Turning back, Kaede looked at Naruto and the other Jinchūriki released by the God Tree.
Apart from being a little pale, their life force had completely recovered.
All except one—Rōshi.
Kaede had no intention of keeping such an eyesore alive. When the Four-Tails was extracted, Rōshi had died instantly.
Looking at Han, the former Five-Tails Jinchūriki, Kaede said calmly,
"Go back. You're free now."
Han's face showed disbelief. He truly hadn't expected to be able to return alive to Iwagakure.
As for Rōshi, his death wasn't surprising—given that foul temper of his…
Han nodded subconsciously, then walked back toward Iwagakure, still filled with worry.
Kaede's gaze then fell on Yugito.
With a faint smile, he said,
"It's been a while, my little kitten."
Yugito's face immediately flushed. She could never forget the time Kaede had kept her like a pet—it was something she'd carry for the rest of her life.
It was also the first time she'd ever spent so long in close contact with someone, especially under those… circumstances.
Her cheeks reddened slightly, but she also remembered clearly that Kaede had killed the Fourth Raikage and Killer B.
Logically, she should hate him, yet for some reason, she simply couldn't muster any real hostility.
And after learning from Matatabi that Kaede had done something incredible for the entire shinobi world, her resentment only faded further.
Compared to Kaede's actions, the Fourth Raikage and Killer B seemed like selfish villains, blocking the world's progress for their own gain.
Kaede looked at her smilingly.
"So, are you planning to return to Kumogakure, or are you going to keep following me?"
Yugito hesitated for a long moment before snorting coldly.
"Of course I'm coming with you. Who knows whether what you just did is truly good or bad for the world? I'll stay by your side, and if you try to harm it, I'll—"
Kaede chuckled and shook his head.
"—you'll stop me, right? Sure."
Then he began walking toward the direction of Kumogakure, with Naruto and Gaara following quickly.
Oddly enough, these two brats, with such similar pasts, had managed to understand and accept each other in less than a day.
Watching their backs fade into the distance, Yugito froze.
"Wait… am I being left behind?"
For some reason, her eyes stung slightly.
But just then, Kaede turned his head and called out,
"What are you standing there for? Didn't you say you were going to stick close and watch me?"
In an instant, her disappointment turned into delight—he wasn't abandoning her!
Yugito nodded hard and ran happily toward him.
…
In Sunagakure, the atmosphere was festive.
Now that their people had conquered almost the entire shinobi world, those who had followed Kaede from the very beginning were the most privileged individuals alive.
The Sand shinobi couldn't help feeling lucky—had Kaede chosen another village, they might not have survived the great village purge of the smaller nations.
Inside the council chamber, everyone Kaede had summoned was present.
Looking over the familiar faces, Kaede asked with a faint smile,
"How's the progress?"
The Great Elder gave a wry smile.
"After we took the Land of Wind, we subdued the surrounding smaller nations in just a single day. Now, aside from Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning, no one in the world dares oppose us."
"I see." Kaede tapped the table thoughtfully.
"And the Land of Rain? No resistance there?"
The Great Elder shook his head.
"When we arrived, we found that Hanzo the Salamander, once hailed as a 'demigod,' had already been killed by someone else. The man who controls the Land of Rain calls himself 'God.' But when our forces arrived, he didn't interfere."
Kaede glanced at Konan, who showed a flicker of emotion, and chuckled.
"Looks like after I beat them up, Akatsuki decided to behave themselves."
With his current strength, it would take him little effort to deal with Nagato, Obito, or Danzō whenever he wished.
The Great Elder then asked,
"Shall we go wipe out Kumogakure now?"
Kaede shook his head.
"My clan needs battles to grow. Let them live a while longer—they'll serve as whetstones for our warriors."
The Great Elder nodded in understanding.
Kaede snapped his fingers, and a golden light flashed. A map appeared on the table.
"This is the development strategy I've laid out. You can start implementing it immediately."
"Understood!" everyone replied in unison.
Just as Kaede was about to dismiss them, a clansman hurried in.
The Great Elder asked,
"What's wrong?"
"Clan Leader, Great Elder," the man said respectfully, "the Hyūga clan, the Yamanaka clan… and several other defected clan elders wish to meet with you."
Kaede's eyes narrowed with interest.
"They didn't stay hidden—they actually want to see me?"
He waved his hand.
"Let them in."
He also gestured for unrelated personnel to leave, keeping only the Great Elder, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.
Moments later, the Hyūga elders entered.
Hiashi stepped forward and took a deep breath.
"Lord Kaede, we are here to atone."
"Oh? Let's hear it." Kaede smiled faintly.
"When you destroyed Konoha, that decaying place, not only did we fail to cut ties immediately, but some of our people even tried to block your advance. Now, our entire clan offers you all our resources, jutsu, secret techniques… and our loyalty."
With that, the clan heads bowed deeply.
Kaede didn't answer, instead rhythmically tapping the table.
Thump… thump… thump…
Each sound was like a hammer striking their hearts, making them colder and more uneasy by the second.
They were clever enough to know they could never escape Kaede's reach.
If they wanted their clans to survive, there was only one path—come to him willingly and admit fault.
Fortunately for them, during Kaede's campaign against Konoha, they had only fought in the final battle and had avoided directly confronting his forces in earlier skirmishes. Otherwise, they would already be dead.
Kaede appreciated their current attitude—he still needed many shinobi, and major clans started from a much higher baseline than commoners.
But before he could speak, a sudden message reached him, and his expression changed instantly.
At the God Tree… an extraordinary enemy had arrived.
"So, we're meeting this soon?" Kaede's eyes narrowed with deep amusement.
"This one… far surpasses Hashirama."
(End of Chapter)
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