Chapter 434: A Parting Gift
All the daimyos scrambled, unable to even gather their belongings, hastily grabbing their luxurious robes in an attempt to flee.
But it was already too late.
Kimimaro had no intention of letting these people escape. He activated his Shikotsumyaku, and bone spikes emerged from the ground, nailing the feet of every fleeing daimyo in place.
For a moment, the room was filled with agonizing screams.
However, Kimimaro did not attack the fleeing maidservants.
It wasn't out of pity or tenderness, but rather because of Haneda's instructions.
These maidservants were pitiful individuals, powerless and destitute, sent to serve the daimyos from a young age. Many were forced to sell their talents and bodies, and only those favored by the daimyos lived slightly better lives.
One of the daimyos, who had studied the latest laws of the Fire Country, hurriedly shouted:
"According to Konoha's constitution, we have the right to personal freedom! You can't touch us until our lawyer arrives!"
Kimimaro cast a glance at the daimyo, noting from his profile that he was the daimyo of the Land of Lightning, clearly well-versed in legal matters.
Kimimaro replied coldly, "I'm just a brute, I don't understand the law. I only know that criminals who commit war crimes should be judged by the court and then sent to prison to be punished."
"Especially during wartime. According to Konoha's regulations, I have the authority to execute enemies on the spot."
"And you daimyos are enemies of our nation."
?!
The daimyo of the Land of Lightning protested, "I've heard Konoha's sword never cuts down the old and the young! I'm seventy-three years old, if you do this, the Hokage will surely condemn you!"
Kimimaro responded, "It's true that my big sword doesn't cut down the old and the young. But I also have a small knife."
With that, Kimimaro pulled out a small knife used for peeling apples and slowly approached the daimyo of the Land of Lightning.
The daimyo was so terrified he wet himself, cursing repeatedly, "You, you, Konoha is despicable! Shameless! Vile!"
Kimimaro squatted down, staring into the daimyo's eyes, and coldly said, "And what about when you knowingly break the law? During your reign, you were known for raping women, enjoying murder, and forcing yourself on women in front of their husbands before killing them. Those who kill will be killed."
"You're getting off easy."
The small knife plunged into the daimyo's eye, killing him instantly.
Kimimaro scanned the room full of daimyos. None of them dared meet his gaze.
He recited the crimes committed by each daimyo present.
Public murders were the least of their offenses. One daimyo from a Buddhist country cut off the feet of ordinary citizens for not bowing to him in the streets. Brides were sent to the daimyo's palace for "inspection" under the guise of receiving blessings from monks, but everyone knew the true purpose.
(The crimes mirrored those committed by highland nobles before a certain great figure intervened.)
Feeling nauseated after recounting the crimes, Kimimaro turned to Toneri and said, "Kill them all."
"Understood," Toneri replied, then used his chakra to shield the servants who hadn't fled and had Haku lead them away.
Once only the daimyos remained, Toneri summoned a massive Rasengan and hurled it into the sky.
He and Kimimaro turned to leave, leaving behind a single sentence:
"This is a parting gift."
Boom!!!
The Rasengan exploded, completely destroying the buildings in the valley. Yet the sins of the daimyos remained in reality, awaiting judgment.
...
After the battle at the Rain Village and Konoha, and the fight between Madara and Hashirama at the Valley of the End, Haneda returned to the Land of Wind.
Standing atop a high point, he looked down at the remnants of the anti-Konoha alliance.
These were the fifty thousand troops previously ravaged by Madara. After Madara left, they hadn't fled; instead, they sat or lay lifelessly on the Gobi Desert.
The wounded, especially, lay in the tents with vacant stares, even after receiving basic treatment from the medical units.
"Are they so crushed by Madara that they've lost hope?"
"Or have they grown weary of war after all the suffering?"
Haneda muttered as he observed the distant crowd.
He brushed off the sand on his clothes and disappeared, blending into the enemy camp.
As he walked through, only a few ninjas were alert and watching the surroundings. Most had empty eyes.
Many sat in the shadows of the tents, drinking and smoking, their demeanor one of utter defeat.
Seeing this, Haneda again questioned if bringing Edo Madara was too cruel for the fifty thousand ninja alliance.
They couldn't fight back, couldn't run, and every jutsu Madara used was a devastating attack, each more powerful than the last…
He even summoned meteors…
Madara wasn't some celestial emperor; he could literally summon meteors.
The overwhelming power likely shattered their worldview.
To them, Madara must now seem like an unbeatable foe.
Or rather, upon seeing Madara, they might as well surrender without resistance.
Haneda continued toward the core of the anti-Konoha alliance.
In the main camp, he spotted a familiar figure—Fourth Raikage A, "Mr. Advantage is Mine."
A was slouched in his chair, muttering curses like "Damn it," "Impossible, absolutely impossible," clearly broken by Madara, his mental state visibly affected.
Such a pitiable child… Haneda mused silently.
He entered the tent, pulling the curtain shut. Despite his state, the Fourth Raikage remained vigilant, immediately noticing the moving curtain and footsteps.
"Who?!"
The Raikage, thinking it was an assassin from Konoha, activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode and threw a punch at the entrance without hesitation.
But a hand caught his wrist mid-punch, and Haneda's figure materialized.
"Even the mighty Raikage has moments of existential doubt," Haneda remarked softly.
"Uchiha Haneda! You're alive!!"
Despite his loud exclamation, the Fourth Raikage remained compliant, knowing that resistance was futile against Haneda.
In a defeated tone, he asked, "Are you here to mock me or to negotiate a surrender? You've won. Hardly anyone is willing to follow me into battle now."
Haneda shook his head. In the past, he might have relished mocking the Raikage, but now such trivial pursuits no longer interested him.
"I'm here to invite you to join our new ninja alliance. Uchiha Madara has gathered all the Tailed Beasts and plans to resurrect the Ten-Tails to cast the world into a dream. You're aware of this insane plan, aren't you?"
The Raikage responded bitterly, "Lord Hokage, you've seen the state outside, haven't you?"
"If not for my past reputation and the inherent discipline of ninjas, everyone would've gone home by now."
"Too many have died here, and for them, succumbing to a pleasant dream might not seem so bad."
"Isn't that what those outside drinking themselves into a stupor are doing?"
Haneda replied, "Why not give it a try? Konoha has strong enough warriors to deal with Madara."
The Raikage stared deeply into Haneda's eyes, seemingly understanding something.
"You've won, and the ninja world has won. Only we have lost."
Haneda smiled, "You will still be the Raikage of the Cloud. I don't intend to fully unify everything in the short term."
...…