The Mizukage Building's once-grand hall was now in ruins. Cracks left by Shinra Tensei stretched from the ceiling to the floor, exposing the rebar-like framework. Nagato stood behind Lin Feng with Yahiko, Konan, Kakuzu, and Scorpion, waiting for representatives from Kirigakure's Kekkei Genkai clans.
The wound in Kisame's abdomen had completely healed. He carried Samehada over his shoulder, his shark-like face looking even more menacing. Standing beside Lin Feng, he watched the ninjas who filed into the hall.
Their expressions varied: some were angry, some afraid, and others could not hide their wariness. They were representatives of Kirigakure's Kekkei Genkai clans, including quite a few elderly, high-ranking figures.
"Lord Madara, all the representatives who received summons are here." Kisame's voice was hoarse and low, as always.
Lin Feng stood in the middle of the hall with his hands behind his back. His purple Rinnegan swept over everyone present, as if inspecting a group of prisoners awaiting judgment.
"What are you all standing around for? Get down on your knees!"
Kisame roared, his Chakra erupting with Samehada's distinctive devouring aura. The ninjas who were still standing and whispering were instantly cowed by his presence and dropped to their knees without thinking.
Several Kekkei Genkai users flushed red, wanting to resist, but Kisame's merciless pressure held them down. They felt an unprecedented oppression—greater even than what they had experienced under the Third Mizukage.
Lin Feng was pleased with Kisame's actions. The boy's loyalty was the real deal.
He didn't rush to speak, letting the oppressive silence spread through the hall. He knew that sometimes silence carried more weight than any words.
At last, an old man with white hair and a stooped back shakily raised his head.
"May I ask, my lord... why have you summoned us? And where has the Third Mizukage gone?" The old man's voice carried a hint of sorrow and confusion. He was an elder of the Hozuki Clan, and Hozuki Gengetsu had once been his student.
A playful curve appeared at the corner of Lin Feng's mouth.
"The Third Mizukage?" he repeated casually. "An Kage who couldn't lead Kirigakure into the future naturally had to go where he belonged."
He pointed to Kisame beside him.
"From today on, Kirigakure will have only one Mizukage."
"He, Kisame Hoshigaki, is your new Fourth Mizukage."
The hall erupted at once.
"What?!"
"He's just a worthless member of the Anbu disposal squad! What gives him the right?!"
"I won't accept this! It goes against the rules!"
"The Fourth Mizukage should come from one of our noble Kekkei Genkai clans!"
An uproar swept through the crowd, full of angry, defiant murmurs. Every one of these Kekkei Genkai clan representatives held a position of high status. Having to bow to someone who had once specialized in disposing of their comrades' bodies was an utter disgrace.
Kisame's gaze turned cold. Samehada slammed onto the ground with a deafening crash, making the floor tremble.
"Who doesn't accept it?!" His hoarse voice brimmed with murderous intent. "I killed the Third Mizukage. I killed the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. I'm the Mizukage! Anyone who has a problem can step up and try me!"
A bloody aura spread through the hall, and the shouting ninjas fell silent at once. They had all heard of Kisame's fearsome reputation. Many had also seen firsthand how ruthlessly he had taken on the Seven Swordsmen alone. No one dared to step forward.
Lin Feng didn't stop Kisame. He wanted this kind of brutal show of force.
"Silence." Lin Feng's voice wasn't loud, yet it easily drowned out the commotion.
The hall fell silent again.
"You object to this Mizukage simply because you think he comes from a lowly background, or because you think he doesn't respect your Kekkei Genkai clans enough." Lin Feng saw straight through their thoughts. "But what has the respect you demand brought Kirigakure?"
His voice suddenly turned stern.
"Years of isolation have turned Kirigakure into a rotting cage! Outside the village, your economy has steadily declined. Your ninjas go on missions and can't even get enough to eat. Within the village, the Kekkei Genkai clans fight one another, sending their own comrades to the battlefield over what little resources they have!"
"Your village has long since been dragged into the mire by internal strife and fear, yet you still prattle on about rules and tradition!"
"Development is what matters! Without development, without an economy, you pitiful wretches who survive only on handouts from the daimyo will be reduced to slaves and servants!"
His words struck everyone present like a heavy hammer. They wanted to argue, but found themselves unable to refute him. What Lin Feng said was true. Kirigakure's situation was a bloody, undeniable fact.
Lin Feng turned to the elder of the Hozuki Clan.
"Elder Hozuki, Hozuki Mangetsu of your clan has considerable talent. How old is he?"
The old man was taken aback. He hadn't expected Lin Feng to call on him so suddenly.
"Suigetsu is only three years old... He's still training in the village."
"Training? Is he training to become a tool, exploited by the village and eventually killed on the battlefield?" Lin Feng's retort made the old man's heart tremble.
"I can tell you this: I haven't come to destroy Kirigakure. I've come to rebuild it."
"So that in the future, the children of your Kekkei Genkai clans won't have to send little ones onto the battlefield. They'll have a proper childhood to enjoy, instead of being discarded like tools!"
Lin Feng's voice grew calm, yet held an unquestionable confidence.
"I know what your Kekkei Genkai clans are worried about. You're afraid your power will be taken away and your people will be pushed to the margins."
"But what I'm offering you isn't so-called 'equality.' It's true 'prosperity.'"
He raised a hand and looked around.
"From today on, Kirigakure will put an end to its era of oppression!"
"All Kekkei Genkai clans will become the pillars of the New Kirigakure. You will no longer be prisoners who distrust one another, but partners working together to build the future."
"Your Kekkei Genkai abilities will no longer be tools for internal strife. They'll be instruments for developing productivity!"
He looked toward the representative of the Yuki Clan, which possessed Ice Release.
"Can Ice Release only be used to make ice spikes and kill people? Can't it be used for refrigeration and preserving goods, or transporting rare resources?"
Then he turned to the representative of the clan that possessed Explosion Release.
"Can Explosion Release only be used to create explosions and kill enemies? Can't it be used to clear mountains, build roads, and extract resources?"
His words crashed through their minds like successive peals of thunder. They had never imagined that their Kekkei Genkai could be put to such uses.
"I will reorganize the Mizukage Advisory Council, and every Kekkei Genkai clan will have a representative on it. Each clan will receive an appropriate share of resources and authority based on its abilities and contributions to the village."
"But remember, there is only one Mizukage: Kisame." Lin Feng's voice lowered as he reiterated the central point.
"I will grant Kirigakure a brand-new model for development."
"Your Kekkei Genkai abilities will no longer serve only war. They must serve the village's development and the people's livelihoods! I need you to use these powers to create wealth, improve people's lives, and make this country truly strong!"
"I don't need you to be loyal to me personally. I need you to be loyal to this new model, loyal to 'prosperity.' Because only when Kirigakure grows wealthy can your clans truly prosper!"
"I'll give you three days to discuss this within your clans and select someone who can represent your clan's interests and has the spirit to forge new paths. In three days, the new advisory council will be established here. I will personally oversee it and set out our guidelines for future development."
Lin Feng's words rang out with resounding force. The model for development he proposed completely overturned Kirigakure's established way of thinking. War, killing, internal strife... The familiar routines of their lives seemed to have been shattered by a powerful force.
The Kekkei Genkai users who had been furious now had a hint of thoughtfulness in their eyes. They had glimpsed a future they had never imagined: one where they could grow stronger together instead of fighting to the death for what they wanted.
Who wouldn't long for a future of peace and stability?
"Of course, if anyone doesn't want to join, or wants to keep clinging to the old ways, I won't force them." Lin Feng's tone shifted, turning cold. "But the development of the New Kirigakure won't wait for anyone."
"Those remnants of the Old Days who refuse to change will eventually be swallowed up by the tide of history."
"The remnants of the old era have no ticket to the New Era. They can only be swept mercilessly into history's trash heap!"
He looked at Kisame.
"Kisame, did you understand everything I said?"
"Yes, Lord Madara. I've committed every word to memory." Kisame's voice was full of excitement. He felt a sense of purpose unlike anything he had experienced before.
"Good." Lin Feng nodded in satisfaction. "Go on, New Mizukage. Let these people, asleep in their decay, feel what it means to be reborn."
When Lin Feng finished speaking, his figure twisted in place and vanished in a swirling vortex.
With Samehada over his shoulder, Kisame surveyed the kneeling Kekkei Genkai users in the hall, his small eyes alight with fervor.
"You all heard him," he said hoarsely. "In three days, a new beginning will take place here. I hope you won't be foolish enough to let this opportunity slip away."
With that, he turned and strode out of the hall toward the Mizukage's Office. He had plenty to think through and plan.
Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko also turned to follow. Yahiko's face was full of complicated emotions. He hadn't expected the "New World" Lin Feng spoke of to unfold this way. It went against his original ideals of peace, and yet... he seemed to see the faintest possibility.
Only after the members of Akatsuki had disappeared from the hall did the kneeling Kekkei Genkai users dare to slowly get to their feet. They exchanged glances, each seeing shock, confusion, and a faint trace of anticipation in the others' eyes.
"Ice Release for refrigeration and preservation... Th-this is simply..." a Yuki Clan ninja murmured.
"If this really can stop our clans from slaughtering each other over scarce resources..." Another ninja clenched his fist.
They all knew Kirigakure was about to undergo an upheaval unlike anything it had ever seen. And they were right at the center of it.
Elder Hozuki slowly rose. He looked toward the spot where Lin Feng had vanished, then at Kisame's retreating figure, his expression complicated.
"Go on, return to your clans and discuss this carefully." His voice was low, carrying a feeling no one could quite put into words.
"Remember, what he's offering is the only choice you'll have in your lifetime."
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