The Daimyo's Invitation (One More Chapter Later)

Uzumaki Kagari, Uzumaki Hirohiko's younger sister, was two years younger than Hirohiko and one year younger than Dada, yet far smaller and thinner. Like Hirohiko, she had barely known a single stable day since birth.

After lunch at Hirohiko's home, Dada arranged with Hirohiko for him to come train with the Yotsuki Clan in the future. Dada's training schedule had been too packed lately, and he was getting bored. Having another person around would give him some company.

"Little Kagari can come too," Dada said.

It was not like Dada was some kind of lolicon. He was still a kid himself, and there were plenty of little girls at the Orphanage around that age. Quite a few children were even competing to say they would marry him someday.

A brief hands-on-hips moment.

From a pragmatic perspective, Uzumaki Kagari had red hair too. She was worth building a relationship with.

After that, Dada settled into a regular routine in the village. Every day without fail, he refined Chakra and fed himself; every three days, he visited the Orphanage; from time to time, he handled matters related to the "Blacksmith Shop" under Dodai's assistance; he followed up on the negotiations from the previous meeting between the two Kage; and occasionally, he trained with Uzumaki Hirohiko.

A month later, the Third Raikage returned to Kumogakure. Old Man Jishi and Konohagakure's prisoners returned with him.

Old Man Jishi's importance went without saying. Both the Art of Life Peering and the Art of Life Restoration were extraordinarily miraculous secret arts, not to mention the experience and other secret techniques he had accumulated over a lifetime of practicing medicine. Yet Old Man Jishi did not keep them to himself. He took several of Kumogakure's "pseudo-Medical Ninja," led by Anzai Mamoru, as disciples and taught them diligently. Even the former director of Kumogakure Ninja Hospital studied under Old Man Jishi and treated him as a master.

Danzo, Sakumo, Tsunade, and the others were also brought back to Kumogakure. They were now important bargaining chips for Kumogakure, so there was no concern for their personal safety. At Dada's request, authority over the Konohagakure personnel was handed to Dodai. Dodai then began quietly using his position to make contact with them, especially Shimura Danzō.

But that was a matter for later.

The first batch of key personnel trained by the "Blacksmith Shop" had successfully "graduated." There were eighteen outstanding candidates who met the requirements, most of them members of the Yotsuki Clan. Under Dada's instructions, they would replicate the "Blacksmith Shop" model outward from the Land of Lightning, starting nearby and expanding farther afield.

The craftsmen from the Land of Waves had also been brought back. Not only would they build hydraulic pressing equipment, but the Yotsuki Clan would continue investing in further modifications.

To avoid attracting attention, the entire project still operated under the code name "Blacksmith Shop." The "branch companies" established by the future key personnel would each have their own names as well, only joining together openly once the time was right.

Weapons forging was unquestionably a core industry in the Shinobi World, equivalent to military manufacturing. It affected not only those already profiting from it everywhere, but even the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning might not want such an industry to be completely controlled by the ninja village.

If possible, Dada also wanted to find a way to infiltrate this model into other fields.

Just as Dada was lamenting the pressure no one his age should have to bear, the Third Raikage arrived.

"The New Year is coming soon. The Daimyo has invited our family to the Capital City of the Land of Lightning to celebrate it together."

Dada, who was reviewing documents related to the "Blacksmith Shop," looked up at the Third Raikage with a puzzled expression.

"I don't remember hearing about this before?" In previous years, the Daimyo had never invited the Raikage's family.

The Third Raikage said, "It isn't common, but it isn't the first time either. The last time was before you were born. Maybe the Thunder Cloud Nine Warriors brought the village and the Daimyo's Mansion closer together. Unless something unexpected happens, we should accept the invitation."

The Daimyo was an important financial backer and source of legal legitimacy for the ninja village. Though he could not control Kumogakure, Kumogakure was, on the surface, merely a subordinate force of the Land of Lightning, and the Raikage was also the Daimyo's military adviser.

Dada tried to recall memories from his previous life, searching for more information about the unusual profession of "Daimyo," but found nothing. After all, he had not followed the later parts much. Most of what he knew came from chatting with friends, watching videos on Douyin and Bilibili, and joining in the fun. Waiting week after week had simply felt too torturous.

What exactly was this Daimyo-Ninja Village System that had puzzled Dada ever since he arrived in the Shinobi World? At the thought of having a chance to meet the Daimyo, Dada showed an interested expression.

"Father, what kind of person is the Daimyo?" Dada asked curiously.

The Third Raikage stroked his chin. "Hmm. Someone who enjoys pleasure, I suppose."

Dada curled his lips. That was hardly a good evaluation.

Dada had many books in his little library, and the collection was growing, but they only recorded Previous Daimyo. Naturally, the current Daimyo of each country would not be written about in books.

Still, perhaps because of their natural environments, the Daimyo of each country shared certain common traits across generations.

For example, the Land of Fire was the richest country in the Shinobi World, and its Daimyo throughout the ages had left impressions of wealth, extravagance, and indulgence. Most Daimyo of the Land of Water were homebodies who rarely interacted with the other landlocked countries.

Most Daimyo of the Land of Wind were frugal and thrifty, while many Daimyo of the Land of Earth were broad-minded and generous.

But the Shinobi World had no historical records. Anything from eight hundred years ago was already treated as myth, and even Hashirama Senju had his title of strongest Hokage replaced after only twenty years. Thus, most records in books could only be regarded as anecdotes and unofficial history, not entirely trustworthy.

One book Dada particularly enjoyed, The Spirit of Lightning: Thirty Years as an Official, described events from the reign of the Previous Daimyo. According to it, the Previous Daimyo of the Land of Lightning had been an indecisive man.

There was still some time before the New Year. Kumogakure lay in the north of the Shinobi World, where heavy snow was frequent in winter. Kumogakure had already become a world blanketed in silver.

The pedestrians on the streets all wore smiles. It was not only because Kumogakure had developed well over the past few years, but also because peace had lasted in the Shinobi World for quite some time.

However, Dada knew that this peace might not last much longer. The Shinobi World could soon enter nearly twenty years of war and chaos.

From the Third Raikage, he learned that the previous meeting between the Lightning and Fire Kage had ultimately allowed those with ulterior motives to uncover some of what had happened. Though they might not know the precise details, everyone understood that Konohagakure had suffered a major loss this time.

As the strongest and wealthiest ninja village, Konohagakure naturally drew countless watchful eyes. Many forces began reassessing its strength, wondering whether it was merely strong in appearance but weak in substance.

Some even thought, if Kumogakure could tear off a piece of meat, why couldn't they?

And for Konohagakure to prove that it was still the strongest, it needed to respond more forcefully to outside probing. That only intensified the friction across the Shinobi World.

It was said that Sunagakure of the Land of Wind had recently grown restless, probing Konohagakure near the border several times. However, Konohagakure had driven them back each time with fierce counterattacks, inflicting considerable losses.

Iwagakure of the Land of Earth, meanwhile, had recently extended its reach into the Land of Rain. Hanzo of the Salamander and the poorly founded Amegakure had been left struggling to cope.

No matter how strong Hanzo of the Salamander was, he was only one man. Amegakure's strength was simply too weak, and it had so few ninja that it could not even defend all its borders.

Kirigakure of the Land of Water, on the other hand, was much the same as always, remaining overseas without making any moves.

Kumogakure, however, had carried out the Fire Stealing Plan in recent years, gaining substantial foundations and development potential. Combined with the rich spoils torn from Konohagakure, it could develop in peace and observe the Shinobi World from the position of an outsider.

As the situation in the Shinobi World changed and with the possibility of war approaching, Dada suggested to the Third Raikage that they establish the Special Strategy Department, with Dodai as its public leader. It would specifically handle matters involving other countries and villages in the Shinobi World, combining intelligence gathering, intelligence analysis, external liaison, and special operations. It answered directly to the Raikage, ranked below the Anbu, and was considered an Anbu division.