In the past, the Daimyo might have once again grumbled to his attendants in his bedchamber, verbally complaining. Even if he was so angry he almost fainted, he probably wouldn't have taken any action. But the current Daimyo is different. He is still very angry, but he is planning how to retaliate against Konoha Ninja Village in the future, to punish their disrespectful actions to date.
If you ask why, it's because the current Daimyo now has a very effective weapon, and unlike Konoha Ninja Village, it doesn't act arbitrarily, but completely obeys his commands.
The Daimyo scrutinized the masked man standing not far away with a satisfied gaze. This was the ninja who had previously blocked his imperial carriage, claiming to be Tobi. At the time, what he said sounded good, but the Daimyo didn't take it seriously. He was vaguely resentful that the other party had blocked the carriage alone, and secretly instructed his guards not to hold back when testing him.
To his surprise, the Daimyo's personal guards were no match for this person. One must know that the Daimyo's guards were at least Jonin-level, yet they lost to the other party, and Tobi seemed to do it with great ease.
According to reports from his subordinates, this ninja named Tobi's strength probably surpassed that of ordinary Jonin and was not far from that of the Kage of the Five Great Ninja Villages. This was a very high evaluation. How strong the Kage of the Five Great Ninja Villages were, how could those who also practiced chakra not know?
At the same time, they had some doubts: why would such a powerful ninja come here? Although traditionally, choosing to be by a noble's side was the safest way for a ninja, free from worries about survival, a ninja as strong as Tobi should also live well in a ninja village.
As the Daimyo's loyal guards, they repeatedly inquired about Tobi's background. They learned that he came from a humble background, obtained chakra training methods through serendipitous encounters, and then, through a series of opportunities, reached his current level. Because he had no distinguished background and was constantly targeted by others, he decided to find a good master. And wasn't the most powerful lord of the Land of Fire the best object of service?
Logically, there was no problem. Someone without family accumulation who could cultivate to this level seemed somewhat incredible, but it wasn't without precedent. In the Second Great Ninja War, wasn't Hanzo, the leader of the Hidden Rain Village known throughout the ninja world, such a person?
From the current perspective, Tobi seemed to have no major issues, but the Daimyo's guards did not relax their vigilance. They suggested that Tobi accept a binding curse mark. This curse mark agreement was based on the principle of mutual consent, requiring Tobi not to harm the Daimyo, to obey the Daimyo's commands, and to be loyal to the Daimyo. The Daimyo, however, could not force Tobi to reveal all his secrets—such as aspects of ninjutsu training. Once this curse mark was applied, both parties would reach an agreement, and whoever violated the agreement would be bound both physically and mentally by the curse mark.
This curse mark has been a traditional method of agreement between nobles and ninjas since ancient times.
Because ninjas are a profession skilled at deception, if they enter the Daimyo's inner circle, it must be ensured that they will not betray him. If the other party is truly loyal, they should accept such a curse mark.
Since the appearance of such a curse mark, ninjas bearing the responsibility of spies rarely served nobles, because once this curse mark was applied, it would be impossible to assassinate the Daimyo. At most, they could secretly transmit some intelligence. If someone was willing to accept this curse mark, their loyalty could basically be confirmed.
And Tobi accepted the binding of the curse mark without hesitation, which forced the Daimyo's guards to drop their guard. The other party had already accepted to this extent, so no matter what, their loyalty should be guaranteed, right?
The Daimyo's interest in Tobi grew stronger and stronger. After all, having such a powerful ninja who was willing to obey him greatly satisfied the Daimyo's vanity. After applying the curse mark to Tobi, he personally met this ninja and, in a manner of showing respect for talent, inquired about his well-being.
Tobi expressed that he deeply understood the Daimyo's actions, and now that the Daimyo had accepted him, he would certainly devote himself entirely, fight to the death, and eliminate anyone who showed disrespect to the Daimyo.
This declaration of loyalty greatly pleased the Daimyo, who immediately chose the other party as his personal guard. Once, after he spoke to Tobi about the various disrespectful actions of Konoha Ninja Village, Tobi immediately replied, "Konoha Ninja Village is so disrespectful, they should be severely punished."
"But their strength is too great, they cannot be easily punished. A slight misstep could cause domestic turmoil and give other countries an opportunity." It was precisely because of this understanding that the Daimyo had not chosen to take substantive retaliatory actions against Konoha Ninja Village.
"When I first recommended myself to Your Highness, I said it was to resolve Your Highness's worries. I already have a strategy, I wonder if Your Highness is willing to hear it?"
"Of course I am! Speak quickly!" the Daimyo immediately said.
Tobi then said, "The reason Konoha Ninja Village is so reckless is because they have no worries. As Your Highness said, if both sides clash, a civil war will break out. Neither Your Highness nor Konoha Ninja Village wishes to see such a situation, which is why the current balance is maintained."
"Indeed, in the past, I could still restrict them through financial means, but I didn't expect them to come up with that ninja-supported commerce policy, involving the ninja village in the operation of merchants, which has now made them financially self-sufficient." The Daimyo felt a blockage in his chest when he thought of this. "I regret it deeply. I shouldn't have been deceived by Konoha Ninja Village's petty gains back then, allowing them to take such measures, which resulted in raising a tiger that has become a menace."
In those days, Konoha Ninja Village relied on sharing profits with the Daimyo and other nobles, preventing them from rejecting such measures. But by the time they reacted, Konoha Ninja Village's commerce had already scaled up, and they could no longer stop it, only watching as Konoha Ninja Village achieved financial independence.
"It is now impossible to restrict Konoha Ninja Village financially, Your Highness. The only way to restrict Konoha Ninja Village now is on a political level," Tobi said.
"Oh? Could you elaborate?"
"Konoha Ninja Village is unwilling to have disputes with Your Highness precisely because the Daimyo's power is still very formidable. Even if it is not as strong as Konoha Ninja Village, it can still severely wound Konoha Ninja Village. In other words, Konoha Ninja Village, at least on the surface, is still unwilling to fall out with Your Highness," Tobi said.
"What you say makes sense. So how should I restrict them?" The Daimyo nodded.
"Since Konoha Ninja Village cannot refuse Your Highness openly, Your Highness can completely demand, in the name of protecting your own safety, to select excellent ninjas from Konoha Ninja Village, mainly the children of important ninja families and high-ranking officials, to come and protect yourself, forming an organization called the Guardian Ninjas," Tobi said. "This way, Your Highness can have them implanted with a curse mark, treating them as de facto hostages. Konoha Ninja Village will no longer be able to ignore Your Highness's opinions and will certainly have to consider them carefully."
The Daimyo's eyes immediately lit up. Tobi's method was excellent. It was reasonable for the Daimyo to request protection from the ninja village, and it was also very reasonable to apply a curse mark to close-protection ninjas for safety reasons—this was a traditional practice in the past, the relationship between nobles and their personal ninja guards was exactly like this. With tradition to rely on, no one could find fault.
Unless Konoha Ninja Village intended to betray, they would not be able to refuse. If Konoha Ninja Village chose the former, the Daimyo would hold the moral high ground, and Konoha Ninja Village's reputation, which had earned the trust of the populace until now, would collapse without a fight. After all, the Daimyo's request was reasonable, and the ninja village had no reason to refuse. If they refused, it would mean they harbored rebellious intentions and were traitors!
And if it was the latter, while it wouldn't damage Konoha Ninja Village's reputation, it would allow the Daimyo to control the children of important members of the ninja village. In such a situation, with both sides maintaining a balance of power, the Daimyo naturally couldn't casually act against them, but the ninja village would also have to consider the Daimyo's opinions more. It might seem not far from the current relationship, but in reality, the Daimyo's influence would begin to increase.
"However, this way, it only makes the balance more stable; it still can't impose any substantial punishment on Konoha Ninja Village," the Daimyo said, frowning slightly.
"You don't have to worry, this is just a method to stabilize Konoha Ninja Village and buy time. In my opinion, Konoha Ninja Village's betrayal is only a matter of time. Now, Your Highness should strengthen your own power," Tobi said respectfully. "This is just the first step; the second step is to strengthen the power around the Daimyo."