The Future of Iwagakure

"Just like now."

"Eh?"

Kurotsuchi had been hoping Shirozumi would reveal some crucial information. When she heard those five words, she froze for a moment, then frowned.

Those five words sounded like something a cheap con artist would say—far too ambiguous.

"Iwagakure is suffering from a shortage of talent right now, isn't it?"

Shirozumi ignored Kurotsuchi's expression and continued.

"Huh? You even gathered intelligence like that?"

Kurotsuchi snapped back to her senses, somewhat surprised.

So it wasn't vague after all. He really did know Iwagakure's current situation?

"Because during the last Shinobi World War, the Third Raikage went on a rampage and killed too many of you, right?"

Shirozumi curled his lip as he said this.

In truth, all Five Great Shinobi Villages had suffered a reduction in Combat Strength.

Only Kumogakure had fared somewhat better, having mainly lost just one Kage.

Kirigakure's bloodline clans had been ostracized and exterminated by their own people, while the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had been beaten into the Three Auspicious Treasures on the battlefield, greatly diminishing their strength as well.

Sunagakure had its funding cut and was among the worst off.

As for Konoha, there was no need to mention it. It was only holding on because even a dying camel was bigger than a horse.

During the future Fourth Shinobi World War, most of the "Down's Syndrome Ninja Alliance" gathered before the Impure World Reincarnation Second Mizukage came from Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Sunagakure.

"Yeah... Could it be that even after all this time, Iwagakure still hadn't recovered?"

Kurotsuchi's face was full of worry.

"Do you want to know why?"

Shirozumi asked.

"It must be because I wasn't good enough. It couldn't possibly be because of that old man, could it? He's already so old—how many more years can he even live? Sigh..."

Kurotsuchi's tone was full of self-blame.

Kurotsuchi was a very confident person. Since childhood, she had hardly suffered any setbacks, much like Konohamaru.

There were only a few things that could make her so dejected.

"Actually, Ōnoki lived quite a long life. He was still alive around twenty years later."

"Eh?"

"Then it definitely was that old man's fault—that stubborn old fossil! I knew it, how could I possibly be the one who made Iwagakure..."

The moment Kurotsuchi heard that Ōnoki was still alive then, she instantly shifted the blame with the speed of an opera face change.

"Actually, neither of you turned out much better."

"..."

"Did I become a stubborn old fossil too? No, even twenty years later, I wouldn't be old yet."

Kurotsuchi began doubting herself again.

"Because of the lack of talent, Ōnoki chose to create 'artificial humans' in order to protect Iwagakure's younger generation of shinobi.

"One of them, Ku, was created using his cells and could use Dust Release.

"Another one, named Sekiei, was made using Deidara's cells and could use Explosive Clay."

Shirozumi spoke of what Ōnoki would do in the future.

"What?! That old man dared to defile my art?!"

Deidara had been listening in on the side, happily watching Kurotsuchi get shut down. Then he suddenly heard something involving himself—and it was about stealing his cells and his explosive art?

"Don't worry. Those artificial humans quickly lost control and all died. Ōnoki also perished together with his own Dust Release artificial human."

"Oh."

Once Deidara heard they were gone, he stopped caring.

As for whether Ōnoki died, that was irrelevant.

That bastard had lived long enough. It was about time he died.

"That's good. That artificial human project must have been stopped by the future me too, right?"

Kurotsuchi also sighed in relief upon hearing this.

She paid no attention to the news of Ōnoki's death either.

"It was stopped."

"Do you think that was a good thing?"

Shirozumi looked at Kurotsuchi and asked faintly.

"Hmm? Doesn't this artificial human project violate ethics and morality?"

Kurotsuchi was immediately puzzled by Shirozumi's question.

"At the time, Konoha was also secretly developing Scientific Ninja Tools, and Orochimaru, whom they supported, had developed cloning technology similar to artificial humans.

Technology itself is neither right nor wrong. Only those who use it can be in the wrong.

Ōnoki failed because he was already advanced in years. Though willing, he lacked the strength to inspect every detail thoroughly, and thus fell into someone else's trap...

Kurotsuchi, do you want to know what 'great deeds' you accomplished as Tsuchikage in the future?"

As Shirozumi spoke, he took out a scroll he had prepared before setting off. It contained some information about Kurotsuchi.

"What is this?"

Kurotsuchi asked when she saw Shirozumi pull out a scroll.

"Some things can't be proven with words alone. You need to see the evidence."

Shirozumi opened the scroll. Inside were several Konoha newspapers and shinobi world newspapers.

"After the Fourth Shinobi World War, before new enemies arrived, the shinobi world maintained a period of peace. During that time, the Five Great Shinobi Villages signed a peace agreement.

However, the daimyo of the Land of Earth wanted to invade a small country—the Land of Hua.

He demanded Iwagakure's assistance. As Tsuchikage, even though you knew this would break the peace agreement, you still chose to obey the daimyo's orders.

In order to claim the moral high ground as much as possible and avoid bearing the reputation of destroying the peace, you took the initiative to quarrel with Konoha's Hokage at the time, accusing him of developing Scientific Ninja Tools.

His Strategist noticed something unusual about you. After learning the full story, he had the daimyo of the Land of Fire convene a daimyo meeting.

The other four daimyo pressured the daimyo of the Land of Earth together. In the end, the Land of Fire ceded back the territory it had occupied in the past, and only then was the matter settled."

While Shirozumi recounted the events, Kurotsuchi flipped through the newspapers.

The newspapers were not as direct as Shirozumi had been, but Kurotsuchi did not doubt him.

As the granddaughter of a Tsuchikage and the future Tsuchikage herself, Kurotsuchi understood how these things worked.

Some matters could not be laid out in the open.

There were reports about Ōnoki's death and reports about artificial humans causing a disturbance.

Yet there was no mention of Ōnoki making a mistake. Presumably, it was to give her grandfather, that aged hero of the shinobi world, a dignified ending.

The same went for the daimyo of the Land of Earth.

There were only reports of the Tsuchikage, Mizukage, and Hokage arguing, as well as reports of the daimyo convening a meeting and the daimyo of the Land of Earth returning in frustration. There were no details about what had happened.

That was perfectly normal as well.

With a ceasefire agreement that had lasted for years, it was impossible to report that someone was suddenly preparing to tear up the agreement.

Just as Ōnoki had hoped Shirozumi and the others would not tell ordinary people about "deterrence" earlier—it was all to avoid causing panic.

"Then... then what should I do?"

Kurotsuchi returned the newspapers to Shirozumi, her eyes somewhat lost as she stared ahead.

Why was this so different from what she had imagined?

She had thought that once she knew what happened in the future, she could make changes, get ahead of it, and find a better path.

But there was no choice at all, was there?

Maybe she simply shouldn't become the Fourth Tsuchikage after all?

"Are you thinking that even if you know what happens in the future, you still can't change anything, so you no longer want to inherit the position of Tsuchikage?"

Seeing Kurotsuchi's expression, Shirozumi chuckled softly.

"How did you know?"

Kurotsuchi turned to look at Shirozumi in surprise. She had not expected him to see through her thoughts at once.

"It's not impossible to change things."

Shirozumi smiled at Kurotsuchi.

"How? By finding a way to persuade the daimyo?"

Kurotsuchi's face drooped.

"Kill the daimyo."

"Ah?"