Chapter 41

Chapter 41

In some ways, the situation in the city was better than Utakata had expected, but in others, it was worse. It was a complete lockdown. People could only leave their homes from dawn to dusk, and since the days in this country were already short, it didn't give much time for the citizens to be outside their homes.

Most had to work ten to twelve hours a day to support their families. But with the restrictions put on them, they could not do that. This showed how little the Daimyo cared or even knew about his citizens. It might seem like a mild regulation. But in the long term, it will kill the families because they will lack money to provide for their families.

In many ways, it was more like a prison. Soldiers patrolled every street and corner. In only a few days since the Daimyo's life was in danger, the whole city had changed. Koyuki didn't take it lightly, but she was relieved that at least the soldiers weren't breaking into people's houses while searching for her location. Daimyo probably thought that Koyuki would be running rather than staying.

"You sure about this?" Utakata asked one final time as he looked at Koyuki.

"Whatever we do, we can't let the innocent suffer," Koyuki said, relentless determination filling her eyes that surprised Utakata. "Bring me to the plaza, where it all started."

The morning sun was rising, and people prepared to leave their homes to go to work. Utakata could see most of them looking through the windows, waiting until they could leave. The soldiers yawed as they waited for their replacement. Utakata took Koyuki by her waist and jumped to the plaza. He didn't sense any shinobi, but there were dozens of soldiers with spears and swords around.

"Hey! Who are you?" A soldier quickly saw them as Utakata settled Koyuki down. "Stop it right here! Don't move!"

Spears were pointed at them. But Utakata stood between them and Princess Koyuki. He didn't move, but he had his pipe ready, it was the only weapon he had and needed. Koyuki made herself comfortable and took out her lute. The soldiers didn't know what to do, but seeing Utakata standing before them fearlessly staring them down, they couldn't find the courage to move forward.

As the sun finally illuminated the streets and people started to leave their homes, Koyuki started to play. At first, people stopped to look at the commotion with dozens of soldiers surrounding the plaza, but once they heard Koyuki play, they got closer to see. Those who were here that day when she and her friends tried to kill the Daimyo quickly recognized her.

"That enough!" A larger man came forward, armored from head to toe. "What are you waiting for? Arrest them!"

"Is that what you truly want, captain Higan," Princess Koyuki asked as she abruptly stopped playing her lute.

"I am sorry, but I have no choice," Higan seemed to be reluctant to do so, but he still walked towards them with the rest of the soldiers. "Princess Koyuki, you are under arrest for the attempted assassination of Lord Doto Kazahana."

Now, even those who didn't know what was happening quickly realized who was playing the lute. Higan was the first to step in trying to go through Utakata, as other soldiers hesitated. And he was the first to fall, as Utakata slammed his hand into his throat and then pushed him to the ground. Utakata didn't say a word as he took the spear from Higan's hands and broke off the bladed part.

Koyuki continued to play as more and more people gathered. Realizing that they had no other choice, the soldiers moved in. But against Utakata, they had no chance. Utakata quickly disarmed and knocked down every soldier who tried to get to Koyuki. Koyuki didn't stop playing, and soon, people started to cheer her on.

Soon enough, dozens of soldiers were laid down before Utakata. But another dozen was soon to come, and then another dozen and so on. The city didn't lack soldiers. They kept coming, and Utakata kept knocking them down. With his strength, these soldiers were nothing but children to Utakata. It was a good thing that he learned how to control his strength while training with Tsunade perfectly; otherwise, he might have broken a few bones too much.

"Stand down!" Utakata expected Hidan to come out first, but it seemed that the Daimyo didn't want to let go of his most capable pawn.

"Princess," Higan said as he slowly got up. "Run. Leave this country while you can. This isn't a place for you."

"Hmph, as expected, there were traitors," The woman of the trio pushed Higan away. "We will deal with you later. First, we have to finish this brat, who doesn't know his place."

"It is the last chance for you to run," One of the men said as the trio surrounded Utakata. "Fubuki, Mizore, you two take the Princess and try not to harm her too much."

Utakata looked back at Koyuki, who hadn't stopped playing her lute. And while she was playing, the people didn't disperse. Like they were charmed by the melody, they watched the show before their eyes. There was no fear in their eyes, even when shinobi and soldiers were all around. No, they stood proud and looked at Princess Koyuki.

"Nadare, leave some of him to us too," The last one of the trio said as he tried to move past Utakata.

They were too cocky and arrogant. They chakra was only of those of high chunin at best. Utakata could tell that they were frogs in the well, thinking that they already had seen the world. Mizore, the one who moved first and tried to capture Koyuki, was met with a stick to his head. The guy was too slow to realize he was hit and knocked back.

With a blank face, Utakata looked at the rest of the trio. Koyuki still played behind Utakata, but this time, they took him seriously. The trio, confident in their abilities, exchanged glances before making their move. Mizore quickly got on his feet, too, wiping his bloody nose. Utakata couldn't move from his position, as he knew that if they were given the opportunity, they would go after the Princess.

"Our orders were only to bring Princess alive," Nadare seemed to be the leader of the group. "Use everything you got to kill him first."

As Nadare issued his command, the trio launched a coordinated assault, their movements fluid and precise. Utakata remained steadfast, his senses sharp as he anticipated their every move. Even if they tried to get Utakata from the sides, they were unsuccessful, as he could sense their movements. With the shaft of the broken spear, Utakata easily blocked and fought back the trio.

Koyuki transitioned to another song as Utakata continued to defend her. Seeing that they were too slow and weak to win in taijutsu, they turned their attack into ninjutsu. Fubuki gathered ice around them and turned them into needles before firing them at Utakata. With a swirl of the shaft of the spear, Utakata caught all the needles but broke his weapon.

The Ice around Utakata started to move once again. This time, Nadare created ice wolves and sent them to Utakata. He caught one ice wolf with his hands and kicked the other away. As Utakata's hands were full for a moment, Mizore rushed at him, bashing Utakata with his shoulder. Yet Utakata didn't even take a step back.

"Using water and wind, you can manipulate ice," Utakata said, and for a moment, Koyuki stopped playing her lute. "It is an impressive technique but mostly useless, especially in places where there is little ice for you to manipulate."

"Who the hell are you?" Mizore asked as fear filled his eyes.

Utakata broke the ice wolf in his hands before grabbing Mizore's neck. With his strength, Utakata could easily break his neck. But instead, he headbutted him, knocking him down. The other two tried to move in to save their comrade, but Utakata blew two bubbles from his pipe. The bubbles encased their heads, and they tried to remove them as the air was running out for them.

"You thought that you were whales in the sea, but you are nothing but frogs in the well," Utakata said as he kicked them down in the head, bursting the bubbles and knocking them out. He didn't want to kill them.

"He defeated them," It wasn't only the citizens who looked shocked at the three lying bodies; even the soldiers couldn't believe it.

"My name is Koyuki Kazahana!" Utakata could tell that it hurt for Koyuki to speak so loudly. "I come back to take what is rightfully mine. But first, I wanted to ask the good people of the Land of Frost to forgive me for leaving them when they needed me the most. I will accept your hate, but I promise no matter how much you despise me, I will not let you suffer any longer."

"Princess Koyuki?" People murmured around themselves as reality finally settled in their heads. "The princess is back!"

Utakata was wrong. These people had never given up. They were only waiting. They were waiting for Koyuki's return. Seeing their oppressors defeated, they all knelt before Koyuki. Their eyes were filled with love. It took a moment for Koyuki to snap out of her stupor as she looked at her people. Tears swelled in her eyes as she looked around.

"The good people of the Land of Frost," Utakata said instead of Koyuki, as he knew she would have difficulty speaking now. "The tyranny of Daimyo Doto will end today. Pick up the weapons, rise with Princess Koyuki, and fight for your homeland."

Before the rest of the soldiers could do anything, Utakata blew his bubbles at their heads, suffocating them to sleep. But Utakata didn't need to continue it, as most of them dropped their weapons and surrendered. The people quickly went to tie them up and pick up their weapons. Barely anyone even knew how to hold the weapons, but it didn't matter.

They won't be fighting. For Koyuki to take her place, she had to convince the people to fight with her. That is why she made such a big show of it all. She wanted others to see her and show that the people who scared them previously weren't unbeatable monsters. When Utakata defeated them, he showed them that they were nothing special and it was time for them to fight for their rights.

"You can't, Princess!" Higan stood before Koyuki. "You can't defeat him."

"Alone, I can't," Koyuki replied calmly, standing before Higan. "But I am not alone. I have my country by my side."

"You don't understand," Higan said, rather than blocking our path. He knelt and bowed his head to Koyuki's feet. "Doto has a monster with him. That monster can't be defeated. He will kill you all. Please, I beg you, just run. As long as that monster is here, there is no hope for this country."

"Enough, Captain Higan. I forgive you, as all you did was your job and duty, but you failed to protect my father, and then you joined Doto. Why should I trust any word coming from you?"

"Back then, I was foolish," Higan said, not lifting his head. "I didn't know that Doto was so selfish and unreasonable person. And when I realized it was already too late. These three shinobi he brought with him were too powerful for us regular soldiers. But even these three couldn't compare to him. His name is Hidan, and he is immortal. I saw him getting stabbed and cut, but he just shrugged it off. He revels in killing, and if you go now, he will kill you."

"He won't," Utakata said as he saw people getting hesitant. "He might be a monster. But in this vast world, there isn't a scarier monster than me. I know who this Hidan is and trust me, he will fall like everyone else had."

"You just a doctor," Higan looked at Utakata. "What can you possibly know? I will not let the princess get harmed, no matter what I have to do. So please just take her and leave."

"Look into my eyes," Utakata said as he picked up Higan. "And tell me what you see."

Higan started shaking the longer he looked at Utakata's empty eyes. Then he backed away with shaking legs. He was old and experienced enough to know what those eyes of Utakata had witnessed for him to understand that someone like Hidan couldn't stop Utakata. Higan didn't stop them anymore and stepped away as people raised their weapons and marched for the palace.

A.N. I have some bad news. I will be gone from May 6. I have been selected to do mandatory military training for nine months. I will post as usual until the end of April and then post the rest of the chapters I have on my pa treon before I am gone. I don't know how much free time I will have in the military, but from what I hear, I should have weekends off, even if not all of them. So, I will try to write as much as I can on weekends and holidays. Thought I would probably have to drop most of my stories until I finished my training. I want to focus on ending "What is dead may never die" and continue "Will of embers." Thanks for reading and support.