Chapter 357: Mutation!
Chapter 357: Mutation!
Swish, swish!
Kunai knives were drawn from their sheaths.
In the corner of the banquet hall, where the shadows cast by the lights were deepest, the Uchiha clan members opened their Sharingan, revealing a pair of blood-red eyes.
"Don't be impulsive!"
"Be careful!"
Asama and Diri also drew their weapons but cautioned each other against acting rashly.
They were well aware of the enemy's formidable strength.
Even without mentioning Dong Ping, the user of 'Purifying Flame', the mere presence of 'Storm Fury' was enough to sweep them away. Not to mention the newly emerged Uchiha genius, Uchiha Yae.
Thus, neither of them had any intention of taking the initiative.
Gulp!
Asama swallowed hard.
In the past, he had never taken the Uchiha clan seriously.
After all, the Uchiha clan had always been the 'punching bag' within the village, and even the Security Department dared to challenge ordinary villagers, making it hard to perceive the Uchiha's true danger.
However, now that they stood on the enemy's side, he instantly realized the terrifying power of the Sharingan.
"You...what are you doing!"
The Fire Country envoy was a bit flustered.
Although he was confident that they wouldn't dare to cause trouble, after all, he was the Daimyo's envoy.
But what if something happened?
He valued his life, which was why the Daimyo had sent two Guardian Ninjas to protect him.
"No, what are you trying to do?"
Dong Ping retorted, his gaze shifting to the envoys of the Water and Wind Countries. They seemed to be there just for the sake of it and showed no reaction.
This wasn't surprising.
The Wind Country's Daimyo was focused on the war in the Land of Birds, which affected his significant interests.
As for the Water Country's Daimyo?
He had just ascended to power after the previous Daimyo was assassinated by the Ghost Shark, and now he was more concerned with consolidating his position than interfering in other matters.
Both countries had sent envoys merely as a formality to show solidarity with the noble class, without any intention of actually taking action.
As for the envoys from the smaller countries?
They were there merely as spectators and background props, serving no real purpose.
"You must withdraw the Heavenly Fortress from the Tea Country!"
The Fire Country envoy revealed the purpose of their visit.
Of course, he wouldn't mention the previous agreement to teach the Heavenly Fortress a lesson.
"Why?"
Dong Ping feigned a look of 'grievance', as if the demand had caused him great injustice.
Indeed, the Heavenly Fortress had been dutifully carrying out its protection mission in the Tea Country, and suddenly being asked to stop was indeed a grievance.
As for occupying the lands of the noble lords and recruiting civilians, that was all the doing of the United Fruit and Produce Chamber.
"Why?" Dong Ping asked again, perhaps sensing the lack of further action. His tone turned sharp as he continued, "Now that many Tea Country nobles have died, do you still ask us why?"
Yes, this was the reason why the Daimyo was so eager to intervene.
If this continued, all the nobles in the Tea Country might be wiped out.
More than half of the deaths were due to the Tea Country's Daimyo's sentencing, while others were killed by bandits or in accidents.
If the numbers were small, no one would care.
The problem was that the number of deaths was just too high!
In a short period, nearly half of the Tea Country's original noble class had perished, and many of the remaining nobles had already fled to the Fire Country.
It was their outcry that compelled the Fire Country to take action.
After all, the Heavenly Fortress, technically speaking, was under the Fire Country's Daimyo, and such actions raised suspicions of an attempted annexation of the Tea Country.
Even though they knew this possibility was non-existent, as the Tea Country's environment was too harsh for the Fire Country's Daimyo to desire it.
But who cared about the truth? The mere possibility was enough.
Therefore, even if the other Daimyos could remain passive, the Fire Country's Daimyo not only couldn't afford to, but also had to take action to prove his 'innocence'.
This was why the Fire Country's envoy took the lead in the joint embassy.
"The deaths of those nobles have nothing to do with us. We are here only to protect the Tea Country's Daimyo. Are you not afraid of offending the loyal servants of us Daimyos with your baseless accusations?"
Dong Ping turned the tables with a single move.
The Tenjokaku had nothing to do with the United Fruit and Produce Chamber, and he would tell anyone who asked the same thing.
"You..."
The Fire Country envoy was about to continue, but suddenly found themselves unable to move.
Dong Ping had made a silencing gesture.
Yae Uchiha, standing to his left, immediately cast an illusion technique.
With her Thousand Petal Eye, even in the three-tomoe state, her illusions were astonishingly powerful, capable of ensnaring elite Jonin, let alone a mere noble.
Especially one with an unsteady will.
If their will was truly firm, they would be a fake noble.
They exchanged a glance, cold sweat forming on their foreheads.
They never imagined that the other party would dare to attack the envoy.
This was the Daimyo's envoy! Representing the Daimyo himself.
In other words, attacking the envoy was akin to attacking the Daimyo.
They wouldn't dare even think about such a thing, let alone do it.
However, once he realized the situation, Asama Sarutobi, disregarding the tension, roared at Dong Ping:
"Uchiha Dong Ping, how dare you attack the Daimyo's envoy! Do you know the consequences this will bring to Konoha?"
Because Tenjokaku was affiliated with Konoha.
At least, that's how everyone saw it. Their attack on the Daimyo's envoy was equivalent to Konoha attacking, and the impact would be terribly negative.
"Oh, I'd like to see what consequences you're talking about. Do you think you're capable of that?"
Dong Ping, sitting at the head of the table, found Asama Yuan Fei's anxious demeanor amusing.
He possessed extraordinary power, yet his mindset had been castrated.
Believing that nobles should naturally be beneath him was truly unbearable to watch.
"You..."
However, his awareness didn't mean others shared the same understanding.
"How dare you attack the Daimyo's envoy!"
A ninja bodyguard from a minor country's envoy stepped forward, boldly charging towards Dong Ping.
This was true courage! Many admired his bravery.
They knew Dong Ping's strength, but this bodyguard from a remote small country seemed unaware and was likely planning to use Dong Ping as a stepping stone to make a name for himself.
Judging from the forehead protector, he was likely a Chunin from the Hidden Mountain Village, and he had activated a defensive ninjutsu, enveloping himself in an earthen glow, intending to take Dong Ping hostage to safely escort the envoy away.
A brilliant plan, if he could pull off the hostage-taking.
The Uchiha members at the edge of the hall remained still, knowing they didn't need to intervene unless given explicit orders. Today, their role was to set the 'atmosphere' and serve as 'background' support.
Just as the ninja was about to reach Dong Ping...
Bang!!
Amidst the terrifying collision, the charging ninja from the Mountain Country was sent flying back like a cannonball, smashing the table he had been protecting the envoy with.
A robust figure, about 7.5 feet tall, clad in white armor, stood before Dong Ping's table.
Yamagawa Kousuke!
For such a minor role, he didn't feel the need to involve Yae Uchiha or Hyuga Cangyue; he could handle it himself.
He didn't even use any taijutsu.
A casual punch was all it took to deliver a blow comparable to a heavy cannon.
It must be said, though, that a ninja's chakra protection grants remarkable resistance to blunt force.
Incredibly, the ninja from the Hidden Mountain Village was still alive.
"Be careful!"
Hyuga Cangyue suddenly spoke up, standing in front of Dong Ping with heightened vigilance.
Her reaction was prompted by the detection of a significant threat.
(End of Chapter)
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