Under Kazahana Koyuki's lead, Mutsuki went to Kazahana Sosetsu's study. To Mutsuki, Kazahana Sosetsu's study resembled more of a research lab, filled with numerous mechanical devices.
"Koyuki, your father has some work to do now and can't play with you," Kazahana Sosetsu said, putting down the book in his hands with a hint of regret. He thought Kazahana Koyuki was looking for him to play because there was no morning meeting today.
"I'm not here to play; it's Mutsuki-oniichan who has something to discuss," Kazahana Koyuki stated, clarifying that she wasn't just seeking fun.
At this moment, Mutsuki nodded in agreement with Kazahana Koyuki's words.
"Thank you for your hard work, Koyuki. Here's a reward for you; take it and enjoy, but make sure to eat it outside, or it will leave a smell in the room," Mutsuki magically produced several beautifully wrapped candies and handed them to Kazahana Koyuki.
"Mm, thank you, Mutsuki-oniichan," Kazahana Koyuki said, her happy smile appearing after receiving praise and a reward as she left the room.
Seeing Kazahana Koyuki so pleased, Kazahana Sosetsu also smiled.
"It seems Mutsuki, you're quite good with children; Koyuki really likes you," Kazahana Sosetsu said, adjusting his glasses with a smile.
Although Kazahana Koyuki is a fairly sensible child, she has grown up as a princess, surrounded by countless affections, and it's not easy to win her favor.
"Maybe it's because I often teach students around her age, so I have some experience," Mutsuki replied with a gentle smile.
"Sosetsu-sama, the reason I came to see you is that I inadvertently discovered someone in the Land of Snow is planning a rebellion." After a brief exchange, Mutsuki got straight to the point.
In places where he could easily overpower others, Mutsuki didn't want to waste effort; rather than waiting for the other party to cause trouble, he preferred to take the initiative.
Given Kazahana Doto's special identity, Mutsuki chose to come clean with Kazahana Sosetsu first. After all, as a Konoha Ninja, interfering in the political affairs of another country was a sensitive matter.
"Rebellion? How could that be?" Kazahana Sosetsu's immediate reaction to Mutsuki's words was one of skepticism. After all, Mutsuki was merely a ninja he had invited to protect Kazahana Koyuki and, logically, shouldn't be involved in such matters.
"Moreover, the ringleader is none other than your own brother, Kazahana Doto, Sosetsu-sama," Mutsuki revealed, pulling out a scroll to continue his exposé.
"Impossible! Doto is devoted to the country; how could he commit such a heinous act?" Kazahana Sosetsu furrowed his brow, becoming increasingly disbelieving of Mutsuki's claims.
At this point, all of Mutsuki's previous good impressions with Kazahana Sosetsu had vanished, and Kazahana Sosetsu was prepared to end the mission and send Mutsuki away, viewing these words as malicious.
Just as Kazahana Sosetsu was about to expel Mutsuki from the study, the next item Mutsuki produced plunged Kazahana Sosetsu into deep thought.
"These are all transactions Kazahana Doto has made with the Snow Ninja Village by abusing his authority. Are you aware of how close his relationship is with them, as the Daimyo?" Mutsuki said coolly after taking out the documents.
The leader of the Snow Ninja Village isn't foolish; if Kazahana Doto were just promising them money for a coup, how could they possibly lend their full support? Kazahana Doto has been using his power to help the Snow Ninja develop.
Of course, money doesn't appear out of nowhere or vanish into thin air; the funds Kazahana Doto provided to the Snow Ninja Village were siphoned from elsewhere.
With so much information to process, Kazahana Sosetsu found it hard to accept that his well-behaved brother had suddenly become a scheming conspirator using his power for personal gain.
"The mission was just to protect Koyuki; why do you have this information?" Kazahana Sosetsu asked once he regained his composure.
"Perhaps they mistakenly thought I was sent to investigate him. After discovering that someone was monitoring me, I conducted an investigation myself, and I didn't expect to uncover such a big surprise," Mutsuki replied calmly.
Strictly speaking, most of what Mutsuki said was true. Kazahana Doto had indeed sent someone to watch him, which had prompted Mutsuki to take action; initially, he just wanted to focus on studying Sealing Jutsu.
"I initially thought there was no need to get involved in matters outside of this mission, but I believe this country, which has long been in a state of severe cold, shouldn't endure any more turmoil, so I came to you."
"Mutsuki, you're right; this country shouldn't bear any more. On behalf of the Land of Snow, I thank you for your efforts. However, this matter is too serious; I must send someone to verify it. If it's true, I will certainly offer a generous reward. Additionally, please take care of Koyuki's safety," Kazahana Sosetsu replied after some thought.
At first, Kazahana Sosetsu was skeptical when he saw the documents. He even thought that Kazahana Doto, having studied in the Snow Ninja Village, could reasonably have a better relationship with them.
But after reading the incredibly detailed information, Kazahana Sosetsu could no longer make excuses for Kazahana Doto. All of his projects intended to benefit the people had been twisted in Kazahana Doto's hands, merely to fatten the Snow Ninja Village.
In fact, after finishing the documents, Kazahana Sosetsu was already convinced of their authenticity. A newcomer like Mutsuki, who had only recently arrived in the Land of Snow, couldn't possibly know so many confidential matters, making forgery all the more unlikely.
But this matter is too serious; acting without investigation would be reckless.
"Please do it as soon as possible," Mutsuki nodded, not feeling disappointed.
No matter what, Kazahana Doto is still Kazahana Sosetsu's brother and an important figure in the Land of Snow. Given the involvement of the Snow Ninja Village, it's understandable that Kazahana Sosetsu would be cautious.
Of course, Mutsuki believed the ideal situation would be for Kazahana Sosetsu to directly approve of him, allowing Mutsuki to first capture Kazahana Doto and then deal with Kanko Hyouketsu, which would solve everything perfectly.
Watching Mutsuki leave, Kazahana Sosetsu sighed. He never expected that brother would turn against brother in his own family.
"Doto, how could it come to this…"
As Mutsuki stepped out of the study, Kazahana Koyuki was happily enjoying the candies she had earned through her own efforts.
"Let's go, Koyuki. What kind of story do you want to hear today?" Mutsuki asked with a smile.
"I want to hear the story of Senju and Uchiha from the Warring States period," Kazahana Koyuki replied, still thinking about the unfinished history of Obito.
"You can't just stop midway and ask those difficult questions," Kazahana Koyuki added as she remembered something.
Obito's reckless actions had indeed left a psychological shadow on Kazahana Koyuki.
"Of course not," Mutsuki said, gently patting Kazahana Koyuki's small head.
"However, the story will have to wait a bit; I need to take care of some things first."
Obito and the others were still unaware that Kazahana Doto was planning a coup; they thought it was just a simple escort mission.
Kazahana Koyuki obediently nodded and waited inside the room.
Next, Mutsuki succinctly informed Kakashi and the others about the upcoming situation.
"The situation has changed; Kazahana Doto is planning a coup. Everyone, get ready for battle."
"So it's a coup! I thought someone had sent a letter saying they wanted to kidnap the princess. Wait, a coup?" Obito initially felt a bit disappointed, but his expression gradually turned to surprise as he grasped the meaning of the word.
"Is it that kind of coup to seize the Daimyo's position?" Obito's expression grew excited; this was a significant event.
Such plots typically only appear in the later stages of a Ninja novel, right before it concludes, with only the task of saving the ninja world remaining.
"Kazahana Doto, that Daimyo's brother?" Kakashi recalled Kazahana Doto's serious face after a moment of thought. They had a brief encounter with him when they first entered Kazahana Castle.
"Yumi-sensei, what should we do? Should we first send Koyuki to a safe place?" Rin asked, a bit worried.
Since their mission was to protect Kazahana Koyuki, Rin's first concern was her safety, not quelling the rebellion.
"No need for that for now," Mutsuki shook his head.
Given his current strength, there was no place in the Land of Snow safer than right by his side.
"You all don't need to take any other actions for now; just protect Koyuki as before, but be even more vigilant."
"Although I've already found evidence of Kazahana Doto's intent to stage a coup, we still need verification from the Daimyo's side, so let's not act rashly for now," Mutsuki explained.
"Isn't that a hassle? We already know he's a bad guy, so why not just capture him?" Obito scratched his head, confused.
"Who do you think that is?" Kakashi looked at Obito with a dumbfounded expression; there was no doubt that Kazahana Doto was the second most important figure in the Land of Snow.
"I honestly don't remember who Kazahana Doto is; it sounds like Koyuki's relative," Obito replied honestly.
When Sandayu Asama mentioned Kazahana Doto, Obito was too focused on the princess to pay attention.
"It doesn't matter who he is; just protect Koyuki and you'll be fine. Of course, you also need to protect yourselves," Mutsuki emphasized.
This time, they were likely facing an entire ninja village. Even a small ninja village wouldn't be something Obito and the others could handle right now, so Mutsuki would be the main force, while Obito and the others would just deal with the minions.
...
As the Daimyo, Kazahana Sosetsu might be somewhat naive, but he isn't foolish.
Before the investigation results came in, Kazahana Sosetsu dispatched a group of ninjas who would only take orders from him to secretly seal off Kazahana Doto's residence. This way, if Kazahana Doto showed any signs of trouble, they could immediately apprehend him.
Kazahana Sosetsu understood that Kazahana Doto was the core of the coup; without him, the Snow Ninja would be too afraid to act.
However, Kazahana Sosetsu underestimated his ambitious brother.
When testing the hardness of a piece of glass, its eventual shattering is already predetermined. When doubt arises, people will go to great lengths to prove their suspicions until the inevitable occurs.
As soon as Kazahana Doto suspected that his coup plan had been exposed and that Kazahana Sosetsu had hired Konoha ninjas to investigate him, he began conducting his own thorough investigation and prepared for exposure.
Thus, when Kazahana Sosetsu truly began his investigation into Kazahana Doto, Doto immediately detected Sosetsu's actions. From Kazahana Doto's perspective, this confirmed his premonitions.
So, Kazahana Doto immediately activated his plan. On one hand, he secretly contacted the Snow Ninja Village to prepare for a forceful coup, and on the other, he slipped out of the blockade under the cover of a Substitution technique.
Kazahana Sosetsu was unaware that his brother was capable of such actions for the sake of his coup. When the evidence verification reached one-third, Kazahana Sosetsu mobilized his forces to control everyone in Kazahana Doto's residence, as this alone was enough to turn a key figure of the nation into a death row inmate.
"Doto, why are you doing this? Didn't you say you wanted to make the Land of Snow prosperous together?" Kazahana Sosetsu said with a pained expression.
"That's just your one-sided wish," Kazahana Doto replied, a mocking tone in his voice.
Kazahana Sosetsu furrowed his brow, sensing something was off; that response wasn't typical of his brother.
"You aren't Doto; who are you?" Kazahana Sosetsu questioned.
"How strange that an ordinary person could see through my exquisite Transformation Jutsu. You should know, this is the result of my daily imitation of Doto-sama," the one under the Substitution said, dropping the pretense.
Kazahana Sosetsu's ninjas instantly turned pale, realizing that Kazahana Doto had slipped away right under their noses.
"I'm sorry, Sosetsu-sama; we failed to complete the mission," the leading ninja half-kneeled on the ground, admitting the mistake.
"I will immediately send people for a massive search to capture the criminal Kazahana Doto as soon as possible," the leading ninja proposed as a remedy.
"Hahaha, it's too late! You don't need to look for Doto-sama; he will come find you soon. Only Doto-sama can bring strength to the Land of Snow!" the one under the Substitution laughed loudly.
Seeing the Substitute act so arrogantly, the ninja who had captured him delivered a harsh blow to his abdomen, signaling him to be quiet.
As if to respond to the Substitute's words, in the afternoon, Kazahana Doto launched a surprise attack on Kazahana Castle with a group of Snow Ninja.
Although Kazahana Sosetsu had strengthened Kazahana Castle's defenses thanks to Mutsuki's warning, the ninja forces he controlled were still considerably weaker than those of the Snow Ninja Village. He had cut funding not just for the ninja village but for the entire nation's military budget.
As for the regular army or samurai, they would be even less useful; the Snow Ninja could easily incapacitate them with some large-scale snow ninjutsu.
Due to his fear of Mutsuki and the potential threat posed by Kazahana Koyuki's identity, Kazahana Doto led the Snow Ninja towards Kazahana Koyuki's location, fully aware that his naive older brother wouldn't run away.
Thus, the main battlefield gradually shifted towards where Kazahana Koyuki was, creating increasing commotion that caught the attention of Obito and Kazahana Koyuki.
"What's all that noise? Is something happening?" Kazahana Koyuki asked, standing on tiptoe to peer into the distance.
At that moment, Kazahana Sosetsu arrived with a group of guards, looking apologetic as he addressed Mutsuki:
"I'm sorry for wasting the intelligence you gathered, and for not resolving the issue in time. I ask you to take Koyuki away from Kazahana Castle and out of the Land of Snow. This is my request as her father."
The situation unfolded beyond Kazahana Sosetsu's expectations. He hadn't anticipated that Kazahana Doto would act so quickly. If he hadn't moved to apprehend him beforehand, they might not have even completed the evidence verification by now.
The forces supporting Kazahana Doto also exceeded Kazahana Sosetsu's expectations; the defenses of Kazahana Castle were no match for them.
Although Mutsuki might be an excellent ninja, Kazahana Doto had hundreds of Snow Ninja on his side. Therefore, Kazahana Sosetsu decided to let Mutsuki break through with his daughter while he remained behind to defend Kazahana Castle.
"Why do we have to leave the Land of Snow? I don't want to be separated from Father," Kazahana Koyuki asked, confused.
While she felt a bit drawn to the Land of Fire, something didn't feel right.
"Because Father made a serious mistake and must be punished. If you stay with me, you'll also be punished," Kazahana Sosetsu said, smiling as he gently patted Kazahana Koyuki's head.
"Then I want to be punished with Father," Kazahana Koyuki said, gripping Kazahana Sosetsu's arm tightly.
Kazahana Sosetsu showed a helpless expression as he picked up Kazahana Koyuki, trying to have Mutsuki forcefully take her away.
However, Mutsuki did not accept Kazahana Koyuki from Kazahana Sosetsu. Instead, he adjusted his black-framed glasses and smiled, saying, "While the task is to protect the princess, upgrading it to quelling a rebellion isn't a big problem. Just remember to cover the commission fee later."
Kazahana Sosetsu's actions could definitely be described as a hindrance, but for Mutsuki, who possessed overwhelming strength, the difference between the best and worst-case scenarios wasn't significant. After all, it was just a small ninja village in a remote area.
Ironically, the worst-case scenario might actually benefit Mutsuki more, as it would give Obito and the others some experience and opportunities for additional rewards.
"Mutsuki, I need to remind you that Doto has hundreds of ninjas on his side," Kazahana Sosetsu cautioned.
Given Mutsuki's intelligence capabilities, he was certainly an excellent ninja, but even he couldn't take on hundreds of ninjas by himself.
"Daimyo, I need to remind you that Yumi-sensei is incredibly strong," Obito stepped forward and said.
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