What's wrong with having a large harem if you're the emperor of the ninja world?

74. After the war; with Tsunade in the Hokage's office.

Konoha, in the dead of night, has lost its usual tranquility.

Instead, there was an extreme sense of deathly silence and undercurrents.

On the wide plaza in front of the Hokage Building.

The area was packed with Konoha ninjas.

From inexperienced genin to experienced jonin, almost everyone was forcibly gathered here.

Their ninja tool kits had already been confiscated.

With his hands empty, he was like a tiger whose teeth had been pulled out.

Their guards were only eight hundred ninjas dressed in uniform black, silent as iron.

The number is far less than those under guard.

However, the chilling aura and precise positioning of these eight hundred men formed an invisible wall of steel.

They firmly guarded every possible point where unrest might occur.

What made the Konoha ninjas even more hesitant to act was...

Their families and their children remain confined to ninja schools, hospitals, and shelters.

This made them all look angry, humiliated, and resentful, their fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

But no one dared to be the first to make a move.

This collective, forced silence.

It created an extremely bizarre and suffocating scene.

at this time.

A slight commotion broke out in the crowd.

Then, groups of Hyuga clan members walked in expressionlessly.

Their pure white eyes stood out in the night, and they consciously parted their gazes.

Standing on the highest and most strategic points around the square, he rolled his eyes.

They closely monitored the chakra flow of all the ninjas in the arena.

No unusual movement could escape their notice.

Immediately afterwards, the Inuzuka clan's ninjas and their ninja dogs also joined the guard team.

The ninja dog's keen sense of smell and hearing provided another layer of protection.

The Aburame clan ninjas silently scattered along the edge of the crowd, while countless tiny parasitic insects quietly spread out like black mist.

This creates an invisible deterrent.

These three families had originally remained neutral.

After the situation in Konoha became clear.

Faced with the orders issued by Emperor Yan, they dared not disobey in the slightest.

With the addition of these powerful families, the guard's strength increased dramatically.

This also deeply hurt the hearts of the ordinary ninjas in the arena.

They watched as their former companions, even their own people, turned their guns on them.

Many people wore complex expressions of embarrassment, shame, and helplessness.

They could only avoid the angry and disdainful gazes cast from below.

The continuation of the family line and the safety of loved ones.

It became the heaviest shackle around their necks.

……

at the same time.

On the top floor of the Hokage Building, in the Hokage's office, which symbolizes the highest power in Konoha.

The atmosphere was equally oppressive and suffocating.

Di Yan sat comfortably in the large chair that should have belonged to the Hokage.

His fingers tapped the handrail intermittently.

His gaze drifted with interest through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.

Looking down at the dark mass of Konoha ninjas in the plaza below, who looked like lambs to the slaughter.

Tsunade, on the other hand, stood stiffly by the window, like a puppet that had lost its soul.

She was still wearing that tattered Hokage robe.

Her long, golden hair was somewhat disheveled, and her emerald eyes had lost all their luster.

All that remains is emptiness and numbness.

She stared blankly out the window at her people, whom she was supposed to protect but who had given up resistance because of her command.

The cold glass reflected her pale and desperate face.

"What a magnificent sight, isn't it?"

Di Yan's voice broke the silence in the room, carrying a hint of languid admiration:

"Thousands of well-trained ninjas, their strength, their will, all seem so... insignificant at this moment."

"Life and death are decided by my will."

Tsunade's body trembled almost imperceptibly.

But she still didn't turn around or say anything.

Di Yan ignored her silence and continued speaking to himself:

Do you know why you lost so miserably?

"It's not because of a lack of strength, but because... there are too many weaknesses."

“You have too many concerns. Family, companions, village…”

"And these things that you regard as treasures, in my view, are nothing more than the most useful bargaining chips and the most vulnerable points to attack."

He stood up and walked to Tsunade's side.

We stood side by side, looking out the window.

"And I have no weaknesses." His tone was calm, yet it carried a chillingly absolute confidence. "Therefore, I have won."

Tsunade finally reacted.

Her lips moved a few times, producing a dry and hoarse sound:

"what on earth do you want?"

"Does destroying Konoha give you pleasure?"

"Destruction? No."

Di Yan shook his head, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "Destruction is the lowest form of tactic."

"What I want... is conquest, is reshaping."

His gaze swept over the Hyuga, Inuzuka, and Aburame ninjas below:

"Look, aren't they very 'obedient' now?"

"Soon, the power of the entire Hidden Leaf Village and the entire Land of Fire will be integrated and truly put to my use."

"There are no longer any independent ninja villages, only the strongest violent machines loyal to the emperor."

He turned his head and looked at Tsunade.

His gaze lingered on her profile, which remained captivating even in despair.

"And you, Tsunade, granddaughter of the First Hokage, the last descendant of the Senju clan, the Fifth Hokage of Konoha..."

"Your surrender and 'cooperation' will be the key to a smooth transition."

Make a choice.

Di Yan's voice carried a hint of seduction, yet was cold and ruthless, "Will you continue to wallow in useless pain and resistance, watching helplessly as more people die because of you?"

"Or... face reality and use your status and influence to help me 'appease' those people below."

"For them, and for Konoha, let's fight for a way out... that might not be so bad?"

He will make an incredibly cruel choice.

It was handed over to Tsunade, who was exhausted both physically and mentally.

The cold moonlight streamed into the office through the window, illuminating Tsunade's pale face.

And the intense, unfathomable pain in her eyes.

The shadow of the empire has completely enveloped Konoha.

The Hokage's choice will determine what lies beneath this shadow.

Is it utter silence?

It's still just barely clinging to life.

Faced with Di Yan's question, which carried a hint of mockery and absolute control, Tsunade did not give a direct answer.

Instead, he forcibly suppressed the turmoil within him.

He tried to use his last remaining sanity to buy Konoha a little breathing space.

Or perhaps it was to divert attention from that suffocating topic.

She took a deep breath, her voice still a little hoarse, but she tried her best to remain calm:

"Konoha has undergone such a tremendous change, changing hands overnight. It's impossible to completely block the news of such a huge commotion."

"It won't be long before those guys from Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure pounce on us like sharks smelling blood, and they might even join forces to divide up the Land of Fire."

She turned her head and looked directly at Di Yan, trying to see a trace of concern for the overall situation in his eyes:

"If not handled properly, the Land of Fire will be attacked from both sides and be besieged on all sides."

"Although I don't know how you got the Mangekyou Sharingan, even if you are strong and control Konoha."

"When you face the pressure of the entire ninja world, you will definitely not have an easy time!"

Upon hearing her words, Di Yan not only didn't feel nervous, but instead laughed.

The laughter carried a hint of amusement and...appreciation?

"Heh, even at this point, when they can barely protect themselves, all they're thinking about is the survival of Konoha and the safety of the Land of Fire..."

"Tsunade, you truly deserve the title of 'Hokage' as the woman who inherited the name of Hokage."

However, after the praise comes an even more undeniable strength.

"However, you don't need to worry about these things."

Di Yan waved his hand, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather:

"Since I dare to take action, I have naturally made thorough preparations."

"Other ninja villages? Hmph, if they don't come, fine."

"If they dare to come... it will be perfect for me to test the sharpness of my newly sharpened blade."