Three days later, the armies of the Argland Council State had withered like fallen leaves in the autumn wind. The soldiers' eyes had long lost their former brilliance, replaced instead by deep despair and fear.
The collapse of morale spread like an invisible plague, infecting every corner of the army. Mutinies erupted everywhere, and the iron discipline that once defined their forces completely vanished.
The non-human rulers desperately searched for the True Dragon Lords, hoping that the proud and invincible Diamond Dragon Lord, Azure Sky Dragon Lord, and Platinum Dragon Lord would appear and restore order.
What awaited them, however, were empty dragon nests.
The former majesty of the True Dragon Lords had vanished without a trace.
In that instant, a crushing sense of helplessness filled the hearts of the ruling class. All hope for the Council State collapsed.
The entire nation quickly descended into chaos and fragmentation.
Upon learning the news, Yagura Karatachi of Kirigakure acted decisively, launching a full-scale national offensive.
More than three thousand shinobi swept across the land like a swarm of locusts.
Wherever they went, resistance was quickly crushed. Blood dyed the earth red as the Council State's defenses collapsed under the ferocity of the attack—until the entire nation was completely subdued.
"Supreme Leader, the Council State, the Empire, and the Theocracy—all territories adjacent to the Kingdom—have now been secured. The entire region has been connected into one continuous domain."
Standing within the magnificent golden hall, Uzumaki Minako spoke with a gentle yet firm voice.
Because of her pregnancy, she no longer wore the fitted secretary uniform. Instead, she had returned to her traditional kimono, its flowing sleeves swaying elegantly like the petals of a blooming cherry blossom.
The great hall glittered with golden light.
Gemstones embedded in the walls sparkled brilliantly, while an enormous crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a soft glow throughout the chamber.
The three Kage of the hidden villages had gathered here.
Beside them stood the commanders of the three major military regions, all of them directing their attention toward the figure seated at the head of the hall—
Uchiha Soren.
Below them, nearly twenty elites who held great authority in the shinobi world listened in silence. The entire hall was filled with a solemn and dignified atmosphere.
Uzumaki Minako gently lifted the sleeve of her kimono and walked toward Uchiha Soren with graceful steps.
Stopping before him, she lowered her head slightly and folded her hands.
"Supreme Leader, in the northwest of the continent, the remaining non-human powers include the Desert City-State south of the Kingdom, the Holy Kingdom in the southwest along the sea, and to the east of the Theocracy—the Dragon Kingdom and the Dark Elf Kingdom."
Uchiha Soren's gaze was as deep as the sea.
He nodded slightly, signaling her to continue.
"Supreme Leader," Minako said softly, "our territories have now become fully connected. The total land area under our control is already nearly half the size of the Shinobi Continent."
"Should we consider renaming the various regions and nations to demonstrate the shinobi world's sovereignty over this land?"
As she spoke, Minako activated the Tianyan System, projecting a large map of the northwestern Magic Continent in the center of the hall.
The vast territories under shinobi control appeared one after another.
The sight stirred excitement among those present.
Especially the three Kage who had conquered the three nations—their burning gazes seemed ready to swallow the Theocracy, the Council State, and the Empire whole.
They had shed blood.
They had earned merit.
Naturally, they expected rich lands and abundant populations as their reward.
The Fourth Mizukage Genji, the Fifth Tsuchikage Han, and the First Amekage Hanzō of the Salamander exchanged glances.
Yet none of them dared to speak first.
The man seated above them—the Supreme Leader of the Shinobi World—simply sitting there felt as vast as heaven and earth.
They were like frogs at the bottom of a well, unable to comprehend the true depth of Uchiha Soren's power.
Especially Han, who had personally witnessed the terrifying might—and humiliating defeat—of the Dragon Emperor.
The speech he had carefully prepared earlier vanished from his mind the moment he faced Soren.
He remained silent, listening respectfully.
After all, he still remembered how the Fourth Tsuchikage Rōshi had died.
Han had no intention of letting the already devastated Iwagakure experience another catastrophe.
Without him, Sunagakure would surely surpass them.
Among the officials below stood Chiyo, whose strength had grown even further through countless battles.
Her weathered eyes settled on the map, focusing on the Desert City-State.
When Sunagakure first entered the Magic Continent, they had split their forces into two expeditions.
One expedition was personally led by Chiyo.
Following Uchiha Soren's arrangements, they explored the Tob Forest, witnessed Uzumaki Minako seal the Destruction Dragon Lord, and then swept through the Angeliscia Mountains beyond the forest.
They eradicated the Quagoa, conquered the Dwarf Kingdom, and captured the Frost Dragon clan.
Deep within the mountains remained powerful enemies—Fire Dragons and Giants—whose leaders possessed Morning Star-level strength.
Chiyo alone could not handle them.
But her younger brother Ebizō rose to the occasion, breaking through into the Morning Star tier himself.
With the siblings fighting side by side—supported by dozens of jonin and hundreds of chunin—they pushed the campaign to victory.
Now only the lava-dwelling Fire Dragon remained unconquered.
But that dragon had already been claimed by the Uchiha clan.
After the success of the Frost Dragon riders, the clan wished to create their own Fire Dragon cavalry.
With Sharingan, Flame Release, Lava Release, and the power of a Fire Dragon—
The strongest noble clan in this world would always, and forever, remain the Uchiha clan.
Meanwhile, the second expedition had been led by Bunpuku, the One-Tail Jinchūriki, who ventured toward the Desert City-State.
Their journey was harsh.
They faced countless powerful desert beasts:
Giant sand scorpions.
Colossal subterranean worms.
Flocks of carrion vultures.
If not for the Uzumaki sealing techniques that had strengthened Bunpuku's internal seal—allowing him to maintain stable Morning Star-level power—that expedition might have been completely wiped out.
Eventually they reached the Desert City-State, a den of criminals and villains gathered from all surrounding nations.
Even with Bunpuku's team, capturing the city—guarded by two Morning Star-tier defenders—would require complete mastery of perfect Tailed Beast transformation.
Not particularly skilled in strategic warfare, Bunpuku had instead engaged in small-scale conflicts with the city's factions, maintaining a tense stalemate.
But now that news of the three great nations surrendering had spread—
The Desert City-State's surrender was only a matter of time.
This allowed Chiyo to breathe a sigh of relief.
At the same time, she felt a hint of regret.
Sunagakure had invested immense manpower, resources, and wealth into the campaign—far more than even Amegakure, whose foundation was weaker.
Yet they had not achieved a perfect two-front victory.
Still, Chiyo's greatest wish remained clear.
"After such tremendous gains for the shinobi world…"
"I hope the Supreme Leader will hold another ranking of the ninja villages."
"At the very least, Sunagakure should regain the title of Kazekage."
After all their efforts, Chiyo longed for the day when she could once again wear the Kazekage's hat, restoring Sunagakure's glory.
Her gaze briefly drifted toward the battered Fifth Tsuchikage Han.
A faint sense of relief rose in her heart.
If Iwagakure had not taken Sunagakure's place earlier—
The tragedy that had struck them this time…
…might have fallen upon Sunagakure instead.
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