The news of Mifune's death quickly spread through the samurai who had survived and returned to the Land of Iron. Shunjiro, who succeeded him as the new General of the Land of Iron, witnessed Mifune's demise firsthand. He rejected the increasingly frantic requests from the daimyō, fearful after the death of the Land of Hot Water's ruler, for protection. Instead, Shunjiro ordered the Land of Iron to isolate itself, withdrawing entirely from the upheavals of the shinobi world.
Meanwhile, the combined forces of Sunagakure and Kirigakure swept through opposition like a tidal wave, conquering nation after nation.
On the tenth day, the Land of Sound, which bordered the Land of Hot Water, surrendered.
By the twelfth day, the daimyo of the Land of Moon was killed in a civilian uprising, and his severed head was delivered to Konohagakure.
On the sixteenth day, the Land of Waves and the Land of Birds both fell, and under Konan's command, Amegakure merged entirely with Konoha.
...
Konoha, Meeting Room
"Lord Hokage, these children are the most outstanding of Amegakure's new generation. Each one possesses extraordinary talent and was originally trained as reserves for the Akatsuki."
Standing behind the children, who looked somewhat nervous, Konan offered a rare warm and gentle smile.
"This is the Hokage. Like Angel-sama and Pain-sama, he is a good person."
"Lord Hokage!"
Hearing Konan's explanation, the children, who had traveled a great distance from Amegakure to Konohagakure, finally let down their guard.
"Very well," Tobirama nodded, offering the children what he considered a kind smile.
At his order, an Anbu ninja escorted the children away. They would undoubtedly be trained as the future pillars of Konoha's strength.
After dealing with this, Tobirama turned his attention to Konan, the Angel of Amegakure—a woman who had always quietly supported Yahiko and Nagato.
He was busy.
Ever since deciding to unify the shinobi world, an avalanche of problems had arisen.
The first and most pressing question was: in a unified shinobi world, would the future be led by shinobi or civilians?
The answer was relatively straightforward. In a world dominated by extraordinary power, civilians' voices would inevitably be weak. The existence of daimyō was, at best, a historical anomaly.
Once the unification was complete, rogue shinobi, bandits, and the black market would need to be purged. However, these elements were the sources of many shinobi missions. The shinobi world was inherently flawed: bandits could never be fully eradicated, rogue shinobi endlessly reappeared, and conflicts were constant.
All of this was tacitly allowed. The shinobi world needed unrest to sustain itself.
Thinking about this, Tobirama's mind raced. For now, with unification incomplete, these issues weren't urgent, offering him some relief.
He wasn't the only one occupied. His elder brother, Hashirama, and Madara Uchiha were equally overwhelmed.
As victories accumulated, the remaining daimyō grew increasingly desperate. Hidden ambitions within the shinobi world began surfacing.
The daimyo of the Land of Grass, for instance, reportedly made a pact with Mui, the warden of Hōzuki Castle. Together, they opened the Box of Ultimate Bliss, said to be a relic of the Sage of Six Paths, releasing a creature that inflicted significant casualties on Sunagakure forces.
When Hashirama learned of this, he abandoned his gambling session with Tsunade and hurried off, claiming he had to "exterminate evil for the shinobi world."
As for Madara, he had been busy ever since dealing with Mifune.
An obscure village wiped out by Konoha during the Second Shinobi World War—the Land of the Sky—had resurfaced amidst the war for unification, drawing Madara's attention. He was likely annihilating them as they spoke.
Konoha was mobilized to its fullest. Large numbers of elite shinobi and civilians were dispatched, including the resurrected Uchiha clan, who managed nearly half of the newly unified territories of Sunagakure and Kirigakure. Yet reports of insufficient manpower persisted.
In such a busy climate, Tobirama's ability to spare time for Konan reflected the importance he placed on Amegakure's integration into Konoha.
"From now on, you are part of Konoha," Tobirama said, extending a hand to shake hers, acknowledging her new status.
"Thank you," Konan nodded, startled by the warmth of his hand.
Among those resurrected on New Year's Eve was Tobirama Senju himself.
"Perhaps you're unaware, but Yahiko and Nagato have been resurrected by Madara," Tobirama said, observing Konan's surprised expression.
Nagato, upon learning the truth after his resurrection, was not overly shocked. He met with Madara once and scoffed at the latter's vision of peace through the Infinite Tsukuyomi, finding it pitifully narrow in scope. Joining the effort to unify the shinobi world, Nagato fought valiantly on the front lines, even without his Rinnegan. His Uzumaki lineage and mastery of ninjutsu ensured his status as a Kage-level combatant.
Yahiko, meanwhile, was despondent upon learning what had transpired during his absence and was currently staying in Konoha with Jiraiya.
"Thank you for your kindness. Lord Hokage, the affairs in Amegakure have been settled, and Konoha can take over at any time. If you'll excuse me, I must take my leave."
Konan handed Tobirama a stack of thick documents filled with text. Her gaze drifted toward the window, her mind clearly elsewhere.
"Of course." Tobirama waved her off, signaling an Anbu to escort her to reunite with her loved ones.
Looking at the thick stack of papers in his hand, Tobirama massaged his temples. He missed the immortality of being an Edo Tensei.
...
An Opulent, Shadowy Chamber in an Unknown Country
Several daimyō gathered in secrecy at someone's suggestion.
"Damn it! The Land of Birds is finished. The Land of Bears is next! Come up with something already!"
The daimyo of the Land of Bears slammed his hand on the round table, only to wince in pain and cradle it.
"The daimyo of the Land of Grass seems to have played his trump card. Sunagakure's advance has stalled there, buying us some time," said the daimyo of the Land of Waterfalls, wiping sweat from his brow despite fanning himself.
After all, the Land of Waterfalls bordered the Land of Grass.
"The Hokage really intends to exterminate us. If you have any cards left to play, now is the time!" the Land of Bears' daimyo pleaded, looking at the other silent daimyō.
"If you don't want to be a daimyo anymore, just go live as a commoner," scoffed the daimyo of the Land of Tea.
Easier said than done. Those who remained daimyō at this stage clung to their power and privileges. Giving up their status was unthinkable.
"Enough jokes," the daimyo of the Land of Frost, who had called the meeting, clapped his hands.
"I invited you here because there is a way to stop those lunatic shinobi."
A small figure emerged from behind him. Completely wrapped in bandages, her exposed skin was pale and delicate, with half her face revealing striking beauty. Even the well-traveled daimyō found themselves momentarily entranced.
The Land of Frost's daimyo smirked.
"Allow me to introduce Hiruko, a genius scientist and the so-called 'Immortal Shinobi,' whose strength surpasses the legendary Sannin of Konoha!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
Fanfic finished on Patreon (Last chap 162.)
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