When Ringo saw that Samui was still not inclined to accept, she groaned in annoyance and stood up.
"Fine!" Ringo gruffly complained. "I'll get you your much-needed permission then."
Ringo naturally knew what was the problem with the girl. She came from a similar environment and for people like them, betraying their leaders was unthinkable. Simply put, the hidden villages were good at washing them... brains.
This wasn't all that bad, however. While Samui saw her stubborn and senseless loyalty as a reason why Ringo would most likely kill her, Ringo saw a massive value in it. All she had to do was to switch whom Samui considers her leader and she would have a loyal minion.
Ringo moved towards A and Mabui, and Samui wanted to intervene but when Ringo noticed, Samui suddenly froze and her eyes widened in fright as a wave of overpoweringly potent killing intent washed over her.
"You stay put!" Ringo pointed at Samui and ordered, giving the blonde a meaningful look.
'What the hell is this!?' Samui mentally freaked out, trying to move her body but it refused to budge no matter how much she mentally pushed.
As much as Samui was resolved to die for her village leader, the killing intent was too strong and took her by complete surprise, freezing even an experienced jonin like her. It evoked the same reaction a prey has when cornered by a predator it can't overcome.
Ringo casually walked towards A and when she was near them, Mabui stood up, placing herself in between A and Ringo with desperate determination shining in her eyes...
"Move." Ringo spoke in irritation, at the useless action.
Mabui was clearly shaking in her boots, deeply afraid and unwilling to even look Ringo in the eyes but Ringo had to admit, the woman really did love A. After all, she refused to step out of Ringo's path.
Unfortunately, this was not some sappy story where love prevails over all other evil beings that definitely do not feel love because that's reserved only for the main hero and heroine.
"I sa-" Ringo started again, this time her tone was pretty forceful, carrying a premonition of what would happen if she was not obeyed.
Her sentence was, however, interrupted by A who was sitting on the floor, leaning against a small part of a half-demolished wall, "Mabui... let her through."
From his tone, it was obvious the man knew the battle was over but his reluctance to just give up was obvious.
'Stubborn beyond reason.' Ringo mentally snorted. 'Let's see how far your stubbornness reaches.'
When Mabui stepped aside, Ringo smirked at the man with three of his limbs broken. Those were visible injuries but Ringo knew how and where she hit him. At the moment, he should have half of his ribs broken in several places and his pelvis cracked alongside with a quite nasty concussion.
It was not enough to kill him but definitely enough to get him out of a fighting condition for a long time.
"You know what I want. We were speaking loudly enough for you to hear and despite my belief in the stupid cliches and my utmost certainty that yes, you are a muscle-headed idiot, you are also the leader of an entire ninja village. I reckon you came to your own conclusions upon listening to my talk with Samui." Ringo boredly said.
"Do you really think I would let you have one of my ninjas?" A spoke in a low voice, his anger and battle intent surging up... yet his body was in no state to fight. In the end, he could only glare at Ringo and act tough, "I might have been defeated but I still have my pride as Raikage!"
The second he finished that sentence, he started coughing blood due to how his body shook from anger. Mabui quickly jumped close to him, concern written all over her face as she gently put her hand glowing with green medical Jutsu on his chest.
"Careful to not pop a vein, Rai-ka-ge." Ringo playfully teased with a smug smile. "You should not be so aggressive with all those broken ribs in your chest."
If the way A took a deep breath with an irritated whine to calm his anger down at that remark was any indication, Ringo's advice was taken to heart. She cheekily smiled with a satisfied nod, causing A to grit his teeth even more, before she put her hands on her hips, her petite form towering over the massive sitting man.
It made her oddly proud. Normally, she wouldn't have reached even up to his chest if they stood side by side.
"As for your pride..." Ringo hummed, "I wonder what is more precious to you. Your pride or that woman's life." She gestured with her chin towards Mabui who froze before pursing her lips and deciding to focus on treating A's injuries, pretending she did not hear a thing.
A scoffed at that, "As if you would let us live." He snarked.
The situation looked pretty hopeless, in his opinion. There was no snowball chance in hell for Samui and Mabui to beat Ringo and he was out of commission. It was game over.
Ringo rolled her eyes at him, "Unlike you, I don't have some profound grudge against you. If I can profit from letting you live, I will do that. It's called being responsible and giving priority to benefits over personal vengeance. You know... the stuff someone in your position should be aware of." She couldn't help but take a jab at him.
After all, the whole reason why Kumo joined in this invasion was that A held a grudge.
"So? Which is it? Samui's ownership... er, I mean your permission for her to become my apprentice." Ringo chuckled, "or Mabui's life? Which girl is more dear to your heart, I wonder?" She teasingly added.
A gritted his teeth and lowered his head before he quietly spoke, "-ui."
"What was that?" Ringo leaned closer, her smile widening, "I didn't hear you well."
"I said... Mabui." A let out through his gritted teeth, his face flushed red from shame.
"Oh? You want me to kill Mabui?" Ringo feigned a gasp as she exclaimed in mock surprise.
A's head snapped up before he hastily shouted, "No!"
"No?" Ringo repeated, tilting her head. "You sure are a confusing man. Thumbs up to the woman who can tolerate you."
Hearing her, A realized she was just having fun at his expense and his silent rage and shame deepened.
Inwardly, he swore he would have his revenge one day if she really let him and Mabui leave alive.
"You really won't attack Kumo if I relinquish her to you?" A doubtfully asked.
With this failure of an invasion, A knew he would have to spend several more years rebuilding Kumo's forces. He also knew how vulnerable his village would have been.
That didn't mean they were weak. Even with this loss, Kumo was still a top powerhouse in the world... or so he thought.
But as powerful as his village was, there were monsters like the Fifth Mizukage who could handle most of Kumo's high-ranking ninjas by herself. A really underestimated her. Now he saw she was on the same level as his late father and only a massive army could wear her down before she could be killed.
Alas, Kumo simply could not afford the kind of losses such a thing would require. Not now.
Having the Mizukage promise not to attack personally was a big boon. A was not afraid of Kirigakure. He believed Kumo could fend off any attack that wasn't led by the monster in front of him.
"And what use would Kumo be to me? I only care about my swords." Ringo deadpanned before shrugging. "I personally won't move a finger for Kumo so do go on. Say the words. We both know what has to be spoken."
A sighed, turning towards Samui who was looking at him in shock... It made him a bit sorry since the girl was one of his brother's students... and with a great distaste, he spoke, "Go with her and serve her well. For Kumo's sake."
He couldn't force himself to put it into a longer sentence. It still felt like a shit to throw the woman in the path of a kunai to save his own hide.
'For Kumo, my ass.' Samui coldly thought but outwardly, she just bowed, "As you wish, A-sama."
She was still somewhat shaken. She would have never imagined being handed to Ringo like this. The A she knew was a prideful man who would rather let her die than hand her ove-
'Ah...' Samui's mind suddenly halted as she came upon a realization that soured her mood. 'So I now have to watch out for Kumo assassins, don't I?'
As a ninja, she was prepared for the unexpected but this turned her whole life upside down. With just that one sentence, whether she accepted or not, changed her allegiance without needing her input on the matter.
"See? That didn't even hurt!" Ringo happily exclaimed while turning towards Samui, "I told you that you will be my apprentice, eh?"
"Yes..." Samui sourly spoke.
"Yes...?" Ringo expectantly trailed off, giving Samui a look.
"Yes... Master." Samui relented with a sigh. 'Might as well just go along with it.'
Just like that, Ringo obtained her first poke-... apprentice. She was already mentally calculating what kind of hellish training she would put the poor Samui through in order for her to catch up to the apprentices of her sister-wives.