DAIMYO: Chapter 78/80

Chapter 78: Future Pioneers

The garden was silent.

Arashi's words left every member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja frozen in place.

Their proud beliefs were utterly shattered.

Asuma lowered his head, his gaze fixed on his slightly trembling hands.

These hands had been stained with blood, and had also protected the Will of Fire.

But now, he felt only unprecedented emptiness and confusion.

Enmaru's mind was blank. His usual schemes seemed pale and laughable before the grand blueprint described by the Daimyo.

In that frozen silence…

Thud.

A soft sound.

Dull, yet clear.

Everyone looked toward the sound.

It was Chiriku, the monk from the Fire Temple.

He gently placed his tin staff, the symbol of his monastic status, on the ground beside his feet.

His movements were slow and solemn, almost ritualistic.

Everyone's attention was drawn to him.

On Chiriku, the gentle Buddhist air slowly dissipated.

He stood up.

Calmly, he removed his monk's hat, the lamplight reflecting faintly off his head.

Then he unfastened the loose monk's robe, the symbol of Buddhist precepts.

The robe slid from his shoulders, revealing a black, close-fitting combat suit.

Beneath it, defined muscles brimming with power.

It was as if he had transformed from a chanting monk into a warrior.

Everyone was too stunned by Chiriku's sudden action to speak.

Arashi leaned back in the main seat, quietly watching the esteemed monk, curious what he would do next.

Stripped of his monk's robe, Chiriku seemed to have cast off shackles.

He stepped forward, walking to the center of the garden, facing the young monarch directly.

The next second…

This highly respected monk of the Fire Temple bent his knees and knelt heavily before Arashi, the impact sounding dully.

"Daimyo-sama."

Chiriku spoke, his voice no longer gentle and mellow.

"Please tell me."

He no longer referred to himself as this humble monk.

"How can we create the new order you described, where everyone can live in peace and everyone has dignity?"

"I, Chiriku, am willing to become the blade in your hand, to cut down all obstacles."

Chiriku's vow left the other Guardian Ninja dumbfounded.

Enmaru and Hizashi even held their breath.

They understood.

They understood why Chiriku had laid down his staff and shed his monk's robe.

Because the world described by the Daimyo could never be achieved through chanting and blessings.

To end this era of shinobi warfare, the price would inevitably be blood and fire.

To establish an order where civilians could live in peace, the first step was to use the most extreme violence to bury this decaying old world.

This was an Asura path, one destined to stain one's hands with blood.

Chiriku was a Buddhist. He was more compassionate than anyone present.

But precisely because of that compassion, he was the first to step forward.

Because he had awakened.

Chanting and reciting sutras could not save this world.

To establish a Buddhist kingdom on earth, one must first become an incarnation of Asura wielding a sword, sweeping away all karmic obstructions.

To build a Buddhist kingdom on earth, he was willing to enter hell.

Realizing this, Hizashi began to tremble violently.

He thought of the Hyūga clan's Caged Bird, destined for eternal suffering.

He thought of his branch family kin, branded by the main family and enslaved until death.

Wasn't the new order spoken of by the Daimyo the dawn that could break his fate, and the fate of the entire branch family?

He no longer hesitated.

Hizashi suddenly stood up, strode to Chiriku's side, mirrored his posture, and knelt resolutely.

"Daimyo-sama, I, Hyūga Hizashi, am willing to die for you."

One.

Two.

The remaining Guardian Ninja, whether truly inspired, swept up by the moment, or having weighed the pros and cons in an instant,

all rose, walked to the center of the garden, and knelt before the young monarch.

"Please, Daimyo-sama, show us the path forward."

For a moment, they, the backbone of Konoha, all knelt.

The scene was solemn, like a pilgrimage.

Arashi watched calmly.

His gaze swept over each person, deep enough to see through their thoughts.

Enmaru and the Uchiha's opportunism.

Asuma's struggle.

And Chiriku's near-martyr resolve.

Enough.

A single spark was enough to start a prairie fire.

Arashi rose from the main seat.

He did not give orders from above. He walked to the crowd.

He went straight to Chiriku, extended his hands, and personally helped the monk who was willing to become an Asura to his feet.

Arashi said softly, "Chiriku, I accept your resolve."

He looked at Chiriku, then at the others. "You want to know how to do it?"

"The method is very simple."

"The reason this land is plagued by endless wars, in the end, comes down to one thing."

He paused. The words that followed carried no warmth.

"Because there are too many names on this land."

"Konoha, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Kirigakure…"

"Land of Fire, Land of Wind, Land of Earth…"

"As long as these villages and national borders continue to exist, war will never end."

"The First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, tried once, but you have all seen the result."

"So, to achieve permanent peace, there is only one way."

Arashi's voice rose, carrying absolute will.

"That is to shatter all the villages."

"To flatten all borders."

"To use the strongest power to end this thousand-year conflict."

"To ensure that from now on, only one voice remains on this land."

His words echoed in their ears.

"Only when all the people of this land truly become one family will peace endure."

Arashi's tone shifted, and the overwhelming aura slowly receded.

"But conquest is only the beginning."

"A world held together by violence alone is fragile."

His words calmed the shinobi who had just been burning with passion.

The fanaticism and confusion in their eyes quickly faded, replaced by inquiry.

Arashi continued, "The future I wish to see is one where children from the Land of Wind study with children from the Land of Fire in the same classroom."

"It is a world where artisans from Iwagakure forge the sharpest fishing knives for fishermen from Kirigakure."

"When languages are no longer barriers, when a common culture becomes a shared bloodline, when everyone strives for the same better tomorrow…"

"By then, division and hatred will naturally disappear."

Everyone pondered. Only Chiriku's eyes shone.

It turned out what the Daimyo sought was not an empire ruled by an iron fist, but a truly harmonious world.

Such a world could be called a Buddhist kingdom on earth.

Violence was only a means of clearing away the trash.

Governance was the goal.

Arashi ignored their shock. His thoughts seemed to pierce the night sky, seeing a hundred years into the future.

"I know this is very difficult."

In his voice, there was a sigh facing the vastness of time.

"So difficult that even if we exhaust our entire lives, we might only lay the first cornerstone on this long road to the future."

These words silenced everyone.

Yes, how difficult it was.

It sounded like fantasy.

In the shinobi world, hatred had lasted a thousand years.

The blood debts between villages were beyond counting.

To make the descendants of enemies sit together like brothers?

How could that be possible?

Arashi saw their wavering.

"But as long as the journey begins, there will always be a day when the destination is reached."

He looked at his first followers, his voice steady.

"If we cannot do it, then let our descendants do it."

Hizashi suddenly looked up.

Descendants… In his mind, his young son, Neji, appeared.

That child, when a little older, would be branded with the Caged Bird.

Would Neji's descendants also have to suffer this fate forever?

No.

If this new order could truly be established, if the borders between nations and villages truly vanished, then what meaning would the Hyūga clan's so-called main and branch families still have?

The Caged Bird would no longer exist.

Hizashi's breathing quickened, his fists clenched tight.

Arashi's words continued.

"If our descendants cannot do it, then their descendants will."

He paused, letting the words carve themselves into their souls.

"Generation after generation, without end."

This ancient vow, spoken now, was no longer a metaphor.

It was a sacred pledge handed down through blood.

Asuma's body trembled.

He thought of his father.

He had spent his life maintaining Konoha and protecting the so-called Will of Fire.

But what was the result?

The war had never ended.

Perhaps… Father was wrong from the beginning.

Perhaps, protecting only Konoha was too narrow.

Only when the whole world became one family would there be nothing left to protect.

Because there would be no external enemy.

Arashi's voice rose again.

"As long as we, and the generations after us, keep moving toward this goal and never look back…"

"Then everything we envision today will eventually become reality."

Boom.

Thunder seemed to explode in their minds.

They felt their souls being reshaped.

Their Daimyo had not only pointed to the enemies they needed to cut down, he had shown them the homeland they could build with their own hands when the fighting stopped.

The future was no longer vague.

It was a future that, if they reached for it and worked, generation after generation, they would finally touch.

Hope.

It burned fiercely in their hearts.

Watching their transformation, a faint smile finally appeared on Arashi's face.

In that smile, there was no monarch's majesty, no schemer's calculation.

Only a pioneer's expectation for his followers.

"And you, along with me, will become the..."

"Pioneers."

"...of this new world."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 79: Hidden Surprise Attack Team Assembles

The banquet ended.

The lights in the garden remained bright.

The Shadow Guard, their worldviews reshaped, left the Daimyo Manor with a strong smell of alcohol.

The ideological imprint had been made. The rest required them to return and digest it slowly.

But Arashi could not rest yet. Today's political affairs were still unfinished.

The night wind stirred his luxurious robes.

Maids carrying lanterns led the way, light and shadow flickering across his face.

When the heavy wooden door of the study was pushed open, a scent of ink and scrolls wafted over.

The candlelight was lit, instantly illuminating the desk.

Scrolls were piled high there, so tall their tops were out of sight.

Arashi's eyelid twitched violently.

He waved his hand, dismissing all the maids.

"You may all withdraw."

"Yes."

The wooden door closed softly, leaving him alone in the study.

The next second, all strength seemed to drain from his body.

He walked to the desk, reached out, then let his hand fall limply.

Finally, he slumped into the large armchair, letting out a long sigh.

The sigh was full of resentment.

"Holy crap…" He muttered in pure national essence. "I still have to work overtime."

Arashi felt completely numb.

In his previous life, he had worked himself raw on a 996 schedule. His greatest dream was financial freedom, then to live a life of ease.

What was the result?

He closed his eyes, opened them, and transmigrated.

He had become the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

Logically, this script should have been a straightforward, lie-down-and-win scenario.

He could have slept until he woke naturally, enjoyed the nights, occasionally crushed a few fools with a finger, and lived a boring noble life.

But he did not.

He insisted on setting himself the ultimate goal of unifying the shinobi world and laying an eternal foundation.

Now look.

The higher the goal, the later the nights.

From a 996 office worker, he had gloriously evolved into a 007 Daimyo.

He did not even have weekends off.

"If I'd known… I would have set a smaller goal, unify the Land of Fire, and then just lie flat…"

Arashi mumbled to himself, then resignedly sat up straight and casually picked up the top scroll.

Since he was already here, could he resign?

The scroll came from Konoha and bore the personal signature of Minato, the Fourth Hokage.

It was a detailed report on border force deployments.

Arashi unrolled the scroll, his gaze sweeping rapidly.

It had to be said, Minato's capability was impeccable.

He executed every directive from the Daimyo Manor to the letter.

The scroll stated: at the borders of the Lands of Wind, Earth, and Water, the defensive units originally stationed with 1,500 shinobi each had each drawn 500 personnel.

They were now gathering at full speed at Material Transfer Station No. 1, totaling 1,500.

A temporary combat formation consisting of 500 Jōnin and Chūnin was established in the village and had arrived at the target location yesterday.

Two thousand elites were in position.

The report's handwriting was clear, the data detailed, and even the unit composition, leading Jōnin, and estimated supply consumption were clearly listed.

Adding to Jiraiya's already forward troops, the military strength deployed along the northeastern border of the Land of Fire now exceeded four thousand.

Furthermore, the Land of Earth was conducting military exercises at the border of the Land of Lightning.

This power was enough to make the Land of Lightning calm down.

Arashi was very satisfied with Minato's efficiency and nodded in approval.

But as his gaze continued downward and swept to Konoha's internal defense forces, his brow furrowed.

The report stated that after drawing 500 shinobi, the current number of resident defensive shinobi within Konoha was only 800.

Eight hundred.

It seemed the Third Great Shinobi War had consumed Konoha even more terribly than he had imagined.

The greatest village in the shinobi world, after the war, had such limited mobile forces within the village.

But then, he sensed something was wrong.

Heavy losses were one thing, but a defensive force of 800 for Konoha, the heartland, seemed too small.

This meant the hinterland of the Land of Fire was nearly empty.

A thought surfaced instinctively.

If the enemy bypassed the heavily concentrated border, took a long detour, and launched a surprise attack on an undefended Konoha…

The thought made Arashi pause.

But he quickly shook his head and dismissed it.

Konoha was not yet what it would be in more than ten years.

Minato was not yet dead, Orochimaru had not defected, and Tsunade and Jiraiya had not left the village.

Leaving aside everything else, Minato alone was enough to turn any idea of a sneak attack into a joke.

His Flying Thunder God Technique was an unsolvable defense within his spatial range.

One man was an insurmountable line.

And there was that old man, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Although the old fellow craved power, his ninjutsu cultivation had not diminished.

More than ten years later, even in his twilight years, he had managed to trade one for one, crippling Orochimaru's hands under the siege of the First, Second, and Orochimaru, revived by Edo Tensei.

Now, he would only be stronger.

Unless it was a large-scale invasion by main forces at the level of the Five Great Villages, relying on a few surprise attack units to break through Konoha was wishful thinking.

Although Kumo acted rashly, they should not do something so foolish as smashing eggs on stone.

Arashi's mind settled slightly. Perhaps he was being overly cautious.

However, prepare in advance and you succeed. Without preparation, you fail.

As a qualified leader, an extra layer of preparation was always beneficial.

Better safe than sorry.

Arashi pondered for a moment, picked up his brush, took a new scroll, and wrote a single line.

"Strengthen patrols at the borders of the four nations to prevent the Land of Lightning from detouring for a surprise attack."

After writing, he rolled the scroll and gently tapped the table.

A Shadow Guard appeared silently.

"Daimyo-sama."

"Deliver this to the Hokage."

"Yes."

The Shadow Guard took the scroll and vanished.

Only after this did Arashi feel at ease.

With his reminder, plus Minato's vigilance, Konoha's defenses should hold.

Now, it was time to deal with the real trouble.

He looked again at the pile of scrolls.

A wave of vexation rose in his chest.

He let out a long, turbid breath.

Then he plunged into the work.

Late at night.

The Daimyo Manor was brightly lit.

The helmsman of this country wrote diligently, burning his precious liver for his eternal foundation.

No one knew.

That same late night, in the distant Land of Lightning,

Raikage A stood before a twelve-man elite squad.

A murderous aura permeated the air.

"You all know the mission?" The Raikage's voice was low and oppressive.

"Yes!" The dozen elites radiated power. Their voices thundered, startling distant birds.

"Very good." The Raikage nodded in satisfaction. "Then…"

He raised his thick arm, about to give the order to depart.

Just then, a strange rhythm cut in.

"Yo, yo."

Killer B, dark-skinned, carrying seven swords and wearing sunglasses, swaggered out.

"This big shot is Killer B, headed to the Land of Fire to cause a spree, yeah."

"Take down Konoha's fools, crush those tools, oh yeah."

"Taste the Eight-Tails' might, fear in the night, idiots, bastards, out of sight."

In an instant, the murderous aura shattered like ice.

The twelve elites' shoulders shook. Their faces were rigid, neck veins bulging as they suppressed laughter.

Raikage A's temple veins throbbed and his muscles twitched.

"B!"

He roared, and the arm that was about to signal departure changed course, slamming a heavy fist onto Killer B's head. "You idiot, shut up."

Killer B staggered, clutching his head, no longer daring to rap.

The Raikage's other clenched fist, mindful of the mission's urgency, ultimately did not swing again.

He turned and bellowed to the now-solemn squad,

"Depart."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 80: Konoha Will Hold the Chūnin Exams

The Fire Capital in the Land of Fire awoke in the faint glow of dawn.

But in Konoha, lights were already on in the Hokage Building's office.

The Fourth Hokage, Minato, sat in the main seat, the morning light making his golden hair shine.

But his brows were furrowed.

Across from him were Konoha's two advisor elders, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.

"Chūnin Exams?"

Minato repeated the proposal, his calm voice tinged with caution.

"The situation on the northeastern border is tense, and half of the village's elite forces have already been deployed to the front lines."

"Is it too risky to hold the Chūnin Exams at this time?"

As Hokage, he was responsible for the safety of the entire village.

At this moment, Konoha was in its most vulnerable internal defense period since he took office. If anything went wrong, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Homura pushed up his reading glasses. Behind the lenses, his eyes looked cloudy but were sharp and discerning.

"Precisely because the situation is tense, it is even more imperative to hold them."

Koharu took over, leaning slightly forward, speaking seriously. "Minato, you must understand that the Chūnin Exams are never just a promotion assessment."

"They are also a political statement to display our strength to the entire shinobi world."

"We must let the children fighting bravely on the front lines see that the home they risk their lives to protect is still prosperous and full of talent."

"This will boost morale more than any empty slogan."

"This can greatly boost morale and stabilize people's hearts."

Homura added, "Especially the Land of Lightning. We must let them see that Konoha's Will of Fire will never be extinguished."

The two elders spoke in unison, listing the benefits of holding the Chūnin Exams one by one.

Minato fell silent, weighing the pros and cons.

He had to admit that the two elders made sense.

War is not just about military strength, but also about morale and logistics.

Letting the soldiers on the front lines know that the rear is secure, that kind of mental strength is sometimes more important than sending another unit.

He understood the principle.

"But the safety issue…" Minato was still very concerned.

"Then scale it down," Homura immediately offered a solution.

Clearly, he had already prepared this plan.

"In previous years, we would invite major villages to participate to demonstrate peace and friendship."

"But this year, the situation is special, so there is no need to invite other villages."

"We will just do it ourselves, behind closed doors."

Koharu added at once, "However, the invitation to the Daimyo Manor must be sent, and the nobles of the Land of Fire must also be invited."

"This is customary and a good opportunity to showcase Konoha's new generation to the Daimyo-sama."

"Let him see that Konoha's Will of Fire is passed down through generations, never-ending."

This proposal was reasonable and addressed safety while achieving political goals.

Looking at the two elders working so smoothly, Minato understood.

"Alright, let's do it this way." After careful consideration, he nodded. "I will draft the invitations shortly."

Seeing that the Hokage was convinced, the two advisor elders showed satisfied expressions.

Just as they were about to adjourn, there was a knock at the office door.

"Come in."

An Anbu appeared instantly, presenting a scroll. "Hokage-sama, an urgent message from the Daimyo Manor."

Minato immediately took the scroll and unrolled it.

The letter was simple, with only one line of text.

"Strengthen border patrols in the four countries to prevent sneak attacks by the Land of Lightning."

After reading, Minato frowned slightly.

The relaxed expression on his face faded, replaced by a hint of solemnity.

A sneak attack by a circuitous route?

He had considered that tactical possibility, but he had ranked it last.

In his view, with him stationed in Konoha, small-scale attacks would not threaten the heartland.

And large-scale military movements would not escape the eyes of intelligence personnel.

But now, the Daimyo had specifically sent a warning about this. That made Minato, who had witnessed the Daimyo's methods, cautious.

Homura noticed the change in his expression and quickly asked, "Minato, what is it?"

Minato handed them the scroll and said in a deep voice, "The Daimyo warns us to be wary of the Land of Lightning detouring through other countries to launch a surprise attack on our heartland."

After reading it, the two elders' faces turned grim.

A flicker of displeasure crossed Homura's eyes, and he snorted coldly. "Hmph, this young…"

The words caught in his throat. Realizing his slip, Homura immediately corrected himself stiffly. "What the Daimyo said, we naturally know."

His words carried the displeasure of being lectured and the arrogance of an old veteran.

Koharu then said coldly, "But those war fanatics from the Land of Lightning are indeed capable of such things. It is better to believe than ignore."

Although her words agreed, she cleverly attributed the insight to her own judgment rather than the Daimyo's warning.

Minato took in their expressions, sighed inwardly, and issued an order.

"Send word to replan the border patrol routes, and raise the rank of patrols along the borders with the Land of Water, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Lightning to the highest."

"Yes."

The Anbu took the order and left.

After dealing with this matter, Minato felt a bit more at ease.

His gaze fell back to the table. On one side was the letter from the Daimyo Manor, and on the other was the newly decided Chūnin Exams.

The two seemingly unrelated matters were now oddly connected.

He suddenly thought of something.

Picking up a pen, he quickly wrote an invitation for the Chūnin Exams and sealed it with wax.

Then he handed the letter to the guarding Anbu. "Give this to the messenger."

"Yes."

Another Anbu took the order and retreated.

When the Shadow Guard returned to the Fire Capital with the invitation for the Daimyo-sama, dusk had already fallen.

At that time, Arashi had just finished processing the last batch of official documents.

He leaned back in the large chair, letting out a long sigh, feeling utterly drained.

He had worked until late last night, woken before dawn, and then continued with a new day's work.

"Being a Daimyo is more tiring than being a corporate slave…"

Arashi rubbed his throbbing temples, complaining weakly.

Even his dinner had been hastily eaten beside a mountain of scrolls.

Just then, the Shadow Guard who had returned from Konoha arrived and handed him Minato's invitation.

"Chūnin Exams in ten days?"

Arashi opened the invitation, and upon seeing the content, his spirit picked up slightly.

This would be an interesting diversion.

Since his ascension, he had never officially visited Konoha in his capacity as Daimyo in a public setting.

These Chūnin Exams would be a good stage.

He could see whether he might encounter other key figures.

More importantly, he could use this opportunity to further assert his presence and authority as Daimyo to Konoha.

"Good, this is a good thing." Arashi smiled, picked up his brush, and wrote a reply confirming his personal attendance.

He handed it to the Shadow Guard on duty and waved him away.

The study felt stuffy, so Arashi stood, opened the door, and stepped out to walk in the garden.

A maid immediately brought a lantern to follow.

"No need," Arashi waved. "I want to walk alone."

The maid respectfully withdrew.

Arashi walked alone into the garden.

The night breeze was cool, carrying the fragrance of flowers and plants, gradually soothing his nerves.

He emptied his mind, walking aimlessly, enjoying the rare tranquility.

Suddenly, he stopped.

Not far away, under the moonlight, a figure was dancing gracefully.

(To be continued.)