On the willow-lined road, they bade a fond farewell.
Matsudaira Nai tightly held Megumai's hand.
"Megumai, I received some news in the last few days that I must tell you."
"The night you fought with Kirigakure and Iwagakure, you left behind a very spectacular battle ruin.
But besides that forest, several other mountains, forests, and lakes across the nation have recently shown ruins of a similar scale.
The participating Shinobis must have been extremely powerful."
"According to reports from our subordinates, these battle ruins share a similar style and are likely the work of the same Shinobi. As for the corpses found in the ruins, they are either rogue Shinobis or stateless, wandering Shinobis."
"In other words, a Shinobi has been highly active within the Tetsu no Kuni recently, traveling everywhere to slaughter Shinobis without official backing. Based on the government's records, the deceased were all characters who were quite troublesome during their lives. This indicates that the killer's strength is extraordinary."
"Megumai, you left Konoha many years ago, making you a rogue Shinobi. It's very possible that this killer is also targeting you. You must remember to be extremely careful, just in case!" Matsudaira Nai's expression was solemn as she gave a serious warning.
Megumai nodded slightly, smiling faintly. "Don't worry, I will be careful."
"Mhm."
Matsudaira Nai nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. She said, "A traveler who goes a thousand li must eventually part ways. Megumai, and Seiya-kun-bao, please remember to come back and visit the Tetsu no Kuni when you have time."
"Mhm mhm!" Seiya nodded emphatically, mimicking the handshakes of the two mothers as he seriously shook hands with Matsudaira Tachibana.
"Lady Nai, Tachibana, until we meet again!"
Megumai smiled sweetly and left with Seiya in her arms.
"Until we meet again!"
Matsudaira Nai and Matsudaira Tachibana stood in place, watching Megumai's figure disappear into the distance.
There is a type of person in the world who can share hardship but not prosperity.
When they are at rock bottom, they support their friends and share everything.
But when they reach a high position, they discard their friends like trash, hating them, wishing to sever all ties and eliminate them as quickly as possible.
The reason is often ingratitude and the fact that their past misfortunes are too shameful to recall!
They do not want to be reminded of their humble beginnings, and they certainly do not want those who witnessed their lowest moments to still be alive!
Megumai had initially suspected that the Matsudaira mother and daughter might be such people.
After all, they were the daughter of the Daimyo and a Princess, incredibly noble, yet they had been humiliated and forced to beg for their lives in the forest.
Their desperate plea for help was met with her indifference and departure.
Had it not been for Seiya's youthful benevolence, that forest would have been the mother and daughter's final resting place!
While still dependent on Megumai for protection, the mother and daughter might not have harbored abnormal thoughts.
But upon returning to their own controlled domain, where they were safe, and the power dynamic reversed, certain ideas might quickly grow like spreading poison.
Why, despite her astonishing strength, did she refuse to save us then, forcing us to beg and swear an oath?
Why did she assume such an arrogant posture, saying things like 'I only saved you because my son wanted to'? Did she view us as stray cats and dogs on the side of the road?
Why...
Megumai was always inclined to harbor the worst suspicions about others. It seemed she had been mistaken this time.
The Matsudaira mother and daughter were not that kind of person.
They were never condescending or insincere; they remained consistently grateful and respectful toward Megumai and continuously affectionate and doting toward Seiya.
Their warm hospitality, their genuine efforts as hosts in the capital, their complete fulfillment of all promises, the generous payment, the sincere emotion...
"Baby, your kindness was met with kindness. This mother and daughter are quite decent."
Megumai sighed softly. If she had been alone that day, she would have let the mother and daughter die in the forest. However, with her son, everything was different.
"Good people get good rewards!" The young Seiya's view was very positive and upbeat.
"Good people don't always get good rewards."
Megumai gazed into her son's clear, innocent eyes and taught him, "You must only do good according to your means. There are some good deeds that require a price we might not be able to afford. For example, if Mama couldn't defeat the bandits that day when we rescued Nai and Sister Tachibana, we would have certainly been killed too!"
"Also, the fable of the 'Farmer and the Snake' in your picture books doesn't just apply to humans and animals; it applies to humans and humans too! Sometimes, after we help others, we might be bitten back! This kind of harm is impossible to guard against."
"Huh?"
Seiya slightly opened his mouth, his face a little confused.
A three-year-old child couldn't grasp such a profound lesson.
But he did understand one thing—to listen carefully to his mother.
"Baby, it's not easy to be a good person. If you want to be a good person, you must first become strong yourself. That way, you will fear no risk."
Seiya understood this sentence. He was full of ambition and said loudly, "Mama, I want to become as strong as you!"
Megumai smiled faintly, gently stroking her son's small head.
"Everything Mama has is yours, baby. You are already as strong as Mama."
"Hehe!"
Seiya beamed with joy, rubbing his face affectionately against his mother's.
The white jade pendant on his chest swung back and forth.
The pendant had a natural luster, a warm texture, and was intricately carved with a lifelike image of a tangerine blossom.
It was a superb piece of jade jewelry.
Megumai picked up the fingernail-sized pendant and instructed him, "Baby, the jade pendant Sister Tachibana gave you is one she has worn close to her body since childhood. It is very precious. You must cherish it and not let down Sister Tachibana's good intentions, alright?"
"I got it!"
Seiya nodded seriously and tucked the pendant inside his clothes, wearing it close to his body.
After leaving the capital, the mother and son returned to their original pace, leaping over mountains, streams, forests, and lakes with extreme speed, rapidly nearing the southern border.
Along the way, the presence of vagrant bandits and rogue Shinobis noticeably increased. Clearly, the security outside the Tetsu no Kuni's capital was quite lacking.
One evening, a group of bandits aggressively sought their own demise.
After eliminating them, Megumai moved to a clean, blood-free spot at the foot of the mountain.
She pitched a tent, and after nursing her son, she took him out for a walk to aid digestion and to check for potential dangers.
The evening breeze was cool, the moonlight was bright, and strolling through the mountains with her son felt very pleasant.
Megumai felt at ease and happy, her life feeling complete.
However, a sudden tremendous boom shook the mountain violently, as if a towering building were collapsing.
Countless fragments of rock, mixed with trees, rolled down.
The quiet, peaceful mountainside instantly became chaotic and full of danger. A deep rumble like muffled thunder, along with a terrifying chakra pressure, faintly echoed in the air.
"..."
Megumai's delicate brow furrowed. Her mind raced, and she instantly thought of the mysterious killer Matsudaira Nai had mentioned before their departure.
Has this killer been trailing me all along?
A cold light flashed in Megumai's eyes, and a killing intent began to rise. She immediately evaded the falling rocks and flew toward the source of the tremor, holding her son tightly.
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