Although a plan had been made, Kurozumi Orochi didn't act immediately. Instead, he waited for some time.
Simply poisoning Kozuki Sukiyaki was useless. He needed the man to personally dictate a will passing the Shogun position to him. This required Kurozumi Higurashi's abilities.
On the other hand, Kurozumi Higurashi had no way to approach Kozuki Sukiyaki.
"Disguise yourself as a doctor from the Shogun's residence—they're specifically assigned to treat Kozuki Sukiyaki. Perhaps we can use this method to approach him," Kurozumi Orochi suggested.
But Kurozumi Higurashi rejected this.
"That's still not secure. If I transform into a doctor and you enter the Shogun's residence with me, then what? It's impossible for only you to leave afterward," Kurozumi Higurashi considered things more comprehensively.
The Shogun's residence wasn't a place anyone could enter at will—the reverse was also true.
"We need a more suitable candidate—someone who must be close to Kozuki Sukiyaki," Kurozumi Higurashi thought of one of Kozuki Sukiyaki's retainers, a purple-haired man who was greatly trusted by Kozuki Sukiyaki.
However, approaching him wouldn't be a simple matter either.
During this time, Kurozumi Orochi continued to build his prestige. With him deliberately concealing his background, no one felt any aversion toward this highly capable man.
Many believed that after Kozuki Sukiyaki passed away, even if Kozuki Oden became the new Shogun, he would rely on Kurozumi Orochi's assistance in political matters.
One evening, Kurozumi Orochi called out to Udon, who was preparing to leave the Shogun's residence. Udon was Kozuki Sukiyaki's retainer—his surname was the same as Kozuki Sukiyaki's, though it had been granted to him later.
"Lord Udon."
"Oh, it's Orochi. Is something the matter?" This middle-aged man heard Orochi calling him and turned around with a smile on his face. He actually regarded Orochi as his successor in training.
He had watched Kozuki Oden grow up from childhood. In his view, Kozuki Oden's outrageous antics in his early years even made him feel somewhat proud. After all, it proved Kozuki Oden was extraordinary from birth.
However, he wasn't particularly fond of the samurai who followed Kozuki Oden around. In his view, people like Kin'emon were ultimately just small-time hoodlums who couldn't present themselves properly.
So he hoped even more that Kurozumi Orochi could take over his position someday. This young man was highly capable, and his hair was the same purple color—giving him a sense of kinship.
"Nothing major, but there's something I'd like to ask your advice on," Kurozumi Orochi said humbly. In his early years, he had learned some acting skills from Kanjuro. "Would you like to go to the pleasure district for a drink tonight?"
"Cough, cough, the pleasure district, you say..." Udon's gaze became unfocused, and his expression became somewhat lecherous. "Right now?"
"Anytime." Orochi gave him a knowing look.
Udon rubbed his hands together like a fly, following Orochi into a pleasure district establishment with eager anticipation.
The woman at the entrance welcoming guests beamed with joy the moment she saw Kurozumi Orochi and Udon, immediately fawning over them. She appeared to be around forty years old—at first glance, one could still see her former beauty, but upon closer inspection, one could see the thick face powder caked into the dense wrinkles on her face.
As for whether her figure had gone out of shape, it was hard to tell with her wearing a kimono.
Fortunately, she knew she had long passed the age for this line of work, so while she was enthusiastic when receiving guests, she didn't recklessly flirt with them.
Of course, if someone truly preferred more mature women, she wouldn't mind showing off her remaining charm.
"Isn't this Lord Orochi and Lord Udon?" She approached while curiously sizing up Kurozumi Orochi. She knew of Kurozumi Orochi's reputation, but this was her first time seeing this figure in the pleasure district.
"Oh, Chikusa, how's business been lately?" Udon seemed quite familiar with the routine.
"Thanks to your lordship, business is doing well," the woman called Chikusa replied—she wasn't lying.
Although the nation's most renowned pleasure district was now in Kuri, this didn't affect the Flower Capital's business. Kuri and the Flower Capital were too far apart. No one would actually travel all the way to Kuri just to visit a pleasure district.
"Come in quickly, Lord Udon. You've come at just the right time—new girls arrived today," Chikusa didn't dwell on business matters, instead hurriedly pulling the two wealthy patrons—Orochi and Udon—inside, afraid they might turn around and enter another establishment.
Udon didn't doubt Chikusa's mention of new arrivals. This country had an underworld presence, and periodically many girls would be sold into the pleasure districts.
Newcomers were common. The courtesans in the pleasure districts often developed various illnesses by around age thirty. Sick courtesans couldn't receive treatment and could only suffer painfully waiting for death.
However, Orochi knew that today's new courtesan was actually Kurozumi Higurashi in disguise.
He sneered to himself. Just thinking about how the woman who would get intimate with Udon was actually that hag Kurozumi Higurashi made him find it quite amusing.
Thinking of this, he almost regretted not sending Kurozumi Higurashi directly to Kozuki Sukiyaki instead.
Udon found a seat with him and began drinking sake. He hadn't expected Kurozumi Orochi to actually have some questions to ask him—he had initially assumed Orochi was just using this as an excuse to build a relationship with him.
However, Udon was quite happy to teach him.
After a while, a woman with pink hair approached gracefully. She wore a gorgeous kimono embroidered with various floral patterns, as if an entire spring's worth of flowers had been laid out across it.
Udon's eyes went wide—even the sake spilling onto his clothes went unnoticed.
This woman was indeed beautiful, with delicate, refined features—no wonder Udon was instantly captivated.
"My lords, this humble woman is called Hazemi." Kurozumi Higurashi bowed slightly. She was quite a skilled actress herself, bringing this seductive woman's demeanor to life.
She didn't need to worry about being discovered either. The appearance she was using now had belonged to a former oiran of the Flower Capital—though this was from sixty years ago. Few people alive today had seen her, and even those who had might not necessarily remember this face.
"This, this is truly...!" Udon became excited. He looked at Kurozumi Orochi. Orochi quickly signaled that he didn't intend to compete with him, and just as he was about to yield, Udon impatiently pulled Kurozumi Higurashi into his embrace.
"Oh my, my lord, you're so bad!" Kurozumi Higurashi said coquettishly, her hand playfully patting Udon's chest. Orochi, who was watching the whole time, shuddered.
'If Udon knew Higurashi's true face, he'd probably be too terrified to sleep for over a decade...'
Hey everyone,
I need to tell you what's actually happening.
I just got hit with mass cancellations. On top of being buried in academics until the 9th. I'm in deep financial trouble right now—like, genuinely don't-know-how-I-cover-next-month trouble.
I want to do more for you. I have another Naruto fic ready to drop the moment this academic hell ends. But I can't keep creating if I can't survive.
I'm not powerless about the work—I know I can deliver for you. But I'm powerless to stop the bleeding alone.
If you've ever thought about supporting, this is the moment. Not "someday." Now.
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