Unlike the lighthearted atmosphere on Kazuyama's side, things were much gloomier within the Daimyō's Manor.
The Daimyō sat in silence, sunken deep into his seat, his expression weighed down with disappointment.
When Yanagimura returned, he exchanged a glance with Hōgen before finally speaking.
"Your Excellency, although Kazuma lost, his opponent was Kazuyama Gekkō. It's not an unreasonable defeat."
"If we shift our focus to Kazuyama Gekkō... if we can bring him to our side—"
He trailed off, silenced by the Daimyō's gaze—one filled with emptiness and defeat.
"Yanagimura, do you really think someone with Kazuyama Gekkō's strength could be bought?"
"Hmm? That power, that presence he displayed at the end—you're not seriously telling me you two didn't notice."
"And on top of that, what his Uchiha student said..."
"He clearly doesn't give a damn about the Daimyō's Manor."
"Ah..."
Yanagimura and Hōgen both fell silent. There was nothing to say—they'd heard everything, just like everyone else. Obito's voice hadn't exactly been quiet.
"But, Your Excellency, we can't just abandon our plans because Konohagakure is strong."
"The ninja corps has already been assembled. If we disband now, what will the others think?"
"Kazuma and the others have devoted themselves entirely to the Daimyō's service."
Hōgen's raspy voice seemed to snap the Daimyō out of his daze just a bit.
That's right—things had come this far. It was too late to start over.
The ninja corps was already formed, the ranks filled. To call it off now would make them the laughingstock of the entire Land of Fire.
"I understand. But let's stop targeting Konoha."
"The ninja corps are my direct subordinates now. From now on, you'll assign their missions."
"As for Konoha, return things to how they were before."
The Daimyō was clearly disheartened. He had believed his new force to be formidable, yet they were utterly crushed before even entering the battlefield.
A crushing blow for someone so proud.
Yanagimura and Hōgen glanced at the Daimyō's defeated figure, unsure how to console him. All they could do was bow and prepare to take their leave.
What they didn't know was that their conversation had been overheard.
Kazuma and Mizukurai stood silently on the rooftop, both with dark expressions—especially Kazuma.
"Mizukurai, do you really think we're inferior to Konohagakure?"
"The Land of Fire is ruled by the Daimyō, yet he's already decided to restore Konoha's supplies?"
"All because I lost?"
His voice burned with frustration and fury. He couldn't understand it. Konoha was just another armed force under the Daimyō's command—just like them.
So why, just because of his failure, would the Daimyō shift his favor back to them?
Were they nothing more than disposable tools?
Mizukurai sighed.
"Konoha's been around for ages. Replacing them isn't going to be easy."
"But I really didn't expect the Daimyō to fold this easily."
"Is a leader like that truly worth our loyalty?"
Kazuma blinked, stunned for a moment. Then a flicker of madness crossed his face.
"You're right. If a lord isn't worthy of our loyalty... then maybe it's time for a new lord."
"What? Kazuma, what are you saying?"
Mizukurai stared at him, startled.
Had he really just said that?
"It's fine. The Daimyō's Manor is the true authority of the Land of Fire. We who serve it are the real shinobi."
With those words, Kazuma vanished.
Mizukurai stared after him, the shock on his face slowly fading into calm.
He knew—Kazuma had made up his mind.
Whether that decision was right or wrong... only time would tell.
...
Inside the gambling hall at the Daimyō's Manor...
"Hahaha! Obito, your luck is terrible!"
"You actually lost that hand!"
Kazuyama laughed heartily as his hands moved in a blur, sweeping all the money from the table over to his side.
Obito, sitting to his left, looked utterly defeated.
After the hot springs, they'd headed to the gambling hall—dragging Shisui along with them. Of course, Shisui had used the Transformation Technique to get in.
He'd been strongly against it at first, but under Kazuyama's relentless pressure, he had no choice but to give in.
"Sensei, you sure you're not cheating or something?"
"How can your luck be this good?"
Obito was close to activating his Sharingan—he'd been losing nonstop while his teacher kept raking in wins. It didn't feel right.
Kazuyama casually picked up a banana and tossed it at him.
"Idiot! Just because your luck sucks doesn't mean it's my fault!"
"Shisui, be honest—he's just got awful luck, right?"
Shisui, completely uninterested in gambling, nodded quickly just to move things along.
Kazuyama glanced at his lifeless expression and muttered,
"Not bad. No reaction to the gambling table."
"Looks like I need to find you some new experiences."
"Shisui, what kind of women do you like? No, wait—girls?"
The sudden question completely blindsided Shisui.
What? Women? Girls?
He couldn't keep up with Kazuyama's train of thought and just froze.
"Ah, still just a kid, huh?"
"Forget it, game's over. Let's go get some sleep. We'll finish the mission tomorrow and head back to the village."
That was what he said—but Kazuyama had no intention of going back just yet.
He'd suddenly developed a strong interest in Uchiha Shisui.
This was the perfect chance to probe the boy's inner world.
After all, every man had a weakness. He didn't believe this Uchiha prodigy was truly perfect.
Even the Legendary Sannin had their flaws—one was a pervert, one a gambler, and one a poison expert.
Even Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi, loved to gamble.
And the stoic Tobirama Senju? Sure, he wasn't into any of those things, but he had a weird obsession with fishing.
So now Kazuyama was curious—what did a boy like Shisui Uchiha actually like?
"Huh? Sensei, we're leaving already?"
"I wanna stay a bit longer—what if my luck turns?"
Obito wasn't happy to leave and protested immediately.
Kazuyama didn't even respond—he just waved it off and walked out with Shisui.
...
The next day, at the Daimyō's Manor.
"Your Excellency, I came this time as part of a mission."
"Do you have any specific requests regarding the ninja being dispatched from the village?"
"So I can report back to Lord Hokage."
Kazuyama smiled as he looked at the Daimyō, waiting for his response.
He was certain—after everything that happened yesterday, the Daimyō's stance would have changed.