Chapter 6
AKOHITO SHIRAHOSHI
Power in the shinobi world was a necessity. It could be economic might, the kind possessed by Gato or other conglomerates in the world. It could be political as possessed by the daimyo and Shugo's and jito's or it could be power in its cruelest form.
For a person of his station and wealth, power was easy enough to buy. He could afford to hire several ninjas to guard himself and hire other people for his protection, and make no mistake, he did so as well, and a lot of other things through his wealth and influence.
Yet that didn't mean that he had left himself helpless. Akihito may not have access to the various secrets to unimaginable power held by the hidden villages, yet his wealth and influence allowed him access to several people willing to impart upon him their own understanding and experiences, which, after mixing and matching with his own knowledge had allowed him to progress over the years.
The men surrounding him and his retinue were simple enough, a group of wandering rounin and bandits, making their living by looting caravans, killing and selling flesh. Their presence was rather common at these times given that the kingdom was going through tough times because of the war, and many had no choice but to resort to such measures to feed themselves.
It was one of the reasons that in his own castle, no food was wasted, and all surplus food was distributed back to the people. Apart from that, there were several soup kitchens organized throughout the region for the destitute and helpless, just so people would not resort to banditry and killing.
A crime done out of necessity and hunger, he could understand and, if enough remorse was shown, even forgive.
Yet a crime carried out of joy was one that would get no mercy from him. It never had, and it never will.
And so as he watched the bandits glance lecherously at his lady wife and servant, one whom he had acquired through an S-ranked mission, and the woman in question had saved his life on numerous occasions, he gripped his sword tightly, his reserves were lesser than a shinobi of similar age, yet one didn't need massive amount if chakra for what he was about to do.
He felt his body heat up, a familiar strength erupting through his core, traveling through his whole musculature, invigorating him, moving through his arms, up his sword, which gained a slight greenish hue over its edge.
"Ninpo:…." The burly man, who was the leader of this so-called group, continued to laugh, unaware of just what was about to befall him, as he calmly exhaled, flaring his chakra and pushing it into his blade with all his focus as he brought it down.
"….Kazakiri!"
And he saw the laughter's stop as a metallic screech rang out, making some of them wince, as the burly man's body took a moment to register his strike. And then the man turned to face him, his eyes filled with fear looked into his gaze and as he tried to raise his hand, his body separated into two equal halves.
"AHHHHH!" the others screamed as they saw tow halves of his body fall to the ground, his guts spilling on the grass, his blood dying it all red.
"WHAT!"
"THE HELL!" "WHO DID THIS!" "THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE EASY!"
"JUST WHO IS HE!"
They all backed away, weapons drawn, as his guards paled at the sight as well, yet they held firm, knowing that if they were to fall, they could put the lives of his lady wife and one of his most trusted servants in danger.
"Now," he began, and he saw them all look at him, as he spoke up again.
"I will ask again who ordered this, and the one who answers first gets to keep his life…." He offered and saw some of them glance at each other, doubts creeping in their hearts as he heard a shout from the side.
"It was a man called Hikari, from Mahirou court, he said," one of the members spoke up as he fell down on his knees.
"What the hell are you doing? Lords Mahirou will have our head for this!" the others shouted, and he frowned.
Lord Mahirou, the man, was an aged lord, one who was the father of Lady Mahiro Miya, who was the mother of the Third Prince. From what he could recall, there was no animosity there between him and Lord Mahirou; regardless, it seems the man was not fond of him, though that was a matter for more peaceful times.
"I believe he will have to wait for that," he replied to the earlier comment as he brought up his blade, taking his stance, and rushed towards the bandits, who backed off initially, and a few of them even ran away. Though few, it seems, wished to test their mettle against him.
Well, regardless, their fates were all sealed the moment they attacked him.
"Ninpo…" he began again as he pushed his foot into the ground and brought his blade behind him, positioning it for a wife slash. He pushed his chakra into his blade once more, and watched as its edge took on a greenish hue once more, yet this one was much brighter than the earlier one and then, using all the years and years of training, he swung his blade, feeling the very metal of it screech as it failed to bear the edge of his technique.
"….Wārudokurībā!"
And then, for a moment, nothing happened before suddenly the whole area was filled with screams of men, men whose bodies were cleaved into halves, at their navels, separated into halves, and they screamed as the pain registered as the ground around him was dyed in red.
"AHHHHH!" "HAAAAAA" "SAVE MEEE"
Their screams were muffled by the sound of trees falling down and crashing, all of them cut down by the force of his strike.
They screamed as he straightened up and glanced back. Few of them had wished to aim at his lady wife, underestimating his guards. Idiots, those men had trained with him, and though they may lack the kind of skill he possessed, the four of them were amongst the best blades in all of Shinoi.
And they had shown that, making quick work of the four others who had wished to aim at the women.
Speaking of that, he heard the redhead shout.
"Akihito-sama! Akihito-sama!" she shouted, her voice distressed, making him rush towards her.
As he got closer, he realized the reason for her distress as he watched his newlywed wife lying there pale and unconscious, her body shaking as the redhead tried to bring her back to consciousness.
"She is not waking up!" she shouted at him, distressed, and as their eyes met, she gulped down.
"I cou…"
"No!" he shot down the suggestion, already knowing what she was about to offer, but given Miyuki's perilous health, he didn't wish to make it worse by introducing foreign chakra like that into her system.
He glanced into the distance, trying to measure the distance between him and the Shinoi lands. He had already sent a letter to the best healer of the continent in regards to Miyuki's condition, and even if she herself was too busy to react, she would have sent her to help him.
It was the least she could do after he had taken care of all her gambling debts, not that she needed him to. But it was nice to have the best healer this world had ever seen owe you one, or he should say one million Ryo.
"Kazugaya!" he commanded his commander of the guards, his mind made up.
"I will take Miyuki to the castle on the horse. The rest of you will ride behind me with this carriage carrying everything else," he commanded as one of the guards rushed and brought him the white horse Kazuto was riding on.
"And bring that man with you, as well," he said, pointing towards the man he had spared, and the guards nodded.
"But my lord, the city is still quite far, and I can heal her…." Kirin-san cut in, and he shook his head.
"It may be, but Miyuki is ill, and I have already contacted someone who could help her. Let us hope that they are there," he said as he crouched down and wrapped his red outer cloak around the shivering form of Princess Miyuki and picked her up in a bridal carry.
And despite her age, she weighed almost nothing that would need to change. He thought as he jumped up the horse and, with a final nod to his guards and Kirin-san, pulled on its reigns with his free hand.
The horse galloped across the trees, the forest blurring behind him as he raced towards his lands.
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