Mei Terumi's lips curved into a slight smile as she patted Chojuro on the head.
"Alright, I'll be waiting for your support. Do your best, Chojuro~" she encouraged.
"Yes...yes!" Chojuro pushed up his thick glasses and nodded vigorously.
Mei Terumi's beauty, her figure, and those occasional flirtatious gestures were driving the Daimyo of the Sea Country wild. From the moment he first saw her, he was completely captivated by her voluptuous body.
"If I could have this woman, my life would be complete... Judging by her seductive demeanor, she must be quite the wild one, tsk tsk, so tempting..." the Daimyo whispered lewdly to his advisor while swallowing hard.
His advisor, who had already discerned the Daimyo's thoughts, smirked mischievously and said, "Hehe, my lord, I have an idea. Once we have reclaimed our lands from the Johuto clan, we could propose an alliance through marriage with Mei Terumi. This would not only secure our relationship with the Mist Village but also ensure the lasting bond between our nations."
"Excellent idea! You always come up with the best plans," the Daimyo exclaimed, almost losing control of his voice. He quickly covered his mouth, glancing nervously to make sure Mei Terumi and her group hadn't heard him.
"My lord, please calm yourself..."
"I just got a little excited. But while your idea is good, I'm not sure Mei Terumi has any interest in me... Do you think this will work?" the Daimyo asked, worried since Mei Terumi hadn't spoken to him or even looked his way since their arrival.
"No, no, no..." Kaidan shook his head repeatedly. "I believe Lady Mei is simply overwhelmed by your commanding presence and doesn't dare speak to you. Besides, you are a Daimyo, and she is merely the acting leader of a village. Marrying you would be an honor for her, and she would be thrilled to have such a prestigious match."
Satisfied with Kaidan's explanation, the Daimyo nodded contentedly. "Hmm, you make a good point..."
"Hey, you two, if you have something to discuss, do it elsewhere. Stop disturbing our strategy meeting!" Ao snapped, glaring coldly at them.
In truth, the Mist Village had never taken the Daimyo and his advisor seriously from the beginning. It wasn't because the Sea Country was small, but because of how these two had abandoned their people and fled, a despicable act that disgusted the Mist Village's shinobi.
Feeling Ao's disdain, Takeshi the advisor quickly bowed and apologized, "We were just talking. We won't make any more noise. Please continue."
Outwardly, Takeshi was all smiles, but inside, he harbored a deep resentment towards Ao: 'Hmph, once this is over, I'll make sure to report your insolence to the higher-ups of the Mist Village! Such disrespect...'
After sailing for another ten minutes, they finally neared Potou Island. As the thick mist parted, the island's silhouette gradually came into view.
Mei Terumi's expression turned serious. She quickly moved to the bow of the ship and commanded, "Everyone, prepare for battle!"
"Yes!"
Just as the shinobi's battle spirit reached its peak, the sea suddenly began to churn, and several streams of water, like ropes, surged towards the Mist Village's ships.
"Be careful, this is Johuto's Water Release: Water Binding Technique. Its power is formidable. Quickly, use the Water Wall to defend!"
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
Following Ao's warning, the shinobi on each ship formed hand seals simultaneously, creating water walls to block the attacking streams.
Though they managed to fend off the first wave, the second wave of water streams emerged just as the water walls dissipated.
"We're exposed while they are hidden. Don't bother with these troublesome water streams. Full speed ahead, abandon the ships, and get ashore!" Mei Terumi quickly made the most tactical decision. She led the shinobi in leaping into the sea, channeling chakra to their feet to swiftly skim over the water.
As they closed the distance to the shore, about fifty meters away, a large group of Johuto clan members, armed with tridents, suddenly emerged from hiding and charged at the Mist Village shinobi.
Frowning, Mei Terumi quickly formed hand seals, ready to unleash her jutsu. But before she could act, Chojuro leapt forward, wielding the Hiramekarei. The two holes on the sword's blade emitted a terrifying blue chakra, forming a concentrated chakra sphere that shot out, blasting several Johuto members away.
"Lady Mei! I'll handle these small fry. Save your chakra for the stronger enemies inside the island. After I deal with them, I'll come to support you!"
"Chojuro, you're really reliable. Alright, I'll leave it to you then!"
With Chojuro clearing the path, Mei Terumi easily reached the shore of Potou Island.
Ao followed closely, tasked with sensing any suspicious presences.
"Lady Mei, the most formidable chakra is at the top of the island. I believe it belongs to the leader of the Johuto clan!"
"Got it. I'll go face him now!"
Mei Terumi's target from the beginning had been the Johuto clan leader. Defeating the leader would leave the clan leaderless, causing them to crumble quickly – the fastest way to end the conflict.
With the elite Mist Village shinobi covering her, Mei Terumi made her way to the highest point of Potou Island.
Before her stood a grand, dark palace.
"This palace is even more lavish than the Daimyo's mansion. With so much wealth, how many ships must Johuto have plundered, and how many innocent lives were ruined!" Mei Terumi's resolve to annihilate the Johuto clan grew stronger.
At the palace entrance, Johuto Seika sat on the steps, resting her chin on her hands, her large, innocent eyes observing Mei Terumi and Ao.
"You got here so quickly. You must be the strongest from the Mist Village, impressive~" Seika remarked.
Mei Terumi and Ao halted, their eyes fixed on the seemingly harmless little girl. They knew, despite her cute appearance, her strength was likely formidable, evident from the massive bow she carried on her back.
Seika stood up, taking out her bow, and arrogantly asked, "Which one of you is the strongest? Is it this lady here, or the one-eyed old man?"
"Lady? How dare you call me an old man!" Ao retorted, his face twitching in anger.
"Call me elder sister! Do I look like an old lady to you?" Mei Terumi demanded, her voice shaking with frustration.
Seika chuckled, "Alright, lady. You must be the strongest. Go ahead, my father is waiting inside for you. As for the one-eyed old man, I'll keep him company~"
"You brat! How dare you call me old lady again!" Mei Terumi clenched her fists, seething with anger, but found it hard to strike at what looked like a little girl.
Sensing Mei Terumi's rising anger, Ao quickly intervened, "Lady Mei, don't let her words get to you. Go on, she's my responsibility."
"Alright," Mei Terumi sighed, taking a deep breath to calm herself. She then stepped forward and pushed the palace doors open, glancing back at Seika one last time.
Seika didn't back down, responding with a cheeky, kawaii face.
"This girl has no manners!" Mei Terumi muttered.
"Hehe," Seika's expression turned sinister as she smirked, "Woman, who told you I'm a kid? I'm actually over twenty years old. Looks can be deceiving..."
"Over twenty?" Mei Terumi was shocked, eyeing Seika up and down with newfound interest.
"What? You don't believe me?" Seika asked.
"No, I believe you. I just want to know what skincare products you use to keep your skin so youthful and bouncy. Can you recommend some to me? I really need them~"
"(⊙o⊙)..." Seika was dumbfounded by Mei Terumi's sudden question.
As the situation started to get off track, a deep, commanding voice echoed from within the palace. "Daughter, let our guest in."
"Father, she's at the door."
Seika turned to Mei Terumi and said, "Although it's unlikely, if you survive, I'll tell you."
"Hehe..." Mei Terumi chuckled confidently.
"Foolish girl, that's what I should be saying to you. My companion here is quite formidable, and you've underestimated him. He's not just some one-eyed old man."
Ao sighed in exasperation, "Lady Mei, you shouldn't reveal my secrets to the enemy so easily!"
"Haha, if you can't handle a little girl, then stop bragging about your experience. A bit of a challenge shouldn't be a problem, right~" Mei Terumi teased.
"Sigh..." Ao placed a hand on his forehead, shaking his head in resignation, "I can handle it. But your habit of oversharing would have gotten you executed by the assassination squad in the old days."
"Tsk..." Mei Terumi ignored Ao and walked into the palace without another word.
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