Tian Flying Swallow sat alone in the side hall, a single lamp casting a long Kageko on her desk. A secret letter lay open on the table, its edges damp, as if just pulled from water. It was a letter from the Mizukage, Tian Yukihime: "The nobles of the Land of Water have rebelled, Kirigakure is too preoccupied to send troops to aid the Land of Fire."
She gripped the letter tightly with her fingers, the edges of her fingers turning white, almost crushing the thin paper.
The palace doors were gently pushed open, and a dark figure silently entered. The newly appointed commander of the Queen's secret guards, Hidemune Hatake, knelt on one knee, his black cloak still carrying the chill of the night rain. "Your Majesty, urgent news from the Land of Earth —the private armies of the Land of Earth's nobles have officially confronted Iwagakure. The Lord Tsuchikage's personal letter... was very polite, but between the lines it revealed his inability to send troops to support the Land of Fire."
Tian Flying Swallow held the letter close to the candlelight. The flame licked the corner of the paper, quickly swallowing the writing, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into a ball of ashes. She released her fingers, and the ashes drifted away with the draft, landing on the cold floor tiles.
" Hidemune Hatake."
"Your subordinate is here." Hidemune Hatake's voice was deep and powerful, carrying the crispness characteristic of a soldier.
"Tell me, how much time do we have left to prepare?"
"Based on the allied forces' massive marching speed, their vanguard could reach our border in as little as twenty days."
"Twenty days...?" Tian Flying Swallow murmured to herself, her fingertips lightly tapping on the table. "Enough for me to smash the bones of a hundred noble families one by one, and then rebuild them into walls to defend against foreign enemies."
Hidemune Hatake raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife. "What do you need me to do?"
Tian Flying Swallow rose, the hem of her black cloak brushing against the floor tiles with a soft sound, like drops of blood glistening on a blade. "Three days later, at the Konoha council meeting, I will give them their final chance to atone."
Her voice was as cold as ice. "Your main task as secret guards is to contact the civilian organizations we've gathered in the Hundred Cities, to act as inside agents when the royal army arrives. You personally deliver the message—anyone who dares to mention 'punishing the Land of Whirlpools ' or 'purging Mito Uzumaki ' in private will have their head nailed to the city wall, so everyone can watch it dry into a specimen."
"Yes, sir." Hidemune Hatake bowed and accepted the order.
He stood up to leave, Tian Flying Swallow suddenly called out to him, "Wait."
Wang?
"Go and inform Lady Mito Uzumaki I wish to visit her." Her voice trailed off, carrying a hint of barely perceptible weariness, as if she were talking to herself, "This fire that burns among the nobility, someone has to share the burden with me."
In the Senju ancestral home of Konoha, the first rays of morning light streamed in, illuminating Mito Uzumaki's fiery red hair with a soft glow. She sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, an unfinished sealing scroll before her. Vermilion ink meandered across the snow-white rice paper like streaks of congealed blood. The old woman's fingers trembled slightly, yet her brushstrokes remained steady, each Cursed Seal precise and accurate.
Tian Flying Swallow pushed open the door and entered, carrying the chill of the morning dew, but smiled before speaking, " Lady Mito, there are rumors everywhere outside that you want to be killed and that the Land of Whirlpools will be destroyed, yet you can still calmly draw talismans. Truly admirable!"
Mito Uzumaki raised her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. Nearly 60, she looked no older than a twenty-year-old, a hint of slyness in her eyes. "Queen Flying Swallow, you haven't even secured your throne in the Land of Fire yet, how could I dare rest! Look, I got up early this morning to make Explosive Tag."
Tian Flying Swallow sat cross-legged opposite her, dipped her finger in the cinnabar in the inkstone, and casually drew a diagonal line in the blank space of the scroll, as if drawing a battle order, "On the 20th, a coalition of 30 million nobles will press on."
Mito Uzumaki clicked her tongue, put down her wolf-hair brush, and carefully examined the slanted line. She smiled calmly and said, "This is dozens of times more lively than the scene I faced back then. Yet I've heard that the nobles of the Land of Fire also have nearly eight million troops in rebellion."
"Those nobles want to use you and the Land of Whirlpools as a sacrifice to appease the so-called 'noble anger'," Tian Flying Swallow's voice trailed off.
"I guessed it. I knew this would happen when I promised to destroy the nobles of those two countries," Mito Uzumaki pushed the scroll towards her, her tone casual, as if discussing a trivial matter. "These old bones of mine, with the Vermilion Bird Corps in hand and the Senju Clan and Uzumaki Clan behind me, can still hold out. Girl, can you hold out?"
Tian Flying Swallow stared at her, then suddenly reached out and pointed at the old woman's brow. The movement was light, yet carried an undeniable authority. "We have to fight, whether we can or not. This is the final, crucial battle to decide the fate of the Shinobi World. If you dare not use your full strength, I'll sell you all out. I'll just become a puppet queen. Then I'll let those allied forces see what their so-called 'femme fatale' really means."
Mito Uzumaki burst into laughter, laughing so hard she coughed, tears welling in her eyes. "You little rascal, you're really vicious! And your ambition is enormous. What are you thinking about unifying the Shinobi World for, woman? I think only Tsubasa can keep your temper in check."
Tian Flying Swallow's expression turned solemn, her voice low and deep. "Old woman, you seem so relaxed, are you really not afraid of the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools? When I was ten, Tsubasa told me that women can hold up half the sky. My ambition was nurtured by him. He wouldn't have suppressed me if he were still here. His wedding gift to me was the Nine Dragons Jade Seal, which was his way of telling me that I would unify the world. Now that he's gone, I will fulfill that goal."
Mito Uzumaki's smile faded, a hint of reminiscence flashing in her eyes, her voice growing distant. "Power isn't for showing off, it's for protecting. These are the words of my man, Hashirama Senju. Why didn't I marry a man like Tsubasa? Can't women hold up half the sky? Don't worry, this time I will fully support you."
" Tsubasa also spoke of protection, but not of those noble lords anymore, but of all the people of the world." Tian Flying Swallow rose, her black cloak billowing in the morning breeze like an unyielding battle flag. "Three days later, the Konoha council will be held. I'll see how many nobles in the world are willing to support me. Those who obey will prosper, those who resist will perish!"
Mito gazed at her tall, straight back and said softly, " Flying Swallow, you've truly grown up, and you're completely alone now."
Tian Flying Swallow's steps did not falter, but her voice drifted back, clear and firm. "Lonely? No, I still have the people of the entire Land of Fire; my heart is with them."
Three days later, in Konoha's Council Hall.
In the council hall, a hundred ebony chairs were arranged in an arc according to the nobles' rank. Each chair back was carved with the emblem of their respective family, intricate and exquisite, yet the tension in the air could not be concealed. The nobles wore the most magnificent robes and the most precious jade ornaments, but their expressions varied. Some feigned composure, some looked fearful, and some had sinister eyes.
Tian Flying Swallow sat high on the steps in front of the palace. The red patterns on her black dragon-patterned court robe shone brightly in the sunlight, like flowing flames. To her left, Mito Uzumaki sat as usual, her red hair neatly tied in her jade crown, her gaze calm as water, as if the tense situation before her had nothing to do with her.
Fujiwara Morikage rose first, his brocade robes and jade belt gleaming in the morning light. As he cupped his hands in greeting, his sleeves billowed, releasing a wisp of precious incense, but his voice carried a deliberately raised fervor. "Your Majesty, we have been summoned here today only to offer a word of advice— the Land of Fire cannot, for the sake of one person's selfishness, antagonize the nobles of the entire Shinobi World!"
As soon as the words were spoken, a chorus of agreement immediately erupted in the square. "Yes, Your Majesty!" and "Lord Fujiwara is right!" echoed one after another, like a pre-rehearsed chorus.
Tian Flying Swallow slowly raised her hand, her movements gentle yet carrying an invisible pressure. From the shadows of the Yin Shadow, dozens of Anbu Ninja leaped down simultaneously, their swords half-drawn, gleaming coldly. The clamor of agreement abruptly ceased, and the square instantly became so quiet that the sound of the wind rustling through the flags could be heard.
She rose and walked down the steps one by one, the hem of her dark court robe sweeping across the steps, each step feeling heavy and powerful, as if it were stepping on everyone's hearts.
"A private matter?" She stopped in front of Fujiwara Morikage, leaned closer, and spoke in a voice so soft it was almost a whisper, yet clearly audible to everyone, "My lord, when you speak of 'one person,' do you mean Mito Uzumaki, or me, Tian Flying Swallow?"
Cold sweat beaded on Fujiwara Morikage's forehead, trickling down his deeply lined face and soaking his gray beard. But he still forced himself to stand straight and roared, " Lady Mito's massacre of the nobles of two countries brought about this calamity. The Land of Fire is now in danger of destruction; this is an indisputable fact!"
" Lady Mito fought for his country, and also to avenge the hatred of hundreds of thousands of people from the Land of Whirlpools Uzumaki. When the Sky Ninja bombed the Land of Whirlpools, they didn't care whether you were a noble or a commoner. Lady Mito has done nothing wrong for the Land of Fire." Tian Flying Swallow abruptly interrupted him, her voice rising so high it echoed across the plaza. "Without the legions fighting for the country, without the Sealing Jutsu of the Land of Whirlpools, where Land of Fire and Konoha be today? You nobles would have long been slaves of the Land of Lightning, where would you be enjoying your luxurious lives today!"
She turned, her gaze sweeping over the crowd like a sharp sword. "You live in ornate mansions, eating delicacies from land and sea, what is the source of this peace? It's the peace bought with the lives of ninjas on the front lines! Now that foreign enemies are pressing in, instead of thinking about how to defend against them, you want to settle scores with your heroes? You want to exchange a woman for your own safety?"
Wind Demon Kotaro slammed his folding fan shut and chuckled, "Your Majesty, please calm down. This isn't just the anger of one or two noble families, nor is it merely the anger of the nobles of the Land of Fire. It's the anger of the entire noble class of the Shinobi World. Isn't it worth exchanging a woman for a peaceful and prosperous era?"
"Then let it burn even brighter." Tian Flying Swallow raised her hand, and the Anbu behind her immediately brought in hundreds of people who were bound hand and foot. They were dressed in luxurious clothes, the attire of the aristocracy, and were pushed and shoved to kneel in a row outside the council hall.
"Last night, the secret guards captured all those noble lords who betrayed the capital of the Land of Fire. These men were attempting to collude with the enemy to destroy the Land of Fire." Her voice was as cold as ice. "According to the laws of the Land of Fire, those who collude with the enemy and betray their country shall have their entire clan executed."
Before the words were even finished, the blade flashed. Hundreds of cold lights appeared simultaneously and then fell at the same time. Blood splattered on the bluestone slab, like mournful flowers blooming.
The square was filled with screams, retching sounds, and suppressed curses, creating utter chaos.
Tian Flying Swallow stood up and said, "Listen up, all of you!" Her voice pierced through the chaos and echoed clearly in the square, "The fire of the Land of Fire has only ever burned away foreign enemies. But who dares to turn their blade against their own people—"
She raised her hand, pointing to the corpses strewn across the ground, her voice resolute. "This is how it ends. I will fight with all my might to slaughter his entire clan."
The square fell into complete silence. Even the most timid noblewoman forgot to scream. Everyone was stunned by the iron-blooded scene before them, their eyes filled with fear.
Mito Uzumaki slowly rose, her voice unusually clear. "I am willing to lead the Vermilion Bird Corps to conquer enemy nations again, even with my frail body. But this time, I want you to remember that we, the Vermilion Bird Corps, are heroes who serve our country and its people."
Her gaze swept over the crowd, sharp and cold, like that of a flock of lambs to the slaughter. "The backbone of the Land of Fire has always been the ninjas who fight bloody battles and the common people who produce resources, never you so-called nobles who only tremble in your brocade robes."
Tian Flying Swallow turned, her black cloak billowing in the wind like a battle flag fluttering against the wind. "Three days later, I will personally lead an expedition against all the rebellious nobles of the hundred cities. Those nobles who do not come are traitors. Those who do come, provide manpower and provisions as required; those who dare to outwardly comply but inwardly defy me, I will surely slaughter your entire family and exterminate your entire clan."
She raised her hand, and dozens of Anbu responded in unison, their voices booming and deafening. "Yes, sir!"
In the sky, the dark clouds gradually dispersed, and sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining on the pool of blood in the square, reflecting a dazzling red light. Tian Flying Swallow stood in the sunlight, looking up at the sky, a resolute smile on her lips, and said softly, "Come, noble allied forces of thirty million. The Land of Fire will surely win. Investigate the attendance of all nobles from the Land of Fire."