Kisame froze at those words, then grasped the cruel truth behind them an instant later. His face filled with disbelief and shock as he spoke in a low voice.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible! Right now, ninja still have some value, which is why the nobles use them as tools."
"Once the nobles gain power that surpasses the shinobi villages through the Celestial Dragons, ninja will probably lose even the right to serve as tools. They'll be reduced to lowly slaves, ordered around at will."
"Exactly. That's what I'm getting at." Sarada couldn't help laughing, her tone light and certain. "You catch on fast, Uncle Kisame."
"Once the Celestial Dragons come out into the open and the nobles of the great nations have a supreme power backing them, they'll only become more arrogant and overbearing."
"I still can't figure out why the Celestial Dragons established a rule protecting those worthless nobles a thousand years ago."
"But one thing is certain: the nobles' own interests won't suffer."
"The shinobi villages, however, will find themselves directly opposed to the nobles and the Celestial Dragons."
Sarada leaned forward slightly, fixed her eyes on Kisame's, and posed the crucial question.
"Uncle Kisame, think about it. Konoha now stands unrivaled, and Naruto has spent all these years painstakingly establishing a balance in the Shinobi World."
"Would Konoha High Command tolerate the nobles of the Land of Fire using an outside power to order Konoha around and pressure it however they pleased?"
"As the Seventh Hokage and the acknowledged savior of the entire Shinobi World, would Naruto accept a supreme power suddenly appearing above him, free to suppress him and control Konoha?"
"And Sasuke Uchiha hates being constrained more than anyone. How could he possibly accept that situation?"
The smile vanished from Kisame's face. His expression grew deeply