After the wedding banquet officially started, the atmosphere in the courtyard was completely boiling.
Killer B turned the improvised rap into a wedding program, using lame rhymes to sing the couple from acquaintance to fighting side by side, singing to the point where Third Raikage choked the wine into his trachea.
Tsunade grabbed Shaoyu's cup and started fistfighting with Third Raikage. After losing three rounds, Third looked at Shaoyu asking for help. Shaoyu just picked up his new cup indifferently, turning a blind eye to the old man's plight.
Uchiha Setsuna was sitting on the stone bench, looking at the noise in front of him with a smile, as if he had seen the dozen nights when they just migrated to Kumogakure, the Uchiha people sang ancient songs in a low voice beside the campfire. At that time, they did not know what the future was like, but it did not prevent them from embracing happiness at this moment.
The bustle of the wedding continued late into the night.
The lanterns in the courtyard were extinguished one after another, leaving only a few long-bright lamps under the corridor still on. The dim yellow light reflected on the bluestone floor, like pools of warm embers.
The guests dispersed one after another, and Killer B carried the drunk candidate Eight-Tails Jinchuriki and disappeared into the alley. Tsunade counted the money Third Raikage had lost to her one by one, stuffed it into her chest, and returned to her residence with satisfaction.
Uchiha Setsuna was the last one to leave. He walked to the courtyard door with a cane, looked back at the flower petals scattered on the ground and the poured wine bottle, smiled, said softly "It's great", and then disappeared into the night.
Shaoyu stood under the corridor and watched the last guest disappear.
The smile on his face gradually faded in the night, like a knife being slowly sheathed.
Then he turned around, his voice was not high, but every word was clearly transmitted to the ears of the people he wanted to hear.
"Ai. Third. Shisui. Follow me."
Young Ai was still wearing the groom's attire, and the red flower on his chest was stained crimson by wine.
He looked down at the flower, reached out to pick it off, and placed it on the railing of the corridor.
Third Raikage's drunkenness was mostly blown away by the night breeze. He patted his son's thick shoulder, said nothing, and took the lead to follow Shaoyu's pace.
Shisui walked at the end, still holding half a bottle of unfinished sake in his hand. He put the wine bottle on the steps, and the last smile on his face disappeared.
The four people walked through the empty corridor, their footsteps clicking on the stone floor.
On both sides of Raikage Building's corridor are portraits of Raikage from past dynasties.
First, second generation, third generation, and then a new one, Shaoyu in the painting is wearing Raikage robe, with calm and sharp eyes.
Third would unconsciously slow down every time he passed this row of portraits, but tonight he didn't stop.
Shaoyu opened the office door without turning on the light.
Moonlight poured in from the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the room in half-darkness. He walked to the window and stood there, with his back to the three of them, and remained silent for a long time.
Outside the window, Kumogakure lies quietly surrounded by mountains.
Most of the lights in the houses have been extinguished, and only the lights on the sentry tower are still on, like nails driven into the dark night.
Further away, the outline of the training ground is looming - there are thousands of ninjas sweating profusely during the day, Eight Gates troops, Uchiha Fire Release Training Unit, and medical ninjas conducting actual combat exercises. From sunrise to sunset, the soil of the training ground never dries.
Shaoyu turned around, and the moonlight illuminated half of his face, while the other half was hidden in shadow, making his expression look both calm and unfathomable.
He walked towards the desk, ran his fingers across the table, and a chakra pattern was activated, turning the entire table into a huge three-dimensional map.
The territory of Five Great Nations is clearly revealed in the faint blue light - Konoha of Land of Fire, Iwagakure of Land of Earth, Sunagakure of Land of Wind, Kirigakure of Land of Water, and Kumogakure of Land of Lightning.
The location of each ninja village is marked with markers of different colors, and the golden markers of Kumogakure are densely covered in the Land of Lightning territory, and have crossed the national border, like a drop of ink dripping on rice paper, slowly and unstoppably permeating.
"Kumogakure is now the strongest force of Shinobi World."
Shaoyu's finger slowly crossed over the map.
"Konoha is disabled, Hiruzen Sarutobi steps down, 90% Uchiha is here with us, Nine-Tails is still in my body, and we still have to wait every year The compensation is 500 million taels. Iwagakure has shrunk - tens of thousands of ninjas have been lost, Five-Tails Jinchuriki Han has been captured, and Ōnoki that old fox now only dares to hide behind the rock wall."
"Sunagakure is blind--Third Kazekage was assassinated by Scorpion, Chiyo doesn't even dare to speak out. Kirigakure is our ally--Fourth Mizukage Mizunotsuki Shigure is my man, Seven Ninja Swordsmen are all back in their positions, and the opposition is all dead."
His finger finally stopped in the center of the map, at the position Land of Iron.
"All four major ninja villages have been crippled. Kumogakure's military, economic, medical, and Jinchūriki can completely crush any Shinobi World force."
"But they are not completely destroyed yet. As long as they still exist, they may one day stand up again, form an alliance again, and become enemies of Kumogakure again."
Shaoyu raised his head, his eyes like an unsheathed knife passing over the faces of the three people one by one.
"I'm not going to give them that chance."
Third Raikage frowned. He took a step forward, crossed his thick arms, and his old voice echoed in the room, "Boy, what do you mean-"
"Completely defeat Konoha, Iwagakure, Sunagakure." Shaoyu said, his tone as calm as if he was saying something natural.
"It's not about signing unequal treaties, it's not about supporting agents, it's not about making them surrender. It's about completely eliminating their existence as independent ninja villages. Disbanding their ninja establishment, taking over their territory and resources, and integrating all ninjas into the unified command system of Kumogakure."
And...
"Sage of Six Paths Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki divided Ten-Tails into Nine Tailed Beasts, which are scattered throughout Shinobi World. In order to revive Ten-Tails, we must gather the power of Nine Tailed Beasts and merge them again."
Shaoyu's tone was calm, but every word made the air in the room heavier.
"Kumogakure now has three Tailed Beast. Where are the remaining six? One-Tail Shukaku is in Sunagakure, Isobu is in Kirigakure, Four-Tails Son Goku is in Iwagakure, Six-Tails Saiken is in Kirigakure, Seven-Tails Chōmei is in Takigakure."
"Six-Tails of Kirigakure can be obtained through the alliance, and the rest - One-Tail is in Sunagakure, Four-Tails is in Iwagakure, Seven-Tails is in Takigakure. The location of each Tailed Beast is a ninja village. You want to negotiate with them? One by one, it will take ten or twenty years, and you still have to look at their faces?"
Shaoyu shook his head.
"No. What I want is not negotiation. What I want is for all Nine Tailed Beasts to be under the control of Kumogakure. I want to resurrect Ten-Tails and make it the ultimate weapon of Kumogakure."
"The power of Ten-Tails is enough to turn any resistance to ashes. Only then will Shinobi World be truly unified."