A new generation takes the place of the old.
Taifu was gone.
And yet, a new oiran had arrived.
The girls of the Land of River were as beautiful as ever, like flowing water—graceful, serene, yet capable of destruction when roused.
Ah... water.
...
At the break of dawn, Mufasa sat on the edge of Moonlight River, his fishing rod in hand. The cool morning air filled his lungs as he hummed a quiet tune, the rhythmic movement of the water soothing his restless thoughts.
"The fish here are getting too clever for their own good," he muttered, irritation creeping into his voice. "Why won't they take the bait?"
What he failed to realize was that he himself was the reason.
Down in the depths, the fish of Moonlight River shivered in fear.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps approached from behind.
"Sensei."
"Kazekage-sama."
"Boss."
Gaara, Sasuke, and Yoruya stood before him, dark circles under their eyes, their exhaustion evident.
Managing over 60,000 prisoners of war with only a force of 2,000 was no easy task. Even with high-tech tools, puppets, and the forced labor of the captives from Kawasaki Town, it had taken its toll.
Gaara stepped forward. "Thousands tried to escape last night. We eliminated them."
Mufasa let out a heavy sigh.
"Alas... life is so precious. Why waste it?" He shook his head. "Digging trenches and cleaning up rubble isn't a death sentence."
A crocodile tear slid down his cheek, the perfect imitation of a sorrowful leader.
Gaara remained serious. "Sensei, at this rate, more will try to flee when dawn breaks. What should we do?"
Mufasa set his fishing rod down, stretching lazily. "No need to worry. I've got a plan."
His students exchanged glances. "What kind of plan?"
Before he could answer, his fishing line tugged violently. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled up a massive carp.
But there was more.
Clamped onto the fish's tail was a white snake, its jaws tight and unrelenting. As Mufasa grabbed the carp, the snake slithered to the ground, its mouth widening.
From within the creature's gaping maw, Orochimaru emerged, his pale face twisted into a smile.
Gaara, Sasuke, and Yoruya looked on with dull expressions.
Science head division were just... like this.
Orochimaru dusted himself off as Mufasa smirked. "Really, Orochimaru? You always have to take the dramatic route? Can't you enter normally for once?"
Orochimaru licked his lips. "Ah, but my lord, your bait is simply irresistible."
The two shared a laugh.
Mufasa leaned forward. "Did you bring what I asked for?"
Orochimaru nodded. "The number of prisoners suddenly increased by several thousand. I had to rush my work, but I think you'll be pleased."
"Perfect timing."
On top of his victory over the river army, Mufasa had also purged the nobles and bureaucrats of the region, swelling his prisoner count by the thousands.
He tossed the carp back into the river and stood. "Come on. Let's deal with our new 'workers.'"
Before the eastern gates of Kawasaki Town, over 60,000 captives stood in neat rows, a sea of frightened faces.
Drones hovered overhead, their mechanical eyes scanning for signs of rebellion.
The Sand Ninja army stood in formation, vastly outnumbered by the prisoners, yet utterly in control.
Because standing atop the city walls was the man who held the power of the sun in his hands.
Mufasa raised his voice. "Alright, listen up!"
A tense silence settled over the crowd.
"You have all been given a capsule. Now, take it."
The prisoners hesitated, exchanging anxious glances as they examined the small pills in their hands.
"What is this?"
"What are the sand shinobis planning?"
Gaara's voice rang out like a whip. "You have ten seconds to swallow it. Anyone who refuses will be executed."
The weight of his words was absolute.
Last night, Gaara had personally executed thousands.
His reputation as the Sand's executioner was well-earned.
The countdown began.
The captives gulped down the capsules.
Some, thinking themselves clever, discreetly tucked the pills under their tongues, refusing to swallow.
But Mufasa wasn't so easily deceived.
With a casual wave of his hand, he summoned one of the so-called "smart ones" from the front row, lifting him into the air effortlessly.
The man flailed and screamed. "W-wait! I'll take it! I'll take it!"
As soon as he swallowed, Mufasa released him.
His gaze swept across the crowd.
The prisoners trembled.
He smiled. "Anyone else still holding out?"
This time, every last one of them swallowed their pill.
Mufasa's electromagnetic vision activated, allowing him to see the capsules dissolve in their stomachs.
The gelatin coating unraveled, exposing the self-destruct chips within.
Carried by the bloodstream, the microscopic devices traveled swiftly to their final destination—the brain.
A perfect execution.
Now, it was time for the final reveal.
Orochimaru stepped forward, his serpentine tongue flicking out as he grinned. "What you've just ingested is a self-destruct chip."
A ripple of panic spread through the captives.
"A self-destruct chip?!"
"They're going to kill us!"
A few desperate souls prepared to take their own lives rather than fall victim to the shinobi's cruelty.
Orochimaru, ever the showman, picked one such prisoner from the crowd with his elongated arm and flung him into the sky.
The man barely had time to scream before he exploded mid-air, scattering remains across the battlefield.
The uproar grew.
"They're going to wipe us all out!"
"We have to fight!"
Mufasa sighed, shaking his head. "Orochimaru, step back. This was supposed to be a simple explanation, not a horror show."
Floating upward, he raised a single finger.
A crackle of electricity filled the air.
Then—BOOM!
A streak of lightning split the sky, the deafening roar sending a wave of silence over the crowd.
Mufasa smiled. "I don't enjoy unnecessary killing. I prefer to make use of people rather than discard them."
His voice carried absolute authority.
"As long as you work hard and serve your sentence, you will be set free. But do not think of escaping."
He tapped his temple. "The chip in your brain is now linked to our signal towers. If you step out of range... well, you saw what happened."
A final silence fell over the prisoners.
They understood.
There was no escape.
...
Technology had reshaped the world.
It had changed war. It had changed labor.
And now, it would change the fate of over 60,000 prisoners of war.
Mufasa sat atop the walls of the captured city, gazing down at the endless sea of captives.
His forces were too few to manage such numbers. Traditional methods of control were inefficient, outdated. But he had a solution.
A simple yet absolute solution.
Self-detonation chips.
Each prisoner had been implanted with a chip that linked to the region's signal towers.
If they strayed beyond the designated boundaries—boom.
If they refused to work—boom.
If they thought about rebelling—well, the demonstration earlier had made the consequences quite clear.
Mufasa spread his arms, his voice carrying across the silent masses.
"See? I'm a kind man," he declared. "
No overseers with whips. No exhausting labor from dawn to dusk. Work at your own pace. Eat what you want. Sleep when you want."
He let the words sink in before adding, "The only rule is that you complete your assigned tasks within the given time."
His gaze swept over the prisoners.
"Any objections?"
A tense silence followed, then—
"I object!"
A voice rang out from the crowd. A young man stepped forward, standing tall despite the fear in his eyes.
Mufasa raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And who might you be?"
"Jin!" his companions shouted, their voices filled with worry.
Mufasa studied the defiant youth. He was young, determined, and foolishly brave.
Interesting.
With a flick of his wrist, Mufasa lifted Jin into the air, suspending him effortlessly.
The young man flailed for a moment before realizing he wasn't being harmed.
"Speak," Mufasa said. "Tell me your problem."
Jin took a deep breath, steadying himself. "We were only conscripted militia! We had no choice but to follow orders. Please, Kazekage-sama, let us go home!"
A ripple of agreement spread through the prisoners.
"We are innocent!"
"Please, my lord, let us return to our families!"
Mufasa sighed, shaking his head. "That's not how this works."
His voice hardened. "It doesn't matter why you joined the enemy army. You made a choice, and now you face the consequences.
You should be grateful I'm offering you a path to redemption rather than wiping you all out. Compared to the thousands who died in battle, you are the lucky ones."
His tone turned icy. "Work your time, and you will be free. Challenge my kindness, and you will not be." He gestured dismissively. "Now, go reflect on your situation."
Jin clenched his fists. "Kazekage-sama, thank you for sparing our lives. But we still need to go home. We have families to take care of. If we stay here, our loved ones will starve."
Mufasa stilled.
Ah. So that's where this was going.
This wasn't about freedom.
This was about wages.
A slow, amused grin spread across his face.
He turned to the crowd. "Who else agrees with him?" he called out. "Anyone who shares his concerns, step forward."
A heavy silence.
Then—
"I do!" A young man named Sakyo stepped up.
"Me too," said Miyamoto Shino, standing alongside his girlfriend, Minakami Mei.
"Count me in," added Chris, his masked face unreadable.
Mufasa watched as they gathered, a small but determined group. The rest of the prisoners remained silent, unwilling to risk their lives for an uncertain cause.
Mufasa chuckled darkly. "Alright, you lot. Come here."
With a gesture, he lifted them into the air, holding them effortlessly as they hovered before him.
"You understand what you're asking, don't you?" His voice was low, dangerous. "You want me to pay prisoners. That's quite the demand."
Despite the fear in their eyes, the group stood firm.
"We will serve our sentence," they said in unison. "But we need to provide for our families."
Mufasa's grin widened.
"Heh. The people of this land have guts. I like that."
He turned to Orochimaru, who had been watching silently, his golden snake eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Orochimaru," Mufasa said, "prepare the candidates."
Orochimaru's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Ah... how lucky you all are." His elongated fingers reached out, grasping the prisoners firmly.
"Welcome to the Kamen Rider Project."
A chilling laugh echoed through the air.
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Word count: 1740
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