After defeating the Kiri Ninja, the Akatsuki army swiftly entered the Land of Hot Water.
Before they could travel far, the Daimyō of the Land of Hot Water appeared, blocking their path with a few trembling ministers and soldiers.
"I am the Daimyō of the Land of Hot Water. I request an audience with Lord Akatsukikage."
The Daimyō lowered himself completely, showing not even a hint of arrogance, even when addressing an ordinary Akatsuki ninja.
"Daimyō?"
"Wait here. I'll go report."
The Akatsuki ninja speaking to him frowned before tossing out those words and turning away. He made his way to the back of the formation, where Yahiko and the others were casually chatting, and relayed the Daimyō's request.
"Well-informed, isn't he?" Yahiko had a pretty good idea of what the man was here for.
"Good, saves us the trouble of going to him."
Nagato had little interest in these matters, but that didn't mean he didn't understand them.
"Go on, find us a good place to settle," Konan urged, giving Yahiko a push from behind.
"What's the rush? Think he'll get mad if we make him wait?" Yahiko was confident. If he wanted to replace the Daimyō of the Land of Hot Water, it would only take a word.
"The sooner we handle this, the sooner we can move on to other things."
Nonō, despite not participating in the battle, looked utterly drained. Even speaking left her slightly breathless. But it was thanks to her efforts that Akatsuki's casualties were greatly reduced. Many severely injured ninja had been pulled back from the brink of death by her hands.
"Just go. No need to let him misunderstand the situation."
Nagato added his voice to the discussion, while Kakuzu remained silent. Since there was no money involved, he had no interest in who came to see Yahiko.
"I was just joking. I'll go now."
Yahiko never truly intended to leave the Daimyō hanging. The man had shown proper respect, and Yahiko wouldn't go out of his way to make things difficult. Just now, he was merely bantering with Konan out of habit.
With that, he and the Akatsuki ninja headed toward the front of the procession.
By the time Yahiko arrived, the Daimyō had already begun following the Akatsuki army.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"I am Yahiko of Akatsukigakure."
Yahiko greeted him warmly, extending a handshake.
"Greetings, Lord Yahiko."
"I apologize for coming so abruptly. I hope I'm not disturbing you."
The Daimyō bowed slightly, showing the utmost respect.
"No disturbance at all. I was planning to visit you myself."
And he was telling the truth—though his definition of "visit" might have been up for debate.
"I haven't come with any major concerns this time," the Daimyō continued.
"You led your army to defeat the Kiri Ninja, making you a great benefactor of the Land of Hot Water.
"I won't waste words on gratitude."
"I only have a small request—one I hope you will consider."
The Daimyō spoke smoothly, immediately addressing Yahiko as a benefactor.
"I don't deserve such praise," Yahiko replied. "Just say what you need."
Seeing that the man was getting straight to the point, Yahiko had no interest in playing games either.
"The situation is this: The Kiri Ninja wiped out Yugakure, our hidden village."
"Under their oppression, I had no choice but to cooperate with them."
"But now that you are here, I believe the safety of the Land of Hot Water would be best placed in your hands."
"As Daimyō, I am willing to fully cooperate with you."
By the time he finished, he was just shy of outright declaring his willingness to serve Yahiko like a vassal.
"Well, since you've put it that way, how could I refuse?" Yahiko replied with a slight smirk.
"Rest assured, the Land of Hot Water's safety is my responsibility now."
"I won't make empty promises, if enemies like Kirigakure come knocking again, I'll deal with them—every last one."
Everything was falling right into place, just as Yahiko had expected.
"Thank you so much. On behalf of the entire Land of Hot Water, I express my deepest gratitude."
With that, the Daimyō bowed deeply. He was certainly a man who knew when to yield and when to stand tall.
"No need to be so formal. From now on, we're all on the same side."
Yahiko helped the Daimyō up, feeling slightly uncomfortable with how deferential the man was being.
"I'm just overjoyed," the Daimyō said.
"Under your leadership, I believe the Land of Hot Water will flourish like never before."
"I've long envied how prosperous you've made the Land of Rain."
"Now that you've come to my country, it's a blessing for the nation and its people."
His words carried a hint of flattery, but there was genuine admiration in them as well.
The transformation of the Land of Rain—from poverty to prosperity—was something the entire ninja world had witnessed. Regardless of what kind of business they ran, the fact was undeniable: they had made a fortune.
Compared to the Land of Rain, the Land of Hot Water was far richer in resources, making its potential for development even greater.
In the past, their wealth had been a source of concern, as it could attract unwanted attention. But now, with the Akatsuki's military might as a deterrent and a well-established commercial sector, such worries were a thing of the past. The Land of Hot Water's future looked bright.
"That's true. The Land of Hot Water has incredible potential," Yahiko acknowledged.
"Of course, having a Daimyō like you is truly a stroke of luck for the nation."
Yahiko's smile was warm and sincere.
This was the first time he had encountered a Daimyō who so readily understood the situation—one who was even willing to lower his own status. It was rare.
Not only was he securing his own future, but he was also sparing his people from the devastation of war.
"You flatter me," the Daimyō said, though inwardly, he felt reassured.
By now, he was certain he wouldn't be cast out of the power center of the Land of Hot Water.
He was no saint—of course he had his own interests to protect.
"I like dealing with smart people."
"And you're a smart man."
Yahiko patted the Daimyō on the shoulder, his grin widening.
The pat was firm—perhaps a bit too firm. The Daimyō felt a jolt of pain but kept his expression unchanged.
"I wouldn't dare claim that," he said quickly.
"In front of you, I'm hardly someone who could be called 'smart.'"
He understood Yahiko's meaning loud and clear. And his response made it just as clear—he would never try to outmaneuver Yahiko.
"Ahem, I've arranged accommodations for you and the other lords."
"I've also prepared a place for your army to rest."
"It was all done in a bit of a rush, so if anything isn't to your satisfaction, please let me know at any time."
Even before coming here, the Daimyō had already made all the necessary arrangements. Yahiko hadn't even needed to say a word.
"Appreciate it," Yahiko said, not bothering to be overly polite.
He didn't buy the excuse about things being rushed. He had no doubt that they'd be staying in the best accommodations the Land of Hot Water had to offer.
"It's my duty."
"Well then, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
With business concluded, the Daimyō had no intention of lingering.
Standing amidst an army fresh from battle made him deeply uneasy. The lingering aura of bloodshed in the air never truly faded.
"Alright, I won't see you off."
"See you around."
Yahiko waved him off, watching as the Daimyō disappeared into the distance. The corner of his mouth curled into a smirk.
"That guy's pretty interesting," he muttered before turning back toward the rear of the formation.
Once he rejoined Nagato and the others, he gave them a brief rundown of the conversation.
They all agreed that as long as they maintained a position of strength, dealing with the Daimyō would be easy.
He wasn't particularly loyal, but that wasn't an issue. For their purposes, he was more than sufficient.
Besides, who would ultimately control the Land of Hot Water in the future was still uncertain. It wasn't something they needed to concern themselves with.
...
That night, Yahiko and his group stayed at the most luxurious hot spring inn in the Land of Hot Water.
The service was impeccable—almost overwhelmingly so.
After washing away the fatigue of battle, they gathered together to contact Kawakaze.