Chapter 192: Revenge, and Setting the Rules
Dana was running across the surface of the sea, the Daimyo slung over one shoulder.
He probably shouldn't be running at this speed with an ordinary, and weakened, person. But the Daimyo on his shoulder would not be waking up to protest.
A tiny bit of natural energy, enough to petrify a few peanuts, could sometimes have a miraculous effect.
At dawn, he could faintly see the capital of the Land of Lightning.
The Cloud ninja had maintained order overnight, and both the castle and the capital were relatively calm. The Daimyo's disappearance, though no longer a secret among the nobles, had not yet affected the common people. As the sun rose, they were beginning their busy day.
And the mercenaries the Daimyo had summoned had all been taken into custody. Four of them, who had been a bit slow on the uptake, had been killed on the spot.
The remaining ninja, the nobles of the capital, and even the Daimyo's sons had suddenly discovered...
When the Cloud decides to get involved in something, how easy it is, and how powerless they are.
He didn't greet anyone. In the dim light of dawn, he leaped from the outside, to the top of the castle, to the Daimyo's bedroom.
It was still mostly as it had been when he had been taken, just without the candles.
He placed the heavy body on the bed.
Just then, one of his subordinates appeared in the room, kneeling on one knee, awaiting orders.
"Spread the word," he said, without any hesitation. "The two mercenaries had evil intentions and kidnapped the Daimyo. He has been rescued, but he is under the influence of an unknown genjutsu and has not yet woken up. Have the attendants come and take care of him. Find a doctor."
The man accepted his orders and left. As a veteran of the Special Strategy Division, there was a certain unspoken understanding between them. A single word was enough.
The Daimyo could not die, at least not in the near future.
With a Daimyo who had felt the "breath of nature," the court would be filled with drama. And all the Cloud had to do was to use the power of time to wash its hands of the whole affair.
This was why he had brought him back, and not the late Daimyo, or had just buried him on the island.
In a few months, or a few years, who would care what had happened tonight?
And in this way, he would also have an explanation for his father.
Leaving the Daimyo's room, he went to Natsu's window and threw a pebble.
A short while later, she poked her head out. "You're back?" she said. "Just a moment."
She had changed her clothes and jumped down from the window.
"When did you get back?"
"Just now."
"I was good. I stayed in my room."
"Good," he said, hesitating for a moment. "The Daimyo's court may be in for some trouble. Do you want to come to the Hidden Cloud with me?"
"You're leaving already?" she said, surprised. "Wait... what trouble? Weren't they all taken care of by the Cloud ninja?"
"Not that kind of trouble," he said. "Another kind."
She knew there was a hidden meaning, but since he didn't say, she restrained herself from asking.
"Then... no, no, this is too sudden! Where would I stay in the Hidden Cloud? I can't just..."
He sighed. It was a cold thing to say, but in all his recent plans, she had been the lowest of his priorities. In fact, he hadn't even considered her.
To take her back to the village now, whether from a personal perspective or from the perspective of the relationship between the Cloud and the Daimyo's court, was not a good choice.
The only thing that made him feel a little better was that she had no feelings for the Daimyo, and perhaps even a bit of resentment. Otherwise, he would have felt even more guilty.
But since he had done something to put her in a potentially troublesome situation, he had to at least give her a choice.
"Then let's not be in a hurry," he said with a smile, pulling himself together. "I'll leave someone to protect you. It will be less than half a year."
She blushed and nodded.
He left the castle and went to see someone.
Jun'en Furuya had been up all night. While the outside world was wondering why he was so calm, he had been pacing in his courtyard, his mouth foaming.
So when Dana suddenly appeared, he was so startled he fell to the ground.
"The Daimyo was kidnapped by those two mercenaries," he said, looking at him without offering a hand. "I found him and killed the kidnappers. But he had already been interrogated with genjutsu and has not yet woken up."
"Where is His Excellency?" he asked, scrambling to his feet.
"I've taken him back to the castle," he said. "You should probably have a doctor look at him."
Jun'en's expression was complicated, like opening a packet of instant noodles and finding two sauce packets but no powder.
"Where are you going, Lord Yotsuki?" he asked, as he was about to leave.
"Back to the Cloud, of course," he said, glancing at him. "The Daimyo has already ordered us to leave. Rescuing him was just a favor, for old times' sake. As the chief minister, you should do what you're supposed to do."
Jun'en smacked his lips, at a loss for words.
He then used his Communication Snail to summon all the Cloud ninja in the capital. Leaving one kunoichi to protect Natsu, the rest of them left.
Many of the great nobles had discovered that the Cloud ninja, who had so forcefully returned and had taken control of the entire capital, had, just as suddenly, abandoned everything and had left.
A short while later, the news of the Daimyo's return also spread, as did the story of how he had been kidnapped by the two mercenaries he had recruited, and had been interrogated with genjutsu.
Two days later, Dana and the Nine Samurai returned to the Hidden Cloud.
The moment he entered the village, he was summoned to the Raikage's tower.
When he entered the office, the Third Raikage was alone.
He walked to the desk and stood there in silence. The Third Raikage also seemed to be buried in his work and said nothing.
He had a feeling that his father was a little angry. The news of what had happened in the capital had already reached the village yesterday, though some things could not be written in a report.
The turn of events was surely not what his father had expected.
But if he were to ask, he was prepared to answer honestly. Their views were different, but he would not hide anything.
After a long moment, the Third Raikage seemed to have finally finished his work. He looked up at the still-calm Dana.
"Is it all taken care of?" he said with a sigh.
Even though he had been prepared for it, he had not expected his father to say that.
"Of course," he said with a smile after a long moment. "It's taken care of."
"What did you do?"
"Revenge, and setting the rules."
"And what about my daughter-in-law?" the Third Raikage said with a roll of his eyes. "Your mother has been nagging me for four or five years now."
Now he was the one who was a little embarrassed. "She's not going anywhere," he said. "I've made arrangements."