The Land of Water, Daimyo Manor.
Here, there was none of the blood and chaos of the shinobi world, only peace, music, dance, and extravagant indulgence.
The Daimyo of the Land of Water leaned on the tatami mat, enjoying a massage from two maids while sipping a cup of fine sake.
"Daimyo-sama!"
A retainer stumbled in, one shoe missing.
"What are you panicking about?"
The Daimyo frowned in displeasure, spilling a few drops of sake. "Has the sky fallen?"
"The sky... really is about to fall!"
The retainer dropped to his knees, holding an urgent document, his hands trembling.
"The Land of Fire... has cut off all trade routes!"
The Daimyo paused, then scoffed.
"That's it?"
"We're an island nation. We rely on the sea. If they won't sell us goods, are we supposed to starve?"
"But... but..."
The retainer was nearly in tears. "They didn't just cut off grain. They cut off salt, iron, cloth, and medicine too."
"And... and Chiba Arashi issued a 'Daimyo Decree.'"
"Any merchant caravan that dares trade with the Land of Water, regardless of its origin, will be declared an enemy of the Land of Fire, permanently banned from its markets, and may have all assets seized!"
Clang.
The sake cup slipped from the Daimyo's hand and shattered on the floor.
Though he was a spineless hedonist, even he understood the weight of this.
The Land of Fire had now annexed the Land of Wind, seizing the most vital resources and territory on the continent.
Who would risk offending the thriving Land of Fire for the sake of the isolated Land of Water?
This was a move to destroy the nation's foundation.
"T-then... we'll grow our own grain. We'll weave our own cloth!" the Daimyo shouted, trying to sound brave despite trembling inside.
"It's too late..." The retainer kowtowed desperately. "This year's harvest was already poor. Current supplies will last one month at best. The price of rice has already increased tenfold and continues to soar!"
"Civilians have begun looting grain depots. If this continues, we'll fall into chaos before the Land of Fire even attacks!"
A chill ran from the Daimyo's feet to the top of his head.
He suddenly stood up, but rose so quickly that his vision went black and he almost collapsed.
"Quick! Send word to Kirigakure!"
"Make that bastard Yagura deal with it! He's the Mizukage, defending the country is his job!"
"It's useless..."
The retainer looked up with a pale face. "The Mizukage replied that this is a political matter between Daimyo. The shinobi village cannot interfere in economic policy. And... and..."
"And what?!" The Daimyo kicked the retainer's shoulder.
"And Kirigakure has already mobilized troops to the Land of Fire's border. They claim they are preparing for full-scale war to avenge Ao's death."
It was over.
The Daimyo of the Land of Water collapsed, his eyes empty.
On one side was an economic blockade. On the other, militaristic recklessness.
This path could only lead to ruin.
...Konoha, Daimyo's Temporary Palace.
Arashi sat at a stone table in the courtyard, slowly placing a black and white Go piece.
"Daimyo-sama."
Hiashi stood respectfully at his side. "News from the Land of Water has arrived."
"The price of rice has risen twelvefold. Salt has gone up twentyfold."
"Their Daimyo issued twelve decrees in a single day, demanding that Yagura halt military activity and deal with the food crisis. Yagura ignored them all."
Arashi curled his lips into a cold smile.
"As expected."
He placed the stone down with a soft click.
"Yagura is just a puppet now. The one pulling the strings wants chaos. Why would they care about the lives of Civilians?"
"Then should we take further action?" Hiashi asked. "Send troops to pressure them?"
"No."
Arashi shook his head. "Attacking the body is secondary. Attacking the mind is primary."
"Hiashi. Make the arrangements."
"I want to meet someone."
Hiashi was stunned. "Who?"
"The president of the Land of Water's largest maritime trade guild. That fat man named Suikazan Fuguki."
...Three days later.
The eastern port of the Land of Fire.
A nondescript merchant vessel quietly docked.
Suikazan Fuguki disembarked, wrapped tightly in a black cloak like a common thief.
Though he was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and wielded Samehada, his strength meant little in the face of Daimyo-level political warfare.
More importantly, aside from being a shinobi, he was a greedy merchant.
Due to the blockade, his shipping business in the Land of Water was bleeding losses every day.
As soon as he entered the secret room at the port, he felt a crushing pressure.
The man sitting in the main seat had no guards.
But to Suikazan Fuguki, it felt like he was standing naked before a monstrous beast.
Chiba Arashi.
The new Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
The man who had orchestrated the fall of the Land of Wind.
"D-Daimyo-sama."
The once ruthless Suikazan Fuguki now bowed with trembling fat.
"Sit."
Arashi pointed to the seat across from him.
Fuguki cautiously sat, barely letting his weight touch the chair.
"I heard business hasn't been going well?"
Arashi got straight to the point, his tone calm as if discussing the weather.
"Y-yes..." Fuguki wiped his sweat. "Thanks to you, the Land of Water's trade routes are ruined. My ships are rusting in the harbor."
"Want to make money?"
Arashi asked suddenly.
Fuguki's eyes lit up with greed. "Yes! Of course!"
"Good."
Arashi took out a scroll and placed it on the table.
"This is the Land of Fire's exclusive operating license."
"If you sign it, you'll get exclusive rights to thirty percent of all future trade between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire."
Fuguki's breathing became heavy.
Thirty percent.
That was a fortune that could buy half the Land of Water.
But he wasn't stupid.
No free pie falls from the sky. Only traps do.
"Daimyo-sama... what do you want from me?" he asked cautiously.
Arashi leaned forward, eyes locking onto Fuguki's.
"It's simple."
"Go back and tell your Daimyo, and the other nobles..."
"If they don't depose that lunatic Yagura..."
"If they don't hand over the masked man manipulating things behind the scenes..."
"Starting next month..."
Arashi raised one finger.
"I won't just ban grain."
"I'll ban water."
Fuguki's eyes widened in disbelief. "Ban... ban water?"
The Land of Water was surrounded by ocean. How could water be banned?
"I'll have the Aburame Clan release poison insects into all freshwater sources."
"I'll have the Hyuga Clan seal off underground water veins."
"I'll have the Land of Fire's fleet blockade the seas so tightly not even a fly can escape."
Arashi's voice was like a whisper from a demon.
"Tell them this."
"In this shinobi world, the only one who can let them live..."
"Is me."
Fuguki was completely broken.
He looked at the man before him, a man with the face of a god and the heart of a devil.
He grabbed the scroll and nodded frantically.
"I... I'll tell them! I'll go back and tell them right now!"
Watching him flee the room like a rat, Arashi leaned back in his chair.
"Come out."
Shisui emerged from the shadows.
"Daimyo-sama... are you really going to poison the water?"
Shisui asked with hesitation. That would kill many Civilians.
"It was just to scare the fat man."
Arashi replied indifferently. "But fear... once planted, will grow on its own."
"Shisui."
"Yes."
"Make preparations. When the Land of Water falls into chaos..."
"I'll personally visit Kirigakure."
Arashi stood, gazing toward the misty east.
"It's time to settle things with that Uchiha traitor."
Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan spun to life.
"Yes."
A storm was about to sweep across the mist-shrouded islands.
(To be continued.)