Facing the Snow Ninjas, Kazahana Dotō, who was well-versed in the art of painting grand visions, sketched out a promise as vast and round as the moon.
"I know it! My father absolutely left behind an enormous fortune! With that, our Land of Snow can rise above the Five Great Nations and become a powerful country! And you... the Snow Ninjas will trample over those high-and-mighty shinobi from the Five Great Nations!"
In short, his message boiled down to one thing: only by following him would the Snow Ninjas have a future!
Only by following him would this nation have a future!
Only by following him could they obtain everything they desired!
Of course, Dotō took the opportunity to belittle Sōsetsu as a stingy miser, hoarding vast wealth while refusing to share with the struggling Snow Ninjas!
Like some female Snow Ninjas—he had seen with his own eyes how dire their circumstances were, forced into such degrading trades!
It pained him deeply!
And some male Snow Ninjas had even sunk to becoming despised bandits and thieves!
Could they truly endure such treatment? Didn't they want a better life?
Brothers! You must believe in me!
I, Kazahana Dotō, am not acting for personal gain—I am striving for the great revival of this nation and for all of you, the Snow Ninjas!
Hearing this, the Snow Ninjas were visibly moved by Dotō's lofty ambitions and selfless devotion to the country and its people.
They exchanged glances, their eyes gradually burning with fervor.
Finally, spurred by the prearranged responses from his planted allies—Rōga Nadare, Kakuyoku Fubuki, and Toyū Hyoga—the rest of the Snow Ninjas quickly followed suit without hesitation.
Seeing the crowd roused by his three stooges, Dotō inwardly smirked, laughing at how easily these Snow Ninjas were fooled.
But outwardly, he remained composed.
"Of course, words alone aren't enough. Against that bastard Sōsetsu, our strength is still slightly insufficient. The latest generation of Chakra Armor will take some time to complete. Only with that can we guarantee absolute success!"
Here, Dotō lowered his head with a sigh, shaking it in feigned distress and helplessness.
He lamented that despite his efforts, researching the Chakra Armor required vast funds.
That stingy, greedy brother of his clung tightly to the enormous fortune, leaving Dotō with only his meager salary to invest—far from enough to ensure the project's success.
If only someone, for the sake of righteousness, would selflessly contribute their personal savings to the cause... If such a person existed, once Dotō succeeded in seizing the nation, he would surely reward them with titles and a place in history!
At this point, a few Snow Ninjas sensed something amiss, their expressions growing uneasy.
What was this guy implying?
Not only did he want to hire them without paying, but now he was trying to squeeze money out of them too?
"For the future of this nation! For the future of the Snow Ninjas! I, Roga Nadare of the Snow Ninjas, voluntarily donate all the money I've saved over the years from... ahem, completing missions! I seek neither rank nor fame—only because... I love my country deeply!"
Because of Rōga Nadare's heartfelt words spoken for the sake of righteousness, many Snow Ninjas present were moved to tears.
Soon after, Kakuyoku Fubuki and the burly Toyū Hyoga also took out their wallets to contribute.
The two declared that such a righteous cause was never the responsibility of just one person—it was everyone's duty!
For the future of this country and the Snow Ninjas, they were willing to open their purses generously!
Watching these three set an example, Dotō was deeply moved.
Covering his forehead, he sobbed uncontrollably, declaring that from then on, these three would be his most trusted subordinates, and the positions of army commanders would belong to none other than them!
At this point, the remaining Snow Ninjas could no longer stay calm.
They scrambled to respond, pulling out their life savings hidden in their shoe soles, underwear pockets, and undershirt pockets, rushing forward to hand over their money.
They feared that if they were even a step too late, they might not even secure a squad leader position in the future!
Seeing this, Dotō exchanged a knowing glance with his three stooges and smiled faintly in secret.
These dumbasses were so easy to fool!
"Fubuki, come to my room tonight to help me count the money. I might not be able to handle it alone."
Noticing Dotō's meaningful look, Kakuyoku Fubuki winked flirtatiously, signaling that she would gladly take on such a duty to share her lord's burden, even if it meant death!
Meanwhile, Tōyū Hyōga, who also caught Dotō's glance but misinterpreted it as an invitation to his room tonight, nodded silently in response.
My lord, tonight I am your bear!
Completely unaware that a certain foolish bear had misunderstood him, Dotō pretended to be deeply moved as he watched the Snow Ninjas compete to hand over their money, afraid of falling behind.
"Everyone, I, Kazahana Dotō, swear before you all—once I take over this country and obtain the treasure, I will grant you the best treatment!"
Following the precedent set by the three earlier contributors, the Snow Ninjas quickly echoed that treatment meant nothing to them—they were all doing this for righteousness and the future of the nation!
Just as this deeply moving moment of self-sacrifice for the greater good reached its peak, Katsura who's overwhelmed by the scene, finally... burst into tears.
"Wahhh—I never expected such selfless patriots to exist in this country!"
Everyone fell silent for a few seconds as they took in the sight of the long-haired man weeping uncontrollably, accompanied by a strange white creature equally drenched in tears.
Then, in unison, they asked the most crucial question.
"Who the hell are you...?"
"That doesn't matter!" Katsura cried, clenching his fists in fervent emotion.
"Your selfless devotion to righteousness is what we anti-shogunate patriots value most! And you, younger brother of Lord Sōsetsu—though your stepfather treated you so unfairly, you harbor no resentment, thinking only of this country and its people! Such nobility moves me deeply!"
"Who the hell are you? And who said my father was a stepfather? He's my real father! That bastard Sōsetsu and I share the same mother! I'm his full-blooded brother!"
"What?!" Katsura's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Y-you're Lord Sōsetsu's full-blooded younger brother?!"
"Just look at our faces, damn it! Seriously, who are you?!"
At this moment, Katsura couldn't help but clench his fists, his face filled with indignation and reluctance.
"To treat one's own children with such partiality... Such a father... is unworthy! Completely unworthy!"
"Uh... While you're not wrong, who exactly are you? Can you even hear me? Hey, hey!"
"Yosh! I've decided! For the future of this country and your noble aspirations, I shall join you and fight together for this nation's future!"
Biting his lip, Katsura continued with heartfelt anguish.
"I misjudged Lord Sōsetsu! To think he was such a man! As a ruler of a nation, hoarding vast treasures while ignoring the people's suffering and refusing to reveal them! How despicable!"
"I ask again—who the hell are you?!"