"Did the Daimyō fail to escape after all?"
"And are the samurai guarding him idiots?"
Hanzō found the Wind Country Daimyō almost immediately.
The same luxurious residence. The same heavy security.
In a town like this, it was practically a beacon in the night.
Of course, the Daimyō's guards couldn't really be blamed. They had already been fleeing for two days. Who could possibly track them down? No one even knew which direction they'd taken. After resting for a few days, they would move to another safehouse. Who could predict their location?
But the one chasing them was Hanzō—whose speed and sensory ability were at their peak. By following faint traces and lingering chakra, he tracked them down regardless.
A thunderous explosion erupted in town as towering waves surged skyward.
With his sensory field, Hanzō pinpointed the Daimyō's location and blasted the mansion apart with Water Release, sending both the residence and its guards into the air. A sphere of water floated toward him, the Daimyō trapped inside and struggling.
Hanzō used gravity manipulation to pull him out and suspend him high in the air.
Blond hair. Gas mask. Scythe. Terrifying Water Release.
The man's identity was unmistakable.
"Hanzō of the Salamander!" The Wind Country Daimyō trembled as he floated dozens of meters above the ground, his heart sinking.
"So you're the Wind Country Daimyō… Looks like I've got the right person."
Hanzō lifted his scythe, ready to kill him.
"W–Wait! This was Sunagakure's decision—it has nothing to do with me!"
The Daimyō flailed helplessly.
"This war was started by the Kazekage breaking the rules! The Land of Rain only acted in self-defense!"
"The Land of Wind surrenders! The indemnity will be paid by the Daimyō's court—please spare me!"
"Money, land, grain—we'll compensate everything!"
Hanzō narrowed his eyes.
"This guy knows how to survive… Much smarter than an old fool who said shinobi shouldn't target Daimyō."
He sheathed his scythe and pulled the Daimyō closer.
"Good attitude. You just said the Land of Wind surrenders, right?"
The Daimyō nodded frantically. "Yes! We surrender!"
"Then let's talk about compensation."
Negotiating with a Daimyō was far easier than negotiating with a hidden village.
---
Elsewhere – Amegakure.
Inside the office, Hanzō's shadow clone looked miserable.
The original had mastered the art of exploiting shadow clones.
Research ninjutsu? Clone.
Handle administration? Clone.
Teach at the academy? Clone.
Rest and wage war? The real body.
Efficient… and comfortable. For the original.
The clones, however, suffered.
"I need to dump this workload soon. Sitting at a desk all day—I don't even have time to train."
Fortunately, the original body had been strengthened by the power of the Gelel Stone, granting him tailed-beast-level chakra. Otherwise, maintaining the clones would be impossible.
Just then, an Ame shinobi entered.
"Report: A messenger from Konoha requests an audience."
"Konoha?" Hanzō raised an eyebrow. "Let him in."
A shinobi wearing a Konoha forehead protector stepped inside.
"I am an envoy of Lord Danzō," the man said. "Due to my identity, I could only enter under Konoha's name."
Hanzō's eyes lit up.
"Konoha's elders never disappoint. So—who do you want dead? I don't ask questions. I only take money."
Even the Root shinobi was stunned.
"…As expected of Lord Hanzō."
Hanzō smiled sheepishly.
"You've come at the perfect time. I've donated all my savings to rebuild Amegakure. My house got demolished during reconstruction. I've been sleeping outdoors while patrolling."
The Root shinobi stared in disbelief.
The legendary "Demigod" was broke?
Hanzō read the mission documents.
Two members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Then a Konoha shinobi.
"Just as I expected," Hanzō grinned.
"That Konoha ninja is a spy from Kirigakure. We lack proof, so we need your help."
"Put the targets in the underground bounty network. I'll take the job under a different identity. Add some Konoha targets too—otherwise it'll be obvious I only kill Mist shinobi."
The Root ninja nodded and departed.
Hanzō smiled.
"Konoha has a bright future ahead."
Meanwhile, Uzumaki Mito was flying toward Amegakure on Suzaku.
---
Back to the Wind Country...
"Cede land, pay reparations… Good. Sign here."
The Daimyō pressed his handprint onto the scroll.
"Is… is this settled?"
"Of course. I keep my promises."
The water receded and the guards fell to the ground. The Daimyō tried to leave, but Hanzō grabbed him again.
"But we're not done yet."
"You attacked me, the Daimyō of the Land of Rain. That means you declared war on my country. Now we calculate the ransom for your life."
The Wind Country Daimyō stared blankly into the wind.
He had never met someone like this before.
---
Several Days Later – Sunagakure.
"We're ready," said the Puppet Corps commander.
"I can sacrifice myself to resurrect the Second Kazekage."
Ebizō nodded solemnly.
"We must hold the village, no matter the cost."
Suddenly, a shinobi burst into the room.
"Urgent message from the Daimyō!"
The note was handed to Ebizō.
"The Daimyō has reached an agreement with Hanzō. He has agreed to withdraw his forces. Sunagakure no longer needs to worry about Amegakure."
The entire room froze.
Even the Puppet Corps commander felt like he'd just gotten off a roller coaster.
"…So I don't have to die after all?"
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