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A gigantic figure dropped from the sky like a ball of flesh. Though his body was over ten meters across, he was as agile as a leopard. The instant he landed, he grabbed Sarutobi Wataru and looked at Mingye as if he wanted to fight. But that was as far as it went. He curled back into a ball and rolled like a boulder, crushing the ninjas in his path as he beat a hasty retreat from the occupied area.

"Quite the sensible fellow! The Nara Clan really is a gathering place for brilliant strategists!"

He hadn't said a word on his way in or out, but the man was Akimichi Shan, whom Mingye had just seen. As he left, Akimichi Shan barreled straight through the still-standing ranks of samurai. Caught off guard by his sudden attack, the samurai found that their reinforcements had become the deadliest threat of all. They were crushed to pieces, and blood stained the entire area, turning it into a living hell.

Madara stood beside Akiyama Nobunori without attacking him, and Akiyama Nobunori seemed to have no intention of struggling. He watched as more than a hundred of his men were slaughtered like ants by fewer than ten Uchiha Clan members. His expression never changed; he simply watched, impassive. More than ten minutes passed, and only a few of his men remained alive. At last, Akiyama Nobunori spoke.

"What does Sato have that I don't?"

Madara couldn't be bothered to answer him, but Mingye had already walked over. He smiled and nodded at Akiyama Nobunori, then spoke as casually as if greeting an old friend.

"He's easier to control. Now that everyone's dead, there's no harm in telling you: the Uchiha Clan's ambition isn't merely to let trash like you keep ruling the world. Only the capable deserve the right to rule. The sun must be able to give off light and heat on its own. Otherwise, it's time for someone new to take over!"

Had Mingye said this twenty years later, perhaps no one would have challenged him. But in this age of chaos, his words amounted to treason and blasphemy, a capital offense. Akiyama Nobunori sneered and cursed at him.

"Hmph! You treasonous dogs!"

Mingye didn't mind. He taunted him in return.

"Fat pig, when you're dead, you'll watch alongside the real dogs as we become the brightest sun in the world. Now kill yourself. A samurai ought to know how to act like one!"

Perhaps this world had its own code of bushido. Akiyama Nobunori drew the short sword at his waist, not to make one last futile stand, but to carefully wipe it with the handkerchief he held. Then, his expression grave, he looked at Madara and Mingye and cursed them both.

"I'll watch you die, one by one. Your ambition will be nothing but a castle in the sky, an empty delusion!"

As he finished speaking, Akiyama Nobunori plunged the short sword into his abdomen and cut across. There was no hatred or fury in his eyes, only a cold stare fixed on Madara and Mingye. Madara paid his curse no heed, while Mingye didn't even bother to look at him. Besides, Mingye practiced the very path of defying heaven.

With Akiyama Nobunori dead, the Uchiha Clan ninjas filed into the cave to take shelter from the rain and rest. Mingye sensed a familiar chakra among them and called out with a laugh.

"Lian! I thought you'd be home with your wife. I didn't expect you to come along with Big Brother!"

Uchiha Lian walked up to Mingye, bowed repeatedly to Madara and Mingye, and answered respectfully.

"I wouldn't dare disobey the clan head's summons! Besides, my wife isn't due for a while yet. The clan has been treating us well, so there's no need to worry!"

Mingye chuckled. Lian's greatest virtue was his upright manner. He always followed the rules and customs of the world, so he would repay even a small favor with a great one. The clan's ninjas might not seem to have changed much on the surface, but their victories had dispelled everyone's anxieties and ambitions. They weren't loyal to the clan out of devotion; it was because the clan had greatly benefited them. With that in mind, Mingye pointed at Akiyama Nobunori's corpse and said to Lian,

"That's true. Akiyama Nobunori is dead now, so take his head to Okayama Castle. It's time for Sato to show what he can do with these affairs!"

"Yes!"

Lian nodded and headed for Akiyama Nobunori's corpse. Two other ninjas found a ledger and brought it over to Mingye. One of them spoke up.

"Third Young Master, we found it! The ledger matches the one found among the Land of Earth ninjas we killed."

Madara furrowed his brow slightly and looked at Mingye, seeming unsure what he was planning.

"Mingye, these accounts..."

Mingye laughed again and explained to Madara,

"Sato wants the meat, so we'll take a little of the soup. As long as we're discreet, I doubt anyone will find out!"

"What are you planning now?"

Madara frowned. He seemed deeply displeased that Mingye kept making plans on his own that Madara couldn't understand. Mingye ignored his displeasure and spoke again.

"Build a dam!"

"Build a dam?!"

Madara's head started to ache at those two words. Mingye always acted first and explained afterward, never asking or reporting in advance. Madara could never tell what Mingye was up to—or what he planned to do next. Mingye saw his confusion and promptly explained in detail.

"The Land of Wind lies in the northwestern deserts. Though it's the largest of the five countries, two-thirds of it is desert. They lack water, arable land, and food. What they need most is water. The Land of Rain is drenched by endless rain all year round, and much of that water flows down the rivers into the Land of Wind, where its ninjas use it to irrigate the few fields they have. What if we built a dam and charged them a hefty fee? What do you think, Big Brother?"

Madara pursed his lips, seemingly very unhappy with Mingye's shameless greed.

"Mingye!"

Mingye, however, reminded him,

"Big Brother, we can't build a village with just a few tens of thousands of coins. To gain anything, we have to put something in. We have nothing right now, so we need to get something first before we can afford to invest. Only by investing can we earn a handsome return!"

"Do as you like!"

Madara had nothing more to say. Even if he didn't know the price of daily necessities, he knew that Sato's rewards alone wouldn't be enough to build a village. He fell silent, turned, and walked out into the heavy rain.

In a valley with low-lying terrain, a river cascaded from a height of only a few dozen meters. Its silvery water fell like a curtain, while the uneven terraces all around sent the water plunging down again, forming a succession of breathtaking sights.

Beside the waterfall stood a bamboo grove. At its center was a pavilion, where a man in fine clothes was going through the steps of a tea ceremony. Zhanye suddenly appeared outside the grove, entered, and knelt before the man. He spoke respectfully.

"My lord! I've brought the men."

The man seated there, performing the tea ceremony, was Zhanye's master, Shimura Sasuke. With a smile on his face, Shimura Sasuke looked kindly at Zhanye and raised a cup of tea toward him. Zhanye hurried over to accept it.

"Mm! I just made this tea. Come and have a taste. It's a superb fragrant tea grown atop the highest mountains in the Land of Clouds!"

Zhanye bowed again in thanks.

"Thank you, my lord!"

Shimura Sasuke seemed used to this. Smiling, he continued,

"Sit and have some. And those two—yes, invite them in as well. We have nothing to do but drink tea, after all! This place has such lovely scenery; it's a fine spot for a chat."

As Shimura Sasuke finished speaking, Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju suddenly dropped from the sky and landed on the steps below the pavilion.

"Hashirama Senju pays his respects, my lord!"

"Tobirama Senju pays his respects, my lord!"

Rapid footsteps sounded in the bamboo grove, but Shimura Sasuke still wore a smile. He raised a hand and waved, and the hurried footsteps immediately fell silent. Then Shimura Sasuke sighed in admiration.

"Quite the impressive skills. No wonder the Senju Clan has such gifted ninjas. This bamboo grove may look as if I'm alone, but there are over a hundred ninjas hidden all around us!"

Hashirama clasped his hands and replied apologetically,

"I'm sorry to have startled you, my lord!"

Shimura Sasuke chuckled. He hadn't been startled in the slightest by their arrival, nor did he care about Hashirama's apology. Instead, he praised Hashirama.

"Ha ha! Not at all. If they failed to notice you, it only means they haven't mastered their art. Isn't that perfect? It shows you have extraordinary talent. You should know, there are only two kinds of people who aren't envied: the first are mediocrities, and the second are peerless geniuses whom no one can catch up to. I believe you're not the former. Don't you have the confidence to be the latter?"

Tobirama frowned slightly. Shimura Sasuke was completely different from the general he'd heard about in the rumors. He seemed like a kind old man. If not for the way he'd just waved his hand, Tobirama wouldn't have believed he was a general at all. He raised a hand and, cutting in before Hashirama could speak again, replied to Shimura Sasuke,

"I'll remember that."

Shimura Sasuke gave Tobirama a meaningful look, then gestured for the two of them to sit down and join Zhanye in tasting his fragrant tea.

"All right! Enough with the compliments. Tea doesn't taste good once it's cold, so drink up while it's hot. We can talk as we go!"

After Hashirama and Tobirama sat down on the stone stools and lifted their tea, Shimura Sasuke spoke.

"Three days ago, Akiyama Nobunori of the Land of Rain committed suicide!"

Zhanye, who had just drained his tea in one gulp, stiffened. Shock showed on his face.

"General of the Fifth Army?!"

Shimura Sasuke shook his head with a bitter smile and sighed.

"Ha ha, there are no generals anymore. Everything has begun to change. That's why I was so eager to meet you."

Hashirama looked at Shimura Sasuke with a grave expression.

"What do you mean by 'general'?"

Shimura Sasuke didn't answer Hashirama's question directly. Instead, he changed the subject.

"Looking at the Land of Fire as a whole, if anyone can stop the Uchiha Clan from acting so recklessly, surely it can only be your Senju Clan!"

Hashirama's face was full of bitterness at Shimura Sasuke's praise.

"My lord, you jest. The Senju Clan no longer has that kind of strength."

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