The Daimyo Appears, Marshal of the Land of Water

Everyone present in the meeting room was a ninja.

With the arrival of the new weapons, the battlefield would undergo earth-shaking changes.

Although this would affect everyone's interests, problems had to be resolved.

Uzumaki Shori put forward another proposal.

"As large numbers of people come to the Land of Whirlpools, the shortage of officials will gradually become a major problem. We need a solution now. My solution is to allow ordinary people into our official system."

Elder Keimei was highly knowledgeable. Upon hearing this, he immediately rose to his feet and shouted.

"No! Letting ordinary people serve as officials in a ninja village is a grave taboo."

"Konoha has more than a hundred times our population, yet it is still managed through genin, chunin, and jonin. Not a single ordinary person has become an official."

"And in other countries, if civilians enter ninja villages as officials, the Daimyo will be able to directly interfere in ninja village affairs. The benefits of a ninja village are limited. If you take more, others will have less."

"It would make our Land of Whirlpools enemies with the other ninja villages."

Faced with Elder Keimei's doubts, Uzumaki Shori realized that he had been a little too idealistic.

The Daimyo of the other countries already controlled the economies of their respective ninja villages.

If ninja villages opened the door and allowed ordinary people without chakra into the upper ranks—

Then the Daimyo could replace the Kage of every village. The Land of Whirlpools absolutely could not open such a precedent.

Faced with this situation, Uzumaki Shori frowned and asked.

"Our Land of Whirlpools has no Daimyo. Could we establish one and implement joint administration between the Daimyo and the Uzukage?"

Elder Keimei opened his mouth at the question raised by the Second Uzukage, but said nothing. He had truly never seen such a method before.

The others present exchanged looks, equally unsure how to answer.

"It seems this proposal has passed as well. My father, the First Uzukage, happens to have both the qualifications and prestige to become Daimyo."

"It would be better for the Second Uzukage to take the position. Holding both the Uzukage and Daimyo identities would also make administration easier," Uzumaki Ashina said, declining the offer.

"First Uzukage, please do not refuse. We need a Daimyo. Once the Land of Whirlpools develops and grows strong, you can pass the position on to the Second Uzukage."

Everyone collectively agreed with Elder Keimei's words.

Uzumaki Shori nodded in satisfaction.

"Now let us discuss celebrating the Land of Whirlpools gaining its first Daimyo, and how to handle the Mist Ninja."

"The sooner the Daimyo appears in the Land of Whirlpools, the better. That way, we can distribute the work reasonably," Elder Keimei said. Then he frowned and continued.

"As for the Mist Ninja, we should not make any arrangements yet. Let us wait for the Land of Water's follow-up decision. That will also buy the Land of Whirlpools more time."

With Uzumaki Shori's proposal concluded, the meeting reached its end.

"Good. Arrange the inauguration celebration for the Land of Whirlpools' Daimyo as soon as possible. Meeting adjourned."

A notice suddenly went up in the Land of Whirlpools' plaza.

The civilians of the Land of Whirlpools gradually gathered before the notice board and carefully read its contents.

"Quit shoving me! If you want to read it, squeeze your way up there yourself."

Everyone eager to know what it said shoved one another before the notice.

"Stop shoving! I'll read it aloud."

One person, unable to endure the pulling and pushing any longer, shouted.

"The Land of Whirlpools has been established for many years, yet it has never had a Daimyo to lead us forward. Now, upon the Second Uzukage's proposal—"

"A highly respected Daimyo has finally been selected: Uzumaki Ashina, our most beloved First Uzukage."

"In a few days, once preparations are complete, the inauguration celebration will begin."

"To celebrate, those who have come from other countries to settle in the Land of Whirlpools may obtain Land of Whirlpools citizenship. Those with a skill may receive fifty thousand ryo in settlement funds."

Most people cheered one after another. Their Land of Whirlpools was going to have a Daimyo too.

On a beach at the border of the Land of Water.

Jinin Akebino rowed the small boat with all his might as land slowly appeared ahead.

"Raiga Kurosuki, wake up! Brother, we've finally returned to the Land of Water!"

At the mention of the Land of Water, Raiga Kurosuki's eyes snapped open.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

He burst into hearty laughter. It was all that damned Land of Whirlpools' fault for making him drift at sea for so long.

He grabbed an oar and rowed with all his strength.

Standing on the beach, he kissed the sand. He had never been this excited before.

An identical small boat appeared at the beach.

Kushimaru Kuriarare sat in the boat, watching Raiga Kurosuki kiss the shore.

Only when Raiga Kurosuki turned around did he notice Kushimaru Kuriarare, and he immediately felt a little embarrassed.

"I didn't expect you to make a strategic retreat too. I thought only Jinin Akebino and I had done so."

Kushimaru Kuriarare glanced at him and said.

"Stop joking. Failure is failure. Think about how we're going to face the Marshal."

Raiga Kurosuki immediately fell silent.

Land of Water, Kirigakure, Council of Elders, Marshal Hall.

Kirigakure had always been managed by the elderly upper echelon of the village.

Genji, an elder who wielded a snake-shaped wooden staff, had managed all village affairs year-round and possessed authority equal to that of the Mizukage.

According to Kirigakure's rules, all major village matters had to be discussed with him.

Even the Mizukage could not bypass him.

Raiga Kurosuki, Kushimaru Kuriarare, and Jinin Akebino knelt before the Marshal.

"Reporting to the Marshal, the Mist Ninja attacked the Land of Whirlpools and lost more than a thousand ninja. More than two thousand ninja were captured by the Land of Whirlpools, including our Second Mizukage."

The Marshal sat above them. Hearing that the Mist Ninja had been completely wiped out, he massaged his temples in pain.

Raiga Kurosuki secretly raised his head to examine the Marshal's expression.

"Marshal, as long as we gather the remaining ninja of Kirigakure and let me lead another attack, we can definitely destroy the Land of Whirlpools."

The Marshal's gaze immediately fixed on Raiga Kurosuki.

Raiga Kurosuki was so frightened that he instantly lowered his head, not daring to even breathe loudly.

"Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning is building large warships. Even if we gather Kirigakure's ninja and truly defeat the Land of Whirlpools, can we still defeat Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning when it comes attacking?"

After speaking, the Marshal ordered a genin to summon Wuming.

Wuming would become the Third Mizukage in the future and had once served as the First Mizukage's guard.

He had long black hair, wore an ornament on his head, and habitually kept his eyes closed.

Wuming entered alone with his eyes slightly closed and saw the three men kneeling on the ground.

It seemed the Mizukage's force had failed in its attack on the Land of Whirlpools.

He walked before the Marshal, bowed, and asked.

"Marshal, what are your orders for summoning me?"

"It is like this. According to the intelligence brought back by these three fools—"

"Kirigakure has roughly two thousand people captured by the Land of Whirlpools, while the Land of Lightning is openly building large warships nearby."

"I summoned you here because I want you to go to the Land of Whirlpools and negotiate, using money to ransom back that group of failures."

The Marshal sat upright above, looking down as he answered.

Upon hearing the order, Wuming closed his eyes and considered it for a moment.

He agreed, then turned and left.