IW: Chapter 129 - Political Marriage! The Hokage and Mizukage are a Match Made in Heaven!
"What in the world is Konoha doing?!"
"They've gone mad! Quickly, call back those guys from Hidden Mist Village; we're going to war with Konoha too!"
"We must eliminate those Konoha guys!"
"This concerns our interests. Furthermore, we must suppress the situation within that Village. If they show any abnormalities, suppress them immediately!"
They panicked!
The Daimyos all panicked.
Before, no one would attack them, but now that Konoha had started it, things were truly uncertain.
No one knew when someone might decide to eliminate a Daimyo simply because they were in a bad mood.
At this moment, Asuma, who was on his way to deliver a letter, had a look of astonishment flash across his face, followed by a hint of relief, grateful that he had left. Otherwise, he would probably have died there too.
But it didn't matter; he was still alive. He would avenge the Daimyo, his father, and the Sarutobi clan!
Asuma was not dead, and so the spark of hope still existed!
He would be the last hope!
"Are you out of your mind?"
Mei Terumī had just arrived in Konoha when she learned that Bai Ye had led the Uchiha Clan to eliminate the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
As soon as he returned, Mei Terumī immediately sought out Bai Ye.
They had originally come to cooperate, but with Bai Ye's current situation, what in the world were they supposed to do?
"I'm not crazy. I want to eliminate all the Daimyos in the Ninja World, or have them abdicate. From now on, there will be no need for Daimyos. We will all establish a single NinjaVillage and completely unify the world."
"Heh heh, so Kirigakure is also a part of your scheme, right?"
After hearing Bai Ye's words, a cold sneer flashed across Mei Terumī's face.
He had been plotting against Kirigakure from the beginning; helping Kirigakure was merely a pretense. The true goal was actually to annex Kirigakure. How could Mei Terumī not know what Bai Ye was thinking at this moment?
"Do you still want to return to those economically difficult times? Who helped you during the Blood Mist policy? It was me. Who helped you during your economic difficulties? It was also me. So, at this time, am I not your benefactor? What about your Land of Water? It seems they haven't provided you with much help from beginning to end, have they?"
Indeed, Bai Ye had initially approached Mei Terumī with the intention of using her.
But he hadn't failed to offer the other party benefits, had he?
"Heh heh, you are truly terrifying."
A deep glint flashed in Mei Terumī's eyes, and her tone unconsciously carried a hint of distance. She had fallen for Bai Ye's trick back then, originally thinking Bai Ye was a big fool, coveting her beauty, and thus offering various conditions. But now it seemed that the true big fool was herself.
He had been using her from beginning to end.
"No, it's not that I'm terrifying, but that the world is like this. If you want to change it, you must plan everything carefully. And I'm not forcing Kirigakure now. The first choice is to join us. If we win, we can overthrow the old order. We will be the creators of the new order, and you, Mei Terumī, will become a significant figure in history."
"What if we fail?"
Mei Terumī pulled a cold sneer across her face. Had this guy ever considered that she had just pulled Kirigakure out of the mire? If they failed, Kirigakure would be completely crushed, perhaps never able to recover in this lifetime.
"Failure is impossible, because I am here!"
Bai Ye's confident words made Mei Terumī's eyelids twitch, yet she couldn't find a reason to refute Bai Ye. Because he was there?
"If you win, then what will Kirigakure be? According to your words, everyone will eventually merge. Will we all become KonohaNinja then?"
A hint of mockery flashed across Gengetsu's face. He truly couldn't understand Bai Ye's outrageous demand. Why would Bai Ye think they would agree to this request?
If they agreed, would Kirigakure still be Kirigakure then?
"No, in the future, everyone will be in one NinjaVillage. It won't be Konoha, nor will it be Hidden Mist. And everyone will have a better life. Don't you think it's unfair that this vast land is occupied by a group of powerless people? What we need to do is bring peace to everyone, not like before, where countless Ninja died in the First, Second, and Third Shinobi World War, while the Daimyos chatted and laughed behind the scenes. This will be the last Ninja World War during my time!"
It was that theory again.
Mei Terumī had been persuaded by Bai Ye's similar theory before, and at this moment, she constantly reminded herself not to be easily fooled. However, after repeatedly scrutinizing Bai Ye's words, she found that what Bai Ye said was truly too beautiful.
Even she herself felt a longing for it.
"Then how do you guarantee that Hidden Mist will live similarly to KonohaNinja?"
"There's no way to guarantee it. Even the Ninja in our Village can't guarantee that everyone is the same. In my opinion, in the future, everyone will be rewarded according to their efforts."
Bai Ye would not fall into such a trap of words.
Guarantee fairness?
Even in Konoha Village, he couldn't guarantee fairness, so how could he guarantee fairness for other NinjaVillages?
"In short, the benefit of merging is that there will be far fewer wars. Although internal strife might occur, it will be within controllable limits, and Kirigakure can recover very quickly."
Internal strife was inevitable, and Bai Ye had made that clear.
"At that time, we can set up a leader and five decision-making layers. Five people will have decision-making power, but if four of them agree, then the leader must also agree to this matter. In short, we can slowly optimize this policy later, and Kirigakure will definitely not suffer a loss."
Of course, currently, Kirigakure was Mei Terumī's sole domain, but it would certainly be impossible after joining this system later.
But the benefit was that they would definitely get a seat later. Also, Bai Ye was right; future wars could be avoided. Kirigakure, by Mei Terumī's generation, truly didn't want any more wars.
They had just ended the Blood Mist policy, so who would want to experience another war?
"I agree!"
"Mizukage-sama?"
Chōjūrō turned his head to look at Mei Terumī, who had suddenly spoken. Hadn't they said to be wary of Bai Ye when they came earlier?
"I agree because I think one point is correct: the Daimyo and those nobles should not exist. At the same time, if we join, you must arrange for the intermarriage between Konoha and Hidden Mist!"
Kekkei Genkai!
Mei Terumī narrowed her eyes. She knew she was being used by Bai Ye, but wasn't she also using Bai Ye?
"You eliminate the Daimyo of the Land of Water, and then you cannot prevent the intermarriage between Hidden Mist and Konoha. Furthermore, you cannot exploit Hidden Mist economically, and you must give me information on the Masked Man!"
Mei Terumī stated her conditions in one breath.
While Bai Ye eliminating the Daimyo of the Land of Water might seem like an attempt to cover up, it was also a point she could use to distance herself later.
Bai Ye had to do it secretly. Even if it failed later, she could retreat. It was also for Konoha's Kekkei Genkai and economy.
Now, their Kekkei Genkai were already gone, and their economy even more so. She was naturally happy to rely on Konoha to restore this.
"Alright, I won't prevent intermarriage, but I won't facilitate it either. If they can fall in love freely, then that's up to them. Similarly, I can help you eliminate the Daimyo of the Land of Water. The Masked Man is a man who calls himself Uchiha Madara, but we don't know who he truly is!"
Bai Ye's string of news directly left Mei Terumī somewhat bewildered.
Uchiha Madara?
This guy wasn't dead yet?
"I have no need to lie to you. The information is like this anyway, but no one knows if he is Uchiha Madara. He calls himself Uchiha Madara."
Bai Ye temporarily had no plans to tell Mei Terumī about Uchiha Kenji.
Anyway, he called himself Uchiha Madara, so he might as well give her information about Uchiha Madara.
"Hokage-sama, if you want us to cooperate, I have one more request. If you don't agree, Kirigakure will not cooperate!"
Gengetsu also spoke at this moment, interrupting their conversation. He didn't care whether the other party was Uchiha Madara or not. What he cared most about now was a condition he was about to propose.
Mei Terumī was clearly taken aback by Gengetsu's words. What did he want to say?
"Speak."
"I hope Hokage-sama can enter into a political marriage with Mizukage-sama. This would signify that our cooperation can be intimate and seamless, and everyone can temporarily put aside their hatred!"
A glint flashed in Gengetsu's eyes. What was the most valuable Bloodline Trait in all of Konoha?
Of course, it was the Uchiha Clan!
And Bai Ye had awakened the Mangekyo, so Bai Ye's talent was clearly stronger than ordinary Uchiha.
Currently, Bai Ye's condition was nothing more than having Kirigakure gamble with Konoha.
They could follow, but Bai Ye had to provide something substantial.
All those previous promises were empty and grand, and whether they could be implemented was another matter. And the condition he was proposing now, in Gengetsu's view, was absolutely the most beneficial for Kirigakure at present.
Men conquer the world with force, while women conquer the world by conquering men.
Gengetsu believed that with Mei Terumī's beauty, Bai Ye would surely be moved. Furthermore, if they had children in the future, it would deepen the bond between the two sides, which would also make him feel at ease about the cooperation between Konoha and Kirigakure.
"Marriage?!"
Mei Terumī stood frozen in place, her eyes falling on Gengetsu and Bai Ye. She suddenly felt a wave of shame!
If it was about alliance, then just say alliance. Why suddenly talk about political marriage?
"That's right, it's marriage. Hokage-sama is at the right age to marry now, and both sides have equal status. Both are handsome men and beautiful women, and Hokage-sama wouldn't dislike Mizukage-sama in terms of strength, would he? The two of you are a match made in heaven. Why not take this opportunity to get married!"
The more Gengetsu spoke, the more he felt it was true. It seemed these two were truly a good match!
"I will not enter into a political marriage. If I am to marry, it will be with someone I love. If I cannot be with someone I love, then I would rather not marry!"
Bai Ye shook his head. Although Mei Terumī was very beautiful, he was unwilling to agree just like that. If he was to marry, it had to be with someone he loved. He couldn't force himself into a marriage for political reasons.
"Me too, Gengetsu, don't mention this request. Cooperation is cooperation. If we like each other after this, we will be together, but I don't need this kind of political marriage either!"
Mei Terumī's face was cold, and she was also incredibly angry in her heart.
She hadn't even opened her mouth to refuse, but Bai Ye had already spoken first.
However, what Bai Ye said was actually her true feeling. Indeed, Bai Ye met her ideal of a Prince Charming in all aspects. In fact, in her opinion, Bai Ye was definitely a very good marriage candidate.
But while he was good in every way, there was no emotional foundation, so Mei Terumī naturally wouldn't agree just like that.
"Alright then…"
Gengetsu opened his mouth, and finally decided to agree, while also deciding that he would do whatever it took to bring these two together in the future.
Was there anyone in the entire Ninja World more suited for each other than them?
In Konoha, those prettier than Mei Terumī weren't as strong as Mei Terumī, and those prettier and stronger than Mei Terumī were already quite old. Looking at it this way, Mei Terumī was Bai Ye's perfect match!
The two then discussed some details, and after both sides were satisfied, Shikaku couldn't help but tease, "Hokage-sama, Mizukage-sama is so beautiful, and you actually refused? Are you worried about Lady Tsunade?"
It had to be said that when Gengetsu proposed this condition, Shikaku had almost agreed on behalf of Bai Ye.
This was a good thing!
If the Hokage married the Mizukage, wouldn't Hidden Mist have to listen to Bai Ye in the future?
But Bai Ye refused, which led Shikaku to only one conclusion: Bai Ye was worried that Tsunade would be angry, after all, Tsunade and Bai Ye had a secret of not leaving the office for three days!
He would keep this secret for life!
"You don't understand. If I had agreed just now, Mei Terumī would definitely have turned hostile."
Although they spoke of cooperation, if he had truly agreed to the political marriage just now, Mei Terumī would definitely have turned hostile on the spot.
No matter what, Mei Terumī had her own pride, and this approach would only make Mei Terumī look down on him.
"That's true, women are really troublesome. As for Sunagakure, if Pakura really helps us, are you really going to let her be the Kazekage?"
"Yes, our direct intervention would lead to very fierce internal resistance there, but if Rasa is killed and Pakura takes over, Sunagakure will be more accepting. The other two NinjaVillages are the same principle. In short, overthrowing their Kage and supporting a puppet is the best approach. Only Kumogakure is the most difficult to deal with!"
The other NinjaVillages were fine. Kumogakure worshipped strength, and choosing just anyone might not make them submit at all.
With Pakura managing Sunagakure and Mei Terumī as Mizukage, he would then control three NinjaVillages. He would then figure out a way for the remaining two.
Subsequently, the news of the elimination of the Land of Water's Daimyo and nobles spread like wildfire. No one knew who did it.
They only knew that they all died overnight.
Meanwhile, the Mizukage, far away in the Land of Fire, declared that Sunagakure was responsible and that they had decided to seek revenge on Sunagakure!
The Ninja World's situation instantly shifted to Konoha and Hidden Mist against Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure, with Ninja from all sides gathering at the borders.