"So it's Princess Fuun."
Hearing the playful "Mr. Yoya" that carried a hint of a long-awaited reunion, Naruto's tense nerves instantly relaxed. A smile of relief appeared on his Face, and a flash of realization and nostalgia flickered in his eyes.
The newcomer was not an enemy but an old acquaintance—the current Daimyo of the Land of Snow, Fuka Yukiyuki.
He pulled his hand back from the wooden sword, casually closed the door, and walked into the living room. The slight tension in the air dissipated, replaced by the relaxed atmosphere of a reunion between old friends.
"Why are you here?"
Naruto asked curiously while taking off his shoes.
"You didn't even give me a heads-up."
Fuka Yukiyuki was still holding Dahuang. Hearing this, her beautiful eyes blinked, and she spoke in a matter-of-fact yet slightly smug tone, "To establish diplomatic relations with the Land of Fire, of course! As the Daimyo of the Land of Snow, isn't it perfectly normal to make an official visit to an allied nation?"
She was speaking of official business, but the liveliness in her eyes revealed that her purpose for this trip was far more than just that.
As she spoke, she freed up one hand and patted the empty spot on the sofa next to her, her movements so natural it was as if she were the owner of the house.
"Sit down."
She beckoned in a familiar tone.
"Hey, hey." Naruto was amused by her acting like the host and couldn't help but complain, "This is my house, you know."
Ignoring Fuka Yukiyuki's invitation, he walked straight to Karin, who was standing by the sofa with puffed-out cheeks, sulking.
He naturally reached out, gently took Karin's wrist, and led her to a chair by the dining table to sit down.
"It's like I'm the guest here."
Naruto smiled helplessly at Fuka Yukiyuki as he pressed down on Karin's shoulders to make her sit properly.
Fuka Yukiyuki watched Naruto's clearly protective and soothing actions toward Karin. A thoughtful glint flashed in her eyes, but the smile on her Face remained unchanged.
She placed Dahuang on her lap, then leaned back against the sofa at her leisure and dropped a "bombshell":
"Oh? Is that so? However, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire has already agreed to let me take you away!"
She tilted her head, revealing a smile that seemed innocent but was actually quite devious.
"So, theoretically speaking, you are now my Vassal, Yoya... or should I say, Naruto?"
Take him away?
A Vassal?
If it were anyone else hearing a national Daimyo say such a thing, especially using the name of the Land of Fire's Daimyo, they would likely have been in a panic or at least skeptical.
However, after Naruto heard this, the shock, panic, or doubt that Fuka Yukiyuki expected did not appear on his Face. He simply raised an eyebrow slightly, his expression calm, even carrying a hint of understanding.
He shook his head gently and said in a firm tone:
"The Daimyo of the Land of Fire agreed... but Lord Third Hokage probably hasn't, right?"
It wasn't a question; it was a statement.
Naruto knew very well.
While the Daimyo of the Land of Fire held a high status as a symbol and one of the supreme rulers of the nation, Ninja villages—especially major ones like Konoha—possessed a high degree of autonomy.
The deployment of Ninja was certainly not something a Daimyo could decide with a single word.
Usually, if the Daimyo mentioned something to the Hokage, the Hokage would give some Face and agree, as the Daimyo provided part of Konoha's funding.
But a Jinchuriki was different.
As the Hokage of Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi's core responsibility was to protect the Village and the interests of the Ninja.
How could he allow the vital Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of his own Village to leave for a long period and become some Vassal in another country?
It would be as absurd and dangerous as handing over the keys and codes to one's most important strategic arsenal to a neighbor for safekeeping.
No matter how friendly political relations were, when it came to trump cards and fundamental security, no competent leader would easily give in.
Fuka Yukiyuki's words were likely a half-serious joke or a test.
The true part might be that the Land of Fire's Daimyo, out of diplomatic etiquette or some exchange of interests, had verbally agreed to "second" elite Ninja from Konoha to assist the Land of Snow for a period.
The false part, or the part she intentionally ignored, was that such a deployment required formal approval from the Hokage and the higher-ups of Konoha. For a special existence like Naruto, the possibility of approval was slim to none.
"I came to Konoha Village specifically for this matter. Just as you thought, the Third Hokage flatly refused. Besides, the Ninja he recommended didn't seem as impressive as Kakashi to me, so how could they compare to you?"
"Kakashi-sensei is one of the most outstanding Jonin in Konoha. Who knows, he might even become the Fifth or Sixth Hokage in the future. There are very few Ninja in the Village who can compare to Kakashi-sensei."
Naruto stood up for Kakashi's reputation, though it was normal for Fuka Yukiyuki, who didn't understand Ninja, to say such things.
It's like a group of Warhammer players joking that if they transmigrated to Warhammer, they would definitely serve the Emperor, while someone ignorant might say "unfathomably loyal" things like: "Look at how cowardly you are. If I transmigrated there, I would definitely replace that skeleton-like Emperor!"
It makes one want to laugh.
How could those who said they'd serve the Emperor be as "loyal" as the one who said they'd replace the Emperor as the new one?
Kakashi is already at the peak of Jonin; there are very few Jonin in Konoha stronger than him.
"Is that so?"
Fuka Yukiyuki put Dahuang into the dog bed next to the sofa and stepped forward, only to be blocked by Karin with her arms spread wide.
Fuka Yukiyuki was stunned by Karin's action, and then a look of helplessness and resentment appeared on her Face.
She looked at Naruto, who had an "it has nothing to do with me" expression, then at Karin's stubborn eyes, and finally gave up on trying to force her way closer. Shrugging, she sat back down on the sofa.
"Fine, fine, I won't get close."
Her tone held a bit of grievance at being "rejected," but she quickly regained a serious tone and began to explain the true purpose of her visit.
"I have no choice. Those Snow Ninja used to act like tyrants in the Land of Snow. Not to mention you've already killed most of them, even if they were still around, I wouldn't use them."
"The Land of Snow currently has no Ninja protection, and it's hard to resist the ambitions of surrounding countries with technology alone. That's why I thought about forming an alliance with the Land of Fire and issuing long-term missions for Konoha's Ninja to help protect the Land of Snow."
Looking at the wary Karin and the indifferent Naruto, Fuka Yukiyuki smiled.
She said something shocking:
"It would be wonderful if you went to the Land of Snow. When the time comes, I could even hand over the position of Daimyo of the Land of Snow directly to you."
She said it lightly, as if transferring a country was like giving a gift.
Before Naruto could react, she blinked and added another sentence, her eyes sweeping over Karin with deep meaning:
"And, a Daimyo... can marry several wives."
Her gaze circled between Naruto and Karin, the curve of her lips carrying a hint of cunning and the look of someone who enjoys watching trouble unfold.
"If you want... you can take this cute little red-haired sister along too!"
As soon as those words were spoken, Karin's Face turned beet red, and even the tips of her ears were dyed crimson.