Anyway, when the time comes, Sandayu will understand. No matter how I explain it now, it won't dispel all his worries.
"Alright, Sandayu, I believe in Father. He wouldn't joke about something like this."
Even though Kazahana Koyuki felt a bit nervous inside, she had to show a calm expression.
She didn't receive ordinary princess education from a young age.
Because she was the only offspring of Kazahana Sosetsu, trained as the future monarch, her education was different from that of a typical princess.
At all times, one must maintain the elegance and composure of a nation's leader.
Even in the face of death.
Sandayu: "..."
Whether it was a delusion or not, he felt Princess became increasingly adept at calling someone else "Father."
It seemed she had lost all her delicacy.
Initially, she was a bit shy and embarrassed, but now she could say such things without turning red or breathless.
In a sense, Her Highness has grown a lot.
"So, let's just treat it as an excursion."
Hakushi also walked over and patted Sandayu on the shoulder.
Sandayu thought Hakushi was too optimistic and underestimated the enemy. Regardless, returning to the Land of Snow this time means dealing with the immensely powerful Kazahana Doto, which won't be as easy as an excursion.
This is a war that will determine the fate of a nation, not child's play!
◎
Advancing toward the Land of Snow, it was naturally impossible to do so with great fanfare, letting other countries in the Ninja Realm know that the Land of Demons was going to war with the Land of Snow.
Doing so would only cause unnecessary trouble and yield nothing else.
Therefore, all the accompanying ninjas wore different ninja suits to avoid leaving evidence for others.
Even Hakushi and Ayane wore hooded black coats to conceal their identities. Their mission was to secretly take control of the Land of Snow and tie it to the Land of Demons' war chariot, not to announce it to the Ninja Realm.
Hakushi also felt that deciding a country's fate with so few people felt too light.
But the power of ninjas cannot be judged by common sense.
For this battle, he spent two months investigating the Land of Snow, thoroughly understanding all of Kazahana Doto's trump cards, and only then decided to proceed with military action.
As long as Kazahana Doto is defeated, Kazahana Koyuki will naturally inherit the Daimyo position of the Land of Snow.
The officials, intimidated by Kazahana Doto's might, will make the right choice in due course.
The Land of Demons is adjacent to the Land of Snow, so they can go directly along the route to Kazahana City, the capital of the Land of Snow.
The magnificent city built halfway up the mountain, with gently falling snow, made Kazahana City even more picturesque.
The time to attack was chosen to be in the middle of the night.
At this time, every household in Kazahana City had turned off their lights and rested, making it more convenient for action.
The target was very clear: the castle where all past Daimyos of Kazahana City resided, where Kazahana Doto lived.
In addition to ordinary soldiers, there were many Snow Ninjas in Chakra Armor patrolling around the castle.
Using the cover of the dark night, Hakushi and Ayane led the group to the giant gates of the castle.
"Sir Hakushi, let's find a place to discuss first. This gate weighs at least a thousand pounds and is made of special materials. Even explosives can't blow it open. It's certainly not something human flesh and blood can open."
Sandayu cautiously reminded Hakushi that they should find a safe place to discuss; otherwise, they would definitely fall into the enemy's encirclement, which would be detrimental to the battle.
"No need, we already dug a hidden secret passage here in advance."
Hakushi turned to look at Sandayu.
"A secret passage?"
Sandayu was stunned, not expecting the other side to be so well prepared.
"Ayane, do it."
Hakushi instructed Ayane beside him.
Ayane stepped out from the group, placing her hand on the cold, heavy gate, her palm gathering a large amount of Chakra, then releasing it instantly through the pores in her palm.
Boom!
The enormous gate weighing a thousand pounds instantly shattered like tattered cloth, not a single piece landing intact, revealing a wide road leading into the castle.
"A very convenient secret passage, right, Mr. Sandayu? Before our people arrive, this passage will definitely not be discovered by the enemy."
"..."
Sandayu admitted that he underestimated the power of ninjas.
Is this really something humans can achieve?
He felt he should update his perception of ninjas to keep up with these fast-changing times.
"Moreover, as the true monarch of the Land of Snow, there's no reason to sneak into your own territory. Don't you think so, Koyuki?"
Hakushi patted Koyuki on the head, smiling meaningfully.
"Yes."
Koyuki nodded heavily, finding Hakushi's hand very warm.