Chapter 93: Raihara Natsu
"Dammit! Still no sign of her? What are you all good for?!" The Thunder Daimyo smashed a piece of exquisite lacquerware on the floor. The surrounding attendants trembled in fear.
"My lord Daimyo," the minister, Jun'en Furuya, said with a low bow, "the samurai are not skilled in searching and intelligence gathering. And this is not a matter we can ask the Hidden Cloud's ninja for help with, so..."
The samurai general, Takeo Osawa, in his blue armor, said with shame, "It is my failure. I have already expanded the search area!"
The Daimyo paced anxiously around the table. "That wild girl may not even be in the Land of Lightning. You must find her. I'll give you one more month. You must bring her to me."
Takeo Osawa and Jun'en Furuya accepted their orders and left, leaving the frustrated Daimyo alone.
"That wild girl!" he fumed. "I knew the daughter of a mountain peasant would be difficult to civilize! I should have kept her under house arrest until the wedding!"
Capital of the Land of Hot Water
Natsu was soaking absentmindedly in the hot spring. Beside her, the carefree Momo was using her years of accumulated fat to float in the water.
"Ah, it's been so long since I've been in a hot spring. This is so nice. My lady, do you want me to scrub your back?"
Natsu just sighed and looked up at the sky.
The embarrassing events of the day were still fresh in her mind. She had imagined the scene of her meeting her fiancé countless times.
She had imagined herself in danger, and him descending from the sky on seven kunai to save her, and she would have given him a few points for that.
She had also imagined herself as the strongest female ninja in the world, defeating him and stepping on his chest, saying, "Thirty years the river flows east, thirty years it flows west. Don't look down on a poor girl. I'm here today to break off our engagement."
But she had never imagined that she would be captured by his men on her way to kill some wild boars, and that she would beg and lie and make a complete fool of herself, and then not even recognize him.
Who could have recognized him? He had looked like a little kid a few years ago, and now he was so tall.
Thinking of his face, she suddenly felt a blush creep up her cheeks.
He's actually quite handsome.
"My lady," Momo said, doing a lap, "are you thinking about that Yotsuki Dana?"
"Of course not!" Natsu denied quickly. "I was just wondering if that red-haired brat was successful in killing the boars."
After confirming that Natsu was indeed acquainted with the leader of the Ashen Bandits and was in no danger, Nagato had announced that he was going back to deal with the boars. He would not fail his first solo mission. Dana, who did not want to make contact with him just yet, had not stopped him, and had just watched the red-haired boy bounce off in search of his prey.
"That little brat looked pretty strong. He'll be fine!" Momo said. "This 'Gokuraku no Yu' is the most luxurious hot spring inn in the whole Land of Hot Water! I've always wanted to try the food here, but I never had the money. I wonder what they'll have."
"Eat, eat, eat! That's all you think about!"
After their bath, Natsu and Momo were led by a servant through a series of complex corridors.
Just as they were about to reach Dana's room, a man in lavish clothes backed out of it. Seeing them, he seemed to understand something. He bowed and said, "Please, come in. Lord Dana is inside."
"Who are you?" Natsu asked, curious. "Do you know us?"
"I am Kitanouji," the man said. "I do not know you, my lady. But if you ever run into any trouble in the Land of Hot Water, you can seek help from my Kitanouji Merchant Guild."
Hearing the name, Natsu froze and awkwardly looked away.
Dana, hearing the noise outside, cleared his throat. "How was the hot spring?" he asked.
When Natsu entered the magnificent room, she saw a table laden with food. Behind her, Momo peeked in, her eyes shining.
Though she maintained the impeccable etiquette she had learned in Asuka Castle, her rumbling stomach betrayed her. And Momo had already lost all self-control.
"You must be hungry," Dana said with a smile. "Please, eat."
The food at "Gokuraku no Yu" was indeed excellent, no worse than at Asuka Castle, and even better in some ways. The two of them, who had been eating sporadically since they had run away, nearly ate their own tongues. Only Natsu, with her iron willpower, managed to maintain her composure.
But the tall handmaiden behind Dana was starting to bother her. She seemed to be standing a little too close. And she was getting closer.
"By the way," Dana said, when everyone but Momo had finished eating, "'Princess Natsu' is just a title. I still don't know your name."
"Natsu," she said. "Just call me Natsu."
"Raihara Natsu," Dana mused. Raihara was the surname of the Land of Lightning's Daimyo.
Natsu just shrugged.
"Well then, Lady Raihara Natsu," Dana said, his tone now formal, "when did you leave Asuka Castle? Does His Excellency, the Daimyo, know?"
Seeing her look down and say nothing, he continued, "Though we met by accident, whatever your reasons, I must inform His Excellency. You can rest and stay here until he comes to take you back. Unless..."
"Unless what?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Unless," he said, looking at her delicate face, his voice gentle, "you are troubled by our engagement. In that case, I will act according to the situation. You can be honest with me. The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning is not here. The Raikage of the Hidden Cloud is not here. It is just the two of us."
She looked up at him, startled.
"The engagement was a twist of fate," he continued. "This is the first time we've truly met. An engagement to a stranger would make anyone uncomfortable. If this is a source of trouble for you, or if you have already given your heart to another, then that is a different matter. If you wish to travel the world, I can send people to protect you and provide you with the necessary assistance. If you are pursuing someone..."
"It's not that!"
"?"
"It's not because I... have someone else," she said in a small voice.
Dana felt a sense of relief. At least it wasn't the most awkward situation.
"If it's possible," she said after a long moment, "can you not inform Asuka Castle for now? I don't want to go back yet."
"I can do that," he nodded. "But only for a while."
Behind him, Maki Minabe's body went rigid.
Natsu was a little surprised. His tone was so casual. "Aren't you afraid of the Daimyo's wrath?" she asked. For some reason, she did not use the word "father."
"No," he said with a smile. "I'm not afraid."