When the crowd saw this scene, they were instantly terrified. Panic spread like wildfire as they tried to flee.
At that moment, a cold and commanding voice came from the towering blue giant, stopping the people in their tracks. They looked up and saw a white-haired young man standing on the giant's shoulder, his crimson eyes patterned with snowflake-like marks.
Even the ninjas of Konoha had never seen such a sight before. It was their first time witnessing Tōshirō use this power, and they were all shocked—what kind of ninjutsu was this? Was their Hokage really such a terrifyingly powerful man?
A guard steadied the panicking citizens and announced, "Everyone, do not be afraid! This is the power of our new Daimyō."
Hearing this, the crowd finally began to calm down. They also noticed that the blue giant was holding a cage in its massive hand. Inside the cage wasn't anyone else—it was the Daimyō of the Land of Fire himself, disheveled and in a pitiful mental state.
Tōshirō manipulated his Soul Flames to lower the cage to the ground, and once it was set down, the flames dispersed like a gust of fire fading into the wind.
He hadn't summoned the Soul Flames for show; rather, he was deliberately creating a godlike image of himself before the common people, to make future governance easier.
Tōshirō reached into his pocket and took out a key. Two guards immediately understood his intent and rushed forward. One of them respectfully accepted the key with both hands and approached the cage, ready to open it—and to invite the Daimyō out for execution.
As the key turned in the lock, the Daimyō's heart sank with each click. He wanted to maintain his dignity as a ruler to the very end, but the moment the door opened, his psychological defenses completely collapsed. His legs gave out, and he slumped to the ground like a pile of mud.
Without needing any signal from Tōshirō, the two guards grabbed the Daimyō by his arms and forcibly dragged him toward the execution platform.
"Ahhh! You can't do this to me! I am the Daimyō! I am the messenger of the gods!"
The Daimyō screamed hysterically like a slaughtered pig.
Tōshirō sneered. "If you call yourself the messenger of the gods, then sending you to meet them should make you quite happy, shouldn't it?"
The two guards pressed the Daimyō's head against the execution block. The Daimyō tried to resist, but his frail limbs were no match for the two burly men restraining him.
Clearing his throat, Tōshirō stood atop the platform, proclaiming that he was avenging the Third Hokage. He then publicly exposed the crimes of the Fire Daimyō—no need to fabricate anything, as his list of sins was already endless.
Through this stark contrast, Tōshirō's image immediately became noble and righteous. Coupled with his striking appearance—since first impressions always matter—his legitimacy appeared even stronger.
After finishing his speech, the Daimyō no longer had any value. Tōshirō gave the order, and the executioner's blade came down swiftly.
One strike.
The Daimyō of the Land of Fire was beheaded. Blood flowed across the platform, marking the complete end of the Daimyō's rule over the nation.
The crowd was unsettled at first, but Tōshirō's next words swept away all their doubts.
"Considering how hard you all have worked to survive, I hereby announce that all taxes will be reduced by half."
In an instant, the crowd erupted in cheers. They praised the new Daimyō as a benevolent man.
Amid the people's enthusiastic applause, Tōshirō returned to the palace. Sitting upon the throne, he crossed one leg over the other and casually said to Nara Shikaku below him, "It seems being a Daimyō is easier than I thought. No one even dares to oppose me."
"Lord Hokage, what are your plans next?"
Shikaku thought to himself: You killed all the opposition the moment you took power, then won over the people by halving their taxes. Of course no one dares to oppose you!
Tōshirō replied nonchalantly, "What else can I do? Naturally—relocate the capital."
Shikaku froze. "Relocate the capital?"
"I'm a sentimental person. Although this place is far more prosperous than Konoha, I still prefer to live in Konoha long-term."
Tōshirō glanced around at the glittering palace. "It'll probably take quite a while to move everything out of here."
Shikaku: "…"
"I'm feeling a bit sleepy. I'll go take a nap. We'll talk about the rest later."
Tōshirō stood up and headed toward the harem. The wives and concubines of the former Daimyō were there—those with children had been dealt with, while those without were left alone for now.
Looking at the group of beautiful women, Tōshirō couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Once upon a time, he dreamed of having his own harem. Now that it was within his grasp, he felt… nothing.
With the Daimyō's death and the official renaming of the country to the Land of Flame, the news spread like wildfire across the world.
The other nations' Daimyōs were terrified, fearing their own ninja villages might follow suit—execute them and seize power for themselves.
This wasn't paranoia—it was a genuine possibility.
After all, the current world order had long been built by "crossing the river by feeling Konoha's stones."
The one-village-per-nation system, the title of Kage, the ninja academy, the ANBU—all were models copied directly from Konoha. And now that Konoha had easily overthrown its Daimyō and declared independence, other villages might very well follow that example.
Within the Akatsuki Organization, the matter sparked intense discussion.
In a dimly lit room, Obito shook his head after hearing the news. "What a madman…"
He had originally taken Kakashi's Sharingan to create conflict between Tōshirō and Konoha's leadership.
The conflict did happen—but Tōshirō's reaction went far beyond anything Obito expected. Not only had he slaughtered Konoha's top brass, but he had also conquered the entire Land of Fire.
"This kid is dangerous," Obito muttered.
Black Zetsu's tone was grim. "He might even know about us."
He still shuddered recalling the time Tōshirō stormed their hideout.
And now, after possibly obtaining White Zetsu's cells, Tōshirō's strength had likely grown even further, turning him into a completely unpredictable variable.
Madara Uchiha had left a contingency plan for this exact situation—if things ever spiraled out of control, Black Zetsu would use Edo Tensei to resurrect him.
At this moment, Black Zetsu was seriously considering it.
Obito nodded. "Yeah."
"Should we take a page from his book?"
Black Zetsu proposed that Obito use his control over the Fourth Mizukage to assassinate the Daimyō of the Land of Water and seize control of the entire nation to strengthen Akatsuki's influence.
Obito shook his head. "No, I have a better idea."
"???"
"This guy has just set a terrible precedent. All the Daimyōs now see Tōshirō as a mortal enemy and will stop at nothing to kill him."
"So what are you suggesting?"
"We'll take advantage of that—kill the Daimyōs, and let White Zetsu impersonate them."
"Ah… I see."
…
…
Back in Konoha, in the conference room—
Standing atop the dais, Tōshirō swept his gaze across the assembled shinobi and said, "You've all heard what's been happening lately. Do any of you have something to say?"
The people below exchanged glances in silence. What could they possibly say?
He'd said he wanted to avenge the Third Hokage, and yes—he had done that.
But he'd gone way beyond that—publicly executing the Daimyō and declaring himself ruler!
Compared to him, the Third Hokage's reign looked utterly tame.
Seeing no one speak, Tōshirō continued, "Since you have nothing to say, I do."
Everyone's attention sharpened.
"To properly welcome a new era, I intend to restructure the organization of Konoha—no, the entire Land of Flame."
The crowd looked confused.
"Restructure… the organization?"
Just what kind of stunt was he planning this time?
Ever since Tōshirō executed the Daimyō, no one doubted his capacity for outrageous decisions anymore.
"The current Konoha system only works for a village," Tōshirō explained. "But now that we're managing an entire nation, it's far from adequate. So, organizational reform is imperative."
After elaborating further, he concluded, "I'm naming this new organizational structure—the Thirteen Divisions of National Protection."
End of Chapter)
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