Chapter 536
Give me that spot with your name on it.
While Kakashi was trying to communicate with Uchiha Rundo, Kiyoshi was holding a meeting of Jonin on the other side.
On either side of the long table, the heads of the various Konoha clans, representatives of the Jonin teams, and advisors and elders sat upright.
As Kiyoshi's power grew, so did his authority.
Everyone knows this Hokage, who surpasses all previous Hokage.
Especially with the added Uchiha buff, they have to be even more careful.
Kiyoshi sat in the main seat, wearing a white Hokage robe with a red haori over it, and his black hair was casually tied back.
"I have gathered you all here today to announce something."
Kiyoshi spoke, his words clearly reaching everyone's ears.
"I will abolish the position of Daimyo of the Land of Fire and become the Daimyo of the Land of Fire myself."
The moment the words left his mouth, the conference room fell into a deathly silence.
A few seconds later, everyone started whispering among themselves.
Even Minato Namikaze, who was already the second leader of Root, looked surprised.
Kiyoshi actually wants to abolish the daimyo?
"The laws of our ancestors must not be abandoned!"
Xiaochun, who was turning over in her dorm, stood up and said.
"You are undermining the foundation of the nation!"
Mitomon also spoke.
The name is a tradition that has existed for thousands of years.
Moreover, no ninja has ever become a daimyo.
That guy, Kiyoshi, is so incredibly rebellious.
"Lord Hokage, isn't this a bit too radical?"
Hiashi Hyuga carefully considered his words.
"The Daimyo system of the Land of Fire has continued for thousands of years, and the one village, one country system has been in place for several decades. Moreover, the alliance with Konoha has always been stable. Suddenly abolishing it would probably cause turmoil throughout the country, and might even trigger a civil war."
Besides Hiashi Hyuga speaking up, the others also nodded in agreement, clearly sharing the same sentiment.
Fugaku Uchiha placed his hands folded on the table. As the head of the Uchiha clan, his position was quite delicate.
"Seiji."
“I know your power has surpassed common sense, but politics cannot be solved by power alone. The existence of the daimyo, while sometimes a hindrance, also maintains the balance of the national system. Once this balance is broken, subsequent governance will be…”
Uchiha Fugaku spoke.
"Governance is not the problem."
Kiyoshi interrupted him, his tone remaining calm.
"I have enough manpower and ability to take over the entire administrative system of the Land of Fire."
"Nonsense!"
A furious shout came from the end of the conference table.
Danzo Shimura slammed his fist on the table and stood up.
"Kiyoshi, although you are the Fourth Hokage, how can you make such a decision on a matter of national importance by yourself?! The Hokage's duty is to protect the village, not to usurp the country!"
Mitokado Homura also stood up, his tone stern:
"The Hokage of each generation have upheld the alliance with the Land of Fire, which is the foundation of Konoha's existence. Now you want to tear up this alliance, do you want to make Konoha a target of everyone's hatred? What will the other four great nations think? Will they sit idly by and watch the Land of Fire be annexed by Konoha?"
The words of the two advisors resonated with many people present.
Whispers filled the conference room, and most people looked worried.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke up to refute Kiyoshi.
He also felt that Kiyoshi had gone too far.
Just lead Konoha forward steadily like this.
Konoha is thriving every day, so why disrupt this peace and introduce unknowns?
Kiyoshi watched all this quietly, and only spoke slowly after the commotion subsided slightly.
"Are you done talking?"
Kiyoshi said.
"First of all, I am not asking for your opinions."
Kiyoshi stood up, his white divine robes swaying gently with his movements.
"I'm just informing you; as for the reactions of other countries..."
A slight smile curved his lips.
"They will soon realize that the ninja world is no longer the era of the five great nations standing side by side."
Nara Enju, the head of the Nara clan, took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:
"Even so, Hokage-sama, how do you intend to carry out this? The Daimyo's army, officials, lords from various regions... these people will not easily submit. Even if you are powerful, do you intend to slaughter all the opponents?"
"unnecessary."
Qing Si said calmly.
“There will be rebels, but not many; most people just need a new object of loyalty.”
Yamanaka Inoichi, the current head of the Yamanaka clan, also shook his head:
"You're too naive, Kiyoshi. Power transfers are always accompanied by bloodshed, and..."
"Insanity!"
Xiaochun, who was turning over in bed, was furious:
"Who do you think you are? A god? Take back this order immediately!"
"Order?"
Kiyoshi interrupted her, his gaze suddenly turning cold.
"Card transfer advisor, you seem to have forgotten that you are no longer the Hokage advisor."
Kiyoshi glanced at her indifferently, his gaze so intense that Koharu dared not continue speaking.
"I am the Hokage."
Kiyoshi said.
As soon as the words were spoken, figures silently emerged from the shadows around the conference room.
They were all women, wearing specially made dark uniforms underneath and animal masks on their faces.
Most notably, each of them wore a suit of armor, the "Chakra Armor Dragon," which had been improved and enhanced by Kiyoshi and put into use.
Furthermore, there were cursed symbols on their necks.
Clearly, they were also Kiyoshi's cursed seal ninjas.
These female ninjas appeared without warning, as if they had always been one with the shadows.
But many ninjas could sense their immense power.
Elite Jonin.
No, not only that.
Hiashi Hyuga subconsciously activated his Byakugan.
Through the masks and armor, he could see a vast flow of chakra, and everyone's meridian system was incredibly resilient.
Some of them even possessed chakra levels equivalent to Kage-level beings.
There were more than thirty such people in the conference room.
Outside the window, on the rooftops of the buildings surrounding the Hokage Building, more figures dressed in the same attire could be seen and disappeared.
A rough estimate puts the number at least at three hundred.
Three hundred female ANBU ninjas equipped with "Chakra Armor: Dragon," including many Kage-level powerhouses.
This force has surpassed any other ninja clan in Konoha; it could even be said to be Konoha's most elite legion.
The conference room was deathly silent.
Even Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were speechless, their faces pale as they looked at the silent figures around them.
"They are my direct subordinates, absolutely under my command as cursed seal ANBU ninjas."
Qing Si said calmly.
“Everyone here possesses strength at least that of an elite Jonin, and the armor provides all-around protection and chakra amplification. Most importantly…”
He paused.
"They are absolutely loyal to me."
Absolute loyalty.
These four words sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.
Kiyoshi sat back down in the main seat, placing his hands folded on the table.
His curse mark is a guarantee of absolute loyalty.
Qing Si could take anyone's life in a split second.
Of course, he can also bestow great power at any time.
Some of the best even possessed "seeds of divine spells" bestowed by the Qing Si.
"Reform will not be completed in one step. I need time, but the first step is to establish a new power center."
His gaze swept over the crowd.
"Hiashi, Fugaku, I need the cooperation of both your clans. The Hyuga will be in charge of taking over the intelligence network, and the Uchiha will be in charge of the initial control of the capital's security. I will give you the specific plan later."
Hiashi Hyuga and Fugaku Uchiha exchanged a glance, both seeing the bitterness in each other's eyes.
But they understood that Qing Si was not making a request, but issuing an order.
"As for the two advisors..."
Kiyoshi looked at Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.
“You’ve all retired long ago, so stop interfering. You’re just here on behalf of your families.”
Koharu opened her mouth as if to say something, but looking at the silent cursed ANBU ninjas around her, she finally slumped down.
Mitokado Homura sighed deeply:
"Fourth Hokage, you will destroy Konoha."
"Do not."
Kiyoshi shook his head.
"I will make Konoha, the Land of Fire, great again."
He stood up and walked to the window.
"The meeting is now adjourned. In three days, I will be heading to the capital of the Land of Fire. In the meantime, all departments should prepare for the handover work as planned."
After saying that, Kiyoshi disappeared from the conference room.
The cursed ANBU ninjas, just as they had appeared, silently disappeared into the shadows, as if they had never existed.
But the somber atmosphere in the conference room proved that everything that had just happened was real.
"Let's go, Hiashi. Since we can't change it, let's try to make the process as smooth as possible."
The two clan leaders exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes, and a hint of... expectation?
What if Kiyoshi really could do that?
What if the Land of Fire could truly usher in a new era?
After all, Kiyoshi's power is simply too overpowered.
Hashirama Senju established a system of one village, one country.
Now, another Uchiha possesses power surpassing that of Hashirama Senju back then.
What kind of world will this bring?
…………
three days later.
The capital of the Fire Nation, Kyoto.
This is the most prosperous city in the Land of Fire, bar none.
The wide streets were bustling with traffic, lined with shops on both sides, and teeming with pedestrians.
In the distance, the buildings of Damingfu stand majestically, their golden roofs gleaming in the sunlight.
At noon, the sky above the capital was cloudless.
Suddenly, a figure appeared without warning in the sky above the square in front of the main gate of Daming Prefecture.
White divine robes, red haori, black hair fluttering slightly in the wind.
Qing Si hovered ten meters above the ground, looking down at the panicked guards and civilians below.
"The Fourth Hokage of Konoha requests an audience with the Daimyo."
His voice wasn't loud, but it resonated clearly throughout the entire capital.
After a brief silence, a piercing alarm sounded throughout the Daimyo Mansion.
Large numbers of guards surged in from all directions, archers climbed the walls, and ninjas emerged from the shadows.
The daimyo of the Land of Fire naturally also had his own ninja guard.
Asuma Sarutobi, one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, was still smoking when he suddenly saw Kiyoshi's figure and was very puzzled.
Wait, why is Kiyoshi here?
A middle-aged general in ornate armor stepped forward and shouted sternly:
"Fourth Hokage, you have trespassed into the capital and are hovering in front of the Daimyo's residence. What is your intention? Land immediately, or else..."
Before he could finish speaking, Kiyoshi merely glanced at him indifferently.
The general's body stiffened as an invisible chakra gripped his throat, leaving him frozen in place, unable to move.
Not only was he unable to speak, but he couldn't even move his fingers an inch.
Upon seeing this, the surrounding guards raised their weapons, but none of them dared to step forward rashly.
Just then, a voice came from deep within Daming Prefecture:
"Please invite the Fourth Hokage inside."
It is Daiming himself.
Kiyoshi landed slowly, his feet landing on the smooth stone slabs of the square.
He walked forward as if no one else was there, and wherever he went, the guards involuntarily stepped aside to make way for him.
It wasn't that they didn't want to stop him, but an instinctive fear prevented them from getting close to that figure.
The reception room of Daming Mansion was extremely luxurious.
Gold decorations, valuable calligraphy and paintings, and exquisite porcelain can be seen everywhere.
The daimyo of the Land of Fire sat in the main seat; he was very young, only in his twenties.
It is the new daimyo after the old daimyo died half a year ago.
He was also the son of the previous daimyo.
On either side of the daimyo stood several of his key retainers, as well as a number of ninja guards with considerable aura.
"Hokage, what's wrong?"
When the man spoke, his voice was calm and composed, revealing no emotion.
He knew that Kiyoshi had a good relationship with his father, but his relationship with Kiyoshi was very ordinary.
He even harbored some resentment towards Kiyoshi.
It was because Kiyoshi kept prolonging his father's life that he was unable to become a daimyo.
Instead, it has been delayed until now.
"Visiting in this way is not very polite."
Kiyoshi stopped opposite the daimyo, neither bowing nor taking a seat. "In urgent matters, please keep things simple, Your Excellency."
He got straight to the point.
"I have come today to ask you to abdicate."
"You should give me your prestigious position."
The reception room instantly erupted in chaos.
"Insanity!"
"presumptuous!"
"Guards, seize this traitor!"
The high-ranking officials roared angrily, and the ninja guards around the daimyo immediately assumed fighting stances.
Daimyo's face also darkened:
"Fourth Hokage, do you know what you're saying?"
"Very clear."
Kiyoshi said calmly.
"From this day forward, the Land of Fire will be directly ruled by me. You may choose to abdicate with dignity, retain your noble status and some of your property, and live out your remaining years in peace, or..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
"Do you think you can overthrow a country all by yourself?"
Shin Daimyo sneered.
"Although Konoha is powerful, the Land of Fire has an army of 300,000, and the lords of various regions will not stand idly by. Not to mention, the other four great nations will never allow the Land of Fire to be annexed by Konoha. Kiyoshi, if you turn back now, I can pretend that nothing happened."
Kiyoshi shook his head.
"You seem to have misunderstood something."
He raised his hand and lightly tapped his index finger in the air.
sizzle.
Space was torn apart.
A dark hole, two meters in diameter, appeared in the center of the reception room. Through the hole, one could see the view on the other side.
That was the Hokage Rock of Konoha, and beneath the rock, a densely packed, fully equipped Konoha ninja force, ready to go.
Immediately afterwards, the second, third, and tenth spatial openings appeared in various parts of the reception room.
Each cave entrance connects to different important locations in the Land of Fire: border fortresses, military strongholds, granaries, ports... and at each of these locations, Konoha ninjas have already taken control of or are taking control of key facilities.
What alarmed the daimyo and high-ranking officials the most was that many of the Konoha ninja were wearing the official attire they were familiar with.
Those were local officials who should have been loyal to the daimyo.
"This is impossible..."
"A senior official murmured."
“My people started infiltrating three days ago.”
Qing Si said calmly.
"I know the Fire Kingdom's administrative system, military deployment, and financial situation like the back of my hand. Seventy percent of the lords in various regions have already secretly pledged their allegiance to me, and the remaining thirty percent are either insignificant..."
He paused.
It's very easy to do all this because he's given so much.
And those who are stubborn and inflexible are also quite simple.
"Either we won't live past today."
Qing Si said calmly.
Daimyo's hand trembled slightly as he stared at Kiyoshi:
"What...what do you intend to do? Slaughter all those who oppose you?"
"Not that many."
Qing Si said.
"Once the most stubborn ones are dealt with, the others will naturally understand what to do. As for the army..."
He looked at the spatial openings.
"Do you think ordinary soldiers would fight against ninjas who can tear through space for a ruler who is about to become a thing of the past?"
The reception room fell into dead silence.
The high-ranking officials were pale, and the guards were sweating profusely.
Shin-daimyo sat blankly in the main seat, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.
After a long silence, Daiming slowly spoke, his voice hoarse:
"What if I refuse?"
Kiyoshi looked at him quietly.
He didn't speak.
But that invisible pressure made the air in the entire reception room freeze.
Daiming closed his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again, the sharpness from before was gone, replaced only by exhaustion and dejection.
"I... abdicate."
Three words, yet they carry immense weight.
Kiyoshi nodded:
"A wise choice."
He turned and walked toward the door of the reception room, stopping at the entrance.
"The handover will be completed within a week, and your family can retain the title of duke and reside in the designated area of Kyoto."
After saying that, he stepped out of the reception room and disappeared again.
The daimyo sat blankly in his chair, and a high-ranking official asked in a trembling voice:
"My lord, is this really how we're going to end up..."
"if not?"
Da Ming smiled bitterly.
"As you have seen, he can make Konoha ninjas appear anywhere in the country in an instant, he can turn our officials against us, he can... tear space apart."
He took a deep breath.
…………
the other side.
The interior of the moon, a lakeside dwelling.
When Qing Si returned, it was already evening.
The artificial sun inside the dwelling is slowly sinking below the horizon, turning the sky a warm orange-red.
The lake surface shimmered, reflecting the gradually changing sunset.
Kaguya Otsutsuki was not fishing.
She stood on the open-air balcony on the second floor of her residence, her back to the entrance, her long blue and white hair cascading down her back.
She wore a white silk dress that Qing Si had made for her. The hem of the dress reached the ground, and the belt at the waist accentuated her slender waist. Below that, her full and pert hips were outlined.
Hearing footsteps, Kaguya did not turn around.
Kiyoshi walked behind her, naturally put his arm around her waist, and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"I am back."
Kaguya tilted her head slightly, glanced at him with her pure white eyes, and then looked away.
"smoothly?"
"smoothly."
Kiyoshi inhaled the cool fragrance of her hair and gently stroked her flat stomach with his fingers.
"The daimyo has abdicated, and the handover will be completed within a week. People from Konoha have begun to take over key departments."
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki remained silent for a while.
Will there be bleeding?
There will be some, but not many.
Kiyoshi spoke the truth.
“Most people just need a new object of loyalty, the die-hards… my secret service will handle that.”
Kaguya Otsutsuki nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
For her, the change of regimes among humans meant nothing.
All she cared about was Kiyoshi's safety, and... whether he would spend too much time on these things.
Are you hungry?
Kiyoshi whispered in her ear.
"A little."
"What do you want to eat? I'll make it."
Kaguya thought for a moment:
"fish."
Kiyoshi smiled:
"Okay, let's make fish."
He didn't go to the kitchen immediately, but instead held Kaguya in his arms and quietly admired the sunset for a while.
Kaguya Otsutsuki's body was initially a little stiff, but gradually relaxed and leaned softly against his chest.
Her back was pressed against his chest, and she could feel his body temperature and heartbeat.
The hand that was wrapped around her waist was warm, and its fingers occasionally drew circles on her lower abdomen, bringing waves of subtle tingling sensation.
"Seiji."
Kaguya suddenly spoke.
"Ok?"
"What will you do after that world is unified?"
Kiyoshi raised an eyebrow:
Why are you suddenly asking this?
"I just wanted to know."
Kaguya's voice was very soft.
Kiyoshi thought for a while.
"First, stabilize the rule, reform the system, and develop science and ninjutsu."
He paused.
"In addition, I am also looking forward to parallel worlds. I have already sent Kakashi to a parallel world, and I expect that it won't be long before there are some results."
Kiyoshi said calmly.
"parallel world?"
Kaguya Otsutsuki looked surprised.
"That's right, a parallel world."
Kiyoshi nodded.
Furthermore, he collected the coordinates of many parallel worlds, but only gave Kakashi one of them.
When he conquers the parallel world, he can make the ninjas of the parallel world serve him and then expand his army.
Eventually, like a snowball rolling downhill, a team can be formed to invade countless parallel worlds.
It's not impossible to even come into contact with other dimensions beyond the universe.
After all, the existence of the Otsutsuki God proves that this universe is not limited to just one dimension.
Of course, this is on the premise that one can transcend it.
"You can do that?"
Kaguya Otsutsuki clearly hadn't expected Kiyoshi to do this.
"Yes."
Kiyoshi smiled slightly.
"But wouldn't there be an Otsutsuki clan in a parallel world?"
Kaguya Otsutsuki was puzzled.
"It doesn't matter, I can handle it."
Kiyoshi shook his head.
He currently only fears one existence.
That is Otsutsuki Shibai, the god of Otsutsuki.
Kiyoshi didn't care much about the others.
"If they want to reverse-engineer, then let them try."
Kiyoshi's voice was calm.
"Kill as many as they come, until the Otsutsuki clan understands that this is not a place they can set their sights on."
He turned Kaguya Otsutsuki around so that she would face him.
Under the moonlight, Kaguya's face was unrealistically beautiful.
Her pure white eyes were as clear as ice and snow, and her long eyelashes cast faint shadows on her eyelids. Her lips were pale, slightly pursed, revealing a hint of unease.
Kiyoshi lowered his head and kissed her forehead.
Kaguya Otsutsuki raised her hand and gently stroked his cheek.
This action has become more and more natural for her.
"I believe you."
she says.
Those three simple words warmed Qing Si's heart.
He scooped Kaguya up in his arms and carried her inside amidst her soft gasp.
"Didn't we say we'd cook fish?"
Kaguya Otsutsuki asked, but her arms naturally wrapped around his neck.
"We can cook the fish later."
Seiji smiled.
"Now, there are more important things to do." (End of Chapter)