Start with a Zanpakuto and build the strongest Mist Village.

Not only did the village suffer heavy losses of its elite ninja, but even the Daimyo of the Land of Wind was gone. It can be said that the status of Sunagakure in the ninja world will plummet, and it may even be jointly condemned by other countries.

There was no other way; everyone who came to participate in this Chunin Exams was just trying to show off, so the village sent its most elite disciples.

Now look what's happened, almost half of it is gone!

Even if they all signed something, those guys will definitely unite to denounce Sunagakure when the time comes.

To ally with a village that is almost completely destroyed and has a very high probability of being besieged and denounced by other ninja villages in the ninja world is just asking for trouble.

Why not go back and reorganize our forces, then let Sunagakure sweep through and divide them up?

However, although Fugaku thought this in his heart, he remained outwardly calm and turned his gaze to the night.

"Lord Fengying is too kind."

Yoru smiled gently at Chiyo Rasa and the others: "We, Kirigakure, have also felt the same way about what Sunagakure has gone through. Please rest assured, Kazekage, our three kingdoms have always been the strongest allies."

"Now that Sunagakure has suffered such a calamity, I will issue a support order as soon as I return to help Sunagakure overcome this difficulty!"

Upon hearing this, Chiyo Rasa and the others immediately relaxed, and even showed great joy.

"Mizukage-sama is so kind!"

Chapter 231 Lord Ye is just too kind-hearted.

After this, Sunagakure's status in the ninja world will inevitably plummet, and it may even fall out of the ranks of the Five Great Nations and become a second-rate power.

How to get through the difficult times ahead is the biggest headache for all the high-ranking officials of Sunagakure.

Clearly, the best course of action right now is to cling to Mizuki Yoru's coattails, solidify the alliance between themselves and Kirigakure, and gain Kirigakure's protection.

Only in this way can Sunagakure protect itself in the ensuing chaos.

Fortunately, their hopes were not dashed. The benevolent Minazuki Yoru showed the magnanimity of a 'Kage', not only refraining from taking advantage of their misfortune but also acknowledging the alliance between Sunagakure and Kirigakure and indicating that he would send support teams to aid Sunagakure in the coming process.

Rasa Chiyo and the others were extremely grateful to Minazuki Yoru, and even openly stated that Sunagakure was Kirigakure's 'subject'. The Fourth Mizukage, Minazuki Yoru, was not only Kirigakure's treasure, but also Sunagakure's treasure!

There may be no two suns in the sky, but there are two jades hidden in the sand!

In response, Mizuki Yoru smiled and said that Kirigakure would not interfere with Sunagakure in the slightest. Sunagakure's sovereignty belongs to Sunagakure itself, and he was only there to help his ally.

However, given that Sunagakure had the gold miner Rasa, Kirigakure did not provide financial assistance this time. Instead, Kirigakure provided ninjas and an engineering team to help Sunagakure rebuild its post-war infrastructure and had Kirigakure merchants provide a large amount of supplies to sell to Sunagakure.

Of course, given our alliance, a discount is still necessary; let's go with an 11% off discount!

What, you're asking why it's 11% off?

The Water Shadow has issued a price control order. The price of all goods cannot be higher or lower than the price limit by 10%. We've come all the way from the Land of Water, so it's not unreasonable for us to earn an extra 10%.

Resources and manpower are secondary; the most crucial point is that the Sand Village leadership has clearly stated that Sand Village will benchmark itself against Mist Village in all aspects and closely follow Mist Village's development pace.

In response, Mizukiyo stated that it was an honor for Kirigakure to receive the recognition of Sunagakure, one of the Five Great Nations, and a success for Kirigakure's current policies. She then handed over the Shadow Island Scroll, which she had prepared long ago, to the Sunagakure leadership.

"Then we'll take our leave."

At the main gate of Sunagakure, Yoru greeted Rasa with a smile and said goodbye. Under the fervent and reluctant gazes of countless Sunagakure citizens and ninjas, he led Zabuza's team, along with Mei Terumi and others, and left Sunagakure.

The convoy drove leisurely along the sandy streets, just as calmly and leisurely as when they arrived, much like tourists visiting the Land of Wind.

"I don't know."

Inside the carriage, Hikaru stared at the night and asked in bewilderment, "With your strength and influence, you were fully capable of taking over Sunagakure, one of the Five Great Nations. Why did you leave like this?"

"Allies are meaningless. Sunagakure is in dire need of rebuilding. If you want Sunagakure as an ally, you will have to pay a huge price to help Sunagakure. This is a losing deal."

"Then what do you think I should do?" Yoru leaned against Mei Terumi's chest and asked calmly, "Dismember them and swallow them?"

"Not bad!"

Uchiha Hikaru completely ignored Pakura's furrowed brows and nodded, saying, "I've read the Chronicles of the Ninja World. The greatest value of this village lies in its mineral resources buried deep underground, which happens to be scarce in your Kirigakure."

“You could easily wipe out Sunagakure, or even destroy the Land of Wind, and swallow this great nation whole with the absolute power of Kirigakure, extract its resources, and seize its bloodline limit. Magnet Release and Scorch Release are also good things.”

"Admittedly, you can achieve this to a certain extent by forming an alliance with Sunagakure, but the political maneuvering and transactions involved are really troublesome, and may even breed parasites and hidden dangers. It would be better to do it all at once!"

Upon hearing Uchiha Hikaru's words, Yekura's gaze grew even colder, while Yoru nodded in agreement.

What Hikaru said makes sense. If Sunagakure wants to truly unlock its value at this stage, then it must indeed follow the method Hikaru suggested. This is also what most of the ninja clans during the Warring States period were doing.

They seized resources and confiscated bloodlines, turning men into slaves and women into maids.

Eat its flesh, drink its blood, smash its bones, and dig out its marrow!

But unfortunately, this wasn't the most valuable thing for the night.

Seeing Yoru nod and then shake his head, Uchiha Hikaru looked puzzled. Meanwhile, Terumi Mei, who was gently rubbing Yoru's forehead, casually explained, "Just think of it as this guy being kind-hearted."

Mei Terumi, who had come with them, was already used to Yoru's actions.

Not to mention Sunagakure, even Konoha, the wealthiest village in the ninja world, had several opportunities for Mizuki Yoru to take it over.

But Ye did not do that; he simply took Konoha under his wing.

As the Mizukage's secretary, Mei Terumi is one of the people who knows best about the extent of Kirigakure's and Mizuki Yoru's power. She has long known that the man lying in her arms possesses the power and influence to sweep across the entire ninja world.

Even if it's just to deal with the extraterrestrials and the immortals in the Yellow Springs Pure Land, it would be better to conquer the heavens first and then reorganize the forces, thus uniting all forces into one.

But as time passed and the night slowly unfolded, Mei Terumi actually guessed some of the night's thoughts...

Kindness?

This adjective caused Yekura's lips to twitch slightly, and also made Uchiha Hikaru frown deeply.

"The mindset of rulers should indeed be one of checks and balances, but being too soft-hearted will inevitably sow the seeds of future problems."

"I appreciate your kind reminder." Yoru chuckled lightly, then changed the subject, looking up at Mei Terumi: "Mei, what do you think about sending Hikari to the Ninja Academy for two years?"

"Read, read a book?!"

The young girl, who had been giving orders, froze.

Mei Terumi frowned slightly, scanning Uchiha Hikaru up and down, somewhat hesitant.

"In terms of strength, whether this Miss Hikari is directly transformed into a Shinigami or a Quincy, she would be a good choice, and even be able to stand in the way of Shinigami captains and members of the Shinigami Royal Guard."

"But if, as you say, this Miss Hikari is a weapon from the Uchiha clan a hundred years ago... letting her study for two years might actually be a good choice."

The Hidden Mist Ninja Academy has long been reformed, not only developing moral, intellectual, and physical qualities in an all-round way, but also offering courses in history, science, and many other subjects. Studying at the Ninja Academy for two years can not only allow Hikaru, a person from the old era, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of this era, but also fill the void in this girl's childhood when she was used as a weapon!

"Okay, when we get back, I'll arrange for her to enroll in school, starting from junior high?"

"Hmm, let's go with junior high, take it slow." Yoru snuggled closer to Mei Terumi's soft belly, completely oblivious to Hikari's stiff face, unsure of what to say.

Well, it's just spoils of war, so just listen to what I say.

Mizuki Yoru and her group made their way to the Land of Water at a leisurely pace, while news of the events that had broken out in Sunagakure quickly spread throughout the entire ninja world.

The ninja world is shaken!

The Fourth Kazekage is controlled, the Akatsuki leader invades, the exam venue is destroyed, and the Fourth Mizukage saves the day...

Why does every scene seem so familiar?

It seems that Kirigakure was like that back then!

The Third Mizukage was controlled, and the Kirigakure front line suffered a complete defeat. In the end, Mizuki Yoru turned the tide, saved everything, and succeeded as the Fourth Mizukage.

"As the Fourth Kazekage, I am deeply sorry for everything that happened in Sunagakure, but we must recognize the threat posed by Akatsuki!"

"This terrifying and evil ninja organization has attacked the Land of Iron and our Land of Wind one after another, causing enormous destruction. Even the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha was inextricably linked to the Akatsuki. The person behind it even successively controlled the Third Mizukage and me, the Kazekage. Their ambition and way of thinking are chilling!"

The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, held a press conference the very next day, directly targeting the Akatsuki organization while those ninja villages were still intimidated by the name of Mizuki Yoru!

"Based on the information provided by the Mizukage, both Sunagakure and Konoha, we have gained a certain understanding of the Akatsuki organization."

"The members of Akatsuki all wear black trench coats embroidered with red clouds, straw hats with wind chimes, rings with their code names on their fingers, and nail polish. All members are rogue ninja."

"Its members include our Sunagakure's S-rank rogue ninja, the Akatsuki no Sasori, who once killed the Third Kazekage and fled Sunagakure."

"Hiruko, an A-rank rogue ninja from Konoha, possesses a special secret technique and multiple bloodline limits, the Akatsuki's Azure Dragon."

"The remnant of the former Sky Ninja, Akatsuki's Southern Dipper Shennong, possessing superb medical ninjutsu."

"And finally, the leader of Akatsuki, Zero, who possessed the Rinnegan!"

"In addition, we also learned from the information provided by the Mizukage that the Akatsuki organization has four official members: 'Bai,' 'Xuan,' 'Ku,' and 'San,' so their strength should not be underestimated."

"at last!"

Rasa slowly spoke, "According to the information that the Mizukage obtained from the Akatsuki leader, the Akatsuki's next target is the Tailed Beasts!"

"what?!"

These words caused an uproar among the reporters and shook the entire ninja world!

They couldn't understand why the Akatsuki, a force that clearly resembled a terrorist organization, would set its sights on the Tailed Beasts. Even the five great nations, each possessing their own Tailed Beasts, were quite troubled by the Tailed Beast issue.

Of course, this excludes Rock Hidden and Mist Hidden.

In order to limit Shukaku's power, Sunagakure had no choice but to make Rasa, who was a Kage, a Jinchūriki.

The situation in Kumogakure is slightly better, with the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails able to grow up peacefully with the villagers. However, the potential dangers, similar to the Nine-Tails' rampage in Konoha, still exist.

If the Akatsuki organization was able to create chaos caused by the Nine-Tails in Konoha, then they can also create trouble caused by the Tailed Beasts in Kumogakure!

"No, the threat posed by Akatsuki must be eliminated!"

Inside the Hidden Cloud Village, the Fourth Raikage was furious. Not only was he and Killer Bee like brothers, but the two Jinchuriki were now indispensable forces for the Hidden Cloud Village. If the Akatsuki's target was indeed the Tailed Beasts, then a confrontation between the two sides was only a matter of time.

However, the strength displayed by the Akatsuki organization was indeed somewhat beyond imagination.

In particular, the leader of the Akatsuki organization not only possessed the legendary Rinnegan of the Sage of Six Paths, but also managed to escape from the clutches of the monster Minazuki Yoru.

If the Cloud Village were to clash with the Akatsuki on its own, they would likely have little chance of winning.

"Sack clothes."

The Fourth Raikage, having calmed down, spoke in a deep voice, summoning his female secretary: "We must face the threat of the Akatsuki organization squarely, deal with them seriously, and nip their evil plot in the bud."

"Immediately send a message to the Mizukage; I need to convene a Kage meeting!"

"Yes, Raikage-sama!"

……

Iwagakure Village, inside the Tsuchikage's office.

Onoki's short stature trembled with anger. If it weren't for the fact that this was the Tsuchikage's office, he probably would have unleashed a Dust Release technique to vent his rage.

"Boom!!"

Even so, Onoki slammed his fist on the desk, his expression extremely gloomy.

"I'm sorry, old man." The team leader, Onoki's son and the Third Tsuchikage's own son, Huang Tu, lowered his head, a look of self-reproach on his rugged face: "I failed to protect Deidara, and I am willing to accept any punishment!"

"It's not Dad's fault, old man! It's that guy named Hiruko who's too cunning!" Kurotsuchi shouted. "That guy has the Swift Release bloodline limit. Dad was fighting Pain at the time and didn't have time to react. That arrogant idiot Deidara was captured."

"Dad wanted to chase them down immediately, but those Pain members with the Rinnegan were just too strong. We couldn't do anything about it, old man!"

"..."

Onoki clenched his fists. He understood perfectly well that the responsibility for all of this did not lie with Huang Tu, but he simply could not accept this outcome.

Although Deidara, that brat, has a bad temper and is always clamoring about so-called art, his talent is undeniable. Onoki even grooms him to be his future successor.

Unexpectedly, what they considered a Chunin Exam to be a show of strength turned into a loss of such a top genius for Iwagakure!

Ultimately, the source of this responsibility lies with him, the earthen shadow!

"You all go down first."

“Old man…” Looking at the silent Tu Ying, Hei Tu pursed his lips, not knowing how to comfort him for a moment.

A moment later, Heitu wanted to say something more, but Huangtu grabbed his hand and led him out of the office.

"Let your father have some peace and quiet. That kid Deidara has received so much of your effort."

"I know, but..."

Hei Tu remained silent for a moment, then let out a sigh.

Although she hated Deidara, Kurotsuchi felt a sense of emptiness after losing him.

In the Tsuchikage's office, Onoki stared at the intelligence scroll on the table and fell into a long silence.

The battle at the Box of Paradise took away thousands of Iwagakure's elite troops and crippled the village. It was initially thought that the emergence of new stars like Deidara meant Iwagakure's future was far from over, but the ninja world has now reached this point.