As Uchiha Makoto continued refining the contents of his “Senju Hashirama Threat Theory,” he made his way toward the capital of the Land of Fire.
Nothing unexpected happened along the way.
He merely encountered a few bandits who didn’t know when to quit, so Uchiha Makoto had no choice but to rob them of everything they had on them.
After more than ten days of traveling, Uchiha Makoto finally arrived at the capital of the Land of Fire.
Filled with anticipation…
Uchiha Makoto saw a magnificent, imposing city.
As expected of the most powerful country in the shinobi world…
The shinobi world had been plagued by constant warfare for a long time, yet compared to the cities he had passed along the way, the capital was practically bursting with life and prosperity.
But the world had never been a place of pure light.
Someone always had to pay the price for maintaining such a dazzling capital.
If you felt like you were carrying a heavy burden as you moved forward, then there was certainly someone else making it possible for you to enjoy peaceful days.
Uchiha Makoto didn’t waste his time sighing over it.
He didn’t even have time to eat before heading straight toward the palace where the Daimyo resided.
The area around the palace was heavily guarded, with elite military forces stationed nearby…
Hmm…
Of course, this wasn’t to defend against shinobi.
It was to defend against unruly civilians.
If a group of starving commoners suddenly became desperate enough to raise a banner, stir up the masses, gather into a huge crowd, and then, by some unfortunate coincidence, charge into the capital, that would be a serious matter.
Even if such a disturbance would eventually be put down, the Land of Fire’s Daimyo had his reputation to consider.
A sage and benevolent Daimyo governed the realm, bringing peace and prosperity to the land, with the capital serving as the model city of the entire country.
If unruly civilians caused trouble right under his nose, it would be no different from someone viciously slapping him across the face.
The daimyos of other countries would certainly seize the opportunity to mock him.
So even though these elite military forces made up of ordinary people couldn’t deal with shinobi, they still had to exist.
As for the Land of Fire’s Daimyo, he naturally had elite shinobi specifically assigned to protect him.
Every Daimyo stood at the very peak of the pyramid of power and wealth.
For them, hiring shinobi to provide round-the-clock personal protection was effortless, and the cost was barely worth mentioning.
If possible, the daimyos would even be willing to spend enormous sums to train a group of shinobi of their own.
The daimyos stood high above everyone else, firmly suppressing the shinobi.
But…
The fear lurking deep within their souls, hidden there for a thousand years and never even spoken aloud…
Had always existed like a parasite clinging to their bones.
Power was like the sword of a king.
But the hilt of that sword had always been held by the shinobi, not the daimyos.
The daimyos had tried many times to cultivate shinobi of their own.
But without exception, they had all failed.
Because when it came to the core technology…
For example, precious techniques such as secret ninjutsu passed down within shinobi clans…
The shinobi clans would rather let such knowledge rot in their own hands than sell it.
No matter how much money was offered, they would never sell it.
…
“Unauthorized personnel, stop!”
The moment Uchiha Makoto approached the palace complex, he heard the guards’ stern shout.
This was a royal restricted area.
Not only were ordinary people forbidden from entering, they generally weren’t even qualified to approach.
When dealing with unruly civilians, these guards really did dare to kill.
Faced with the arrogant guards, Uchiha Makoto had considered secretly sneaking into the palace.
This group of ordinary guards couldn’t possibly stop him.
But…
Considering that he had come to the capital of the Land of Fire this time to seek funding…
He couldn’t exactly meet the Daimyo by sneaking into his palace.
He could try such an arrogant approach in the future.
For now, Uchiha Makoto honestly handed over his letter of introduction.
Under the guard’s suspicious gaze, Uchiha Makoto revealed the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan.
Then, amid the guard’s terrified scream, the guard finally confirmed that Uchiha Makoto was indeed a genuine member of the Uchiha clan.
So the rumors were true!
The Uchiha’s crimson eyes really did contain spinning tomoe, and merely making eye contact with them could trap someone in a genjutsu!
He had to admit…
The reputation of the Uchiha clan was truly powerful.
If this had been an ordinary shinobi, the guard would probably have driven him away on the spot.
So what if you were a shinobi?
I am the Daimyo’s dog…
Ahem, ahem…
The Daimyo’s guard.
But the Uchiha clan was different.
The Uchiha clan’s reputation was practically known throughout the entire shinobi world.
Even the Daimyo had to maintain a good relationship with the Uchiha clan.
As everyone knew…
Unlike the Senju clan…
The Uchiha clan was prone to producing extreme individuals who were ruthless and cold-blooded!
They really would attack without hesitation over the slightest disagreement.
The guard hurriedly scrambled to find his superior.
After reporting the situation, a broad and portly attendant soon walked out through the palace gates.
“Lord Uchiha, please come with me!”
Under the attendant’s guidance, Uchiha Makoto was brought to a reception room and seated.
After waiting for roughly half an hour…
Uchiha Makoto finally met the target of his visit this time—the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
“The Uchiha clan hasn’t sent anyone to visit in quite some time!”
“Quick, bring some tea!”
The Daimyo wore a warm expression as he instructed the attendants beside him to refill Uchiha Makoto’s cup.
“Thank you, Your Highness!”
Uchiha Makoto introduced himself, and after a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two chatted casually.
Seeing that the atmosphere was fairly pleasant…
The Daimyo began asking about the Uchiha clan’s current situation.
This was something he had always been extremely concerned about.
The Daimyo knew all about the grudges and conflicts between the Uchiha and Senju clans.
Especially recently, the war between the new generation of the Uchiha and Senju clans had reached a fever pitch.
Unfortunately, because they were separated by such a great distance and their channels for transmitting information were relatively backward, the Daimyo had never been able to obtain first-hand information.
According to the information available to the Daimyo…
Over the past few years, the Senju clan’s leader, Senju Hashirama, and the Uchiha clan’s leader, Uchiha Madara, had been fighting constantly.
But…
Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama gave him the feeling that they weren’t human!
As the Daimyo, he had certainly seen powerful shinobi before.
But the strength displayed by Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama had already far surpassed the level of power ordinary shinobi could unleash.
According to the intelligence reports, during their most serious battle, the area affected by their fight had stretched for more than a thousand miles.
From a distance, Wood Dragons soared through the air, gigantic figures glared furiously, and blades split mountains apart…
All kinds of exaggerated and unbelievable scenes had completely shattered the Daimyo’s imagination.
The aftermath of Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama’s battle had even turned everything around them into a barren wasteland.
When such reports were first delivered to him, the Daimyo had even suspected that the intelligence was fabricated.
Could humans really wield such power?
It was simply terrifying!
What kind of overwhelming might was this?
Calling them gods wouldn’t even be an exaggeration!
Two shinobi comparable to gods had appeared in the shinobi world.
How could people like the Daimyos, who considered themselves the rulers of the shinobi world, possibly feel at ease?
Hearing the Daimyo’s rather urgent questions…
Uchiha Makoto smiled.
Time to start planting the seeds of doubt!
Let’s Set a Fixed Update Time, Just to Keep Myself Motivated
I’ll update at 7:30 p.m.
If it’s not updated at that time, then it means I’ve spent the entire day being worked like a beast in the lab.
In that case, I’ll only be able to update around 11 p.m.