Madara wiped the blood from the corner of his eye and looked down at Obito's lifeless body.
Even though the dream of the illusionary world was no longer his pursuit, Madara didn't want Obito's life to be devoid of meaning. This was, perhaps, the last gesture of sentiment he could offer to Obito.
"Obito's remains should be..."
Tobirama stroked his chin thoughtfully and said in a low voice, "Laid to rest in his original spot at the Konoha Cemetery."
This final gesture would preserve a semblance of dignity for Obito.
For someone like Obito, dying in a way that allowed for even a shred of honor was the best conclusion possible.
Tobirama himself felt no particular attachment to Obito's death and certainly no desire to resurrect him.
Itachi, unwaveringly loyal to Konoha, had protected the village even at the cost of his clan and followed Tobirama's leadership without question.
Madara, despite being the orchestrator of countless schemes, had proven his strength. Tobirama, having subdued Madara, saw him as someone useful.
Obito, however, was a different story. His Kamui Mangekyō Sharingan had already fallen into Tobirama's hands, leaving him with little practical value.
This was the harsh reality.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage."
Kakashi nodded solemnly, carrying Obito's body as grief filled his heart.
"Obito... you fool…" Tears streamed down Rin's face, falling onto Obito's pale cheeks.
...
Konoha, Year 61, Fifth Day of the New Year
The ultimatum Tobirama Senju had issued to the nations of the shinobi world was set to expire.
In just five short days, the landscape of the shinobi world had been turned upside down.
The Land of Water and Kirigakure had staged a coup, assassinating the Daimyo of the Land of Water in broad daylight.
Smaller nations with hidden villages, emboldened by their longstanding dissatisfaction with the Daimyo and their fear of the Hokage's power, followed Kirigakure's example without hesitation.
The severed heads of several Daimyo had already been delivered to Tobirama's desk in Konoha.
Of course, not everyone was so daring. Some mocked Tobirama's actions as reckless and foolish, claiming it would only bring ruin.
"Hokage-sama, dozens of nations have retained the Daimyo system despite your ultimatum. They've mobilized large numbers of samurai and are openly recruiting rogue ninja as mercenaries, seemingly prepared to resist us at all costs."
"The general of the Land of Iron, Mifune, has also expressed strong opposition to your policies. He has pledged to defend the Daimyo system and has been hired by the remaining Daimyo as their military commander."
In the Hokage's office, Shikaku Nara presented the intelligence report to Tobirama.
"Just a bunch of clowns. I say we crush them outright," Madara scoffed, clearly unimpressed by the so-called resistance.
"I actually think the Daimyo system is fine. It's been around for so long, hasn't it?"
Hashirama scratched his head, puzzled by Tobirama's decision.
His comment earned him an exasperated eye roll from Madara.
"Not everything that exists is justified," Madara retorted sharply.
"Have the Daimyo contributed anything to the development of the shinobi world over the millennia they've ruled this land?"
Tobirama, glancing briefly at the report, chuckled at Hashirama's naïve question.
"Well… now that you mention it, they haven't," Hashirama admitted, momentarily at a loss for words.
"These parasites do nothing but leech off us. Without their interference, I can finally implement the reforms needed to bring true peace to the shinobi world."
"This, too, is part of achieving peace."
Hearing this, Hashirama remained silent. His vision of peace through the one country, one village system had already failed. Now, he was curious to see if Tobirama and Madara's new path could succeed.
"Madara isn't entirely wrong. These so-called resistance forces are hardly a threat," Tobirama mused, stroking his chin.
The samurai and rogue ninja in these nations were barely stronger than civilians when compared to the elite shinobi of the great villages. Even the samurai of the Land of Iron, at best, were comparable to low- or mid-level chunin.
As for Mifune, the strongest samurai who had once defeated Hanzo in the original timeline, Tobirama considered him insignificant. Even if Tobirama were to generously rank Mifune on par with the Five Kage, it wouldn't matter—he'd killed plenty of Kage already.
Seeing Tobirama's agreement, Madara allowed a faint smirk to play across his lips.
Tobirama's expression grew serious as he issued his command, his voice carrying the weight of authority:
"Relay my orders: The shinobi of Sunagakure and Kirigakure will split into two forces. Start with the nearest nations and attack those who continue to resist! Konoha's shinobi will follow closely behind to secure the results of their battles. All captured territories will be annexed!"
"Understood!"
Tobirama hadn't relied solely on brute force to win over Sunagakure and Kirigakure. Even though they had surrendered, resentment among their people was inevitable, and half-hearted efforts in war would be the natural result.
To address this, Tobirama, with Hashirama's help, had used their combined mastery of Wood Release and Water Release to completely transform the ecology of the Land of Wind. The barren deserts that had plagued Sunagakure for decades were turned into fertile lands teeming with life.
For the Land of Water, Tobirama had employed large-scale Water Release techniques to expand their territory through land reclamation, tripling the size of the small island nation.
These efforts had earned Tobirama immense gratitude from the lower- and middle-class citizens and shinobi of the two villages.
After all, these nations would eventually fall under Konoha's rule, so improving the living conditions of their people was an investment in the future.
Under Tobirama's leadership, the joint forces of Sunagakure and Kirigakure set out on their campaign.
...
"Damn it! Why is the Land of Hot Water the first to be attacked?"
The Daimyo of the Land of Hot Water paced anxiously through his grand hall.
The shinobi of Kirigakure, shaped by years of the Blood Mist policy, were notoriously brutal and thrived on survival of the fittest. To demonstrate their loyalty to Tobirama, they immediately launched an attack on the nearest target: the Land of Hot Water.
Unfortunately, the Land of Hot Water had no hidden village. Its only shinobi force, the now-defunct Hot Water Ninja Village, had been wiped out by a certain cult worshiping an evil deity. The Daimyo's remaining military strength consisted solely of a few thousand samurai, leaving him in a state of despair.
"Your Highness, please remain calm!"
Though the situation was dire, one of the Daimyo's trusted ministers remained composed.
"While we may lack a hidden village and sufficient samurai, the Land of Iron is close by. General Mifune has already been informed of our plight and is leading the samurai of the Land of Iron to aid us!"
Hearing this, the Daimyo's panic subsided, and a look of relief washed over his face.
"Excellent, excellent! Mobilize all of our samurai to stall the shinobi of Kirigakure until General Mifune's reinforcements arrive!"
"Understood!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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