Rei, sitting in the armchair in the corner of Daimyo of the Land of Snow's office, watched the unsuspecting man as he walked into his office, humming a happy tune. It was a bit sad sight in Rei's opinion since the man didn't even know he was about to die in a few days. Or maybe he suspected something going on? It would certainly explain the more frequent visits to his beloved daughter and hiring little and depressed Kakashi to protect her for the next few days.

At least the man had enough common sense to expect someone trying to kidnap his closest family to get an advantage over him during the talks between Yukigakure and the Daimyo of the Land of Snow that will be happening in two days. ​​

Despite all that, Sosetsu Kazahana, still could not see his brother Doto betraying him. 'How sad...' Rei thought with an eye-roll. The man was not stupid. He just... always tried to see the best in people.

Then again, because of that, he always did what he thought was best for the people of the Land of Snow. A trait that made Rei think highly of the man... and ridicule him at the same time. The problem was not that he did so. The problem was Sosetsu did nothing substantial to protect himself and his daughter, to deter anyone trying to take the country from him.

"I see the life of a Daimyo is quite busy." Rei announced his presence to the man shifting through paperwork with a sour expression.

Rei enjoyed how the man stiffened when he registered he was not alone. "And yes... the security in this castle sucks hard. You may think about updating it... Nah, scratch that. You should fire every idiot you call a guard first. I spotted five sleeping on duty, one going at it with a maid, three playing cards, five talking about their scary wives and shivering as I walked right past them, and... well, you get the picture." He sincerely added.

Thoughts flashing through his mind could almost be seen flashing through Sosetsu's eyes as his expression changed almost every second. From stunned to scared, changing to resigned, only to morph again when he heard Rei's jab at the security. It changed to a hopeful one.

"Since you are giving me such advice... you are not here to kill me, are you?" Sosetsu asked in a quiet voice that made it obvious the man was scared beyond belief while trying to look brave.

"That is quite a naive thing to ask. Would I really answer truthfully if I was an assassin?" Rei couldn't help but smile. "But no. I am not here to kill you."

Hearing the answer, Sosetsu sweat-dropped.

'So is he or is he not an assassin!?' He mentally cried in a sullen way.

"I came to propose a, let's call it a business deal." Rei said, standing up.

He walked towards Sosetsu's table, making the man more and more uncomfortable as Rei came closer. When he was finally near the table, Rei reached his hand into a pocket of his black garb, purposefully being slow about it while enjoying how Sosetsu's nervousness levels shot through the roof, making the man sweat like a pig. Rei then quickly whipped his hand out of the pocket and slammed it onto the table.

Sosetsu's heart almost jumped out of his throat at the sudden movement. His body, however, really jumped back on reflex. Or at least, it tried to. His chair blocked his attempt, causing him to flip over alongside it, his feet shooting into the air.

Rei peered in satisfaction at the groaning mess of a man he most likely frightened to death and he couldn't help but chuckle at Sosetsu as he tried to scramble back up while gasping for air.

"Didn't I tell you I am not an assassin? What are you jumping for?" Rei innocently asked, getting only an annoyed grunt in return.

Sosetsu finally managed to stand up and sit again behind his table, this time a lot less wary of Rei than before. Seeing him read through the document he slammed onto the table while being somewhat relaxed, Rei inwardly grinned. 'Well, that worked perfectly, didn't it?'

The more Sosetsu read through what Rei came to propose, the more horrified he became. A huge frown appeared on his face and his wide eyes stared at the text in apprehension.

'Well, at least he didn't freak out. I will give him that.' Rei mentally praised. After all, how many men could stay calm when finding out the preparation for their execution are already in place and they have no way of surviving past the next 2 days? Worse yet, his daughter was also already marked for kidnapping at the very least.

Honestly, there were many ways Kazahana Koyuki could end up after this little rebellion. Running away from the country was a very good outcome. She might have been only a child but she was an heir to the throne in the Land of Snow. Meaning she could become a corpse quite fast. That was also a quite good outcome for her, to be honest. Doto's wife at thirteen, prisoner, slave, toy, experimentation subject in Yukigakure were all possibilites.

Rei made sure to portray the situation somewhat realistically, leaning more towards a pessimistic outcome for the girl. He was here to persuade Sosetsu and what he wanted from the man was a whole lot. He needed Sosetsu desperate so letting the man know his daughter would be saved by the Konoha ninja he hired was a big no-no.

"Oh, and yup, these documents are completely truthful. If you wanna proof I can provide one, no problem." Rei smiled widely at Sosetsu.

"You want me to give you the Land of Snow." Sosetsu said, completely flabbergasted as he leaned on the backrest of his chair, rubbing his eyes.

"I certainly wouldn't call it as such. Nevertheless, don't forget I offer you and your daughter safety." Rei shrugged. Sure, he might be a bit cruel here but honestly? Sosetsu had full accountability for his and Koyuki's situation. If the man were more vigilant and more perceptible to the ugly side of human nature, if he actually employed some skilled ninjas as guards, Rei would not be here today.

The most ironic part of it all was that the Land of Snow, and by extension Sosetsu, was literally drowning in money. The land was quite harsh but their science was top-notch. They were the only party that could be loosely called competition to the Biri-Biri company in the world, despite both focusing on different things and therefore never going into a direct confrontation with each other.

Sosetsu was quiet for ten minutes and Rei simply sat on the couch for guests. He knew this decision was a massive deal for Sosetsu and the Kazahana family.

"I want you to guarantee me you will treat the people of the Land of Snow justly and fairly." Sosetsu finally said in a resigned tone. In the end, the man chose his daughter before his country.

'Define justly and fairly, Sherlock… I am sure Mei would think melting somebody who she deems a prick is quite just and fair in her humble opinion.' Rei inwardly snorted but outwardly he only rolled his eyes. 'But... I can work with this.'

"Nah, do it yourself. Sure, I want control of the Land of Snow and the final say but I never said I want to manage it. Consider yourself hired into the position of the Daimyo." Rei jovially stated. "I want to create a new hidden village so I have no time to manage an entire country. If you want the people to have good lives, then simply stay as a manager of sorts. That way you can check what I do and how I do it. Frankly, I think me being here would give this country more benefits."

"Hidden Village? But we already have Yukigakure..." Sosetsu suddenly quieted down and Rei nodded at him, seeing that the man understood his meaning.

"Well, since they are going to betray you, the Daimyo, I would say they desperately need reforming. And coincidentally, the right man for the work stands right in front of you!" Rei barely held himself back from laughing, the entire situation was incredibly humorous if one wasn't on the receiving end.

Sosetsu stared at Rei with an open mouth when he finally managed to comprehend the magnitude of what Rei wanted from him. He wanted to create the first nation ruled from the shadows by the hidden village in it. And he wanted to keep it secret to boot.

Nobody would know the country was in the hands of another if Sosetsu agreed to stay. And Sosetsu didn't think he had a chance to leave.

Even if he left... what then? While he might be able to gather some support in foreign countries, it would all simply go down to the benefits he would offer these countries. His daughter? Something belonging to his people? Territory? Even if he wanted to retake the country from Rei, he would have to promise something in the possession of his country to others or wed away his daughter. That meant...

"Okay, I will continue being the Daimyo." Sosetsu's shoulders slumped in resignation. He then suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked at Rei with an inquisitive gaze, "To whom am I actually giving my country for the safety of my daughter?"

Rei pursed his lips, "Well, you might know me. I am a bit famous these days." He reached his hand over the table for a handshake with a pleasant but somewhat mischievous smile plastered on his face, "Rei, the leader of Yozora, nice to meet you."

Sosetsu fainted.