Traveling through three generations: Making Konoha great again!

Hozuki Gengetsu was enraged.

He had considered that Kiritori might do something even more amazing.

For example, even when they returned to the village, they couldn't organize an effective troop, and things became a complete mess...

There's even a possibility of internal strife or something similar.

In Hozuki Gengetsu's opinion, Kiritori was an amateur when it came to fighting, but as a man who bore the name of "Kage," he had to do some basic things.

It's okay to do it poorly, but you must do it...

"Hey, Tobirama Senju, did you hear me?!"

"Hey, hey"

Hozuki Gengetsu activated his chakra, frantically pressing the White Zetsu connection module on his body:

"I, the Second Mizukage, am going to kill the Third Mizukage!"

"I give up. Kirigakure and I were wrong. Can't we find a way to make it up to Konoha?!"

Regarding Madara Uchiha's instruction to put pressure on Hiruzen Sarutobi...

At this moment, Hozuki Gengetsu felt it was all a huge joke.

Add pressure?

Should it be given to Kirigakure or Hiruzen Sarutobi?

After the Third Mizukage ran back to Kirigakure, he discovered that only a small number of loyal followers still obeyed him, while the vast majority of Kirigakure ninja were in a state of inexplicable rage.

The entire village was like a pressure cooker about to explode…

Because the Third Mizukage's logic of trust has failed.

The high pressure and cruelty of the Village of Blood Mist allow the Mist Ninja to maintain their hope because they believe that this environment of mutual antagonism might actually forge the ninja's qualities...

But after being defeated by Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Kirigakure's ability to convince themselves crumbled!

From the perspective of the Third Mizukage, even Nakamaro, who was most loyal to him, raised questions at this moment…

"Didn't you say that the Village of Blood Mist would make Mist Village better?"

These seemingly innocuous words left the Third Mizukage speechless.

Under immense pressure and public condemnation, his morality and beliefs once again faltered…

Thus, the Third Mizukage brazenly looted most of Kirigakure's various secret techniques and scriptures, and destroyed the village with powerful Water Release techniques! These traitors had no idea of ​​his heart for Kirigakure!

Even if Blood Mist Village failed, wasn't the starting point good?

Why can't you be understanding of him!

In a state of extreme emotion, the Third Mizukage abandoned his dignity as a "Kage," conjuring up a logic of betrayal that justified his descent into darkness. He led his ninja, including the legendary master Genji, Suigetsu Hozuki, and a small number of Kirigakure ninja, to plunder throughout the Land of Water, becoming a nomadic bandit. If it weren't for the presence of some guard ninja at the Daimyo's residence, the Third Mizukage, fearing he might be entangled, would have encountered Hiruzen Sarutobi, whom he had originally intended to kill outright!

In this way, the situation in the Land of Water can be completely thrown into chaos, becoming a physical buffer zone.

In fact, there was no need to kill the daimyo; the situation had already completely collapsed after the Third Mizukage destroyed the village.

The pent-up emotions of the Kirigakure ninja completely erupted, and the leaderless village tore itself apart into numerous groups that wreaked havoc throughout the Land of Water. Kirigakure, one of the Five Great Hidden Villages, split into a series of wandering ninja organizations...

"Feed..."

"Mr. Huan Yue, this is Ah Huo..."

"Lord Tobirama is busy right now. He'll get back to you later. Please proceed with the original plan for now..."

After Hozuki Gengetsu called several times, Ah-Hui took over the communication network and finally responded.

In reality, Madara was enjoying a highlight reel of Hiruzen Sarutobi in his armor, reminiscing about his youth, and therefore had no time to pay attention to Gengetsu Hozuki. "What am I supposed to execute according to the original plan? Attack Hiruzen Sarutobi?"

Even Hozuki Gengetsu is about to lose his composure:

"Aren't you his master? Tobirama-nii, I beg you, please stop targeting me and Kirigakure! It's all Kiritori's fault for starting this war, I'll kill him right now!"

"You see, you always talk about murder..."

Ah Huo lightly swept past:

"Lord Tobirama has other matters to attend to. If you don't have any plans for the time being, then rest here and wait for further instructions..."

"no…"

"I am a reincarnated puppet!"

Hozuki Gengetsu cursed, "I'll just shut up the whole fart!"

But the communication network had been disconnected, and no one was responding to him anymore…

What does "Tobirama Senju" mean?

Hozuki Gengetsu covered his forehead and said to Mu beside him:

"I don't understand. Kirigakure is already so rotten, why doesn't Konoha just send troops to take over by force? What good would it do me to ambush Hiruzen Sarutobi?"

Wu fell into deep thought, his eyes flickering.

He seemed to have vaguely grasped something, but he wasn't sure...

"You can't answer difficult questions either, huh?"

Hozuki Gengetsu really wanted to confront Sarutobi Hiruzen right now.

However, while his body was under control, he could still act freely as long as he didn't disobey Madara Uchiha's will; the moment he had any unusual thoughts, he would immediately stop. "You know what, what you said about moral decline is actually true!"

"Kiritori has become a complete mess..."

Hozuki Gengetsu grabbed Mu's shoulder with such force that he almost ripped the stitches off his bandages.

"Say something! You know so much, why don't you give me some advice!"

Everyone looked speechless.

Have you forgotten that we're mortal enemies?

Am I, a Tsuchikage, supposed to give advice to Kirigakure?

"That's right! You bastard, you're the one who encouraged me to let Kirigiri escape... If you hadn't released that Manri Earth Flow Wall, how could Hiruzen Sarutobi have failed to kill him!"

Hozuki Gengetsu glared at Mu and roared, "I'll kill you!"

Do I need to repeat what you already said?

Wu rolled his eyes: "You and I are both impure earth and puppet bodies. If you think you can do it, then come on."

Hozuki Gengetsu took a deep breath, feeling as if he had transformed into a steam-blown explosive...

It's going to burst!

This lifeless, utterly pathetic state is just like a miniature Todoroki, it's so annoying...

"You just wait!"

"Do you think Tobirama Senju will let Iwagakure go? If you don't help me, I'll make sure your village suffers!" Hozuki Gengetsu gritted his teeth and said viciously.

"You dare?"

"What wouldn't I dare to do? Go and tell Tobirama Senju what you have to say!"

The two men were face to face, spitting as they spoke.

After a long while, they exchanged a cold snort and parted ways.

"Kimitori's strategy is to turn the entire Kirigakure region, and even the Land of Water, into a quagmire even worse than the Warring States period, turning the whole territory into scorched earth and thus losing its strategic value."

"Konoha, which is fighting against the other three great hidden villages, will inevitably face intense pressure on its front lines. Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi will have to decide whether to return to defend..." "In that case, Kirigori might actually survive. With his Water Release techniques, if he hides, it will be very difficult to find him unless there is a well-organized team. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi would find it difficult to do so..."

Wu was out of ideas, so he started analyzing the situation for Hozuki Gengetsu.

That madman keeps his word; he said he'd self-destruct with him back then, and he did.

It's safe to say that Tobirama Senju has his eye on Iwagakure.

Hozuki Gengetsu would definitely be the first to charge forward, unleashing his explosive power at the Iwagakure army formation...

These are all cases with prior convictions.

However, Hozuki Gengetsu appears to be without a clear understanding.

They are people who don't go back on their word.

I'll analyze this for him myself, so that if Tobirama Senju really sends him to deal with Iwagakure ninjas in the future, he can go a little easier on them...

"So, killing Kirigori now is pointless. The Hokage won't want this kind of rotten land; it's too difficult to govern it." "Just like you and I used to always plunder the ready-made spoils from other hidden villages, there's a huge gap between conquering land and actually occupying and annexing it, and the manpower required is extremely high."

Wu's gaze was deep and unfathomable.

"Although Kiritori is insane, he is ruthless. He not only drove away commoners, but also killed many officials and nobles along the way, causing chaos in various places..."

"Konoha is at war on all sides, and the relationship between ninjas and nobles has always been ambiguous. It's impossible for them to have the time to patiently manage the dilapidated Land of Water..." Hozuki Gengetsu listened with a heavy heart.

"So, Kirigakure... no, the Land of Water is going to regress to the chaotic Warring States period? That bastard Kiritori is like a rat in the gutter, and nobody can do anything about him?"

"I'm afraid that's the case..." Wu nodded solemnly.

Even though he was an enemy of Wuyin and Huanyue, seeing such a chaotic world made Wu feel very uncomfortable.

On one hand, it was out of a bit of humanity; on the other hand, Iwagakure was definitely among Tobirama's targets.

Such ruthless methods sent chills down Wu's spine...

With a mere flick of his wrist, he turned Kirigakure into a scorched wasteland worse than even the Warring States period, without Konoha suffering any bad reputation whatsoever. To everyone else, it seemed as if the Third Mizukage had simply gone mad…

What a magnificent first-generation dark ninja!

Hozuki Gengetsu's face was gloomy, his mood extremely heavy:

"I want to do what I can for Kirigakure and the Land of Water!"

"Forget it. If your identity is exposed, you don't want Tobirama Senju to do anything, do you? Don't think he's already at his worst; he has plenty of methods and strength..."

Wu sighed.

Hozuki Gengetsu was utterly weak, his eyes dull and lifeless: "Kigakure... why has it become like this?!"

But a dozen days later...

Hozuki Gengetsu and Mu, who were still staying in Kirigakure, were shocked to discover that Hiruzen Sarutobi had not withdrawn his troops!

Not only that, they even sent a large number of nobles and grain!

After encountering civilians coerced by Kiritori, Hiruzen Sarutobi realized that this was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for the Mizukage to voluntarily abandon the rule of law... Power does not exist in a vacuum; it can only be replaced.

This is his best chance to get in.

Even though the Land of Water, reduced to half-scorched earth, is relatively difficult to govern, it is not a major problem for the ninja world.

The ninja world's infrastructure is being built up very quickly. As long as order and production can be restored rapidly, it won't be long before Kirigakure and the Land of Water are once again thriving...

Moreover, the Land of Water has another unique feature: it has been completely closed off from the world for many years. Once it opens up to the outside world and establishes a trade cycle, it is very easy to improve the standard of living.

We don't need to provide much material assistance; we just need to help them overcome the initial difficulties. In the future, we will provide Hiruzen Sarutobi with a large amount of resources that are scarce in the Land of Fire and Konoha.

It's worth his attention.

#

A town in the Land of Water.

The aerial fortress was slowly descending from mid-air.

These days, the air fortress and air squadrons have made countless trips between the two countries of water and fire.

However, with the Zero-Tails as a power source, at least until the energy stored in the Box of Bliss and the Zero-Tails itself is exhausted, the Konoha ninjas do not need to expend chakra.

This time, what was transported were bureaucrats from the Land of Fire who were usually idle.

Most of them were the second sons or illegitimate sons of noble families.

Under the scheme of Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, the performance of the bureaucrats of the Land of Fire was strictly linked to the "Holy Land Pills" and Konoha's high-end medical care, and was also related to the quota of "Holy Land Cosmetics".

The immense profits and health at stake, along with the strong confidence and consensus regarding Konoha's technology, have made the bureaucrats of the Land of Fire extremely motivated, unwilling to lose their existing quotas.

Therefore, nobles and their eldest sons often worked very hard, because those who were not capable would be immediately kicked out.

Even lower-level bureaucrats are working very hard because of the special access channels they designed.

Therefore, many ambitious and capable nobles could not find a place to use their talents…

After Hiruzen Sarutobi communicated with the daimyo, his younger brother immediately expressed his full cooperation with his elder brother.

They even showered Hiruzen Sarutobi's martial prowess with a variety of astonishing praises...

Kujo Gen, the daimyo of the Land of Fire, felt his emotions were genuine.

Because with his experience of spending so much time with Hiruzen Sarutobi, he could tell at a glance that his older brother was going to take over the Land of Water!

It's a grand undertaking that fundamentally transforms the Land of Water into a part of the Land of Fire, addressing the problem at its core...

Kujo Gen never imagined that simply by cooperating with Sarutobi Hiruzen, he would become a daimyo recorded in history books, renowned for his territorial expansion!

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled as he watched the young officials of the Land of Fire emerge from the aerial fortress.

These young men are clearly ambitious and energetic, wanting to make a name for themselves in the Water Kingdom, which is why they've chosen a new path...

The young officials stood in a line, led by a high-ranking nobleman. As if they had rehearsed beforehand, they were surprisingly organized, like ninjas, and quickly formed a neat array.

The leader strode out:

"Reporting to the General, the Fire Country's Kirigakure (Hidden Mist Village) siege force has arrived. Please give the orders!"

In the Land of Fire, nobles are now more accustomed to calling Hiruzen Sarutobi "Great General" rather than "Hokage".

This makes us seem closer.

"very good!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded: "The detailed rules will be sent to you later..."

"I only want to emphasize two points: to quickly organize the livelihood of the people of the Water Kingdom, to restore basic order as soon as possible, and to maintain a friendly attitude towards the civilians who cooperate with us."

"Men, I see the ambition in your eyes, and I like it."

"The Land of Water is a brand new peace, where your talents and abilities can be put to good use. I will regard this as an extremely important political achievement," said Hiruzen Sarutobi, causing the young officials to blush slightly.

This is exactly what they wanted!

In the Land of Fire, even with their great abilities, they had little opportunity to showcase their talents.

And at this moment.

Hyuga Tenzo arrived with a large group of people.

They are officials of the Land of Water and the Daimyo Prefecture.

During this period, after gaining a basic understanding of the people's sentiments in the Land of Water, Tenzo and Hizashi proactively and secretly approached the daimyo of the Land of Water. All indications suggest that during the Blood Mist Village period, the daimyo and nobles of the Land of Water were also in a state of extreme panic, harboring extraordinary fear and resentment towards the Third Mizukage.

The concern that ninja violence would lead to chaos is the core issue of the distorted relationship between the hidden villages and the nation.

After the Third Mizukage turned into a bandit who burned, killed, and looted, such concerns were amplified to the extreme.

So much so that the daimyo of the Land of Water was prepared to close his eyes and wait for death after learning that Hiruzen Sarutobi had landed.

Although Konoha and other hidden villages are indeed quite different in the eyes of the nobles.

But since the Third Mizukage betrayed them and broke the treaty first, even if Hiruzen Sarutobi led his ninjas to plunder the Land of Water again, no one could say anything.

To the great surprise of the Daimyo of the Land of Water, Tenzo brought news of cooperation!

After shedding Hiruzen Sarutobi's noble title of "Great Shogun," Tenzo, accompanied by the daimyo of the Land of Water, secretly visited the capital of the Land of Fire and met with Kujo Motonari for a private discussion...

The daimyo of the Land of Water has arrived!

When the daimyo of the Land of Water entered the capital of the Land of Fire, he sadly discovered that he was like a country bumpkin, finding everything new and amazing...

It's developing too well!

The familiar and friendly attitude of Tenzo and the high-ranking officials of the Land of Fire surprised the Daimyo of the Land of Water.

This was completely different from the extremely wary situation in Kirigakure; the two sides clearly had a close relationship.

With all these factors combined...

This led the Daimyo of the Land of Water to come up with an idea that even he found astonishing!

The defeat of the Third Mizukage is a great thing...

If the Blood Mist Village continues down this path, both the Land of Water and the Hidden Mist will descend into a terrible abyss from which they cannot extricate themselves. Therefore, it is better to detonate it in advance and destroy it before building it up!

Hiruzen Sarutobi was unlike any other ninja he knew, including the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju.

No, they shouldn't be called ninjas...

Instead, they should be revered as the pillars of the nation!

"Hokage-sama, Hokage-sama..."

The daimyo of the Land of Water came running over and, in front of all the officials of the Land of Fire, immediately demanded a dogeza (a deep bowing gesture).

Hiruzen Sarutobi had a sudden thought and supported him, indicating that he could speak if he had something to say.

"The Land of Water has absolutely no intention of going to war with the Land of Fire! It was that bastard Third Mizukage who forced it! The Land of Water and Fire already had a peace treaty, but Kirigori stubbornly went his own way and did all sorts of things that angered both heaven and man!"

The daimyo of the Land of Water, with tears streaming down his face, said:

"He repeatedly threatened me, officials at all levels, and the people with force, levying taxes, grain, and minerals, wreaking havoc on the country's economy and order. Anyone who tried to persuade him was killed..."

"I tried many times to ask for help from the outside world, but he actually used the terrain of the Land of Water and its policy of isolation to create the Blood Mist Village, preventing anyone from even speaking out!"

"It's so good to have you here!"

The daimyo of the Land of Water spoke from the bottom of his heart.

Along the way, the daimyo of the Land of Water also saw several towns that had been integrated by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Prosperity is out of the question, as it hasn't been long, but basic order has been restored.

The people began to do what they could, and their smiles were much brighter than when they were in the Blood Mist.

The ninja men of Konoha are far too kind…

They are given food and clothing as long as they work.

They wouldn't mutter things like "blood mist" or "loyal water shadow" while hitting and killing people for fun...

Their level of skill is unlike that of a traditional ninja!

"I heard from my younger brother..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled slightly: "Oh, it's Kujo Gen. We're related by marriage. He said you and he are also related by blood, so in a way, we're family."

The daimyo of the Land of Water's eyes lit up: "Yes, yes, you're absolutely right, we're all family!"

This one sentence made the Daimyo of the Land of Water understand that the Hokage wanted to reason with him.

Let's all give each other a way out and put all the blame on the Third Mizukage. Konoha and the Land of Water have good intentions, but it was that bastard Kirigori who messed things up.

This move, targeting the daimyo of the Land of Water, was also a crucial step taken by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Given the distorted ecosystem of the ninja world, although the hidden villages are the core power of a country, the laws are actually controlled by the daimyo who can control the majority of the population.

Therefore, for the Land of Water, which has collapsed and is in a state of chaos, the fastest way to grasp the law is to directly engage with the Daimyo of the Land of Water using the noble status of General Hiruzen Sarutobi.

In this way, Konoha's subsequent actions will become legitimate, reducing a lot of internal friction.

I understand your helplessness…

Hiruzen Sarutobi patted the daimyo of the Land of Water on the shoulder, his expression becoming slightly stern:

"But as a daimyo, you, as well as the Land of Water, bear the responsibility for this war, even with the Third Mizukage, that heartless scoundrel, interfering..."

The daimyo of the Land of Water had a sudden thought.

This couldn't be better for him to make a statement!

First, the fundamental issue lies with the Third Mizukage, which already resolves 90% of the problem…

As for Hiruzen Sarutobi's intentions, the Land of Water will certainly have to pay some price and compensation.

But in the eyes of the daimyo of the Land of Water, this was perfectly justified.

It could be said that if Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't accepted the compensation, the Daimyo of the Land of Water would have felt uneasy and would have tried every means to force the Land of Fire and Konoha to pay it...

Free things are the most expensive, because that means the price can be set arbitrarily, including their lives.

"You're absolutely right!"

The daimyo of the Land of Water nodded repeatedly, his tone and demeanor extremely sincere:

"The Land of Water sincerely wishes to receive your forgiveness and prays that the Will of Fire will descend upon this land filled with malice and purify it..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, gesturing for a table and chairs to be brought over.

The two sat down.

Hiruzen Sarutobi handed him a document, which was a comprehensive plan he devised for the Land of Water and the future reconstruction of Kirigakure, based on his own observations and Tenzo's research.

The Water Kingdom agreed without even looking at it.

"No, we should still take a look..."

"Establishing a framework for cooperation and formulating a standard that can be implemented in the long term would be most beneficial for both of our countries. I don't like forced sales."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said calmly.

The daimyo of the Land of Water's expression turned serious. He paused, then nodded earnestly:

"I was presumptuous, I apologize, General!"

He could sense the sincerity in Hiruzen Sarutobi standing before him.

Even though the Land of Water is currently in a completely disadvantaged position, Hiruzen Sarutobi still maintains a "cooperative" attitude and shows basic respect for him as a person.

The treaty is as follows.

Konoha assisted in eliminating the Third Mizukage and his followers, public enemies of the nation, who had been involved in a rebellion and massacre.

The agreement stipulates that the Land of Water's civilians, ninjas, and nobles will not be harmed, the legitimacy of the Land of Water's daimyo will be upheld, and the highest level of security protection will be provided. The Land of Fire will provide the Land of Water with urgently needed food, supplies, and medical support to assist in restoring national order. This payment will be calculated at a fair price.

However, even with the Third Mizukage's involvement, the Land of Water must still pay corresponding compensation.

The Land of Water will pay the Land of Fire war reparations for this Shinobi World War, to be paid in ten installments.

The compensation is mainly in the form of in-kind benefits such as marine resources, shipping lane usage rights, rare minerals, and aquatic products and grains.

Military restrictions were also imposed, with the Land of Fire having the authority to supervise and verify the research and development of forbidden techniques in Kirigakure once a year.

The Land of Water must fully cooperate with Konoha to hold war criminals accountable in this war and show them no leniency.

There are also long-term strategic partnership clauses.

The Land of Fire obtains exclusive priority access to all ports and shipping lanes of the Land of Water, and merchant ships from the Land of Fire enjoy tax reductions at the ports of the Land of Water. The development of marine resources and minerals in the Land of Water must prioritize cooperation with merchant caravans and nobles from the Land of Fire, and exclusive agreements with the other three major powers are prohibited. The Land of Water's minting rights are supervised by Konoha.

In all international affairs, including the Five Kage Summit and the Shinobi Alliance, the Land of Fire must maintain a consistent stance and must not sign any agreements with the other three major powers targeting the Land of Fire.

The two countries established a permanent military defense alliance. If either side is attacked by a third party, the other side will provide unconditional military support. Furthermore, they will construct Flying Thunder God defense base stations on the mainland of the Land of Water.

The ninja system will cooperate deeply, and Konoha and Kirigakure will establish a permanent ninja exchange mechanism. Kirigakure can send ninjas to Konoha for further training every year, and Konoha can send Jonin to Kirigakure for teaching and guidance.

The Water Country's system will also fully align with the Fire Country's. As a gesture of goodwill for cooperation, Konoha will provide a precious quota of "Sacred Pills" to all sincere nobles and officials.

The last point is to ensure policy continuity.

A portion of the bureaucrats from the Land of Fire and the ninjas from Konoha will serve as instructors, with their numbers kept within a reasonable range, and will be stationed long-term in the Hidden Mist and the Land of Water to ensure the treaty is effectively implemented.

"call…"

The daimyo of the Land of Water let out a long breath and nodded firmly: "Thank you, Hokage!"

"I have read it word by word. Please allow me to express my gratitude once again for your kindness. May the Land of Fire and the Land of Water forever be friends, becoming brothers bound by blood!"

While the treaty did contain provisions for the Land of Water's economy and military, it was a very lenient requirement within the ninja world.

For the Land of Water, which has already been reduced to a near-scorched wasteland, core powers such as the "right to mint coins" and the "right to garrison troops" are now mere empty titles. Hiruzen Sarutobi's willingness to help is to prevent the Land of Water from returning to the chaotic Warring States period, and in a sense, he is doing the same thing as the First Mizukage, Byakuren.

Given this, it's surprising enough that Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't say he wanted to become the Mizukage or the Daimyo of the Land of Water!

Hiruzen Sarutobi declined the offer.

Just as nothing is said.

Governing a country and a hidden village requires enormous costs, and Hiruzen Sarutobi did not want to waste too much of Konoha and the Land of Fire's precious population here.

All we need to do is focus on the key aspects and steadily transfer the essence of the Land of Water to Konoha.

Because of the Third Mizukage's isolationist policies and the Blood Mist Village, even with this treaty signed, life in the Land of Water will be much better than before... Hiruzen Sarutobi, while enjoying the meat, still prefers to give others a sip of soup.

In some ways, the Third Mizukage truly laid an extremely solid and indelible foundation for cooperation between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire… “Alright, let’s sign it!”

"In that case, please, accompanied by Hizashi, quickly announce the cooperation treaty in the capital of the Land of Water, so that all levels of officials know about it, and then go to the capital of the Land of Fire to take refuge..."

"You can come back after I've cleaned up the unstable factors in the Land of Water..." After the treaty was signed, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled slightly, and his tone became more polite.

"Lord Hokage, if you don't mind, please call me your younger brother!" the Daimyo of the Land of Water said, seizing the opportunity.

Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed heartily: "Of course, of course!"

On the other side of the Land of Water.

As the leader of the most powerful ninja group in the Land of Water at this time, Nakamaro secretly communicated with Tenzo after the Hidden Mist Village split, and learned about Konoha's series of actions.

Under his command are Kisame, Yuki, Mei Terumi, Juzo Biwa, and Mangetsu Hozuki.

The village boasts a carefully selected roster of Kaguya, Ice Release clan members, bloodline ninjas he protected during his time in the Village of the Blood Mist, and numerous Mist ninjas who look up to him. At first glance, Nakamaro's place resembles a strictly hierarchical mini-Mist Village!

"well…"

After learning that the Daimyo of the Land of Water had cooperated with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Nakamaro was overjoyed, but he did not rush to confront his subordinates. Instead, he pretended to be very depressed and anxious and convened a meeting.

"What do you think we should do now?"

"That traitor, Kiritori! I've had my suspicions about him for a long time, but I never imagined he'd be so utterly depraved, abandoning even basic humanity and his feelings for Kirigakure..."

Nakamaro's face was very gloomy.

The ninjas below nodded in agreement.

To others, Nakamaro was once seen as a sword of the Third Mizukage, but the ninjas he protected knew that this mysterious man and the Mizukage were not of one mind at all.

During this time, the remnants of the Hidden Mist army that he had gathered gradually learned of this, and were deeply impressed by Nakamaro's ability to remain at ease in the Blood Mist and to unleash his human wisdom and conscience.

"Now, the Third Hokage and the Daimyo of the Land of Water have formed an alliance..."

"Take a look!"

Nakamaro let out a long breath, his expression hesitant.

He did this because the relationship between Kirigakure and the Land of Water has always been strained, and the Kirigakure ninja, who were recently fighting against Konoha, suddenly led them to join the Hokage's ranks. The psychological transition might not be smooth.

For the sake of his career, Nakamaro decided to use a play to win them over.

"This…"

"The Hokage is so generous? This whole thing is about cooperation; I thought we were going to attack the Land of Sinking Water!" a Kirigakure ninja exclaimed in shock. "Yeah, yeah, all that talk about ports and tax-free zones—we were completely closed off before, none of that mattered! The Hokage can take it if he wants; it's no big deal..."

A member of the Kaguya clan said casually, "It's already a great thing that we can buy the supplies from the Land of Fire!" Many people's eyes lit up with joy.

Their biggest concern was what to do if Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was like a demon god, launched an indiscriminate attack on the Land of Water. Should they surrender or resist?

Now that a respectable path is laid out before them, most of the Mist Ninja are in turmoil.

"I don't think it's a good sign!"

"This treaty is fair, but is there any trust among ninjas?" Nakamaro said deliberately.

"Besides, Kirigakure was the one who started the war. What if there's a trap involved?"

Terumi Mei's heart skipped a beat; the clever girl had already understood Nakamaro's intention, and she frowned as she said:

"Nakamaro, don't go to such extremes! If it were any other Kage, what you said might make sense, but this is the Third Hokage. Don't you know his reputation and word-of-mouth?"

"Even someone like Kiritori, the Hokage spoke up for him, all to establish an alliance between them!"

"You should know how the Hokage treated Kusagakure! He only executed the ringleader, took the compensation he deserved, helped the Kusagakure faction rebuild their homes, and even sent the prisoners from the other villages back to their original locations..."

Kisame and Nakamaro exchanged a glance, and then, following the script, began to speak in unison:

"The Hokage has never intended to wage war against Kirigakure. Konoha's air power has never been hidden from us; they're trying to solidify the alliance by flexing their muscles!"

"It's all Kiritori and Genshi's fault for being so blinded by greed, betraying the peace treaty like this..."

Xue coughed lightly, and the four Konoha exchange students joined the battle of public opinion:

"When you were in Konoha, didn't you know the true situation there? To put it bluntly, I don't think the current Hidden Mist Village and the Land of Water are worth the Hokage tarnishing their reputation."

Xue vividly described the prosperity of Konoha, the protection of its ninjas, and other shining aspects, leaving the Mist Ninjas speechless with astonishment. Their eyes were filled with longing, but their anger was also growing stronger.

Those damned Third Mizukage and Genji! The Hokage didn't hide anything from them, yet they couldn't even analyze the strength difference, and still insisted on charging in? They deserve to die!

"The Hokage's reputation is indeed different from any other ninja..."

"Although I have a deep friendship with my uncle Tenzo, who is the head of the Hyuga clan, he is now a member of the Konoha Committee, a figure similar to a master..."

Nakamaro sighed:

"But as everyone knows, even though the Hokage is kind and good-natured, you all saw how angry he was when he did this..." The Kirigakure ninjas shuddered at the mention of Hiruzen Sarutobi's battlefield performance.

That's absolutely terrifying...

"I'm worried that some of us still have bad habits left over from the Village of Blood and Mist. What if we follow the call of the Daimyo of the Land of Water and join the Hokage's efforts to rebuild the country..."

"If anyone breaks the taboo, it could harm us all!"

Nakamaro shook his head:

"But I'm not the kind of person who would want to harm my comrades. To avoid being caught in a dilemma, please forgive me for not knowing what to do right now..." "Besides, I am Kaguya, and I do have an unusual relationship with the Hyuga clan of Konoha. If I take everyone to find the Hokage, I'm afraid you will all look at me strangely."

"Everyone, do as you please. I will retire and go back to my hometown. I will find a quiet place in the Land of Water and live in seclusion from now on." The Mist Ninja looked at each other, their eyes filled with surprise.

What!

Lord Nakamaro actually knows Konoha's "Master of the Ages" and even has a deep friendship with him?

Wouldn't it be more secure to have someone you know?

Especially after Mei Terumi's reminder, the Mist Ninja were jolted out of their fear of Hiruzen Sarutobi's strength, remembering that he was a well-known kind and honest person...

Even the Third Mizukage said this many times in Kirigakure:

"Hiruzen Sarutobi was a good person, but not a good Hokage. He was kind, but not smart enough."

It involves alternating authentication on both the front and back sides.

"Lord Nakamaro, what are you saying!"

"You can't leave! We absolutely cannot let our despicable thoughts lead us astray!"

"Please don't abandon us, we beg you! We feel uneasy without you; you're the one who saved us!"

"We will strictly follow the Hokage's orders. If anyone causes a problem, I will kill them!"

"Yes, kill those who break the rules! We absolutely cannot ruin Lord Nakamaro's and the Land of Water's important affairs!"

The calls for help rose and fell, almost lifting the roof off.

Nakamaro smiled to himself.

This was a little trick that Tianzang had told him.

If you want to remove the windows, first say you want to tear down the roof; then everyone will be willing to compromise.

"well…"

"You all, you've really ruined my life!"

"Very well, let history decide whether I am right or wrong." Nakamaro cleverly used the Hokage quote Tenzo had given him, slowly rising to his feet: "I hope you all remember what I said today!"

"Let's go find the Hokage!"

that's all…

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi redeployed half of Konoha's forces in the Land of Water to other battlefields.

However, with the addition of Nakamaro and the Kirigakure Youth Army, the manpower actually increased.

Moreover, thanks to the legal authority of the Daimyo of the Land of Water and the governing group primarily composed of Kirigakure ninja, the acceptance among the people and nobles increased significantly. It was truly a case of "welcoming the king's army with food and drink!"

Over the next month, under Hiruzen Sarutobi's leadership, they were met with cheers and celebrations wherever they went, rapidly gathering up the remnants of Kirigakure's original forces and defeating the rebels who had shrunk to become wandering ninjas...

Hozuki Gengetsu and Mu, who had not received any further orders, watched this scene in silence, both of them dumbfounded.

What does it mean...

Is the Hokage actually leading the Hidden Mist Village's youth army to gradually quell the chaotic situation in the Land of Water?

no…

Is Kirigakure the Mizukage, or is Hiruzen the Mizukage?

"Hiruzen Sarutobi did a really good job..."

"Isn't this much better than before the war? Civilians can basically eat their fill now, and with that so-called 'work relief' policy, even jobs are available..."

"What a pity, if only this were my Water Country!"

Hozuki Gengetsu sighed sincerely.

"Feed..."

"I understand what Tobirama Senju wants you to do," Mu said thoughtfully.

"What do you want me to do?" Hozuki Gengetsu was taken aback.

"He wants you to kill Kirigori first, and then attack Hiruzen Sarutobi, do you understand what I mean?"

Wu Youyou said quietly.

"Why? Killing Kirigaya is fine, but why attack the Hokage?" Hozuki Gengetsu asked with a long face.

"Putting aside the question of whether I can win, I don't want to interfere with their efforts to help the Land of Water. I'm the Second Mizukage, dedicated to serving the people, not that bastard Kiritori!"

Wu gave a cold laugh:

"Idiot, this is the law!"

"As the Second Mizukage, you killed the Third Mizukage, nailing him to the pillar of shame from which he can never rise again, completely negating everything in his thirty-year career as Mizukage, and eliminating the last bit of resistance from the Kirigakure."

"And you went to attack Hiruzen Sarutobi."

"Don't you Kirigakure people appoint Mizukage based on who has the bigger fist? At least that's how it appears on the surface."

"You lost to Hiruzen Sarutobi fair and square. Doesn't that mean you, the Second Mizukage, handed over the so-called 'Mizukage' position to him?"

"This is the legal basis that allows Hiruzen Sarutobi to call himself the Mizukage, as long as you say a few key words..."

"For example, something like, 'We hope you will take care of Kirigakure and the Land of Water'..."

"I just don't know if you'd be willing to do it..." Wu Youyou said softly.

"Tobirama Senju could have forced you to do this, but he didn't. This is killing you not only physically, but also psychologically!"

Hozuki Gengetsu blinked hard.

Oh, I see!

It seems like nothing really...

It even sounds pretty good?