ninjas finally made their decision. They turned and left, disappearing into the distance at the edge of the plain.
Inside the carriage, Qi Tai leaned against the side wall, panting heavily.
His clothes were covered in blood, some his own, some from others. He had a deep wound on his arm and a cut on his shoulder, but he ignored the pain.
"We won." He smiled.
Ayano jumped off the horse and threw herself into his arms, tears streaming down her face.
"I was so scared! I thought I was going to die!"
"How could I bear to let you die?" Qi Tai gently patted her back with his uninjured hand. "After all, you're so beautiful, and I haven't had enough sleep yet."
Ayano looked up at him, her eyes blurry with tears, and then kissed him.
Keita was taken aback at first, then closed his eyes and responded.
The carriage continued on its way; this time they would have no obstacles.
One day later, in the main hall of Daming Prefecture.
Kaguya Keita changed into the daimyo's formal attire, a faint smile on his face, his gaze sweeping over the courtiers prostrate on the ground in the hall.
Behind him, Ayano Ueno, dressed in a white twelve-layered kimono, sat quietly behind the beaded curtain.
"Greetings, Daimyo."
The voices of the courtiers echoed in the hall.
Qi Tai slowly sat down, placing his hands on the armrests, feeling this supreme power.
He took that seat.
From this day forward, he will be the daimyo of the Land of Earth.
"Everyone, please stand up."
The courtiers stood up, heads bowed, not daring to look directly at the new daimyo.
Just then, Ayano Ueno emerged from behind the beaded curtain, holding a scroll of imperial edict in her hands.
She unfolded the imperial edict and read it aloud.
The edict was simple: today, she, Ueno Ayano, was abdicating the title of daimyo to her husband, Kaguya Keita.
They declared that Keita was the son of a god, and that it was only right and beyond reproach for him to inherit the position of daimyo.