"I'm sorry, but this is something we truly cannot agree to."
"Leader, can you not see how beneficial this would be for your village?"
"Lord Shikaku, of course I can see it. But if we do this, my village will completely become Konoha's vassal. And has Konoha committed so few sins in the Land of Hot Water?"
"I see. I believe I understand."
Nara Shikaku's expression was not particularly pleasant as he left the meeting room.
In truth, he had long expected that this meeting would not go smoothly.
After all, Shikaku knew very well that what he represented Konoha to do was, for these small-country shinobi villages, extremely unkind.
To put it bluntly, Konoha was trying to turn them directly into puppets.
If these people had even the slightest ambition left, even the slightest desire to control their own power and authority, they would never agree so easily.
And reality proved exactly that.
The leader Shikaku faced was precisely such a person.
On the surface, he looked righteous and determined, as though he wanted to prevent Konoha from fully occupying the Land of Hot Water.
In reality, he wanted to preserve his own position—the position of leader of Yugakure.
In this world, if one did not possess power, one's outcome would be extremely miserable.
Unfortunately, whether it was Hikaru or Konoha as a whole, neither was willing to allow these small villages to wield forces that did not depend on them.
During Sarutobi Hiruzen's era, they had been powerless. At that time, each great village controlling half of the territory had been the most suitable arrangement.
Even though they had won both the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, they had still paid painful prices.
Of course, during Sarutobi Hiruzen's era, they had never thought this way.
Back then, they did not have as many ideas as Hikaru, nor would they spend effort and resources helping other countries and villages develop.
But the times had changed.
Hikaru would not allow these small villages to act like local tyrants on what he considered "his territory."
"It seems this negotiation did not go very smoothly."
After returning to the lounge, Hashirama spoke first.
"That man clearly won't let go easily. But the Fifth's plan is indeed not very friendly toward these shinobi villages."
"Every reform and every advance requires a price."
Facing Hashirama, Nara Shikaku remained extremely respectful. He patiently explained in a calm voice.
"We are making such a large investment, and we are also helping them restore their armed forces.
"If they do not completely move closer to us, our losses will be very large.
"Most importantly, if they turn against us after we carefully cultivate them, then we will have personally created an opponent for ourselves.
"So no matter how cruel it may seem, deciding what must be decided from the very beginning will cause the least harm to both sides."
"All right, all right. I'm not a child. I naturally understand these things."
Shikaku had explained things in great detail, but that very detail left Hashirama rather helpless.
This feeling was exactly like when he faced his younger brother.
Back then, when Tobirama explained certain matters to him, he had also explained them in great detail.
At first, Hashirama had thought Tobirama was doing it to help him understand things more deeply.
Later, he realized that was indeed part of it.
But there was another layer of meaning as well.
Tobirama was worried he would not understand, or that he would fail to grasp their purpose.
In other words, he was being treated like a child.
"Don't worry. The Fifth already told me about these things long ago, so I was mentally prepared."
Hashirama shook his head slightly and said seriously,
"Tobirama also advised me. He asked whether it was worth exchanging the blood of a small group of people for peace across an entire region.
"I have thought carefully about that question. I understand it, and I can accept it.
"This time, I came purely to walk around and see things. Don't worry. I will not interfere with your operation."
"I understand, First Hokage-sama."
Nara Shikaku smiled and nodded. Then his gaze gradually became dangerous.
Originally, he had come here intending to give Yugakure a dignified choice.
But since they did not intend to accept dignity, then according to Lord Hokage's words, he would help them become dignified.
Konoha's troops were stationed at the border of the Land of Hot Water. They had not entered immediately, but that did not mean they would not enter.
After all, what would happen next truly required enough manpower to maintain order.
There were indeed Konoha forces within the Land of Hot Water. They had been left there after Kumogakure's defeat.
However, at that time, Konoha had not yet intended to fully occupy the Land of Hot Water, nor had Hikaru's current plan existed, so the number of troops left behind was truly small.
But now, the situation was completely different.
They intended to manage the Land of Hot Water as their own territory.
Even if this territory continued to be called the "Land of Hot Water," almost everything here would belong to Konoha afterward.
If they did not look after it properly and handle it well, then what they lost would be their own property.
"Shikajō, are you prepared?"
After thinking for a moment, Nara Shikaku turned directly toward Nara Shikajō.
Shikajō had also come along this time, and he carried an important task.
In truth, Nara Shikajō felt very helpless.
He had never imagined that his dream of having fewer matters and lighter duties would be impossible to realize.
On the contrary, his work was increasing, and his missions were becoming heavier.
Especially after his former superior became Hokage, his nightmare had truly begun.
He had always thought his days in ANBU had already been a nightmare.
Reality proved that he had truly underestimated his former superior.
But he did not dare complain too much.
Otherwise, not only would his former superior refuse to let him off, even his cousin Nara Shikaku would not let him off either.
Hearing Shikaku's words, he immediately nodded and replied,
"Everything is ready. ANBU already investigated the relationships between the various factions within Yugakure.
"We only need to contact them briefly. We can be certain that some people will not refuse us—and cannot refuse us."
"Good. You handle this matter. I hope to receive an answer within two days."
Nara Shikaku nodded seriously. Then his gaze turned toward Yahiko and Nagato beside him.
"You two should prepare as well.
"Although I do not know why Lord Hokage allowed you to participate in this mission, since you have Lord Hokage's approval, I will trust you.
"In a moment, I will give you our plan. Study it carefully over the next two days.
"Once you are familiar with it, I believe we will have finished what we need to do on our side.
"After that, what remains will be your turn."
At this point, Shikaku paused slightly before continuing,
"I only hope you do not disappoint us, and more importantly, do not disappoint Lord Hokage."
"Rest assured, Lord Shikaku."
Yahiko smiled, then nodded solemnly.
"Lord Hokage allowed us to come and learn. Naturally, we will not disappoint him.
"And I believe Lord Hokage can accomplish everything he said."
…
Yahiko truly believed in Hikaru.
Even he could not fully explain why.
At first, he wondered whether he had been controlled by Hikaru's technique, but he did not dare say that to Nagato.
After all, he did not want Nagato to confront Konoha over such matters.
Leaving aside the fact that Nagato was no match for Hikaru, Konoha's combat strength alone was enough to erase the Land of Rain from the map.
That was something Yahiko never wanted to see.
Besides, he could understand certain things.
After all, if Hikaru had revived him and he immediately caused trouble, Hikaru would probably find it very troublesome.
After dealing with Nagato's matter, Yahiko had followed Nagato back to Konoha.
According to Hikaru, this trip was for learning, and they would also need to do certain things.
He was very curious about what Konoha intended to do, and what Konoha intended to have them do.
Following Konoha's team, their group arrived in the Land of Hot Water and soon entered Yugakure to meet its leader.
During that meeting, Yahiko watched in astonishment as Nara Shikaku proposed something utterly unimaginable to Yugakure's leader.
Full support. Full assistance.
Such a massive investment of resources could practically be called raising a son.
However, Yahiko remained calm.
After all, he was someone who had founded Akatsuki. He immediately began thinking about the key point behind it.
But he did not need to think for long before he understood the meaning behind it.
Konoha intended to completely, reasonably, and legally turn the Land of Hot Water into its own.
Even if the Land of Hot Water still maintained nominal integrity, in essence, it would already have taken Konoha's shape.
Thinking of this, he seemed to understand how Konoha intended to act.
The leader of Yugakure was clearly a clever person as well. He saw through Konoha's goal at a glance.
One could say he was clear-headed. After all, once Konoha fully intervened, he would lose everything he possessed in Yugakure.
But one could also say he was not clear-headed at all.
Facing a behemoth like Konoha, could he truly resist?
Yahiko did not care about that.
He was thinking about another question.
If Konoha chose to extend its hand toward the Land of Rain, how should they choose?
This question troubled Yahiko for a while.
But after he truly received Konoha's plan, it no longer seemed so troubling.
He also seemed to understand why he trusted Hikaru.
First, Hikaru was Hokage, and his teacher had also come from Konoha.
Although he could tell that Hikaru was not satisfied with his teacher, that did not stop him from having a favorable impression of Konoha.
Second, Hikaru had helped Nagato answer some questions, and those questions were also things Yahiko himself had never figured out.
Although he had to admit that Hikaru's answers had struck at his beliefs, they were also much closer to reality.
With these factors in place, even if Hikaru had done nothing more, Yahiko would indeed trust him.
And after seeing this plan, his respect for Hikaru deepened even further.
Hikaru's plan was bloody.
Those who refused obedience would be killed without mercy.
But it could not be denied that Hikaru's plan could bring peace to the shinobi world, and perhaps even unimaginable development.
Hikaru had said before that the reason the shinobi world could not truly achieve peace was because there was no equality.
And since the First Hokage had missed the chance to completely unify the shinobi world, this inequality had continued.
Even if the shinobi world were forcibly unified, what it would bring was endless hatred.
But Hikaru's method was different.
Under reasonable regulation and resource integration, he would make them merge into Konoha on their own.
Help them develop their economy.
Help them develop their military.
Help them obtain a better life.
Although Konoha would benefit from this method—after all, it had paid so much, so it could not possibly want nothing in return—the reality was that with Konoha's protection and aid, this village would absolutely become better.
Even if the village, and even the country, had to change masters.
After all, Konoha would help you develop your military, but it would never raise a wolf that would bite its hand.
By then, what difference would there be between the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Fire?
Perhaps the only difference would be the name.
"So if Konoha reaches out to the Land of Rain, I don't think I will oppose it.
"I may even actively cooperate with Konoha to complete everything. Only then can the people of the Land of Rain live better lives."
Yahiko sighed inwardly and told Nagato all his analysis and thoughts.
Nagato fell into serious thought.
After a long while, he suddenly nodded, seeming to agree that this idea was truly good.
He knew better than anyone what kind of living conditions the Land of Rain currently had, since he was the one controlling it in practice.
Although under his control, everyone had basically obtained peaceful days, after visiting Konoha, he realized that the living standards and state of life between the two were worlds apart.
If Hikaru's plan could allow the Land of Rain to reach that level of life, then he would not hesitate at all!
Nagato himself was not someone who lusted after power.
The reason he controlled Akatsuki and the Land of Rain was partly for revenge, and partly to shoulder the dreams they had carried since childhood.
If possible, he would much rather follow behind Yahiko than handle this series of problems himself.
He had always believed that compared to Yahiko, he was far too lacking.
"However, the key question now is not whether Konoha will come to us.
"The question is whether we have anything that can attract Konoha in the first place."
Yahiko scratched his head in distress. This question also made Nagato somewhat depressed.
Aside from rain falling all day, the Land of Rain did not seem to have any resources at all.
"Forget it. Let's not think about that for now."
Yahiko recovered quickly and looked at Nagato seriously.
"This time, Lord Hokage asked us to come and learn. At the same time, he wants us to be his blade.
"He has to consider Konoha's reputation, so he likely does not want Konoha's shinobi to act personally.
"We are his blade. And we must do this properly. Understand?"
"Don't worry. I won't disappoint you."
Nagato nodded, then said seriously,
"And I won't disappoint Lord Hokage either!"
Through this meeting with Hikaru, Nagato had completely understood the direction he should take.
And after Yahiko affirmed Hikaru, combined with what he had personally seen, Nagato became completely convinced that not a single word from Black Zetsu and Obito had been true.
Hikaru was the destroyer of the world?
His eyes were eyes that would destroy the world?
If Nagato followed them, then he would be the destroyer of the world.
If anything, Hikaru looked more like a savior.
Thinking of this made him furious.
Had he truly believed them back then?
And now the price was that he still had to act like a fool and shoulder the "destruction" of the invaders from Kumogakure.
The more Nagato thought about it, the angrier he became.
He truly could not understand why he had been so stupid…
…
Whether Nagato was stupid or not was something Hikaru felt did not need much doubt.
After all, in Hikaru's view, anyone who treated himself as a god had more or less something wrong with his head.
Hikaru's strength had already reached this level, but he had never once regarded himself as a god.
Because he had always known that there were people beyond people.
Leaving aside everything else, even Senju Hashirama had never treated himself as a god.
Even though the shinobi world had always called him the God of Shinobi, he had never personally responded to the title.
It was not just him. Even Uchiha Madara had been the same.
What Madara spoke of had always been the power of the Uchiha, or his own power. He had never called it divine power.
A proud person might believe he could step by step become a god, but he would never constantly hang such words from his mouth.
"It seems Yahiko and Nagato are doing fairly well."
Inside the Hokage's Office in Konoha, Hikaru looked at the report in his hand and thought silently.
Nagato might not have the brightest mind, but his strength was unquestionable.
After all, in the future, he would rely on his own power to float above Konoha and deliver an "Almighty Push" that flattened the village.
Having him deal with a small Yugakure was already overkill.
And this was not even an extermination battle.
He only needed to cleanly eliminate some disobedient people so Konoha's hands would remain clean.
This was practically using a butcher's knife to kill a chicken.
But whether it was a butcher's knife or any other blade did not matter, as long as it was sharp.
And Nagato was clearly a good blade.
A sharp blade!
Nara Shikajō had cooperated with ANBU in advance to investigate the various forces within the Land of Hot Water.
They had also clarified Yugakure's internal power structure.
So after selecting a suitable candidate, they made contact and obtained a satisfactory answer. Then Nagato took action.
That night, Nagato left no survivors.
He wiped out the entire family, old and young alike, which could be considered helping Hikaru thoroughly remove a problem.
After this matter was settled, Nagato and Yahiko remained in the Land of Hot Water.
They wanted to see what Konoha would do next.
Hikaru had no objection to this. In fact, he wished Hashirama would also remain there.
Unfortunately, Hashirama returned with Shikaku, while Shikajō temporarily stayed behind.
After all, such an important matter required someone responsible to oversee it.
Nara Shikaku and Hikaru looked left and right, up and down, and both felt that Nara Shikajō was the most suitable choice.
Thus, Nara Shikajō helplessly gained another task.
He had finally understood it now.
When he had joined ANBU back then, it had been equivalent to entering a wolf's den.
In this life, he could forget about ever living a relaxed and leisurely life.
"Not bad. Since that is the case, begin the next phase of the plan."
Hikaru placed the report aside and spoke to Nara Shikaku, who stood respectfully before him.
"Saya, bring over the documents regarding the supplies and subsidies we previously discussed with the Ministry of Finance. Let Minister Shikaku take a look."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Saya nodded, then stood and handed a document to Nara Shikaku.
As Hikaru's private secretary, Saya needed to remain with him frequently and assist him with a great deal of work, including meeting records.
Although this was merely a private meeting, it still needed to be recorded.
These records were not for anything else.
At certain critical moments, they could serve as evidence for Hikaru, preventing some people from using rules to argue against him.
Nara Shikaku felt that this method was very good.
He had also already been assigned two secretaries—only ministers could be assigned both an administrative secretary and a private secretary.
After some time adapting, he found that his work pressure had indeed been reduced, and he could handle many matters more easily.
Sometimes, he truly sighed with emotion.
Although this Hokage was young, the things in his head were truly varied.
And while they were varied, they were also genuinely practical.
Silently taking the document, Nara Shikaku quickly and seriously read through it.
The supplies mentioned in this document were indeed numerous.
Whether weapons, equipment, or various funds, there were large quantities of everything.
And this was only the initial aid plan.
As their negotiations with Yugakure continued, they would obtain more and invest more as well.
"I understand, Lord Hokage."
After thoroughly reading the document, Nara Shikaku immediately nodded.
"We will implement this as soon as possible. However, in terms of funding, are we still sufficient?"
"The Ministry of Finance says there should be no problem, but if necessary, I think we can go to the daimyō."
Hikaru rubbed his chin and smiled.
"After all, the daimyō is very wealthy. We provide him with so much protection, so I think it is only natural for him to give a little more."
Natural?
This is pure robbery, Lord Hokage!
Nara Shikaku silently shook his head inwardly, but on the surface, he nodded with complete seriousness, expressing his agreement with the plan and proposal.
Taking money directly from the daimyō did not weigh on his conscience much.
In any case, the daimyō had already been tricked once.
Being tricked again was only natural.
After a brief exchange, Nara Shikaku left the office.
Hikaru was also preparing to leave.
At this point in time, being alone with Saya would feel especially awkward.
The same was true for Saya.
After all, he still had plenty of time.
Some things could be handled slowly in the future.
Moreover, Hikaru could sense that after this period of gestation, his eyes seemed to have reached a new limit…
…
If nothing unexpected happened, Hikaru's Jōgan should undergo three stages, just like the Tenseigan.
Especially after absorbing a large amount of Tenseigan power, this feeling had become even stronger.
Strictly speaking, his Jōgan was currently still in its initial stage.
It was probably similar to Nagato's use and control of the Rinnegan.
At present, besides providing an extraordinary "super insight," his Jōgan also gave him the Jōgan Chakra Mode, which could substantially enhance his strength.
The Jōgan Chakra Mode was indeed useful.
Hikaru could feel that very clearly, to the point that he now chose to rely on this mode in many battles.
Of course, the Jōgan's power was far from limited to this.
He also possessed some powers unique to high-level dōjutsu like this.
For example, controlling attraction and repulsion.
Relying on the Jōgan, Hikaru could also fly through the air.
If not for this ability, he might not have been able to fight on the moon at all.
Hikaru had understood the importance of air superiority very clearly in his previous life.
There were very few people in the shinobi world who could fly, but that did not mean air superiority was unimportant.
On the contrary, precisely because so few people could do it, it became even more important.
The reason the Sky Ninja had been wiped out so thoroughly was, in simple terms, because their combat flexibility had been too strong.
When the enemy was in the sky, there were many times when one simply had no way to deal with them.
It would have been strange if such people did not attract hatred.
So it was only natural that they were destroyed.
However, they had hidden their technology too well.
Even after being wiped out, no one discovered where their technology was kept.
Hikaru did know some things, but Konoha was not yet suitable for developing that kind of technology.
"The initial stage already provided such strong power. Then what kind of power will the true first stage of the Jōgan provide?"
In the forest outside Konoha, within Hikaru's private garden, he sat silently on the ground.
His eyes were tightly closed as he felt the boiling power within them. Feeling the changes constantly occurring in his eyes, he knew that perhaps everything would change today.
His eyes had already begun to hurt.
Especially since he could sense that along with the changes in his eyes, all of his chakra, except the tailed-beast power, had been mobilized.
Even Yin-Yang Release had begun circulating rapidly.
As this circulation continued, Hikaru clearly felt that something special seemed to be forming in the unseen depths.
This thing had mixed together all the chakra natures Hikaru was familiar with.
Even Yin-Yang Release was not excluded!
And as Hikaru's Jōgan rapidly advanced, this thing continued to merge. With the constant addition of Jōgan chakra, it became increasingly solid.
"Could it be… a Truth-Seeking Ball?"
Hikaru immediately thought of something.
As a transmigrator, he naturally knew how Truth-Seeking Balls were created.
Truth-Seeking Balls were formed from the fusion of all Yin, Yang, and Five Elements powers.
They could even produce power beyond ordinary Kekkei Genkai and Kekkei Tōta!
In the original story, Naruto gained Truth-Seeking Balls, which gave him the capital to clash head-on with Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
Moreover, Truth-Seeking Balls combined offense and defense, and could change into countless forms.
Naruto had used them to block countless attacks from Kaguya.
Most importantly, Truth-Seeking Balls belonged to the realm of ninjutsu, not Kekkei Mōra!
This meant that one could obtain Truth-Seeking Balls as long as one possessed the power of all things—Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements.
But in reality, even after Hikaru obtained Yin-Yang Release and advanced states of the five chakra natures, he had never truly obtained them.
Although Hikaru had been very confused about why, when he thought about how few people in the original story could use Truth-Seeking Balls, he stopped considering it too much.
And today, he seemed to finally be touching the power of Truth-Seeking Balls in the truest sense!
"This really is something to look forward to…"
Hikaru kept his eyes closed and silently felt the changes.
His eyes had begun to burn, and along with that heat, he clearly felt them transforming.
When the chakra in his eyes reached its limit, a surge of deep blue chakra suddenly wrapped around him completely.
He had not activated Jōgan Chakra Mode on his own, and he was not in chakra mode now.
His whole body still looked completely clear.
However, as this chakra continuously strengthened, his aura grew stronger and stronger.
A terrifying and despair-inducing power constantly radiated from him.
The surrounding trees began to sway without wind.
The nearby animals had already fled far away, as though they had sensed the emergence of something terrifying.
In the sky, a pale golden light suddenly descended onto him.
At that moment, he appeared almost sacred.
"The power of the Tenseigan? What is going on?"
Hikaru instantly recognized what that pale golden power was, which made him extremely curious.
But the descent of that power also made him clearly feel the changes in himself accelerate, especially the changes in his eyes.
He did not know how much time passed.
The vast chakra continuously surged. All the power within his body began to fully merge and become his own.
The burning sensation in his eyes began to fade, and an indescribable special feeling filled his entire body.
When he slowly opened his eyes, the power from the moon, transmitted through the spatial passage, vanished without a trace.
The chakra belonging to Hikaru himself suddenly shot straight into the sky!
He slowly opened his eyes.
Those eyes, shining with brilliant deep-blue flowing light, had become even deeper and more mysterious.
Name: Senju Hikaru
Gender: Male
Birthday: Konoha Year 34, March 24
Level: Kage-level
(System assessment without using any abilities; chakra reserves: enormous)
Dōjutsu: Jōgan — First Stage
Development: 0
Bloodline Development: Intermediate
(Senju secret techniques, basic Yang Release secret techniques)
Kekkei Tōta: Unnamed
Basic Yin Release secret techniques
Yin-Yang Release
(Can improve alongside Yin Release and Yang Release)
Jinchūriki: Nine-Tails
(Two-Tails, Three-Tails, Eight-Tails)
Intermediate level
(Can grow by devouring large amounts of special chakra; planting an advanced Nine-Tails Fruit can promote its growth)
(Excessive chakra intake detected; continuous growth in progress)
Seeds: None
Fruits:
Intermediate Fire Release Fruit (1)
Intermediate Water Release Fruit (1)
Intermediate Earth Release Fruit (1)
Sharingan Origin Seed Fruit (1)
Advanced Lightning Release Fruit (1)
Missions:
Become the true final boss of the shinobi world (Unique) — Progress: 85%
Ten-Tails Jinchūriki (Optional)
(Currently possesses the Nine-Tails, Eight-Tails, and Three-Tails; fusion progress not activated)
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 60 chapters ahead on P@treon: patreon.com/KageNaruto