Land of Artisans.
Hot spring inn.
Yuzuru looked at Jiraiya, who was sprawled by the edge of the bath with a shalessly sneaky expression as he peeked toward the won's side, and couldn't help saying, "Jiraiya, can't you seriously fix this habit of peeping on won while they bathe?"
"If you're really that itchy for it, why not just go find a hostess?"
Jiraiya turned back, clearly annoyed. "Do I look like that kind of guy to you?"
"I'm only gathering material right now. This is scholarly work. A brute like you, who only knows how to fight and kill, wouldn't understand."
"Besides, with my charm, if I really wanted a woman, the line would stretch from here all the way to the Land of Fire. Why would I need a hostess?"
Yuzuru let out a mocking laugh and said teasingly, "If you were really that charming, I don't believe you'd still be single."
The mont Jiraiya heard himself being questioned, he imdiately retorted, "Nonsense! I just t a woman not long ago who was dead set on marrying ."
"Oh?" Yuzuru's interest was instantly piqued. "Let's hear it."
Jiraiya gave a smug snort, cleared his throat, and said, "Ever heard of a place in the ninja world called Nadeshiko Village?"
"Nadeshiko Village?"
At the na, sothing stirred in Yuzuru's mind, but his expression didn't change as he shook his head. "Never heard of it."
Jiraiya imdiately launched into explanation. "Nadeshiko Village is built on two connected mountains. The entire village is made up of won, and they've always believed in the strong ruling over the weak."
"If you want to marry a woman there, you have to be strong enough to defeat her."
"I didn't know that at the ti, so I ended up fighting the village chief."
"And I'm not bragging here, but in just a few moves, I took her down."
At that point, a trace of nostalgia appeared on Jiraiya's face.
"After that, the chief kept insisting she was going to marry . But I was determined to travel the ninja world. How could I let one woman tie down?"
Yuzuru asked, "So you just left?"
"Of course not." Jiraiya brushed back his hair with exaggerated flair and said, "To keep the chief from getting heartbroken, I made up a harmless little lie."
"I told her I already had a family, and the two of us made a promise that our future disciples could have a match one day."
"If my disciple loses, then they'll go back to Nadeshiko Village with her disciple and live there."
"If her disciple loses, then she'll marry my disciple and follow him from then on."
The mont Jiraiya finished speaking, he noticed Yuzuru suddenly scoot closer.
"Jiraiya, I've actually always wanted to learn the Sage Arts of Mount Myōboku. So… could you teach how to train in Sage Arts there?"
"If you'll have , I'd gladly beco your disciple!"
Jiraiya froze for a second, then looked at Yuzuru and couldn't help sighing.
"If I had even half your shalessness, I probably wouldn't have ended up like this..."
Yuzuru imdiately pulled out a crystal ball.
"This is a dium for the Telescope Technique. I'm giving it to you."
Jiraiya took a deep breath and clutched the crystal ball tightly in his hand. "Then what else is there to say? We're brothers now."
"Don't worry. If the disciple of the Nadeshiko Village chief ever cos looking for , I'll let you know."
"But let say this first, I can't guarantee whether that disciple is pretty or not."
Yuzuru waved a hand and replied calmly, "Relax. I'm not that shallow."
There was absolutely no need to worry about Shizuka's looks or figure.
After settling that matter, Yuzuru found an excuse and left.
Judging by the look on Jiraiya's face, the man was already itching to try out the new jutsu he'd learned.
He had no desire to soak in a pool with a man who might strike a "one-legged stance" at any mont.
After leaving the hot spring inn, Yuzuru headed straight for the royal palace in the capital of the Land of Artisans.
The current ruler of the Land of Artisans was a ninja nad Seii, roughly at elite jōnin level.
Originally, he had been a guard hired by the daimyō of the Land of Artisans, tasked with protecting the daimyō's safety.
Later, after Yuzuru stirred up the wave of rebellion that toppled the daimyō system, Seii had been among the first to cut off the Land daimyō's head.
So this ninja, who was very good at reading the situation, dropped to his knees the instant he saw Yuzuru.
Even though Yuzuru had co alone, Seii didn't have the slightest thought of resisting him.
After all, this was the man who had shaken the entire ninja world and beaten the Kage of every nation into utter submission. His strength needed no explanation.
He said respectfully, "Lord Yuzuru, I am willing to lead the Land of Artisans in submitting to you."
Yuzuru rely nodded without much reaction and said slowly, "That's a good mindset to have. Saves the trouble of wasting words."
"Here's what you'll do. Gather together all the household registries, ledgers, land records, and everything else for the Land of Artisans. Once my people arrive to take over, you'll co back to Konoha with ."
He froze. "I'm... going back with you?"
Yuzuru nodded and raised a brow. "Is there a problem?"
"Well, Lord Yuzuru..." Seii forced a strained smile onto his face and said unwillingly, "I know the Land inside and out. How could a newcor possibly be more useful than soone experienced?"
"Besides, if the people you send don't understand local customs, they might cause all sorts of trouble."
"You may not know this, but the people of the Land of Artisans are all craftsn. Their tempers are... rather eccentric."
"So... could you allow to remain here in the Land of Crafts?"
This was the place he had spent half his life building up. Naturally, Seii didn't want to leave.
After all, even if he submitted to Yuzuru, the Land of Crafts was geographically remote enough that the emperor's reach would be far away.
Here, he could have whatever he wanted and do whatever he pleased, with hardly any restraint.
But if he went to Konoha, that would be a completely different story.
Unfortunately for him, Yuzuru rejected the idea without a second thought.
For nations conquered by force, it didn't matter much. Their local power structures had already been mostly uprooted, so leaving a few locals in power wasn't a big issue.
But for countries like this, which had submitted directly without resistance, if the upper managent wasn't replaced, any future reforms would beco an endless headache.
To avoid problems once and for all, there was no way Yuzuru would agree to his request.
Seeing that Seii still wanted to say more, Yuzuru's voice turned cold.
"I'll give you two choices... co with , or die."
The mont he said that, Yuzuru activated Kamui and vanished.
The fact that he had bothered to say this much already ant he was in a fairly good mood.
If the man still failed to understand the situation, then Yuzuru would simply kill him on the spot.
An elite jōnin, that was all.
In the ninja world of the past, that might have been soone every major power fought to recruit.
But under him, it was nothing special.
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