pjbooks Chapter 408 Nadeshiko Village
Chapter 408 Nadeshiko Village
"That's what happened... I'm so sorry! I never expected them to take it seriously! And to hold it for so many years!"
At the dining table, Jiraiya, whose head was covered in bumps from Kushina's punches, slammed his forehead heavily on the table with a swollen and bruised face, his tone filled with disbelief and grievance.
Naruto rubbed his forehead; he had almost forgotten about it.
The story dates back to when Jiraiya was young and traveling through the ninja world. He heard of a place called Nadeshiko Village, where the entire village, from the village chief to the ninjas, from the commoners to the merchants, was made up of women, without exception.
This "Kingdom of Women" setting was a paradise for Jiraiya at the time, a perfect opportunity for voyeurism. He eagerly went over, only to find—
They were caught red-handed.
Even more outrageous, after he escaped, he was noticed by a female ninja from Nadeshiko Village.
So here's the question: how do people reproduce in a village without men?
The answer is simple and brutal: defeat the man you fancy and force him to marry into your family.
Jiraiya and the female ninja fought for days and nights without a clear victor. In the end, they each compromised and reached an agreement.
This unfinished battle will be left to their respective disciples to conclude.
Zuo Yue froze after hearing this.
Her dark eyes were now completely devoid of light, like two bottomless, icy pools. The way she looked at Jiraiya was no different from how she looked at a corpse.
"Defeating Naruto... will force him to marry into the family?"
"That's wonderful... I want that right too." She slowly raised her head, a faint smile even curving her lips.
"But before that—we need to clear away this tangled mess. Once we kill them, that agreement won't matter anymore."
Jiraiya froze. "Wh-what?! Wait, killing them, wouldn't that be a bit too much..."
"Shut up!!!"
Kushina's roar and fist arrived at the same time, slamming Jiraiya back onto the table with a thud. At this moment, she had only one thing on her mind—her son's feelings!
Satsuki and Naruto have already consummated their marriage! The wedding is just around the corner! At this crucial moment, this old lecherous man's past romantic entanglements from decades ago have suddenly resurfaced to disrupt things?!
Of course, there was another reason why Kushina was angry: the agreement and marriage contract were to be inherited by her disciple? Jiraiya's other disciple was her husband!
"Um... can I cancel?"
Naruto spoke, his tone relatively calm, "Talk to them properly. If they insist on fighting, I'm willing to oblige, but don't escalate the situation."
He didn't want to upset Satsuki, and he didn't want to cause any further trouble. The simplest way was to win and use his strength to make Nadeshiko Village give up.
Jiraiya's voice grew increasingly weak, "Um... I'm sorry, Naruto... they seem... afraid I'll change my mind..."
"...No way."
The aura emanating from Satsuki caused the temperature in the room to drop a few degrees.
"Here it is!"
Kushina angrily pulled a crumpled flyer from her pocket and slammed it on the table. "They've even chosen the venue! Bastards... If only I could play, I'd teach them a lesson! Winning a fight means being forced into marriage? How come I've never had such a good deal?!"
Jiraiya muttered to himself, "Um... even without the Nine-Tails' power, you probably still couldn't beat Minato..."
"If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute!!!" Another heavy punch landed.
All eyes were fixed on the flyer. It wasn't an ordinary notice; it was a meticulously designed promotional poster—
The ninja world is watching! The battle for supremacy!
[Naruto Uzumaki, disciple of the Fifth Hokage VS Shizuka Nadeshiko, the contemporary princess of Nadeshiko Village!]
The winners shape the future, the losers fulfill their vows!
[Location: Konoha Village Training Grounds | Time: Today | "The outcome of this battle will determine the next 'Father' of Nadeshiko Village."]
------
"I'm so glad to finally meet you, Lord Jiraiya."
Inside the room, a capable-looking female ninja, similar in age to Kushina but appearing older, bowed slightly. She was Shizuka Nadeshiko's attendant.
Beside her sat a young woman in a plain white robe, her face cool and aloof—the current heir to Nadeshiko Village, Shizuka Nadeshiko. Her eyelids were slightly lowered, and she showed little reaction to the arrival of the others.
For some reason, the servant and Shizuka felt a chill run down their spines almost simultaneously—the temperature in the room seemed to drop suddenly.
"This... must be the legendary disciple of Lord Jiraiya, Uzumaki Naruto." The attendant's gaze fell on Naruto. "I think you already know from Lord Jiraiya the purpose of our trip—to wager a marriage agreement and engage in a serious duel with Lady Shizuka..."
"stop!"
Naruto raised his hand to interrupt the other person, his brows furrowed.
"Um... since you know that Jiraiya-sensei is my teacher, you should also be aware of my situation, right? I absolutely cannot admit to something like this!"
"Of course we know!" The servant's voice suddenly rose, tinged with offended anger. "That's why we came all the way to Konoha! You're one of our important groom candidates—this was arranged decades ago! Long before your so-called engagement!"
"A so-called engagement?!"
Kushina slammed her hand on the table and stood up abruptly, her fiery red hair almost exploding.
"That was the decision we parents made! You people who go around spreading rumors just to tie someone down have no right to say that!"
"Publicize? You've probably misunderstood—publicizing the duel and selling tickets is something the 'Wanshi Commerce Guild' does to make money. We're just going with the flow."
The atmosphere was tense, and the instigator, Jiraiya, could only cower in a corner, not daring to breathe.
"The so-called engagement...the groom..."
Satsuki repeated the two words in a low voice, her teeth chattering slightly uncontrollably.
Why couldn't we just kill them? If it were Naruto... he would understand me, right?
"But! Given my current situation, it's absolutely impossible for me to agree to that!"
Naruto finally raised his voice, his entire demeanor becoming completely serious. "If it were any other reason for a duel—I'd fight to the bitter end! But an engagement… I absolutely will not accept it! It would be a betrayal to the people around me!"
"...Wh-what?!"
The attendant's face darkened. "Do you think Lady Shizuka did this willingly?!"
That's enough.
After remaining silent, Shizuka Nadeshiko finally spoke, "No need for further words. This is my destiny—victory or defeat will be decided in the duel."
"Lady Shizuka, please allow me to finish speaking." The attendant sighed and turned to Naruto and the others. "Perhaps... after hearing the reasons, you will understand why this duel is absolutely necessary."
She slowly recounted a story from the past.
Shizuka was unwilling to abide by any ancestral marriage agreement—because she already had someone she loved.
The other party was not a ninja, but a merchant named Sagiri. After being granted permission to enter Nadeshiko Village for his business, he met Shizuka, got to know her, and fell in love with her.
But he had no power. This relationship was destined to be unacknowledged by the village.
So Sagiri made up his mind to change this rule in his own way—to marry Shizuka in a fair and square way—but he failed.
He was suddenly attacked and killed. No one knows who the attacker was, but many of the village's leaders have always been intolerant of the idea of "the heir falling in love with a powerless man."
"Since then, Lady Shizuka has closed herself off..." the attendant's voice lowered, "She no longer allows anyone to approach, solely to fulfill her mission—to find the strong, to complete the duel, and to ensure the village's survival..."
"Wait a moment."
A cold voice suddenly interrupted.
Zuo Yue raised her head, a near-dead chill surging deep within her dark eyes. "You mean…"
She spoke each word as if confirming something utterly absurd. "This woman had another man in her heart, and just because he's dead—you've come after Naruto?"
"Even if she doesn't like Naruto at all... she still wants to bind him with 'promises' and 'traditions'?"
"...Your example is quite harsh," the servant frowned, "but the situation... is roughly like this."
What a joke.
Satsuki's fingers dug deep into her palms, the stinging pain unable to suppress the raging fury churning within her.
Satsuki dedicated everything to Naruto—her body, her emotions, her future. To prove this love, she was willing to crush and rebuild even her family, hatred, and her own self.
Why... why can this woman act so entitled and try to take him away with a simple "tradition"?!
Why should she, with a heart full of dead people, dare to bask in my sunshine?!
Why should I?!
A murderous intent surged like lava, breaching the dam of reason. In Zuo Yue's eyes, the edges of his jet-black pupils began to glow crimson—the Mangekyou Sharingan was about to manifest!
At that very moment—
"boom--!!!!!!"
A deafening explosion suddenly erupted from the outside! The ground shook violently!
Jiraiya sprang to his feet, his expression changing drastically. "What's going on?! Someone's attacking Konoha?!"