Naruto: In Konoha Village, I awakened Wood Release at the start.

Border of the Land of Fire.

Nara Shikaku's legs felt a little weak as he stepped onto the giant tree.

It's too cruel.

The Fifth Hokage's methods were nothing short of god-slaying.

He was clutching a newly compiled casualty report in his hand.

The thin sheet of paper felt as heavy as a thousand pounds at that moment.

Chiba leaped from mid-air.

It landed lightly, without even stirring up a speck of dust.

Nara Shikaku quickly went to greet him, his attitude extremely respectful.

"Lord Hokage, the battlefield has been cleared."

Chiba patted the sawdust off his sleeves.

"explain."

Nara Shikaku swallowed hard.

"The Cloud Village army brought by the Raikage totals 5,300 people."

"More than 4,200 people were killed in the attack just now."

"The remaining less than a thousand people were all seriously injured and unconscious."

"Our people have already put chakra restraints on them."

"The Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki... have been dug out from the bottom of the pit."

Nara Shikaku pointed to a spot not far away.

There lay two charred chunks of flesh.

Without a close look, you wouldn't recognize them as the legendary Thunder Shadow brothers.

"More than 70% of the bones in these two people's bodies were shattered."

"The internal organs are severely displaced."

"He is currently in a deep coma and could die at any time."

Chiba glanced at the two lumps of flesh.

"Keep them alive."

"Don't let them die like this; the living Raikage is the most valuable."

Fugaku Uchiha also joined in at this moment.

The head of the Uchiha clan had a burning fighting spirit in his eyes.

The Mangekyou Sharingan spun wildly in his eye sockets.

"Hokage-sama!"

"The main force of the Cloud Village has been completely wiped out!"

"The Land of Lightning is currently extremely vulnerable internally!"

"Please give the order so that I can lead the Uchiha's elite forces straight to their heart!"

Fugaku Uchiha's voice was trembling.

That was an expression of extreme excitement.

Hiashi Hyuga also stepped forward with several members of the Hyuga clan.

"Hokage-sama, the Hyuga clan seconds this!"

Hiashi Hyuga's Byakugan bulged, and veins bulged across his cheeks.

"Those scum from the Hidden Cloud Village actually dared to covet my clan's bloodline limit."

"If this grudge isn't avenged, how can the Hyuga clan maintain its dignity!"

"Just say the word."

"Hyuga's Gentle Fist technique could break through the gates of Kumogakure!"

The heads of the two powerful families have reached a rare consensus at this moment.

They saw a golden opportunity to expand their territory.

As long as we conquer the Land of Lightning.

The territory of Konoha will double in size.

Who wouldn't be envious of such an incredible achievement?

however.

Chiba didn't even glance at them.

He walked to a nearby pebble and sat down with an air of authority.

"Conquer the Land of Lightning?"

"and then?"

Chiba's voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

Fugaku Uchiha was taken aback.

"Then……"

"The land, resources, and wealth of the Land of Lightning belong entirely to Konoha!"

Chiba smiled.

His laughter was full of mockery.

"Fugaku".

"Are all your eyes capable of seeing is fighting and killing?"

Fugaku Uchiha's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly lowered his head.

He didn't dare to look Chiba in the eye, nor did he understand what Chiba meant.

How many active-duty ninja does Konoha currently have?

"At most, the death toll is less than 20,000."

How big is the Land of Thunder?

"Its territory is comparable to the Land of Fire!"

Chiba stood up and glanced at the crowd in front of him.

Even if we raze Kumogakure to the ground today.

"Who will patrol the borders of the Land of Thunder tomorrow?"

"Who will suppress the rebellion of civilians from the Land of Lightning?"

"Who will manage the massive administrative system?"

"They're relying entirely on the Uchiha police department to arrest people?"

"Are we still relying on Hyuga's Byakugan to search the entire mountainside for the rebels?"

A series of rhetorical questions left Fugaku Uchiha and Hiashi Hyuga speechless.

They did indeed only consider military victory, ignoring the complexities of postwar reconstruction and territorial annexation.

Chiba was well aware of Konoha's true strength.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and his gang of old guys have been in power for decades.

They've made Konoha a mess.

Internal friction is extremely serious.

Top combat forces are dwindling, and there is a shortage of mid-level cadres.

Is this the time to forcibly annex a large country?

That would drag Konoha's already fragile finances and manpower into a bottomless pit.

Chiba does indeed possess the power to destroy a country single-handedly.

But he didn't want to be a nanny who was constantly putting out fires.

"The territory is too large, and it's easy to have indigestion."

"What Konoha lacks most right now is not land."

"It's about money, it's about time to develop."

Chiba turned to look at Nara Shikaku.

"Shikaku."

"I'm entrusting you with the entire responsibility of negotiating with Kumogakure."

"Fugaku, you and the Uchiha people will assist from the side."

Nara Shikaku quickly straightened his back.

"Please advise, Hokage-sama, what is our bottom line?"

Chiba held up two fingers.

"No bottom line."

"The Hidden Cloud Village has been plundering everywhere over the years, so their treasury must be overflowing."

"Go and find out their background."

"How much is the Raikage's life worth? How much is the Eight-Tails' life worth?"

"And these eight hundred elite prisoners, ransom will be calculated per head."

"Give me a complete bill."

Fugaku Uchiha hesitated.

"Lord Hokage."

"What if those barbarians from Kumogakure refuse to pay?"

Chiba gave a cold laugh.

"Not paying?"

"Then cut off the Raikage's head and hang it on the gates of Konoha as a decoration."

"As for that giant octopus."

"Sell him to three other villages."

"I think Onoki and Rasa are definitely very interested in the Tailed Beasts."

These words were spoken.

The Konoha ninjas around them all shivered.

That's too cruel.

They not only want to kill people, but also want to sell their strategic nuclear weapons for money.

This is practically pushing the Cloud Village to its death!

"clear!"

Nara Shikaku nodded immediately.

He was already plotting how to trick Yunyin into revealing his underwear.

"This is your responsibility."

"Clean up the battlefield thoroughly, and don't leave any infectious diseases behind."

Chiba waved his hand, and his body vanished instantly.

Only a group of Konoha ninjas remained, staring blankly at the devastated basin.

……

The Land of Thunder.

Inside the Raikage Building in Kumogakure.

"you……"

"Say it again?"

Tsuchishiro stared intently at the messenger on the ground.

This veteran of the Cloud Village was so weak that he almost broke his cane.

"The entire army...the entire army was wiped out!"

"That Chiba from Konoha only used one move!"

"A colossal Buddha with a thousand hands, dozens of times taller than a mountain!"

"One slap, and the earth shakes!"

"Lord Raikage and Lord Killer Bee... didn't even last a second!"

"We don't even have the right to get close to that man!"

He was under the murderous gaze of Tsuchishiro.

The messenger's body trembled like a leaf.

boom!

Tsuchishiro smashed the coffee table in front of him with his cane.

Wood chips flew everywhere.

The other senior executives of Yunyin in the office all looked ashen-faced.

"He wiped out five thousand people in one move?"

"Do you think this is a storytelling performance?!"

A grumpy Jonin grabbed the messenger by the collar.

"Lord Raikage possesses the strongest Lightning Release armor!"

"Lord Killer Bee is the perfect Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails!"

"If they joined forces, they could even escape unscathed from facing the First Hokage!"

The messenger coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"I swear!"

"I saw it with my own eyes!"

"If you don't believe me... go and see for yourself at the border!"

"That place has now been turned into a sinkhole!"

The Jonin was about to make a move, but Mabui stopped him.

"That's enough, let him go."

Mabuyi rubbed her aching temples.

As Raikage's secretary, her brain was working at full speed.

The intelligence was outrageous.

But the messenger's injuries were undeniable.

Those were symptoms of meridians being shattered by the extremely terrifying aftershocks of chakra.

Then.

Mabuyi looked at Tudai.

"Lord Toshiro."

"Now is not the time to investigate whether it is true or false."

"If Konoha's army takes advantage of the situation and presses forward, the village won't be able to stop them at all."

Tsuchishiro's face was so gloomy it could drip water.

"Is there any movement from the barrier class?"

Mabuyi shook her head.

"There are no signs of large-scale troop movements at the border."

"Konoha seems to have settled in place and has not continued its advance."

Just then.

A ninja hawk smashed through the glass and flew into the office.

On Ninja Hawk's leg was a bloodstained scroll.

Mabuyi quickly unrolled the scroll and unfolded it to take a look.

His expression instantly became incredibly interesting.

There was anger, humiliation, and utter helplessness.