Konoha Notes

Chapter 443 The New Order and the Old Dead

Payne stood on the highest terrace of the palace, the hem of his black robe with red clouds fluttering slightly in the wind.

He looked down at the brightly lit warehouse area of ​​the dock, where the chimneys of the workshops were just silent silhouettes in the night, and the lights of the patrol posts were neatly arranged at intervals.

It didn't take much effort to clean this place up.

In reality, he had been controlling the Moon Kingdom for several months. Before that, Nagato had merely occupied the highest palace, letting everything else continue as before. Nobles continued to hold banquets, and merchants continued to trade as usual.

Until he returned from the Land of Snow.

Everything began to develop at a deeper level.

He gave those who held noble titles and enjoyed privileges for generations two choices.

Considering their cooperation over the past few months, they could either relinquish their inherited status and live as ordinary people in the new order, or die here clinging to empty titles that have long since lost their power.

Most people chose the former.

Then, he gathered up the rogue ninjas who had fled overseas.

Most of those people were unruly and bloodthirsty. But having escaped the rule of the five great powers, and facing this archipelago nation, the only one in the vicinity that could still be considered civilized, most of them chose to submit.

After all, a human head isn't as hard as a black rod, a fact that Nagato has proven many times.

Some of them fled to more distant seas, but Nagato didn't care. He only needed enough manpower to carry out orders—maintaining order, allocating supplies, repairing buildings, and relaying messages.

Xiao Nan will be responsible for more practical overall coordination.

Kakuzu and Hidan received a new mission: to hunt down those rogue ninja who hadn't done their jobs properly.

Even a horn can take a corpse and exchange it for money.

Some of the bounties on the Joint Affairs Bureau's wanted list are exchanged through Amegakure's channels; the rest, Konan will directly extract a portion from the Moon Kingdom's tax revenue and re-price it as a reward.

Of course, the reward itself will eventually flow into Akatsuki's public funds. After all, in addition to his position in the Land of the Moon, Kakuzu also has another job as Akatsuki's treasurer.

The money goes out of the left pocket and into the right pocket.

As for who governs the Moon Kingdom now, and how the money circulates...

that's not important.

As for Hidan, he can also accomplish what he wants to do in this process.

Hidan obtained the sacrifices he desired, gaining more opportunities to offer pain and death to the evil god. Those rogue ninjas who tried to hide their wealth, secretly conspire, or even simply slack off became materials for his rituals.

Kakuzu got what he wanted—the sound of money flowing into the accounts, even though those numbers ultimately didn't belong to him personally.

Take what you need.

Nagato watched all of this through the eyes of the Heavenly Dao.

The city lights formed a network of light in the darkness.

There was no revelry at aristocratic banquets, no clamor at gatherings of wealthy merchants, and no harsh shouts from patrol teams.

Only order.

An order directly maintained by power, eliminating all intermediate parasitic layers. Ninja management, ninja execution, ninja maintenance.

There were no lengthy paperwork processes, no departments passing the buck, and no nobles secretly sabotaging things for their own selfish interests.

Nagato closed her eyes.

What he saw through the Yatagarasu further confirmed his idea.

Madara also saw the world now, a country even purer than the Land of Snow.

He offered his opinion.

"My wish is the same as yours: peace."

“Compared to the world created by the organization, they are now struggling in the old order.”

"If you want to communicate, then continue."

"Remind them, inform them."

"The organization has agreed to obtain what we want in a more peaceful way."

“We have proven that we have done our part, and now it is their turn. They should also show their willingness to move towards a better world.”

Nagato accepted the offer.

Madara did not oppose his implementation of the new order in the Land of the Moon, nor did he engage in any underhanded tactics. As a collaborator, he prioritized satisfying Madara's ideas.

In return, he will not cause any unnecessary obstacles.

Besides... Madara is right.

A better world.

A world free from the parasitic nobles and daimyo who occupy the top of the system. Ninjas themselves can create order, bringing both stability and happiness.

Moreover, ninjas are more restrained, understand the limits of power, and are more accustomed to abiding by the rules. Compared to those greedy and cunning elites who only know how to leech off the top of the system, ninjas are clearly more suitable to become the cornerstone of the new world.

So naturally, this is the road.

They have demonstrated the possibility and also pointed out the profound difficulties the other party would encounter if they wanted to emulate them. Now, it's time to make a choice.

Choose the right path.
-
In the Snow Country, within the base.

Orochimaru stood at the edge of the jutsu, his hands still in the final hand seal. His golden vertical pupils were fixed on the coffin in the center.

A figure stepped out. Silver hair, blue armor, a cold and stern face with striking red markings, and an unnatural grayish-white complexion.

Tobirama Senju lowered his head and looked at his palm. Cracks spread from his fingertips to the back of his hand, like a piece of porcelain that had been shattered and then barely glued back together.

“My skills,” he said, “have finally been used on myself.”

The Second Hokage raised his eyes, his red pupils sweeping across the stone chamber before finally settling on Orochimaru.

"How did you steal this technique from Konoha?"

"Steal?" A chuckled voice came from the shadows. "He doesn't need to steal; he's a Konoha ninja! Orochimaru, a disciple of Hiruzen Sarutobi and one of the Legendary Sannin. Oh, you probably haven't heard of that name before, have you? Lord Tobirama Senju~"

Tobirama's eyes narrowed slightly.

This creature...

Half of it was pitch black, and the other half was deathly white, like a corpse that had been soaked for too long. The two colors merged roughly at the midline of the body, creating a patchwork effect that was physically unsettling.

"The monkey's...disciple?" Tobirama turned his gaze back to Orochimaru. "Then, you betrayed the village."

"Betrayal?" Orochimaru finally released his hand seals and flexed his fingers. "That word is too heavy, Second Hokage. I simply... chose a different path."

He looked at Jue, who had fully emerged from the wall, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. "Jue, you don't need to do the self-introduction."

"Oh dear, sorry, sorry~" White Zetsu wasn't scared: "It's just that Konoha is too lively right now, so I couldn't help myself, Orochimaru."

"They looked more flustered than ever before."

"After being chased for so long, it's finally possible to come up with a counterattack that will give them a headache," White Zetsu said gloatingly. "It's really not easy~" Black Zetsu remained silent, only observing Tobirama Senju with his yellow eye.

“Hey, Orochimaru,” White Zetsu continued, “could we try this technique in other countries as well?”

Orochimaru replied calmly, "Of course, absolutely, as long as you grasp the right timing and method."

After saying that, Orochimaru turned his attention back to Tobirama Senju.

The Second Hokage remained calm after stepping out of the coffin.

There was no anger, no attempt to break free from the constraints of reincarnation; he simply stood there.

“Then, let me reintroduce myself.” Orochimaru bowed slightly. “I am Orochimaru, formerly a ninja of Konoha, and now… a seeker of truth. It is an honor to meet you, Second Hokage.”

Tobirama did not respond to this "honor".

He is assessing the current situation.

The accuracy of the Impure World Reincarnation was very low—extremely low. The caster seemed to have only met the minimum requirement of a successful summoning. Was it due to immature technique, or...?

on purpose?
If it was intentional, what was the purpose? To show weakness? To test someone?
Given the body's current state, it cannot dispel the spell on its own. Therefore, the best option is to observe, gather intelligence, and wait for an opportunity.

"Why did you summon me?"

Orochimaru did not answer immediately.

He walked to a stone platform on one side of the chamber, picked up a scroll, and slowly unrolled it. The scroll was covered with writing, as well as various diagrams and markings.

“Absolutely,” Orochimaru said, looking at the scroll, “the problems facing the Land of Fire are the same problems that other great powers are also facing.”

“Even if most of them don’t realize what they will face in the future or what kind of situation it will be, Nagato will gradually show it to all of them.”

"Therefore, Konoha, or rather, the five great ninja villages, will all face a choice."

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed: "Option 1: The ninja village provides sufficient protection for the current nobles and daimyo to ensure their future positions."

“But the nobles who realize the root of the problem are unlikely to keep their verbal promises. They will demand to unite with the ninja clan and they will ask to possess power.”

The white-clad figure smiled and said, "That's good."

In that case, Nagato would no longer have any reservations.

“Option two,” Orochimaru continued, seemingly ignoring Zetsu’s interruption, “If the ninja villages refuse to provide protection to those who are governing the country, then the weaker nobles will use their resources to start pulling the ninja villages down and hindering them.”

“They will spread rumors, secretly fund rogue ninjas, tamper with the allocation of resources, and sabotage diplomatic occasions, using every means they can think of to maintain their precarious position.”

“In fact,” Orochimaru’s voice held a hint of amusement, “they will become our allies, cooperating with our actions to keep the world in a state of conflict.”

"Because only in chaos can they continue to eke out a living."

Black is also very satisfied with this option.

Even if he fails this time, as long as the world remains in chaos, as long as the struggle and hatred continue, he can find an opportunity. He's waited a thousand years; a few more years won't make a difference.

"As for option three..." Orochimaru's smile deepened, "Shuji-kun will once again demonstrate his ability to coordinate the Kage, resolve the root of the problem, and eliminate the current world's administrators."

He paused for a moment, as if waiting for Tobirama's reaction.

But the Second Hokage remained silent, only looking at him with his red eyes.

“If they choose the third path,” Orochimaru said slowly, “they will first face internal conflicts. Even within the ninja villages, there are families or individuals with good relations with the daimyo and nobles. The network of interests is intricate and cannot be severed in a short time.”

"Of course, there is another lazy option—to control only the daimyo. Unfortunately, the daimyo themselves are now being swayed by their subordinates, so it will eventually turn into a war."

“So he can only try to mediate.” Orochimaru started pacing again, this time walking toward Tobirama. “Assuming Shuji can successfully mediate, persuade the Kage, suppress internal opposition, and unify the will of the five great ninja villages.”

He stopped just a step away from Tobirama.

"Then, he will face a deeper problem: how to use tens of thousands of ninjas to replace the former rulers of this world?"

Orochimaru's voice echoed in the stone chamber.

"It's not just about replacement; it also requires simultaneous tasks like maintaining public order, distributing supplies, mediating disputes, and guarding the borders... This might be feasible in a small place, but what about a large country like the Land of Fire? Or the entire ninja world?"

"There are too few ninjas. So few that society has to rely on ordinary people to keep it running, so few that most administrative functions have to be relinquished, so few that—eventually, new management will be created, and that management will sooner or later become a new aristocracy."

Then, in the process, we must also face the challenges from those with ulterior motives.

Orochimaru himself admitted that he was one of them.

"I suppose..." Orochimaru tilted his head slightly, "that's precisely why you're also maintaining the 'one country, one village' system, isn't it?"

"My most respected Second Hokage."

His lips twitched almost imperceptibly, forming a faint, almost sarcastic curve.

"The daimyo have ruled this world for too long." The Second Hokage seemed to be stating a fact that was irrelevant to him: "There are too many countries, large and small, but too few ninjas."

"In an era of competition, where even basic homeland defense is extremely difficult, it is the most cost-effective option for ninja villages to focus on military affairs and missions, with the daimyo as their providers."

“In my time, this was the only option we found.”

"From your tone, I can tell that the times are completely different now, which means that my era has passed."

"If that's the case, then what kind of era are we living in now?"

"You specifically summoned me and let me hear these things, so you must want to get something from me, right?"

Orochimaru.

The air was still for a few seconds.

Jue sat in the corner, tilting his head, his black and white face displaying an expression of watching a show.

Orochimaru remained silent for a moment. He put away the scroll, placed it back on the stone platform, and then turned around to face Tobirama.

"What era?"

"It is an era in which a stagnant world, trapped in a vicious cycle, begins to move forward anew."

"It is an era when a broken windmill begins to turn again."

"It was also because of your brothers' failure to disband the clan that Konoha returned to the world under the Senju clan."

But Orochimaru didn't continue the conversation. He walked to the other side of the stone chamber, took a thick notebook from the shelf, and casually flipped to a page.

"As for the reason for asking you to come out..." Orochimaru raised his head, "It was just a ninjutsu experiment, and I couldn't help but show off a little."

"I admire your wisdom, Second Generation Lord."

“I have received much from your legacy.”

"Consider this my way of repaying you."

"Let me show you how the problems you couldn't solve before will find their answers in this era."

"Let me show you how your system will ultimately end up."

(End of this chapter)