Chapter 134
If you were to ask anyone what the most famous place in the Land of Fire was, most would undoubtedly say Konoha. And they wouldn't be wrong—it was, after all, the face of the Fire Nation.
However, the Land of Fire was far more than just Konoha.
As a real country, the Fire Nation was vast and expansive, incomparable to a single village. The daimyo held the highest authority, and the Kage of each village required the daimyo's approval before being appointed.
In terms of political status, the Kage ranked below the daimyo. While the Kage led the ninja forces, the daimyo was the true leader, pulling the strings from the shadows.
The conflicts between villages were often nothing more than power plays for the daimyo's benefit. During the Ninja World Wars, it was ultimately the daimyo who made the final call, while the Five Great Ninja Villages acted more like military forces. When stripped down, a Kage was nothing more than a loyal and powerful hound for the daimyo.
Ryota, the only son of the Fire Nation's daimyo, had little concern for the world's turmoil. The struggles of ninjas and the starvation of commoners meant nothing to him.
As a noble's heir, Ryota never had to worry about war or famine. His only responsibilities were enjoying his lavish lifestyle and thinking of new ways to squander his wealth.
To him, life in the daimyo's mansion was comfortable.
After all, the daimyo of each nation followed an unspoken rule: they would never assassinate each other's high-ranking officials. They were all part of the ruling class—once that precedent was set, it would be chaos.
Better to let the ninja villages wage war and keep their own hands clean.
And so, Ryota celebrated his 16th birthday with reckless abandon. Yet, despite the extravagant festivities, he felt nothing—no excitement, no thrill. He had already experienced everything life had to offer, or so he thought.