Chapter 367: Dong Ping: I knew they were bad, but not this bad!
Chapter 367: Dong Ping: I knew they were bad, but not this bad!
"How strange!"
Hyuga Tsukiyo muttered to herself.
What appeared before her eyes was indeed bizarre.
These masked samurai, at first glance, would make anyone believe they were the Daimyo's private assassins.
This wasn't uncommon in the Ninja World.
The issue was that, to Tsukiyo, they appeared as corpses, but strangely, they possessed chakra, and not just any chakra—it was strong, comparable to that of a Jonin.
In simple terms, she thought they were corpses, but the facts told her they were alive.
However, one thing was evident to everyone.
Danger!
The ninjas naturally sensed the threat from these masked samurai, and their previously nonchalant attitudes changed.
Only Scorpion, not far away, had a fervent gaze, as if he had witnessed a perfect creation.
'Puppets?'
This thought flashed through Dong Ping's mind as he observed Scorpion's reaction.
But he quickly dismissed the idea; Tsukiyo would never be fooled by puppets, even 'Human Puppets,' she could identify them.
However, the masked samurai on stage didn't provide any clues, proving that she couldn't see through them.
Dong Ping pondered, recalling the plot he had read before his transmigration.
Even when Prince Minato became the Hokage, the nobility still firmly held their position as Celestial Dragons, their status unshaken.
This was truly terrifying.
Prince Minato had 'saved' the world, yet in the end, he couldn't overthrow the corrupt noble class.
There must be some hidden reason for this.
The real Ninja World was far more complex than the manga, with problems everywhere.
Dong Ping had grown accustomed to this.
The current situation was within his expectations.
Just infiltrating this group and obtaining this intelligence was a significant gain.
"It's an honor to serve the Daimyo, and you should feel privileged..."
Chi Kuru Maru's words on stage were unbearable.
After all, he was a Quasi-Hokage, and even as a Fire Country noble, was it necessary to flatter the Daimyo to this extent?
Dong Ping even sensed Scorpion's barely contained agitation from a distance.
There was no doubt; if this continued, he might become one of the 'Human Puppets.'
It was unclear if they sensed the 'bad elements' among the crowd, but they suddenly changed their tone and announced the Ninja Army's departure.
However, this command displeased all the ninjas.
They had to protect the regular troops and the logistics convoy.
In any case, if they had eaten a few more peanuts, they wouldn't have made such a drunken decision.
"Tsk, as expected of the nobility, truly living up to our expectations of incompetent leadership!"
The voice from the side caught Dong Ping's attention.
It was the Xuan Yuan crowd!
The group of five, all with headscarves and furry tails tied around their waists, stood out.
Some had dared to offend them, but the next day, those people were never seen again.
They were the 'Ninja Hunter' group.
Their primary task was to hunt down ninjas.
They even targeted Cloud Village ninjas without hesitation, and ordinary ninjas who provoked them would never fare well.
Moreover, there were no rules within the Ninja Army.
Survival of the fittest!
As long as they didn't openly attack, the Fire Country wouldn't intervene.
For ninjas, covert actions were fundamental, and out of nearly three thousand ninjas, almost a hundred had already been 'eliminated' before the battle even started.
Tsk, tsk!
The Ninja Army had managed to stay intact until now solely due to the Fire Country's financial support.
Take Dong Ping, for example, with his daily salary of ten thousand taels and a base reward of ten million; he could endure until the other party went bankrupt if it weren't for the Heavenly Fortress.
After the announcement, the Ninja Army finally set out.
While stationed, it wasn't noticeable, but now, as they departed, some details became apparent.
The nearly three thousand-strong Ninja Army was divided into various-sized groups.
The most eye-catching among them were the Guardian Ninjas and the Fire Temple, the two core powers of the Ninja Army.
The rest were Ninja Villages.
For instance, small ninja settlements like the 'Earth Spider Clan,' while technically ninja villages, had pitifully small populations, so they weren't officially recognized as such and were instead called Ninja Villages.
In this Ninja Villagelet, there were a few ninjas, and at most, a few dozen. In total, the number was not insignificant.
It was only now that Douhei realized the existence of this group.
Most of them were the type who could barely refine chakra and hadn't even mastered the Three Body Technique.
They were not even as good as Genin!
His evaluation was not intentionally derogatory.
The rest were mercenary ninjas, a group not the largest in number but undoubtedly the strongest and most demoralized in combat.
Organizations like Douhei's Shell Organization, as well as Kakudo, Scorpion, and the Xuan Yuan Clan all belonged to this group.
Lastly, there were ninjas privately trained by the aristocrats.
Don't assume that aristocrats couldn't train ninjas. The methods for refining chakra had long been common knowledge, and it wasn't difficult for aristocrats to find ninja bloodlines. So, it wasn't strange for them to train ninjas.
However, in every aspect, they were far inferior to the ninja villages.
But what Douhei didn't notice was that when he was observing others, they were also the center of attention.
"The Shell Organization...?"
Kakudo's green bean eyes scanned the two figures in the distance, their bodies shrouded in black cloaks and faces hidden behind white bone masks.
They had received orders to find a way to gather intelligence on the Shell Organization.
Traveling with rivals! The Shell Organization was too similar to the Akatsuki, both small-scale mercenary groups following the elite route.
And this mysterious organization was also a threat to the Akatsuki, hence this order.
Kakudo and Scorpion glanced at each other and nodded slightly.
In fact, they were also extremely interested in the Shell Organization.
Next, as long as they found an opportunity, they would try to gather intelligence.
Apart from the Akatsuki, others were also incredibly curious about Douhei and his group, but none had the chance.
If they had the opportunity, they would try to test them.
With such ulterior motives, how could Douhei put his heart into this Ninja Army?
Today, the large army set out, covering a total distance of... thirty kilometers.
Yes, this was the data.
Douhei didn't know if this allied force was here to joke around.
When they were setting up camp, they looked organized, but once they started fighting, problems arose everywhere.
It was simply unbearable to watch.
At this rate, it would take one or two months to reach the Heavenly Fortress.
It was outright cruel!
Even if they were replaced by a regular merchant caravan, it wouldn't take a month to reach the Heavenly Fortress. They didn't seem like a well-trained combat force at all.
But the training of the regular forces in the Ninja World... no, do Ashigaru need training?
Give each of them a spear, and tell them who the enemy is, and that's it.
Yes, Ashigaru didn't need training; they were just farmers with weapons.
On the other hand, Samurai required rigorous training. Fully armed, they could be described in one sentence.
I'll take on ten! In small-scale combat, a Samurai could easily defeat ten Ashigaru.
However, on a crowded, large-scale battlefield, when everyone was packed together, the Samurai's advantage wasn't as significant.
It could only be said that the Fire Country Allied Forces gave Douhei a 'billion' little shocks from the start.
He thought the allied forces were bad, but he never imagined they were this terrible.
They were entirely tools for the ministers and aristocrats to make money.
The supply materials on the road were directly traded with the merchant caravans following them.
Did they really think they were blind?
Sorry, they were.
Because no one would tell the Daimyo about this.
Whether ministers or aristocrats, they were united in their pursuit of money.
It was rare to have an opportunity to make a fortune on such a large scale. Anyone who dared to stop them would be their enemy.
Even the Guardian Ninja wouldn't dare to go against the united ministers and aristocrats.
Of course, whether ministers or aristocrats, the prerequisite for them to play this game was that they believed the Heavenly Fortress was weak.
Yes.
How strong could a small force established less than a few years ago be?
In comparison, making money was more important.
Once they defeated their opponents, there would be no chance to make money.
However, before they could make enough, they felt the 'passion' of the Heavenly Fortress.
After spending more than half a month and consuming over a billion Ryo, when they had covered nearly half the distance, an unexpected event occurred.
(End of Chapter)
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