There was one thing that Funakami had always been particularly concerned about, so after parting ways with Nagato that day, he ordered Kaga Akagi to search for the whereabouts of that person.

Although Kaga Akagi was suspicious and didn't know the intention of Minu Zhoujian to do this, after seeing that Veneto, who was a secretary ship, seemed to have guessed something, he didn't ask any more questions and just followed Min's orders to do it.

And their continuous tracking finally came to fruition yesterday.

Before the Five Shadows were about to gather in the city of the Iron Country to start a long-held meeting of the Five Shadows, the carriage slowly drove away from the city and plunged into the wind and snow under the watchful eyes of Bo Feng Shuimon and the Iron Country General Mifune.

Compared with Mifune, it is regrettable that Zhou Jianwen, who has a clear mind and a very accurate judgment of the situation, can't stay and participate in the memories; After chatting with Zhou Jian Wen for a long time yesterday, Bo Feng Shuimen was more worried about Zhou Jian Min's trip.

He didn't know who Zhou Jianwen planned to meet today, and even asked her to give him some pre-conference counseling before the Five Shadows Conference yesterday, and to meet that person today.

But the only thing that Bo Feng Shuimen can be sure of is that that person must be a very important existence for Zhou Jianwen.

Otherwise, Zhou Jianwen would not have shown such an expression when he mentioned this matter yesterday.

Sitting in the carriage, she didn't poke her head out of the window to look back, she was now draped in a warm enough coat, with a thick blanket on her knees, and a delicate and small hand stove in her hands—just as she had done when she came to the Land of Iron.

However, her complexion was more solemn than the indifference of the day.

This is a rare expression that even Kaga Akagi, who has been by Shunaken's side since coming to this world, but I have to say that the expression of their dear commander at this moment is so solemn that they feel as if they have returned to the day when the deep sea struck.

It's as if something big is about to happen.

Akagi and Kaga, who had been by Funaken's side, knew about the Fourth Ninja War, and even though the Five Shadows Conference had not yet been held at the moment, and the masked man had not jumped out to declare war, they still knew that this war would definitely break out.

Rather, in the nearly seventeen years that their dear Miss Commander has been staying in this world, what they have been waiting for is this war that involves the entire ninja world.

Although I don't know what Zhou Jianwen wants to do with this war, what she has done openly and secretly in the past seventeen years is, in the final analysis, a preparation for the upcoming war.

However, even though they knew that the war was coming, and their commander's lady had done a lot to make that day coming, Akagi and Kaga still felt that the serious and solemn expression of Funajian Mins at this moment was not because of the war.

It's because of something else they don't know.

Akagi, who was sitting in the carriage, glanced at Veneto, who was sitting diagonally across from him, trying to get a hint from her.

However, as soon as she looked up, she found that Veneto, who was the secretary ship of Zhou Jian Wen and the closest ship mother to Zhou Jian Wen in the command post, had an expression at this moment, which was actually like their commander's miss.

Veneto must have known something.

Just seeing the other party's expression, Akagi made up his mind.

It's just that after coming to such a conclusion, Akagi was not annoyed that Miss Commander and the secretary ship were hiding this matter from them - after all, it was Zhou Jian Min who handled everything, and Veneto was her assistant, and when they were still in the port area, they had in their hands the official affairs to be handled in the entire port area, and there were too many things that ordinary ship girls could not know.

So the emotion in Akagi's heart at this moment is just worry.

I don't know when it started—or maybe it was a bad habit she had since before she became the commander of Minato, but their Miss Commander had long been used to carrying everything by herself.

Although she has always relied heavily on them in battle—of course, this is also their glory and the meaning of their existence; But in terms of layout and other aspects, no matter how great the difficulties encountered, Zhou Jian Wen will not show it.

She will only walk in the forefront with her indifferent and reassuring attitude, and use her intelligent mind to solve the problems of all ship girls outside of battle.

Akagi and Kaga - Actually, it's not just Akagi and Kaga, all the shipwives in the command post know this, but they can't do anything other than fighting. This is also the reason why whenever Zhou Jianwen needs them, the ship's mother in the command post will do her best to complete it.

It's not because it's their duty, it's just because they want to share some of the responsibilities of Zhou Jianwen, the commander's lady who is respected and distressed by all the ship's mothers.

Akagi's worries are not that she didn't see them, but there are some things she can't reveal at the moment, but ......

"Did you re-examine the arrow I left with you that day," Funaka Min remembered what happened in the Iron Country that day, and then asked Akagi, who didn't know where he had already thought of it.

Akagi was stunned for a while, and then remembered that Zhou Jian Wen said that Qian Qu shot at Zhou Jian Wen and the others when they were transferringThe wood that came out ||Arrow.

This was three years ago, but I don't know why Zhou Jianwen mentioned it today.

But Akagi still replied honestly, "Kaga and I have studied it later, but I still don't see any clues. ”

It's just an ordinary wooden oneArrows, if there is anything special about it, is the song engraved on it, in the wood that is a weaponThe arrow is engraved with a waka, and this kind of behavior that I don't know if it's a vassal elegance or what message I want to convey is really not something that Akagi can understand.

As for Kaga......

After she took a look at it that day, she went to drink, and she didn't know whether she had learned it or was too lazy to guess.

"That's right......" Zhou Jian Wen sighed, and then showed an extremely reluctant smile, "You'll know the answer soon." ”

>>>

“…… You'll soon find out. ”

Faced with the question of the person in front of him, the dried persimmon ghost shark replied slowly in his strange voice. At this moment, he was holding the shark muscle in his hand, and standing behind him was still Qianqu, who wore a hat all year round, and the direction of the shark muscle was ......

It happened to be the eight-tailed human pillar force that the golden cicada shed its shell that day - Qilabi.

"Should I say that fate makes people better, or should I say that what I owe should always be repaid, I didn't expect to meet again in this way," the dried persimmon ghost shark said, and then showed a smile that didn't know whether it was mockery or emotion, "But I was really teased by you that day." ”

"Who would have thought that the dignified eight-tailed human pillar force would actually escape in such a way."

On that day, he and Chikuma were ordered to catch the eight-tailed human pillar force, thinking that it was a safe battle, but they didn't want the other party to choose to escape by cutting off a tail - but this kind of treacherous trick can only be used once.

"But this time, I won't be fooled again."

- After all, he came here today for another purpose.

Of course, there is no need to tell the eight people in front of you about this.

"Do you need me to come," Chikuma behind her pulled the brim of her hat and asked in a flat voice that had been flat for years, and there was even a slight doubt in her tone.

It seems that this time the ghost shark will really be teased by the human pillar force of the opposite eight-tails again.

The ghost shark turned his head slightly, and glanced at Qianqu, who didn't know that he had been given a special mission, and only came to capture the power of the eight people this time, and then showed a meaningful smile.

"Since Chikuma said so......"

He glanced at Chikuma, then at Kirabi and the ninja beside him, and then smiled meaningfully, "Then the ninja on the side of the Eight Tails will be left to you." ”

Hearing him say this, Chikuma seemed to realize something, and after letting out a cold snort, she still smoked||Out of the thin handle hanging around the waist ||Knife, and launched an attack on the ninja beside Kirabi.

>>>

The carriage hurried along at the behest of the Bunken, and arrived at their destination about an hour and a half after leaving the castle of the Iron Country.

It was a small forest that was about no longer in the territory of the Iron Country, and without the invasion of the blizzard, not only the temperature had risen a lot, but even the blue sky and white clouds that could rarely be seen in the Iron Country were extremely nostalgic.

It's just that in such a beautiful woods suitable for an afternoon walk, there are frequent sounds that are not suitable for this leisurely land.

It was the sound of battle.

Compared with the vigilance of Kaga, who was sitting outside the carriage and was in charge of driving, and Akagi, who was sitting in the carriage, Zhou Jian Min seemed to have expected such a thing to happen, and the expression on his face, which had been condensed for a long time, did not have the slightest panic, but added a little more helplessness.

"Let's get off the train first," she said to the two shipwives in the carriage.

Realizing that instead of wanting to avoid it, Akagi immediately showed a disapproving expression, "But Miss Ken ......"

It's just that before she could finish her words, she was stopped by Veneto, who was sitting opposite her, shaking his head.

Only then did Akagi sound the intention of Zhou Jian Min's visit.

So Akagi could only sigh in his heart, and then ordered his friend who was sitting outside the car to stop. Kaga, who had long heard the order of the boat stream, but thought that his friend could persuade the boat to get such a result, was not surprised.

Like Akagi, he sighed in his heart, and after Kaga stopped the carriage, he jumped out of the carriage first, and then tied his horse to a nearby tree.

During the confrontation between Funaka and Nagato, she and Akagi hid in a carriage at Funakami's orders - and then learned from Veneto what their commander's lady had done that day.

So today, they said that they would stay by Zhou Jianwen's side to protect her.

Fortunately, after seeing Kaga's move, Funakami didn't say anything else, but silently agreed to follow Akagi and Kaga.

Veneto, who was on the side, wanted to say something after seeing Funaka's answer, but she kept it all - she was the one who had vaguely guessed the answer, and she thought it would be better for Akagi and Kaga to avoid contact with that person if she could.

It's just that......

It's not that she can't understand what Zhou Jianwen is doing.

A group of four people stepped on the soft grass and slowly walked towards the source of the sound, and after a while, they saw the chaotic battle not far away - Chikuma, who was supposed to be the partner of the oni shark, somehow stood on the same line as Kirabi, who was the pillar force of the eight-tailed man, and what did the oni shark with the "tailless tailed beast" think at the moment......

It's embarrassing.

That's right, after all, standing opposite him is not only the eight-tailed human pillar force, but also his former partner; Even his love knife "Shark Muscle" has a mutiny at this moment, which is indeed a blow to the ghost shark.

"Lord Kenwen, this ......" Akagi and Kaga were indeed stunned by this scene, after all, they were also the ones who participated in the battle between Zhou Kenwen and the oni shark that day, and naturally they also knew the strength of the dried persimmon oni shark, as well as ......

The fact that Chikuma and the other party are partners.

Why did that Qianqu say that the mutiny is a mutiny?

Veneto, who had long known about Chikuma's identity, was not surprised by this, and after seeing such a scene, she only took a slight step forward, and then said to Zhou Jianwen, "Lord Jianwen, do you want me to fight?" ”

Zhou Jianwen squinted his eyes and looked at the battle situation for a while, and only then nodded after frowning slightly.

With the consent of Funaka Min, Veneto instructed Akagi and Kaga to take good care of Funakami, and then fought into the already very chaotic battle. And Kirabi, who was still fighting with the dried persimmon ghost shark, found that a third-party character had appeared on this increasingly weird battlefield.

I have to say that the current war situation makes him a little confused.

Originally, the two members of the "Akatsuki" organization who came to arrest him last time reappeared, and then the little girl who didn't make a move at all in the last battle suddenly hit the dried persimmon ghost shark who was supposed to be her partner like a wrong medicine in the process of fighting with his Ah Jin-sensei.

He and Yao originally thought that this should be the bitter ploy of those two people, but they found that Chikuma and Dried Persimmon Oni Shark were merciless when they attacked each other, as if the other party had a great enmity with him for killing his father and mother.

Although I don't know what the members of the "Akatsuki" organization say will turn against each other, Kirabi rejoins the battle after hesitating for a moment, and follows Chikuma to deal with the dried persimmon ghost shark who had to kill him last time and had to keep an eight-tailed tail to escape.

Who knew that the three of them hadn't fought back and forth, and suddenly another white-haired girl broke into the battle, and looked in the direction she came......

He saw three more young women of different appearances.

- Are non-ninja women so fierce these days?

These women, who don't look like ninjas at first glance, dare to insert them casually||The battle between the Orc Pillar Force and the "Akatsuki" organization is whether the ignorant are fearless or have other plans.

And just when Kirabi and the Eight Tails in his body were stunned by this change again, Chikuma, who didn't want to be in full swing with the dried persimmon ghost shark, saw Veneto's appearance, and immediately said to her in a happy voice:

"I'll leave it to you, Veneto!"

Then, without waiting for Veneto to reply, she grabbed the thin knife in her hand and ran in the direction where Zhou Jian Wen was.

This time, even the dried persimmon ghost shark, who had been wary of Chikuma for a long time, couldn't figure out what the situation was.

Akagi and Kaga saw Chikuma running in their direction, and although they didn't know what the situation was, they still subconsciously blocked the side of Funaken Min, but they were puzzled by Veneto's behavior of letting the other party run in this direction.

On the other side, Veneto, who had broken into the melee between the Kakiki Oni and Kirabi, after alternating with Chikuma, did not wait for Kirabi to react to what was going on, and launched a frantic artillery attack on his old opponent.

Although he was a little shocked by this series of events, after seeing that Veneto was able to fight with the dried persimmon ghost shark - and even vaguely have the upper hand, Kirabi rejoined the battle after thinking for a few seconds.

And this time, he still chose to join forces with Veneto to deal with the dried persimmon ghost shark.

"It doesn't matter if the person who comes is friend or foe, the enemy of the enemy is a teammate anyway, Oye—"

On the other hand, when Kirabi joined the melee, he also stimulated Veneto's nerves with his weird rap mixed with bad jokes; And on this side, Qianqu has also arrived in front of Zhou Jian Min.

Although they couldn't see each other's faces and expressions clearly because of the hat, while seeing Chikuma stop because of their own obstruction, Akagi and Kaga were somehow a little surprised to find that they were able to feel a trace of sentimentality and grievance through each other's actions.

Yes, sentimentality and grievances.

This is not the emotion they have because of Chikuma's actions, but her mood that they perceive through Chikuma's actions.

"Akagi, Kaga, you guys retreat first."

Although Zhou Jian Wen couldn't see the expressions of these three people at the moment, she could also detect the strange atmosphere that filled the three of them, and she couldn't help but sigh when she already knew the truth, and then said to Chikuma in front of her while Akagi and Kaga retreated-

"You've worked hard all these years, Shinano."

Akagi and Kaga's eyes widened when they heard the name, and then they looked at the girl in front of them who was slowly removing the hat and wearing the "Akatsuki" organization's fire cloud robe, and her face had been hidden under the hat with an expression of disbelief......

It is Shinano unmistakable in their concept.

Akagi and Kaga were naturally very clear about the ships in the command post, and although there were many of them, no one would forget any of their comrades who had officially entered the command post.

But......

But their commander's lady hadn't brought Shinano back to the command post before! Even before the major change in Minato, there was no news that Shinano had been able to join Minato.

Yes, for the commanders of the port area, there are only a few ways to get a new shipwive: construction, windfall when going on expeditions, and special sea area strategy rewards.

But in addition to the fact that construction is the news that can be released above, the windfall of the expedition and the reward of the special sea area strategy are not controllable by the above - because it is the intelligence that belongs to the deep sea. Therefore, unless someone discovers it through the exploration battle of the deep sea, for the commander and the entire system, the information that the deep sea side can harvest from the new ship is a mystery.

But it's different for the ship's mother.

Especially like the ship girls who have the same kind of background, such as Akagi Kaga and Shinano, even if the commander system does not know Shinano's appearance and her access to information, but for them there is still a vague concept.

It allows them to see Shinano for the first time, who they have never met before, and they are sure that "she is Shinano".

But how did their Miss Commander know?

Even before Shinano took off the hat.

Coupled with the sentence "You've worked hard all these years", Akagi and Kaga always felt as if they were about to come into contact with a terrible secret, and excitement and timidity kept coming to their hearts, making them not know how to react for a while.

"It's that arrow," as if sensing Akagi and Kaga's confusion, Funakami explained to them, "The arrow that Shinano shot before we moved that day in Iron no Kuni, it seemed to be an attack, but it actually delivered a message confirming her identity to me. ”

"Identity?"

Akagi and Kaga looked at each other, and they didn't get the slightest message from that arrow, so they didn't figure out how their commander's lady realized the fact that Chikuma was Shinano through that arrow.

"The incense is fragrant, and people can know and discern it," Funakami slowly repeated the phrase engraved on the wood by Shinano"These two lines of waka are actually telling me the fact that she is undercover, of course, this alone is indeed a little far-fetched. ”

"You should also know how the IJN, which you once belonged to, named aircraft carriers and battleships, right? Especially Akagi and Kaga, you and Shinano have similar experiences," Funakami nodded to Akagi and Kagati, "IJN's way of naming aircraft carriers has always been flying animals, but for battleships, it is the name of an ancient country or a mountain. ”

"Shinano, like you, was originally a battleship, but was later converted into an aircraft carrier. The origin of the name Shinano is the Shinano Province to which Matsushiro, which was once part of Matsushiro, which was chosen as the reserve capital at the time. ”

And Shinano carved it on that wood that dayOno Aki, the author of the waka on the arrow, once served as Shinano Mamoru of Shinano Province, plus her kana of Sengaku......"

Seeing Akagi and Kaga's expressions go from dazed to dazed and back to dazed—as if they hadn't realized that there was anything wrong with the name "Chikuma", Sin Funaya had to continue to explain to them:

"The longest river in Japan is called the Shinano River, but the Shinano River is called the Chikuma River in Nagano Prefecture and the Shinano River in Niigata Prefecture," and the Shinano River is located in today's Nagano Prefecture.

Akagi and Kaga didn't expect the name Chikuma and that wood ||There was such a deep meaning hidden in the arrows—it was better to say that their commander's lady was able to integrate such a conclusion from these trivial information, and she didn't know what kind of expression to show for a while.

But the question is......

"How did Shinano end up in this world?" There is no Shinano in the command post of Funaka Min, how did Shinano appear in this world, and even ......

Became Zhou Jianwen's undercover agent in the "Akatsuki" organization?

Shinano hadn't spoken before, just quietly listened to Funakami from himselfThe wood that came out ||The information obtained from the arrow, and the conclusions that are integrated. Now hearing Akagi's inquiry, Shinano immediately showed a panicked and shy expression, and then he heard Funakami looking at her quietly, and then continued in a heavy tone-

"It's all just my guess," Funakami looked at Shinano with only obvious pity in his eyes, "you actually ......"

"It's not "my" shipwive, is it?"