Escape From Konoha

It was June, Konoha's 51st year, a hot summer.

The eight-year-old Third Ninja War officially ended with Konoha and Kumogakure shaking hands and making peace.

Since the death of Namikaze Minato, the fourth Hokage of Konoha three years ago, Kumogakure has once again launched an attack on the Fire Country, starting a fierce exchange of fire with Yuno Country on the eastern border of the Fire Country.

Although Kumogakure's attack was fierce, the losses were quite heavy due to Konoha's extremely strong counterattack and Root's surprise attack strategy.

Coupled with the fact that they still failed to break through Konoha's defense line for three consecutive years, the armistice faction in Kumogakure Village became increasingly louder.

Therefore, at the end of May, Kumogakure sent an envoy to Konoha Village to meet with the Third Hokage and expressed his willingness to sign the armistice agreement and bring the Third Ninja World War to a complete end.

As for the place to sign the armistice agreement, both sides had their own opinions and argued for a long time. Finally, under Kumogakure's stronger attitude, they agreed to formally sign the armistice agreement in Konoha in July to inform all the countries in the ninja world.

This is the first time in the history of Konoha that an armistice agreement has been signed between one's own village and another village. People with a discerning eye have already seen that Konoha's attitude towards the outside world is getting weaker and weaker, and its strength has dropped to the freezing point in history.

◎

It's late at night, when everything is silent.

The attacker began to move in the darkness. He squatted in the bushes in the corner of the courtyard, wearing a mask of oil paint on his face, and stared at the corridor of the courtyard with his eyes.

Soon, he saw the goal of his journey.

The other party is a black-haired girl wearing twelve singles of fine clothes. Her quiet and elegant posture clearly indicates the noble status of this girl.

Behind her, there were two guards following closely. Judging from their clothes and the knives they wore, they were all master warriors who were skilled in the use of swords.

The noble girl strolled down the corridor and headed towards her room. The two guards said nothing, their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly to prevent any accidents from happening.

After all, the princess in front of her is an important 'item' that is regarded as a treasure by the great names of their country.

If something unexpected happened during their protection, the two of them would be executed mercilessly by the daimyo, and even their families would be harmed.

The girl gently opened the door to her room, and when she was about to walk in, the atmosphere in the courtyard suddenly changed.

The expressions of the two warrior guards also changed.

"Your Highness, please be careful, the enemy is attacking!"

After one of the guards finished speaking, he pulled out the blade from his waist without hesitation, drew a brilliant and cold blade of light in the dark night, and slashed at the attacker who was approaching the girl quickly.

Another samurai guard also drew his blade, but instead of taking action without authorization, he shortened the distance between himself and the girl and blocked his flesh and blood body in front of the girl.

This sudden change naturally made the girl feel panic in her heart, and she took a step back in fear.

The samurai guard was dueling with the attacker. When he swung the sword, the attacker just sneered and deflected his body, easily dodging the attack of the sword.

"What?"

Ordinary people would never be able to escape his sword attack. The attacker in front of him was no ordinary little thief.

The samurai guard judged this, but it was already over.

The attacker took out a kunai and swiped it across his throat faster than he could draw his sword.

The donated blood spattered out, and the body of the warrior guard fell to the ground unwillingly, turning into a cold corpse.

The girl's frightened scream soon came from the courtyard, breaking the late night tranquility of the luxurious mansion.

◎

"waste!"

The Daimyo of the Kingdom of Bears, who was dressed in gorgeous clothes, was so angry that he threw the jade in his hand to the ground, breaking it to pieces.

The guards kneeling on the floor felt the unprecedented anger of the daimyo, and their bodies shivered in panic.

"That is a treasure that I have carefully cultivated for more than ten years. How dare you let her be kidnapped from the yard?"

As a daimyo of the Bear Country, he was naturally very angry about the fact that his daughter was abducted.

Compared to the father's pain and anger over his daughter being kidnapped by thieves, there is actually nothing at all.

The real reason why he was angry was that being the daughter of a princess had its own meaning - being able to 'sell' it at a good price and bring him enough profit.

Therefore, the daughter is the 'treasure' in his hands, not a person. Only objects are qualified to become his treasures.

But things have already happened. Even if all the guards protecting the princess' courtyard are executed, it will not help.

The Daimyo of the Bear Country frowned in pain and called out a name in a random voice:

"Red Shadow."

After his voice fell, a young figure appeared in the room.

Kneeling on the ground with one knee, his head buried deep under his head, he respectfully listened to the orders of his master, the Daimyo of the Bear Country.

"I leave this matter to you. No matter what, we must save the princess!"

"yes."

After saying that, the ninja named Akage disappeared from the room.

From beginning to end, his sense of existence was very thin, and he left without anyone noticing just like when he came.

"Get out of here, and if you make another mistake, I will pay homage to you with your heads."

The Daimyo of the Bear Country snorted coldly, waved his hand, and asked these incompetent guards to leave.

"yes."

The guards felt relieved at such an amnesty. They obeyed the order of the Daimyo of the Bear Country and quickly exited the room.

◎

In the middle of the night, a dark shadow flashed across the street.

The masked attacker carried a girl in Chinese clothes with a mouth bandage on his shoulders, and ran quickly on the deserted road. The guards of the Daimyo Mansion of the Bear Country who were chasing him were already far behind him.

“Haha, I finally got it, one of the treasures of the Bear Country, now I’m going to make a fortune!”

Even with the mask blocking the attacker's facial expressions, he couldn't see any changes, but he must have been beaming with joy at this moment.

The girl blinked her bright eyes, showing confusion and fear.

"Don't think about running away or committing suicide, Your Highness Princess, you are my extremely important purse."

For a desperate bounty hunter like him, money is more important than life.

As the saying goes, people die for money and birds die for food, which is a true portrayal of bounty hunters.

There is an eternal truth circulating in the underground black market - even in hell, money speaks.

This sentence comes from the mouth of a certain legendary bounty hunter.

Although the legendary bounty hunter seems to have washed up his hands and turned to other industries to make a fortune, many of his truths about money have been passed down by word of mouth in the underground black market.

One day, he will become a bounty hunter with a legendary name!

Let every bounty hunter remember his words of truth about money, and they will be immortalized in the underground black market.

Kidnapping the princess of the Bear Country was definitely the most rewarding and dangerous bounty mission in his career as a bounty hunter.

However, this bounty mission is actually quite weird.

That is, wealthy business owners want living people, not dead people.

In the underground black market, generally speaking, you only need to take the body back for confirmation.

However, the employer stated that if it were the dead princess of the Bear Kingdom, the bounty hunter who performed this reward mission would not only not receive a penny, but would also be hunted endlessly.

In view of this, the attackers were also afraid that something might happen to the princess on the way.

After all, there is a difference between the living and the dead.

It's really troublesome to have to take care of her food and accommodation while on the road.

Therefore, the requirements of wealthy employers are always strange. But precisely because he is a living person, the difficulty of the task is increased, so the bounty will be very generous. This is the reason why he is willing to take over this bounty task.

Paying the right price and meeting all the employer's requirements are the only ethics of all bounty hunters.

Just when the attacker was dreaming about what he would do after getting the huge bounty, a relatively thin figure suddenly appeared at the end of the street about to turn the corner.

Wearing a black outfit, his face is slightly young, he should be no more than twenty years old.

It was Akage, the escort ninja sent by the Daimyo of the Bear Country.

"Ninja?"

The attacker stopped and naturally understood that the mansion of a country's daimyo must not only be guarded by samurai, but also by powerful ninjas.

Immediately afterwards, a slightly ferocious smile appeared on his face. Judging from the age of the other party, he was probably a young boy who had just debuted. The murderous aura on his body was very light, and he probably hadn't seen much blood yet.

Unlike bounty hunters like him who have been hanging out in the underground black market all year round, that is to say, he can crush the opponent in terms of strength and experience.

Putting down the girl on his shoulders, the attacker took out a kunai, intending to quickly resolve the battle. He didn't know how many ninjas were surrounding him. Once he was surrounded, he would be in trouble even with his strength.

"It's just bad luck for you, kid."

The kunai was entangled with a sharp aura, and the figure turned into a black lightning, rushing towards the red shadow standing in front.

Before the kunai came into contact with Akei's body, the attacker's eyes widened suddenly, and his body couldn't help but take a step back.

It was as if he instinctively sensed some kind of danger, and his body reacted faster than his consciousness.

Chi Ying raised his eyebrows slightly. This attacker seemed to be quite strong. He originally wanted to end the battle in an instant.

"No, you little brat seems to be a bit unusual..."

The attacker's voice was low. Although he was confused as to why Chi Ying's murderous aura was so light, it did not hinder his intuition of danger. The opponent was very strong and might be the strongest opponent he had ever encountered during the bounty mission.

Chi Ying's expression did not change, he stepped forward and charged towards the attacker.

It's so fast! It was almost impossible to see the speed at which the red shadow was moving. The attacker was shocked and immediately retreated.

"Wind Escape·Beast Wave Palm!"

A blade of wind tore through the air and slashed towards Chiying's body.

The Wind Blade rushed towards him, but Chi Ying seemed not to notice it, but continued to increase his speed.

"Does this kid want his life?"

The attacker could not understand Chiying's behavior and even forgot his next move.

When the wind blade was about to touch his body, a strange luster flashed in Chiying's eyes.

I saw the wind blade that could severely damage the human body miraculously passed through Chi Ying's body and flew towards the wall behind Chi Ying, leaving a claw mark of a wild beast on the wall.

Seeing this scene, the attacker's expression changed drastically, but it was too late. Akei's cold face appeared in front of his eyes, and a kunai stabbed his heart accurately, ending the battle instantly.

"Is your ninjutsu... the limit of blood inheritance..."

The attacker smiled bitterly, understanding where Chi Ying's ability came from.

It is a blood inheritance limit ability that goes beyond ordinary ninjutsu.

In the ninja world, it is a noble talent that only a few people can use.

Every ninja who grows up to be a blood-successor-limited ninja is a ninja with terrifying strength. This is the unquestionable consensus among ninjas.

What a pity. Before I could become the legendary bounty hunter, I had to die an ordinary death here... With this regret, the attacker's vision became darker and darker, his body became heavier and heavier, and finally he was powerless. fell to the ground, dead.

Chiying looked at the corpse of the attacker who fell to the ground, his eyes extremely indifferent.

Then, he looked at the scared girl sitting on the ground beside him.

"Come on."

Akei's eyes left the girl's delicate face and turned around to return to the Daiming's mansion.

"Well... my foot seems to be twisted..."

The girl lowered her head slightly, spoke in a thin voice, and touched her painful ankle.

Chiying turned his head and took another look at the princess who was a little younger than him, with a slightly impatient expression on his face.

"Woman, trouble."

"?"

◎

"You have done well, Akei, and you have lived up to my trust in you. You are indeed the most perfect ninja."

In response to the praise and recognition from the Daimyo of the Bear Country, Akei Ying still stood expressionless, as if the person being praised was not him.

The Daimyo of the Bear Country was also accustomed to it and didn't pay much attention.

He still has some tolerance for capable ninjas who are loyal to him.

Randomly, he looked at the girl rescued by Red Shadow, his daughter, the treasured princess of the Bear Country.

"Daughter, it's great that you are okay. When you were taken away by thieves, my father was very sad for you for a long time."

The Daimyo of the Bear Country cried with joy, and took the girl's hand very affectionately, expressing his concern for her.

The girl just forced a grateful smile on her face.

"Thank you for your concern, father. My daughter is fine."

The girl knew that her father had no so-called affection for her.

The reason why she attracts so much attention is also very simple, because she is the one with the best appearance among the many princesses in the Bear Kingdom.

This greedy and ambitious father only wanted to sell her daughter for a good price, not the kind of affection and care that a father had for his children.

"How can this be done? This incident has reminded my father. As a treasure of the Bear Country, there are countless thieves who secretly care about you. Therefore, my father plans to add more protective power around you. After all, you are the most beautiful gem in my father’s hands.”

The big name of the Bear Country had a look of deep concern in his eyes.

"But it's up to Father to make the decision."

The girl knew that she had no right to refuse, so she could only obey her father's arrangement.

The Daimyo of the Kingdom of Bears was extremely satisfied with his daughter's submissive attitude. He looked at the taciturn Chiying, hesitated and said, "Chiying, from today on, you will serve as Zhuji's personal guard."

A ninja who has no desires and only knows how to obey orders is undoubtedly the best person to protect his daughter.

He didn't want this beautiful gem to fall into the hands of others again, otherwise, he would feel distressed for a long time.

"But……"

Chi Ying was slightly dissatisfied, but did not show it.

The Daimyo of the Bear Country knew what Akei was going to say, so he closed the folding fan in his hand and said, "That's it. For a father who loves his daughter, the safety of his daughter is the most important thing."

idiot! Red Shadow made this evaluation in his mind to the name of the Bear Country.

But even so, he must fulfill his duty and cannot show hesitation and dissatisfaction at this time, otherwise all his efforts will be in vain.

Let Master Shiraishi decide this matter. Chi Ying thought helplessly in his heart.

Sure enough, women are a symbol of trouble and will only hinder his mission.

Regarding the expansion plan of the Kingdom of Ghosts, he did not dare to be careless, and any unplanned accidents must be eliminated as soon as possible.

◎

Shiraishi read the intelligence information from Snow Country. After two years of continuous development, roads all over the Snow Country have been connected, and important facilities such as schools and hospitals are also in the process of being popularized. About next year At the end of the year, maybe it can be implemented in the year after next.

After all, the development of the Kingdom of Snow relies on the economic power of the Kingdom of Ghosts to bring about such a big change within two years.

Next, you just need to carry out the plan step by step.

Speaking of which, this is all thanks to the fact that when Fenghua Furudao came to power, in order to consolidate his status as a daimyo, he purged a large number of nobles in the Snow Country. When Koyuki came to power, the aristocratic power of the Snow Country was basically eliminated by Fenghua. The raging waves are almost done.

By the time the Kingdom of Ghosts intervened, it was too late for the noble forces to counterattack.

After killing the chicken to scare the monkeys, the Kingdom of Snow has been firmly in control of the 'destiny' system established by the Kingdom of Ghosts.

Thinking about it now, Shiraishi thought it was a very wise political alliance to recognize Xiaoxue as his adopted daughter.

"There is basically nothing to worry about in the Kingdom of Snow. I heard that recently there have been many unidentified people lurking into the country without going through normal channels. Is there such a thing?"

Shiraishi put down the information documents from the Kingdom of Snow and turned to the intelligence department messenger in front of him to ask about this matter.

"Yes, since November last year, the number of foreign personnel lurking in the country has suddenly increased. And they all sneaked into the country without going through formal channels."

"Is that so? It seems that the situation is more urgent than imagined."

Shiraishi knew the identities of these foreign personnel lurking in the Kingdom of Ghosts without asking.

Ninjas from the five major countries.

The initial development of the Kingdom of Oni relied on the Third Ninja War as a cover, and it was able to gradually become stronger in this stable environment.

It was also based on this background that Aster Flower Pharmaceutical Company became the largest giant company in the pharmaceutical industry in the ninja world.

With Shionhua Pharmaceutical Company as the main body, the medical industry of the Demon Country spreads all over the Ninja World. The profits it has made every year in recent years have made even the five major countries red-eyed.

In addition, some other changes in the Kingdom of Ghosts have also attracted the attention of various countries.

Now the five major countries are gradually unable to sit still.

They are probing the core secrets within the Kingdom of Ghosts and determining whether a series of unknown changes in the Kingdom of Ghosts will cause severe conflicts with their existing interest groups.

Shiraishi can say for sure - the rise of the Ghost Country will inevitably cause unimaginable destructive power to the existing vested interests.

It's just that the ruling class of the five major countries cannot predict such a situation.

They were accustomed to being aloof, so naturally they couldn't see what threat the dust particles under their feet would pose to them.

The gap in intelligence information between the two sides is very fatal.

They came to inquire about news about the Kingdom of Ghosts. In fact, it was more out of curiosity.

Therefore, in a short period of time, because of the neutral status of the Ghost Country, the five major countries will not act rashly.

Since we know that the five major countries will not take action in the short term, the expansion plan of the Ghost Kingdom cannot stop at this time.

"Just monitor them symbolically, don't alert them."

After pondering for a moment, Shiraishi gave this order.

It is not yet possible to take decent countermeasures against the five major countries. We can just turn a blind eye to these ninjas lurking in the country.

When the time is right, deal with them in one fell swoop.

"yes."

"Is there any news coming from other places?"

"There is some important news coming from the Bear Country."

"explain."

The Kingdom of Bears is the most important step in the expansion plan of the Kingdom of Ghosts, and it is also a country that must be won. Naturally, Shiraishi does not dare to be careless.

With the armistice between Konoha and Kumogakure, the two sides will soon sign an armistice agreement. In the future, the ninja world will usher in a period of relatively peaceful development. Before that, everything must be planned.

"The former princess of the Bear Country was kidnapped recently, which made the name of the Bear Country furious."

"Is it Princess Zhuji, who is known as the treasure of the Bear Country?"

The Daimyo of the Bear Country had twenty-three wives and concubines, a total of seventeen sons and thirteen daughters.

Among his thirteen daughters, Princess Zhuji is the one with the most outstanding appearance. She is famous all over the world for her beauty and is regarded as the apple of her eye by the great names of the Bear Country.

The Daimyo of the Kingdom of Bears can even compare to his eldest son in terms of food and clothing for his daughter Zhuhime, which shows how much he values ​​her.

From another perspective, a daughter who can be sold at a high price will naturally receive more attention.

"It is Princess Zhuji. Because of her beauty, it is inevitable that some people will care about her, but this time the situation is more serious."

"Does it conflict with our plan to deploy in the Bear Country?"

Shiraishi is concerned about this kind of problem.

"Regarding this matter, in order to ensure the personal safety of Princess Zhuji, the name of the Bear Kingdom has transferred Chiying away from him and arranged it to be with Princess Zhuji."

The intelligence officer sighed helplessly.

Akei is an important spy placed by the Demon Country's military next to the Daimyo of the Bear Country. He has a special ability to inherit blood and is particularly good at assassination and concealment.

It is precisely because of the assistance of Red Shadow that the military spies of the Ghost Country can quickly penetrate into all aspects of the Bear Country.

Among the people of the Bear Country, the wandering witches trained by the Ghost Country's military carried out propaganda, making the Ghost Country have an excellent reputation among the people of the Bear Country.

As for the official of the Bear Country, Akei and others are used to infiltrate. From officials to the daimyo's cronies, there are spies from the Oni Country lurking among them, quietly interfering with the powerful class of the Bear Country.

"It seems that this great name from the Bear Country really loves money as much as his life."

Shiraishi laughed with interest.

The Daimyo of the Bear Country is a very ambitious and greedy person.

In recent years, he has used Chi Ying to unknowingly eliminate the political opponents who opposed him, allowing him to monopolize power in the Bear Country. With the help of the ambition of the Daimyo of the Bear Country, the spies of the Ghost Country were able to occupy an important position in the Bear Country so quickly.

In the final analysis, Shiraishi would also like to thank the great name of the Bear Country for his ambition that does not match his own strength.

If it weren't for him, it wouldn't be so easy for the Ghost Country to penetrate every aspect of the Bear Country.

"Let Akei stand by and don't reveal any clues at this time. The work of guiding the Daimyo of the Bear Country will naturally be carried out by others. At this point in the plan, no accidents are allowed to happen."

Shiraishi is convinced of Akekage's abilities.

Although the other party is relatively slow in emotions and interpersonal communication, he is an excellent subordinate who is loyal to his duties.

Shiraishi began to think, if he could successfully capture the Bear Country, what would be the best reward for Akei?

It seems a bit vulgar to reward such a huge achievement with just money and ninjutsu.