"Ryosuke, hear the order!"
The envoy of the Land of Wind unrolled the scroll in his hands, "You seized a city, killed officials, and broke the laws of the Land of Wind."
"By right, you should be punished. But considering that you crushed the Sky Ninja Army and this is your first offense, as long as you return Gorin City within three days, the past will be forgiven. Otherwise..."
"Enough with the 'otherwise.'"
Ryosuke waved his hand, clearly not interested in listening further.
He gave a small nod to Rasa and the other Sunagakure shinobi who had arrived at the door, signaling them to wait for a moment. Then his gaze returned, calm but sharp, to the envoy who had come to "declare the order."
"Those words just now, were they yours, or the Daimyō's?"
The envoy puffed out his chest, ready to say, "The Daimyō's will is my will," a typical tactic to sound tough during negotiations.
But when Ryosuke's eyes met his, a shiver ran down the envoy's spine for no reason he could name.
Ryosuke chuckled softly, "There's a legend. There was a country, they would send envoys; once the envoy arrived in a foreign land, he would do everything possible to provoke the locals into killing him, giving the country a perfect excuse to go to war."
"There was also another nation. They once sent an envoy named Haru, his mission was to assassinate the enemy ruler, a beheading strike."
Ryosuke's eyes sharpened. "So tell me, Envoy..."
A flash of violet flickered, the Hidden Ninja's Violet. From Sasuke's waist, a kunai flew out, thudding into the table right in front of the envoy.
"...which one are you?"
'Are you here to die, so the Daimyō can march his armies in? Or are you here to assassinate me?'
Either way, Ryosuke had politely placed a weapon right within his reach.
The envoy stared at the kunai, still vibrating with a high-pitched tremor on the tabletop. He swallowed hard. Years of diplomatic experience told him one thing,
It's over.
His momentum had been utterly crushed.
After a long silence, the envoy finally spoke, "I… I'm only here to deliver the Daimyō's message."
Ryosuke nodded.
"Good. Then I understand. It's been a hard journey, but I'm afraid I must trouble you once more, ride back and deliver a reply."
"Ride back… when?"
"Now."
"Ah?"
The envoy blinked, stunned.
He had ridden for four days without rest, lost several horses, grown gaunt and exhausted just to get here. And now, after reading the Daimyō's words aloud, he was to turn right back, without even a sip of water?
Perhaps seeing through his thoughts, Sasuke walked over, pulled the kunai from the table, and pressed a bottle of water into his hand. At some point, an orange had also appeared in his other hand.
The envoy stared down at the gifts, chest tight with frustration, then sighed quietly, bowed his head, and left.
What was there to complain about?
At least he was leaving with his life.
In the end, all so-called "diplomatic backbone" comes from power. In the past, he'd always had it.
But today…
"On your way back, please carry a message to the Daimyō of the Land of Wind."
Ryosuke's voice rang from behind.
The envoy turned.
"Half a month from now, I'll visit him personally for a long talk. Tell the Daimyō to use this time wisely, weigh his choices carefully, think about what should be said and what must not be done."
"O-okay…"
When the envoy was gone, Rasa strode forward.
His blood was boiling; what he had just witnessed was exhilarating beyond words.
Originally, Rasa had wanted to suggest Ryosuke kill the envoy outright, to send a warning to the Daimyō's government. But hearing Ryosuke's calm plan to have the envoy bring a message back, he realized this was even better.
The Daimyō would spend the next half-month in sleepless terror.
"So… in half a month, you're going to kill the Daimyō?"
Rasa rolled up his sleeves excitedly.
"Perfect timing. I'll have the men sharpen blades and ready armor. We'll storm the Daimyō's mansion and take that old dog's head in ten days!"
"Hold up."
Ryosuke quickly waved his hands, stopping the overenthusiastic old comrade.
"I just want to talk to him."
Rasa nodded solemnly. "You're the leader. You decide."
"Lea…der?"
Ryosuke froze. And so did Kakashi and the others behind him.
They watched Rasa point toward the Sunagakure shinobi standing nearby, "The day after you destroyed the Sky Ninja Army and took Gorin City, Sunagakure made its decision, to join your faction."
Halfway through, Rasa paused, suddenly realizing something.
"…You're not… unwelcome to that, right?"
Ryosuke's jaw dropped slightly. "Wait. Hold on."
Was this really the time to ask that question?
If Ryosuke said no, how was Rasa supposed to face all those Sunagakure shinobi who had wrestled with their consciences, abandoned the Land of Wind, and taken the gamble to join his camp?
How would he go back next year and ask the Daimyō for money after quitting without a new "job offer"?
Normally, you secure the offer before resigning, right?
Until now, Ryosuke had thought Rasa came simply to offer aid and help civilians.
Even with all his self-confidence, he hadn't expected that after one meeting, Rasa would pull Sunagakure entirely out of the Land of Wind and throw it under his banner.
Rasa's move…
Calling it decisive was kind.
Calling it reckless… was more accurate.
But...
Ryosuke exhaled a long breath.
"Your timing couldn't be better."
Decisiveness is dangerous, one wrong step and you're ruined. But it also has its benefits.
Gorin City might look calm on the surface, but that calm was like a college kid surviving the last days of the month on instant noodles, fine for a day or two, but the cracks would soon show.
In two days, the Annihilation Army would escort officials from the Land of Water to take over administrative duties here.
But the culture, climate, and environment of the Land of Water were vastly different from those of the Land of Wind.
One was a mist-shrouded archipelago surrounded by sea; the other was an arid desert with scarce water.
They badly needed locals who understood the Land of Wind's terrain and power networks.
Sunagakure's arrival was a lifeline in the snow.
Ryosuke reached out his hand. "Welcome aboard."
Rasa clasped it firmly.
"And another thing."
Ryosuke said sincerely, "Thank you."
He would never forget any friend who lent a helping hand in hard times.
"Don't mention it."
Rasa's voice was just as serious, "Just remember to bring me along when it's time to kill the Daimyō."
Ryosuke was speechless for a moment, then grinned.
"Sure."
Two days later, a two-hundred-strong force arrived at Gorin City.
They rode horses and wore pitch-black heavy armor, scarred and scratched from countless battles. Even though their armor had been scrubbed clean, a faint smell of blood still clung to it.
A stray dog by the roadside sniffed the air, instantly collapsed with trembling legs, and whimpered low.
The Sunagakure shinobi patrolling with the Rat Unit recognized the emblem engraved on the heavy armor,
"Golden flames on both sides, a giant brush-shaped blade in the center… they're…"
"The Annihilation Army!"
The moment the Sunagakure shinobi realized this, their eyes shifted to the towering, broad-shouldered man leading the force.
"Could that be the 'Lion of Death', Takeshi?"
The shinobi hadn't even tried to keep their voices down.
Takeshi twitched slightly at the nickname.
He'd once been just an honest fisherman, not used to these exaggerated titles of the shinobi world.
He led his men to the gates of Gorin City.
"Dismount. We go on foot."
"Yes."
Two hundred men swung off their horses in perfect unison, tugged their reins tight, and marched into the city. Apart from the steady, synchronized footsteps, no other sound could be heard.
If not for the youthful faces faintly visible behind their masks, one might think this was a legion of death itself.
"Lord Ryosuke."
Takeshi spotted Ryosuke waiting by the workshop entrance, sitting casually on the steps, eating a flatbread. At its center was a small plum blossom pattern, unmistakably the work of Iwaminesource Yako.
Ryosuke glanced at the massive greatsword strapped to Takeshi's back, its blade still streaked with faint traces of dried blood.
"Finished a battle on your way here?" Ryosuke asked.
Takeshi replied simply, "There are still occasional rebel forces within the Land of Water."
Ryosuke nodded. "Still got the strength to fight?"
Takeshi broke into a broad, honest smile. "Of course."
"Good."
Ryosuke tore his flatbread in half and handed a piece to Takeshi.
"Eat a bit, fill your stomach. Then we set off."
"We're paying the Land of Wind's capital a visit."
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