Strictly speaking, the true ruler of a nation was not its Kage, but its daimyo — the feudal lord whose authority and status far surpassed that of any shinobi leader.
In fact, even the appointment of each village's Kage ultimately came from the daimyo.
Even titans like Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara had to answer to the Fire Daimyo.
Before Senju Haruto had ever crossed into this world, he had heard jokes about it.
You're good at Wood Release, so your village is called the Leaf.
You're good at Fire Release, so your leader is called the Hokage.
But in reality, Hashirama had explained the origin of the title very clearly: when Konoha was first founded, it was meant to serve the Fire Daimyo. The daimyo himself had insisted that the leader of the Leaf be called "Hokage."
In the world of Naruto, even those who couldn't mold chakra or use jutsu — like the daimyo — held supreme power.
During the Fourth Great Ninja War, Obito's plan had even included taking the daimyos hostage to force the hidden villages to hand over their tailed beasts.
And the Kage, for all their pride, had gone to great lengths to protect the daimyos from such threats.
To Haruto, that hierarchy felt warped.
And he had no intention of bowing to it.
Replace the daimyo…
It was the sort of thought no Kage had ever dared to entertain — much less act upon.
When Rasa realized Haruto's ambition, it startled him. His expression toward the young Leaf shinobi grew strangely complex.
But they were not allies. Even if Haruto harbored such designs, Rasa would neither support nor attempt to stop him.
Besides, it wasn't as if he could.
"The shinobi world needs reform. If the daimyo hadn't been slashing Sunagakure's funding for years, you wouldn't have had to use these kinds of tactics to negotiate with Konoha," Haruto said calmly.
"Still… the outcome benefits Sunagakure."
He patted Rasa's shoulder, letting the matter drop.
From Haruto's perspective, his mission here was complete:
The conflict between Sand and Leaf was fully resolved.
The gold dust trade was now under his control.
And he had even planted a Wood Release clone inside Sunagakure itself.
Now it was time to return to Konoha and focus on the war with the Hidden Cloud.
Passing Rasa without another glance, Haruto stepped to the cliff's edge and leapt, landing lightly on the ground below before striding toward Kakashi and Tenzo.
Above the waterfall, his Wood Release clone stepped forward to greet the Kazekage in his stead.
"…Hn."
Under Haruto's pressure, Rasa had been forced to accept the terms offered — no matter how much it stung his pride.
"I've learned some interesting things as well," Rasa remarked, watching Haruto's real body from above. A faint smile curled at his lips.
No daimyo would ever tolerate a shinobi with such dangerous ambition.
If a precedent like this were set, other villages might follow suit, igniting reform across the world.
If he passed this information along, it could spark the daimyo's hostility toward Haruto.
But it wouldn't be so simple.
With Haruto's current strength, his standing in the Fire Daimyo's eyes was undoubtedly high.
A few whispered words from Rasa wouldn't be enough to sway him.
He would need something more concrete — undeniable proof.
"Busy day. Let's head back and get some rest," Haruto said as he reached Kakashi and Tenzo, smiling lightly.
Even with the Kazekage's agreement, both men knew that between villages, a verbal promise meant little.
Even a written contract could prove fragile.
Still, the formalities had to be observed.
"We'll stay in Sunagakure one more day, then bring the signed contract back," Haruto said, walking ahead of them.
Kakashi and Tenzo nodded — they understood.
The Sand shinobi, on the other hand, were less concerned with paperwork. After years in a land parched by drought, many were seeing such abundant water for the first time.
Unable to contain their excitement, they raced toward the lake formed by the waterfall, eager to drink, bathe, and revel in the rare sight.
As Haruto, Kakashi, and Tenzo passed through their midst, some shinobi even stopped to bow deeply toward their retreating backs.
They didn't know about the agreement between Haruto and Rasa.
To them, this was simply an act of goodwill between allies.
"These shinobi…" Kakashi murmured, adjusting his forehead protector to hide his Sharingan. "I think they're grateful for your jutsu."
"Of course," Haruto replied evenly. "Sunagakure has always lived in a barren, wind-scoured desert. The land is unfit for farming, and water is scarce."
Tenzo joined in, "For them, gold dust isn't nearly as vital as water."
"This deal gave both sides what they needed," he added after a pause. "Though honestly, I think Sunagakure gained more."
Kakashi nodded. "Perhaps. But at least now, they won't strike us while we're busy with the Hidden Cloud."
"That alone isn't enough, Kakashi," Haruto said suddenly.
Almost every shinobi in the area — including Rasa — had gathered near the waterfall. The villagers, still unsettled by recent events, had shut themselves indoors.
The streets were empty.
Haruto didn't bother lowering his voice.
"What do you mean?" Tenzo asked instinctively. Did Haruto have another plan?
"For the people of the Wind Country, this way of life — scarce water, no farming — has been the norm for generations. They've adapted to it."
"But now, we've given them abundant water, lush forests. A life without fear of thirst, without choking sandstorms. We've taken away the hardships of the land."
"And once they grow used to that… they won't want to go back."
Kakashi's expression tightened. He had thought Haruto's goal was simply to help them live better.
But now he saw there was another layer.
"And if those things are taken from them later," Haruto continued, "they'll become weaker than ever."
"The Wind Country is no longer an equal to the Fire Country."
In Haruto's mind, it was only a matter of time before the Wind became a vassal state of the Fire — one more step toward his goal of unifying the shinobi world.
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