The Seii Taishogun's Shogunate continued its steady expansion of the ninja forces, while direct subordinates within the ranks had already begun full-scale closed-door reorganization and training.
However, from Iwagakure's perspective, this might not necessarily be a good thing.
After all, compared to those rumored Holy Places whose locations remained unknown, the Hidden Villages situated throughout the Ninja World faced a more direct threat.
This was an army numbering six thousand fully professional ninja!
Although Hyūga Sōshū claimed that the Shogunate's goal was targeting the so-called Holy Place, who could say whether the Hidden Villages themselves weren't also considered "barbarians" in his eyes?
Ever since the establishment of the Ninja Clan Capital Corporation, the aggressive expansion led by former Konoha ninjas under Hyūga Sōshū had been intimidating enough.
Even Iwagakure, famous for its large population, couldn't mobilize such a massive number of full-time ninja on short notice. After all, traditionally ninjas operated under a conscription system, needing to take missions to earn their income.
Moreover, during this era of increasing fragmentation across the Ninja World, both the number of missions commissioned by ruling countries and the associated rewards had been shrinking steadily. Under such circumstances, ninjas had no choice but to increase their workload just to maintain stable incomes.
The problem was that constantly overloading missions slowed down personal training and made it harder to call up troops—a vicious cycle with no easy way out.
This situation particularly applied to Onoki.
Nowadays, Onoki wasn't merely the Kage of his Hidden Village—he had also forced the Daimyo into submission and seized the post of Chief Minister of the Land of Earth. In theory, he was now the supreme military and political ruler of the Land of Earth, meaning he had to carefully balance both responsibilities.
Unfortunately, trying to keep this balance resulted in complete dissatisfaction from both sides.
Some portion of the courtiers' interests—particularly tax revenues and grain supplies originally destined for the National Treasury—had been redirected by Onoki toward Iwagakure for ninja expansion and purchasing ninja tools. Naturally, the aristocrats felt directly harmed because in their eyes, national treasury resources were practically their personal inheritance. Whether through legal transfer or outright embezzlement, these funds would eventually trickle down into the nobles' pockets.
In other words, the courtiers didn't just lose some profits—they lost them all!
At the same time, Iwagakure's ninjas grew just as furious.
Especially those ninjas who'd been transferred to administrative positions after Onoki moved into the Earth Daimyo's court—these personnel had firsthand witnessed the shocking extravagance and wastefulness of the noble families. The degree of luxury they observed was simply staggering!
So when this news spread through the village via rotating administrative ninjas, the frustration among those still stationed in Iwagakure boiled over!
Originally, the Hidden Village and the noble court kept to their own spheres, rarely interfering with each other. While tensions simmered beneath the surface, at least the distance helped maintain a "live and let live" arrangement.
But now, when the Iwagakure ninja learned through insider information just how extravagant the Courtiers' lifestyle had become, those who once took pride in enduring hardship and striving diligently were utterly broken. So all this time, we've been starving ourselves, pushing our training to the limit, and risking our lives just to protect these rotten nobles?
Who could accept that!
So, both the Iwagakure ninja and the Courtiers exploded with anger. Though their relationship hadn't completely collapsed, they were practically at each other's throats.
Naturally, Onoki, serving concurrently as Tsuchikage and Great Minister, found himself caught between the two sides, feeling extremely frustrated.
Although no one dared openly complain in front of Onoki, subtle provocations and instigations never ceased.
Especially after Onoki rejected his legitimate son Kitsuchi's proposal to dispatch some Iwagakure ninja into the ranks of the Seii Taishogun's Shogunate, dissatisfaction among the Iwagakure ninja grew increasingly intense.
"Our overseas interests are absolutely nonnegotiable!"
Inside a secret location within the Hidden Rock Village, an Iwagakure Jonin was passionately addressing the gathering. "Moreover, the current continental order in the Ninja World is dominated by the Former Konoha Ninja Clans operating as Ninja Clan Capital Corporations, with the Seii Taishogun's Shogunate emerging from among them. If we want to secure our interests in the Land of Water today, we must join them!"
"Otherwise, if conflicts arise with Kumo in the future, those dark-skinned warriors might cut off our sea routes," another Iwagakure Jonin also voiced his opinion.
"This year's iron ore exports from the village have been far from satisfactory. The sand iron ore from the Land of Wind has taken away our market share, and the Ninja Clan Capital Corporation has already begun favoring them," added another Jonin responsible for export affairs in Iwagakure.
"In short, we cannot afford to fall out with our biggest client, or else we'll be in serious trouble!"
This was the unanimous view shared by all the gathered Iwagakure Jonin.
After all, if a conflict broke out with the Shogunate, Iwagakure stood no chance of winning, and since their economic lifeline was already under the latter's control, joining them wasn't such an unacceptable option after all.
Of course, any Iwagakure ninja unwilling to accept this viewpoint wouldn't dare appear at this gathering.
"Lord Kitsuchi, what do you think?"
An upper ninja turned to Kitsuchi, who had remained silent until now.
"Without Lord Tsuchikage's approval, things will be very difficult," Kitsuchi sighed helplessly.
"Difficult? Who doesn't know it's difficult! But even so, we still have to do it!"
Clearly, each of these Iwagakure Jonin who had secretly assembled here in defiance of the ban was bold enough to take risks.
They probably knew exactly where Kitsuchi stood, aware that he himself held certain resentments toward his father, the Tsuchikage Onoki, which was why they dared to openly complain.
"I will personally go to Hakone Prefecture city to discuss the issue of mineral exports from our village. Hopefully, we can achieve a better outcome," Kitsuchi said with visible reluctance.
As for the other demands raised by these factionally distinct Iwagakure Jonin members, he chose to turn a deaf ear — for now.
After all, whether regarding strength or prestige, he still fell short; therefore, the time hadn't come yet for him to publicly oppose his father.
"It's high time the village decided who would succeed The Fourth of Iwa."
A group of Iwa jonin exchanged glances before one of them spoke up, "The system proposed by Sakumo Hatake of Konoha—direct elections for jonin—is actually quite good. We should consider learning from it."
"Of course, we all support Kitsuchi!"
Other Iwa jonin immediately chimed in.
"I understand," Kitsuchi replied without directly committing himself to the discussion.
After all, although these jonin carried some weight within the village, they weren't mainstream power brokers. He had been actively currying favor with them mostly because his own faction lacked sufficient backing—an attempt to consolidate strength by rallying these comprador jonin who had prospered through dealings with the Ninja Clan Capital Corporation.
But truthfully, he knew precisely how reliable—or unreliable—they might be when it came to solid support. After all, these were men who would follow whoever offered the most benefit; one shouldn't harbor unnecessary expectations from such opportunists!
Meanwhile, back in Konoha, Hiashi Hyuga had been feeling particularly satisfied lately.
Ever since his marriage and assumption of command over Konoha's Patrol Force, neither had Hyuga Soushu retaliated against him nor stripped him of his position as commander of the Western District Security Squad under the Policing Department. Once a man left out in the cold, Hiashi had risen to become one of the most influential higher-ups in Konoha.
Although he hadn't entered Konoha's F4 decision-making circle, he still wielded significant authority among the ranks of Konoha's jonin.
Still, there were also things weighing on him that no one else knew.
Specifically, Black Zetsu—who had once provided him only minor support—had recently grown increasingly bold.
Especially now, making demands like:
"Now that you've successfully risen to power, you should act quickly to steal the Scroll of Seals—the most sacred artifact in Konoha—and find the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu inside!"
Black Zetsu urged inside their secret chamber.
"With Anbu expanding big-time and security around Hokage Tower tighter than ever, what do you think I can do to even get near that Scroll of Seals?!" Hiashi snapped back.
"You really don't think the Scroll of Seals is just some ordinary book or scroll, do you? If that were the case, the Hyuga Clan would have already copied all its contents using Byakugan!"
"But you can't just sit around doing nothing either!"
Black Zetsu, who had endured countless years of waiting, was running dangerously low on patience now.
"Do you really think I've done nothing?" Hearing this, Hiashi felt genuinely annoyed.
"You can't say I haven't been working! Besides, who gets this anxious this quickly?"
"The timing won't wait for us!" Black Zetsu implored earnestly.
"If we keep dragging our feet, our situation will only get worse."
"Even if the previous Tennin (Celestial Ninja) were reborn, they wouldn't accomplish much. Let alone creating mere corpses animated by the Impure World Reincarnation just to complement the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags technique."
Hiashi calmly declined.
"People change their minds all the time."
Although it was true that Black Zetsu had made things much easier for Hiashi Hyuga, it didn't mean he was willing to place unlimited trust in this mysterious being with unclear origins.
Besides, he had read many Ninja World fables in his youth—stories that often warned of monsters manipulating hearts through temptation and deceit.
"The longer we delay, the more things could go awry,"
Black Zetsu's voice gradually grew impatient. "If the Shogunate unifies the entire Ninja World, then the main branch of the Hyuga Clan will never get another chance!"
"No need to rush. Everything is still within reach."
Hiashi shook his head slightly while soothingly saying, "If we take action toward Hokage Tower at such a critical moment, it won't be good for either of us."
"Ahh!"
Black Zetsu could only sigh helplessly.
After all, at this moment, the only available lifeline in plain sight was just Hiashi Hyuga alone.
"Let's end today's discussion here; I'm tired."
Hiashi gave a clear signal that the meeting was over.
Though he knew this mud-like monster wouldn't actually leave—it had already escaped detection by his Byakugan before—but still, appearances had to be maintained.
"You'd better act cautiously."
Black Zetsu left behind those words before vanishing underground.
This time, however, instead of hiding secretly beneath the surface as previously, he directly descended deeper into Konoha's subterranean depths.
Deep within an expansive network of underground tunnels lay the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path—a treasure he had painstakingly relocated!
"What! You're back, Black Zetsu!"
As soon as Black Zetsu appeared, the bored White Zetsus immediately perked up.
These were improved White Zetsus tasked with guard duty—significantly stronger than the standard models, and somewhat steadier in temperament.
The only pity was their limited numbers, but there wasn't much that could be done about that. These enhanced White Zetsus were among the final legacies left behind during Madara Uchiha's lifetime—something Black Zetsu himself couldn't reproduce.
"How has the Shogunate been lately? Any movements?"
As soon as Black Zetsu landed, he merged with one of the White Zetsus to complete the black-and-white fusion, casually asking a question.
This base buried deep under Konoha was equally vital for intelligence gathering.
White Zetsus spread throughout the Ninja World continuously returned various pieces of information, which would eventually be summarized by these enhanced White Zetsus.
However, considering their limited IQs, Black Zetsu needed to specifically ask for specific directions to get precise intelligence reports.
"Hehe! The white-eyed boy's ninja squad is preparing to move out!"
One of the White Zetsus said swaying its head. "They must be heading toward Takugure!"
"Takugure?"
Black Zetsu sounded puzzled. "Are you saying the Shogunate's forces are preparing to attack Takugure?"
"That's right! They're attacking that village that holds one of the Tailed Beasts!"
Another White Zetsu chimed in.
"Oh yeah,"
Black Zetsu immediately recalled.
"What should we do now?"
Black Zetsu currently lacked the power—its current strength couldn't even break into the Hokage Tower to steal the Scroll of Seals, let alone take part in high-stakes conflicts among Hidden Villages. Black Zetsu was at a total loss.
Long before the Land of Water and the Hidden Mist Village were destroyed, the Takugure had already been Hyuga Soushu's target.
However, due to various unexpected interruptions, he'd never managed to allocate enough strength to control this theoretically sixth major Hidden Village.
Back when the Ninja Clan Capital Corporation was first established, those clans controlling the Herb Country had secretly organized forces to infiltrate the Land of Waterfall, though ultimately without success.
But now things were different.
The destruction of the Hidden Mist, the silence from both Holy Places, plus the expansion of the Standing Ninja Army after forming the Shogunate—these factors created a theoretical foundation for military action against the Takugure.
And this time Hyuga Soushu made his intentions crystal clear: if the Takugure were willing to hand over the Tailed Beasts for lasting peace throughout the ninja world, then the Shogunate would also welcome them as members of the Shogunate Military Organization.
Appointed by Hyuga Soushu as the envoy for these negotiations was Sanshouo Hanzo!
"If the Takugure refuse?"
Sanshouo Hanzo raised the question.
"Isn't that perfect?"
Hyuga Soushu made his position clear without hesitation.
"Understood!"
Just hearing that was enough for Hanzo to feel completely assured.
And once again, the ninja world—which had barely settled into quiet—was about to face another round of conflict.
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