Lady Tsubaki sat quietly in her chair, lost in thought.
Of course she was aware of the Ninja Association. When she first heard about its establishment, she had proposed to the other senior officials of Nadeshiko Village that they consider joining. But in the end, only a small number supported the idea.
Those who disagreed had all kinds of excuses.
"Those major hidden villages are powerful and live better than we do, but our Nadeshiko Village has relied on independence since the Warring States Period. How could we break the rules left by our ancestors?"
"The Ninja Association? It'll end up as useless as Kankinso someday. Why should the proud Nadeshiko Village join something like that?"
"None of the ordinary villagers complain that life is hard. Why are you obsessing over them? They work, we fight and risk our lives to protect them. Isn't that fair?"
Some were even more ridiculous:
"Are you just missing your old lover Jiraiya in Konoha? You failed to win him before, so now you're using this as an excuse to satisfy your own selfish desires, aren't you?"
With reasons like these, she eventually gave up.
"Uchiha Hikaru, I have discussed joining the Ninja Association from the beginning, but only a few support it," Lady Tsubaki said bitterly. "It's not that I don't want to. It's simply too difficult to change a tradition that has lasted hundreds—and perhaps thousands—of years."
"If this is your proposal, then there's nothing more to say."
Her expression was full of exhaustion—frustration twisted tightly beneath the surface.
Uchiha Hikaru, however, was not surprised. A village composed entirely of women was bound to have its own rigid ideology.
"Lady Tsubaki, I already expected that."
"But, as I said, this is a deal. A deal requires both sides to put in effort. Konoha will provide support."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Just north of Konoha, bordering the Land of Fire, the Land of Iron, and the Land of Hot Springs—the land south of Nadeshiko Village. You know the situation there."
Lady Tsubaki paused, then nodded slowly.
"You mean the Land of Sound. A little over a decade ago, it belonged to the Land of Hot Springs, but after the Third Great Ninja War, a powerful and mysterious ninja took it over."
"Although it was never recognized internationally, they proclaimed themselves the Land of Sound. A few years ago, that mysterious ninja vanished. Since then, the region has descended into chaos—fragmented between rebellious rogue shinobi factions."
"Are you saying Konoha intends to reclaim that territory?"
"But with Konoha's strength, you hardly need the help of Nadeshiko Village."
Uchiha Hikaru chuckled softly and waved a hand.
"To be honest, that mysterious ninja was Orochimaru—the former Sannin. After being framed by Danzo, he built that country on a whim."
"After Lady Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage, she uncovered the truth and cleared his name. Orochimaru returned to Konoha, and the Land of Sound became one of the messes we were forced to leave behind."
"But we have no intention of claiming it now—the ones who should are Nadeshiko Village."
"When the time comes, we will help Nadeshiko Village eliminate the rebel shinobi factions in the Land of Sound. Afterward, the territory will belong to Nadeshiko Village. Your responsibility will be reconstruction."
Lady Tsubaki stared at him, stunned. She rubbed her ears, wondering if she had misheard.
"Are you saying Konoha will eliminate the rebels in the Land of Sound, then hand the territory to Nadeshiko Village?"
"Yes."
She burst into laughter—sharp, disbelieving, almost painful.
"Uchiha Hikaru, don't joke with me. Giving away such a large piece of land just to make Nadeshiko Village join the Ninja Association? Are you trying to mock me?"
"Even if free food fell from the sky, it wouldn't be this generous."
Her disbelief contrasted strongly with Hikaru's calm expression. That composure alone made her realize he wasn't joking.
Hikaru tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop.
"Lady Tsubaki, nothing in the shinobi world is free."
"When Nadeshiko Village takes control of the Land of Sound… will you drive out all the men as tradition demands?"
"You understand there are hundreds of thousands of civilians living there."
"Even if you wish to expel them, any woman can join Nadeshiko Village if she pledges loyalty. Among those hundreds of thousands are women with husbands, fathers, sons, children. Do you think they will quietly let the leadership throw them away?"
"Unless Nadeshiko Village is willing to abandon the Land of Sound after taking it. But once you swallow something like that—do you really think they'll spit it out again?"
"Ordinary villagers of Nadeshiko Village don't know the outside world. But those in the Land of Sound do."
"Use pressure to crush pressure."
The room fell silent. Jiraiya's eyes widened slowly. The more he listened, the more terrifyingly clever Hikaru's plan sounded.
Those stubborn, self-righteous traditionalists who dismissed men entirely would face women outside the village who viewed men not as enemies—but as equals, as family.
A perfect diversion strategy. Wicked yet brilliant. (￣▽￣)b
Lady Tsubaki was quiet for a long moment. Hikaru's reasoning was solid, but the imbalance still troubled her—she felt she was missing something.
"Tell me honestly. Is joining the Ninja Association the only thing Konoha wants?"
"That can't be true. Even if it were, this deal is too disadvantageous for you."
Hikaru didn't deny it. Instead, he nodded.
"In the short term, yes. Konoha will lose."
"But if we speak of the long term—of the future of the Ninja Association—my goal…"
"For that goal, this is an excellent deal."
Everyone except Hikaru frowned, instinctively asking the same question:
"What is your goal?"
Silence filled the room.
Hikaru slowly leaned back in his chair, intertwined his fingers, crossed one leg over the other, placed his hands before him, and smiled faintly.
"A very simple goal. The same as Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara once dreamed."
"I want peace in this world. I want a world where villages and countries no longer slaughter each other—where people become one family."
"A world where every problem can be solved through discussion instead of blood."
"A world where ordinary people can live without fear. Where children will never have to watch their parents die… where they will never starve… where they can go to school… where they can grow up without war."
"That's all."
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Bonus Chapter at 100 Power Stone
Second Bonus Chapter - 200 Power Stones
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