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The Land of Rice Paddies.
....
....
Fugaku Uchiha's mood was—complicated. It wasn't because the Kumogakure ninja stationed there were particularly strong. His Blitz Unit had easily swept through their defenses.
His unease stemmed from the nature of this—operation.
This was Konoha's first unprovoked act of aggression, a war of conquest disguised as—liberation.
The Kusagakure operation could be justified as a response to Kumogakure's encroachment. But the Land of Rice Paddies?
Konoha's primary objective wasn't even strategic, to establish a blockade against Kumogakure, but rather—economic. They wanted the Land of Rice Paddies' resources.
This invasion was driven by Konoha's desire for expansion, for cheap raw materials to fuel its growing economy.
And this—exploitation wasn't limited to resources. It extended to the people themselves.
Not in the same way as Kirigakure's "water ghosts," of course. As Gojo Kaigetsu put it, they were offering the locals—opportunities. Jobs. At—competitive wages.
It was still exploitation.
The Land of Rice Paddies didn't even have a Hidden Village. Their ninja had to rely on the Daimyo for missions.
Their equipment was outdated, their uniforms—nonexistent. They lacked even basic headbands.
The Daimyo of the Land of Rice Paddies had likely joined the Kumogakure Co-Prosperity Sphere because Kumogakure's approach was—direct.
They offered tangible benefits.
Membership in the Co-Prosperity Sphere came with financial aid, military protection, and symbolic political and economic support.
For a small nation, it was an attractive offer.
The Land of Rice Paddies' Daimyo, his merchants, and his advisors had readily agreed.
Too far from Kumogakure, too close to Konoha.
Their decision had led to this invasion.
Fugaku felt a pang of guilt, but he was a Konoha ninja. He'd follow Gojo Kaigetsu's orders.
He eliminated the Kumogakure ninja, offering mercy to those who surrendered.
Within half a day, they'd reached the Daimyo's palace.
The streets were filled with impoverished civilians, their faces reflecting—a strange contentment.
Fugaku, with his Sharingan, could sense their emotions.
There was no joy, no gratitude, only fear and resentment.
He was—unsettled.
The Sharingan's power amplified emotions.
In Kusagakure, the villagers had welcomed them as liberators. Here, in the Land of Rice Paddies, despite its worse conditions, they were met with hostility.
Fugaku sighed. Advisor Gojo, in his benevolence, sought to—"Acquire" the Land of Rice Paddies' resources and workforce. But to the locals, they were invaders.
Such unappreciated kindness.
Advisor Gojo's greatness—it needed no explanation.
The villagers didn't need to understand. They simply had to—accept.
"Unappreciated love, intentions twisted—this—is true benevolence," Fugaku Uchiha murmured, a warmth spreading through his eyes, easing the Sharingan's strain.
"Lord Fugaku, are we—doing the right thing?"
Shisui Uchiha had joined the Blitz unit. His exceptional performance at the Academy, coupled with Fugaku's recommendation, had earned him a place on this Chunin-level operation.
War was a ninja's catalyst, the perfect environment for the Sharingan to evolve.
On their way to the Daimyo's palace, Shisui had witnessed the hardships of the Land of Rice Paddies.
Soldier Pills, practically worthless in Konoha, were fought over here.
There were no "Pay It Forward" systems, no acts of charity. Ninjas prayed for their comrades' deaths, eager to scavenge their equipment.
He'd realized…
The ninja world was a cruel place. Konoha's prosperity, to those in smaller nations, was a distant dream, a paradise they could only reach in the afterlife.
There was no Will of Fire here, no freedom, no equality.
This wasn't just the ninja world; it was—hell.
"A mature Konoha ninja doesn't concern himself with right or wrong," Fugaku Uchiha said, his tone instructive. "A mature Konoha ninja, especially an Uchiha, follows orders. First, the advisor's orders. Then, the Hokage's. And a mature Konoha ninja only considers one thing: whether it benefits Konoha. The village leadership has deemed this operation necessary. Advisor Gojo entrusted this mission to me. Therefore, I will complete it. This—is our ninja way."
Shisui Uchiha nodded thoughtfully.
A mature ninja only considered the benefits, not the morality.
"Get out! Leave!" A child, emboldened by anger, threw a rock at them. His parents, their faces etched with fear, tried to pull him back.
Fugaku casually deflected the rock with a kunai, signaling his subordinates to stand down.
"Shisui, what do you see in their eyes?"
"Fear—and—hatred," Shisui replied, his voice barely a whisper.
"Why do they feel this way towards Konoha ninja?"
Shisui couldn't answer. Perhaps—because they were invaders.
"Because they lack—love," Fugaku Uchiha declared. "They don't understand. They think Kumogakure's handouts, their empty promises—that's all there is. They don't realize that what Advisor Gojo offers is—real. A chance at a better life, a proper ninja system. That's what will truly change this—backwater."
Was that it? Not invasion, but a lack of—love?
Shisui's eyes widened, as if he'd glimpsed a new path.
"But for now, our priority is to—obtain the Daimyo's approval."
The advance team had cleared the way. The two Uchiha reached the Daimyo's palace unopposed.
A simple wall seemed to divide two worlds. Outside, poverty and despair. Inside, even the pillars were adorned with gold. The Daimyo's gardens housed exotic beasts, their feeding bowls filled with the finest cuts of meat.
"In the ninja world, the poorer the village, the greater the disparity between the rich and the poor," Fugaku remarked. "Out there, people starve. In here, even the dogs eat meat. Do you think Kumogakure's aid went towards—those gold pillars? Or towards improving the lives of the villagers? Do you still feel any—guilt, Shisui?"
Shisui Uchiha lowered his head in shame. He took a deep breath, his gaze hardening with resolve.
Each ninja had their own path. Some chose loyalty, others—love. Shisui, at eight, seemed to have found his—a love that transcended borders, a love that—liberated.
He would emulate Advisor Gojo.
A liberator who needed no justification. Even if it meant facing the resentment of those he sought to save.
"Perhaps they'll say they don't need our help. But—saving them has nothing to do with them."
"Shisui! Your eyes!" Fugaku Uchiha's surprised voice interrupted his thoughts.
Shisui's Sharingan had activated. The single tomoe spun, splitting into two, then three.
A three-tomoe Sharingan, at eight!
Fugaku Uchiha beamed. An eight-year-old with a three-tomoe Sharingan. A prodigy even by Uchiha standards.
A true blessing.
He himself hadn't awakened his Sharingan until he was fifteen. He'd thought his son, Itachi, a two-tomoe Sharingan user at five, was a prodigy. But Shisui—he was on another level.
Though a Sharingan's power wasn't solely determined by the age of its awakening, Shisui's potential was undeniable. He was destined to become, at the very least, an elite Jonin.
'Advisor Gojo—he truly is the Uchiha clan's savior! This unprecedented growth—we owe it all to him.'
Fugaku Uchiha's gratitude was—profound.
"My—my Sharingan—it's evolved?" Shisui, too, was surprised by his sudden growth.
"Remember this feeling, Shisui. When your ninja way falters, remember this moment. This third tomoe—it's the path you must follow."
"Yes, Clan Head."
'My ninja way—is liberation. A love that—compels. If they won't accept it willingly, I'll force them to.'
They soon reached the Daimyo's chambers.
The advance team had—cleared the room, leaving only the Daimyo, who glared at the Uchiha ninja.
"You—you dare trespass?! Do you know who I am?! I'm—I'm practically brothers with the Fire Daimyo! I'll have you all executed!"
Though the Land of Rice Paddies lacked a Hidden Village, its Daimyo still had—a temper. The smaller nations surrounding Konoha had historical ties to the Land of Fire.
Fugaku Uchiha's expression turned—amused.
The Fire Daimyo? After the Kazuma incident, he was now under Konoha's—protection.
"Perhaps you're unaware, but this—operation has the Fire Daimyo's approval."
"Impossible! He wouldn't attack me! You're lying!"
"You see, in the Land of Fire—when the Daimyo and the Hokage agree, the Hokage follows the Daimyo's orders. When they disagree, the Hokage follows the advisor's."
"So, these are the Daimyo's orders."
"???" The Daimyo stared at him, dumbfounded.
If they disagreed, shouldn't the Hokage follow the Daimyo's orders? What did a mere advisor have to do with it?
"Enough! I want to speak with the Fire Daimyo!"
"As you wish."
Fugaku Uchiha gestured, and a dusty, outdated computer was brought in. It had two thick cables, one connected to a power source, the other to a headset.
This was the "red phone" between Daimyo, the ninja world's most advanced communication device.
It used a jutsu similar to the Telescope Technique to create a point-to-point video link. Due to its complexity, it was only used in emergencies.
The connection was established.
...
"Brother—what is it?" the Fire Daimyo asked.
"Why are your Konoha ninja attacking my territory? Did you order this?!"
"I…" The Fire Daimyo began to speak, then noticed Fugaku Uchiha standing behind his—counterpart. He glanced at his own "guards," Konoha ninja assigned to—protect him. They stared back, their expressions unreadable. He sighed and nodded reluctantly.
"Yes, these are my orders. And I've granted Fugaku Uchiha full authority. You will—cooperate. Or else."
Click—
The connection ended.
The Daimyo of the Land of Rice Paddies slumped in his seat, defeated. He might not fear ninja, but he certainly feared the Fire Daimyo.
"So—what do you want? Money? Women?"
Fugaku Uchiha's face twisted in disgust. He delivered Gojo Kaigetsu's demands.
"We need land. Enough for a thousand ninja to train and ten thousand civilians to live. And—we'll be taking this palace. Find other—accommodations. We'll provide you with a—stipend. Just—stay out of our way. Don't interfere."
"Or else…" He drew his kunai, slicing a clean chunk from the Daimyo's desk.
"My kunai is—quite sharp."
This was too much! Not only the land and the treasury, but even his palace? He might as well hand over his concubines as well.
The Daimyo, seeing the cleanly severed piece of his desk, gulped, a forced smile appearing on his face.
"Of course, of course. I'm—delighted to have Konoha's assistance in developing the Land of Rice Paddies."
He retrieved his Daimyo's seal and handed it to Fugaku Uchiha. "I have—another residence. I'll—go there. With this seal, my ministers will—cooperate."
"Escort the Daimyo to his—new residence," Fugaku Uchiha ordered, and two Konoha ninja dragged the now-unconscious Daimyo away.
Shisui Uchiha, watching this, felt a strange disconnect.
In their traditional view, the Daimyo's authority was absolute, a figure to be revered and obeyed.
Though such sentiments were weaker in Konoha, they still lingered.
Even the Daimyo of a small nation like the Land of Rice Paddies—he wasn't someone they, mere ninja, could disrespect. But today, the Daimyo had been treated like—a dog.
This—challenged Shisui's worldview.
'So—the Daimyo is—nothing special.'
'Just an ordinary person, easily controlled by ninja. True power belongs to the Hokage—and Advisor Gojo.'
"Clan Head," Shisui asked, "why does the Fire Daimyo allow Konoha such—freedom? Why did we used to obey him?"
Fugaku Uchiha polished the Daimyo's seal. "Ninja are busy training and fighting. They don't create wealth. The villages need money. The Daimyo had the money, so—it became a tool of control."
"Then why not—eliminate the Daimyo and take his wealth?"
Fugaku Uchiha glanced at his young prodigy. Such—bold thoughts.
"The Daimyo represents—the people. He's a symbol of authority. If ninja could casually eliminate him, who would bother working, creating wealth? They'd be like—livestock, slaughtered at a ninja's whim."
"In the past, the village relied on the Daimyo's funding. But now—thanks to Advisor Gojo, our income is more diversified. We no longer need the Daimyo's—leash."
Shisui Uchiha nodded, absorbing his words. 'So—the Daimyo isn't someone we need to respect. He's merely a—figurehead.'
'The village nominates the Hokage, but the Daimyo approves. But for Konoha to expand, we need more land—Eventually, we'll clash with the nobility.'
'If I were powerful enough—I'd control the Daimyo. The Hokage would choose the Daimyo. And judging by the other Daimyo's—attitude—if I could control the Fire Daimyo, make him pressure the others, threaten war—it would benefit Konoha immensely.'
'The Land of Fire belongs to Konoha! It exists to serve the village, to fuel Advisor Gojo's—benevolence! The Daimyo should be—Konoha's spokesperson.'
A new path opened before Shisui Uchiha.
Fugaku Uchiha, following Gojo Kaigetsu's instructions, summoned the Land of Rice Paddies' ministers, samurai, and merchants.
"Konoha has come to the Land of Rice Paddies for two reasons."
"One, to establish a Hidden Village."
"Two, to invest in your agricultural sector. Until your debts are repaid, Konoha will be your sole trading partner. All your produce will be sold to us—at eighty percent of market value."
"Any objections?"
The merchants shook their heads.
Konoha would invest in their development? In exchange for a twenty percent discount? The increased production would more than compensate for that.
The ministers and samurai, however, were—intrigued. These ninja villages—they were strange.
Kumogakure had offered aid and protection. Though their ninja were—disruptive, they'd improved the region's security.
And now, Konoha was investing in their economy and—building a Hidden Village?
They knew the benefits of a Hidden Village.
It was a symbol of prestige. Only nations with Hidden Villages were truly recognized in the ninja world.
And it provided a steady stream of income through missions.
Larger nations funded their villages; smaller nations—leeched off them.
The Land of Rice Paddies had long dreamt of establishing a Hidden Village.
But the prerequisites were—daunting. The initial investment aside, there were three main paths:
A sacred relic or a powerful inherited jutsu.
A rogue ninja from a larger village, establishing a base and recruiting followers.
Or—some sort of advanced technology that allowed them to—remain hidden.
Now, it seemed, their dream would finally be realized, thanks to Konoha's invasion.
Were these Konoha ninja invaders, or—saviors? The Land of Rice Paddies' leadership was—conflicted. Some were even moved to tears.
The ninja world wasn't lacking in patriots. And their dream of a Hidden Village—it was finally within reach.
"We'll call it—Otonokuni no Sato," Fugaku Uchiha announced.
"Any objections…?"
"I object, Konoha ninja!" An elderly minister stepped forward. "A village's name is its—identity. It should be—fitting. The Land of Rice Paddies—we're known for our—music. How about—Otogakure?"
"Otogakure? Not bad."
The name sparked excitement.
"I'm willing to donate ten million ryō to Otogakure's development!" a merchant declared.
"My family possesses a secret sound-based ninjutsu. We'll donate it to the village," a samurai announced.
"I—I will dedicate my life to—serving Konoha!" an elderly minister cried.
Fugaku Uchiha was surprised. He recalled Gojo Kaigetsu's words: Never underestimate ninja.
Even in this insignificant nation, there were hidden talents. Sound-based ninjutsu? That was unheard of in Konoha.
He'd have to—acquire it for Orochimaru's research. Perhaps it would expand Konoha's jutsu repertoire.
The atmosphere in the Daimyo's palace was—festive. They seemed to have forgotten they were under occupation.
Fugaku Uchiha circled an area on the map, where the Land of Rice Paddies bordered the Land of Fire. "This will be Otogakure's location. Close to Konoha, for convenient transport of materials and goods."
"Konoha envisions Otogakure as a—multifaceted village, integrating commerce, research, military, and education."
"Spread the word. We're recruiting. Children, rogue ninja—no criminals."
The plans for Otogakure were disseminated.
The Land of Rice Paddies' official historian diligently recorded the event:
[Previously recorded: August, Konoha year 51. Uchiha Fugaku, leading over a hundred Konoha ninja, occupied the Daimyo's palace. The ninja, clad mostly in white, became known as the "White Invasion."]
[Otogakure Year 1, Konoha Year 51. That summer, a Konoha ninja drew a circle on the southern border of the Land of Rice Paddies, and the village of Otogakure was born. Konoha awakened the Land of Sound. The Uchiha—they warmed the hearts of our people.]
"Konoha's angels have arrived! Otogakure is established! We're recruiting! Ninja, samurai, able-bodied civilians, even children! Loyalty!"
Curious villagers emerged from their homes. "Weren't they—invading us? What's going on?"
A few approached the notice boards.
"Hey, you—thinking of joining? This could be a trap."
"What do I have to lose? My family's dead. It can't get any worse."
"And it's our village! We'll be—ninja masters!"
"Let's go!"
Konoha's influence spread.
…
…
"Protecting the border towns? Preventing—unrest?"
A, stroking his chin, reluctantly accepted the explanation. It was fortunate that it was Hyuga Hiashi, not Fugaku Uchiha.
If Fugaku Uchiha had been in charge—he might have reached Kumogakure's gates by now.
And A would be mobilizing his forces for a "Raikage Tower Defense" operation.
As for Hyuga Hiashi—A wasn't underestimating him. As a fellow taijutsu specialist, he respected Hiashi's abilities.
But the Byakugan, mostly used for support—it wasn't as—impressive as the Sharingan.
Still, the Byakugan…
"I have an idea!" A slammed his fist on the table, startling Mabui.
"What is it, Raikage-sama?"
"Gojo Kaigetsu wants a—mock war? Fine. But when the peace treaty is signed…"
"Kumogakure will send its own delegation! And we'll—force Konoha, force the Hyuga clan, to hand over a pair of main family Byakugan as—compensation."
"After all, it was Konoha who attacked us, and it was the Hyuga Clan Head who led the invasion."
"They have to—pay the price!" A cracked his knuckles, his meaning clear.
Konoha had played dirty, taking the border towns. While he could reclaim them later, he was still—annoyed.
Since that blond brat couldn't be trusted, he'd play his own game.
"Raikage-sama," Mabui said cautiously, "how long do you intend this—mock war to last?"
"Until I've dealt with those elders and their clans."
"As for the Land of Rice Paddies—we can't help them now. Send a message. Tell them to hold on. We'll—assist them eventually." A, despite his gruff exterior, wasn't heartless. He wouldn't abandon them completely.
"Raikage-sama—they're refusing our calls. They said—they're worried about what Konoha might think."
"?"
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