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Five days later, Yujin arrived at the territory under Kikyo City's control. They chose to temporarily set up camp at a vantage point where the city was visible in the distance.
The overall layout of Kikyo City perfectly matched some of Yujin's stereotypes: the outermost part was a low city wall, followed by a somewhat disorganized castle town within the walls, and in the center stood a towering keep where the noble ruling family resided.
The city was built at the foot of a mountain, forming a semicircle with its back to the high terrain. This allowed the defensive layout to somewhat take advantage of the natural geography—an arrangement that could be considered relatively well-planned.
After settling the others, Yujin prepared to enter Kikyo City alone to gather information.
Whether a city was open to outsiders or not made no difference to Yujin—sneaking in was never a challenge for him.
After wandering for only an hour or two, he overheard chatter among civilians that confirmed the local lord was currently recruiting ninjas.
Yujin let out a sigh of relief—at least the trip wasn't in vain.
Since the job posting was public, Yujin decided to "submit a resume."
He wrote a brief letter introducing himself and his faction, deliberately exaggerating the claim that they had fifty ninjas. He included some formal language about "responding to your open recruitment with my humble application," then sealed the letter in an envelope.
Even though he had already learned about the standard application process, he didn't plan to go through it. After all, how else would he prove his strength?
That night, Yujin quietly infiltrated the city's central keep.
This wasn't the era of "one ninja village per nation," so the castle where the daimyo resided wasn't protected by any enchantments.
Not that regular barriers could stop someone using Yujin's Mayfly Technique, but still—no barriers meant no accidents, and that was always preferable.
The daimyo's room was easy to find—it was the highest one in the keep.
Yujin originally planned to just slip the resume into the daimyo's room, but then reconsidered. That would be far too rude. He wanted to show his skill, not threaten.
So he compromised, quietly placing the letter in a lavishly decorated room on the second-highest floor near the center.
Whoever lived there was clearly a "big shot," and Yujin figured his letter would make quite the surprise.
…
Early the next morning, a young man woke up in that extravagantly adorned room.
With the help of maids, he tidied his hair, donned a peculiar headdress, layered on robe after robe, and finally stepped into a pair of wooden clogs. Only then did he fully come to his senses.
To this nobleman, the day should have begun like any other. But then, with a casual glance, he noticed an envelope conspicuously placed on his desk.
"Who entered my room last night?" he asked, visibly unsettled.
When something unfamiliar appears in a place you're intimately familiar with, most people would feel alarmed. Clearly, this young noble had a good memory and sharp instincts.
However, the maids all denied any knowledge.
They were fully aware of their place. Regardless of their intelligence, none of them would dare overstep their bounds.
Suppressing his shock and anger, the young man cautiously approached the desk. After staring at the envelope for a moment, he finally picked it up.
After a brief hesitation, he tore it open and unfolded the letter inside.
Once he read the contents, he understood what had happened. It was just an ordinary job application—delivered in a most unorthodox manner. He sighed with relief.
But then, his emotions surged, and he became furious.
Those barbaric ninjas had silently infiltrated his private quarters.
He realized this was a show of power—a self-introduction wrapped in veiled threat.
Outrageous. Insolent. Utterly disrespectful.
"Savage monkeys!"
He cursed through gritted teeth.
But even as he spoke, there was a subtle hint of nervousness behind his bluster. Though he felt insulted, once he calmed down a little, a faint fear crept into his heart.
Ninjas were dangerous assets for daimyo—seemingly under control, yet in truth, unpredictable and potentially destructive.
Back at the camp, after submitting his "resume," Yujin had nothing to do but wait patiently for a response.
He wasn't worried. Given his current profession, the skills he commanded, and the way he had delivered the letter, he was confident he wouldn't be ignored.
Regardless of whether the employer had a positive or negative response, he knew they'd act quickly.
A wandering ninja without allegiance was as welcome as the plague—any territorial lord would want to resolve the matter as soon as possible.
They'd either hire them immediately, politely send them away, or eliminate them without mercy.
Most ninjas weren't skilled in production—but they were excellent at destroying it.
So Yujin was able to bide his time and continue his ninjutsu research.
He had made substantial progress in mimicking, improving, and subtly innovating fire-style techniques based on water-style models.
In terms of ninjutsu development, Yujin realized he couldn't compare to someone like Tobirama Senju, who could casually whip out a pile of forbidden techniques. But compared to most ninjas, he had considerable potential.
After all, most shinobi had never been to school, while Yujin had received higher education in his previous life. Even if knowledge from that world wasn't directly applicable, the thinking habits, logic, and creativity he'd developed through education couldn't be stripped away by a change in worlds.
That said, his brilliant mind only took him so far. When it came to high-level chakra theory or the fundamental workings of this world's power system, he still fell short compared to true "locals."
At that moment, Yujin looked a bit obsessed. He was sitting on a collapsed wall, a scroll full of scribbles spread out on his lap.
But his attention wasn't on the scroll.
Yujin's eyes were focused and serious. He alternated between examining his left hand and his injured-looking right, then suddenly pressed his palms together in a seal.
It looked like he was attempting the "Anything You Wish" technique.
With that level of focus, you'd think he was about to unleash "True Several Thousand Hands."
Unfortunately, nothing happened.
Yujin sighed, flung his arms out, and showed a frustrated expression.
No progress, it seemed.
…
As the saying goes, sincerity is always rewarded. Just as Yujin expected, his direct approach—cutting out the middlemen—soon paid off.
He had left an address on the letter, and by that very afternoon, people from Kikyo City arrived.
The group was small: two guides in front, followed by a tiny palanquin barely larger than a vegetable basket, carried by two short and stout bearers. Behind them came five or six attendants, and walking beside the palanquin was a person entirely cloaked in black.
Despite its diminutive size, the palanquin was exquisite. Its four walls and roof were beautifully lacquered, with golden threads depicting intricate birds and flowers against a black background—unmistakably upper-class.
Still, to Yujin, it looked a bit too much like a… well, a fancy coffin.
The group stopped at the entrance of the camp. One of the attendants stepped forward to stand beside the palanquin and announced in a loud voice:
"By the order of Kikyo City's lord and provincial ruler of Kawahara, nephew to Lord Date Toyozaka of the Date clan, the acting chancellor Date Kamatani has arrived. We ask the noble ninjas to come forth."
To Yujin, the group seemed rather modest in number—just a few cats and dogs. But he also understood that, relatively speaking, this was already quite a high-level delegation. He glanced at the cloaked figure—something told him that one was very strong.
As for all the talk of lords and chancellors, Yujin didn't put much stock in it. The Date clan's actual power extended only to Kikyo City and its surrounding areas. At most, they were county-level officials.
Still, he got the gist of the announcement: Kikyo City's lord was Date Toyozaka, and the person in the palanquin was his nephew, Date Kamatani.
This guy sounded like someone who could make decisions. As planned, Yujin gave a signal with his eyes, prompting Fūma Gorō to step forward.
Yujin had already decided that when dealing with outsiders, they wouldn't use the name of the Ashes organization. Instead, they would present themselves as members of the Fūma clan.
Compared to the obscure Ashes, the Fūma name carried some weight in the ninja world.
Basically, it was their sneaky way of getting street cred without doing the hard work. Classic backdoor branding.
...
[100 powerstones = 1 Bonus Chapter]