Rin Nohara took the initiative, swinging a playful kick at Hiruko. She pouted, her voice a mix of a mock threat and genuine shyness. "Don't you dare push your luck! Just because you're close doesn't mean I'm afraid of you. Believe it or not, I'll toss you right off this cloud!"
Hiruko, unperturbed, gave a nonchalant shrug. "I don't believe you."
Seeing her intimidation fail, Hiruko's lips curled into a wicked smirk. "Then do you believe that I might do something to you right here? After all, there's no one else around to stop me."
Rin's eyes went wide, a deep crimson flush flooding her cheeks. "Shameless!" she sputtered.
To her shock, Hiruko actually leaned in, that mischievous glint never leaving his eyes. Rin tried to recoil, but her body felt leaden, as if she were a lamb pinned under a predator's gaze. She shielded her chest with her hands, squeezed her eyes shut, and yelled, "No! Stop!"
But the expected touch never came.
Rin carefully peeked one eye open, only to find the space before her empty. Hiruko was gone. She scanned the vast, cotton-like expanse of the clouds, but there wasn't a soul in sight. "Hiruko? Where did you go?" she called out, her voice echoing into the void.
No answer. Standing alone above the world, the beauty of the scene suddenly felt cold and isolating. A pang of panic flared in her chest. "Stop joking! Come out! I won't kick you again, I promise!"
Though she knew he was likely playing a prank, the silence was starting to gnaw at her. Just as she turned around in a frantic circle, Hiruko materialized directly in front of her, wearing a beaming smile.
Rin's heart did a violent somersault. Her pulse quickened with a thrill she couldn't quite name. She opened her mouth to snap, "You jerk!", but Hiruko leaned in before she could speak and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her cheek.
Rin froze, her entire world coming to a standstill.
"Feeling better now?" Hiruko asked with a chuckle.
Rin couldn't find her voice; the shock of the moment was too profound. The heat in her face felt like a furnace, the blush spreading all the way behind her ears. Truly a shy little thing, Hiruko thought. He turned around, but Rin immediately hid her face in her hands, refusing to make a sound.
"Still shy?" Hiruko laughed. He drifted back to her, gently prying her hands away to face her again.
"Wh-what are you doing now?" Rin stammered. Looking at his handsome face so close to hers, she felt the air leave her lungs.
Hiruko tilted her chin up slightly. "This time, the target isn't the cheek."
Panic surged through her, as if she were falling into a bottomless well. Ninjas in this world matured fast, but Hiruko wasn't interested in "skinny little girls." He planned to let Rin grow for a few more years.
However, looking at Maki—who was identical to Rin—he couldn't help but wonder. Maki's master, Pakura, went to great lengths during their "training" sessions to exhaust Hiruko, specifically so he wouldn't have the energy to lay a hand on her sweet disciple. Hiruko, respecting Pakura's efforts, had held off on Maki for now. But he imagined a future where a grown-up Rin and Maki stood together—the resemblance would be a truly unique experience.
In the Land of Grass, Konoha had never officially interfered in domestic politics. Yet, the official government was drifting toward the Leaf with startling speed. The reason was simple: Money.
Before Konoha arrived, Grass was a war-torn wasteland with no industry and a collapsed economy. The ruling class spent their time bickering in a mud-pit of indecision. Then came the United Merchant Guild. They didn't play political games; they simply followed the contracts and funneled capital into the hands of their partners.
For the elites of the Land of Fire, these payouts were just a nice bonus. But for a tiny nation like Grass, this was "survival capital." The pro-Konoha factions used this wealth to dismantle their rivals. Now, everyone in power was "pro-Leaf." To the world, it looked like a harmonious trade deal.
But Ohnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, saw through the facade. He realized that while Konoha made no political demands now, they were creating a situation where Grass would eventually be unable to say "no." Through economic means, Konoha had essentially turned Grass into a raw-material colony for the Land of Fire.
Hiruko's model was repeatable. One nation for fruit, another for industrial parts, a third for rice. Each small nation would specialize, achieving high efficiency. As long as the Land of Fire maintained its market dominance, these small nations would never seek protection elsewhere. They would be absorbed into a gargantuan economic entity.
By then, what could the other Great Nations do? Konoha wouldn't even need a battlefield; they could simply starve their rivals out. During the Fourth War, Iwa and Cloud were forced into radical measures because Konoha was literally driving them to despair. While Iwa ninjas were choking down dry ration pills and cold water, the "pretty boy" Leaf ninjas were feasting on beef cans, ice cream, and cold cola. The look of hopelessness on Ohnoki's face that day was something no one would ever forget.
According to Hiruko's style, Konoha would only get wealthier over the next decade. Merchants who backed him were seeing massive returns. In the past, nobles treated merchants like livestock—fattening them up only to slaughter them when hungry. Hiruko was different. He might be "immoral" and a "lecher," but he was a man of his word when it came to profit. His motto was simple: Fairness! Fairness! And T.M.D. (fcking) Fairness!
Fairness brought the highest returns. If he promised a dividend, he paid it. If he said he'd kill you, he'd wait until after the payout, then ensure his own children inherited your estate. Ohnoki understood this, and the more he learned about Hiruko, the more the pressure mounted.
In the Sand Village, the situation was a whirlwind. Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, stared grimly at the village ledgers. Despite Hiruko—their "son-in-law"—diverting mission contracts to Suna to help them recover, things were still tight.
In the shinobi world, mission shares were usually bought with blood. For a single woman (Temari) to secure such resources was a brilliant move, even if it cost some pride. Suna was now testing Hiruko's "Rain-to-Wind" water vapor diversion project. It was a massive drain on their remaining military budget, but they had no choice.
Konoha's wealth was like a magnet, drawing talent from small nations like Grass. Talent followed the money. Suna couldn't compete. Rasa knew that if the gap widened too much, the alliance would become a "surrender." Suna needed a way to make money fast. Just as they reached their lowest point, a messenger arrived from Konoha with a personal letter from Hiruko.
Rasa replied, noting that Temari was growing into an excellent ninja under her specialized training. He sensed that Hiruko was giving them a "heads-up" about an upcoming windfall in the Land of Sky. Suna had to move now.
In Iwa, Kitsuchi opened his eyes in pain. Every morning, the sight of the village's bankrupt ledgers felt like falling into an abyss. He was losing hair from the stress. As a loser of the war, Iwa was carrying the crushing weight of reparations. If not for joining the Merchant Guild, they would have already collapsed.
大野木 (Ohnoki) had resigned in shame, but Kitsuchi had just received a personal letter from Hiruko.
Meanwhile, in the Mist, Yagura was eating dinner—specifically, a can of sardines. He wasn't so poor that he had to eat canned food; he was doing it to lead by example and promote the village's new industry. But even he was starting to feel sick of it.
He looked at Mei Terumi with watery eyes. "Just marry him. You like him anyway, don't you?"
The Mist was the biggest beneficiary of Hiruko's "generosity." Hiruko had signed contracts with the Terumi clan, building fish processing plants, mineral water factories, and beverage lines. The clan elders were ecstatic. They didn't care that Hiruko had "devoured" their daughter before the wedding; he'd sent enough gold bars to make them forget everything.
Mei clenched her fists, wanting to punch the Mizukage. Hiruko had already made her his, yet he acted like nothing had happened. Or rather, he acted through his wallet.
"My Lord, what are you saying?" Mei hissed, suppressing her rage. "Isn't Hiruko planning to marry Temari?"
Yagura waved it off, suddenly looking sharp. "Don't worry. Konoha will never allow an heir with Suna blood to take power. Temari is just a political pawn. Hiruko told me he's marrying Tsunade; the alliance with Suna is just for show."
"Besides," Yagura added with a smirk, "that girl is young. She's already showing signs of being 'assertive.' To ordinary people, that's fine. To men like us, who rule as Kage... a woman who thinks she's in charge is an annoyance. You have the advantage, Mei."
"Heh!" Mei scoffed.