"I understand."
Shinho nodded firmly.
Tsunade said nothing more and simply held him close.
"Dinner is ready—"
Shizune's voice faltered as she stepped into the room.
Shinho was sitting beside Tsunade, his face buried against her neckline.
The sight was simply too overwhelming for Shizune.
Tsunade quickly pushed Shinho away and stood up. Although she felt awkward, her expression remained calm.
"Is dinner ready?" Tsunade asked as if nothing had happened.
"Y-yes… it's ready…"
Shizune averted her eyes, flustered.
"Then let's eat," Shinho said shamelessly.
…
Two days later.
The three generals of the Land of Fire failed to reach an agreement and inevitably went to war.
Apart from Konoha, most cities were drawn into the conflict.
This was a rare war in the shinobi world, one fought without the participation of shinobi.
Though it appeared to be massive in scale, it didn't have much impact.
Under normal circumstances, Konoha only needed to wait for the outcome.
After all, regardless of who became Daimyo, it wouldn't change much for them.
…
Hokage's Office
Shinho set down the files in his hand.
Following the outbreak of war, many people had fled to Konoha using trains and airships.
Though Konoha was more of a city than a village, space was still limited.
The sudden influx of refugees created immense pressure in the infrastructure.
"Yamato-senpai has been working overtime building wooden houses," Uzuki Yugao reported after a pause. "For now, it's barely sufficient, but more people are arriving every day."
There was one thing she didn't say—
If this continued, Yamato's would eventually be wrung dry.
"That's enough for now. Please call Aunt Mikoto over," Shinho said after a moment's thought.
"Yes."
Yugao nodded and left.
Moments later, Uchiha Mikoto stepped into the office.
"Aunt Mikoto," Shinho greeted her. "How many shinobi of the Uchiha clan can be mobilised? Only those ranked Chunin or higher."
"About thirty," Mikoto estimated after some thought.
"That's enough."
Shinho nodded and instructed, "Have them gather at the transportation station in thirty minutes."
"Understood."
Mikoto hesitated and then asked, "Is this for a major mission?"
She had already been informed by Yugao to keep the Uchiha Jonin from taking external missions lately. Now, even the Chunin were being called to assemble.
"We'll be protecting the railways," Shinho replied with a smile. "The war in the Land of Fire has damaged several of our newly paved rail lines."
Mikoto's heart skipped a beat.
If this were simply about protecting railways, there was no need to mobilize only Uchiha shinobi.
Recalling the infamous "scarlet banquet," the answer became clear—
Shinho wanted the Land of Fire itself.
"I'll notify them immediately," Mikoto said resolutely.
The fact that the Uchiha clan was being entrusted with such a significant task showed just how much Shinho valued them.
As for who became Daimyo? That was irrelevant.
As shinobi, their duty was to follow the Hokage's orders.
After Mikoto left, Shinho walked into the adjacent office.
He pushed open the door and found Shizune lying on the sofa, resting, with her legs, clad in black stockings, facing him.
"Aren't you worried someone might see you like this?"
Shinho stepped forward and asked.
Because her feet were propped on the sofa's armrest, her fitted pencil skirt had ridden up, exposing a tantalizing glimpse of her thighs.
Through the sheer fabric of the stockings, her pale skin was faintly visible.
"Other than you, who would be brazen enough to barg in here without knocking?"
Shizune lowered her legs and replied calmly. "Besides, I set an alert, but since it's you, it didn't trigger."
"I'm heading out for a bit."
Shinho sat beside her, his hand gently caressing her thigh over the smooth fabric of her stockings.
"Where to?"
Shizune's gaze sharpened. "Is it because of the Akatsuki?"
"No, not this time."
Shinho shook his head. "I'm going to the capital of the Land of Fire."
Shizune quickly understood.
So, he was making his move on the Land of Fire.
Compared to the Akatsuki, the three generals of the Land of Fire posed no real threat.
However, Shinho's actions were unprecedented, bold to the point of defiance.
No shinobi village had ever dared to do such a thing before.
Shinho was breaking the rules, and it could very well provoke the other four great nations into retaliating.
"Come back soon."
Shizune wrapped her arms around him, her lips parting slightly to reveal a hint of white teeth.
With her so unguarded, Shinho knew exactly what to do.
He leaned down and kissed her.
Shizune's cheeks flushed red, and her eyes sparkled like they were filled with hearts.
A minute later, their lips parted.
Shinho gave her cheek a playful pinch and stood up to leave.
…
Transportation Station
The area was bustling with activity.
In the southwest corner, a group of Uchiha shinobi stood quietly.
There were thirty-four of them, their collective aura cold and intimidating. No one dared to approach them.
At the front of the group stood Uchiha Mikoto.
Beside her was Sasuke.
Originally, Shinho hadn't intended to bring Sasuke along. However, with such a large-scale operation, it was impossible to keep it hidden from him.
After understanding the situation, Sasuke volunteered to participate.
Mikoto Uchiha recalled that Shinho's orders were for all Chunin-level shinobi and above, so she agreed.
"Mikoto-sama,"
Uzuki Yugao appeared suddenly. "Please follow me."
Under her guidance, the group boarded a train.
The entire train had been cleared, and there were no other passengers.
"Shinho."
Mikoto slid open the compartment door and entered.
"The destination of this train is the capital of the Land of Fire."
Shinho began explaining, "But according to reports from the Anbu, the railways near the capital have already been destroyed."
"What do you need us to do?" Mikoto asked.
"The capital has been occupied by a general named Shingen Takeda."
Shinho smiled. "There's an army of about 100,000 stationed nearby. You'll need to break through their lines and take control of him."
"I understand."
Mikoto's face was full of confidence.
An army of 100,000 sounded intimidating, but to shinobi, it was nothing.
"There are plenty of empty sleeper cabins on the train," Shinho added, "Find a place to rest, but don't be negligent. Vigilance is nessessary, no matter who we're dealing with."
"Yes, I understand."
Mikoto turned and left, closing the compartment door behind her.
At that moment, a blue light flashed and the petite figure of Ichikishima-hime materialized.
"Come here."
Shinho beckoned to her.
Ichikishima-hime floated down from the air and landed directly on his lap.
She sniffed him and her cheeks turned red.
"You really are like a cat."
Shinho reached out and rested his hand on her silk-clad thigh.
"Meow! Meow!"
Ichikishima-hime lifted her small head and imitated a cat's cry.
Shinho narrowed his eyes.
"What if I said you were like a dog…"
Before Shinho could finish his sentence, she interrupted him.
"Woof! Woof!"
Ichikishima-hime exclaimed excitedly.
Her soft body arched like a graceful serpent as her hips swayed slightly.
"You really do deserve some punishment."
Shinho grabbed her by the waist and sat her down firmly in his lap.
"M-Master…"
Ichikishima-hime's eyes shimmered as she whispered, "Please… do as you wish…"
Shinho didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he gently caressed her slightly toned abdomen and let out a long sigh.
"How powerful is the White Snake Sage?" Shinho asked, feeling the warmth radiating from her.
"She's incredibly strong," Ichikishima-hime replied as she shifted her body. "Stronger than the three Snake Princesses combined."
"Does she trust you?"
Shinho asked while observing her serpentine grace.
"She does."
Ichikishima-hime lifted her head proudly.
"Good."
Shinho leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.
Time passed.
In the afternoon, the train came to a stop.
The tracks ahead had been destroyed.
Moreover, they were surrounded by fully armed soldiers.
Shinho scanned his surroundings.
The soldiers' armor had a distinctly ancient design, making Shinho, accustomed to Konoha's modern conveniences, feel as if he'd stepped into another era.
"Aunt Mikoto," Shinho said casually, "it's time."
In an instant, all 34 Uchiha shinobi standing beside him activated their Sharingan.
The sky lit up with a crimson glow.
Shinho took a step forward.
One by one, the soldiers collapsed.
"W-what's going on?!"
"Those are Konoha's shinobi! How are we supposed to fight them?"
"Why are they even here?"
Panic spread like wildfire.
As ordinary soldiers, they had no defense against the Sharingan.
Anyone who approached fell under its genjutsu.
The fallen soldiers blocked the path, preventing the remaining forces from charging forward.
At that moment, the ground trembled slightly.
The soldiers parted, revealing a clear path.
Three columns of cavalry rode forward and quickly halted before the shinobi.
"I am Shingen Takeda."
The middle-aged man leading the cavalry demanded, "What is the meaning of this, Konoha? Why are you attacking my soldiers?"
His demeanor and attitude were calm as he believed that shinobi would naturally follow the orders of the Land of Fire's leaders.
Shinho simply glanced at Mikoto.
In the next moment, Shingen Takeda's body shuddered as he fell under the genjutsu of the Sharingan.
"We're here to assist you, General Takeda," Shinho said with a smile. "Please lead us into the city."
"Stand down!" Shingen Takeda shouted to his troops.
The surrounding soldiers breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Being asked to fight shinobi who wielded monstrous powers was an impossible task for ordinary men.
"Are the officials still inside?" Shinho asked as they walked forward.
"They are," Shingen Takeda replied. "I've confined them all within the palace."
"Good."
Shinho nodded slightly. "Let's meet them."
The group entered the metropolitan capital of the Land of Fire.
The once-bustling streets were now eerily deserted.
Soon, they arrived at the palace.
"Sasuke," Shinho said in an even tone, "I have a task for you."
"What is it?" Sasuke stepped forward, eyes unwavering.
"Rebuild their memories," Shinho instructed calmly. "Make them into officials loyal to Konoha."
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