True to her word, after that conversation, Kana began preparations to return to the village. She had expected to encounter difficulties with the Daimyo, perhaps being prevented from leaving, but such an obstacle never materialized. Instead, Kana was allowed to pack her belongings and depart the capital at any time.
Kana learned from Asuna and the others that the village suspected Tobi was the true leader of the Jashinists, and that he had ordered them to assassinate the lord. While feeling sympathy for the lord, Kana also became extremely wary of Tobi, believing that his easy allowance of her departure was far from normal.
It wasn't that Kana was conceited; she understood the significance of her identity and the severe repercussions should anything happen to her. Since Tobi was hostile towards Konoha, he shouldn't have let her leave so easily.
The night before her departure, Kana had Asuna and Mizuki stay over. In her room, she discussed the matter with them, and they too found it highly suspicious. Tobi was not someone who shied away from manipulation; his actions with the Guardian Shinobi and his machinations in the lord's incident clearly demonstrated his profound cunning.
"I think he might be planning to ambush you on your way back, Kana-nee," Mizuki said.
"That's possible," Asuna nodded slightly. "On the way back, there won't be many people around, and we won't be able to immediately help. It's the perfect place for an attack."
"So, I might really be facing an ambush on the road," Kana said with a wry smile.
Such incidents were not uncommon in the Land of Fire in the past, but they had almost disappeared after Konoha began maintaining public roads and ensuring the safety of traveling merchants. Road safety had greatly improved, though high-ranking officials and nobles might still encounter some trouble.
Kana, however, had never experienced it. Few dared to scheme against her, and road safety was now very high. Perhaps some people had harbored ill intentions in the past, but they had likely been secretly dealt with by the ANBU, who might not have even informed Kana.
"Kana-nee, are you scared?" Asuna asked.
"Of course I'm scared. Who wouldn't be afraid if they heard they were going to be attacked? Besides, I'm defenseless," Kana replied.
"You're not exactly defenseless, are you? Even if you haven't undergone professional ninja training, you must know some chakra techniques, Kana-nee?" Mizuki said.
Kana smiled and looked at her hands. With the bloodlines of both the Senju and Uzumaki clans, Kana's powerful lineage was unquestionable. Of course, a strong bloodline didn't guarantee inheriting her parents' strengths.
Kana wasn't particularly talented in cultivation, though she had learned some basic chakra usage for the sake of physical fitness.
"At this level, compared to an enemy, it's no different from being defenseless. I heard those two immortal Jashinists are high-level Jonin?" Kana asked, looking up.
"Jonin-level in taijutsu, they probably can't use ninjutsu. The only special secret technique they can use is the long-range curse that was used on the lord," Asuna replied. "Tsunade-nee confirmed that under the stimulation of the secret medicine, the user's chakra pathways are distorted to varying degrees, which affects the normal use of chakra."
Kana had great confidence in her niece's abilities, so if Tsunade said so, it was likely true. But even a taijutsu-focused Jonin was a significant threat. However, the most valuable aspect of a ninja was ninjutsu; ninjas who only used taijutsu were very similar to chakra samurai, aside from some differences in battle awareness.
Moreover, among the ANBU protecting Kana, one was a member of the Hyuga clan, a clan that had specialized in Gentle Fist for a millennium and feared no one in taijutsu combat.
"But don't be careless, Kana-nee. Even if they are just taijutsu-level Jonin, we don't know if they have other tricks up their sleeves. I heard they also have a bizarre blessing," Mizuki reminded her. "As long as they get blood, the Jashinists' secret technique can be used."
"Yes, I understand. So, it means I can't let the enemy get any blood," Kana nodded, considering how to proceed after departing tomorrow.
The night passed quickly. After breakfast, Kana and the others rode in a carriage to the city gate. Asuna and Mizuki came to see her off. Kana slightly lifted the carriage curtain and said to them, "Besides myself, you two also need to worry about your own safety. Don't forget you are also targets."
"I understand, Kana-nee. We'll be careful," Asuna replied.
"Let's meet in the village next time," Kana waved goodbye, and the carriage began to move, departing from the city gate.
After leaving the city gate, Kana sat inside the carriage, her mind restless. She knew the enemy might be ambushing her on the road, and even with preparations, she felt nervous. After all, she wasn't a professionally trained ninja.
"Miss Kana, please rest assured. We will definitely protect your safety," the coachman, Hyuga Kai, who was responsible for protecting Kana, said in a low voice. He was serving as her personal bodyguard this time.
In addition, there were also some samurai responsible for protection. Although they were not ninjas, they belonged to Konoha. After the Second Shinobi World War, some nobles lost their status due to Fumori masakii, and their territories were either divided among other allied nobles or acquired by Konoha. Naturally, the samurai under those nobles faced livelihood issues.
Due to a redefinition of personnel within Konoha, Fumori masakii attempted to introduce samurai as a combat unit of Konoha, to facilitate the future career transition of chakra users. Although this was initially met with opposition, because many ninjas in Konoha now held administrative positions and could no longer be truly called ninjas, over a decade, people's perception of ninjas had changed. With Fumori masakii's prestige, the initiative was finally implemented.
These samurai initially had some complaints, but after working for a while, they agreed to join Konoha. Konoha offered excellent benefits and opportunities to learn chakra. Although they had to abide by Konoha's rules, which some found hard to adapt to, leading to the elimination of some individuals.
However, any samurai who managed to stay under such conditions were trusted by the village for both their abilities and character. The best among them were assigned to protect Kana. This was done to maximize the capabilities of both samurai and ninja, two distinct combat roles.
Konoha's ANBU were still trained using traditional ninja methods—only in terms of techniques; their ideologies and policies were not based on traditional ninja standards—operating in the shadows was the best way to leverage their combat capabilities. Therefore, using the village's samurai as overt guards and the ANBU for covert protection was the optimal approach.
Due to his family's heritage, Hyuga Kai was closer to a frontal combat ninja than a traditional ninja. Although a ninja clan, the Hyuga, like the Akimichi, were among the very few ninja clans skilled in frontal combat. Of course, no matter how skilled they were in frontal combat, they still knew the covert tactics characteristic of ninjas.
Another consideration for Hyuga Kai serving as Kana's personal bodyguard was his Byakugan, which allowed him to observe 360 degrees with higher precision than chakra sensing. Although there was a Yamanaka clan member in his squad, Hyuga Kai decided to take responsibility for observation himself, allowing the Yamanaka ANBU member to contribute in other ways.
Hyuga Kai always carried chakra storage blocks with him. Apart from some potential mental fatigue, he didn't have to worry about Byakugan overuse due to prolonged use. He was a professionally trained ANBU, and besides combat, he had undergone special training in other areas, possessing astonishing stamina.
"Yes, Miss Kana, we must protect your safety. We haven't been able to do much since joining Konoha. If we can protect you from Jashinist attacks, we'll feel much better," said a samurai walking beside the carriage.
Having been in Konoha for a considerable time, these samurai had learned how to use chakra and were equipped with new gear, making their combat capabilities no less than those of high-ranking Chunin. These were the elite among the samurai, specially chosen to protect Kana, and they had been tested in both their ideology and character.
They were very grateful to Konoha because the village had taken them in when they lost their livelihoods, giving them a completely new way of life. In the past, their lives in noble territories, while granting some special privileges, also subjected them to oppression due to the feudal system.
But Konoha was different. Fumori masakii had significantly reformed the ninja system within the village, transforming it from a feudal army into a modern one. It was currently in the early modern stage, as Konoha had not yet undergone a complete transformation, but at least, many aspects had surpassed past armies. The most important point was what they were fighting for.
Konoha's ninjas had lived for decades, but it wasn't as easy for newly integrated samurai to change. However, Konoha had experience, so transforming these samurai wasn't extremely difficult, especially since not many samurai had joined.
While the selection of samurai by Konoha couldn't be perfectly precise, a general selection process had been in place. The best among them were those who had successfully undergone ideological education. They felt a completely new way of life and were truly grateful to Konoha.
However, due to the peaceful environment, these samurai generally had little opportunity to display their skills, which made them feel uncomfortable. They believed that since they had received help from Konoha, they should repay them, but they hadn't yet been given that chance.
This was especially true for those chosen to guard Kana. There were almost no attacks against Kana. If it weren't for the Daimyo, instigated by Tobi, starting to act against Konoha—and lately, for some unknown reason, perhaps having lost his mind, suddenly escalating the conflict—such incidents might not even have occurred.
"I'm happy you feel this way, but please also be careful to protect your own lives. I hope every one of you can return to the village," Kana said.
"We don't plan to just sacrifice ourselves so easily. We'd much rather take down the enemy than be taken down ourselves," the samurai leader beside her chuckled.
Kana smiled faintly. Just then, the carriage suddenly lurched and slowly came to a halt. She turned to ask Hyuga Kai, who said with a grave voice, "The enemy has arrived, Miss Kana. You must be careful."
Hearing this, Kana's expression also became serious. She lifted the carriage curtain and looked ahead, seeing two figures in black robes in front, holding black spears and staring at her.
Although the distance was considerable, Kana could feel an icy gaze on her, sending shivers down her spine. After learning chakra, Kana's senses had become sharper, perhaps activating her Uzumaki bloodline, as the Uzumaki clan was known for its keen perception.
"Are these the Jashinists?" Kana murmured to herself, looking at the two black-robed men. "They're choosing a frontal attack. What is this?"
"A frontal attack would be good; we can completely stop them. What we fear most are hidden attacks. Mr. Kai, I entrust Miss Kana to you. Although we have also learned chakra, we are not as skilled in ninja techniques as you. Perhaps they intend to ambush us from the shadows," the samurai leader said, drawing his katana, which was wrapped in chakra, and staring at the distant Jashinists.
"I understand. I'll leave stopping them to you. My team members will also assist from the shadows," Hyuga Kai nodded slightly. Relying on these samurai for frontal combat was the best choice. As for them, the ninjas, besides their supporting roles, should focus on guarding against attacks from behind. This was also how different ninja specializations could be utilized.
The samurai leader shouted and led the other samurai charging towards the Jashinists, who also charged towards them.
Samurai have a significant advantage in frontal combat, and they are more adept at coordinating large groups of people. Ninjas, for the sake of ninjutsu efficiency, avoid having too many people cooperate as it would hinder ninjutsu performance. To prevent harming their comrades, they can generally only use taijutsu.
Just like during the Fourth Shinobi World War, when Uchiha Madara faced the Allied Shinobi Forces, no one used ninjutsu. If Uchiha Madara hadn't cleared an area, allowing Temari to find time to use Wind Release to send him flying, Madara probably would have continued his rampage.
In this aspect, samurai have a far greater advantage than ninjas. Konoha is now beginning to emphasize cooperation between different military branches, which will enhance their military combat capabilities.
The samurai fought the Jashinists. Although they didn't have Jonin-level strength, their coordination was excellent. Moreover, these two Jashinists had lost their sanity and acted purely on instinct, still having a significant gap compared to true taijutsu Jonin.
The two Jashinists were thus suppressed.