By dawn, a shaky semblance of order returned to the Land of Lightning's Daimyō Estate.
The newly installed daimyo — propped up like a puppet by the Third Raikage A — stood trembling before his retainers. He delivered a teary denunciation of the "atrocious betrayal" committed by the falsely impersonated Kinkaku and Ginkaku.
The performance was pitiful.
But the impact was catastrophic.
The story spread across the Five Great Nations like wildfire.
One terrifying conclusion settled over every daimyo:
The samurai age was over.
The shinobi age had begun.
Panic in the Fire Daimyō's Palace
"Where is Ichihiko?! Bring him here immediately!"
The plump Fire Daimyō was drenched in cold sweat, robe half-slipping from his shoulder.
He had always mocked the Lightning Daimyō as incompetent…
But now?
His face turned ghostly white.
If shinobi wanted a daimyo dead, not even a fortress of steel would save him.
"Father! I'm here!"
Prince Yuan Ichihiko rushed in, panting, hair disheveled.
"Father—we must strengthen ties with the Uchiha immediately!
As long as Kaori holds Uchiha Soren's favor, we can still survive this!"
"YES! Good! Very good!!"
The daimyo's voice cracked, half desperation and half relief.
"Give the Uchiha whatever they want!
Cherish the marriage!
Appeal to emotion!
Appeal to reason!
Offer treasures!
Offer land!"
His voice dropped to a hoarse whisper:
"If Kaori bears the Hokage a child… that child can inherit the daimyo's seat… after you."
Ichihiko froze.
Then slowly… relaxed.
If he still inherited first, then the future hardly mattered.
But a chilling thought struck him:
"Father… what if the Uchiha want the daimyo's throne for themselves?"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT IF?!"
The daimyo threw a scroll at him.
"LOOK AT LIGHTNING!
Does that 'new daimyo' even look like the original?!
For all we know he's a ninja in disguise!!"
He practically spit on Ichihiko's face as he shouted.
Then he called for his military retainers…
Only to realize something horrifying:
Their shinobi forces were almost nonexistent.
The daimyo nearly collapsed on the spot.
"Recruit! Recruit shinobi immediately!!
I don't care the cost!
We need our own loyal ninja forces!"
The retainers trembled and kowtowed.
"And call the monks from the Fire Temple!!
Our palace must not become the next Lightning Country!"
Finally, he clutched Ichihiko's sleeve.
"Confirm the Uchiha dowry.
And ask Uchiha-dono whether Fire Country should join the 'suppression mission' against Lightning…"
Ichihiko bowed.
"I'll go to Konoha at once."
Meanwhile, Konoha Was… Peaceful
None of this chaos disturbed the Third Hokage's morning.
Uchiha Soren strolled into the Hokage Office gloriously late, sipping tea.
Outside, workers demolished old buildings to make room for the new elementary ninja academies.
Inside, Princess Kaori, in white-and-crimson kimono with a mourning flower, was learning paperwork under Uzumaki Mito's patient (and increasingly exhausted) guidance.
Minako's clone was assisting Soren's shadow clone at the Advanced Division — welcoming his first five students.
"Hokage-sama," Mito began, "how do you interpret Lightning Country's situation?"
Her tone was ice.
Senju had lost too much to Lightning over the decades.
Helping them was not something she would ever volunteer.
Soren only smiled lazily.
"The mission rewards are excellent.
Treat it as an S-rank mission and send our clans.
Plenty of spoils in Lightning."
Mito's breath hitched.
He wasn't just approving the mission—
He was encouraging Konoha to strip Lightning bare.
But…
If spoils existed, Senju wouldn't refuse their share either.
Soren lifted his cup.
"At the very least, the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails interest me."
Mito's eyes narrowed sharply.
"Seizing tailed beasts may provoke other villages.
You could spark another Shinobi War."
Soren shrugged.
"If they're dissatisfied… let them come.
I'll kill them one by one.
When the dust settles, they'll kneel to sign another peace treaty."
The sheer, effortless killing intent chilled the whole room.
Mito exhaled slowly.
He had already decided.
And truthfully…
She wasn't sure the Five Great Villages were even balanced enough to oppose him.
A New Reality
"Before," Mito said, "I feared the Hokage leaving the village would upset diplomacy."
She paused.
Then spoke with solemn clarity:
"But now…
The world has entered an age where order collapses and morality decays.
If Hokage-sama intends to obtain the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails,
my clan's sealing arts will support you."
Soren's eyes sharpened.
"I'll take the Two-Tails.
The Eight-Tails… I'll entrust to the Senju."
Mito froze.
Then inhaled sharply.
He would… give the Senju a tailed beast?
Despite his ambition, despite his ruthlessness—
He genuinely wished for coexistence.
But she could not accept it.
The Senju today were not the Senju of Hashirama's era.
Giving them a tailed beast might ignite ambitions they could not control.
She bowed deeply.
"The Nine-Tails is enough for the Senju to guard.
Please grant the Eight-Tails to another worthy shinobi."
Her voice softened.
Resolute.
And filled with something quietly loyal.
"Uchiha and Senju advancing hand-in-hand…
That was always our shared dream.
My Hokage-sama."
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