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On March 16th, in the 48th year of Konoha, news spread throughout the Ninja World that the Hidden Mist's civil war had been interrupted by a Konoha invasion.
On the 17th, the Land of Water's Daimyō and his six heirs were assassinated.
On the 19th, Konoha issued the "Land of Water Protection Declaration."
On the 20th, Hidden Mist survivors began to gradually migrate into the Land of Fire, establishing camps and Villages in batches, and redefining their living areas.
On the same day, after several hours of discussion, the Land of Fire and the Land of Water's provisional noble delegation decided to establish multiple special tax-free zones and secure trading points on the border islands between the two countries. They also transferred existing national mission projects and took on the responsibility for military security and deterrence within the Land of Water.
In just these few short days, the series of news that broke out was like a barrage of heavy punches, catching the entire Ninja World off guard, leaving everyone except Konoha, including Hidden Mist itself, completely unprepared.
No one expected that Hidden Mist Village, one of the Five Great Nations' Ninja Villages, would disappear as suddenly as small Ninja Villages like Uzushiogakure or Nijigakure, without even having time to leave a plea for help.
Even more astonishing was that Konoha managed to intervene in Hidden Mist's chaotic political situation at such an opportune moment, delivering a precise and decisive blow.
This outcome was absolutely unacceptable to the remaining three Great Nations.
Even the nobles and Daimyōs behind those three nations found this outcome equally unacceptable.
However, due to strategic deterrence from certain individuals, no one dared to voice these concerns openly. Naturally, they could only express their doubts and dissatisfaction through other channels.
On the 21st, Konoha's regular press conference.
"Nara Second-Class, how do you explain Konoha's egregious actions, such as leading an army to invade Hidden Mist, occupying multiple main and subsidiary islands, forcibly relocating Hidden Mist villagers, and assassinating the Daimyō of the Land of Water?"
"Groundless, purely fabricated. Next question."
"Nara Department Head, does the 'protected area scope' mentioned in Konoha's 'Land of Water Protection Declaration' issued the day before yesterday include only the main island of the Land of Water or all other islands? Are the remaining islands about to be annexed by the Land of Fire?"
"The declaration is merely a draft; the specific plan is still being negotiated by both countries. I have nothing further to say. Next question."
"Nara-sama, is it true that the former Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, betrayed Hidden Mist and defected to Konoha, intentionally instigating a military coup within Hidden Mist to facilitate Konoha's invasion?"
"Yagura Karatachi-sama is an old friend of Konoha. As a firsthand witness to the changes in relations between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water over the past decade, Yagura-sama has made his efforts. The current Ninja World needs more Ninja like Yagura-sama, who can transcend national prejudices and act responsibly towards history and the Ninja World."
The Hokage Office echoed with the slightly static-filled synthetic voice of an old-fashioned television.
Watching Nara Shikaku earnestly reciting his script on TV, Sawara Kiri couldn't help but shake his head helplessly; just watching him felt tiring.
So, he subconsciously leaned over, resting his elbow on the other end of the long sofa.
But before he could lie down, he saw Tsunade, who had just been working, had already sat down in front of him at some unknown point.
Sawara Kiri paused for a moment, then simply withdrew his elbow, lying on his side with his head resting on her soft lap, continuing to watch the television at the other end of the office. At the same time, he murmured softly:
"Shikaku really has it tough, having to memorize so many talking points in just a few days."
"With Yagura being broadcast like this, he's completely tied to our leaky ship."
"What bad luck, for a Fourth Mizukage."
But before he could finish speaking, he felt a finger poke his temple. Tsunade's tone was clearly annoyed:
"Whose Village are you calling a leaky ship?"
"Also, you brat, you're the one who dragged Yagura Karatachi onto it!"
"As for Shikaku's script, it's fine. He wrote all those talking points himself. He started writing them the day you left; he had a lot of faith in you."
"Of course."
Sawara Kiri shifted his head towards Tsunade's lower abdomen, trying to rest the back of his head on a softer cushion: "Who do you think I am?"
"Who do you think you are?"
Tsunade's tone turned sour again, her finger moving from his temple to his cheek, pinching it repeatedly.
This woman's temper was unpredictable, always fluctuating. Sawara Kiri didn't know how to deal with it.
Fortunately, the bond level hadn't dropped, which reassured him.
But he still cooperatively cried out in pain:
"Ow, ow, ow—it's going to fall off."
"Your voice is so dry, you can't even fake it," Tsunade muttered softly, but her hand loosened, her soft fingertips gently massaging his cheek.
Sawara Kiri found that he occasionally really enjoyed this kind of psychological comfort after a war, as if these small gestures could separate him from the bloody battlefield, dividing them into two different worlds.
Being invincible in the world was certainly a wonderful thing.
But even if you were invincible, when you didn't want to work, you still wouldn't want to work.
Let alone being invincible, even if you were just the richest person in the world, showing off your wealth to poor colleagues for a few years, you'd get tired of it sooner or later.
People always needed other pursuits.
"Right now, I'm Sawara Kiri after completing a mission. My sloth-like beast nature is about to explode. It's not impossible for me to stay in the office for over ten hours by accident."
"If there's no reward personally bestowed by Fourth Hokage-sama, Watashi—"
"Thud."
Tsunade's knuckles quickly bent, gently tapping his forehead. She clearly looked guilty as she glanced out the office's large floor-to-ceiling window—as the Fourth Hokage, she was actually cautiously guarding against her Anbu escorts because of this guy; it was outrageous!
However, Tsunade's actions were still somewhat restrained.
"Relax."
Sawara Kiri reached out and gently held her fingertips, saying softly: "You should know these eyes of mine, right?"
"Even so, no."
Tsunade subconsciously lowered her voice, her face slightly flushed: "This is the office, what an impropriety!"
"Yes, yes~"
Sawara Kiri agreed verbally, but his peripheral vision caught the soundproofing barrier that had just been activated around the office, thinking, 'Isn't this just burying your head in the sand?'
However, he genuinely hadn't intended to play any office games. After returning home from a major battle, nothing was more comforting than a quiet rest. So, he simply continued to hold Tsunade's fingertips and lay on her lap, watching TV.
The 24-inch CRT television in front of them was a cutting-edge product newly developed by Konoha's Research Department. Although its playback quality couldn't compare to the various entertainment devices of his previous life due to signal, antenna, and other reasons, its development from nothing to this state within seven years was actually quite astonishing.
Sawara Kiri looked forward to playing a PS5 again in his lifetime.
As he was lost in thought, watching the news, it was Tsunade, on whose lap he was lying, who felt a bit uncomfortable. Her gaze kept darting towards the door and window, then pulling back, her two straight, slender legs pressed tightly together.
However, she didn't want to show weakness or lose the initiative in front of Kiri-kun. Therefore, in this contest of courage (which Sawara Kiri didn't notice), she believed she absolutely could not speak first.
On the contrary, the more such a moment, the more she had to maintain the composure and maturity befitting an elder... a superior.
"Are the arrangements for the Hidden Mist survivors complete?"
"Didn't you say there were several suicide attacks on the way here?"
"Can Yagura Karatachi still control those people?"
Tsunade spoke, feigning a graceful gesture as she gently stroked Sawara Kiri's soft, medium-length hair, her peripheral vision still restlessly shifting.
"I can only say the handover is complete. The specific arrangements will likely take another one to two weeks."
Speaking of this, Sawara Kiri's expression showed almost no emotional fluctuation: "Seven of the attackers had no family, and the rest had clan members or family who died in the previous battles, their hatred unresolved."
"For it to erupt all at once at a time like this, it's a good thing for both us and the Land of Water."
"As for Yagura Karatachi, he no longer needs to bear the responsibility of a 'leader'."
"Now, he is merely the thousand-gold horse bone that we have set up."
Ninja were also human. How many of those who were alive would think of dying?
Even with a broken nation and shattered homes, the vast majority of people would always choose to humble themselves and cling to life.
A true spark, before it ignited a prairie fire, was merely a tiny, imperceptible light in the night sky.
Not to mention Hidden Mist, a place with countless internal factions and contradictions, inherently impossible to unite.
Listening to his narration, Tsunade's attention gradually became absorbed. She continued, "What about those children you're raising in the Village?"
She was referring to Mei Terumī's three-person squad, and other Hidden Mist genius 'hostages' that Yagura had sent to Konoha.
"I told them," Sawara Kiri's tone deepened slightly, "that their home planet was destroyed by a giant meteor, and only—ow, ow, ow!"
Tsunade pinched his waist, and Sawara Kiri immediately made a distorted face.
"The truth?"
The Fourth Hokage's authority was full.
"You could at least trust me a little," Sawara Kiri complained.
"Why? Because your lies aren't convincing at all?"
Only when facing Sawara Kiri would Tsunade occasionally reveal this kind of tone, as if she were seriously arguing with a childhood friend.
"Just because..."
Sawara Kiri was halfway through his sentence when his gaze suddenly flickered. His body abruptly straightened from its position on Tsunade's lap. At the same time, he quickly waved to their Fourth Hokage-sama, signaling her to return to her desk. In his hand, he picked up a manga from the coffee table, opened it, and then changed his posture, lying back down, resuming his usual lazy demeanor.
Upon noticing his reaction, Tsunade's movements became faster, comparable to battle mode. She used extremely skilled silent steps to return behind her desk, put on her glasses again, and focused intently on the documents on her desktop.
Their coordination was extremely practiced, having been completed countless times before.
After a short while, a soft knock came from outside the Hokage Office door.
"Tsunade, I have some expenses for you to approve."
After three knocks, the door opened directly.
Orochimaru stepped into the office.
His golden snake-like eyes subconsciously swept towards the sofa, landing on Sawara Kiri, who was reading a manga. He then said, "Perfect, Kiri-kun, you're here too."
"Orochimaru-sama?"
Sawara Kiri asked, puzzled.
A slow smile spread across Orochimaru's face: "The sample you brought back, we have preliminary test results."
"By comparing the mutated Kekkei Genkai within him, we have outlined the most basic 'Divine Tree structure'."
"Hmm—?!" x2
Former Hidden Mist Village.
A dark figure slowly emerged from the sand and sea's edge, following the shadow of a coconut tree trunk cast on the ground, and walked towards the Village, which still bore large stains of blood and traces of battle.
At this time, Hidden Mist Village, after the first and second waves of Konoha's sweeping and clearing, actually showed few obvious traces at its original location, leaving only a large empty complex of buildings and a restricted area—many addresses marked as high-security were surrounded by multiple barriers to prevent intrusion by intelligence personnel from other Villages.
However, all these obstacles were useless in front of this black figure.
His figure merely stretched and squeezed, easily breaking through the layers of barrier seals, slipping into the gaps of Chakra.
Until he appeared in the battlefield area where Sawara Kiri and Kimimaro had fought.
"Ah, ah, still this monstrous power."
Looking at the straight gully that cut through hundreds of meters, Black Zetsu let out a disingenuous, even sarcastic, sigh.
"However, compared to previous years, it doesn't seem to have improved much—it seems his sudden breakthrough to that level was indeed closely related to that 'Shikon no Tama' thing."
"Is the difference between a complete orb and a shattered orb really that great?"
"Besides..."
As he was speaking, a White Zetsu, identical to him in appearance, emerged from underground opposite him, clutching a small bone fragment—it was a part of Kimimaro's body that had fallen off his surface during his fight with Sawara Kiri.
As the Kaguya clan head and others, and Genji, knew, the Bloodline Faction had indeed initiated the 'Kimimaro Plan' precisely because they had obtained an opportunity to acquire a 'white Divine Tree fragment' from a Kumogakure Anbu agent.
However, it was regrettable that the opportunity was not something they had actively sought, but rather something Black Zetsu had gradually fed into their hands through various channels.
His purpose in doing so was merely to test Sawara Kiri's lower limit of strength.
If there was even a sliver of a chance to eliminate Sawara Kiri, his formidable enemy, using the lives of Uchiha Hikari, Uchiha Madara, and Nagato, he would never take the slightest risk.
After all, releasing his mother through that method...
The risk was simply too high.
Moreover, the risk was not only in the radical method itself, but also in that scoundrel Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, who had been continuously watching the Ninja World for a millennium to seal his mother, though his true body was unknown.
Although he was also his mother's son, Black Zetsu's jealousy, hatred, and fear towards Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Hamura, those two fools, were simply inexpressible.
Therefore, all his actions seemed unusually cautious.
"However, even Sawara Kiri is ultimately just a lower-class creature."
Black Zetsu said, slowly placing the fragment into the heart area of his White Zetsu part, and murmured, "Let me feel it, what level your power has reached."
"Pfft."
Almost the instant he inserted the bone fragment into his body.
A tremendous sense of fear suddenly arose in Black Zetsu's heart, as if his existence was being watched from thousands of kilometers away, tightly locked onto.
The next moment, he immediately flung away that half-fragment.
However, the Chakra within it had already flowed into his body during the brief contact.
At the same time, a gentle greeting echoed in his mind:
"Found you~!"
If Black Zetsu knew what it felt like for his scalp to tingle, it would certainly be tingling now.
Even if he didn't know, he made the greatest possible trade-off at almost the fastest speed.
His body simultaneously split into five or six pieces, and each body swam rapidly in different directions, immediately tearing off the body parts that had come into contact with that Chakra, and performing a Sealing Technique to isolate external contact...
That series of incredibly fast operations, even a master-level figure who had immersed themselves in Sealing Technique for decades would probably only be at this level. This thousand-year-old Conspirer had not lived so long in vain after all.
However, it was only for an instant.
"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—!"
A series of sudden, violent explosions abruptly shook the entire barrier area.
In a short while, several figures appeared there, their gazes vigilantly watching below. Among them were even several Hyuga Ninja.
However, apart from a few large craters, there was still nothing.
"Hmm?"
"Captain, these black fragments... should we take them back?"
"Take all of them. Remember to seal them before touching!"
"Yes!"
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr