In a secret base in Nanri City of the Land of Fire, a group of elderly noblemen in fine clothes sat together discussing the Noble Alliance's attack on the Land of Fire.
"My esteemed uncles and kinsmen!" The last daimyo of the Land of Tea, Chada Heishiro, abruptly threw back his black cloak, revealing the blood-stained family crest sword at his waist. "Years ago, the Vermilion Bird Corps of Konoha trampled across the vast lands of my Land of Tea. My father, on his deathbed, clutched this family heirloom, the Snow Moon Flower -ka sword, and committed seppuku." His knuckles were etched with blood on the hilt. He continued in a sorrowful voice, "I can accept the fall of a nation, but to strip us of even the dignity of nobles is too cruel! The Land of Tea is now utterly destroyed by the nobility, while the common people live a life of luxury. This is robbing the very foundation of our noble class!"
Gasps rose and fell from the room. The head of the Tokugawa Family, a long-established noble family in the Land of Fire, slammed his fist on the table. "Outrageous! My eldest daughter, who married into the Tokugawa Family, is now missing, her fate unknown?" Beside him, the head of the Sakata Family, his face grim, stroked his beard and said, "Punishment does not apply to nobles, and etiquette does not apply to commoners. This has been the rule for thousands of years! Do those ninjas of Konoha really think they can do whatever they want just because they have a ninja army?"
Chada Heishiro knelt down with a thud, his forehead striking the bluestone slabs heavily. "Esteemed elders! My Chada Family has been linked to the thirty-two noble families of the Land of Fire through generations of marriage. The second daughter of the Tokugawa Family is my sister-in-law, the third son of the Sakata Family married my cousin... Now, all the noble families of the Land of Tea have been wiped out, leaving only me, the one who escaped the net." He raised his head, his eyes red-rimmed, "I beg you all, for the sake of our kinship, to seek justice for me!"
The candlelight in the banquet hall flickered a few times. The daimyo of the Land of Artisans, Takumi Kuro, slowly emerged from behind the screen, clad in a divine armor that shimmered with light. This legendary "Emperor's Treasure Armor," said to be able to withstand the Tailed Beast Bomb, gleamed coldly in the Kakkō, yet could not conceal the weariness in its wearer's eyes.
"My dear friends," Takumi Kuro, kneeling on one knee, his voice hoarse beneath the gilded mask, "Our Land of Artisans poured the entire nation's resources into forging ninja tools, supporting countless ninja clans. Yet the Land of Land of Whirlpools blockaded the seas, the Vermilion Bird Corps massacred the nobles of the Land of Artisans, even my three-year-old nephew..." His Adam's apple bobbed, swallowing the rest of his sentence, "This armor, originally forged to protect peace, has now become my only means of escaping and clinging to life."
The head of the Minami clan rose and helped Kankuro to his feet, his white beard trembling with rage. " Konoha has gone too far! The rules set by the First Hokage stipulate that no matter what, the foundation of noble families cannot be touched!" The head of the Nakano clan sneered, fanning himself with his folding fan. "On the surface, they're retaliating against and eliminating the heinous Sky Ninja, but in reality, they want to uproot our old clans. After destroying the noble families of the Tea Clan and the Warlords, won't we, the old noble families of the Land of Fire, be next? And they've already started suppressing us."
The head of the Musashi family drew his sword, its blade reflecting the candlelight in the room. "Now that various nations are gathering their forces to attack the Land of Fire, I propose that we unite with the nobles of the other nations to put pressure on Tian Flying Swallow Konoha! We will not rest until we receive an explanation!"
"I second that!"
"I second that!"
The banquet hall was filled with rage, the shouts nearly lifting the roof off. Yet, no one noticed that in the Yin Shadow a corner, several grayish-white clumps were slowly writhing. White Zetsu's eyes flashed with an eerie red light, silently transmitting the entire scene to the outside world...
As Takumi Kuro watched the indignant crowd, he quietly tightened his grip on the short blade at his waist. He knew that this seemingly righteous gathering was merely the calm before the storm. Konoha's intelligence network was all-pervasive, and every word they uttered could be his death warrant. But for the survival of his clan, for the last vestige of dignity of the Shinobi World's aristocracy, he had no choice but to enter this gamble.
"Thank you all!" Takumi Kuro raised his cup, his lowered eyes reflected in it. "This cup is a toast to our shared Mirai."
Outside the window, the night was as dark as ink. A storm powerful enough to shake up the Shinobi World was quietly brewing in the darkness.
The night in the Land of Fire was as dark as ink. Palace lanterns lined the walls, their warm yellow glow spreading out in a hazy circle in the damp, cold air. A gilded scroll lay open on a long sandalwood table, the flickering candlelight making the crimson edges of the scroll appear even more intense, like congealed blood. Tian Flying Swallow stood in the main hall, her black cloak with red patterns draped over her shoulders. She lightly tapped the table with her knuckles, the "tap, tap" sound echoing in the empty hall, crisp like a blade slicing through ice porcelain.
"Secret Guard."
Before the words were finished, a dark figure knelt down in the Yin Shadow. The tiger-face mask gleamed coldly in the candlelight. The newcomer, kneeling on one knee, his black ninja attire blending seamlessly with the darkness, said, "Your subordinate is here."
"By imperial decree—three days from now, all nobles of the hundred cities of the Land of Fire, regardless of rank, without exception, are to be summoned to Konoha for a meeting." Tian Flying Swallow's voice was calm and even, yet carried an undeniable air of authority. "Anyone who dares to feign illness and delay, anyone who dares to take a detour and shirk responsibility, will be recorded."
Tiger Face, the Anbu behind the mask, slightly raised his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in them, but he only asked, "What if someone can't resist directly?"
Tian Flying Swallow suddenly laughed, a low and cold laugh, "Write that down too, I'll send them to the Yellow Springs."
Without another word, the Anbu bowed and accepted the order. His figure then transformed into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared into the Yin Shadow of the corner of the palace.
The palace doors were half-closed, and the night wind, carrying raindrops, slanted in, causing the lamplight to flicker violently and shatter the dragon projection on the wall. Left Minister Mikage Taki, leaning on his purple bamboo cane, slowly entered.
" Your Mikage Taki bowed, his voice hoarse yet steady, "This old minister has just returned from his inspection of the East Gate. New rumors unfavorable to you have already begun circulating in the streets—saying that you, a woman, have seized power, harmed nobles, and are ungrateful and treacherous." These rumors are being fueled by nobles.
Tian Flying Swallow raised her hand, gesturing for him to come closer to speak. As the old man approached the table, she suddenly asked, "Minister Zuo, did you hear that?"
Mikage Taki listened intently, but could only hear the wind and rain beating against the windowpanes. He wondered, "What do I hear?"
"I heard the clanging of armor clashing, the restless rustling of countless swords in their sheaths. Tian Flying Swallow tilted her head slightly, as if she could truly discern the hidden killing intent through the rain, and she could also hear those old nobles in their secluded courtyards plotting to divide up our Land of Fire."
Mikage Taki remained silent for a moment, his withered fingers clenching the tip of his cane. "They privately call you 'the king who slaughters nobles,' and curse Lady Mito Uzumaki 'a scourge to the nation.' This old minister dares to ask, does Your Majesty truly intend to bear the wrath of all the nobles in the land alone?"
Tian Flying Swallow lowered her eyes, her fingertips gently tracing the scroll of "Map of the Land of Fire " on the table. The edges of the sheepskin map were worn, and her fingertips traced the marked mountains and cities inch by inch, her movements as gentle as if she were caressing an old knife that had been with her for many years.
"Minister of the Left, I was forced into a marriage at ten; that year, the daimyo's seat was half a head taller than me. At fourteen, I took charge of the Ten Family's assets. The Tsubasa told me that if I held power but didn't serve the people, I should go home and grow sweet potatoes. I did my best to help the common people and disaster victims, but I found I could never save them all, because there was a group of people sucking the blood of the common people. At sixteen, I personally beheaded the first corrupt, exploitative, and harmful nobleman. The common people cheered, the nobles cursed."
Her voice was soft, yet carried a power that seemed to transcend time. "I was pulled back to Konoha by the Third Hokage Tsubasa, Tenyi, to take charge of the Administrative Department. Tsubasa's first act as Hokage was to eliminate all dissent. Two-thirds of Konoha's ninja clans had left at that time, yet Konoha experienced a surge of vitality. Without internal strife, I realized that the nobles were holding back the entire Land of Fire. They only cared about their own well-being, leaving the common people with no chance of advancement. Now I'm thirty. Back then, when I conquered the Land of Tea and the Land of Artisans, the massacre of nobles was secretly orchestrated by me. Now, the nobles of the Shinobi World are cursing, and all the cities in the Land of Fire are in riots. Only these two places without nobles are harmonious, thriving. I finally understand: the nobles are hindering the progress of the times. It's time for me to eliminate them."
She suddenly looked up, her eyes shining with an astonishing light, even brighter than the flickering flame of the lamp on the table. "If I can't bear this alone, then let the entire populace of the Land of Fire bear it with me. As long as they fully support me, I can fight for a better tomorrow for them..."
A gilded carriage rolled over the puddle-strewn cobblestone road, the water splashed up by its wheels shimmering like shattered silver under the streetlights. The carriage was covered with thick carpets, and a precious silver-thread charcoal burned in the fireplace, but it could not dispel the chill in Fujiwara Morikage's heart.
"A coalition of nobles from various countries, numbering thirty million... Hmph, thirty million ants dare to challenge the Land of Fire." Fujiwara Morikage snorted coldly, his tone full of disdain, yet unable to conceal a trace of panic.
Upon hearing this, the young nobleman Wind Demon Kotaro, seated opposite him, lightly tapped his sandalwood folding fan against his palm, producing a rhythmic tinkling sound. He had a delicate, almost effeminate face, with slightly upturned eyes, and his smile always carried a hint of calculation, "My lord, you are mistaken. Even many ants can kill an elephant. Besides, Her Majesty the Queen has never considered us noble families as her own; she has always elevated commoners while suppressing nobles."
"She dares! This is digging up the roots of the Land of Fire!" Fujiwara Morikage roared, his aged face contorted with rage. "Of the hundred cities of the Land of Fire, which one wasn't built with the blood and sweat of our ancestors? She's already slaughtered a large number of nobles since she ascended the throne. Does she really want to force us to fight her to the death?"
Wind Demon Kotaro leaned forward, his voice barely audible, almost whispering in the other's ear, "Since she's so ruthless, don't blame us for being ruthless too. Lord Fujiwara, have you forgotten that the fires of the Land of Fire can be ignited by more than just her, Tian Flying Swallow?"
Outside the carriage curtain, the sound of rain suddenly became rapid, with large raindrops pounding densely on the carriage ceiling, like thousands of arrows being released from a bow at the same time, carrying a chilling atmosphere.