"My lord—" Tsunade's teeth chattered, her voice barely audible, "You, you don't mean to—"
Gen'yō slowly turned his head, his golden, Kamui eyes devoid of any emotion, calmly gazing at the woman who had completely lost her composure.
"Haven't you already guessed what I'm planning to do?"
His voice was soft, yet it struck Tsunade's heart like an invisible hammer, causing her to sway violently and nearly fall to the ground.
Of course she guessed it!
"Interest"!
For the Uchiha, what "interest" in the entire Shinobi World could they possibly crave more than the " Konoha Casino," which claimed to be the legacy of the First Hokage but actually drained the entire Land of Fire's wealth?
That was the place where Tsunade had spent decades indulging in escapism in order to escape reality!
It was also the last and most extravagant expression of dignity belonging to her Senju Clan!
But now this man is going to completely destroy this "dignity" along with her past in front of the whole world, crushing it to pieces!
No--don't--
Two streams of tears flowed down Tsunade's face; they were tears mixed with humiliation, fear, and endless despair.
She wasn't crying because of the money.
She was grieving for her ridiculous, already shattered pride!
She abruptly raised her head, and for the first time, her beautiful, tearful brown eyes revealed an almost pleading look towards the man on the throne!
"My lord! I have a request!"
Tsunade's action surprised both Kurotsuchi and Konan, who were standing nearby.
In their minds, although Tsunade had submitted, the pride she possessed, stemming from the Senju Clan, had never truly faded away.
But now she's actually bowing down to her lord for a mere casino?
Gen'yō watched her with interest, saying nothing, but gesturing for her to continue with his eyes.
Tsunade took a deep breath, as if using all her strength, and said in a trembling voice:
" The Konoha Casino—no, the Senju Clan's property—I can offer it all to my lord! I won't take a single penny!"
"I only beg you to spare them, and the Senju Clan, a final bit of dignity for the sake of my grandfather and great-uncle."
"Could you include that spot in your grand 'live broadcast'?"
By the end, her voice was choked with sobs.
She knew how humble and ridiculous this request was.
Before the relentless wheels of the gods crushing the world, she still dared to hope to preserve even a tiny speck of dust.
However, Gen'yō's answer once again surprised everyone.
"Can."
He uttered two words calmly.
Tsunade was stunned for a moment, then her eyes lit up with unbelievable elation!
Did he agree?
He actually agreed?!
"However," Gen'yō's tone shifted, a playful smile curving his lips, "I never do business that doesn't benefit me."
"I can choose not to clear it during the live stream, and I can even keep its name."
"But from today onwards, that casino and everything it represents will have a new owner."
He stretched out his finger and gently pointed to the baby boy named " Madara Uchiha " beside him, who was curiously gnawing on his little fist.
"Consider it the first toy I, as a father, am giving to my eldest son."
"Do you have a problem with that, Tsunade?"
Tsunade's face turned paler than a corpse in an instant.
She understood.
This man was a million times worse and more cruel than she had imagined!
He didn't intend to physically destroy the casino; he wanted to take it away completely, conceptually!
Let the last legacy of the Senju Clan become the private property of the Uchiha Clan Head's son!
This is no longer just a humiliation.
This is attacking their spirit!
It was to trample the last pride of the Senju Clan underfoot and then crush it repeatedly with mud-covered shoe soles!
Tsunade's body trembled violently; she opened her mouth but couldn't utter a single word.
Could she possibly have a problem with that?
Would she dare to object?
"Very well, it seems you have no objections." Gen'yō said to himself, as if he hadn't noticed her distraught appearance at all.
He slowly turned around, ignoring the woman who had been completely defeated.
His gaze returned to the "Hope" legion, which was fully prepared for battle.
"Itachi."
"Exist."
Let's go.
"Let the world see just how dazzling and brilliant the dawn of the Uchiha truly is."
As he finished speaking, the massive fleet finally transformed into streaks of black light amidst a deafening roar that tore through space, disappearing into the sky above the Moon Palace.
Earth.
Above the capital of the Land of Land of Fire.
When the Uchiha fleet, which blotted out the sky like a divine punishment from mythology, tore through the clouds and descended upon this city that had flourished for hundreds of years, the whole world fell into a deathly silence.
The bustling crowd on the street froze in an instant.
Everyone looked up, mouths agape, gazing at the steel sky that seemed to float overhead with a mixture of extreme fear and utter awe.
Inside Daming Mansion.
The daimyo of the Land of Fire, the supreme ruler who usually swaggered around and treated human life like dirt, was now cowering under the table like a frightened quail, not daring to even breathe loudly.
"They're here—they're here—"
He kept repeating that phrase, his eyes filled with endless regret.
He regretted ever funding that madman Danzo!
He regretted having had that foolish illusion that he could challenge the gods!
boom--!
Just then, a loud bang!
The massive dome of the Daimyo's castle tower, made of a special alloy and said to be able to withstand the bombardment of Tailed Beast Bomb, was torn open by an invisible force!
Sunlight mingled with the despairing shadows cast by the starships as it streamed in.
A figure, backlit by the light, descended slowly from the sky like a god, landing in front of the daimyo.
The newcomer was not a warrior from the Uchiha.
He wore a simple samurai outfit, with an unremarkable samurai sword at his waist. He had a hideous scar that ran across his entire left cheek, but his eyes were as sharp as a drawn blade.
Mifune.
Formerly the leader of the neutral Land of Iron, now the highest-ranking official of the Divine Kingdom's " Public Security Department ".
"Daimyo of the Land of Fire," Mifune's voice was as cold as the blade in his hand, "By order of Uchiha Lord Gen'yō of the Divine Kingdom."
"We've come to settle the blood debt you owe us for over a hundred years!"
Upon hearing this, Daming collapsed to the ground, a foul-smelling liquid spreading from his crotch.
He knew it was all over.
On the other side...
On the bridge of the flagship of the "Hope" Legion, the " Kamui ".
Uchiha Itachi coldly gazed through the huge porthole at the city below, which was engulfed in panic and chaos.
Behind him stood a thousand Uchiha children, standing solemnly.
Their Sharingan were like the most efficient cameras, greedily recording every detail that happened below.
It records the ugly behavior of those in power in the old era, and the fear and numbness of the common people.
"Instructor Itachi," Uchiha Shō's voice carried a hint of impatience and disdain, "Why are we wasting our time here? Does a mere daimyo deserve our 'observation'?"
"Aren't our targets the rats hiding underground?"
Itachi didn't turn around, but simply said, "This is the lord's order."
"But—" Xiang wanted to say something more.
"Does the lord's order need to be questioned?" Itachi's voice suddenly turned cold.
An invisible, terrifying pressure, filled with an aura of death and foreboding, instantly enveloped the entire bridge!
Uchiha Shō felt as if his soul had been gripped by a cold, large hand, and he couldn't even breathe!
His Mitsudomoe Sharingan was as fragile as glass in front of Itachi's slowly rotating, blood-red windmill-like Mangekyou Mangekyo!
"I—I dare not—" Xiang managed to squeeze out a few words from his throat.
Itachi then withdrew his oppressive aura, and the atmosphere on the bridge returned to normal.
"Remember," Itachi's voice became calm again, "War is never just about simple killing."
"The most effective way to destroy an enemy is not to kill his body, but to destroy his will, strip him of his wealth, trample on his dignity, and let all his supporters see his incompetence and ugliness."
"Just like now."
Itachi pointed to the daimyo of the Land of Fire below, who had been dragged out like a dead dog by Mifune's samurai, and was now kneeling on the ruins, weeping and begging for mercy.
"Killing him will only take a second."
"But let him live, let him offer up the wealth his family has accumulated over centuries, along with the corrupt 'daimyo system' he represents, as 'reparations' to the Divine Kingdom in front of the whole world."
"Only in this way can the lord's interests be maximized."
The thousand Uchiha children seemed lost in thought.
Just then, an Uchiha clansman in charge of communications suddenly changed his expression, quickly walked behind Itachi, and whispered his report:
"Lord Itachi! Urgent intelligence from the Amaterasu AI!"
"Thirty-seven high-intensity Chakra reaction points were detected along our fleet's route! Based on database comparison, they are suspected to be secret bases established by the Root organization within the Land of Fire!"
"Three of the outposts are moving at high speed, seemingly trying to escape!"
Upon hearing this, a cold killing intent flashed in Itachi's eyes.
He slowly turned around, a cruel smile curving his lips.
"Escape?"
"Where can they run to in front of the Uchiha?"
He walked to the command platform in the center of the bridge and gave his first and last order to the city below, which was now completely under the control of the Divine Kingdom.
"All fleet, heed my command!"
"Target: All detected 'root' strongholds!"
"Fire!"