Chapter 112: Fury

After being hefted onto a vehicle that could best be described as a chair on a stretcher, Nobu was taken from a large manor to a much smaller residence located a good twenty minutes from where he had been staying. This caused him to become increasingly suspicious of the people who were supposedly helping him, but, once he saw Yui being treated by an elderly woman who smelled of medicine, most of his tensions gradually began to fade.

In hindsight, Nobu realized he could have confirmed Yui's condition using the stone tablet. One of the cheatier aspects of the Heavenly Treasure was that it allowed him to spend a small amount of Aura to update the information of any people, places, or things he had scanned. This also allowed him to confirm that the doctors weren't trying to poison Yui in her sleep, so, after spending a solid half-hour just staring at her, Nobu eventually agreed to hear what Masahide had to say...

...

..

.

"I was asked by a good friend of mine, Hyuudou Hiashi-dono, to look after a young man named Nanamori Nobu. While others may not recognize this name, Nananananananananamori-san and I go way back. Thus, the moment I received your father's orders through his missive, I immediately set out to search for you. I never could have imagined our paths would cross in the middle of an invasion crisis. I wonder how the soldiers will react once it comes to light they had attempted to apprehend and execute their future Lord~?"

Snorting through his nose, Nobu surprised Masahide by stating, "Just drop it. If anyone should pay a price, it should be that asshat who came looking for trouble. He didn't even give his name before he started rambling on about the Oda Clan and acting like a fuckwit. That stupid cunt even wanted me to fucking press my head to the ground and beg for forgiveness while he had his way with my fiancee. The next time I see him, that bitch is dead."

Processing everything Nobu had just revealed, Masahide's expression gradually turned serious as he said, "Please tell me you're embellishing things..."

With an incredulous look on his face, Nobu stared directly at Masahide as he asked, "Why the fuck would you think I'm exaggerating? What, you think I attacked that piece of shit because he stopped me to say hello? I even apologized to that fucker and attempted to deescalate the situation but that pathetic piece of shit used it as an opportunity to force our hand just because he thought we didn't have any backers. He's lucky I didn't fucking kill him on the spot."

Though a part of him was hoping that Nobu was simply exaggerating, the resolution contained in the latter's eyes made it pretty obvious he wasn't. Most people who lied couldn't keep eye contact, and, even if they did, their eyes would quiver as their minds raced to come up with a convincing lie. Nobu's eyes were crystal clear, and, while his choice of words left a lot to be desired, there wasn't even a trace of hesitation in his tone.

Stroking his chin, Masahide's eyes glistened with a pale glow as he soft mused, "I see...this would certainly explain why Peng-sama was so hell-bent on killing the two of you..."

Hearing this, the wind currents within the room became increasingly turbulent as Nobu practically growled, "That petty piece of shit...!"

Restraining the urge to chastise Nobu for his choice of words, Masahide simply nodded his head as a sly and calculating smile spread across his face. This caused Nobu's skin to crawl as the man was just a few coats of makeup away from resembling a certain snake-inspired pedo.

Noticing Nobu's discomfort, a light chuckle emanated from Masahide's throat before he lowered his head as an expression of politeness rather than servitude as he said, "I will need to inform your father of this development. If Senzo-sama chooses to act, there is only so much I can without your identity being known. I am willing to give my life to protect you but I would rather avoid sacrificing the lives of my people to protect someone they believe to be dead."

Furrowing his brows, Nobu preempted Masahide's departure by asking, "Can't you just help the two of us escape the city? At this rate, all of my efforts and planning are going to be wasted. I'm still not ready to become entangled in the politics of the Clan, much less the country."

Returning a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, Masahide explained, "If that is your wish, I will do everything in my power to grant it. However, know there is a very high probability that I will be held accountable for letting you escape. Unless Lord Senken chooses to reveal your identity, I will most likely be accused of treason and executed. With that in mind, I must ask to be certain...are you sure you want to run away...?"

Clenching the muscles of his jaw in indignation, Nobu glared daggered at the smiling Masahide as he processed everything the man had said. Then, in a grim tone that made it transparently clear he wasn't happy, he answered, "I don't like being manipulated..."

Understanding the true meaning behind Nobu's words, Masahide regained his amused smile as he rose to his feet and said, "Then become stronger...strong enough that no one, not even the Gods in Heaven, can oppose you..."

Punctuating his words with another polite bow, Masahide turned away from the still-glaring Nobu before promptly departing the room. Once he was outside, his figure immediately turned into a blur, as, contrary to his calm demeanor, he was actually quite nervous about how things were going to develop...

...

..

.

Though he had already heard about the incident in the city, obviously, it was only when he received Masahide's message that Senken understood just how close his son had been to death. This caused the rage and indignation he had been suppressing for more than a decade to surge forth, his eyes blazing like fiery suns as he growled, "You've really done it this time, Senzo! I ignored you these last few years because I felt guilty about crippling your arm. Now, not only have you attempted to gain a hold over my other children, you sent your swine of a son to assassinate my eldest!? Let's see how you scheme when I have your head on a pike...!"

Unable to contain his fury, Senken's mithril aura manifested around his body as he stormed through the halls of the Oda Clan's main estate. If it wasn't for his father appearing moments after he began releasing his aura, he might have blazed a trail directly through the surrounding walls.

"Calm yourself, Senken. Your brother has spent the last twenty years scheming against you. Do you really believe he had a hand in this? I understand why you're upset but hasty action will only cause greater harm to the Clan. For now, the highest priority is recovering your son and guaranteeing his safety. Once his identity has been made known, Senzo will have no choice but to bide his time until an opportunity arises. By then, your son should be more than capable of protecting himself."

In a manner remarkably similar to Nobu, Senken flexed the muscles of his jaw a few times before slowly retracting his aura. His younger brother, Oda Senzo, was the Elder responsible for overseeing the Clan's businesses. He wasn't in direct control of their finances but more than seventy percent of the Clan's income flowed in from the branch families. Eliminating Senzo wouldn't completely cripple them but it would make managing the territory a lot harder.

"Fine...I will trust in your wisdom. However, if something like this happens in the near future, I will not hesitate to cut that man's neck. The Oda Clan has never needed multiple factions. If Nobu is to unify the archipelago in the future, we must first start with the Clan."

Surprised by Senken's well-thought-out statement, a massive grin replaced the gruff and battle-hardened expression of Senichi. It was pretty rare for Senken to reach such conclusions on his own so he was genuinely surprised that his brashest of children had managed to strike upon the heart of the matter without help. Fortunately for Senken, Senichi didn't say this out loud. Instead, he just clapped his eldest son on the shoulder and said, "We should prepare drinks. If your son is going to visit, there's no way in hell we're letting him leave sober."

Amused by the thought of drinking his son into unconsciousness, an expectant grin spread across the face of Senken as he elbowed his father in the ribs and said, "Try not to embarrass yourself too much, old man."

Snorting through his nose, Senichi attempted to hook his arm around Senken's neck by the latter managed to dodge using one of the movement techniques passed down from their ancestors. This caused the smile on the middle-aged man's face to fade, but, moments later, his figure flared with a mithril aura as he proceeded to chase his son around the compound...

...

..

.

While Senken and Senichi were engaged in an impromptu game of tag, Senzo, a dark-haired man with a perpetually grim yet handsome face was staring into the contents of his teacup. He had a long mane of hair that extended well past his shoulders, a lean yet muscular build, and the same shimmering golden eyes possessed by his two brothers. Most people who set their sights on him would immediately assume he was a warrior, but, ever since his elder brother severed the tendons of his left hand, Senzo's path as a swordsman had ended.

Ever since that faithful night, Senzo had done everything in his power to demonstrate he was a far more capable ruler than his brother. He had increased their profits by more than 400%, and, thanks to his efforts in the Imperial Court, the influence of the Clan had increased exponentially.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard he worked, Senzo's ambitions were limited by the traditions of their nation. To make matters even worse, many of his accomplishments were directly attributed to his brother since the latter was the person who placed him in charge. This had become the primary source of Senzo's frustration over the years, but, no matter how bad things got, he refused to act in the same barbaric fashion as his older brother. Thus, when he heard the report regarding what had taken place in the city, his expression darkened to the point that everything around him seemed to dim along with it...

"I want you to repeat everything you just said. This time, however, you will tell the truth. If you lie or embellish the facts in any way, I will sever the tips of your fingers..."

Swallowing hard in response to his father's words, a bead of sweat formed at the tip of Peng's nose as he kept his head lowered to the point his forehead periodically touched the tatami mats beneath him. He had absolutely no doubts regarding the severity of his father's threat, as, several years ago, the man had literally severed the hand of his younger sister after she stole the heirloom of a vassal family.

"Father...please...everything I said was the truth. That man, Nanamori Nobu, was the first to attack. I had no choice but to pop the flare after that wench defeated Yanfei. I thought they were going to kill me..."

Without losing his glare, Senzo replied, "If they wanted to kill you, you would be dead. You, a mere Silver Adept, attempted to take on two Golden Warriors. To make matters worse, you were the one to instigate the altercation. Now, despite being given the chance to come clean, you prioritize your pride over the truth. Put your hand forward."

"Fath-"

Fearing for the tips of his fingers, Peng raised his head with the intention to protest. The moment he did so, a silvery-green wave smashed into his body with the force of a charging Aura Beast. As a result, he was sent smashing through three layers of walls as his father, showing no remorse, walked over with a sword in hand...

...

..

.

(A/N: O_O...)