"Things are becoming quite intriguing...." Kirito's clone mused to itself.
With his soul clone's plan in motion, Kirito smiled to himself. Originally, he had intended to eliminate Yamanaka Yun, but he had a change of heart.
he can use him. there is no waste tool, only bad users.
Kirito didn't linger for too long, as he had a busy schedule and many tasks to complete. He made himself invisible once again, returned to Zetsu's clone, which was underground, and then used the Mayfly technique to swiftly depart.
The Mayfly technique was an excellent mobility ninjutsu that allowed Zetsu to move rapidly through earth, stones, and vegetation. It also concealed his chakra completely and made him appear as part of the natural surroundings.
In a matter of moments, Zetsu's avatar had traveled hundreds of kilometers and arrived at the Land of Waves.
The Land of Waves was a small island country located near the eastern coast of the Land of Fire. It was currently a vassal state of the Land of Fire. Due to the ongoing war with the Land of Water and the Land of Thunder, the domestic situation in the Land of Waves remained relatively stable. With the Land of Fire's support and favorable geographical location, it had become an essential distribution center for materials, serving as a vital link for the Land of Fire to export and import resources.
However, the government of the Land of Waves lacked the strength to control the powerful businessmen from various countries who frequented the island. Additionally, the Land of Fire's government intentionally turned a blind eye to the smuggling activities there, and many nobles secretly manipulated affairs. As a result, the Land of Waves had become a haven for smuggling operations.
This attracted a diverse crowd of merchants, ninjas, samurai, and commoners from all over the world, making the Land of Waves a melting pot of different forces and interests. The chaotic order allowed for the gathering of valuable intelligence from various nations.
Kirito's avatar stopped in front of a large mansion near the Daimyo's residence. He then transformed his appearance into that of a young man wearing a kimono.
The young man had a striking appearance, radiating an air of nobility, with bright eyes and a confident demeanor.
This persona was Gojo Shin, a parallel ninja with no actual ninja abilities, pretending to be a local noble of the Land of Waves. He was once a prominent figure in the Land of Waves, with ancestral ties to the Land of Fire's Daimyo. However, he had fallen from grace and was now a down-and-out noble in the Land of Waves. Tragically, he had recently been poisoned to death.
His murderer was none other than his cousin, Gojo Shan, who sought to eliminate Gojo Shin to inherit his title and wealth.
After Gojo Shin's death, Kirito used the Spiritualization technique to access his memories, absorbed his chakra through Zetsu's clone, and assumed his identity flawlessly.
Kirito helped Gojo Shin eliminate his cousin's family and a notorious businessman who had committed many crimes. In doing so, he secured his position as the heir and avenged his family's grievances.
According to Shin's memories, the tragedy that befell Gojo Shin's family and the nefarious businessman's actions were orchestrated by Shan's branch family and the aforementioned businessman, acting in secret.
After obtaining all of Gojo Shin's memories and using his new persona wealth and power to eliminate his enemies and take control of their assets, Kirito began operating in the Land of Waves under the guise of Gojo Shin.
Although Gojo Shin had fallen from grace, he still had valuable connections. With his wealth, influence, and some assistance, he secured a position as a military attache in the Land of Waves' defense command, overseeing a hundred subordinates.
Using his substantial wealth and power, Kirito effortlessly manipulated his subordinates, following the standard practice of collecting protection fees from various foreign businessmen with little backing. He also initiated a recruitment drive, ostensibly for retainers but primarily targeting wandering ninjas and inexperienced warriors with chakra capabilities.
With his wealth and influence, Kirito's recruitment efforts progressed smoothly. In just one week, he had enlisted ten ninjas and twenty novice samurai to serve under him.
The recruited ninjas and new samurai possessed relatively modest abilities, with only two ninjas and a samurai among them demonstrating true ninja-level strength. The remainder consisted of ordinary individuals who could utilize chakra to varying degrees. However, Kirito wasn't concerned about their combat capabilities. He had enlisted these wandering ninjas and novice warriors mainly to gather intelligence and safeguard his properties in the Land of Waves, not for combat purposes.
After finishing his act, Kirito released the shadow clone he had stationed here and gave an order.
Within ten seconds, the door opened, and a cautious, young, and beautiful red-haired maid entered, awaiting Kirito's instructions.
"Ryoko, please summon those two individuals," Kirito said with a pleasant demeanor.
The red-haired maid, Uzumaki Ryoko, obeyed Kirito's request.
She had been purchased by Kirito from a slave merchant after he had assumed Gojo Shin's identity.
The Uzumaki clan, once famous for its resilience and longevity, had fled to various countries after their homeland was devastated some years ago, resulting in numerous tragedies. Uzumaki Ryoko, belonging to the civilian branch of the clan, had been pursued and attacked by rogue ninjas during their escape. Many clan members lost their lives, some were captured, and eventually, a few became commodities traded by merchants worldwide.
Before encountering Kirito, Uzumaki Ryoko had been sold multiple times. In Kirito's eyes, she possessed untapped potential. Despite her age of 15, she exhibited great chakra levels and a strong self-motivation. Having not received formal ninja training, her chakra levels were akin to that of a chuunin.
For an untrained civilian, it was an amazing amount.
With the proper training, Uzumaki Ryoko could potentially become a valuable asset in the Land of Waves. For the time being, Kirito needed to observe her and ensure she felt secure and settled in her new life, eventually leading her to willingly submit to him.
Upon receiving Kirito's order, Ryoko knew precisely which two individuals he was referring to. She acknowledged his request and respectfully retreated.
Soon after, a young ninja and a young samurai arrived to meet Kirito. The two individuals, Fuma Ichiro and Gofune greeted Kirito with deep respect and awe.
Their brief interactions with Kirito had made them acutely aware of the vast gap between themselves and him. They also understood that the person before them was not the genuine Gojo Shin.
However, by the time they grasped this fact, Kirito had already placed a curse seal on them without their knowledge.
Now they found themselves incapable of disclosing any information about Kirito to others. Any attempt to reveal Kirito's secrets triggered the immediate activation of the curse marks on their bodies, causing them excruciating pain.
On a positive note, after being marked with the curse seal, their stagnant abilities began to surge rapidly. Kirito's ability to employ such a miraculous sealing technique left the two of them in profound awe and reverence.
The Seal of Night was a crucial tool for Kirito as he expanded his forces in the Land of Waves while maintaining secrecy. He couldn't handle everything himself and was forced to rely on wandering ninjas and samurai with questionable loyalty. Thus, he resorted to applying the Seal of Night on them.
Kirito had developed the Seal of Night as an improved curse seal technique based on the Tongue Seal and Orochimaru's Cursed Seal. He wanted to use his sage physique, much like Juugo, to create a curse seal technique similar to Orochimaru's, and after extensive research, he managed to create a mature spell seal technique.
The Seal of Night combined the abilities of the Tongue Seal and the Orochimaru Cursed Seal while eliminating the fatal drawbacks of the latter. While it didn't offer the rapid strength enhancement seen with Orochimaru's curse seal, it allowed for gradual power improvement over time.
Additionally, it retained the curse mark's life-draining capability. Kirito had taken lessons from Orochimaru's mistakes and refrained from adding his entire soul to the seal, instead incorporating a very small portion to act as a medium for long-distance curse killing.
for someone with his soul power, it is a very insignificant cost.
In essence, the Seal of Night was Kirito's ace in establishing his covert armed forces rapidly.
Kirito addressed the two with a blank expression, questioning their progress. He had given them a specific task to secretly recruit wandering ninjas and new warriors to serve as the initial backbone of his covert forces.
"My lord, it's been a short time, and I've managed to find only five qualified wandering ninjas," Fuma Ichiro replied hesitantly.
Kirito had assigned him the task of finding wandering ninjas within a week, but half the time had passed, and he had only completed a fraction of the mission. Fuma Ichiro felt uneasy about the situation.
He knew well that the new master he served wasn't a benevolent person, evident from the curse seal he had planted on himself. If he didn't perform well, he risked losing his life.
Fuma Ichiro also realized that he wasn't irreplaceable in Kirito's eyes. His selection as Kirito's underling was likely due to his short stature rather than any special qualities. If he didn't meet Kirito's expectations, he might be discarded.
"Only five? That's rather slow. Do you usually move at a snail's pace?" Kirito responded with some dissatisfaction.
"I apologize, please forgive me. I promise to work harder to complete the task," Fuma Ichiro quickly admitted his mistake and kneeled before Kirito.
"Very well, work diligently. As long as you complete the task on time, the promised reward will stand. However, if you fail, you'll learn the consequences," Kirito replied coldly, ignoring Fuma Ichiro's fearful demeanor.
Kirito had provided Fuma Ichiro with financial assistance to settle his debts, and he had also bestowed the Seal of Night, a method to enhance one's power. These weren't charity, and Kirito had no use for incompetence. If Fuma Ichiro failed to meet expectations, he could easily be abandoned or subjected to a lifetime of hard labor.
Fuma Ichiro understood that he wasn't indispensable to Kirito, but he was motivated by the generous rewards promised for completing this mission. He firmly believed that Kirito, capable of employing such a fearsome curse-seal technique, was a powerful ninja. The reward of a C-level ninjutsu seemed trivial to him. Nonetheless, as a wandering ninja, he cherished the opportunity to acquire ninjutsu.
Fuma Ichiro hailed from the Fuma clan, which had cast him aside due to his lack of ninja talent. Despite nearly a decade of being a ninja, he had only learned the basic Clone Technique. He had left his family in hopes of gaining strength but had found the life of a wandering ninja to be tougher and more challenging to acquire new ninjutsu.
To him, the reward Kirito offered was incredibly generous, a potentially life-changing opportunity. However, he was aware that it might be a one-time offer. If he missed this chance, there might be no future opportunities, and he would likely face consequences.
Resolute in his decision, Fuma Ichiro was determined to convince the group of wandering ninjas to comply with Kirito's demands, even if it required force.
Kirito's next inquiry was directed at Gofune, the young samurai. Gofune had been tasked with recruiting 50 new warriors within a specified time frame.
"My lord, I've successfully recruited over 30 new warriors. I assure you, I'll meet your target of 50 new warriors within the allotted time," Gofune declared confidently.
While Gofune conveyed his progress, he cast a condescending glance at Fuma Ichiro. The two colleagues harbored a mutual sense of rivalry.
In name, Gofune and Fuma Ichiro held positions as Kirito's retainers, responsible for overseeing the two distinct groups of samurai and ninja, respectively. However, their backgrounds and inherent differences created a natural tension between the two factions.
Historically, samurai and ninjas had been at odds, and reconciling their rivalry was no small task. While Gofune was more inclined to accept Kirito as his new master, his loyalty was primarily driven by practicality. As long as Kirito's inherited title was legitimate and he possessed both wealth and power, Gofune had no qualms about serving him. Moreover, the power he gained from the Seal of Night had propelled him past a longstanding plateau in his swordsmanship, opening up new horizons and a chance to challenge his distant cousin, Mifune, in the future.
In contrast, Fuma Ichiro, a wandering ninja, found it difficult to stomach the advantages Gofune was enjoying under Kirito's leadership. He couldn't help but express his frustration, thinking, "Damn it, as a ninja, I shouldn't be inferior to this warrior."
The mutual resentment between the two subordinates was palpable, and Kirito, observing their interactions, chose not to intervene, even finding a sense of satisfaction in their rivalry. He commended Gofune for his diligent efforts and smiled, "You've done excellent work. Keep up the great effort, and as long as you meet the task's deadline, the rewards I promised will be yours."
"Your generosity is greatly appreciated," Gofune responded with genuine gratitude.
The reward promised by Kirito was a potent pill capable of instantly enhancing one's strength. Having personally experienced its effectiveness, Gofune had successfully defeated a wandering ninja at the Chunin level not too long ago, earning recognition within the warrior community of the Land of Waves. This newfound fame had facilitated his recruitment efforts significantly.
Kirito waved them off, saying, "No need for excessive gratitude. Now go, but remember, maintain strict discipline among those under your command. Anyone who violates the rules must face severe consequences."
With their mission updates acknowledged, both Fuma Ichiro and Gofune bid their farewells and departed.
As they left, Uzumaki Ryoko, who had been guarding the door, watched their departing figures with a hint of longing in her eyes.
"Come on."
Suddenly, Kirito's voice came from the room again.
Ryoko immediately opened the door and went in, respectfully saying: "My lord, please give me your instructions."
"Go and call Mr. Gato," Kirito said with a pleasant face.
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things getting deeper, what do you think?
don't forget to comment and drop stones !