"Let me see my daughter," Tsunade demanded as she was wheeled out of the operating room. Her strength had gradually returned, and she was now reaching out for her child.
"You need to rest for a bit, Tsunade," Yoichi said, holding their newborn daughter close. "I'll hold her for now."
There was no way Yoichi was going to let go of his daughter just yet. He signaled to Asami, the Jonin medic, to push Tsunade to her room before she could protest further.
"You…" Tsunade started, but before she could finish her sentence, Asami quickly wheeled her into the recovery room.
Yoichi stood outside for a moment, cradling his daughter in his arms, admiring her before bringing her in to show Tsunade.
The baby, who had been crying earlier, was now calm and wide-eyed, curiously observing her surroundings. Yoichi had a strong feeling that this might be his most gifted child yet.
With his life force at a Six Paths level and Tsunade's own powerful lineage and mastery of genetic energy, their child had incredible potential.
Yoichi could see that even without any special guidance, their daughter could one day reach the same Six Paths level through her own abilities.
When Yoichi entered the room, Tsunade was practically bursting with impatience, her hands stretched out to take her daughter. She hadn't held her child since the birth, and she was eager to bond.
Reluctantly, Yoichi handed over their daughter, seeing that Tsunade might leap out of bed if he didn't.
The moment Tsunade cradled her child, her entire demeanor softened. She gazed lovingly at the tiny life in her arms, cherishing the experience she once thought she'd never have.
"Have you decided on a name for her?" Tsunade asked, her eyes never leaving their daughter.
"Let's call her Yoko—Uchiha Yoko," Yoichi said with a warm smile.
"Yoko… it's perfect!" Tsunade exclaimed, her face lighting up with joy. She lifted Yoko into the air playfully, but instead of crying, Yoko looked around in wonder, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"Yoko will stay with me," Tsunade declared, her tone leaving no room for debate. "But you better make time to come and see her. At least as much as you did before!"
Tsunade's face flushed slightly as she mentioned Yoichi's visits, knowing that he spent more than five days a week with her, though it wasn't always just to see her—sometimes it was for other things.
"I plan to move to a new place soon," Yoichi said casually. "When it's ready, you and Yoko should live with me. There will be plenty of space for everyone, including her siblings."
At this, Tsunade hesitated. Seeing her expression, Yoichi continued, "It's a large estate, located upstream from Naka River. I got approval for it through my authority as Hokage."
Tsunade couldn't help but chuckle. "You're really not worried that the villagers and shinobi will overthrow you for abusing your Hokage powers like this?"
Yoichi shrugged. "It's perfectly reasonable use of the land. No one's going to complain."
Tsunade turned her attention back to Yoko, gently bouncing her in her arms. "We'll see once the new place is built," she said, though it was clear from her expression that she was already leaning towards agreeing.
Yoichi almost laughed at the sight of Tsunade—a woman in her forties, acting like a shy teenager. Thanks to the life energy he had given her, Tsunade's body was as young and vibrant as a woman in her twenties, essentially giving her a second youth.
"By the way, was there any trouble outside?" Tsunade asked, her senses still sharp. Even during labor, she had felt the intense chakra signatures, including that of her old friend Kushina's Nine-Tails chakra.
"Nothing serious," Yoichi replied. "Madara's followers tried to infiltrate the village to steal the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, but we were prepared. We turned the tables on them, and they've been captured."
Tsunade frowned slightly. "That old man is persistent."
"Don't worry," Yoichi reassured her. "I've already taken care of it."
Tsunade sighed. "Good. But I can't stand that guy."
After a brief pause, she looked back at Yoichi, her determination clear. "Once I've recovered, I want to resume my research on genetic energy. I have a few new ideas. I think I'm close to creating a genetic modification serum that would allow anyone to access the foundation of genetic energy."
Genetic energy was far superior to chakra in many ways. While chakra couldn't be stored, and even some Chunin struggled with extracting it during battle, genetic energy had no such drawbacks.
It could be stored within the body and refined over time, and those with talent could extend their lifespan by centuries through its cultivation.
"That soon?" Yoichi asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what about Yoko? Are you planning to leave her with Mikoto or Mina?"
Tsunade hesitated, clearly torn. After a moment, she said, "I'll bring Shizune on as my assistant. Yoko will stay with me while I work. But it'll be a few months before I can start again."
Yoichi nodded. "That sounds fair. Now let me hold Yoko again."
Tsunade, momentarily distracted by Yoichi's request, didn't notice as he gently but swiftly took Yoko from her arms. Flustered and red-faced, Tsunade reached to take her daughter back, but Yoichi firmly yet gently pressed her back onto the bed.
Elsewhere in Konoha, Fugaku had been rushed to the hospital, barely clinging to life after the battle. Despite the severity of his injuries, the medics managed to stabilize him.
Once he was out of immediate danger, Fugaku was heavily sealed by the Sealing Team and handed over to the Interrogation Unit, where Inoichi would extract any information from his mind.
Shisui, having completed his part in the mission, decided not to follow Fugaku further. With four Uchiha watching over Fugaku, there was no chance he would escape.
Shisui soon found Itachi and reassured him. "Itachi, Fugaku has been handed over to the Interrogation Unit. They'll extract any intel they can before transferring him to the prison. Don't worry, everything is under control."
Itachi, still feeling conflicted about his actions, nodded quietly. "I understand, Shisui."
Sensing the weight of guilt on Itachi's shoulders, Shisui patted him on the back. "You did the right thing. Fugaku was in the wrong for trying to use you to disrupt the peace. Right now, the village is working on something that could bring lasting peace to the entire shinobi world."
Shisui, having overheard Yoichi's plans during a meeting in the Hokage's office, was fully supportive of unifying the shinobi world under one banner for the sake of peace.
Before he could say more, a figure approached. Shisui's expression shifted as he greeted the newcomer. "Orochimaru-sama, is there something you need?"
Orochimaru, smiling slyly, acknowledged Shisui. "I heard you captured Fugaku. I'm curious about the creature that was with him. I understand it's been sealed by the Police Force. Would you mind letting me take a look?"
Shisui scratched his head, feeling a bit uncertain. "Well, Orochimaru-sama, I'm not directly involved with the Police Force. That creature was handed over to them, so I'd have to ask Captain Seito for permission."
"I see," Orochimaru mused. "Then let's go find him together, shall we?"
Shisui agreed and quickly excused himself from Itachi. "I'll be back soon, Itachi. Don't worry, everything will be fine."
With that, Shisui led Orochimaru to the Police Force headquarters.
...
Meanwhile, in Sunagakure, tensions between two factions were at a boiling point. The situation had grown dire.
"Pakura! Is this your plan all along?" Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, glared at Pakura with unrestrained fury. He regretted not wiping out Pakura and her followers before the arrival of Konoha's forces.
Now, with the combined presence of the First and Second Hokages and a contingent of Konoha's strongest shinobi, Sunagakure had little hope of quelling the rebellion.
When word reached Rasa that five thousand Konoha ninja had crossed the Wind Country's borders, his legs nearly gave out.
Sunagakure was doomed.
Already weakened by Pakura's faction, the village barely had enough ninja left to field a force of four to five thousand, even if they included academy students.
Worse, Konoha's forces were led by the legendary Hashirama, the man who had once distributed the tailed beasts to the other hidden villages.
With Sunagakure having recently lost its One-Tails Jinchuriki, there was no way they could stand against Konoha.
"You're right, Rasa," Pakura replied coldly, her eyes burning with determination. "When I was supposed to die at the hands of the Mist's assassins, it was the Fifth Hokage who saved me."
The Sunagakure elders, including Chiyo, averted their eyes in shame as Pakura continued. "After spending time in Konoha, I realized how pitiful life in Sunagakure truly was. The people here suffer in poverty. And do you know what the Hokage said to me? He said that if the villagers were given a choice, they would rather be Konoha's dogs than continue living as humans in Sunagakure!"
"How dare you!" Rasa shouted, his eyes bloodshot with rage. The words cut deeply, and he knew they were true. The people of Sunagakure lived in squalor compared to Konoha.
"Konoha's dogs eat meat," Pakura sneered. "Meanwhile, under your leadership, Rasa, the villagers of Sunagakure can barely get three loaves of bread a day!"
Rasa's face flushed with shame and fury. "That's because of Konoha's blockade! They've cut off our supplies!"
"And what have you done to fix it?" Pakura shot back. "Sell out your comrades? Or let your people starve?"
With a mocking smirk, Pakura tossed a scroll onto the table in front of Rasa. "This is the offer Konoha has given. I'll make sure every villager knows the terms. You can either lead them into battle, or you can watch them starve."
The situation was dire. Sunagakure's current stockpiles could barely sustain the village for two more days. If they ran out of supplies, even Rasa, the Kazekage, would go hungry.
Rasa read the terms on the scroll, his hands trembling with anger. The offer wasn't generous, but it was something he couldn't provide. A place in Konoha's Green Zone, job opportunities, education for the children—it was more than Sunagakure could ever hope to give its people.
If the villagers abandon the village… how many of our ninja will stay?
If only I could kill her. If only I had killed her sooner.
"If you want war, Pakura, I'll give you one!" Rasa roared, though his words carried the weight of empty bluster.
Suddenly, the air in the room shifted, and Rasa felt a surge of overwhelming chakra.
Standing beside Pakura were two figures—the Second Hokage, Tobirama, and the First Hokage, Hashirama. They had teleported directly into the room, thanks to the Flying Thunder God mark Tobirama had placed on Pakura earlier.
Tobirama's intense chakra filled the room, causing even the most hardened ninja to break out in a cold sweat.
"Are you still planning on fighting?" Tobirama's cold voice cut through the tension, his eyes scanning the Sunagakure council with disdain.
Even Chiyo and Rasa looked stricken, the oppressive aura of the reanimated Hokages too much for them to bear.
"Let's not be hasty, Tobirama," Hashirama said, his voice calming the room. "There's still time for negotiations. Let's be patient."
Tobirama reluctantly pulled back his chakra, though his eyes remained fixed on Rasa. "Remember, this is your last chance."
With that, Tobirama, Hashirama, and Pakura left the room. Outside, a group of Sunagakure ninja had gathered, but they could do nothing as the three vanished in a flash of the Flying Thunder God technique.
Inside, Rasa seethed with rage, but all he could do was grit his teeth as he realized the futility of the situation.
"Curse you! Curse you all!" he bellowed in frustration.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For Only $5!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]
"Join Konoha?"
"Why should we join Konoha? Aren't we from Sunagakure? And what's going on in the village? Why is it suddenly prohibited to leave?"
"I'm not sure. Could it be that we're about to go to war again? Damn it, if we can't leave the village, how will we earn money? Has Lord Fourth Kazekage said when we can leave?"
The changes within Sunagakure were significant. Rasa ordered the village to be sealed off, and all the shinobi under his command had entered a state of war readiness because nearly five thousand Konoha shinobi were just outside the village.
The Konoha forces were divided into three large battalions, surrounding Sunagakure completely. Without a Tailed Beast, Rasa had no way of launching a surprise attack on the Konoha shinobi.
The situation with the Konoha shinobi had even alarmed the Daimyō of the Land of Wind, who immediately sent envoys to inquire in Sunagakure.
Since the establishment of the Five Great Nations and Five Great Shinobi Villages, this was the first time they had faced such a situation—having an army of shinobi from a rival nation right on their doorstep.
Upon learning of this, the Daimyō of the Land of Wind lost his appetite; his biggest worry had shifted from how much tax revenue to collect to what exactly the Konoha shinobi were planning.
Since shinobi earn rewards by completing commissioned missions, villages are generally not far from their nation's capital. Now, with so many Konoha shinobi near the capital of the Land of Wind, the Daimyō couldn't sleep at all.
He sent two groups of messengers. Aside from those sent to Sunagakure, he also dispatched envoys to the Daimyō of the Land of Fire to ask what was going on.
Did they still remember the agreements made by their predecessors? How could they let their nation's shinobi act so dominantly?
However, the Daimyō of the Land of Wind's actions would likely prove fruitless. The Daimyō of the Land of Fire, along with the finance and internal affairs ministers—the three most powerful people in the Land of Fire—were now completely under Konoha's control.
Shisui's Kotoamatsukami had commanded them to follow the orders of the Fifth Hokage and adhere to Konoha's directives. Unless they killed the Daimyō and replaced him, the Land of Fire was now a country where military and political power were unified.
But the Daimyō's son was only four years old, and since it was only Konoha growing stronger, Kotoamatsukami had never been exposed in the shinobi world. Aside from Shisui and Yoichi, no one knew that their leniency towards Konoha was due to being under a genjutsu.
Outside Sunagakure, Konoha's camp was only three kilometers away from the village. The shinobi of Sunagakure relied on their high earth walls, not daring to make any offensive moves.
Even the eastern exit of Sunagakure had been occupied by the shinobi aligned with Pakura, dividing the large village into two zones. Rasa had now stationed over seven hundred shinobi in the center of the village, forming a defensive line.
If Pakura's forces made any move, Rasa's shinobi would likely launch an immediate attack.
However, after Pakura emerged from the Kazekage Building, her side made a large move, and Konoha even sent a large force into Sunagakure, taking control of the earth walls at the eastern exit.
When Rasa learned of this, he was so furious that he crushed the desk in front of him with his Gold Dust.
Not long after, his Anbu came to report again: Pakura's forces had started promoting a village unification plan. Hearing this, Rasa's eyes turned red. Without thinking further, he ordered the Anbu to gather his forces.
There was no saving Pakura now. Moments ago, Rasa had even considered admitting his wrongdoings to Pakura, hoping to gain her forgiveness and then negotiate with the Konoha shinobi to ensure the survival of Sunagakure.
But now it seemed that Pakura was the one who needed to be eliminated. She had to be killed, even if it meant starting a war.
"Lord Fourth!"
"Kazekage-sama!"
"Yondaime!"
Once everyone had gathered, Rasa spoke in a grim tone: "You're all aware of Pakura's actions. Let's hear it. Does anyone have any suggestions?"
The dozen or so people in the room remained silent after Rasa's words, the atmosphere heavy with tension.
It wasn't that they were afraid to speak up; the truth was that almost all their options were cut off. Apart from waging war, their only choice was to surrender.
As for any other plans, what could they possibly come up with in the face of five thousand Konoha shinobi and one thousand more led by Pakura?
After a while, Chiyo broke the silence, saying, "Yondaime, using poison could have worked before, but now it seems that Konoha shinobi are likely monitoring even the village's herb gardens. Many of our poisons haven't even reached maturity. If we are to resist, our best chance is to fight to the death tonight."
"Konoha shinobi have grown this bold?"
Rasa could hardly believe it. He felt like the most humiliated Kazekage in history, unworthy of the Kazekage statues behind him.
"Although we haven't found the Konoha shinobi, that feeling of being watched must be because of the Hyūga Clan's Byakugan. Now that Pakura is on such good terms with the Konoha shinobi, it's possible that Hyūga shinobi are among her ranks."
Since learning of Pakura's collusion with the Konoha shinobi, Chiyo had fully aligned herself with Rasa. After all, she harbored an unresolvable grudge against the Fourth Hokage, Hatake Sakumo.
Even though she regretted what she had done to Pakura, she couldn't support Pakura's plan for unifying the villages. Chiyo was possibly the most steadfast supporter on Rasa's side.
"Konoha has many secret techniques and kekkei genkai clans. Given time, they'll likely gather all of our intelligence. If we wait too long to resist, it will be impossible to fight back."
Rasa's heart stirred. He turned to Chiyo and asked, "Elder Chiyo, are you suggesting..."
"Gather all our forces, throw everything we have into wiping out Pakura's group, and drive out the Konoha shinobi at the same time."
Elder Chiyo spoke firmly to Rasa: "Among the Konoha forces is the First Hokage. Although we don't know how Konoha managed to resurrect this God of Shinobi, he's the Hokage who least desires shinobi deaths. If we show them we're willing to fight to the death, there's a chance the Konoha shinobi will stop their assault. This way, Sunagakure might be spared."
The Sunagakure shinobi were stunned into silence by Chiyo's decisiveness. No one spoke for a long moment.
But Chiyo believed this was the most feasible plan. She had lived through the First Shinobi World War and knew the power of Konoha's secret techniques and kekkei genkai. During the chaos of the war, Konoha had dominated, but the First Hokage had voluntarily stopped the fighting.
After the Five Kage Summit, Chiyo learned from the Second Kazekage that the First Hokage had sought peace to prevent further shinobi deaths, which led to the division of the Tailed Beasts.
By exploiting the First Hokage's weakness, there was a chance they could save Sunagakure.
After some contemplation, Rasa turned to Chiyo and asked, "Can this really work?"
"Aside from this, our only option is surrender. After all, the Second Hokage is a Edo Tensei corpse, while the First Hokage has been fully revived. Our chances are still quite good."
"Then let's do it. Garo, distribute all the supplies from the storerooms to the Anbu, jōnin, and chūnin."
Rasa's tone was resolute as he addressed the group: "Everyone, this may be Sunagakure's last chance. If you don't want to become wandering shinobi of a fallen village, then give it your all and fight for a future for our descendants."
"Yes, Lord Fourth!" the Sunagakure higher-ups responded in unison. One by one, they left the Kazekage Building with determined expressions, each ready to risk everything in a desperate battle. It was better to stay in Sunagakure as leaders than to go to Konoha and start from the bottom.
Konoha had no preferential treatment for them. If they went there, they would start as ordinary shinobi. No way!
...
On the other side...
Pakura also sent several teams of shinobi into Sunagakure, distributing Konoha's unification plan, mainly targeting ordinary villagers.
The front of the leaflet outlined the benefits of the unification plan, while the back was an application form. Anyone who filled it out could leave Sunagakure through the eastern exit, where Konoha shinobi would take care of those who defected.
Sunagakure had less than one hundred thousand residents. With just a thousand Konoha shinobi, they could easily accommodate seventy to eighty thousand people. Yoichi had sent several shinobi with the Wood Release bloodline limit to the village.
While their Wood Release was not on par with Hashirama's, it was more than enough to build houses.
After driving the Sunagakure forces from the border of the Land of Rivers and the Land of Wind, Konoha's Wood Release shinobi selected two locations to set up settlements.
For now, they were simple wooden huts, but these areas would later serve as the centers for building oasis towns.
Before departing, Tobirama Senju had been handed this plan by Uchiha Yoichi. After meeting with Pakura, Tobirama showed her the plan, and during the relocation of the families aligned with Pakura, Sunagakure shinobi accompanied them.
"An oasis... It's a rare thing in the Land of Wind. Most of them are controlled by the country's nobility. Even Sunagakure had to build high walls to keep out the sandstorms," Pakura said, somewhat nostalgic.
Many Sunagakure residents had never seen an oasis in their lifetime. Unless they left the country on a mission, they didn't even know what green leaves looked like. For those who remained in the village, seeing green leaves was an unattainable dream.
Living in an oasis was a dream for many Sunagakure villagers. Just seeing that on the leaflet would likely entice many to defect.
As soon as someone couldn't resist the temptation, they would pack their belongings, fill out the application form, and head for the eastern exit. If Rasa's shinobi tried to stop them, Pakura's forces would intervene.
As more people defected, the more resistance Rasa's forces faced, the more the villagers would rebel.
"Second Hokage, it seems like things are going well. Within a week, more than half the village might leave for the oasis settlement. How are the preparations for what comes next?" Pakura asked.
"The Fifth has prepared the supplies. You don't need to worry about the Sunagakure villagers. What you should be concerned about is the Fourth Kazekage," Tobirama responded, arms crossed. There were personnel specifically in charge of the oasis. His only focus was on Rasa and the remaining Sunagakure shinobi.
"Don't underestimate them, young lady. My brother and I attended the First Five Kage Summit. We're very familiar with Sunagakure's ways. Even in the face of disadvantageous situations, they'll fight like lone wolves, desperate to survive. During the First Shinobi World War, Sunagakure was the weakest of the five villages, but they still dared to make outrageous demands of Konoha."
"If it had been me as Hokage back then instead of my brother, there wouldn't be a Sunagakure or a Land of Wind anymore. Your First Kazekage managed to offend all four of the other Kage with a single sentence."
Pakura and the other Sunagakure shinobi twitched at this, but none of them knew the details of events that had happened decades ago. Still, Tobirama wasn't the type to lie about such things.
"So, should we prepare for Rasa to lash out in desperation?"
"War will definitely break out. The Fifth Hokage knows this outcome as well. The Konoha shinobi sent here weren't for show. Tonight, we'll have two more Konoha battalions enter Sunagakure. If Rasa launches a sudden attack, you won't be able to stop him."
Hearing this, Pakura's expression grew serious. After a few moments of contemplation, she nodded in agreement. "Understood. Should we prepare shinobi uniforms for Sunagakure?"
Previously, Konoha's reconnaissance shinobi and the Hyūga Clan members had infiltrated Sunagakure wearing Sunagakure uniforms, gathering a lot of intel on Rasa's forces.
"No need. During the day, stay inside as much as possible. Preparing uniforms would draw too much attention, and the Fourth Kazekage will definitely notice."
Tobirama shook his head, then turned to Hashirama and said, "Brother, when war breaks out, it'll be up to you. Don't show mercy this time!"
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For Only $5!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT