Days passed by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was October.
As expected, white snow began to drift over Yomi City.
Located at the border between the east and west, it was easily influenced by the eastern climate, causing it to enter winter early.
However, due to the sufficient number of heating devices, incidents of people freezing to death had not occurred for many years.
Consequently, one could hear a low, buzzing vibration in many places throughout the city; that was the heating devices located beneath the city in operation.
It was during this season that a Ninja Village named ‘Konoha’ was quietly established in the Land of Fire.
And with the strong backing of the Land of Fire’s Daimyo, it quickly spread throughout the Ninja World.
In the name of the ruler of the Land of Fire, the Daimyo reached an Alliance treaty with Konoha Village called ‘One Village per Country’.
With the effectiveness of this treaty, the entire nation’s national defense and military gradually centralized toward Konoha Ninja Village.
As the founders of Konoha Ninja Village—the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan—they recruited many Ninja clans to join Konoha Ninja Village with lightning speed.
Some of these Ninja clans were famous, while others were not, but because of their large numbers, they became a formidable force after being incorporated into Konoha Ninja Village.
Subsequently, allied forces such as the Sarutobi Clan, Yamanaka Clan, Nara Clan, and Akimichi Clan also readily joined Konoha Village after a secret talk with the Senju Clan Chief, Senju Hashirama.
Following that, the Inuzuka Clan, which possessed a Legacy of secret techniques, arrived by reputation.
Up to this point, except for a few Ninja clans like the Hyuga Clan that were still watching from the sidelines, all had gathered in that Ninja Village named Konoha.
The tremors caused by the Land of Fire during this period shocked the Daimyos of other countries who were watching the situation.
Soon, various countries successively dispatched diplomatic missions to the capital of the Land of Fire to visit the Daimyo, wanting to figure out what exactly the Land of Fire intended to do.
The Konoha Ninja Village, established by the Senju and Uchiha, had absorbed one Ninja clan after another from the Land of Fire and would dominate the national defense and military of the Land of Fire…
Such shocking news filled the Daimyos of other countries with immense fear.
Was the Land of Fire planning to declare war on all of them and start a Ninja World War?
Located to the north of the Land of Fire and directly adjacent to it, the Land of Night, with Yayoi as its General, naturally followed the trend and dispatched a diplomatic mission to the capital of the Land of Fire for a diplomatic visit.
However, due to the varying distances between the countries and the Land of Fire, in order to facilitate the talks, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire announced that official talks would be held in the capital of the Land of Fire in half a month.
At that time, the chiefs of the Senju and Uchiha Clans would also be invited to attend.
With this, the pressure on the various countries suddenly increased.
They successively hired powerful Ninjas to protect their diplomatic missions, while simultaneously sealing their national borders, preparing to focus their fire on the Land of Fire first if the situation went wrong.
As long as the Land of Fire dared to make a move, they didn’t know if the Ninja World would sink, but the Land of Fire would definitely be sunk first.
No matter how strong Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara were, could they really defeat the entire Ninja World?
“As expected, it was still established…” Yayoi looked at the intelligence constantly flowing in from the Land of Fire, murmuring to himself.
He had recently been focusing on the movements of the Land of Fire, and whenever any major event occurred, he would have the intelligence agents who had infiltrated the Land of Fire transmit information about Konoha back immediately.
Although he had long known that such a thing would happen sooner or later, when it came to it, he still felt a pressure so heavy it was suffocating.
This was the torrent of the era…
Or more accurately, it was Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara who were pushing for the arrival of such an era.
To resist this era was to resist the will of these two people.
Based on Uchiha Madara’s strength, one could judge the level at which Senju Hashirama stood.
Because in the war between the Senju and the Uchiha, the Uchiha were the losers.
Senju Hashirama’s power was only stronger, not weaker, than Uchiha Madara’s.
The power of these two was undoubtedly above the trend of the era.
“My husband, your expression is very grim.
Has something bad happened?” Seeing Yayoi sitting on the corridor of the inner courtyard, which was rare, holding a letter with visible emotional fluctuations on his face, Kicho, who was passing by, was very curious about what the letter said that could cause such a large fluctuation in Yayoi’s emotions.
She had been married to this place for a month now.
No matter how much of a stranger they were, after a month of intimate time together, she could grasp Yayoi’s general personality, preferences, and daily habits.
Although he looked very gentle and easy to get along with, he was actually a person with a strong, domineering tendency of self-will.
This point, even in bed, Kicho could see.
During this time, every night, she was the one being dominated.
And due to his confidence in his own strength, this husband of hers could handle many difficulties with ease.
He was a Ninja who could calm his chaotic mind quickly in critical moments and make the right decisions.
“It is the Senju and the Uchiha.
They have established the Konoha Ninja Village, signed an ‘One Village per Country’ treaty with the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, and successfully invited many Ninja clans to join.
As of now, the military unification of the Land of Fire is an unstoppable trend.” Facing his wife Kicho’s inquiry, Yayoi did not hide anything.
He succinctly stated the various major events that had recently occurred in the Land of Fire.
“Ninja…
Village?
What is that?
A Village where Ninjas live?” Kicho blinked in confusion.
This new term made her feel incredibly unfamiliar.
The Alliance between the Senju and the Uchiha had already begun before she married into the Land of Night.
But these two clans establishing some Ninja Village…
it felt a bit inexplicable.
In this era, Ninjas mostly operated as families; even when clans allied with each other, they would still draw clear boundaries to ensure their Family’s independence.
However, a Ninja Village sounded like it wasn’t quite like that.
Moreover, Yayoi had also mentioned that even more Ninja clans had already joined this Ninja Village named ‘Konoha’.
The strength of the Senju and the Uchiha was already strong enough; if more Ninja clans joined them…
This news was less of a surprise and more of a horror story.
“It is much more complex than that.
In short…
all we can do now is wait calmly.” Yayoi rubbed his temples, took Kicho’s fair and slender hand, and had her sit beside him, feeling her presence close by.
Kicho did not mind at all; after all, more intimate things had already been done countless times over these past days.
Every part of her body held no secrets for this man.
She took the letter from Yayoi’s hand, her pure white eyes quickly scanning the content on it.
The content was not much, but the things revealed behind it were incredibly shocking.
Especially that so-called ‘One Village per Country’ treaty, which seemed more like a new system of military and political separation.
According to this system, in the future era, the national Daimyo would be responsible for the country’s economic and political power.
The military sphere would be transitioned to the Ninja Village, allowing the Ninja Village, which gathered a large number of Ninjas, to be responsible for national defense.
Ninjas would live and develop in groups as Village units, allowing various families to break through their isolation and integrate.
Furthermore, to ensure the development of the Ninja Village, the country would annually send a certain proportion of funds specifically as military investment.
In short, the benefits of such development were clear at a glance.
But things always have two sides, and risks also exist.
After all, with so many Ninja clans gathered together, wouldn’t they really explode and go up in flames?
You have to know, between quite a few Ninja clans, there existed deep-seated blood feuds before this.
Kicho found it hard to imagine that this group of Ninja clans could truly coexist peacefully.
“A very novel idea, but how long this treaty system can be maintained is hard to predict.
But it is obvious that a meeting of nations that will determine the fate of the Ninja World will soon take place in the Land of Fire.” Although the letter did not involve the meeting in the Land of Fire, Kicho, relying on her own keenness, believed that a ‘Meeting of Nations’ was a certain fact that would happen.
The internal structure of the Land of Fire was in such great turmoil that it was impossible for other countries not to have a sense of crisis.
If the subsequent operations of the Senju and the Uchiha were careless, it could truly ignite a Ninja World War.
Previously, it was a struggle between clans, but now that the national level had entered the game, the scale of war would inevitably escalate to between countries.
After that, it would inevitably affect the entire world.
“You have a very flexible mind, Kicho.
I didn’t expect you to realize this so quickly.” Yayoi looked at Kicho with surprise.
Reasoning a bit, realizing that the Land of Fire would hold a meeting of nations was actually not difficult.
Anyone with a bit of insight, after careful thought, could arrive at the answer.
The difficulty was being able to make such a prediction quickly after only one glance.
Being smart was one thing, but what was even rarer was this keen political sense of smell.
“In my husband’s eyes, am I such a foolish person?” Kicho playfully pinched Yayoi’s cheek, her eyes flashing with feigned anger.
“No, rather it is that you are quite smart and cute, exceeding my expectations.” “Smart is smart; what does that have to do with being cute?” Kicho let go of Yayoi’s cheek and put her hands on her hips.
Watching Kicho with her hands on her hips, showing a dissatisfied and angry posture, Yayoi couldn’t help but smile.
Perhaps he smiled too hard, causing his cheek to twitch in pain, making him hiss and gasp.
Yayoi rubbed the cheek that Kicho had just pinched painfully, while complaining resentfully: “You really don’t show any mercy at all.” “If I had just pinched it for show, wouldn’t it look like I was flirting?” “We are husband and wife, and there are no outsiders present, so it doesn’t matter if we flirt.” “To say such outrageous things to your young wife in broad daylight, you truly are shameless.” “In other words, it would be fine if it were at night?” Hearing Yayoi’s shameless words, Kicho rolled her eyes, yet she felt a strange hint of sweetness in her heart.
Whether she had just been going with the flow or passively accepting it at the beginning, as of now, she did not dislike this man who was somewhat indulgent toward her.
“However, the weather has become so cold recently.
My Lord Husband, would you mind warming my hands for me?” As she spoke, Kicho gently blew on her frost-whitened palms, hoping it would bring her some warmth.
“Very well.” Yayoi naturally wouldn’t say something as unromantic as ‘use Chakra to ward off the cold.’ Since his wife was acting so coquettish, he naturally had to indulge her.
Thus, he wrapped his broad, thick palms around Kicho’s small hands.
She snuggled affectionately against his broad chest, her freshly washed black hair filled with a faint, alluring fragrance that wisped around Yayoi’s nose.
Not only was her scent intoxicating, but she was also soft to hold; Yayoi felt as if he were holding a soft, warm stove.
Perhaps because it was too comfortable, the young girl in his arms soon began to breathe steadily, curling up her petite body like a small animal and falling into a deep sleep in Yayoi’s embrace.
The multinational summit of the Land of Fire officially began at the end of October.
Not only the traditional Five Great Nations, but also newly emerged countries like the Land of Night, and even the small, previously inconspicuous nations in the Ninja World, all sent heavyweight figures to attend this summit.
Anyone could see that regardless of the outcome, this summit would dictate the fate of the future Ninja World.
The summit lasted for a full month and was only officially declared over near the beginning of December.
During this period, the delegations from various countries exchanged endless letters with their home nations, representing the will of their highest rulers as they engaged in dialogues with the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
At the same time, they gained clarity on the various changes within the Land of Fire and began to consider whether the system of Ninja Villages was a path that could lead to order.
Indeed, war was something no one wanted.
Even the Daimyo of the nations felt endless exhaustion and weariness toward this long, chaotic Era of the Warring States.
Many weak nations were even coerced by their domestic Ninja Clans, falling into endless battles that led to the destruction of their countries and families.
Many nations vanished in the wars, only to be replaced by new regimes.
The Land of Night was one such example, but it was not an isolated one.
In such an era, even the Great Nations worried about their regimes perishing one day.
It was precisely because of this that the Daimyo of the Land of Fire decided to cooperate with the Konoha Ninja Village established by the Senju and Uchiha.
The prototype of the ‘One Country, One Village’ system was born against this backdrop.
Since Ninjas possessed the most powerful violence, they should be settled down, abandoning the old employment relationships.
By having Ninjas establish an order united with the nation, domestic wars could be eliminated, which would both guarantee the nation’s stability and provide it with a powerful protective force.
This institutional model was not only being adopted by the Land of Fire, which had already begun its transformation, but the Daimyo of the other four Great Nations also saw the benefits and advantages behind it.
As Daimyo of Great Nations, they were already the most powerful entities within their nations’ regimes; the Ninjas who had previously cooperated with them were likewise the strongest Ninja groups in their respective countries, otherwise they could not have securely held their positions as Daimyo.
Thus, after the summit concluded—leaving aside the small nations, which were worried about whether the unknown future would bring instability to their rule— the other four Great Nations acted very quickly, holding secret meetings overnight with the strongest Ninja groups in their own countries to establish deep cooperative relationships.
Clearly, the Great Nations, possessing strong risk-resistance capabilities, completely outpaced the small nations in terms of action.
While the small nations were still hesitating, they had already efficiently organized their domestic forces.
This was only natural; in troubled times, every Daimyo of a Great Nation was a monarch with a spirit of enterprise.
Incompetent and conservative monarchs could not hold onto the position of Daimyo.
Thanks to this, the organizational power of the Great Nations was terrifying in this era; as soon as an order was issued, it would be executed efficiently and rapidly.
Compared to the Great Nations, which were bustling with activity and preparing for big moves, and the worried small nations, the Land of Night, after some minor fluctuations, simply continued with business as usual.
Land of Fire, Konoha Ninja Village.
Although it hadn’t been established long, this massive town was already taking shape.
The Village was surrounded by the center of the great forest of the Land of Fire, with multiple broad, manually cleared roads encircling it.
The tall wooden and stone walls, sufficient to enclose this massive Village, were also being rapidly constructed through the work of countless craftsmen.
The help of Ninjas was indispensable in this process.
Although Ninjas did not understand fine construction, they had plenty of strength and means, which greatly accelerated the formation of the Village.
Under the massive cliff face on the north side of Konoha, a rather tall, circular building stood.
In a conference room on the top floor, a white-haired man wearing black Ninja attire—Senju Tobirama—stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the window.
“You said Hokage!?
You are being too reckless, Brother.
How can you easily give away such a position?
I understand your idea of recommending ‘Uchiha Madara’ as Hokage.
But such a matter should not be decided by you alone.
You should know whose credit it is that those Ninja Clans were able to join smoothly?
Moreover, the Daimyo also agrees that you, Brother, should be this ‘Hokage’.” Regarding his older brother Senju Hashirama’s naive and reckless ideas, Senju Tobirama couldn’t help but frown.
Talking about letting ‘Uchiha Madara’ be Hokage—no matter how one looked at it, this was incredibly reckless.
Hokage—the Ninja who held this ‘title’ would be the leader of Konoha Ninja Village.
At the same time, they would also be the anchor stabilizing the chaotic hearts of the various Ninja Clans.
Among the existing Ninjas in Konoha, he didn’t think anyone other than his older brother Senju Hashirama could live up to this title.
“But I have already agreed with Uchiha Madara…” Senju Hashirama was not wearing his combat Ninja attire, but rather a set of loose casual clothes, sitting on a chair nearby.
Facing his younger brother’s harsh words, Senju Hashirama couldn’t help but want to argue back.
“That is just your personal opinion.
The Ninjas who have joined all know who has made the greatest contribution to this Village.
Since the Village has been established, we cannot use the standards of Father’s era to decide the leader.
Being virtuous and respected, and being able to unite everyone, are also important qualities for a leader.
Brother, you are the one most capable of uniting everyone; that is an indisputable fact.” Although powerful strength was also an important reason.
But if it were just that, those Ninja Clans would not have joined so easily.
Possessing both a heart of benevolence and compassion, as well as the decisiveness and responsibility of a leader, was the reason those Ninja Clans trusted him.
If it were Uchiha Madara, even with his powerful strength, those Ninja Clans would rather die than join peacefully.
Ninja Clans were not afraid of death; Senju Tobirama had seen too many weak Ninja Clans fight to the last man, refusing to surrender even in death.
To completely subdue these people who were not afraid of death, having strength alone would not work.
The end result would just be a broken Land of Fire.
“Furthermore, even the people of the Uchiha Clan know this; within the Uchiha, they also agree that you, Brother, should become the leader of the Village.” Senju Tobirama’s words directly crushed Senju Hashirama’s idea, leaving him speechless.
He did not know these things.
He thought that as Clan Chief, Uchiha Madara would be the one most respected by the Uchiha Clan.
“Uchiha Madara became the Uchiha Clan Chief because his strength is the greatest.
But you, Brother, becoming the leader of the Senju and being trusted by the clansmen, is not just because of strength.
Your tolerance and compassion are the key factors in uniting the clansmen and even outsiders.” At first, he was worried about whether conflicts would arise if other Ninja Clans joined.
But now Senju Tobirama felt he had been overthinking.
Senju Hashirama’s strength allowed the various clans to sit down and negotiate calmly.
And his tolerance and compassion made the various Ninja Clans gradually lower their inner guards.
For Konoha to be built so smoothly, both were indispensable.
“Gahahaha, am I really as good as you say, Senju Tobirama?” Hearing this from Senju Tobirama, Senju Hashirama laughed out loud instantly, scratching his head in embarrassment.
Looking at Senju Hashirama’s suddenly foolish grin, a vein popped on Senju Tobirama’s forehead; his fingers, resting on his arm, couldn’t help but want to activate Water Release to wake him up.
It would be even better if he could change this habit of always grinning foolishly.
“Sigh.” Senju Tobirama sighed and said with mental exhaustion: “In any case, the discussion on this matter ends here; the meeting is about to start.
Also, Brother, be a little more serious; don’t always be so subservient when talking to people.” “Ah, then what should I do?” “Just don’t say anything; I will speak for you when the time comes.” “Um, actually I think…” “Shut up!
I don’t care what you think!” Shouted at by Senju Tobirama, Senju Hashirama’s body shuddered subconsciously, and he shrank his neck.
Oh no, he had made Senju Tobirama angry again.