The leader of the Artisans Ninja Village had stayed up all night, making arrangements for the aftermath of the battle.
By the next day, the returning ninjas brought back the bodies of their fallen comrades.
Along with them came bad news.
Despite the leader's orders, the outcome had backfired. Two teams of enraged Jonin had ignored the command and taken the initiative to attack the Tsuchimikado Group in retaliation.
Although they managed to destroy the group's main building, in the end, an unknown Mist ninja slaughtered them all right in front of the ruins.
It was said that the entire district was filled with a thick, oppressive mist of blood that refused to dissipate for a long time.
Another two Jonin and dozens of ninjas had perished.
Upon hearing the news, the leader of the Artisans Ninja Village could no longer contain his grief and anger and fainted on the spot.
"Give them a proper burial and bring them home to the village."
...
Meanwhile, at the Tsuchimikado leader's private villa.
Yagura intercepted the leader's furious order to desecrate the bodies of the fallen Artisans ninjas. His voice was firm and left no room for argument.
The secretary hesitated, caught between obeying the leader and Yagura's authority. In the end, he remained where he was, awaiting further instructions.
The bald leader of the Tsuchimikado Group looked utterly miserable.
When the Artisans launched their attack, Yagura had still been at his hotel.
The group's headquarters had been completely reduced to rubble by the wrathful Artisans ninjas!
Perhaps due to his sheer frustration, the leader gathered his courage and shouted at Yagura,
"What do you mean by this?!"
"You can't keep fighting the Artisans Ninja Village forever."
Yagura had only just arrived at the ruins of the Tsuchimikado headquarters after being summoned—along with an additional payment. He was still recovering from his injuries but had fulfilled his contract.
Some of the enemy ninjas had escaped. They would take information about his techniques back to the Artisans Ninja Village.
"Do you expect me to wipe out the entire village?"
This time, things hadn't gone as smoothly. He had sustained injuries.
Next time, if the Artisans came prepared with intelligence on him, it would be even harder to deal with them.
Yagura wasn't foolish enough to ignore reality. His sharp gaze settled on the leader and the secretary as he offered a blunt warning: "Let me give you some advice. Now is the best time to negotiate peace."
"Peace? Impossible!!" The leader shook his head violently, his voice seething with anger. "I'd rather die than make peace with those thugs! Bandits! Shameless scum!"
"I'll say it again. I can't single-handedly wipe out every Artisans Ninja."
Yagura crossed his arms, lifting one to reveal his wound, making his point clear. "If they keep attacking, each battle will become more difficult. When I can no longer hold them off, I will leave immediately. What will you do then?"
"At that point, you'll be the ones getting slaughtered and having your bodies desecrated. And as the big boss, you'll probably end up hanging from a streetlight."
Yagura shrugged. "Think it over."
He was speaking the plain truth.
The leader's bluster vanished. The words he had been preparing to spit out were swallowed back down into his gut.
Rich men feared death above all else.
The wealthier they were, the more they had to lose, and the greater their fear of dying.
And Yagura was right. No matter how strong he was, he could not take on an entire ninja village alone.
Even if they put out another bounty for reinforcements, it would take at least ten to fifteen days for new ninjas to arrive.
That was more than enough time for the Artisans ninjas to massacre them hundreds, if not thousands, of times over.
"And one more thing."
Yagura flexed his fingers, each word stabbing into the leader's heart like an arrow.
"Even if I do manage to kill every last one of them, do you think you can afford the price? A few thousand ninja lives—can you pay for that?"
The leader's face went pale, as white and shiny as his bald head.
His secretary had already calculated yesterday's payment, even rounding down the figures—it still came to a staggering eighty million ryo.
Of that, the first twenty million had been split among several groups, but the remaining sum was an under-the-table contract with Yagura, which meant it all came out of his own pocket.
And that was just for yesterday.
Today, Yagura had saved his life again. Killing those Artisans ninjas was an extra charge!
Not to mention the cost of rebuilding his demolished headquarters!
His heart bled with regret.
If he had known this would happen, he would have dragged those other old bastards in with him yesterday!
Now, they were probably gloating over his misfortune!
Smart people outwitting themselves—what a cruel twist.
The leader slumped onto the couch in despair.
The secretary shifted his gaze away from the leader's gleaming bald head and asked respectfully, "Lord Yagura, in your opinion, what should we do next?"
Despite having only worked with Yagura for two days, the secretary no longer saw him as just a child.
This Mist ninja wasn't just a highly skilled killer.
From his strategic thinking just now, the secretary saw in him the qualities of a true leader.
"Gather the bodies outside and send them back to the Artisans Ninja Village properly. Then, send someone to negotiate a peace agreement."
The secretary was pragmatic and could communicate well, so Yagura didn't mind offering some additional advice.
"Your goal from the start was to restore production and trade as soon as possible. Don't forget that. You weren't trying to wipe out the village. You can't, and neither can I."
The secretary nodded in agreement.
The Artisans Ninja Village had thousands of ninjas. Wiping them out with just one Mist ninja was pure fantasy.
And, as Yagura had pointed out, they couldn't afford it.
Moreover, the daimyo and government of the Land of Artisans had turned a blind eye to the conflict between the major groups and the Artisans because those groups were key taxpayers.
But if things escalated beyond control, the authorities would definitely intervene.
"But will they agree?" the secretary asked.
"As long as the terms are right, there's no deal that can't be made. Besides, right now, they are the ones at a disadvantage, not you."
Yagura continued, "They're angry, but they're also afraid. They'll negotiate. If the fighting continues, this will turn into a war of annihilation."
He was removing himself from the equation.
And rightly so—he was just a hired hand. Once the job was done, he would take his money and leave.
Even if he had personally killed countless Artisans ninjas, they wouldn't be able to stop him from leaving. Their fury and thirst for vengeance would ultimately be directed at the groups.
"If you take the initiative to negotiate now and show some goodwill, the chances of success are very high."
The leader was still resistant, exclaiming, "We have the advantage, and we still have to make concessions to those criminals?!"
Yagura rolled his eyes. "If you don't, they'll keep attacking."
Silence filled the villa.
The secretary supported Yagura's proposal, but he lacked decision-making power.
Ultimately, the leader had the final say, and sacrificing profits for negotiations was painful for him.
"Boss, maybe you should discuss it with the other investors."
The secretary spoke up, offering a way to buy time. Then, he smiled at Yagura.
"Lord Yagura, please rest for now. I will calculate today's payment as soon as possible."
Yagura had no interest in watching the bald man squirm. "Alright, I'll leave it to you."
...
In his new hotel room, Yagura collapsed onto the bed.
His injuries had mostly healed thanks to Isobu's chakra.
He had lied to his client earlier.
If he summoned Isobu, wiping out the Artisans Ninja Village would be possible.
But there was no need for that.
Instead of destroying them, why not take them?
If the Land of Artisans didn't want them, and the groups wanted them gone, wouldn't it be better to relocate them to Kirigakure?
...
Unconsciously, he had filled several pages with thoughts. Folding the letter, he set it aside to be mailed home later.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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