The Kiri shinobi, who witnessed the interior of the Tobirama Flying Fortress, were shocked and unconsciously began to compare Konoha with the current Kirigakure...
The personal strength of the leader, the quality of the collective and, now, technological evolution.
The Kiri-nin couldn't help but wonder: Did they still have any value? Was there a reason for Kazuki to treat them with such consideration?
Being valued by an invincible enemy made them feel overwhelmed.
But it also made them reflect maybe this was the only chance in their lives...
Whether they could take advantage of it or not would depend on their performance in Kirigakure's upcoming internal purge.
"Kazuki-sama, the battle here has gone off without a hitch thanks to you..." Shikaku approached Kazuki and congratulated him in a low voice. "By eliminating the rebels among Kirigakure's troops and taking control of the shinobi clans present, you have practically become the master of Kirigakure, even more worthy of the title of Mizukage than the Third Mizukage."
Kazuki smiled.
Although Shikaku's words seemed like flattery, they were actually an irrefutable truth.
The surrender of the Kaguya, Hozuki and Terumi clans had already sealed the fate of Kirigakure.
Although Kirigakure's policy had been to suppress shinobi clans, without these three pillars, could Kirigakure still be one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages?
Herein lay the paradox.
"Maybe you're right, Shikaku, but this is just Kirigakure..." Kazuki shook his head and calmly replied, "Here, I can impose order with force and then consolidate their loyalty with special methods. But not every village can be managed like this."
"Onoki, that stubborn old man, is like a rock at the bottom of a latrine: hard and stinking. With his army of twenty thousand shinobi, he will fight to the death."
"Then there's Kumo. They are guided by family loyalty, brotherhood, and honor. Their warrior spirit is ingrained in each of them. Killing their leader won't make them give up."
"As for Sunagakure... I've heard that it's mired in internal strife. Perhaps there's an entry point there..."
Shikaku nodded, pondering Kazuki's words. "Kirigakure's situation is certainly special..."
"But what you have accomplished is impressive. Not only have you kept the Root's forces largely intact, but you have also gained new allies."
Shikaku was a shrewd man.
He had clearly observed the growing tension between Kazuki and the duo of Jiraiya and Minato. Without hesitation, he had chosen to align himself with Kazuki, who had already offered tangible benefits to the Nara clan.
Now, seeing the results, he was even more convinced that his decision had been the right one.
Shikaku can even be sure that these Kirigakure shinobi will soon become Kazuki's most loyal and fanatical supporters.
"I hope so, Shikaku." Kazuki looked at his disciplined subordinates and the stunned Kiri shinobi. He sighed. "There are always conflicts, there are always fights..."
"After resolving Kirigakure, there are still Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure left. Even if they are all resolved, there will still be internal problems."
"In times of peace, everyone is concerned with dividing power and plotting against each other. But when war breaks out, they suddenly yearn for stability. And when they finally get it, the cycle starts all over again."
"Look at these Kiri-nin, full of hope in their eyes. I have no doubt that they will become part of Konoha and the Root. But I am also sure that, in the future, they will be part of the internal disputes."
Shikaku frowned, thinking deeply.
Kazuki was thinking long-term. His words sounded strange, but they were true. Konoha had had twenty years of relative peace between the First and Second Shinobi Wars, but during that time, the village had not been free of internal conflict.
Shikaku looked at Kazuki with calculating eyes.
What did a man who had already achieved everything really want?
A world without fighting? A society united as one?
It sounded like an impossible dream. Human nature would not allow it.
But seeing Kazuki with such ideals, despite his overwhelming strength and talent, made it seem more real...
On the other hand, Tobirama frowned and sighed in his mind.
The distinctive trait of the Uchiha clan was manifested again in Kazuki.
And that trait was extremism.
To Tobirama, Kazuki's words suggested that he had not yet completely given up on his quest for eternal peace.
"We move! Our destination: Kirigakure."
Kazuki, not wanting to continue talking about the subject, calmly gave the order and started the Tobirama Fortress.
With such a powerful aerial warfare weapon, even the sea that separated them from their destination was no obstacle.
…
One day later.
"Some of the more radical members of Kirigakure... you know them better than I do, so I leave that task to you."
Aboard the Tobirama Fortress, Kazuki instructed his subordinates. "Those who need to be eliminated should be eliminated without mercy. I do not want anyone to hinder the arrival of the new era. This is for your sake... and for mine."
The Kiri-nin nodded without objection.
Kisame and the others had previously spoken with Kazuki and drawn up an execution list.
Under Kisame's leadership, Jinzaburo and Mei descended from the sky. Accompanied by the Kiri-nin who had attacked Konoha not long ago, they were now ready to rebuild their home.
The shinobi in Kirigakure looked up, watching the flying troops descending like a swarm of bees. An indescribable feeling filled them...
...
In less than half a day, it was declared that Kirigakure had completely fallen!
The salty sea air mingled with the scent of blood. The shinobi's eyes, soaked in the heat of battle, shone with excitement.
This time, they were on the winning side.
...
On the elevated platform in Kirigakure.
Kazuki held the Mizukage's hat as he looked down at the Kirigakure shinobi.
After an ambush and a purge, the village's 'purity' had increased considerably.
"I know that once the chain of hatred is created, it is almost impossible to destroy it. The shinobi who died in the recent operation were surely friends or relatives of some of those here today. It is a pain that cannot be forgotten..." Kazuki said in a calm voice, but his words made many feel a chill.
What did that mean?
Did he plan to continue eliminating survivors, in true Blood Mist fashion?
"But objectively speaking, this war was launched by the Third Mizukage to invade Konoha." Kazuki sighed and said slowly: "The lives of those Kirigakure shinobi who died and were injured were not taken by me, but by the Third Mizukage who could not correctly judge the situation and attacked blindly."
"But I also want to thank him. If it weren't for his recklessness, this war would not have ended so quickly."
"Today, I will treat all of you who obey my orders as my own people as promised."
"If you still have hatred in your hearts, you can come to me to solve it, instead of trying to destroy the new Kirigakure..."
"I declare that the new Kirigakure has been established, and the first policy is..."
Kazuki paused and observed the expressions of the Kiri shinobi present and smiled internally.
This village had reached a point where human emotions were cold and almost non-existent...
When he finished speaking, most of those present only showed relief at having survived. There was no anger or reflection on their faces.
Normally speaking, if Konoha was forcibly occupied by an irresistible external force, there would still be a large number of Chunin and even Genin who would not give up resistance and fight to the death under the urging of the Will of Fire.
But the Blood Mist had rendered the Kiri-nin insensible. They were accustomed to internal slaughter, whether from experience or from what they had seen and heard.
Compared to the other major shinobi villages—and perhaps even Amegakure—Kirigakure was the easiest to conquer.
Morality here was extremely flexible...
The Kiri-nin did not care about the chains of hatred. They only knew that they were still alive and that they were now part of a stronger village. And their new leader was about to announce his first term.
"Rest well for two months..." Kazuki ordered calmly. "Recover your bodies, rebuild this ruined village and turn it into a home worth remembering."
"To be honest, when I first got here, I could hardly believe that this was one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages."
"Crumbling walls, a damp, moldy plaza... The torture chambers and classrooms of the ninja school are almost indistinguishable."
"Is this your home or a battlefield?"
"When the village transforms into a place worth protecting and remembering, then we will talk about the future."
"I'm not someone who enjoys unnecessary conflict. To me, it doesn't matter if you have a Kekkei Genkai or if you're ordinary shinobi, none of you are stronger than me or have the potential to surpass me."
"So all I hope is to see you reach your full potential and bring some light into your lives."
"The era of the Blood Mist has ended. I now give you the chance to forge your own future."
"You have two months. The Root shinobi are now your companions. They will help you build a new village."
"You have your mission. Prove your loyalty with your own hands and hearts..."
Kazuki waved his hand and left.
The Kiri-nin were stunned.
What was going on?!
If they had been used as cannon fodder, at least they would have felt useful...
But Kazuki didn't give them a chance to argue as he had already left.
Even Mei and Kisame, who had been following him for a while, were left open-mouthed, not knowing what to say.
Meanwhile, Jinzaburo was desperate. If it were about going to the battlefield to kill, he would agree with both hands and feet!
But rebuilding the village was not his thing!
However, he also did not dare to go alone to ask Kazuki to take him to war...
He was afraid that Kazuki would think he was falling back into the Kaguya clan's habits again and perform 'corrective' therapy on him.
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