"Third-Tier Spell – Moderate Wounds Cure~"
Warm magic rippled through the carriage. On the floor, still in her "horse" pose, the female warrior Sukama slowly turned her head, watery eyes lifting toward Lilinette, the priestess currently bathed in a glow of pure and sacred radiance as she cast her spell.
Then Sukama glanced at Soren, who was still doing all sorts of terrible things behind her, and let out a breathy complaint.
"Lord Soren, you really shouldn't be using the priestess's healing magic on this kind of thing~"
Moderate Wounds Cure not only healed injuries, but also restored a decent chunk of stamina.
As the magic seeped into her, Sukama's strength gradually returned. She pushed herself up from the carriage floor to sit upright, one arm hugging her chest, the other tucking back the sweat-damp hair sticking to the corner of her mouth.
Her cheeks were flushed a deep red, eyes hazy with a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction—clearly still recovering from the "battle" she'd just gone through.
Those bright eyes shimmered, reflecting the priestess's figure.
Around Lilinette's snow-white neck, the Earthen Holy Seal that signified her god's blessing had already fallen to the floor, lying there quietly on the carriage boards.
Sukama's lips curled; her voice was nothing like her usual crisp, heroic tone—now it was soft and syrupy, every syllable dragging a teasing tail.
"You disgraceful little priest… If Earth God ever saw what a cheap little thing you turn into, She'd definitely smite you with holy punishment~"
"Nonsense… Earth God… if She saw Her… believer making flexible use… of the healing… magic She granted… She'd definitely… ah~"
Lilinette tilted her sweat-beaded face, gaze rippling like water as it slid from Sukama to the Soren behind her. Her red lips parted in a breathless giggle.
"Lord Soren~ tell me… who do you think is prettier? Lilinette… or me?"
"You're both pretty, obviously."
Once things finally calmed down, Soren flicked his hand, unleashing First-Tier Spell – Clean. Gentle light swept through the carriage, erasing every last trace of their "activities" until only the lingering blush on the warrior and priestess's faces remained.
By noon, Sukama was energetic again, perched up front in the coachman's seat, reins in hand as she guided the carriage toward the next city.
Sunshine and cool wind brushed over her face, and for a moment she allowed herself a relaxed smile—
which quickly faded.
On the road, they'd encountered several squads of armed elites in matching military uniforms. Each group had passed through like ghosts—swift, efficient, dangerous. Just being in their presence made Sukama's skin prickle.
Years of adventuring had honed her instincts; she could feel it clearly. Some of those people carried naked malice.
Yet whenever their gazes brushed over this carriage, their expressions would shift… and then they'd look away, picking up speed and vanishing down the road.
"The top half of the fan is red, the bottom half with the handle is white… and the two parts don't even connect—what kind of emblem is this supposed to be…?"
Sukama glanced up at the fan-shaped banner fluttering from the front of the carriage.
As it snapped in the wind, she couldn't help remembering how those two powerful toads had addressed Soren—"Supreme Leader"—and her thoughts began to circle around that unsettling combination of details.
Her fingers gently stroked the tough, flexible leather of the reins. Watching the eight fine horses run steadily ahead, she let her lips curl again, finally allowing herself to enjoy the slow, lazy comfort of an afternoon on the road.
Inside the carriage, Lilinette had collapsed onto the narrow bed, spent both physically and magically.
Her lithe body sank deeply into the soft mattress, breaths evening out. Her lashes trembled, cheeks still tinged pink; there was a trace of tiredness on her face, but at her brows and lips a subtle, inviting charm lingered—as if she might seduce someone even in her sleep. Even dreaming, her small mouth still moved, nibbling at some imagined sweetness.
This priestess must've been a succubus in her last life—one that only knew how to steal looks.
On the other side, now replaced by a clone, Soren sat comfortably in the carriage seat, opening his system panel with a focused expression.
— Uchiha Soren
Class: Elementalist · Fire (LV10); Elementalist · Lightning (LV2)
Skills: First-Tier magic, Second-Tier magic
Overall Power Level: LV12 (Gold-rank adventurer, equivalent to elite units of a human nation)
Ascension Points: … (continually increasing)
So damn slow.
A flicker of helplessness passed through Soren's eyes.
His Elementalist · Lightning class had reached level 2 yesterday. To push it up another level would take at least one more day.
In the shinobi world, just about every method of strengthening a body was tied to chakra. The Greyrat Stone's power was also highly exclusive and incompatible.
This body, which had committed to the mana system, could barely borrow anything from ninja-world enhancements.
He lifted the side curtain. Warm sunlight poured into the carriage. His gaze drifted over the scenery racing past, thoughts spinning ever faster.
The forward armies have already occupied roughly ninety percent of the kingdom's territory.
Only the last fortress city, E-Rantel, remains. North of that city lies the Tob Forest, and if I remember right, some fairly powerful magical beasts live there.
In the original story, the so-called Forest Sage King—that giant hamster—should be ruling a small territory inside that forest.
Thinking of Root's research talents back in B2 of the Institute, Soren decided he wanted that hamster captured.
No need to kill it; just a blood sample would do.
Besides—raising a big hamster who blushed when its head was petted and had the heart of a shy girl sounded… pretty entertaining.
Personality-wise, the Forest Sage King was straightforward and simple, with a kind of gratitude most humans lacked. Loyalty wouldn't be a problem. It'd make a fine playmate for the kids down the line.
As for the other, uglier beasts—leave enough breeding stock to maintain biodiversity and the potential for future genetic mutations; the rest didn't matter.
Further north of Tob Forest is the Anjelysia Mountain Range. A Frost Dragon King lives there, around Kage-level.
Perfect material to reinforce this clone.
It was practically a universal rule: among true dragon species, white dragons were the weakest. The same held here.
White dragons—here called Frost Dragons—were bottom-tier among draconic bloodlines. Neither as clever nor as strong as their kin.
But all Soren needed was dragon blood.
Once the bloodline changed, with enough Ascension Points, the weakest could become the strongest.
Other powerful non-human species—like Frost Giants and the like—can all serve as decent "nutrient" too.
And I wonder… what happens when you mix a Frost Dragon's power with the Ice Release of Kirigakure's Yuki Clan?
A Frost Dragon Knight, maybe?
Soren rubbed his chin, lost in pleasant speculation.
Day followed day; the moon waxed and waned.
In the blink of an eye, six days had passed since the Shinobi World Summit.
Black Horn Domain, Cloud-Lightning Gorge.
Here, the four major factions had gathered: Kirigakure, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and the multi-village Ninja Alliance.
There weren't many shinobi physically present, but every one of them was a core leader or power-holder.
For once, Soren had come in person to handle "serious business." He stood on a high platform raised with Earth Release, a Flying Thunder God kunai planted at its center. Beside him stood General Staff Vice-Minister Uzumaki Mito.
The two had teleported in moments ago, and their arrival drew every gaze like iron filings to a magnet.
Soren swept his eyes over the assembly.
On the Kirigakure side, Fourth Mizukage Genshiro stood at the head.
Beside him was Kōketsu Yagura, freshly made Three-Tails jinchūriki just yesterday—his power had leapt up to Kage-level overnight.
Behind them stood the three bloodline clans that formed Kirigakure's core: Hozuki, Yuki, and Kaguya. Their clan heads were all brushing against the Kage threshold, pressure rolling off them in waves.
Sunagakure's delegation was led by Third Kazekage Chiyo and her younger brother Ebina.
The elder sister's strength barely qualified as Kage-level; the younger brother was a bit weaker. Together, they were roughly comparable to Kirigakure's three bloodline clan heads combined—slightly stronger, if you were being generous.
A monk in robes stood beside them, aura flickering between serene and savage. It was obvious to everyone that he bore One-Tail Shukaku sealed within him.
Iwagakure's group was led by a tall man in a straw hat and red mask, armored in crimson plates—Fifth Tsuchikage Han, host of the Five-Tails. A few elite jōnin clustered behind him, making their delegation look a bit… thin.
The Ninja Alliance contingent was split in two.
On one side stood Hanzo of the Salamander, Rain Village's warlord-like Kage.
On the other was the masked, cold-blooded Kakuzu, now representing a revived Takigakure.
After Uchiha Madara annihilated Takigakure's resistance and took the Seven-Tails, the world had started to quiet. The underground bounty system had collapsed, and Kakuzu, stripped of clients and income, had been forced back home.
He'd eventually struck a deal with Hanzo and formed the Ninja Alliance, uniting various minor villages in a joint stand against Iwagakure.
Soren took it all in with a quick glance, and his lip curled.
"Aside from Konoha, the rest of you are pretty weak, huh."
His lazy, dismissive words drifted out over the gorge.
Faces tightened. Expressions turned ugly. Yet not a single Kage spoke up to object.
Especially not Iwagakure and Sunagakure.
In their hearts they cursed him furiously—
Of course we're "weak"! You butchered half our leadership yourself in the Second Shinobi World War, you damned Human Butcher!
Iwa's entire Kage-tier had been wiped out, and the four-tails they'd paid a fortune to buy from First Hokage had been taken as well. They had yet to recover.
Sunagakure's Second Kazekage and his designated successor had been erased in the same campaign, their veteran jōnin dying in droves. That was how two under-thirty siblings, Chiyo and Ebina, had ended up in charge.
"Honestly, even if we pulled the Uchiha and Senju out of Konoha entirely and made them stand aside…" Soren continued, bored. "The leftovers could still fight you lot to a standstill."
Now that was exaggerating.
Without Uchiha and Senju, Konoha would still have a handful of Kage-level shinobi—six or seven at best. They'd be hard-pressed to maintain dominance in a full-scale war.
But none of that mattered.
The people below believed him.
The General Staff had long since compiled a complete list of combat shinobi for the entire world—everyone but Kage-levels—stored in the Secretariat as a top-secret file.
The only public number was the count of civilian shinobi.
Eighty. Thousand.
One-third of the world's current shinobi population.
That single figure was enough to stun every other village into silence.
Soren let his gaze pass over each leader in turn. Some lowered their eyes. Some clenched their fists. Their hearts were full of helplessness and anger… but above all, an overwhelming fear of Konoha's power.
"No need to waste time on speeches."
He turned his head slightly.
"Lady Mito, I'll leave the ranking report to you."
The Second Generation First Lady, still radiant and imposing, stepped forward to the edge of the platform.
Her presence alone quieted the gorge.
She stood like a mountain peak clothed in silk, white kimono patterned with plum blossoms, mature charm and iron dignity perfectly balanced.
When she spoke, her voice was low, cool, and clear.
"First place: Kirigakure."
"Second: Sunagakure."
"Third: Iwagakure."
"Fourth: Amegakure."
"Fifth: Takigakure."
"The remaining villages are unranked."
On the Alliance side, the minor village representatives exploded.
Voices rose in outrage—
Only to be cut off as Hanzo and Kakuzu turned cold gazes on their own people and barked them into silence.
Iwagakure's Han, on the other hand, was quietly thrilled.
His eyes latched onto Chiyo and the One-Tail jinchūriki monk. He weighed their power in his mind… and new ambitions began to crystallize.
Chiyo and the monk, sensing Iwa's hungry stares, glared right back, their own posture hardening.
"Lady Mito, I have a question."
Once he'd suppressed the noise in his ranks, Hanzo raised a hand.
"Why did the General Staff evaluate Rain and Taki Village separately? We belong to the same faction."
If the Alliance wasn't treated as a bloc, then the coming Kage duels would be disastrous.
Takigakure might well end up seeing Rain as a rival, perhaps even an obstacle.
Kakuzu himself was a mercenary at heart; he'd go where the money and future prospects were.
If Taki Village turned on Rain, the Alliance could crumble…
"Oh?"
Mito smiled faintly, casting a glance toward the Alliance camp. Her finger lifted to point.
"Your foreheads all bear different village symbols. That alone speaks your true alignment."
"Banding together in chaotic times is normal. But rankings are calculated by village, not by temporary coalitions."
"If we accepted faction rankings, Kirigakure and Sunagakure could also form a Sand-Mist Alliance and break the system entirely. That would make the list meaningless, wouldn't it?"
Her cool, scolding tone left Hanzo speechless. His fists clenched at his sides, but he couldn't refute a word.
Still, he had no intention of simply accepting defeat.
"Kakuzu," he said abruptly, "if you're willing to come to Rain, I'll place you at my side—as my equal."
The offer was heavy enough to make even Kakuzu's eyes twitch behind his mask.
If he accepted, Takigakure would be absorbed and reborn as a new major village, with him holding the purse strings.
But as Hanzo's words fell, Kakuzu could feel other gazes turning toward him: from Iwa, from Suna—from every direction.
He was, undeniably, a very valuable piece on the board.
Which meant this was exactly the time to sell high.
He bowed politely toward the platform.
"Lady Mito, if you would—please continue."
Hanzo's brows plunged down. He said nothing, turning his face back to the stage.
Mito's voice rose once more.
"Any village dissatisfied with its ranking may challenge the village directly above it."
"Challenges are strictly limited to Kage-tier duels. Rules are flexible: single combat, tag-team, or group brawls are all permitted."
"However, once a village has lost a challenge, it forfeits the right to issue another one."
Her gaze swept the crowd.
"This is, after all, an internal matter for the shinobi world. We expect you to show restraint."
"The shinobi continent is vast. The New World beyond it is even larger."
Her final reminder loosened the tightness in Chiyo's shoulders. So long as Mito herself urged moderation, the odds of dying outright in a duel dropped sharply.
"It's just…"
She frowned slightly.
"That Han from Iwa is really annoying."
"Is third place not enough for him?"
While Chiyo quietly complained in her heart, Han stepped forward. Only his eyes were visible beneath hat and mask, burning with ambition.
"Lady Mito," he asked, "how will the land be divided after the rankings are decided?"
That was what everyone really cared about.
They all knew Konoha wouldn't have gone to the trouble of ranking them if the differences were trivial. The gap between first and fifth would be substantial.
If it was small, Han might settle for locking in third place. If it was large… he'd have to risk everything.
Chiyo, meanwhile, was painfully aware of her own limits.
If Han fully mastered Five-Tails partial transformations and fought without restraint, she and the One-Tail monk might not be able to stop him.
And even if they won… could they fend off a fresh, hungry Rain Village next?
Rankings weren't just about raw power; they were about prestige, deterrence… and the decisiveness of those at the top.
So this is the depth of the Supreme Leader's plan, Chiyo thought, impressed despite herself. A kind of thinking I'm nowhere near yet.
Under the tense stares of every Kage and leader present, Mito finally answered.
"The shinobi continent will undergo a full redistribution of territory."
"Excluding lands under Konoha's direct alliance, the remaining area will be divided into ten parts."
"First place receives three-tenths."
"Second place receives two and a half."
"Third place receives two."
"The remaining two and a half will be divided among the other villages according to their populations."
Pens scratched. Minds raced.
Roughly speaking, the shinobi continent could be split into six big chunks.
Konoha, the Black Horn Domain, and their allies together occupied around two-fifths.
The remaining three-fifths would be carved into pieces.
Two-tenths of that—a bit smaller than the old Land of Lightning—wasn't much, but it was still a state-sized territory.
The ones really losing out were the small villages, whose lands would be heavily trimmed.
Sunagakure, once the largest in raw area, didn't care as much; most of their land was desert. Even if they started re-greening immediately, it would be years before they felt the loss.
Only Kirigakure's delegation could barely hide their excitement.
A village of scattered islands was about to gain a continuous land mass, large enough to count as a full great nation.
Fourth Mizukage Genshiro couldn't help asking:
"Lady Mito, will all of this new land be carved from the Black Horn Domain?"
Mito smiled faintly.
"This was supposed to be covered later, but since you've asked—there's no harm in telling you now."
She took a breath.
"Konoha has already seized full control of a vast and fertile native kingdom in the New World."
"Its territory covers roughly 275,000 square kilometers."
"Its population is between eight and nine million."
A hush fell.
As expected from Konoha.
In just six days since discovering the New World, they'd taken over an entire kingdom—not much smaller than an elemental nation in its prime.
"If any village is willing to cede all its holdings in the shinobi continent," Mito went on, "Konoha guarantees that village will receive twice the land area in the New World."
"I assure you, the resources won't disappoint."
The leaders' hearts clenched at once.
In front of Konoha, there was no meaningful difference between "major" and "minor" villages anymore. If Konoha ordered them off the continent entirely, none of them were confident about their future.
Mito saw the fear in their eyes and calmly added:
"Relax."
"Konoha is fair. The Supreme Leader is fair. Any land exchange will be entirely voluntary."
"Our policies will ensure you won't suffer for choosing the New World."
She didn't press the matter any further.
"Once the rankings are finalised, Konoha's civilian shinobi will accompany your survey teams to measure and mark your new territories."
"For now—prepare yourselves."
"We settle this today."
With that, Mito allowed Soren to teleport her away.
Two General Staff officers appeared on the platform in their place, there to officially witness the battles.
"Kakuzu. Your thoughts?"
Once Soren and Mito had left—taking their suffocating pressure with them—Hanzo walked up to Kakuzu without preamble.
"Only Rain is prepared to pay you everything you're worth."
If he could secure third place, Rain would leap from minor village to full-fledged major village overnight.
The village would be renamed; its leader would be called Rain Kage.
The words "village chief" would be retired.
"Come, Kakuzu." Hanzo extended a hand, eyes blazing. "Let's found Rain Kage Village together."
"The entire finances of Rain Kage Village will be in your hands."
The condition was absurdly generous.
Kakuzu's eyes glittered beneath his mask.
If he accepted, Takigakure would be merged into Rain under his own supervision. With his existing contacts among Taki's shinobi, he had no fear of Hanzo pushing him out later.
As for double-crossing Konoha by joining Rain now and bolting later… even Kakuzu didn't have that many hearts to spare.
Such a stunt would take more than extra hearts; it required extra lives.
And he wasn't that suicidal.
Meanwhile, Suna and Iwa both felt the vise tighten.
"Kakuzu," Chiyo said, seizing her chance before Rain could close the deal, "before you agree to anything—hear Sunagakure's offer."
She was painfully aware of her village's true combat strength.
If Han committed wholeheartedly and unleashed full Five-Tails partial transformations, she and the One-Tail monk might not be able to hold him.
But if Kakuzu stood with them… second place was all but guaranteed.
More importantly, she was afraid of what would happen after a brutal fight with Iwa.
Even if they clung to third, what if Rain ambushed them in their weakened state?
In that scenario, Suna could drop not just one rank—but two.
Chiyo dipped her head in acknowledgment of Soren's deeper logic. Again, she found herself respecting not just his power but his mind.
"Sunagakure can offer you the position of Finance Minister," she said. "A mature major village can provide you with far more opportunity than an upstart Rain Kage Village."
"The wealth will be vastly greater."
On the Kirigakure side, Genshiro's expression tightened as well.
Realistically, they only had two Kage-level fighters—himself and Yagura. If they got dragged into chain fights, their hold on first place would become precarious.
If we get hurt badly, we might not be able to fend off a motivated second place…
If we're smart, we should make sure Sunagakure burns itself out before it ever reaches us.
Or better—make sure they never get the chance to reach us at all.
Genshiro hesitated only a moment before strolling toward Kakuzu with an easy smile.
"Kakuzu," he said pleasantly, "if you're interested, Kirigakure would be happy to host you."
"We can match Sunagakure's offer."
The gorge collectively sucked in a breath.
No one had expected the top-ranked village to join the bidding war.
Damn it, that old bastard's overplaying it.
Hanzo's jaw clenched.
A moment ago, he'd been offering the richest conditions at the table. In the span of a few breaths, Suna and now Kiri had stepped in to undercut him.
Getting angry at Kakuzu for being valuable would do nothing.
Fine, he thought, shoulders knotting. So long as Kakuzu doesn't join Iwa, I still have a shot.
He glanced at Han, mind racing.
If Kakuzu joined Kiri, Iwa would have to fight their way past Suna regardless.
Worst case, Iwa and Suna would both bleed heavily, and Rain could swoop in and grab third.
Best case, he couldn't help thinking, Kakuzu joins Kiri, Iwa and Suna kill each other, and I stroll into third place laughing.
On the Sand side, Chiyo was grinding her teeth.
Damn that overcautious old man, she thought. Kirigakure already has the highest composite strength, and he still wants Kakuzu?
If Kakuzu went to Kiri, Suna would be stuck as the first line of defense for everyone else.
Still… anything was better than letting Kakuzu fall into Iwa's hands.
As long as Kakuzu doesn't land in Iwa, we can still negotiate.
Iwagakure had reached the same conclusion.
Han looked at Kakuzu and spoke gravely.
"You should already have a sense of Iwa's situation, Kakuzu."
"I inherited the Will of Stone from all our past Tsuchikage. I will defend Iwa's interests, even if I die in this gorge."
"The top three will not be surrendered."
His words weren't just a promise—they were a veiled threat.
If you stand against us, we will fight to the last man.
"If you're willing to join Iwa, we will open our gates to you completely."
In his upright posture and steady tone there was real sincerity. No one present doubted Iwagakure's resolve.
Kakuzu let out a small, humorless chuckle.
"You're all very generous. I'm honored."
He paused.
Then, under the envious and resentful stares of half a dozen villages, he turned—
And walked toward Kirigakure.
Joining the strongest village was the surest way to avoid being dragged into the meat grinder.
If he stood on Kiri's side, he'd never have to set foot on these bloody stones.
Suna wouldn't dare attack first place.
Iwa, even if they managed to defeat Suna, would still have to settle for second.
And if Rain found courage enough to challenge Iwa, there was a good chance Hanzo would get himself killed.
Either way, Kakuzu would be standing behind Kirigakure's shield, ledger in hand, counting money.
Down below, Han and Hanzo locked eyes.
Then Han turned to Chiyo, and in the tension of her gaze, he grinned.
"Come, Sunagakure."
"Let's fight."
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