Showing weakness is not something everyone is willing to do. Being forced to show weakness is equivalent to being suppressed by others with force. Asakura Ichikai was a person suppressed by force. Or rather, it wasn't even suppression; Inoyue merely showed a little skill, and he became afraid, completely lacking the demeanor a prince of a nation should possess.
There are many people in the world who, after being slighted elsewhere, always look for someone they can bully to vent their anger.
Coincidentally, Asakura Ichikai was also such a person; he harbored a wicked fire within him that he had to release. When facing Inoyue, he was weak, but to others, he was a king bestowed by heaven.
"You, go, pick a good-looking one from those five dowry maidservants and bring her here to serve me tonight!" Pointing at one of the maidservants by the main hall's entrance, Asakura Ichikai gave a knowing look and instructed.
The maidservant he pointed at first bowed, then bit her lip, looking somewhat embarrassed and angry. Her appearance was already good, sixteen or seventeen years old, at the peak of her youth and beauty. Coupled with her recent shy and angry demeanor, it made Asakura Ichikai's lower abdomen warm, and the wicked fire in his heart burned even stronger.
"No need to call anyone, it'll be you tonight!" Asakura Ichikai chuckled lustfully, changing his mind suddenly. The two samurai behind him exchanged glances, not at all surprised by their master's behavior; on the contrary, they were somewhat pleased, as they would still get the leftovers.
Asakura Ichikai laughed heartily, ignoring those around him, and directly pulled the maidservant into a tight embrace. The soft fragrance that assailed his nostrils truly excited him to the extreme. Unable to control himself, he lowered his head and took a deep breath of her scent at the neck of the blushing maidservant.
There was another maidservant nearby, with downcast eyes, and her expression seemed to show a hint of jealousy. After all, in Daimyo City, only women who could become the Prince's woman were truly women.
Asakura Ichikai, embracing the maidservant, walked towards the backyard, his hands roaming over her, causing her to giggle continuously, which excited him even more. Even the two samurai following behind him had gleaming eyes, staring intently at the occasional glimpses of spring that escaped.
The giggling maidservant playfully bit Asakura Ichikai's ear, and it was unclear what she said, but it made Asakura Ichikai repeatedly praise her, and his walking speed increased.
The four gradually moved further away, reaching an unfinished tower in the backyard that lacked a spire. Asakura Ichikai instructed the two samurai to wait at the tower's entrance, while he and the maidservant ascended directly to the tower's top floor.
Night was approaching, and few people came here. The two samurai stood at the tower's entrance, excitedly listening to the occasional giggles and excited sounds from the top floor. However, amidst these two sounds, there were also some quiet conversations that they did not hear at all.
"Your Highness, did you often play in Kikyo Castle when you were little?"
"Kikyo Castle is such an ancient city, does Your Highness know of any special places?"
The maidservant asked many questions, which seemed unrelated but were out of place with the current setting. Just as the two were excited, a rustling sound suddenly arose. At this moment, some tentacle-like things were wriggling around the two's illicit embrace, disappearing completely after a moment.
After these tentacle-like things vanished, the maidservant suddenly froze, as if waking from a dream; but after only a moment of stunned, she was immediately overwhelmed by Asakura Ichikai's advances, and waves of intoxicating sounds once again emanated from the top of the tower.
...
In the side hall of the main hall of Daimyo City in the Land of Rivers, which is Kikyo Castle, the five dowry maidservants from the Land of Fire were resting there.
Karura, with her indigo-blue eyes, was naturally among them, sitting opposite her was Bai Lu, the personal maidservant of Hime, whom Inoyue was impersonating. She glanced around at the other three maidservants, and seeing them all focused on their own affairs, a smile appeared on her face. She quickly formed hand seals and cast a Genjutsu.
A simple Genjutsu was perfectly capable of putting ordinary people into a state of sleep. The eyelids of the three maidservants who were focused on their tasks began to feel heavy, and then they slowly fell asleep one by one.
"Nirvana Temple Technique, it's getting more and more refined; even I feel a hint of sleepiness," Karura praised after the three maidservants fell asleep.
Karura's praise brought a smile to Bai Lu's face: "My Lady, you flatter me."
"No, this is not flattery. You have been undercover in the Daimyo's mansion in the Land of Fire since you were young, and you can still refine your Genjutsu so exquisitely. You truly deserve this praise." Karura's voice was very gentle, making one feel comfortable upon hearing it. This sentence seemed to sweep away all the grievances of Bai Lu, the undercover maidservant.
"Everything is for the Village!" Bai Lu's expression was serious, her spirit invigorated, and she answered firmly.
Every time it came to this point, this girl named Bai Lu would answer with such conviction. Such a reaction should make one happy, but Karura sighed inwardly: "You've worked hard. On behalf of the Village, I thank you for your loyalty. Also, according to your observations, is there any problem with the Thirteenth Princess of the Land of Fire?"
Bai Lu thought for a moment before replying: "According to my observations along the way, no suspicion of impersonation was found. It is confirmed to be the true person."
"Oh, could it be that the Land of Fire truly didn't receive this reliable news?" Karura asked herself. This question was beyond what Bai Lu could answer. Her mission as an undercover maidservant this time was simply to check whether the Thirteenth Princess marrying out from the Land of Fire was the true person or not.
Upon receiving confirmation that it was the true person, Karura immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
In Sand Ninja Village, the Kazekage was missing, and various factions within the Village surfaced. However, the matter was not over; in the process of searching for the Kazekage, friction even occurred with the Land of Fire.
With the Kazekage missing, they could not outwardly show weakness, which was why they were forced to contend with Konoha. This not only diverted internal conflicts within the Village but also temporarily curbed the surfacing factions. There's a saying: war is one of the fastest ways to divert internal national conflicts. The current actions of the Land of Wind align well with this standard.
Going to war was a last resort, but they also had clear objectives. They could lose the war, but they had to find this secret of Kikyo Castle; if they could obtain this secret, it might offset the losses caused by the Kazekage's disappearance, and perhaps even elevate Sand Ninja Village to a higher level.
Bai Lu brought good news; it seemed the Land of Fire had not received any relevant information about Kikyo Castle. This was their opportunity for Sand Ninja Village, otherwise, they wouldn't have gone to war with Konoha even with the Kazekage missing.
...
In the main hall, Inoyue's conversation with the Daimyo and his wife of the Land of Rivers was nearing its end. After Inoyue's detailed understanding, the reason the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers issued this B-rank mission to Konoha was merely to protect his son on the surface. More importantly, internally, it was to ask Konoha's Ninja to investigate the drastic change in Asakura Ichikai thoroughly.
A living, normal person, without illness or major incident, suddenly undergoing a drastic change in temperament. Apart from being affected by an unknown Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, there was indeed no better explanation.
Asakura Ichikai was the successor of the Land of Rivers, so the mission was kept confidential when issued, and the full details were not completely disclosed. Inoyue expressed understanding on this point. After all, no matter how many scandals there were in the royal family, their outward appearance had to be splendid; this was their way of survival, which was the same no matter where it was placed.
From the other party's perspective, Inoyue expressed understanding, but this was no longer a B-rank mission, but rather fell into the category of an A-rank mission. Now there was also Karura here, and the two Ninja Villages were in a state of war, so calling it an S-rank mission would not be an exaggeration.
For an A-rank mission, Inoyue might still have a chance to fight, but for an S-rank mission, it was too early.
During the execution of a Ninja mission, if the client is found not to have disclosed the full truth, the Ninja involved can choose between two options: one is to increase the mission reward; if the client agrees, then the mission continues. The second is to directly terminate the mission, return to Konoha to report the incident, and have Konoha's specialized department evaluate whether the mission failed.
Should the mission continue or be terminated? Inoyue was very conflicted at this moment. Because at this time, the elderly Asakura Yuichi and his wife were kneeling before her, their heads touching the floor, begging for her forgiveness and hoping for her help.
The Daimyo of a nation, abandoning all dignity, simply as a father, pleaded with Inoyue to save his son. This touch ultimately made Inoyue hesitate, and for a moment, she didn't know how to choose.