Land of Bears, Capital City.
This city, home to only 120,000 people, had fully restored its social order after a brief period of upheaval. In fact, due to the implementation of new policies and the elimination of noble exploitation, it was glowing with an unprecedented vitality.
In the coup d'état privately dubbed "Operation Longsword" by the citizens and Hoshigakure shinobi, the noble class and the Daimyo were completely uprooted. A brand-new entity led by "Lord Shura" was being born in the Land of Bears.
On the vast plains west of the capital, farmers who had leased land from the new government were working with fiery enthusiasm. Whether clearing new fields or tilling old ones, the public's motivation for farming had reached an all-time high. Everyone hoped to plant one last crop of winter wheat before the frost set in. They looked forward to a harvest early next year to repay their debts for seeds and tools; for the first time, they had hope for the future.
Meanwhile, the villagers and shinobi of Hoshigakure had relocated to an area east of the capital to begin construction. This land had formerly been the Daimyo's private hunting grounds—forbidden to commoners—and thus remained a well-preserved wilderness.
"Using this Yuu River as the boundary, the eastern section will be zoned for military, administrative, and experimental purposes. The western section will be planned for residential and commercial districts." Atop the Daimyo's estate, Menma pointed to a river on the map, discussing the capital's reconstruction with Uzumaki Kasumi and Gato.
Among his subordinates, only Uzumaki Kasumi, Gato, and Yashimaru (Night Star) possessed actual administrative talent.
Several days had passed since the battle with the self-proclaimed "Uchiha Madara." The relocation of Hoshigakure was essentially complete, and a brand-new city was rising from the ground.
"Winter is coming. Stockpile warm supplies. Once the harvest season ends, organize the labor force to develop this plain, building irrigation and infrastructure," Menma commanded. He understood that infrastructure and agriculture were the bedrock of a nation.
Currently, with Hoshigakure as the foundation and Menma's group providing top-tier combat power, the Land of Bears didn't need to fear foreign invasion in the short term. The surrounding small nations, like the Land of Demons or the Land of Birds, lacked hidden villages entirely.
As for the major powers: the Land of Earth (Iwagakure) was still reeling from the war five years ago where ten thousand shinobi failed to kill the Third Raikage, leaving them with little desire for outward expansion. The Land of Wind (Sunagakure) had lost its Third Kazekage, sparking the Third Great War, and was currently being financially strangled by its own Daimyo. While Suna might be desperate, their current strength posed no threat to Menma.
Thus, Menma's focus remained internal.
"My Lord, the surrounding nations have imposed a blockade on us, banning merchant caravans. The national treasury is getting tight," Gato reported with a hint of worry.
Menma remained unfazed. "Merchants chase profit. The Land of Bears sits between Wind and Earth—it's a vital trade artery for the western continent. As long as our tax rates remain stable and fair, and we provide a safe environment, those merchants will find their own ways in."
The technology of the ninja world was a strange mix; while hidden villages possessed near-modern tech, most other regions lived in a feudal or early industrial state. Trade relied on horse-drawn carriages and wooden ships. A Daimyo's blockade was merely a suggestion to a profit-hungry merchant with a dozen smuggling routes.
Besides, if the Daimyo wanted to patrol the borders with shinobi, it would cost a fortune—one those nobles were usually too stingy to pay.
After the meeting, Menma headed to the laboratory beneath the Daimyo's estate. Formerly a treasury and warehouse, it had been repurposed as a temporary research base.
Inside, dozens of shadow clones in white lab coats were busy. They were conducting research on:
Hashirama's cells and White Zetsu cells.
The Iburi Clan's Kekkei Genkai (smoke transformation).
Wood Style and various high-level ninjutsu.
Scientific Ninja Tools.
Only an Uzumaki, blessed with immense chakra and life force—bolstered further by the Dark Nine-Tails' bottomless reserves—could maintain such a feat. Menma currently had two thousand shadow clones active across the country, managing the bureaucracy, educating the populace, and conducting research.
This wasn't even the limit of the Multi-Size Shadow Clone Jutsu, nor the limit of the Dark Nine-Tails' chakra.
"Lord Shura!" In a medical ward, a beautiful woman with long red hair, Natsuhi, stood up from a bedside and bowed respectfully. On the bed lay a gaunt, skeletal man—her husband, Hotarubi.
"How is he feeling?" Menma nodded to Natsuhi and pressed his hand against Hotarubi's wrist, injecting chakra to check the status of the "Star" radiation poisoning.
"He's much better. Thank you, my Lord," Natsuhi said with a strained smile.
Both were Hoshigakure Jonin who had once tried to steal the Meteor after discovering its lethal radiation. They had been aided by the "Third Hoshikage," Yashimaru, who helped them fake their deaths to live in secret near Hell's Valley. When Yashimaru found them recently, Hotarubi was on the verge of death.
Menma had used his Mind's Eye of the Kagura and Negative Emotion Sensing to verify they weren't the ones who leaked information to the Five Great Nations. Since they were cleared, he had kept them here for treatment—and to serve as primary research subjects for radiation sickness.
Since Natsuhi and Hotarubi were innocent, the mole had to be among the other captured Hoshigakure shinobi. Menma looked at the red-haired Natsuhi, recalling the original timeline.
If I remember correctly, the leader of the Hoshigakure traitors was a man named Akahoshi.