Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Do You Think the Daimyo Will Believe It?
After a hearty meal, the group left the restaurant, surrounded by a crowd.
"Mmm, the long night is ahead, how about we head over to Kabukicho for a few more drinks?" Uchiha Miyuki, surrounded by everyone, suggested.
"Since the Clan Leader Miyuki has spoken, I guess I'll just have to risk my life and join you!" Inuzuka Kaze, slightly tipsy, chimed in.
The group, having let their guard down from the alcohol, burst into laughter. Even Hyuga Keiji and Hyuga Ken, who had been serious up until now, couldn't help but show slightly mischievous smiles.
"Clan Leader Miyuki! There are still women in our group!" It was Uzuki Yukino, who voiced her concern with a playful tone.
"Oh, I didn't think of that!" Uchiha Miyuki laughed, then pulled out a stack of bills from a sealing scroll and roughly shoved them into the arms of Moonlight Shikaze. "Shikaze, you take your little girlfriend and enjoy the town for a bit!"
"That's right, just remember to come back early," Kuroki Ryutai teased.
The group's laughter made the young couple blush, but Moonlight Shikaze accepted the money from Uchiha Miyuki, bid everyone farewell, and went off with Uzuki Yugao to stroll through the streets.
As for the rest, they headed toward Kabukicho.
After they had gone a distance, in the shadows of the street, the real Uchiha Miyuki slowly emerged and began walking in the opposite direction.
At the Lord's residence in Shonka Town, where the largest gambling house in the Land of Fire was located, the local lord, Yamamoto Taro, was no ordinary man.
In addition to his noble title granted by the Land of Fire, Yamamoto Taro's estate also employed hundreds of samurai, a dozen or so ninjas, and had connections with various ninja clans from Konohagakure, making his position as lord solid as a mountain.
After finishing the evening's banquet, Yamamoto Taro, with one arm around a voluptuous young woman, drunkenly stumbled into his bedroom, a lecherous grin on his face.
"Tonight is going to be a fun night," Yamamoto Taro chuckled, but as he looked up and was about to turn on the lights, he noticed someone sitting on the sofa by the window. The moonlight shone through the window, reflecting off a kunai that the person was rubbing, casting a terrifying cold gleam.
The woman in Yamamoto Taro's arms instinctively tried to scream, but as she looked at the person by the window, a red light flickered in their eyes, and she immediately collapsed, powerless.
Yamamoto Taro's drunkenness quickly wore off, and he realized that anyone showing up in his bedroom at this moment, holding a weapon, certainly wasn't here with good intentions.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" Yamamoto Taro, having seen his fair share of danger, stayed calm despite the cold sweat dripping from his forehead, stepping backward cautiously.
"I'd advise you not to back up any further. Otherwise, that thing behind you might explode, and that wouldn't be good," the visitor said with a mocking tone. "I can't say for sure if you'll die, but you'll definitely fly."
Yamamoto Taro froze in his tracks, looking behind him, where a detonating tag was stuck to the wall, just a few centimeters from his right foot.
He swallowed hard. As someone in a high position, he'd never come face to face with death so closely before.
"Do you want money or...?" Yamamoto Taro stopped moving, but his hands were still in motion. He was trying to create a commotion in the room so that the guards in his estate would notice. The samurai and ninjas he had spent so much money on would quickly tear this intruder apart.
The person by the window didn't seem to notice. They smiled and watched as Yamamoto Taro moved, slowly making his way toward the door. Then, a large flowerpot near the door was knocked over, and the sound of porcelain breaking echoed throughout the room.
However, the expected guards did not show up. Instead, the person by the window spoke again.
"Are you waiting for the samurai and ninjas in this residence?" The person slowly stood up, walking towards Yamamoto Taro. Their footsteps were light, but to Yamamoto Taro, each one sounded like the steps of the Grim Reaper.
"Two top Jonin from the Shimura clan, twelve wandering ninjas, and 271 samurai—taking care of them did waste a bit of time," the visitor said, reaching Yamamoto Taro and casually flipping the light switch. A handsome face slowly became visible, and the three tomoe in the red eyes made Yamamoto Taro freeze in shock.
"The Uchiha clan?"
"Not bad," Uchiha Miyuki said, lightly tapping Yamamoto Taro's fat face with the side of his kunai.
"You're a ninja from Konohagakure, aren't you? With such actions, isn't this a breach of protocol?" Yamamoto Taro, now more composed after seeing the Sharingan, tried to remain calm. As a noble with a title from the Land of Fire, he knew that attacking someone from the Uchiha clan would be a death sentence.
"Protocol?" Uchiha Miyuki laughed. "Let's talk about protocol, then."
"Mr. Yamamoto, over the past four years, you've provided over 1.8 billion ryo to the traitor Shimura Danzo and his criminal gang, attempting to help him seize control of the military forces of the Land of Fire. What do you think will happen if the Daimyo finds out about this?"
Uchiha Miyuki smiled slyly, and Yamamoto Taro's pupils widened in shock.
"Your Excellency, please don't speak carelessly. I only wanted some guards," Yamamoto Taro quickly clarified. This was the truth; he'd hired ninjas from the Shimura clan because of their strength and the ability to handle dirty work. He never intended to support Danzo's attempts to control Konohagakure.
"Just guards? Do you think the Daimyo will believe that?" Uchiha Miyuki laughed.
"What exactly do you want?" Yamamoto Taro took a deep breath and asked.
"I believe you're loyal to the Daimyo, Mr. Yamamoto. But you should know that our Daimyo is a bit suspicious," Uchiha Miyuki said, twirling his kunai like a butterfly in his hand. "What do you think? Still want to talk about protocol?"
"Please keep this secret for me. I'll reward you handsomely afterward," Yamamoto Taro begged, his voice trembling as the kunai brushed dangerously close to his nose, breaking his resolve. He immediately knelt.
"Do you think I'm someone you can beg?" Uchiha Miyuki frowned in displeasure.
"Yes, yes, I deserve to die, but please, let me live," Yamamoto Taro cried out, his life in the hands of the man before him. He immediately bowed in respect.
Uchiha Miyuki watched him for a while before speaking again: "I see that you're running quite a profitable business in Shonka Town. How much do you make each month?"