The Land of Water's daimyō was a middle-aged man in dark blue robes, appearing to be around forty years old.
His complexion was somewhat pale, with deep bags under his eyes, as if suffering from chronic sleep deprivation. Yet there was little fatigue in his gaze; instead it was a strange light mixed with arrogance and neuroticism. His fingers were long and thin, and he was lightly tapping the armrest of his throne, producing a rhythmic clicking sound.
In the hall below the elevated platform, over a dozen officials sat on the left and right sides respectively. They wore official robes of different colors, representing their respective departments.
The expressions on these officials' faces varied some serious, some humble, some contemplative but upon careful observation, one could see that all their gazes frequently flicked toward the daimyō on the throne, as if waiting for some signal.
Behind the officials stood more armored guards holding weapons. They wore matching dark armor, carried long halberds, and stood like sculptures, utterly motionless. But anyone with keen perception would notice that these guards' breathing was steady and even.
Using chakra has never been the exclusive domain of ninjas. Throughout the long history of this world, monks, warriors, shrine maidens, and others have all had their own chakra inheritance systems. Although these professions were gradually replaced by ninjas with their more direct and efficient combat methods as the times progressed, that does not mean they have completely withdrawn from the historical stage.
In some areas, these professions are actually more suitable than ninjas for example, as court guards.
While ninjas are certainly powerful, their loyalty is often tied to payment. For these warrior families who have served the daimyō for generations, loyalty is already integrated into the bloodline.
Another example is ceremonies and rituals, where shrine maidens and monks are far more proficient than ninjas in those ancient traditions.
Leaving aside the small countries, at the very least, the daimyō of the five great nations each have several units of chakra-users different from ninjas.
Of course, even with over thirty guards already in the hall, there were still ninjas hiding in the shadows around the Land of Water's daimyō for covert protection.
But their methods of concealing their presence were utterly useless against Hii Kōri.
There were two on the beams, three behind the screens, one behind the throne, and even one hiding inside the giant sea creature statue that looked like a decorative piece to the daimyō's left.
Without even needing to activate the Kagura Mind's Eye, just using regular perception, these chakra fluctuations which would normally be quite covert were as conspicuous as fireflies in the dark night within Hii Kōri's "field of vision."
Hii Kōri stood expresslessly behind Sakaki Tatsuma, using Spirit Thread Nerves connected to Uchiha Hikari's wrist to synchronize his perception with the girl whose chakra traces he had helped seal.
The superposition of the Rainbow Release's subconscious disruption field and the Kagura Mind's Eye chakra sealing technique was enough to remove anyone's presence from others' perception on a physiological level.
"Lord Daimyō of the Land of Water, I am Sakaki Tatsuma, representing the Red Hot Sand Guild, and I extend to you our most sincere greetings. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to receive us."
The daimyō merely raised his chin slightly as a response. The arrogance was almost undisguised.
Sakaki Tatsuma was unconcerned. What merchants lack least is patience. He cleared his throat and began stating the purpose of this visit.
The Red Hot Sand Guild wished to obtain a concession to construct a large-scale maritime transshipment port and supporting facilities in the Land of Water, and was willing to pay a considerable fee for it, as well as provide technical support, etc.
This information had been conveyed to the Land of Water months ago. Logically speaking, having obtained this meeting opportunity meant that the initial considerations were complete, and the ensuing discussion would be about specific plans and subsequent profit distribution.
Naturally, Sakaki Tatsuma thought so too.
As a merchant who had long since distanced himself from the "bloody storms" of the ninja world and turned to a field he was more skilled in, even though Hii Kōri had already warned him that the Land of Water's daimyō might go crazy at any moment, he had still prepared a detailed speech in advance.
It wasn't that he didn't trust his brother; it was mainly that as a merchant, he had his own professional ethics, right? The other side going crazy and turning into an idiot was their problem. Him causing a screw-up was his problem even if the other side was about to be brainwashed into a meat puppet in a few minutes.
"...Above are the conditions our guild can offer."
clearly listing the guild's conditions, the benefits it could bring, and the gains the Land of Water might receive, in an neither humble nor arrogant tone, Sakaki Tatsuma's professsional competence as a merchant was impeccable.
But the Land of Water daimyō's reaction was very lukewarm.
"Overseas trade?"
The daimyō, completely uninterested, spoke in a voice that seemed to carry a damp, cold humidity, capable of draining all warmth from one's body: "The Land of Water has been self-sufficient since ancient times. There is no need for excessive traffic with the outside world. What your guild does on the continent is your business, but the Land of Water has its own rules."
"Of course, I understand. But times are changing after all. As exchanges between the nations of the ninja world become increasingly frequent, if the Land of Water were to open some ports, it would not only gain stable tax revenue but also introduce new technologies and products from the continent, improving the living standards of the people. This would also be beneficial to the Land of Water."
Sakaki Tatsuma maintained a proper smile and explained respectfully, but the hand he held behind his back indicated that he had no expectations whatsoever for the next talks.
Having mingled in the business world for so many years, Ahaha-kun naturally had his own methods of reading people. At the very least, he could tell that the Water daimyō had no intention of cooperating at all, and that calling them here was somewhat intended to mess with them.
Sure enough, in response to Sakaki Tatsuma's explanation, the Water daimyō let out a genuine sneer: "New technology? Living standards? It is enough for the people to know their place. Trying to pursue more is rebellion."
"Considering you are outsiders, I will forgive you this once. If you dare speak such words again next time, don't blame me."
"Uh..."
This kind of rhetoric made even Sakaki Tatsuma's smile stiff for a moment. He stroked his smooth chin and instead tried to persuade the daimyō and the other officials from another angle or rather, to buy time for Hii Kōri.
Releasing a barrier enough to block all information transmission between this hall and the outside world, without leaking enough chakra to alert the other ninjas and guards or trigger other defensive mechanisms, and without making any additional hand seals, was quite a challenge for Hii Kōri.
He probably needed about three minutes to prepare.
"A challenge my ass!" [.jpg]
If Orochimaru were here, he would definitely spit in his face.
"Alright, alright. Everyone, eyes on me. I have an announcement."
Using a handclap as the final step, Hii Kōri's released chakra had already been cast into a multi-layered barrier compounding soundproofing, blocking, cognitive interference, information forgery, restraint, weakening, and many other effects.
He raised his hands, drawing the gazes of the daimyō and officials entirely onto himself.
The next instant, Uchiha Hikari's figure appeared in their field of vision no, it wasn't that she suddenly appeared, but that they finally noticed the girl who had "been there all along."
And those slowly spinning crimson eyes.
Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Moving her footsteps with minimal amplitude, making eye contact with people in various positions, releasing her ocular power. Almost in an instant, the girl hit everyone in the room with a Genjutsu: Sharingan.
She didn't even need to liberate her Mangekyō Sharingan; the Three-Tomoe state was enough to control the ordinary ministers and the daimyō. Their eyes instantly became vacant, their bodies slumping loosely into their seats. The armored guards were also controlled in place, unable to move.
The entire process was seamless. From Hii Kōri's handclap to Hikari completing the genjutsu took no more than two seconds.
The hidden ninja guards in the shadows, however, had not appeared in Hikari's line of sight and were not affected by the genjutsu.
They immediately revealed themselves from their hiding places: two leaped down from the beams, charging straight at Hii Kōri; three rushed out from behind the screens, trying to evacuate the daimyō; one appeared from behind the throne with hands already in hand seals, having already activated a Water Release technique; and the last emerged from the sea creature statue, rushing toward the hall's entrance to send word to the outside.
However, the spider's threads strung between ground and space, plane and volume, dragged all their actions into a stagnant world.
"Fugu, Kongō, Dakoku."
The Triple Barrier: Six Paths Boundary, constructed from luminescent threads, emerged with Hii Kōri's incantation, robbing them of their ability to move.
Then, Uchiha Hikari connected to Hii Kōri via Spirit Thread Nerves, treated as the same entity in the jutsu sense and thus exempt from the barrier's effects walked forward. The Three-Tomoe pattern in her eyes spun rapidly, transforming into the Mangekyō Sharingan's pattern.
One, two, three... Hikari shuttled between the seven ninjas, giving each a dose of Mangekyō Sharingan genjutsu. These jōnin-level guards had no room to resist before the complete Mangekyō.
By the time the last one's eyes lost focus and his body slumped to the floor, Hikari had already returned to Hii
Kōri's side.
From the start of the action to the end, the entire process took no more than ten seconds.
Hii Kōri released the Six Paths Boundary, walked up to the glassy-eyed Water daimyō, and waved his hand in front of his face.
Unsurprisingly, the latter had no reaction to the hand before him, merely staring blankly ahead.
"Done. Probably."
Hii Kōri, who truly had no talent for genjutsu, turned to look at Uchiha Hikari and confirmed, "How's the genjutsu implant?"
"This is just the most basic control. The more detailed commands haven't been planted yet."
Hikari walked lightly to his side. This level of successive genjutsu use was not much of a burden for her—she had been "selling Mangekyō techniques at a discount" right after waking from the seal.
"You want them to believe the guild is a trustworthy partner, that opening ports is beneficial to the country, and that they must follow our commands... right? If so, it'll take some time to adjust."
"That's enough." Hii Kōri patted her shoulder. "Thanks for your hard work, Hikari."
Sakaki Tatsuma watched the girl contentedly bury her face in Hii Kōri's chest, recalling how she had just taken down in the entire hall with a single wave of genjutsu. It was now perfectly clear to him that this girl who had been vomiting so dramatically everyone on the ship was actually a supremely skilled ninja.
And an Uchiha at that.
Thinking about how his brother managed to dig out such a corner, Sakaki Tatsuma decided not to bother pondering questions he would never find answers to.
He sighed and asked, "So what's the situation now? We've controlled the Land of Water's daimyō. And then?"
"And then we proceed according to plan."
Hii Kōri waved at him. "Hikari will stay to help you adjust the genjutsu effects, making these officials act 'normally' enough that no one will notice anything off. You continue going through the motions of the business negotiation, sign the necessary documents, and obtain the concession you need. After all, this kind of negotiation won't reach a conclusion anytime soon dragging on for several days is perfectly normal."
"Mm-hmm. So you want me to play both sides, huh."
The work of putting on a show across the negotiating table, arguing fiercely for one's own interests down to the smallest detail this was something Sakaki Tatsuma hadn't done in a while. He actually kind of missed it.
"So what now?" Sakaki Tatsuma, having understood his brother's intent, glanced at the daimyō still sitting there blankly. "Have them 'wake up'?"
"No rush. Let Hikari do some more processing first."
"Okay~"
The girl obediently lifted her head from Hii Kōri's chest, walked to the daimyō and the ministers one by one, and applied her genjutsu.
Watching Uchiha Hikari handle the "big shots," Sakaki Tatsuma folded his arms and chatted idly with Hii Kōri. "When are you going to Kirigakure?"
"Hmm... let's say after dinner. Leaving then won't draw too much attention." Hii Kōri thought for a moment and replied.
"I think you just want to squeeze in another meal, don't you?"
Sakaki Tatsuma, who had a deep appreciation of Hii Kōri's exaggerated appetite, narrowed his eyes and roasted him.
The Uzumaki clan's super-ninja-stomach, capable of digesting several times more bio-sushi than the average ninja—this matter is also recorded in the Kojiki.
"What?! Can't I eat? Is it wrong for me to want to eat?!" Hii Kōri made an exaggerated hurt expression. "I get it now. You don't love me at all—"
"Get lost! Why would I love you!"
Laughing and cursing, Sakaki Tatsuma gave Hii Kōri's shoulder a helpless slap, then became a bit more serious as he instructed, "Take care of yourself, junior."
"Don't worry. The problems over there are in my field of expertise. Nothing will go wrong."
"The more you say that, the less reassured I feel..."
After voraciously demolishing nearly twenty jin of various seafood dishes at the daimyō's residence, Hii Kōri set off alone that very night, thoroughly satisfied, for Kirigakure.
Kirigakure, like the port town where their group had first landed, was located on the edge of the Land of Water's main island.
But compared to the time it would take by carriage convoy, Hii Kōri traveling alone was much faster. By noon the next day, he had reached the outskirts of Kirigakure from the Land of Water's capital.
But even at high noon with the sun blazing overhead, Hii Kōri couldn't feel much warmth.
The closer he got to Kirigakure, the thicker the cold, damp mist became. At first, it was just ordinary sea fog, but after entering a certain range, the fog clearly became wrong.
A faint, rusty, metallic smell hung in the air. The thick fog had a grayish quality, and the temperature dropped significantly.
Eventually, visibility dropped to less than five metres, making it difficult to see with the naked eye. It was hard not to suspect that this inspired Kirigakure's "Hidden Mist Technique".
But for Hii Kōri, possessing Nature Touch and the Kagura Mind's Eye, this environment was like a fish
in water. He was even freer here than ninjas using the Hidden Mist Technique.
"Well, well~ I hope the harvest here will be as satisfying as the banquet at the daimyō's residence."
***
Dive deeper into the story with 30+ advance chapters, available now on Patreon!patreon.com/CNBLUE
If you're enjoying the novel, please consider leaving a review. Your support is crucial and helps the story grow immensely. Thank you!