Mastermind of the Akatsuki

After listening to Byakuya's proposal, Koyuki fell into deep thought, carefully weighing his offer.

After a long silence, she bowed to Byakuya and agreed to his terms. She asked for Byakuya and Konan's names, then excused herself to "gather her belongings" and returned to her room.

Once inside, Sandayū—who had remained silent until now—asked, "Lady Koyuki, why did you agree to their terms? We don't even know which country's ninjas they belong to, let alone if they were sent by Doto himself."

Sandayū couldn't understand Koyuki's decision. Why would she trust two mysterious strangers with such a secretive demeanor? Still, as her retainer, he had no authority to interfere with her choices.

Koyuki sighed softly and replied, "Sandayū, do you think we even have the power to make a choice?"

Sandayū lowered his head and murmured, "You're right. I was too shortsighted."

For Koyuki and Sandayū, Byakuya and Konan's arrival left them no room to negotiate; they were already at the mercy of these powerful strangers. Refusing them could very well mean their deaths.

After a pause, Sandayū asked, "Lady Koyuki, should we try to escape, or go with them back to the Land of Snow? I'm worried they might be working for Doto."

Koyuki replied gravely, "They can't be working for my uncle. If they were, we'd already be dead. Besides, I've decided to cooperate with them to reclaim my rightful place as daimyo of the Land of Snow. If we keep waiting, the people of the Land of Snow will forget us completely, and they'll start to see my uncle as the true ruler."

Her gaze grew determined as she spoke, and Sandayū could see in her the spirit of her father, Sosetsu Kazahana. With a heavy heart, he silently accepted her decision.

Their conversation was quiet, but Byakuya heard every word clearly.

He wasn't surprised that Koyuki agreed to his terms—she had no other options. As a princess on the run, even if she became a beloved national icon and raised a large amount of money, it would be nearly impossible to reclaim her throne from a usurper with the resources of an entire country.

In the original timeline, Koyuki succeeded largely due to Konoha's intervention; Konoha needed allies to maintain the Chunin Exam network and chose to support Koyuki.

Beside him, Konan looked at Byakuya for a few seconds, gradually understanding his strategy.

If Amegakure were to acquire chakra armor technology from the Land of Snow through negotiations, it would be extremely difficult. The Land of Snow wouldn't give up its core technology so easily. Using force, however, could lead to unwanted scrutiny and backlash.

In the shinobi world, strength is often what matters, and the strong have little reason to worry about weaker voices. But since Amegakure is led by the Akatsuki, it has to justify its actions differently from other hidden villages.

If they helped the rightful heir reclaim the throne, then Amegakure could acquire the chakra armor technology with much less resistance.

Besides, Byakuya's information network was impressively thorough; he even managed to track down the exiled Koyuki Kazahana. Who would believe that the actress playing the princess in a film was actually a real princess?

---

A few hours later, Koyuki finished packing and arrived at the designated departure spot. Seeing Byakuya and Konan, she asked hesitantly, "Byakuya-sama, are we heading to the Land of Snow right away? Isn't this a bit rushed? Will it really be just the two of you? Don't ninjas usually operate in four-man squads?"

Byakuya chuckled lightly. "With me and Konan, it's more than enough. I don't believe the Land of Snow or its snow-nin can stand against us. We're very strong, after all."

Byakuya spoke the truth, but Koyuki still seemed doubtful.

Koyuki suspected that Byakuya and Konan were indeed very powerful ninjas, but her uncle had the support of the Snow Ninja Village. Could even the strongest ninjas possibly stand against an entire hidden village?

Still, she had no other choice at the moment but to trust in Byakuya's strength. This was a risky gamble since, if they succeeded, she'd reclaim her place as daimyo of the Land of Snow; if they failed, the price would be her life. Yet, even with the risk, it was better than doing nothing at all.

As they made their way to the eastern coast to catch a boat, Byakuya, walking ahead, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

A gang of rogue ninjas appeared on the road in front of them, blocking their path. The group consisted of over ten people, armed with bows and large blades—clearly a gang of ruthless thugs.

Seeing these rogue ninjas, Koyuki and Sandayū swallowed nervously, feeling a growing sense of unease.

Byakuya looked at the group, then turned to Konan and said, "You handle the ones behind us. I'll take care of the ones in front."

Konan nodded and vanished in an instant.

Without any further delay, Byakuya charged at the rogue ninja gang. In just a few moments, he and Konan had knocked every one of them down. Heck, they hadn't even had time to use any jutsu.

After capturing the bandits with Shadow Clone Jutsu, Byakuya walked back over to Koyuki and said calmly, "Lady Koyuki, let's continue on our way."

Relieved to see the enemy dispatched within minutes, Koyuki looked at Byakuya with gratitude and said, "Thank you so much, Byakuya-dono. With your strength, maybe we really can defeat Doto."

Byakuya rolled his eyes, a bit exasperated, and replied, "Lady Koyuki, did you think our agreement was a joke? I told you my name from the start—I am Byakuya of the Akatsuki, from Amegakure."

"Byakuya? Is he a famous jonin?" Koyuki looked confused. Her knowledge of ninjas was quite limited; she only knew of the Five Great Hidden Villages and the five Kage who led them.

Byakuya's mouth twitched slightly. Koyuki really did know very little about the ninja world.

But perhaps that was just as well. This would make it easier for the Akatsuki to influence the Land of Snow. Ultimately, the best role for a daimyo was to become a symbolic figurehead of the nation.

After a brief pause, Byakuya added, "I may not be the most famous ninja, but helping you reclaim your title of daimyo is more than manageable. Once you become the daimyo of the Land of Snow, you should start learning about the renowned jonin of the ninja world."