Precise Strike! The Sword slays the Daimyo of the Land of Grass!

"So, you're the one who wants my head?"

A simple question from Whitebeard, filled with his dominating presence, instantly made the situation tense. The Daimyo of the Land of Grass stared wide-eyed, gaping up at Whitebeard's massive and imposing figure. The kingly aura emanating from Whitebeard made everyone feel like a giant boulder was pressing down on their hearts.

The scene fell silent instantly!

"G-Giant?"

"Gulp!!"

The Daimyo swallowed hard, all traces of his noble demeanor gone. Fear surged through him, causing him to retreat. In his panic, he stepped on several of his retainers' feet, and his several hundred pounds of weight made them wince in pain, though none dared to voice it.

Sweat poured down the Daimyo's fat face like rain, and he instinctively fanned himself, trying to cool down in the night breeze.

He only felt somewhat safe after putting ten meters between him and Whitebeard.

"What are those ninjas doing? I pay them nearly 100 million ryo in military funds annually, and this is how they protect me? They should be court-martialed!" he cursed the useless Kusagakure ninjas in his panic.

The retainers surrounding Kushina were equally tense. They looked at each other in confusion, unsure of what to do.

Suddenly, the Daimyo saw someone dressed as an Anbu ninja. Like seeing a savior, he shouted, "You! Yes, you! Come here and stand by me!"

He knew his retainers were no match for a giant who could storm Kusagakure. But the Anbu didn't respond. In fact, the Kusagakure Anbu was too scared to acknowledge the Daimyo. He knew the situation well and valued his own life more than the Daimyo's authority.

"Daimyo-sama, I'm sorry," the Anbu said, drawing a kunai and slicing a line across his forehead protector. "I am no longer loyal to Kusagakure or to you!"

He quickly distanced himself from Kusagakure and pledged, "There can only be one sun in the sky, and in my heart, that sun is 'Whitebeard!'"

The Daimyo was stunned. "You!"

"Gurararara, what's the matter? Don't you want my head anymore?" Whitebeard asked mockingly.

"I-I…" The Daimyo's palms were soaked with sweat, his voice trembling with fear. "I am the Daimyo of the Land of Grass! Yes, I am the Daimyo of the Land of Grass!"

Finding some confidence, he thought his title gave him leverage. Fanning himself frantically to ease his tension and fear, the Daimyo's voice steadied.

"Perhaps we had a misunderstanding, but now it's cleared up. If I'm not mistaken, you've killed the leader of Kusagakure," he said, trying to sound reasonable.

Whitebeard remained silent, staring at him, making the Daimyo's nerves spike again. His voice quickened, "Ninjas cannot kill a Daimyo, as the Daimyo controls the country's economy. In the ninja world, villages may come and go, but Daimyos are permanent. Only a Daimyo can provide money to ninja villages. If you want to take over Kusagakure, I will support you. I will give Kusagakure 2 billion ryo annually and will not interfere in its affairs."

"How about it?" he asked, fanning himself faster, trying to keep his composure.

But Whitebeard's gaze made him feel foolish. Then Whitebeard's words shattered his confidence: "Noble brat, if you die, everything you own will be mine."

The Daimyo was speechless.

He was utterly panicked now.

"G-Giant! If you harm the Daimyo, you'll be the enemy of the entire ninja world!" a retainer shouted bravely. "The Land of Grass will place a bounty on you, and every ninja will hunt you down, making you the enemy of all!"

"And your family will be targeted too! If you touch the Daimyo, your family will be hunted by the entire ninja world!" he threatened.

Oh?

Threatening not just him but his family too?

A shadow crossed Whitebeard's face.

Even the bravest pirate has a bottom line that should never be crossed. For Whitebeard, that bottom line was family. Anyone who threatened or harmed his family was his mortal enemy.

These people had stepped on that line.

"Gurararara! Brats, threatening my family is the fastest way to extinction!" Whitebeard's laughter carried anger and killing intent.

"Karin, close your eyes," Whitebeard instructed.

"Huh? Oh!" Karin quickly shut her eyes, covering them with her hands for good measure.

At that moment, Whitebeard moved!

Switching to a two-handed grip on his Murakumogiri, Whitebeard slashed horizontally without hesitation under the terrified gazes of the Daimyo and his retainers.

Noble of the ninja world? Daimyo? To Whitebeard, they were nothing but dirt.

He might see them as moving ATMs if they didn't threaten his family. But they were as good as dead to him once they crossed that line.

"Wait! Stop!" the Daimyo screamed in terror, but it was too late.

Murakumogiri's blade sliced through the bodies of the retainers in an instant. They had no time to react, let alone escape. Their bodies were cut in half, organs spilling out.

Murakumogiri didn't touch the Daimyo, but the wind pressure from the slash, sharp as a blade, split the Daimyo's obese body!

Splat!

Blood and fat sprayed everywhere.

He died instantly!

"Seems I'm a bit late…" Kakashi arrived, Naruto in tow, looking at the carnage. "This isn't just a diplomatic incident now."

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