When Kairen was coming and going, the ninja world stirred up waves like a tsunami starting last night.
First came the upheaval of the Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire. The revolution ignited by the Senju Clan directly spread to the daimyō himself.
The Fire Country daimyō was arrested, ministers and nobles had their homes confiscated, and the heart of the continent changed overnight.
Such news was impossible to suppress and instantly spread throughout the ninja world.
As the main driving force of the revolution, Kairen was naturally known to all.
One shocking deed after another of his was dug up by the ninja world.
Among them, Sunagakure was the first to push the narrative.
"This guy—I know him. Three months ago I caught him at the Sunagakure main camp, and afterward he actually forced his way out."
"Don't even mention it. The Fiery Cloud held the Eighth Front alone and nearly crippled the frontline troops. Even the Fourth Kazekage grinds his teeth with hatred over him."
"Fiery Cloud?"
"Yeah, that's the title given by the frontline commander. I heard he even killed Danzō of the Hidden Leaf."
"That brutal?"
"That's not all. There was an attack in the Fire Country capital— the former daimyō and a hundred thousand warriors were burned to charcoal in a great fire. Susanoo that descended from the sky was him."
"Holy shit, when did someone this ruthless appear in the ninja world? Isn't he basically the reincarnation of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara?"
"Exactly! He does things in a twisted way—he even flipped the Hidden Leaf upside down."
"Orochimaru defected, the Third Hokage died in battle, Jiraiya's whereabouts are unknown. The Hidden Leaf Village has basically been crippled by him."
"Worthy of the Fiery Cloud—evil to the extreme."
"In just a few short months, going from a genin to this level."
As public discussion boiled over, the four great ninja nations also had differing reactions.
The daimyō and nobles of the nations were furious, and at the same time, a fear rising from deep within took shape.
Ninjas had actually turned their blades on their masters.
What were they trying to do? If they killed off the people funding them, who would feed them?
Having lived in comfort for over a thousand years, it was like hearing that a streamer who had always been tipped suddenly chopped down their top donor—everyone panicked immediately.
They had finally dropped the act and started grabbing money outright.
"Suppress them! They must be suppressed!"
The upper echelons of the four great nations were collectively enraged, frantically issuing orders to their ninja villages, sparing no cost to wipe out the reborn Hidden Leaf.
They even wanted to dig up the ancestral graves of that so-called Fiery Whatever Cloud.
Sunagakure.
A continuous stream of funds from the daimyō poured into this village of endless yellow sands, allowing the exhausted war effort to gradually turn around.
The cold expression that had sat on Rasa's face all day finally showed a hint of joy.
"Great! With this much funding, we finally have room to keep fighting!"
Chiyo frowned less deeply, her expression easing slightly.
"Those officials really didn't expect to take the revolution against the Hidden Leaf this seriously. They've almost emptied the daimyō's treasury."
The Wind Country daimyō had always been brain-dead, extremely harsh toward his own ninja village, cutting funds down to an absurdly low level.
At times, he even wanted to hand all the daimyō's commissions over to the Hidden Leaf, because Hidden Leaf ninjas were more professional in getting things done.
Since the drastic upheaval that began last night, the Wind Country daimyō had panicked.
Not just him— the daimyō of the other three countries also reacted violently.
Money if needed, people if needed—whatever it took, the Hidden Leaf had to be eliminated, this ninja-led country destroyed.
Ebizō suddenly showed a trace of deep thought.
"Fifty years ago, Senju Hashirama created the one-country-one-village system, laying the foundation for the Five Great Ninja Nations."
"Fifty years later, Hidden Leaf ninjas have driven out the daimyō. Could this be another new ninja revolution?"
Such treasonous words drew no objections. Everyone present was a ninja—professionals who made their living wielding blades.
When it came to changing professions, they were like the girls in a brothel—pay enough, and they'd do any job.
Chiyo glanced around. With no spies from the Wind Country daimyō present, she gave everyone a meaningful look.
"Should we also…"
She didn't finish, but the meaning was crystal clear.
Follow the Hidden Leaf's example—drive out the daimyō and become the masters of the country ourselves.
Rasa shook his head. "No. You've seen it—denying the daimyō means denying the entire ninja world. Their military power may be weak, but the wealth they've accumulated over a thousand years can drive anyone mad."
"The Hidden Leaf is exactly like that right now. I don't believe it can survive the all-out assault of the four great nations."
"Even if Senju Kairen is strong, he still can't withstand the combined siege of the four great ninja nations."
Rasa thought for a moment, then continued.
"The upheaval in the Hidden Leaf isn't entirely without merit. Perhaps we should also let the daimyō's palace hear our voices. The Wind Country can exist without a daimyō, but it must have Sunagakure."
Everyone understood.
They were people of the great desert—tough and resilient by nature.
But they were not without ambition. With the Hidden Leaf setting the precedent today, the daimyō's palace would surely behave more properly in the future.
Yashamaru walked in, his expression anxious.
"Brother-in-law, the people from the daimyō's palace are here again, urging you to launch the general offensive immediately."
Rasa nodded and spoke solemnly to everyone inside the tent.
"Now is the Hidden Leaf's weakest moment. They barely have any troops left at the Land of Rivers front—poke it lightly and it will collapse."
"This time, mobilize all of Sunagakure's forces. Like a blade, cut through the Land of Rivers and stab straight into the heart of the Hidden Leaf."
"Before dusk, we must take Kikyo Castle."
"Everyone, can you do it?"
His question was answered with a resounding reply.
"No problem!"
Rasa smiled faintly. "Today, we march into the Land of Fire. We must seize all the fertile lands in the southwest of the Land of Fire before the Land of Water does."
In the eyes of the four great nations, the Land of Fire was already a slab of meat—now it was time to carve it up.
The Wind Country had longed for fertile land for half a century. It was time to cash in on that promise.
"Now I announce—the Kikyo Pass Lightning Operation begins. Achievements and glory await us!"
"Set out!"
...
Land of Lightning, Kumogakure.
As the ninja village that had provoked conflict everywhere at the very start of the war, Kumogakure had already withdrawn from the fighting to recuperate.
Not long ago, the Third Raikage had died, and power struggles within the village were intense.
The Fourth Raikage was a brute who only understood force, while the Eight-Tails jinchūriki only knew how to sing, dance, and rap.
At the peak of internal power struggles, such a major event shook the ninja world, forcing them all to halt political infighting and turn their attention outward.
A single mobilization order from the Lightning Country daimyō sent Kumogakure back into the war, marching on the Hidden Leaf.
The Lightning Country daimyō was considered relatively sane among daimyō—he actually did human things and was fairly wise.
The Lightning Country was located in highlands with many mountains and clouds, and its economy was weak.
But the Lightning Country daimyō actively cooperated with Kumogakure, providing ample funds to support the ninja village's development.
Wise as he was, he was still a clear-headed feudal power.
The coup in the Hidden Leaf had already touched the interests of the Lightning Country's noble class. This spark had to be crushed while it was still in the bud.
The Fourth Raikage responded enthusiastically, hoping to stabilize his prestige within the village through this war and gain better control over Kumogakure.
...
Land of Earth, Iwagakure.
As a veteran figure from the Warring States era, Ōnoki had a keen sense for the politics of all nations.
He was the first to receive news of the coup in the Land of Fire.
Most people focused on the collapse of the Twin Jewels political system of the ninja great nations, but Ōnoki noticed Kairen's combat strength instead.
"Danzō's Root, Sarutobi's ANBU, and even the elite forces of the Hidden Leaf—power capable of easily destroying a ninja great nation—couldn't defeat a brat?"
Ōnoki fell into deep thought.
He then looked again at the documents on the table, which contained extremely detailed intelligence on Kairen.
His childhood life in the village, his sudden rise after being captured by Sunagakure.
"This kind of growth… is terrifying!"
Ōnoki felt a deep, chilling fear.
In just three months, an unknown nobody had shot up like a rocket, growing to a level capable of steering a great nation.
Even Uchiha Madara had never been this outrageous!
This child carried a profoundly ominous fate.