The Daimyo's mansion in the Land of Earth was located in the center of the capital city, a magnificent building. Ten guardian wizards surrounded the mansion; they were all top-tier experts protecting the Daimyo of the Land of Earth, and their strength was not to be underestimated. However, when they saw Tian Uguisu and Bai Jiu appear in front of the mansion, their expressions completely changed.
"Invading enemy, retreat! This is the residence of the Daimyo of the Land of Earth, how dare you act so presumptuously here!" the leading guardian wizard shouted, holding a huge wizard's bow in his hand and radiating powerful Wizard Power.
"Hmph, a bunch of useless wizards, how dare they be so insolent in front of me." Tian Uguisu sneered, her Mangekyō Sharingan slowly rotating, its blood-red light flashing. The guardian wizards quickly formed a defensive barrier, the earth-yellow light surrounding them like a solid city wall.
"A barrier of this level is nothing more than a thin sheet of paper to me." Tian Uguisu's voice was filled with disdain. Her Earth Spirit Divine Spear transformed into a stream of light and instantly pierced towards the barrier. However, at that moment, Bai Jiu suddenly darted out from behind, and eight snake heads simultaneously spat out Senjutsu and corrosive venom, directly hitting the barrier.
"Boom!" The barrier shattered instantly under the corrosive effects of the venom, and the powerful shockwave shook the surrounding buildings to the point of collapse. The guardian wizards were caught off guard by this sudden attack. Tian Uguisu transformed into a blur and rushed into the crowd. Earth Spirit Divine Spear was like the scythe of Death God, and wherever it passed, various protective gear shattered like rotten wood.
"Ah!" A guardian wizard screamed as his body was pierced by the Earth Spirit Divine Spear, blood splattering everywhere. Tian Uguisu's movements were dazzlingly fast; the tip of her spear was imbued with powerful Chakra, and every attack was incredibly precise. Although the guardian wizards possessed some Kage Level strength, they were utterly unable to withstand the attacks from the High Immortal Level Tian Uguisu and Bai Jiu.
"Damn it, what kind of monster is this woman!" a guardian wizard cried out in terror, brandishing his staff and attempting to attack Tian Uguisu with a spell. However, Tian Uguisu's speed was astonishing; she appeared before him in an instant, Earth Spirit Divine Spear pierced directly into his heart.
"You worthless trash, how dare you be so insolent before me?" Tian Uguisu's voice was filled with icy killing intent. Her Mangekyō Sharingan flashed in the air, its blood-red light like the scythe of Death God. The guardian wizards fell one after another under her attack, their blood staining the entire Daimyo Prefecture.
When the last guardian wizard fell, the Daimyo's mansion had become a sea of blood. Tian Uguisu slowly walked into the depths of the mansion, her gaze sweeping across the surroundings like a knife. The Daimyo family of the Land of Earth hid behind a golden screen, trembling with fear on their faces.
"Who... who are you people? Sharingan, what is Konoha trying to do!" The Daimyo's voice trembled as he stared intently at Tian Uguisu's Mangekyō Sharingan, his eyes filled with terror.
"From today onwards, you are my servant. Your mouth belongs only to me. You will say whatever I tell you to say, or you can die." Tian Uguisu's voice was filled with icy killing intent. Her Earth Spirit Divine Spear was instantly pressed against the Daming's throat, the cold tip of the spear causing the Daming's body to tremble uncontrollably.
"No... don't kill me, I'm willing to obey your orders." The daimyo's voice was filled with despair, his body trembling under the tip of Tian Uguisu's spear. Tian Uguisu sneered, her Sharingan slowly turning, and a powerful Genjutsu instantly enveloped all of the daimyo's family members behind him.
"Now, issue the decree, appointing me as the new Tsuchikage, and have the entire Land of Earth announced that the new Tsuchikage will be stationed in Iwagakure." Tian Uguisu's voice carried a chilling command. Her Sharingan flashed in the air, its blood-red light like the scythe of Death God. The Daimyo's eyes lost focus under the influence of the Genjutsu, and his body slowly rose to his feet under Tian Uguisu's control.
"Yes, Your Lord Tsuchikage." The daimyo's voice was mechanical as his body, under Tian Uguisu's control, slowly moved deeper into the daimyo's residence. Tian Uguisu withdrew her spear, wiped the blood splattered on her cheek, and her gaze swept over the daimyo's family members like a knife.
"From this day forward, the Land of Earth is my domain. I will use the people of the Land of Earth to help me find the one who harmed Tsubasa. Any force that dares to stand in my way will be eradicated." Her voice echoed in the wind, like the whisper of Death God.
In the ninja world, the Daimyo of each country is nominally higher than the Kage of a ninja village. A new Kage needs the Daimyo's approval to succeed to the position. The Land of Earth has always relied on training a large number of commoner ninjas to achieve a massive military buildup, which has further elevated the Daimyo's status. However, the Kage of each village is generally chosen by the Iwagakure itself and then approved by the Daimyo. But on this day, the entire Land of Earth was shocked by a startling piece of news—the Daimyo directly appointed a new Tsuchikage, who was about to depart for Iwagakure to assume his post. This decision was like a bombshell, instantly sparking heated debate among the nobles and commoners of the Land of Earth.
The news swept through the Land of Earth like a whirlwind. Nobles discussed it animatedly in their mansions, while commoners whispered among themselves in the streets and alleys. Some nobles expressed their support for the daimyo's decision, believing that Ōnoki had been inactive in recent years and had become increasingly incapable of handling foreign affairs. Especially now that the Land of Water had been occupied, the Land of Earth was in turmoil, and the threat from the Land of Fire was looming ever closer. The Land of Earth needed a more dynamic and decisive leader to meet the challenges of the Mirai. These nobles believed that the daimyo's decision was wise and for the sake of the Land of Earth's Mirai.
However, another group of nobles and most commoners were shocked and outraged by the decision. They believed that the Daimyo's office and the Tsuchikage had always maintained an equal relationship of non-interference, and that the Daimyo's office had never had the power to directly appoint or dismiss the Tsuchikage. This sudden intervention was seen as a serious violation of the traditions and rules of the ninja world. The commoners were even more puzzled and worried by the Daimyo's move, fearing that such an abuse of power would lead to division and chaotic civil war within the Land of Earth.
"The Daimyo Prefecture is making a fool of itself! The position of Tsuchikage is not something they can decide at will!" An elderly nobleman angrily slammed his fist on the table in his mansion, his voice filled with dissatisfaction with the Daimyo Prefecture and worry about the Mirai.
"However, the Daimyo's office says that Ōnoki Tsuchikage is no longer fit for the position," another nobleman countered. "The defeat of the Land of Water is indeed an undeniable fact."
"That's no excuse for dismissing him so easily! It's disrespectful to the entire ninja world!" the older nobleman retorted.
In the civilian district, similar discussions were taking place intensely. A young civilian exclaimed, " Ōnoki may not have made any great contributions, but he has always been a hero and source of pride for our Land of Earth. Who is more suitable than him? We cannot let him step down like this."
"However, we cannot ignore reality," another civilian said. "We need a stronger leader to confront the tyrannical Land of Fire."
These discussions spread like wildfire throughout the Land of Earth. When the news reached Iwagakure, Ōnoki was preparing plans to join forces with other countries to attack the Land of Fire, in light of the Land of Water's occupation. He sat in his room, a huge map spread out before him, marking important locations in the Land of Fire and possible attack routes. His eyes were firm and focused, as if he could already see the dawn of victory.
However, at that moment, a ninja rushed into his room, looking flustered, and said, " Ōnoki, something terrible has happened! News has come from the Daimyo's office that they want to dismiss you and appoint a new Tsuchikage."
Ōnoki crushed the pen in his hand in an instant, his voice filled with terrifying rage. "Since when did the Daimyo have the power to appoint and dismiss the Tsuchikage? How dare some unknown brat covet the position of Tsuchikage! Immediately notify all the village's high-ranking officials to hold a meeting!"
The news swept through Iwagakure like a whirlwind. The village's high-ranking officials dropped everything and rushed to the meeting room. Inside, the atmosphere was extremely tense. Ōnoki sat at the head of the meeting table, his eyes flashing with anger and authority. The other high-ranking officials sat around him, their faces showing varying degrees of worry and anger.
"The Daimyo Prefecture is making a fool of itself!" a high-ranking official said angrily. "The position of Tsuchikage is not something they can decide at will!"
"We can't just let them dismiss Lord Ōnoki like this!" another high-ranking official said. "Is this going to split the ninja of Iwagakure? If this continues, more than half of the ninja in Iwagakure will be split off, and the consequences will be severe."
"Yes, we can't just sit idly by," a young senior executive said. "We need to take action, or our authority will be completely undermined."
The meeting room was filled with a cacophony of voices. Some advocated immediately dispatching elite ninjas to assassinate the new Tsuchikage, while others worried that such an action would trigger even greater internal strife. The discussion lasted for a long time, and finally, everyone reached a consensus—to send elite ninjas to assassinate the new Tsuchikage who had come to Iwagakure, thereby deterring the Daimyo and ensuring that the new Tsuchikage would not be allowed to divide the ninjas of Iwagakure.
Ōnoki stood up, his voice carrying an undeniable authority. "Very well, let's proceed as everyone has decided. I will personally gather the village's elite ninja and lay layers of traps at the village entrance, waiting for the new Tsuchikage to come and die."
The Iwagakure ninjas sprang into action. Led by Ōnoki, they arrived at the village entrance. The road leading to the village entrance was meticulously laid with traps, each one potentially deadly. The ninjas lay hidden in the shadows, their eyes filled with murderous intent and determination.