But this had come from Uchiha Brahman, even though there was no evidence proving that he had made these things.
Yes, in the former Land of Fire, officially, the Sacred Blessing Serum hadn't been created by Uchiha Brahman. It had supposedly been obtained from some unknown source by the former Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
But what kind of people were those daimyō? Didn't they know? At first, they hadn't noticed anything wrong, but now, when they thought about it carefully, the problems became obvious.
How could those daimyō mass-produce such a good thing, manufacture it in huge quantities, export it abroad at an extremely low price, and even build factories in other countries?
Any civilian could buy a dose of the Sacred Blessing Serum. Even hospitals in every country listed it as an essential medicine. They would even actively seek out people who were near death and too poor to afford treatment, then inject them free of charge.
They gave them the Great Blessing, this tremendous gift.
How could that be possible?
Ah, merciful, benevolent, and holy—that was the great Brahman!
Everyone was equal beneath me!
After being injected with the Sacred Blessing Serum, unless Uchiha Brahman gave an order, these people wouldn't even realize that they had become food for the great Kind Father! Oh, no—they were his adorable children! His adorable friends!
Food? Hahaha, how could that be?
That was why, before the Holy Father Redeemer Empire was established, these ninja hadn't noticed anything wrong.
Because before that, those who had received the Sacred Blessing Serum seemed to have no connection to Uchiha Brahman, apart from becoming kinder and gentler and gaining power.
Some ninja had even received the serum and gotten a second lease on life.
"What are you doing?! I've bled for the village! I've served the village! I'm a loyal man! What are you doing?!"
Several ninja seized a shinobi and dragged him into the Tsuchikage's office.
"Tsuchikage-sama, why?! I've bled for the village! I've served the village! Why are you arresting me?!"
The shinobi looked at Ōnoki in the distance and cried out in agitation. He hadn't done anything. He'd just been eating when a group of Anbu ninja grabbed him.
Even now, he had no idea what was going on or why he'd been arrested. He was completely stunned and had no clue what was happening.
"Ikesue Hantaro, are you still pretending? How long do you plan to keep it up?"
Ōnoki stared at the shinobi before him, his expression dark.
Ikesue Hantaro was a Chunin from Iwagakure. After a battle with Konoha, his right hand had been severed, leaving him crippled and ending his career as a shinobi. But not long ago, he'd bought a dose of the Sacred Blessing Serum. After injecting it, his severed hand had grown back, and the chakra within him had increased dramatically.
His strength had even risen from that of a Chunin to a level comparable to an elite Jonin.
But that had been before. The Sacred Blessing Serum was poisonous!
"Pretending? Tsuchikage-sama, pretending to be what?"
Ikesue Hantaro stared blankly at Ōnoki, his face full of confusion. He couldn't understand what the Tsuchikage was talking about.
"You're still pretending at a time like this?"
Ōnoki looked at Ikesue Hantaro's expression and frowned. Then he took out the dose of serum.
"Ikesue Hantaro, stop pretending! After you injected this, you stopped being yourself. Uchiha Brahman has taken control of you! I bet you're desperate to send the village's secrets to your master right now!"
Ōnoki fixed his gaze on Ikesue Hantaro's eyes, as though trying to see something there. But all he got in return was the same bewildered stare.
"Tsuchikage-sama, I haven't been controlled! I'm loyal to Iwagakure. How could I betray the village?"
The innocent-sounding reply made Ōnoki frown.
Just then, more ninja who had received the Sacred Blessing Serum were brought in. After questioning them, he found that none of them seemed to have any problems.
Afterward, Ōnoki had someone read their memories.
The result left him silent.
There was nothing wrong.
Their minds did indeed contain information about Uchiha Brahman, but they already knew that information: Uchiha Brahman had defeated Sarutobi Hiruzen and become Hokage.
Beyond that, these people felt nothing in particular toward Uchiha Brahman.
They hadn't been controlled by him.
In the end, they were all locked up in Iwagakure's prison.
Ōnoki breathed a sigh of relief. He guessed that Uchiha Brahman was using some kind of special ninjutsu to control people who had received the Sacred Blessing Serum. But this control wasn't unlimited; it had its limits. It might not even affect their minds, and could be nothing more than simple puppeteering.
In other words, the reason those daimyō had forced their countries to dissolve and merge into a new nation was that Uchiha Brahman had controlled them.
As long as Uchiha Brahman was killed, everything would return to how it had been.
And if they could obtain this method of control...
Imperial Capital!
"It's time! The great Empire has been established! Now it's time to conquer this world once and for all!"
Uchiha Brahman opened his eyes. Only a few ninja villages and some rats hiding in the shadows remained outside his faith. The ordinary people and weak ninja villages were no cause for concern.
In the great ninja villages, the little creatures who had received the Sacred Blessing Serum and become his dependents watched the ninja there in silence.
"Then first... Iwagakure! Hehehe!"
Uchiha Brahman spoke softly. Then he summoned Konoha's ninja and set off for Iwagakure.
"Praise Brahman!"
"Praise the President!"
"Praise the Kind Father!"
The Empire's ninja knelt before Uchiha Brahman, their faces filled with devotion.
Now, all of Konoha's ninja had received the Sacred Blessing Serum. Those who hadn't wanted it had, after Uchiha Brahman persuaded them, gratefully accepted the injection as well.
Uchiha Brahman looked at one of them, a white-haired man: Kakashi.
He was the one Uchiha Brahman had personally persuaded.
After Kakashi received the Sacred Blessing Serum, his Sharingan reacted with his body and had completely become his own eye.
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