Cooperation

"Let's have a proper talk, Hanzō! Of course, you can choose to keep fighting." As Ria spoke, countless Light Particles rapidly gathered into a ball of light in her hand.

Ria whipped her arm forward, hurling the ball of light toward the forest beyond the battlefield.

Boom!

A massive mushroom cloud rose in the distance, and fierce winds instantly swept across the battlefield.

Hanzō stared at the sky lit by the blast and felt the raging wind batter him. His eyes narrowed, and his hands trembled despite himself. That attack, comparable to a Tailed Beast Bomb, shattered the last of his resolve.

Hanzō turned toward the girl on the wall, so slight yet brimming with immense power. At last, he said helplessly, "What do you want to discuss?"

Seeing Hanzō finally relent, Ria smiled. "All Holy Knights, form ranks and enter the city! Welcome the leader of our Land of Rain!"

"Yes!"

The Holy Knights, now recovered, swiftly formed ranks and marched through the gates in precise steps. Inside the city, they split into two columns and stood tall on either side of the road, waiting for the ninja to enter.

The citizens watching through the screens of light around the Magic Tower suddenly burst into excited cheers. "Victory! Victory to the Holy Light!"

"After you, Lord Hanzō, Rain Shadow!" Ria said with a smile.

Looking at Ria's triumphant demeanor, Hanzō gave a deeply reluctant order. "All ninja, follow me into the city."

As soon as they entered, they found two rows of Holy Knights watching them in formal salute. Every knight wore a solemn expression, their movements uniform and their ranks perfectly aligned.

"Attention!" Axel shouted from the head of the formation.

Thud! The Holy Knights stamped one foot against the ground in perfect unison.

"Give the Holy Light Salute!"

Clatter! Clatter! Armor rang out as every Holy Knight pressed a clenched fist to their chest. Their gazes slowly followed Hanzō and the other ninja as they passed.

An indescribable sense of pressure met them head-on. The ninja had never encountered such a ceremony, and it left a deep impression on them.

After walking down the long, straight road, Hanzō and his companions arrived at a building unlike the towers of the Land of Rain. Tall stone pillars stood beneath tier upon tier of towers, its roof soaring into the clouds. It was an imposing sight.

"Welcome, Lord Hanzō, Rain Shadow." Ria floated over from the city wall and greeted him with a faint smile.

"You're too kind, young lady!"

"Come, Lord Hanzō! Follow me to the Meeting Room." With that, Ria headed toward the Meeting Room with Meli and Axel.

"Hakai, Qingyu, you two come with me."

"Yes, Lord Hanzō."

They soon arrived at the Meeting Room.

"Please, everyone, take a seat!"

"What exactly does your evil cult intend to do?" Hanzō could not help asking as soon as he sat down.

"Lord Hanzō, first, we are not an evil cult. We do not practice human sacrifice. Second, we are a political organization that unites religion and government. We have a well-developed political philosophy and practical methods of implementing it. I hope that during our discussion, you will show us sufficient respect and refer to us as the Holy Church," Ria told Hanzō earnestly.

"Hmph. Who knows what sort of god you worship!" Hanzō remained stubborn and disdainful.

"Heh. The Holy Light is not a god. It is the illumination of wisdom, the seed of hope. Wipe that blasphemous expression off your face. We have never feared another battle." Unable to endure Hanzō's repeated insults to the Holy Light, Axel angrily slammed both hands onto the table.

"Then let's fight!" Hanzō rose in anger as well, while Hakai and Qingyu immediately grew alert.

Ria tapped the table lightly. "Hanzō, I hope you understand the situation. We have already shown you sufficient respect and have not treated you as defeated enemies. That is a sign of our sincerity. But please do not mistake our sincerity for permission to do whatever you please. If you truly wish to continue this discussion, I hope both sides will show each other respect from this point onward."

As she finished speaking, a heavy, powerfully oppressive aura rose from Ria and filled the Meeting Room.

Watching Ria sit calmly in her chair, Hanzō and his two companions felt as though their souls were being scorched by something majestic and blazing like the sun. Fine beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads.

"Hah!"

Hanzō let out a deep, heavy breath and forced himself to speak under the pressure. "What exactly does your Holy Church have in mind?"

Ria smiled faintly. "Our plan is actually quite simple. Over the next two years, we will accelerate our liberation of half the Land of Rain. We hope you can keep the Land of Rain's Daimyo occupied and stop him from stirring up trouble with the other great nations."

"That's impossible!" As the scorching sensation in his soul eased, Hanzō immediately refused.

"Don't be so quick to reject it. I know we both want to make the Land of Rain strong enough to become the sixth great nation. We have no interest in ninjas or Shinobi Villages. What matters more to us is secular political power. Why don't we seek common ground while setting aside our differences and work together to build an ideal nation?"

"That's nothing but your naive fantasy. If you annex half the Land of Rain, where does that leave my Amegakure?" Hanzō looked at Ria with amusement. This girl really was naive.

"Heh, I know what you're worried about. How about this? Whatever aid the Land of Rain gives you each year, the Holy Church will give you twice as much!" Ria declared confidently.

"Are you certain you can give us twice as much?" Hanzō was tempted. With sufficient support, he was confident he could develop Amegakure further. When the time came, strength would have the final say.

"Of course. The Holy Church keeps its word."

"What guarantee can you give us? Words alone mean nothing."

"Don't worry about that. We will swear on our faith, and we are willing to sign a formal written agreement with you." Ria looked sincerely at Hanzō.

Hanzō pondered for a moment, but he remained uneasy. "Can your god be trusted?"

Seeing Hanzō question her faith again, Ria said irritably, "There will be plenty of time to judge that. If you don't trust our faith, you can look at what we do! Meli, sorry for the trouble, but could you print a copy of the contract for me?"

"Of course, Bishop Ria." Meli rose gently and headed to the printing room with small, elegant steps to print the contract. Beside her, Axel frowned at Hanzō with open displeasure. "You ninja really are suspicious of everything. If we're going to cooperate sincerely, both sides need to show a little more trust."

"Heh. What would a child like you know? In this world of lies and treachery, some agreements are worth no more than toilet paper. People tear them up whenever they please," Hanzō said disdainfully.

"The Holy Light does not lie. If you don't believe that, I can take you to see the object of our faith. It is right here in this church. We can sign this agreement with the Holy Light as our witness," Ria said calmly.

"Very well! I'd like to see what the god you worship looks like." Seeing Ria finally agree to take him to meet their god, Hanzō felt a secret flicker of delight. These children were so easy to provoke. Now he could finally gather more intelligence.

"Bishop Ria, the agreement is printed."

"Hanzō, take a look! If there are no issues, we'll go to the Holy Light Hall to sign it." Ria casually pushed the agreement Meli had handed her over to Hanzō.

Hanzō picked up the agreement and gave it a cursory glance. "Fine. No issues."

"Then let's go!" Ria rose calmly. She paid no mind whatsoever to Hanzō's little schemes. After all, the Holy Light never cared about such petty, sinister creatures. If he wanted to see it, she would let him.