While refining the contents of the “Hashirama Senju Threat Theory,” Makoto Uchiha made his way toward the capital of the Land of Fire.
Nothing out of the ordinary happened along the journey, save for a few foolish highwaymen who tried to block his path.
Helpless to stop himself, Makoto stripped them of every last valuable they possessed.
After more than ten days of travel, Makoto arrived at the capital of the Land of Fire.
Filled with anticipation, Makoto looked upon a towering, majestic metropolis worthy of the grandest nation in the Ninja World.
While war had plagued the Ninja World for so long, the capital, compared to the towns he had passed along the way, vibrated with life and prosperity.
Yet the world was never purely bright.
Someone always paid the price to maintain such a glittering capital; if you felt you were carrying a heavy burden, it was only because someone else was enjoying peace and quiet in your place.
Makoto didn’t waste time marveling at the sight.
Before he even bothered to eat, he headed straight for the palace where the Daimyo resided.
Heavy guards patrolled the perimeter of the palace complex, supported by elite military units stationed nearby.
Naturally, this wasn’t to guard against ninja, but against unruly commoners.
If a band of starving peasants gathered under a banner, incited the masses, and accidentally ended up storming the capital, it would be a major catastrophe.
Even though such riots would always be put down eventually, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire had his pride.
A sagacious Daimyo ruling the world meant peace across all lands, with the capital serving as the beacon of order.
Peasants revolting under his very nose would be a direct slap to his face.
Daimyo of other nations would seize any opportunity to mock him.
Thus, although these elite armies composed of regular mortals were useless against ninja, their existence was entirely necessary.
As for the Daimyo of the Land of Fire himself, he had elite ninja dedicated to his protection.
Standing at the apex of power and wealth, hiring round-the-clock bodyguards was trivial for a Daimyo, and the cost was negligible.
If possible, the Daimyo were even willing to spend vast fortunes to raise their own ninja.
High and mighty, the Daimyo firmly suppressed the ninja.
Yet a fear buried deep within their souls for a thousand years—one they dared not even speak aloud—haunted them like a maggot in the bone.
Power was a king’s sword, yet the hilt of that sword had always been held by the ninja, not the Daimyo.
Building their own ninja forces was an idea the Daimyo had attempted many times, but every single effort had ended in failure.
Core technologies—such as secret Ninjutsu hand-downs—were precious assets that ninja clans would rather let rot in their hands than sell.
No amount of money could buy them.
“Halt, outsider!” As soon as Makoto Uchiha drew near the palace grounds, he heard a guard’s sharp bark.
This was royal ground; far from entering, ordinary people weren’t even allowed near it.
When dealing with commoners, the guards wouldn’t hesitate to kill.
Facing the arrogant guards, Makoto hadn’t lacked the thought of sneaking into the palace; a group of regular mortal guards couldn’t possibly stop him.
But considering he had come to the capital of the Land of Fire to secure funding…
he could hardly meet the Daimyo that way.
Such brazen antics would have to wait for another time.
So Makoto obediently handed over his visiting card.
Under the guard’s suspicious gaze, Makoto revealed the Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan.
After a terrified scream, the guard finally confirmed that Makoto was indeed a genuine member of the Uchiha.
The rumors were true!
The blood-red eyes of the Uchiha held spinning tomoe, and a single glance was all it took to fall into Genjutsu!
He had to admit, the Uchiha Clan’s name carried immense weight.
Had he been an ordinary ninja, the guard would likely have driven him off.
So what if you’re a ninja?
I’m the Daimyo’s dog—cough, cough—the Daimyo’s guard!
But the Uchiha Clan was a different story altogether.
The Uchiha Clan’s reputation was known to all in the Ninja World.
Even the Daimyo had to maintain good relations with them.
It was common knowledge that unlike the Senju Clan, the Uchiha Clan tended to produce ruthless, cold-blooded extremists who wouldn’t hesitate to strike over the slightest disagreement!
The guard scrambled away on all fours to find his superior.
After reporting the situation, a portly attendant soon emerged from the main gate of the palace.
“Lord Uchiha, please follow me!” Led by the attendant, Makoto was brought to a reception hall and seated.
After waiting about half an hour, Makoto finally met his target for this trip—the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
“It has been quite a while since the Uchiha Clan sent anyone to visit!” “Quickly, serve tea!” The Daimyo offered an enthusiastic greeting and gestured for his attendant to refill Makoto’s cup.
“Thank you, Your Highness.” Makoto introduced himself, and after a brief round of pleasantries, the two engaged in casual small talk.
Seeing that the atmosphere was agreeable, the Daimyo began asking about the Uchiha Clan’s recent circumstances.
This was something he cared deeply about.
The Daimyo was intimately familiar with the long-standing feud between the Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan.
Especially recently, as the war between their new generations reached a fever pitch, he had been frustrated by his inability to get first-hand news due to the vast distance and crude communication channels.
According to the reports he had gathered, Hashirama Senju, leader of the Senju Clan, and Madara Uchiha, leader of the Uchiha Clan, had fought incessantly over the past few years.
But Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju didn’t feel human to him!
As a Daimyo, he was no stranger to powerful ninja, but the strength displayed by Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju far exceeded anything a normal ninja could produce.
According to intelligence, during their most violent battle, the destruction had spanned hundreds of miles.
From afar, wooden dragons soared through the sky, giant figures glared with rage, and blades split mountains…
Such ridiculously unbelievable scenes defied the Daimyo’s imagination, and the shockwaves of their battle had reduced everything in the vicinity to a barren wasteland.
When these reports reached him, the Daimyo had even suspected the intelligence was fake.
Could human beings really wield such power?
It was utterly horrifying!
What kind of divine strength was this?
Calling them gods wouldn’t be an exaggeration!
With two godlike ninja walking the Ninja World, how could the Daimyo and those who viewed themselves as rulers sleep soundly?
Hearing the Daimyo’s eager questions, Makoto smiled.
*Time to pour poison in his ear.*