As it turns out, the Love Guide that Kaguya was reading had actually been taken from someone, and surprisingly, that someone was Kurome.
This story begins a few days earlier when Kaguya wanted Kurome to help train the soldiers since Kurome's skills were quite advanced. While Kaguya herself was very powerful, her abilities were closely tied to her unique skills, making it difficult to teach others since regular soldiers lacked the advanced skill of chakra.
Despite looking for her all morning, Kaguya couldn't find Kurome until she discovered her sitting on a swing by the lake. To Kaguya's surprise, Kurome was not practicing as usual but was engrossed in reading a book.
Kaguya was curious about what kind of book could captivate Kurome so thoroughly. Was it a book about training?
Kurome was so absorbed in her reading, her eyes fixed on the book, her cheeks slightly flushed, that she didn't notice Kaguya approaching.
Taking advantage of Kurome's distraction, Kaguya snatched the book from her. To her surprise, it wasn't a training manual but a Love Guide, which left Kaguya astonished. She hadn't expected the usually cold and aloof Kurome to be reading a romance book.
Could she be in love? It didn't seem likely, as Kurome spent most of her time with Kaguya, and there were no eligible men around.
Could it be Ieyasu?
Kaguya quickly dismissed the idea; Kurome and Ieyasu barely interacted, practically ignoring each other.
So who could it be? Kaguya couldn't figure it out.
When Kurome saw her booklet taken away, her face turned as red as an apple, and she immediately tried to grab it back. However, Kaguya, curious about what Kurome was reading, was not about to give it back.
"Give it back to me!" Kurome shouted in panic.
But Kaguya moved lightly, like a dragonfly skimming over water, her movements elusive. No matter how hard Kurome tried to catch her, it was in vain. Seeing Kurome frantic and embarrassed, like an angry kitten, only made Kaguya more curious. She opened the booklet to take a look.
"How to confess to the one you like."
What on earth is this?
Kaguya couldn't help but wonder if Kurome had a secret crush. She glanced at the blushing girl still trying to retrieve her booklet.
Could it be true?
To prevent a young girl from making impulsive mistakes, Kaguya decided to confiscate the booklet.
Burning it, however, was out of the question. Kaguya was curious about what made this booklet so appealing, even to someone like Kurome.
After reading it, Kaguya had to admit that it was well-written, with methods that were refreshing and accompanied by little stories. What intrigued Kaguya the most were the illustrations—they were quite captivating.
Once the booklet fell into Kaguya's hands, Kurome never got it back. Over time, she gave up trying, although she still blushed whenever she saw Kaguya.
After all, this kind of booklet was meant for adults. For a minor, it was a bit too soon.
As Kaguya was admiring the beautiful illustrations of two unclothed girls depicted in intimate poses, a scout sent out in the morning hurried back.
"Reporting to Your Highness, the northern tribes have crossed the border and split into three groups, advancing deep into the territory," the scout reported respectfully, kneeling.
"They've split into three groups?" Kaguya's eyebrows knitted together, her grip on the reins tightening.
"Yes, they seem to be avoiding your path deliberately, heading toward the northwest and southeast," the scout explained.
It seemed the northern tribes were aware of Kaguya's presence, possibly having heard of her past actions using Heavenly Obstacle Quaking Star to destroy their soldiers. This awareness led them to avoid her deliberately.
This complicated matters. The division of their forces thwarted Kaguya's plan to trap them all at once. With the tribes spread out, Kaguya had no choice but to divide her forces as well.
"Kurome," Kaguya suddenly spoke up, "take 10,000 soldiers and head southeast. Take 6,000 bows and crossbows with you."
"Okay." Kurome nodded slightly, her face showing a hint of discomfort.
"Seryu," Kaguya turned to the orange-haired girl, "you will accompany Captain Ieyasu with 8,000 soldiers and take 5,000 bows and crossbows. Head northwest."
"Hmph," Seryu snorted, turning her head. "Got it."
"Your task is to stop their advance and inflict as many casualties as possible," Kaguya said sternly. "You must keep them in the hilly areas. If they break through, they'll reach open plains, where there are no natural defenses, and their cavalry can charge unhindered."
At this moment, Captain Ieyasu stepped forward urgently. "Your Highness, what about the remaining force? After deploying to those two areas, we'll only have about 500 soldiers left."
Kaguya smiled, her face brightening like the sun breaking through clouds. "I will handle the rest."
"How can that be possible?" Captain Ieyasu protested. "The remaining force is the elite of the northern tribes, each soldier handpicked and heavily armed, while you only have 500 men."
"No need to say more," Kaguya interrupted with a wave of her hand. "Do as I instructed. Besides, do you have a better plan?"
"But..." Ieyasu hesitated, at a loss for words. He wanted to protest but had no alternative solutions.
Just then, the sound of hoofbeats approached, and a scout rushed over.
The scout dismounted quickly and reported urgently, "Your Highness, we have discovered traces of the northern tribes ahead. A village has already been plundered, with over a hundred bodies found—no survivors."
Kaguya's eyebrows furrowed slightly, a cold gleam flashing in her clear eyes.