"Just like now."
"Huh?"
Kurotsuchi, who had been expecting and believing Bai Mo would reveal some crucial information, was stunned for a moment when she heard those five words, then frowned.
Those five words sounded like something a low-level swindler would say, too ambiguous.
"Iwagakure is experiencing a decline in talent right now, right?"
Bai Mo didn't pay attention to Kurotsuchi's expression and continued.
"Hm? You even collected that kind of intelligence?"
Kurotsuchi snapped back to reality, somewhat surprised.
So, it wasn't ambiguous; he was clearly aware of Iwagakure's current situation?
"It's because too many were killed by the Third Raikage's rampage during the last Great Ninja War, right?"
Bai Mo curled his lips when he said this.
In fact, all Five Great Shinobi Villages had experienced a reduction in combat power.
Only Kumogakure was slightly better off, primarily losing only one Raikage.
Kirigakure's bloodline families were ostracized and exterminated by their own people, and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were beaten into a sorry state on the battlefield, significantly reducing their strength.
Sunagakure, with its reduced funding, was among the most miserable.
Konoha, needless to say, was just relying on the principle that a starving camel is still bigger than a horse.
In the future Fourth Great Ninja War, the "Down Syndrome Ninja Alliance" facing the Edo Tensei Second Mizukage—most of those people came from Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Sunagakure.
"Yes, has Iwagakure still not developed after all this time?"
Kurotsuchi's face was filled with worry.
"Want to know why?"
Bai Mo asked.
"It must be because I'm too incompetent. It can't be because of the old man, can it? He's so old; how many more years can he live? Sigh..."
Kurotsuchi's tone was full of self-blame.
Kurotsuchi was a very confident person, having never experienced significant setbacks since childhood, similar to Konohamaru.
Only a few things could make her feel so dejected.
"Actually, Ōnoki is quite long-lived; he lived until twenty years later."
"Huh?"
"Then it must be that old man's problem, that stubborn old man! I knew I wouldn't let Iwagakure..."
Kurotsuchi, hearing Bai Mo say that Ōnoki was still alive at that time, instantly shifted the blame, like a Sichuan opera face-changer.
"Actually, none of you are doing much better."
...
"Am I also becoming a stubborn old woman? No, even twenty years later, I won't be old."
Kurotsuchi began to doubt herself again.
"Due to the decline in talent, Ōnoki, to protect the younger generation of ninja in Iwagakure, chose to create 'artificial humans'.
There's an artificial human named Kū, made from his cells, who can use Dust Release.
And another named Sekkei, made from Deidara's cells, who can use Explosive Release."
Bai Mo recounted Ōnoki's future actions.
"What?! That old man dares to defile my art?!"
Deidara, who had been listening in, enjoying Kurotsuchi's discomfiture, suddenly heard something about himself. And it was about misappropriating his cells and his explosive art?
"Don't worry, those artificial humans quickly lost control and all died. Ōnoki also perished with his own Dust Release artificial human."
"Oh."
Deidara, hearing that they were gone, no longer cared.
As for whether Ōnoki died, that didn't matter.
He'd lived long enough; it was time for him to die.
"That's good. That 'artificial human' project must have been stopped by my future self, right?"
Kurotsuchi also breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
She also didn't care about Ōnoki's death.
"It was stopped."
"Do you think that's a good thing?"
Bai Mo looked at Kurotsuchi, asking blandly in return.
"Hm? Isn't this artificial human project against ethics and morals?"
Kurotsuchi was puzzled by Bai Mo's question.
"At that time, Konoha also secretly developed scientific ninja tools, and Orochimaru, whom they supported, also researched cloning technology similar to artificial humans.
Technology itself has no right or wrong; only the user is at fault.
Ōnoki failed because he was old and lacked the energy to meticulously check everything, falling into someone else's trap... Kurotsuchi, do you want to know what 'big things' your future self, as the Tsuchikage, did?"
As Bai Mo spoke, he took out a scroll he had prepared before leaving. It contained some information about Kurotsuchi.
"What is this?"
Kurotsuchi asked when she saw Bai Mo take out a scroll.
"Some things can't be said without proof; I need to show you some evidence."
Bai Mo opened the scroll, revealing several Konoha newspapers and Ninja World newspapers.
"After the Fourth Great Ninja War, before the arrival of new enemies, the future Ninja World maintained a period of peace. During this period, the Five Great Shinobi Villages signed a peace treaty.
However, the Daimyō of the Land of Earth wanted to attack a small country, the Land of Flowers.
He demanded Iwagakure's assistance. As the Tsuchikage, even though you knew this would break the peace treaty, you still chose to obey the Daimyō's command.
To gain as much moral high ground as possible and avoid the reputation of breaking the peace, you proactively argued with the then-Hokage of Konoha, accusing them of developing scientific ninja tools.
Their strategist noticed your abnormality, and after understanding the full story, had the Daimyō of the Land of Fire convene a Daimyō meeting.
The other four Daimyō collectively pressured the Daimyō of the Land of Earth. In the end, the Land of Fire ceded back the territory it had previously occupied, which finally resolved the matter."
Bai Mo recounted, while Kurotsuchi flipped through the newspapers.
The content of the newspapers wasn't as direct as Bai Mo's words, but Kurotsuchi didn't doubt Bai Mo.
As the granddaughter of the Tsuchikage and the future Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi understood the intricacies of these matters.
Some things couldn't be openly discussed.
The newspapers reported on Ōnoki's death and the commotion caused by the artificial humans.
However, they didn't mention Ōnoki's mistakes, presumably to give her grandfather, an aging Ninja World hero, a dignified end.
The same applied to the Daimyō of the Land of Earth.
There were only reports about the Tsuchikage, Mizukage, and Hokage arguing, and reports of the Daimyō meeting where the Daimyō of the Land of Earth returned disappointed, but no specific details of the incident.
This was also perfectly normal.
Given years of truce agreements, it was impossible to report news of someone suddenly preparing to tear up the agreement.
Just like earlier, Ōnoki hoped Bai Mo and his group wouldn't tell ordinary people about the "deterrence," all to avoid causing panic.
"Then, what should I do?"
Kurotsuchi returned the newspapers to Bai Mo, her eyes looking forward with some confusion.
How was this different from what she had imagined?
She had thought that knowing the future would allow her to make changes, get ahead, and find a better path.
But there was no choice at all?
Perhaps, she shouldn't become the Fourth Tsuchikage?
"Are you thinking that even though you know about the future now, you can't change it, so you're somewhat reluctant to inherit the position of Tsuchikage?"
Bai Mo looked at Kurotsuchi and chuckled softly.
"How did you know?"
Kurotsuchi turned to look at Bai Mo in surprise, not expecting him to see through her thoughts so easily.
"It's not that there's no way to change it."
Bai Mo smiled at Kurotsuchi.
"How to change it? Try to persuade the Daimyō?"
Kurotsuchi's face fell.
"Kill the Daimyō."
"Huh?"
....
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