The Pink Little Tongue!

Hiruko's methods naturally possessed a terrifying degree of adaptability.

Due to the lingering effects of the Warring States era, people from other countries found it easy to accept the chauvinism of great powers.

Strictly speaking, everyone shared the same language and ancestry.

By continuously exporting its culture like this, Konoha could naturally be equated with justice.

With that reputation in place, what came next would be much simpler—keep draining the Five Great Nations until Konoha grew into a colossal entity, then swallow all five in one gulp.

As its culture continued to spread, even if Konoha did something wrong by then, countless people would still speak up for it.

After all, under a long-term propaganda campaign, Konoha's image would have long since taken root in people's hearts and become a symbol of justice.

Once talented people from other countries grew up, their first thought would often not be to join their own nation, but to head straight for Konoha Village and the Land of Fire.

Of course, to maximize that attraction, raising the income levels of Land of Fire citizens and Konoha shinobi was naturally an essential measure.

Take South Korea, for example. Their leader, Jeon Kaka, implemented policies that poured vast sums of money into the airlift troops. Naturally, the airlift troops would repay him.

The airlift troops moved swiftly; before the vehicles even stopped, the men had already jumped out.

They ran with speed and hit with force.

General Jeon died, and more people attended his funeral than Yoon Kaka could gather.

What?

Eight hundred a month? What kind of life are we risking?

Eight hundred a day.

Sorry, I admit I raised my voice a little too much just now.

That eight hundred was your daily meal allowance.

General, please allow me to follow you to the ends of the earth!

This eight hundred will be issued to you as a subsidy. If you want to spend it on food, do so. If not, you can keep it yourselves.

General!

Where is the enemy? Give the order!

Come collect ten months' salary tomorrow.

Ah, General, is this my severance pay?

No, this is an additional subsidy. Everyone gets it, whether they are active-duty or not. Your salary will still be paid as usual.

General!

Loyalty!

Jeon Kaka!! Where did the two hundred billion you embezzled go?

Why did we only find five billion? Where is the rest?

Spent it!

You claimed twenty thousand tons of meat coupons.

Ate them!

Were you the one who ordered the massacre of those Gwangju civilians?

That's right, I did it!!!

With Jeon Kaka as an example, Hiruko naturally had similar plans. Copying it would be very simple.

When it came to talent compensation, if other countries could offer one thousand, Konoha and the Land of Fire would directly offer high prices of three thousand, four thousand, or even five thousand.

As for where the money would come from, they would naturally use high-tech means to plunder the resources of other countries.

Over time, talented people would naturally vote with their feet and flock to Konoha and the Land of Fire.

As Kakashi read Hiruko's densely packed notes, the more he read, the more alarmed he became. Countless beads of cold sweat seeped from his forehead.

What kind of person could come up with such a vicious plan?

He had known that Hiruko's ideas were somewhat ahead of their time, but he had never expected them to be this far ahead. This was clearly an attempt to toy with the other four great nations in the palm of his hand and ultimately achieve unification.

If this plan were carried out, the other four nations would surely cease to exist.

While other countries were still thinking about how to defeat their competitors, Hiruko wanted to become the hidden hand behind the entire world and completely annex the other nations.

Kakashi swallowed hard and said hesitantly, "Aren't you thinking a little too far ahead?"

He carefully chose his words, but in the end, he still voiced what was in his heart. "Isn't this a little too evil?"

"Without long-term worries, there will be immediate troubles." Hiruko patted Kakashi on the shoulder.

"Kakashi, we need to think more. Take these things back for our teacher to see. I believe he'll understand my ideas."

Although Minato Namikaze was known as the Little Sun, he was only Konoha's Little Sun. Toward the outside world, he had always been the Yellow Flash who killed without blinking.

Right now, Hidden Rock Village and Hidden Cloud Village were still thinking of joining forces to threaten Konoha.

To Hiruko, this was nothing to worry about.

In the original story, the Third Hokage had managed to make peace with Hidden Cloud Village and Hidden Rock Village with only the rotten cards in his hand.

Now, under Hiruko's leadership, Konoha's economy was booming and morale was high. There was no reason they could not weather this crisis.

Under such circumstances, some matters had to be considered in advance.

With Hiruko's support, Konoha's strength would surely advance by leaps and bounds. Even in the worst-case scenario, he would need at most ten to twenty years to achieve unification.

By then...

Kakashi clutched the notebook nervously as he rushed toward his teacher's home.

He knew very well that if this notebook were exposed, it would not just be the other four great nations. Every country in the shinobi world would unite to attack Konoha.

Hiruko watched his retreating figure and smiled faintly. "That little fellow really can't keep his cool."

Afterward, he went to his laboratory. Once he had arranged a few things, he immediately returned home.

Rin Nohara had been waiting for Hiruko all day.

The young Rin Nohara slowly approached. After bowing, she said shyly, "Lord Hiruko, I've made my decision."

Hiruko nodded lightly in response. "Oh? You've thought it through?"

A trace of determination flashed through Rin Nohara's eyes as she said seriously, "Yes, Lord Hiruko. If possible, I want to accept power."

Having already witnessed the immense power of the cursed seal, Rin Nohara could not help recalling the past.

If she had possessed such strength back then, how could she have been so easily abducted?

So she chose power!

The corners of Hiruko's lips rose slightly. "I'll use my medicine to modify your body and make you more suited to senjutsu."

"However, while adapting to senjutsu chakra, you should also strengthen your taijutsu training."

Rin Nohara nodded without hesitation. "I have no problem with that."

Hiruko continued, "If there are no issues, we'll begin tomorrow."

He chose to begin tomorrow because he also needed to familiarize himself with another secret technique.

It was Orochimaru's method of cultivating subordinates—leaving one's own will within senjutsu chakra.

Hiruko naturally had no desire to divide his own will. He merely intended to borrow the model.

Hiruko planned to leave a few safeguards within Rin Nohara.

After all, if Obito hid away using Kamui, Hiruko would truly find it somewhat troublesome and would have no particularly good way to deal with him.

So he needed a means of countering that.

Although Hiruko could sense that Rin Nohara had a slight fondness for him, he did not believe that feelings were something that would remain unchanged forever.

So he naturally needed to install a switch for himself.

"I understand, Lord Hiruko." After saying that, Rin Nohara could not help feeling emotional.

She felt that Hiruko was simply too accommodating. Not only had he saved her, he was also willing to help her improve her strength.

She was merely a little shinobi from a civilian background. Her luck was truly astonishing.

That night, Rin Nohara lay on the bed, panting heavily as her little pink tongue occasionally slipped out to lick her lips.