The Empire's Holy War! A Million Ninjas!

Even Nagato, despite his saintly nature, was angered into laughter at this moment.

"Does a fleeting prosperity count as prosperity?"

Nagato's voice grew low, filled with endless sorrow.

He quietly gazed at Jiraiya, complicated emotions flickering in his eyes.

Jiraiya raised his head and replied firmly, "But at least it's prosperity, isn't it? At least no one is bleeding right now, and no one will be saddened by losing their comrades or loved ones. That is the benefit peace brings. We should cherish it."

His voice was filled with a longing for peace, while also revealing his hatred of war.

Looking at Jiraiya, who clung stubbornly to the world he had imagined, Nagato suddenly felt that he was truly pitiful.

"The Emperor once said: Throughout history, there has always been a group of self-righteous people guarding what they believed to be the most perfect order. They would consume their lives and all their convictions for it, because in their eyes, having order was always better than having none!"

"They moved themselves, held back the progress of the times, and clearly turned the world into a complete mess, yet still believed they had made an earth-shaking contribution!"

Jiraiya fell silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh.

He did not understand why Nagato had suddenly become so pessimistic.

Could true change really only be achieved through war? He could not help sinking into deep thought.

Nagato recalled the time when the Emperor had said those words.

At the time, Nagato had only thought that the Emperor was describing himself.

There was no war anymore, and everyone could happily enjoy their lives. Why, then, did the Emperor continue pushing them endlessly, making everyone work hard, harder, and harder still?

It was as if something was chasing them from behind.

Only now, after comparing the two situations, did he finally understand what correct effort was and what futile effort was.

The Empire's development changed with each passing day, and its progress could be seen every day. But this world...

Their histories had begun in much the same way as the Empire's. Ever since Hashirama, they had pursued peace. He could have unified the Shinobi World and brought true peace, yet he could not bear to shed even a little blood at the time, choosing instead to let the entire Shinobi World suffer massive bloodshed for decades.

And then there was Jiraiya. Nagato had already made the consequences clear, yet he still clung to the convictions in his heart.

Was this the everlasting bond people spoke of? That was merely a pleasant way of putting it! It was actually nothing more than pedantry and foolish loyalty!

The banquet below had already ended, seemingly foreshadowing that his relationship with Jiraiya was reaching its end.

Even so, Nagato still wanted to pull him back from the brink.

"Let me tell you about the history of our Empire..."

Nagato looked at the sky, his thoughts sinking into memories.

Upon hearing this, Jiraiya took out a notebook and prepared to record everything at any moment.

He knew that the most important information was about to come!

His opponent was finally willing to speak and reveal information about them!

"Our Empire and the Hidden Leaf Village are currently at the same point in time. It is basically Year 64 of Konoha. The only difference is that twenty years ago, in Year 44 of Konoha, we changed to the Imperial Calendar."

As Nagato spoke, his thoughts sank into his memories.

"I was born in Year 33 of Konoha. I was already eleven at that time. Even though I was in the Rain Village, I personally experienced many things."

"As for the Empire's Holy War, it officially began one year after Hanzo the Salamander declared war on the three nations. In other words, it began in Year 40 of Konoha, one year after the Second Shinobi World War started..."

Jiraiya was secretly alarmed as he listened to Nagato.

Why had the course of development in their world been exactly the same as here?

Could the divergence that followed have occurred in Year 40 of Konoha?

What had happened in their Year 40?

What exactly was this so-called Holy War?

"There are many different accounts of the Emperor's origins, but one thing can be confirmed: the Emperor... Uchiha Senju, Lord Senju, was born during the First Shinobi World War. Both of his parents died in that war."

"He seemed to hate war intensely, because Lord Senju's parents had died in one. He killed Hanzo the Salamander, who was known as the strongest in the Shinobi World at the time and was also one of the culprits behind starting the Second Shinobi World War, in the Rain Village."

As Nagato spoke, a flash of shock appeared in his eyes.

"At that time, Lord Senju's Wood Release and Susanoo shook the entire Shinobi World. He returned to the Hidden Leaf Village and replaced the Third Hokage."

"The other nations of the Shinobi World feared Lord Senju's Kekkei Genkai. They were willing to set aside their differences and join forces to eliminate the Hidden Leaf Village."

"The imagined Battle of Konoha Defense began. However, Lord Senju alone killed all the Allied Forces' leaders, and he also slaughtered more than half of the one hundred thousand shinobi in the Shinobi Allied Forces."

"The Third Shinobi World War ended before it even began. Lord Senju gained the support of the Hidden Leaf Village, and his identity was acknowledged."

"Lord Senju did not rest and recover. Taking advantage of the other nations' severe losses, he led the Hidden Leaf shinobi on a campaign of conquest. Thus began the Empire's Holy War."

Nagato became somewhat excited whenever he thought of that history and those experiences.

He had once looked down on it greatly. Now, after comparing the two situations, he wished he could travel back in time and slap his former self twice.

"In just two years, the entire Shinobi World changed dynasties. Aside from the Hidden Leaf Village, there were no other shinobi villages left. Just as the people of the Hidden Leaf Village were cheering and the Daimyos of the Land of Fire were granting Lord Senju supreme honors, Lord Senju rejected them. He rejected the Daimyos' plan to colonize the Land of Fire and instead intended to replace all nations with a unified Empire."

"He wanted to abolish the Shinobi Village System and end the system of joint rule by Daimyos and shinobi villages."

"The Daimyos were furious, and the shinobi clans were furious as well. They attacked Lord Senju with words, incited countless shinobi to launch a civil war in an attempt to stop him, and even provided enormous resources to support the remnants of the shinobi from other nations."

"At that time, the entire nation rose in rebellion. Lord Senju did not compromise. He used killing to suppress the chaos. He killed everyone who resisted or refused to submit, even those who had merely been deceived or incited!"

"For an entire year, more than one hundred thousand shinobi died, while more than a million civilians perished! His ruthless mercilessness finally made everyone understand that those who followed him would prosper, while those who opposed him would perish."

"After the year-long civil war ended, he purged most of the conservatives and nobles. Those who remained no longer dared to cause trouble. At the beginning of Year 44 of Konoha, the Empire was declared established, and all the nations were converted into provinces."

"According to postwar statistics, eighteen hundred thousand shinobi and 1.84 million civilians died during those three years."

Jiraiya was drenched in cold sweat as he listened. He knew how powerful Hanzo the Salamander was.

But what frightened him even more were those numbers.

"Eighteen hundred thousand shinobi? 1.84 million civilians?"

One had to know that the entire Hidden Leaf Village currently had only a little over ten thousand shinobi. Even by the Fourth Great Ninja War, they had only managed to assemble an Allied Forces of eighty thousand shinobi.

So this so-called Holy War had sacrificed eighteen times the number of shinobi currently in the Hidden Leaf Village?

"You're sure this is called a Holy War? So many people died. The entire world must have suffered tremendous losses, right? The Lord Senju you speak of must have been a war fanatic, wasn't he?"

Jiraiya guessed that the situation at the time might have been so urgent that anyone capable of using even a little ninjutsu had been forcibly conscripted as a shinobi.

Even so, it was still a terrifying number!

He had not yet faced the Uchiha Senju Nagato spoke of, but he could already feel a deep fear.

Someone like that... an evil Uchiha!

Damn it, have I started looking at people through colored glasses too?

Hearing the doubt in Jiraiya's words, Nagato glanced at this world and then let out a deep sigh.

"Yes, I thought it was ridiculous at the time, too. So many people died. Could it really be called a Holy War?"

"But now, I understand."

Nagato's eyes revealed a firm sense of approval.

"Lord Senju accomplished in just three years a magnificent achievement that none of his predecessors had managed to achieve! Twenty years after the Empire was founded, everyone was equal, and there were no more wars!"

"As for your claim that the nation suffered tremendous losses, it is true that everyone lived in fear at the time. However, the Emperor used iron-blooded methods to issue countless policies that benefited the people. During the Empire's first three years, he worked until late every night and personally conducted countless surprise inspections to check whether local governments had implemented policies benefiting the people."

"I can tell you that the so-called tremendous losses were recovered in no more than five years. By the tenth year, domestic prosperity had far surpassed that of the shinobi village era. As for now..."

"As far as I know, more than seventeen million babies were born in the Empire last year. There are over one hundred and ten thousand registered Jonin, seven hundred and ten thousand Chunin, and according to the latest announcement from the Ninja Academy, there are already 2.15 million enrolled students!"