Colorful fireworks burst in the night sky above Konoha, their dazzling light illuminating the smiles on everyone's faces.
It seemed to herald the arrival of peace and prosperity for the village.
"Did you see that, Rin? Obito?"
"Konoha has achieved peace under the leadership of our teacher and Lord Danzo."
Kakashi held a bouquet of flowers and gently placed it in front of Rin's grave.
As for Obito?
That guy never liked flowers anyway.
Kakashi gazed at the fireworks blooming in the night sky and murmured:
"If only the two of you could see this too..."
Kakashi didn't linger too long in his reminiscence.
After all, he still had the duty of protecting Kushina.
Although someone else was covering his shift tonight, he still couldn't fully relax.
"Alright, I'll come visit you again next time."
After bidding farewell to his two friends, Kakashi quickly disappeared.
Only after he left did a figure wearing a tiger-striped mask slowly appear in front of Rin's grave.
He kicked away the bouquet Kakashi had placed there.
Then, looking up at the fireworks lighting up the night sky, he sneered coldly:
"Peace, huh?"
He shook his head, his tone turning icy.
"Let me personally destroy this false peace."
After repeating this line he had said countless times, Obito crouched down and gently caressed Rin's tombstone.
It was as if he were touching his former goddess.
"Rin, don't worry. I will definitely create a world where you exist!"
"A world of true peace!!"
Obito made this solemn vow to the tombstone.
"What's your plan, Obito?"
Black Zetsu's voice appeared at the right moment, standing beside Obito.
"Now that the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki has gained initial control over the Nine-Tails' chakra, and with the Earthly Branch Squad formed by Root, Danzo's power is growing stronger and stronger."
"If we don't weaken them, it will greatly affect our plans."
Black Zetsu's concerns were not unfounded.
The Nine-Tails was different from the other tailed beasts—its power was simply too immense.
A fully controllable Nine-Tails Jinchūriki would significantly boost Konoha's overall strength.
It could even single-handedly determine the outcome of a war!
If they allowed the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki to continue growing unchecked, capturing her in the future would become much more difficult.
Moreover, Danzo had completely positioned himself as their enemy. Allowing Konoha to continue growing stronger was not in their best interest.
Therefore, they had to take action.
Although Obito was often called "Obito the Fool," he still had enough intelligence to understand this situation.
"The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki is pregnant. On the day she gives birth, the seal on her body will be at its weakest."
"That will be our opportunity."
Obito's voice was icy cold.
He showed no regard for the fact that the "Nine-Tails Jinchūriki" he spoke of was once his teacher's wife.
"If the opportunity arises, we can control the Nine-Tails and take out Danzo and the Fourth Hokage at the same time!"
"With that, all our problems will be solved!"
Obito's plan was flawless in his mind.
In his view, without the Fourth Hokage, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, and Danzo, Konoha would inevitably enter a period of extreme weakness.
At that time, the powerful Kumogakure would surely not let this opportunity slip by and would take a big bite out of Konoha.
Then, by controlling Kirigakure, he could join forces with Kumogakure to launch a new shinobi world war.
Konoha, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure would all suffer massive losses.
Moreover, without Danzo's influence, he could guide Nagato back onto the right path.
He would then take control of Amegakure and, under the banner of the Akatsuki, capture the tailed beasts across the world, ultimately awakening the Ten-Tails.
He would find an opportunity to kill Nagato, take the Rinnegan, and become the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki.
Using the Ten-Tails, he would cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi, creating a world where Rin existed, and ascend to the peak of his life.
Wouldn't that be perfect?
Seeing Obito lost in his fantasies, Black Zetsu couldn't help but remind him:
"Konoha's current strength is extraordinary. With figures like Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi, releasing the Nine-Tails won't be an easy task."
Facing Black Zetsu's reminder, Obito displayed extraordinary confidence.
"Don't worry. The legacy Madara Uchiha left behind is more than just this."
He crushed the bouquet he had kicked away under his foot and said in a cold voice:
"Whoever stands in my way, I will crush them without hesitation..."
"Into dust!!"
---
The fireworks festival lasted until midnight.
Even after the fireworks had ended, the excited villagers were reluctant to leave.
Some, carried away by the festivities, even caused drunken disturbances in the streets.
Fortunately, Fugaku Uchiha and the police force quickly arrested them and sent them to prison for "rehabilitation."
Overall, the fireworks festival was a great success.
The villagers' response was overwhelmingly positive, especially their fascination with the massive machine used to transport the fireworks.
Some even exaggeratedly described it as a mythical beast hundreds of meters tall and wide, capable of devouring a hundred tons of steel in one bite.
This was evident from the sales of various tabloids the next morning.
Any newspaper that mentioned the "steel beast" or the "fireworks festival" saw sales skyrocket several times over!
Danzo couldn't help but exclaim: So even ninja newspapers love to ride the hype train!
Of course, these sensationalist tabloids were just for fun.
The real news was in the Shinobi World United News.
"Steam Train Makes Its Debut Last Night!"
"Last night, amidst the fireworks lighting up the night sky and the cheers of the villagers, the steam train made its grand appearance!"
"Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, it carried over a thousand tons of fireworks, roaring as it broke free from the darkness, bringing light and brilliance to the night, and igniting the people's longing for peace!"
"According to reports, the steam train that debuted at the fireworks festival was designed by Konoha's Hokage Advisor, Elder Danzo Shimura. Through the collective efforts and hard work of the construction factory workers, this new type of freight transport was successfully developed!"
"It boasts advantages such as large carrying capacity, long transport distances, high speed, and low manpower consumption."
"When fully fueled, it can travel over a thousand kilometers non-stop, carrying tens of thousands of tons of cargo in a single trip, bringing immense economic benefits to the village..."
"Furthermore, the successful development of the steam train marks a significant leap forward in Konoha's industrial technology..."
The Shinobi World United News provided a factual introduction to the steam train's specifications and its positive implications for Konoha's future development.
In summary, it all boiled down to one word—
Victory!
What?
You say the railway is only a few hundred meters long?
Well, it has to start somewhere!
You seem like a fine candidate—off to build railways with you!
Ahem.
Just kidding. Lord Danzo would never do something so unethical.
At most, he'd send prison inmates to work on the railways.
No need to get worked up about it.
In any case, Konoha's new invention would soon spread far and wide through the newspapers.
Whether other villages would follow Konoha's lead in industrial development remained to be seen.
Danzo believed that until the railway's immense economic benefits became apparent, they likely wouldn't take any action.
Only after the railway demonstrated its true potential would they swarm over like flies drawn to the scent!
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