In late December, only ten days remained before the inauguration ceremony of Konoha's First Hokage.
White snow blanketed the Land of Night.
This was especially true in the eastern part of the country, where the entire region had fallen into extreme cold.
In front of the tall stone gate at the main entrance of the Shogun's Residence, a group had already assembled and was ready to depart.
Yayoi was fully armed. Beneath his armor, he wore a black, tight-fitting ninja suit. Over it, he had donned a full-body suit of iron armor.
Even the shoes on his feet were made of leather with powerful defensive properties, covered in armor plates.
This suit of armor was forged entirely from extremely strong chakra metal. While possessing excellent toughness and defensive ability, it could also conduct the wearer's chakra effectively.
The creation of this armor had not only gone through Yayoi's chakra treatment, it had also incorporated the finest craftsmanship of the former Land of Iron.
It was an armor-type ninja tool designed specifically to cooperate with a ninja's combat style.
It was also extremely comfortable and light to wear, without the heaviness and restriction of ordinary armor.
"Oh my, you look truly imposing today, my husband."
Seeing Yayoi dressed with a dignity unlike usual, as if he had instantly shifted into a different style, his entire presence carried a sharp and exposed authority.
For Kichō, who had never seen Yayoi dressed like this before, it was undoubtedly a completely new experience.
Yayoi merely nodded at this.
After all, this was an important ceremony. He would also meet many daimyo from other countries. No matter what, he had to appear formal and solemn.
It was not only Yayoi. As the shogun's wife, Kichō had naturally also been carefully dressed.
Her kimono was made from precious silk in purple and white, with a brightly colored pink outer robe draped over it.
She wore more exquisite gold and jade ornaments than usual.
On her feet were white tabi socks and low-heeled black wooden sandals, perfectly matching the gorgeous clothing on her body.
However, Yayoi knew that beneath those beautiful clothes, Kichō also wore a tight-fitting ninja uniform.
Although she was attending as the shogun's wife, she had not forgotten her original identity as a ninja.
In Yayoi's judgment, before Kakuzu obtained Earth Grudge Fear, defeating Kichō would probably have been very difficult for him. The odds would have been roughly sixty-forty.
According to Kichō herself, among those of the same generation in the Hyūga clan, there were at least several people at her level.
However, in terms of Byakugan purity, she was probably the one with the strongest ocular power.
At this moment, the two of them stood together, one imposing and one beautiful, like a perfectly matched pair.
And as shogun, when traveling formally like this, Yayoi naturally could not go on foot.
The vehicle prepared for him was a mobile carriage built from wood with excellent toughness and hardness.
The wood used to construct it had been selected from special chakra trees, then mixed and blended with other chakra materials.
This kind of chakra tree could absorb the surrounding chakra very well. Because of that, the wood taken from such trees could effectively resist the impact of ninjutsu.
Outside the carriage hung jingling gold and jade ornaments, adding a sense of beauty and nobility.
The space inside was ten times larger than an ordinary carriage compartment. It could accommodate four or five people resting inside without feeling cramped.
Its overall structure also emphasized defense and concealment.
The bottom of the carriage was fitted with protective chakra steel plates, capable of blocking explosions at the level of explosive tags.
The most remarkable thing was that this mobile carriage was not pulled by horses. Instead, at the front of the carriage, there was an operating platform installed with something like a control console. The outside was wrapped in steel, while the inside contained mechanisms connected to eight wooden wheels beneath the frame, driving it forward.
The ones controlling these driving mechanisms were naturally not ninja or samurai, but a group of large humanoid puppet samurai clad in pitch-black heavy armor.
Compared with the Ghost Puppets in the underground space beneath the tenshu pavilion, these had clearer facial features, making them more visually striking. Their sense of pressure was also extremely strong.
Each puppet samurai was the size of two Ghost Puppets, standing more than two meters tall.
The samurai swords they carried had also been adjusted in length and width. Even if they faced a boulder several meters tall, these puppet samurai could likely split it apart with one easy slash.
Because of their huge size, they could be used not only for offense, but also for protection.
They stood beside the carriage with wooden, hollow, eerie expressions.
Yayoi merely raised his hand, then gently waved it.
His materialized chakra, like soft pieces of dough, rushed toward the puppet samurai. With precise control, it entered the mechanism interfaces of the puppets and fused into them.
Immediately, the puppet samurai's eyes lit up with a red glow. Their tall, powerful bodies slowly straightened as they came to life.
"You do not need chakra threads to control them?"
Kichō was amazed.
She had only seen Yayoi release his materialized chakra and activate these puppet samurai, which surprised her a little.
Generally speaking, once materialized chakra left a ninja's body, it would quickly evaporate. In other words, it would be consumed and could not be preserved for long.
"After chakra has been activated, it can maintain the trait of 'existence' for a long time. So even after leaving the body, it can be used to control puppets. The drawback is that the precision drops slightly. It cannot fully bring out the puppet's abilities, and it cannot be too far away. Once it exceeds thirty meters, it loses effect. But for traveling, this is already enough."
Under normal circumstances, controlling puppets this way was undoubtedly much more convenient.
However, if he encountered a powerful enemy, controlling them with chakra threads would produce better results.
Irori, a puppet who could already operate fully automatically and refine chakra by herself, was naturally an exception.
"So that is how it works."
Kichō nodded, but she was still curious about Yayoi's ability.
Because of the timing, she did not ask on the spot. Besides, slowly peeling back the layers and exploring his secrets bit by bit would be more enjoyable.
There were sixteen activated puppet samurai. Eight were responsible for controlling the mechanisms and driving the carriage forward, while the other eight were responsible for scouting the path and guarding.
Aside from them, one hundred fully armed ninja and two hundred samurai skilled in chakra swordsmanship would follow, all led by Irori.
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As for high-ranking officials such as Kakuzu, Kurobee, and Orochi, they remained behind to keep the Shogun's Residence operating.
With Kakuzu, whose strength had increased, overseeing the place, along with the various defensive measures Yayoi had left inside the Shogun's Residence, Yayoi was not worried that any problems would arise there.
Furthermore, the eyes of every country were currently focused on Konoha in the Land of Fire. Many conflicts had unconsciously gone quiet, and nations had begun deliberately pulling back their forces to avoid unnecessary disputes.
The group soon left Yomi Castle and followed the main road toward the Land of Fire in the south.
On the road, the carriage moved steadily. The space inside did not shake or tilt in the slightest, making Yayoi and Kichō inside feel as if they were standing on flat ground.
If they encountered obstacles along the way, the other eight puppet samurai would directly draw their long blades and split apart boulders and giant trees, violently and quickly clearing the path.
Because the materials used to create the puppet samurai were extremely strong, the puppets themselves possessed high-level taijutsu ability and could suppress ordinary ninja. Combined with swordsmanship, their combat power was further strengthened.
There was no need for the accompanying ninja and samurai to act. These puppet samurai could solve most problems on the road.
"It truly is impressive, being able to move so quickly while remaining this stable."
Inside the carriage, Kichō picked up a teacup and drank.
Feeling the mobile carriage moving at high speed while remaining perfectly steady, she felt it was not much different from a ninja's movement.
"That is because it was specially built. In truth, this carriage could also be modified into an automatically operating type. But having puppet samurai drive it looks more imposing."
Yayoi also drank tea, then set down his cup.
As one of the top puppet masters of the current era, many of his puppet creations could actually operate automatically. However, he could not control them as freely that way, nor could he bring out their full performance.
In his view, that was an extremely imperfect part.
Moreover, automation did not necessarily mean excellence. Aside from special puppets like Irori, the automation jutsu of ordinary puppets was actually substandard.
Irori's automation jutsu was special and not broadly applicable.
"That is true. Seeing these puppet samurai at night would probably frighten people."
Kichō also smiled. The appearance of these puppet samurai had left a deep impression on her.
Their two-meter-tall powerful bodies, glowing red eyes, and pitch-black heavy armor made them look like ghost samurai often appearing as villains in horror plays.
Anyone with a weak heart would definitely be frightened by such terrifying puppets.
Moreover, under Kichō's sharp observation, this carriage was not simple either. Rather than calling it a means of transportation, it was more like a mobile military fortress.
From the outside, it was not especially obvious. But inside, many places had clearly been modified with mechanisms. This carriage itself was also an extremely dangerous puppet, a weapon capable of fighting.
The road to Konoha was almost completely uneventful.
Upon seeing such a powerful escort force and the carriage moving like a giant land beast, nearby bandits instinctively kept their distance, not daring to think of blocking the road.
After five days of travel, the Land of Night's procession finally arrived at Konoha.
The main reason it took that long was because the group needed to rest midway. Otherwise, they could have arrived even faster. Since there was still plenty of time, Yayoi had not been in any hurry. Instead, the journey had somewhat resembled sightseeing.
Sometimes, when they passed through towns, he would deliberately stay for a while, accompanying his wife Kichō around the town and buying a few interesting items as collectibles.
"So this is Konohagakure? I did not expect it to be this large."
The tall walls that had still been under construction before were now completely finished.
Entering through the village's main gate, Kichō, seated inside the carriage, gently lifted a corner of the curtain with her hand. With one glance, she saw the continuous clusters of buildings within the walls.
The important roads had also been built quite flat, allowing carriages to travel smoothly over them.
Some basic facilities were likewise quite complete, already showing the outline of a prosperous town.
Naturally, the residential area could not compare to Yomi Castle, but as a village, it was extremely exaggerated. Especially since some areas were still being expanded, meaning this was not yet the final form of the ninja village.
Yayoi also leaned slightly to the side and swept his gaze across the scenery outside.
It carried a familiar yet not entirely familiar feeling compared to the village in his memory.
In several more years, it would become the Konohagakure he knew.
After they entered Konoha, dedicated personnel came to receive them.
Several other countries' envoys had arrived around the same time as Yayoi. Some were led by high-ranking officials, while others were personally led by their daimyo.
The one responsible for receiving the Land of Night's procession was a ninja from the Senju clan.
He was a man in his thirties, with scars on his face left from battle.
His chakra concealment ability was very strong, making it difficult to directly determine his strength. However, judging from his calm and measured aura, he was likely an elite among the Senju clan.
"My husband, this man is named Senju Haima. I heard the scars on his face were left during a battle with the Uchiha clan. He is one of the Senju's practical combat representatives. His genjutsu and ninjutsu are ordinary, but he is extremely skilled in taijutsu and has mastered the forbidden jutsu Eight Gates."
Inside the carriage, Kichō softly explained the basic information about this Senju ninja to Yayoi.
The reason Kichō knew these things was thanks to the Hyūga clan's intelligence network. A great clan like the Senju was naturally one of the Hyūga clan's key observation targets.
As one of the Senju's combat-focused ninja, Senju Haima's information was naturally recorded in the Hyūga clan's intelligence files.
Especially since this powerful Senju ninja had learned a forbidden jutsu of tremendous power, he was impossible to ignore.
"The Eight Gates, is it? That jutsu is no ordinary thing, and it suits the Senju's Sage Body extremely well."
Yayoi nodded slightly, raising his evaluation of Senju Haima by another level.
Yayoi was not unfamiliar with the Eight Gates jutsu.
This was a forbidden jutsu that appeared in the original story. In this Warring States era, Yayoi had also once happened to encounter a ninja who used the Eight Gates.
For the Eight Gates, the first three gates were the safe zone. The risks brought by the chakra amplification were within a ninja's tolerance.
Starting from the fourth gate, every gate opened would cause the burden on the body to increase geometrically. In exchange, the power that erupted would also increase to an unreasonable degree. It was a trump-card jutsu capable of reversing a desperate situation.
However, this forbidden jutsu could not last long. Excessive use would also consume the user's health, affect lifespan, and even leave the user disabled, depriving them of their ability to be a ninja.
The ninja Yayoi had encountered could open the Eight Gates up to the sixth gate. Although Yayoi had ultimately won, it had taken some effort.
From that person, Yayoi had also obtained the forbidden jutsu of the Eight Gates. However, the forbidden jutsu was incomplete and only recorded the opening methods for the first six gates.
Under Senju Haima's guidance, the Land of Night's group arrived at a residential area. It consisted of clusters of courtyard-style residences. Each residence had a large interior space, enough to accommodate envoys from various countries.
The residences were separated from each other by more than twenty meters, providing good privacy for each country's envoy group.
When Yayoi and the others arrived, some courtyards were already occupied.
It could be seen that the envoys from certain countries had already begun moving around and frequently contacting other nations.
With officials from every country carrying the will of their daimyo, or even daimyo personally arriving, this was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity for direct negotiation between nations.
Even the Land of Night also needed to communicate with other countries and could not close itself off.
Thinking of this, Yayoi knew that the next few days would be busy.
Opportunities like this, where the higher-ups of various countries could gather peacefully in one place, were rare. If he missed this chance, who knew when the next one would come?
After getting down from the carriage with Kichō, Yayoi also let out a soft breath.
Sitting in the carriage while moving had still been a little tiring. His body felt as if it had rusted.
Sure enough, he was not very used to this way of traveling.
But to maintain dignity, he could only endure it for now.
After all, if he, the shogun, had walked here on foot and been seen by people from other countries, he would have been laughed at. It would also damage the country's image. Others might think the Land of Night was so poor that it could not even prepare a proper carriage.
As for the carriage he had used this time, it had undoubtedly become a striking sight in the eyes of the envoys from various countries. Wherever it went, it drew constant attention.
Its enormous body, like a giant land beast, its gorgeous and refined appearance, and its protective functions did not diminish its beauty in the slightest.
Paired with sixteen strong and imposing puppet samurai, along with an elite guard force made up of both ninja and samurai who marched in neat formation with calm and steady momentum, the procession was a powerful display.
Such pageantry undoubtedly showed the Land of Night's strong national power well. Aside from the great nations, probably no other country could produce such a grand and imposing procession.
After all, pageantry was almost equal to national power.
This was an unspoken truth between countries.
Because they had only just arrived, Yayoi temporarily did not need to communicate with personnel from other countries. Before he and Kichō entered the courtyard, some of the ninja and samurai entered ahead of them to carry out the necessary inspection.
Once inside the courtyard, it was clear that it had been built less than a month ago. The signs of construction were very fresh. Although Konoha had done its best to improve the quality of life in the courtyard, overall, it was still fairly ordinary.
It was not that there were issues with quality or comfort. Rather, the scenery and layout of the courtyard were somewhat plain, lacking careful refinement.
Thinking about it, that was very normal. After all, Konoha was a newly built village. A lack of accumulated depth was inevitable.
Fortunately, the people from the various countries had not come here to enjoy themselves. They had come with important missions. Konoha's attitude was proper, and its service was as thorough as possible without being perfunctory. That alone was enough to satisfy the personnel from various countries.
"Leave half the people here to guard the residence. The remaining half may move freely. For the next few days, you will rotate shifts. Also, do not cause trouble."
After the courtyard arrangements were complete, Yayoi gave orders to the accompanying ninja and samurai.
"Yes."
The ninja and samurai answered.
"Irori, would you like to move around freely as well?"
Yayoi asked for Irori's thoughts.
"No, there is no need. My duty is to protect Father. Moving around within this courtyard is enough for me."
Irori smiled and shook her head in refusal.
"Very well. While we are here, you can relax a little. You do not need to stay so tense."
Yayoi nodded, then turned and returned to the main bedroom to rest.
Although it was still only afternoon and the sky had not yet grown dark, the journey had left him somewhat tired. Tomorrow, he would need to communicate with people from other countries. He had to restore his energy in advance, lest he become drowsy and rude at the wrong time.