Compared to the tense atmosphere of an impending storm spreading across the entire shinobi world, the Fire Capital still radiated peace and prosperity.
Of course, that tension had not been without impact.
A while ago, rumors of a possible war with the Land of Lightning caused prices in the capital to skyrocket.
Shrewd merchants began hoarding goods, hoping to profit from the looming national crisis.
However, they clearly underestimated the Daimyo's influence.
With just one decree—
The next day, more than a dozen heads of prominent merchants were hung high above the city gates.
Their charge: disrupting the market and undermining the foundation of the nation.
Blood was the best sedative.
All speculators fell silent immediately.
Soaring prices dropped overnight.
The citizens of the Fire Capital praised the Daimyo's decisiveness and benevolence.
They only knew that the Daimyo had allowed them to continue buying food and cloth at fair prices.
As for whose heads those were, no one cared.
In the rear hall of the Daimyo Manor, the pool water steamed gently, and a faint fragrance filled the air.
Arashi leaned against the edge of the pool, eyes closed, resting.
Beside him, a soft and delicate body nestled close to him.
It was Terumī Mei.
At this moment, the sharp edge she had once shown was gone.
After clearly understanding his boundaries, and to better help her companions overthrow Yagura, she had completely submitted.
Arashi, of course, knew why she did so. He also had to admit that this woman was ruthless in her own right.
Just then, the faint sound of footsteps approached.
"Daimyo-sama," a maid's respectful voice came, "Lord Gen requests an audience."
"Hm…" Arashi, without opening his eyes, spoke faintly. "Tell him to wait."
A moment later, he rose from the water.
The sound of splashing filled the air.
His muscular body emerged, water droplets sliding down his well-defined frame.
The nearby maids blushed deeply, their faces red as they hurried forward with a robe to dry him and help him change into casual clothes.
When Arashi stepped out from the rear hall, his expression had already returned to that of a ruler.
Gen was waiting outside. Upon seeing Arashi, he quickly bowed. "Daimyo-sama."
"What is it?" Arashi asked calmly.
"The foundation work for the new district has been completed," Gen replied at once. "The Twelve Guardian Ninja have also returned to the capital and wish to see you."
"Oh?" Arashi raised an eyebrow slightly.
The elites he had sent to the construction site had finally returned.
He wondered how much they had learned after over a month of labor.
"Understood." Arashi nodded. "Prepare a banquet in the garden. I will host them tonight."
"Yes!"
Gen accepted the order and withdrew.
As night fell, the garden of the Daimyo Manor was brightly lit.
Water flowed gently, and the cool evening breeze brushed through the air.
A modest banquet had been arranged.
When the Twelve Guardian Ninja entered the garden, their eyes immediately fell upon the figure seated at the head of the table.
Rumors said the new Daimyo was very young.
But even seeing him in person, they still found it hard to believe.
He was indeed far too young.
Yet, it was this very young man who had effortlessly manipulated them and even Konoha itself.
"Greetings, Daimyo-sama!"
Without hesitation, everyone straightened and bowed deeply.
"Rise and take your seats." Arashi raised his hand, gesturing to the maids. "Serve the wine."
"Yes."
The maids moved gracefully, guiding everyone to their seats and filling their cups.
The atmosphere was quiet.
Arashi was the first to speak. "You all worked hard at the construction site for half a month."
His gaze swept across them.
Their skin was tanned, and their temperaments had become steadier.
It seemed the assignment had achieved its purpose.
Enmaru said, "It was our honor to share the Daimyo-sama's burden. It was not hard."
Arashi smiled, raised his cup, and said, "Let's eat and talk."
Everyone quickly followed his lead.
After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually warmed.
Arashi set down his cup.
"Tell me," he said.
"How have you reflected on the questions I asked you to consider?"
At those words, everyone stopped eating and turned their eyes toward Enmaru.
This was the reason they were here.
Enmaru stood and bowed deeply. "Daimyo-sama, regarding the foundation work of the new district, I have some conjectures to report."
Arashi gestured for him to continue.
Receiving the signal, Enmaru continued, "At first, we were indeed confused."
"We couldn't understand why the Daimyo-sama would deploy elite combat forces for ordinary labor."
His tone was honest.
"But during those two weeks, I discovered that when shinobi strength is applied to basic construction, efficiency increases a hundredfold over that of ordinary workers."
"I boldly speculate that the Daimyo-sama's intention was to test a new model for combat power allocation."
"You deploy us where the task is most difficult. Once the critical part is achieved, we withdraw immediately."
"The remaining work, though tedious, is not hard and can be handled by civilians."
At this point, Enmaru looked up, meeting Arashi's gaze.
"In short, this is the maximization of elite combat power value."
"Using the strongest forces to solve the hardest problems, then disengaging quickly to avoid wasting valuable resources on lesser work."
"I believe that if applied in wartime, this model would be incredibly effective."
His words were logical and precise.
From a military perspective, he analyzed Arashi's decision perfectly, displaying the trademark insight of the Nara clan.
The garden fell silent.
Arashi listened quietly, then smiled.
"Excellent." He clapped softly. "As expected of the Nara clan. To analyze it so deeply from a military standpoint surpasses my expectations."
He gestured for Enmaru to sit.
Enmaru sat down, relieved.
It seemed he had passed the test.
Just then, Asuma stood up, looking at Arashi with a mix of confusion and doubt.
"Daimyo-sama."
"I understand Enmaru's analysis for the most part," Asuma began, "but there's one thing I still can't figure out."
Arashi said simply, "Speak."
Asuma said, "If your goal was to test tactics, why only half a month?"
"Wouldn't completing the construction test the model more thoroughly?"
"Stopping halfway, just after laying the foundation, feels… incomplete."
This question was on everyone's mind.
If it was just a drill, why stop halfway?
Arashi's smile deepened slightly.
Looking at the straightforward Asuma, he said, "Your question hits the mark."
His gaze swept over the group and finally settled on Enmaru. "This is also why Enmaru's answer was only half correct."
At those words, Enmaru, who had just begun to relax, felt his heart tighten.
All eyes returned to Arashi, waiting for his explanation.
Arashi continued, "Because all of you only saw the combat power, but you didn't see the people."
That sentence left everyone stunned.
What did he mean?
"Asuma." Arashi's tone sharpened. "Let me ask you something."
"During your half-month at the construction site, did you speak with any of the craftsmen?"
Asuma instinctively nodded. "Yes, when coordinating tasks…"
"Work-related matters don't count." Arashi interrupted him.
He leaned forward slightly, his tone cutting. "Asuma, did you ask any of the craftsmen their names?"
"Did you ever think about whose husband or father they were once they took off those dust-covered clothes?"
"In your eyes, were they people, or just moving tools?"
Each question struck like a hammer.
Asuma opened his mouth but couldn't say a word.
Because he had never thought of these things.
And he wasn't alone.
Even Enmaru, who had spoken so eloquently before, lowered his head in shame.
None of the others responded.
To them, those craftsmen were merely background figures to complete their assignments.
They had never tried to understand those ordinary people.
The entire garden fell into silence.
Only the maids moved quietly.
Arashi looked at their ashamed faces and said nothing more.
But his silence was heavier than any rebuke.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)