"Will our Land of Water be the next to disappear from the map?"
Mei Terumi's whispered words, filled with worry and unease, resonated almost simultaneously in the minds of all the surviving high-ranking members of the Shinobi World.
As the Three Great Shinobi Villages of Konoha, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure began preparing for their "journey to an audience" leading to an unknown destiny at an unprecedented pace, far away on the other side of the continent, the army of the Divine Kingdom was beginning its triumphant return with perfectly synchronized steps that made the earth tremble.
The war lasted less than 24 hours from start to finish.
Uchiha Fugaku's " Fire God Legion " as the main force, under the protection of Uchiha Itachi's " War Puppet Legion ", returned towards the Divine Kingdom along the "Destruction Passage" forcibly carved out by "space-based weapons" and puppet artillery fire.
There was no cheering along the way, only deathly silence.
In all the conquered Land of Lightning, the surviving civilians watched with a mixture of fear, numbness, and awe as this steel torrent, as if emerging from hell, rumbled past their homes.
They dared not do anything disrespectful.
Not long ago, Kakuzu Kakuzu's "First Economic Law of the Divine Kingdom " had spread to every corner of this land—all civilians who voluntarily surrendered their assets and submitted to the Divine Kingdom could not only keep their lives, but also obtain better living conditions and jobs than before.
Any "criminals" who attempt to resist or escape will meet the same fate as those military fortresses that have been blasted to dust by "space-based weapons"—turning to ashes.
Carrots and sticks.
The sweetest temptations and the cruelest butcher's knife are used in tandem.
Uchiha Gen'yō used the simplest, most brutal, and most effective method to dismantle all the will to resist in this country in the shortest amount of time.
"Father, we are about to reach the border with the Land of Earth."
Inside the flagship chariot of the " Fire God Legion," an Uchiha messenger reported to Uchiha Fugaku, who sat in the main seat.
Fugaku's usually dignified face was now brimming with a genuine sense of pride and excitement that even he himself was unaware of.
He looked out the window at the land that once belonged to the Land of Lightning, but was now filled with Uchiha Gunbai flags, and his heart was filled with emotion.
Once upon a time, the Uchiha Clan was ostracized and distrusted by the entire Konoha, and was driven to the brink of extinction.
Now, under Gen'yō's leadership, the Uchiha has become the rulers of the entire world!
This earth-shattering change is like a dream!
"Order the entire army to maintain the highest level of alert." Fugaku suppressed his excitement and gave the order in a deep voice, "Although Iwagakure has surrendered, that old man Ōnoki is cunning and we must be wary of him."
"Yes!"
However, when the vanguard of the " Fire God Legion " slowly drove out of that scorched land and arrived at the newly built and magnificent pass, " Kamui Pass," on the border between the Divine Kingdom and the Land of Earth, what appeared before them was not the Iwagakure army that was waiting in full battle, but a scene that shocked them all.
Outside Kamui Pass, the vast plain was teeming with people!
Tens of thousands of ninjas and civilians dressed in Iwagakure uniforms lined both sides of the road. They carried no Kunai or swords, but instead waved red and white Gunbai banners representing the Uchiha Divine Kingdom!
At the very front of the crowd, a short, familiar figure with a large, red, bulbous nose was floating in mid-air.
It was none other than the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki!
Behind him followed his son, Kitsuchi, his granddaughter Kurotsuchi, and all the high-ranking officials of Iwagakure.
Each of them wore the most sincere and enthusiastic smile.
"Welcome back in triumph to the Divine Kingdom Heavenly Army!!!"
"Welcome, Commander-in-Chief Uchiha Fugaku!!!"
Upon seeing the banner of the " Fire God Legion " appear, Ōnoki immediately led the shouts in his booming voice, which was filled with Chakra!
"Welcome to the Divine Kingdom Heavenly Army!!!"
"Long live the Uchiha Divine Kingdom!!!"
The cheers of tens of thousands of people merged into a deafening roar that soared into the sky, as if to shatter the clouds above!
What's going on?!
Uchiha Fugaku, inside the flagship battle chariot, was completely stunned by the extremely extravagant welcoming ceremony before him.
He had imagined countless possibilities.
Ōnoki might feign submission and then set up an ambush on the border.
They might also close their borders and remain indifferent to the passage of the Divine Kingdom army.
But he never expected that this old guy would pull such a stunt!
He actually mobilized the entire village to put on a "welcome lining the street" here?!
"Haha, Brother Fugaku, how have you been!"
Ōnoki smiled as he descended from the sky, flying directly to Fugaku's flagship chariot. He then warmly bowed to the astonished Fugaku.
Their affectionate manner made them look like long-lost brothers.
Fugaku's lips twitched involuntarily.
Brother?
The name gave him goosebumps.
" Tsuchikage, what is the meaning of this?" Fugaku suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and asked in a deep voice.
"Oh, no need for Tsuchikage, Lord Tsuchikage!" Ōnoki waved his hand dismissively, acting as if they were old friends. "We're all serving under Lord Gen'yō now, we're all family! Just call me Brother Ōnoki!"
Fugaku's expression became even more strange.
"Brother Fugaku, you have no idea!" Ōnoki began his performance, his face displaying an expression of righteous indignation. "When I heard that those blind fools from Kumogakure dared to provoke the might of the Divine Kingdom, I slammed my fist on the table! I immediately wanted to gather all the forces of Iwagakure to lend you a hand!"
"What a pity!" Ōnoki pounded his chest in frustration, his face contorted with grief, " Lord Gen'yō's divine army was just too efficient! I hadn't even finished mobilizing my forces, and you had already razed the Land of Lightning to the ground! It was truly amazing! So satisfying!"
"So, brother, all I can do here are bring the entire village, men, women, and children, to welcome you heroes who fought to maintain peace in the Shinobi World with our sincerest hearts!"
Ōnoki's words were passionate, righteous, and inspiring.
The Kurotsuchi and Kitsuchi behind him, watching their old man's masterful acting, couldn't help but turn their heads away, their shoulders shrug, struggling to suppress their laughter.
After his initial shock, Fugaku finally came to his senses.
Looking at the old man in front of him, whose face was full of "sincerity" and who had taken the word "shamelessness" to the extreme, he felt both annoyed and amused, but more than anything, he felt a deep sense of admiration.
He finally understood why Madara Uchiha once dominated the world and could crush all the major ninja villages, was unable to completely eliminate Iwagakure.
With Ōnoki's ability to be flexible and thick-skinned, he could live a more comfortable life than anyone else in any chaotic world!
That old fox!
He is using this method to show Gen'yō and the whole world his stance!
He not only had to submit, but also had to be a "model" among those who submitted! A "model vassal" of the Divine Kingdom with the utmost loyalty!
In this way, they can secure Iwagakure's special status and maximum benefits in the new era!
" Ōnoki, thank you for your kindness."
Having figured this out, a meaningful smile appeared on Fugaku's face.
He slowly stepped down from the chariot, representing the Divine Kingdom in accepting the welcome from this "veteran actor".
This scene was once again broadcast live to every corner of the world through the ubiquitous drone cameras of the Divine Kingdom.
As the Kage of Konoha, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure looked at Ōnoki's smiling face in the crystal ball, and the red sea of Uchiha Gunbai flags waving behind him, an incredibly complex thought arose in their minds at the same time.
They knew that a new era had arrived with unstoppable force.
And for these remnants of the old era, before boarding the ark bound for the " Moon Palace," they seemed to have yet another "role model" to learn from.
"Father's performance was as wonderful as ever."
Moon Palace, Divine Grace Hall.
Gen'yō watched Ōnoki's exaggerated performance on the screen, a playful smile appearing on his lips.
He turned off the live stream and turned his gaze to the massive, nebula-like " Amaterasu " mainframe inside the hall.
Compared to these "actors" still performing diligently on stage, he is now more concerned about the most crucial "spoils of war" that he has truly acquired.
" Amaterasu."
"Yes, my lord."
"Analyze all the secret technique scrolls of Kumogakure at the highest level."
Gen'yō's golden Kamui pupils shone brightly, flashing with anticipation and excitement.
"I'm very curious, just how powerful could the so-called 'strongest Lightning Release ' really be in this backward era?"
"And what kind of interesting 'monster' will be born when it merges with our Uchiha's 'strongest Fire Style '?"