Chapter 208 - The Daimyō of the Land of Fire
Hokage Office
At this moment, Orochimaru and the high-ranking officials of Konoha were all gathered around the office desk. Even Jiraiya, who had disappeared for years, had returned. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the map atop the desk, focused on the location of the Land of Fire. Not a word was spoken.
SLAM!!!
No one knew how long the silence lasted, until Orochimaru suddenly slapped the table hard and declared:
"Move out!"
With the order issued, a rare wave of excitement swept the room. Even the usually calm and composed "Cold Lord" Orochimaru couldn't suppress the grin spreading across his face—an unusually wicked smile for him.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Multiple figures vanished from the Hokage office. Not long after, the major clans began to mobilize in unison. Soon, thousands of ninja poured out of Konoha's gates, dispersing in all directions at great speed, vanishing swiftly from sight.
The entire Konoha machine, meticulously prepared for years, was finally in motion. The sleeping beast of the shinobi world had bared its fangs once more.
The "King of the Land of Fire" plan had officially begun.
In the past three years, the shinobi world had undergone monumental upheaval.
The first major event was the official alliance between Iwagakure and Sunagakure. Though the two villages hadn't made it public earlier, those with sharp eyes had long since noticed from their growing cooperation. Apart from some anxiety among the smaller nations, this didn't cause much of a stir.
The true shake-up came when the Land of Water announced the complete closure of all international relations—a move with massive implications.
As the largest seafood supplier in the shinobi world, the Land of Water provided half of the entire continent's marine food supply. This sudden closure left countless merchants and trading factions jobless overnight.
These newly unemployed weren't willing to go quietly. Under the leadership of a prominent merchant, they attempted to negotiate with the Daimyō of the Land of Water. The result? A bloodbath. Half the coastline was dyed red that day.
Those who hadn't gone learned from the others' fate and dared not take the risk. Some, unwilling to abandon a lifetime's trade, relocated to the Land of Lightning to start over. Others had no choice but to switch industries entirely.
Tens of thousands of people changing trades at once wreaked havoc on the entire market. Unemployment skyrocketed. Worse still, in a world where the law barely existed, competition was quite literally deadly.
These merciless sea-faring reapers felt no pity for the weak. In fact, the weaker they were, the more brutally they were slaughtered.
And that was only the beginning of the chaos.
As waves of displaced people flowed into the Land of Lightning, the Fourth Raikage—A, now hardened by repeated failures—revealed his ruthless side. Amidst wails of protest, he forcibly expelled the refugee fishermen, further inflaming the already fragile situation.
In the growing chaos, the long-dormant Akatsuki revealed its true colors, stepping into the spotlight as mercenaries. They sparked wars between smaller nations, absorbing territory and influence to become the sixth great power in the shinobi world. Nagato's reputation soared to unprecedented heights.
The four major nations, for various reasons, did nothing. They simply watched Akatsuki grow.
And Konoha?
Since the end of the Third Great Shinobi War, it had remained like a slumbering lion—formidable but quiet. No one dared provoke it, but no one feared it anymore either.
So three stormy years passed. Countries like the Land of Hot Springs, Land of Frost, Land of Tea, Bird Country, Claw Country, and Fang Country all fell one after another.
Yet Konoha stayed calm.
The entire Land of Fire, shielded by Konoha, enjoyed peace and prosperity envied by the world.
This peace drew war-weary nobles, merchants, and refugees from across the continent. In just three years, the Land of Fire saw explosive growth in both economy and population.
It might've lasted longer—if not for a single tragic event:
The Daimyō of the Land of Fire was dead.
The cause? A collapsed toilet.
While using the restroom, the structure gave way. The Daimyō didn't react in time and was crushed. Unfortunately, the medical-nin were not on-site, and he died after being trapped for two hours without aid.
A man who had ruled for decades, tirelessly working for the nation's development, who had "entertained countless courtesans daily," ended his career under a pile of debris.
He was succeeded by his son, Fujimoto Yoshio, who inherited the title of Daimyō legally.
But Yoshio lacked his father's dedication. Once in power, he indulged in women, neglected governance, and surrounded himself with sycophants while suppressing loyal ministers. He brazenly harmed the national interest.
He imposed heavy commercial and land taxes, plunging the Land of Fire into chaos. Civilians and merchants suffered greatly.
In less than a month, Konoha transformed from a paradise to a nightmare.
Now, for the people of the shinobi world, every path forward was full of peril.
Go to the Land of Fire? It's safe—but between the taxes and fees, you'd barely afford food.
Avoid the Land of Fire? Then you'd risk being slaughtered in the chaos, as more and more small nations fell.
Most people chose the former—better to starve than die—but no one was happy.
Finally, Konoha stepped in.
Seeing Fujimoto Yoshio's disastrous impact, Konoha lodged a formal protest.
But the Daimyō ignored it. Worse, he mocked Konoha repeatedly, calling their ninja nothing more than his lapdogs, and ordered them to suppress civilian uprisings.
Eventually—just now, in fact—the final straw broke.
When news spread that Konoha's protest had been rejected and insulted, Orochimaru was left with no choice.
To restore order to the Land of Fire, he declared the need to "purge the court of traitors" and reclaim the country's future by force.
The righteous army of Konoha marched north in four divisions. Supported wholeheartedly by the populace and merchants, they steamrolled the Land of Fire's royal guard.
Soon, they reached the capital.
---
Capital of the Land of Fire – Daimyō's Estate
The estate was eerily quiet, wrecked and ransacked as though it had just been looted.
Fujimoto Yoshio sat alone in the courtyard— like a lump of flesh from afar, abandoned by all.
No guards. No attendants. Just a man, drowning in loneliness.
Up close, however, his eyes were surprisingly clear.
Two hours ago, upon hearing of Konoha's advance, the estate's staff fled in terror after looting everything they could.
If not for Fujimoto Yoshio's hefty size, they might've carried him off too.
Still, at least they didn't offer up his head to curry favor.
The soldiers guarding the gates was far less honorable. Before Konoha's army even arrived, they'd opened the gates themselves.
Within the city, civilians and merchants lined the streets in welcome—grateful to the righteous army that dared oppose the tyrant.
Eventually;
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Footsteps echoed through the silent estate, nearing Yoshio's ears.
"You've come."
The footsteps stopped behind him. Though he didn't know who it was, Fujimoto Yoshio remained calm.
"Indeed. I've come."
A youthful, magnetic voice responded—light yet impactful.
Yoshio stood up abruptly, turning to face the source. When he saw the face, he gritted his teeth in fury:
"Hatake Kazane! Why?! Why us?! What did our family ever do to Konoha?! Why design such a scheme against us?!"
Yes, it was Kazane.
Everything that happened was orchestrated by Kazane and Orochimaru.
From the moment Kazane met Yoshio in the Hot Springs Town, he'd begun planning. After discussing with Orochimaru, they finalized their plan.
Konoha needed legitimate control of the Land of Fire—and some had to be sacrificed.
The Daimyō's death, Yoshio's disgraceful reign—it was all arranged.
After the Third Shinobi War, Konoha had suffered heavily. But after six years of recovery, it had regained its strength—and the plan was set in motion.
All of Yoshio's disgraceful behavior had been influenced by Uchiha Fugaku's genjutsu, pulling out the darkness in his heart.
Of course, Kazane wasn't solely to blame—Yoshio's own weakness had made him vulnerable.
"You're asking me why?" Kazane replied quietly. "Does the answer really matter?"
Those words cut to the core.
Did it matter?
The result was the same.
He had lost.
No matter how bitter, it was the truth.
Yoshio let out a bleak laugh.
"Then why me? Why me?!"
Kazane gave no answer. Just silence. A final gesture of respect.
After a long pause, Yoshio finally composed himself.
"...You're here to send me off, aren't you? Do I still have a chance?"
Kazane didn't respond. Instead, he tossed a dagger at Yoshio's feet and turned away.
"Do it yourself. Don't make me watch."
The fat man stared at the dagger for a while and all of a sudden, a maddening laughter escaped his lips.
Ha. Hahaha! HA!
"I thought becoming Daimyō would be a new beginning. I thought, like my grandfather, I could coexist peacefully with Konoha. I thought you wanted an alliance when you approached me. I was a fool… a fool!"
Kicking the dagger aside, Yoshio raised his head proudly and walked toward Kazane.
"A Daimyō must die with dignity. I should fall in front of the masses—proof of my dedication—not like a coward in this corner."
He walked past Kazane without looking back, heading toward the gates.
Kazane didn't react. After all, why argue with a dead man?
He simply raised his right hand and made a throat-slitting gesture.
Shnk! Shnk! Shnk!
Six kunai flew from different directions, pinning Yoshio to the ground. One pierced his head.
Yoshio likely died never knowing how this all truly came to pass. And Kazane vanished without a trace.
Moments later, masked ANBU operatives appeared. They erased all evidence of Kazane's presence and staged the scene to look like a robbery gone wrong.
Shortly after, Minato and Jiriku led the people of the Land of Fire into the estate, discovering the fabricated aftermath.
The next day, word spread: the Daimyō of the Land of Fire had been murdered by his own samurai for wealth.
Soon, the news shook the entire shinobi world.
And as the saying goes: A nation cannot go a day without a ruler.
By unanimous support of the Land of Fire's citizens, Orochimaru was "reluctantly" appointed the new Daimyō.
From that day forth, peace returned to the Land of Fire.