The Land of Birds.
A nation situated between the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth, renowned for its vast variety of bird species.
Not only that—hidden within its borders was a powerful clan of avian summoning beasts, bound by contract to the Daimyo of the Land of Birds for generations. That was how the country earned its name.
After several days of deliberation, Ōnoki could no longer suppress the anxiety gnawing at him. He took the initiative to invite the Third Kazekage, Rasa, to meet in the Land of Birds.
After all, the fate of Kumogakure had already been sealed.
It would be bled dry by the three great powers led by Konoha—stripped of everything—only to have its own wealth turned against it in a final crushing blow.
A miserable end.
At best, Kumogakure would kneel and surrender, groveling before Konoha.
At worst… it would be erased entirely.
Ōnoki had considered preserving what little remained of Kumogakure—leaving behind seeds of survival. The Land of Lightning's Daimyo would never allow the village to remain weak forever. Even if it required gritting his teeth, he would fund its reconstruction. After seven or eight years of recovery, perhaps it could rise again.
But…
The temperament of the Third Raikage made that unlikely.
A man who trained his body until his muscles seemed to replace his brain—reckless enough to personally endorse the Blue Sky Project—had already pushed Kumogakure deeper into disaster.
When the economic bubble burst, the aftermath would be catastrophic. The shinobi of Kumogakure might tear him apart with their own hands.
If his will faltered, he might even commit seppuku to atone.
Kumogakure's future was bleak.
And so, for the sake of Iwagakure's survival, Ōnoki concluded there was only one path left—
He had to win over Sunagakure.
As for Kirigakure?
That was out of the question.
The Second Tsuchikage had died at their hands.
Between Iwagakure and Kirigakure, there was blood hatred.
Perhaps they might join forces against Konoha in the future—but not now. Ōnoki would never lower himself to seek them out first.
—
A modest inn.
"Guest, what would you like?"
"A pot of your finest tea. And I'll be renting the entire inn today."
"Yes, sir!"
The innkeeper lowered his head, not daring to meet Ōnoki's gaze. Years of experience had sharpened his instincts—this was no ordinary guest.
Time dragged on.
Ōnoki sat with his eyes half-closed, resting—until something caught his attention.
A familiar symbol.
The Konoha emblem.
"Owner, what's that?" he asked, pointing to an oval-shaped object on the counter.
"This, sir, is a new type of ninja tool produced in Konoha. It contains a special heating mechanism. As long as you supply chakra, it continuously releases heat. It's wrapped in fur."
The owner demonstrated.
"In winter, you can use it to warm your hands during the day. At night, remove the outer layer and use it to warm your bedding. Much more convenient than burning coal."
Ōnoki watched in silence.
A few seconds later, realization struck him.
Iwagakure… was already filled with products like this.
In its commercial districts, more and more Konoha-run shops had appeared. Their emblem had spread across the streets without anyone noticing.
The villagers had grown accustomed to shopping there.
The goods were cheap.
Useful.
And occasionally came with discounts—coupons, referral bonuses, lucky draws.
Even if the savings were small, housewives managing family expenses valued them greatly.
Over time, people even began complaining—
Why hadn't Konoha opened shops here sooner?
Bookstores that had once teetered on the brink of collapse were revived with mysterious funding. They began selling magazines published in Konoha.
Inside were humorous stories.
Motivational essays.
And tales about Konoha itself.
A place of freedom.
Of prosperity.
Of intelligence and courage.
Some weak-willed villagers—and even shinobi—read those stories and began to long for it.
Their unseen spiritual homeland.
And when they finally visited Konoha—
It truly was everything they had imagined.
Those who returned spread the word enthusiastically.
Even the air in Konoha smelled better.
A creeping fear took root in Ōnoki's heart.
Even if Iwagakure allied with Sunagakure… would it matter?
Konoha had already advanced far ahead—on an entirely new path—and was accelerating even further.
Ōnoki, an old-generation shinobi, felt a deep sense of unease.
Had the era changed?
When had it begun?
"…The era of nobles will become history. The era of shinobi is coming. Ninjutsu should not be a tool of killing—it should benefit the entire world."
He recalled the words spoken by Uchiha Ren.
At the time, he hadn't taken them seriously.
But now…
It seemed Ren had truly done it.
Then what should Iwagakure do?
Follow Konoha's path?
Would that even work?
Ōnoki fell into deep thought.
—
Footsteps approached.
"Long time no see, Lord Ōnoki."
"Indeed. It has been a while."
Ōnoki's expression shifted, his earlier gloom replaced by a polite smile as he greeted Rasa.
The innkeeper quietly shut the doors and retreated.
After brief pleasantries, Ōnoki got straight to the point.
"Kazekage, you understand the current situation. Kumogakure has already been destroyed by the Hokage's schemes. Of the remaining great villages, Kirigakure is isolated overseas. Konoha cannot easily interfere there."
"On this continent… the only villages capable of threatening Konoha—are Iwagakure and Sunagakure."
He paused.
"Tell me… who do you think Konoha's next target will be?"
"Perhaps Iwagakure."
"And if Iwagakure falls… who do you think comes next?"
Rasa's expression changed slightly.
A dangerous conversation.
He had expected nothing less.
Ōnoki was clearly trying to drive a wedge between Sunagakure and Konoha.
But…
The concern was real.
If Kumogakure disappeared—
Could the remaining villages truly stand alone?
"Konoha's ambitions are not limited to Kumogakure," Ōnoki said firmly. "Their goal is the entire shinobi world."
Rasa fell silent.
Konoha had helped Sunagakure immensely in recent years. To betray that alliance over a few words would be foolish.
"…Sunagakure is allied with Konoha. They have helped us greatly—even Iwagakure has benefited."
"That," Ōnoki replied calmly, "is precisely the Hokage's brilliance."
"Sweet as honey… but if the price of continuing to eat it is the destruction of your village—would it still be worth it?"
Rasa said nothing.
His mind drifted to the founders of Sunagakure—those who had built it through hardship.
Could he face them… if he allowed it to fall?
And yet—
Konoha's support was too valuable.
Too generous.
"…I cannot betray Konoha over mere words," Rasa finally said.
Ōnoki sighed inwardly.
As expected.
"Very well. I have no intention of breaking your alliance," he said. "I only ask for one thing."
"When war breaks out against Kumogakure… Sunagakure must not strike to kill."
"You don't want Konoha to dominate the entire world, do you?"
Rasa nodded slowly.
"…That, I can agree to."
"And if Konoha insists on wiping out Kumogakure completely…"
Ōnoki finished his tea in one gulp.
"…Then next, it will be Iwagakure."
"And after that… you already know."
He left without another word.
Rasa remained seated for a long time, lost in thought.
—
Outside Konoha.
Early spring still carried a chill.
After nearly three years of effort, Uchiha Ren's railway project had finally begun construction.
As Hokage, he personally attended the groundbreaking ceremony.
Multiple rail lines would connect major cities across the Land of Fire.
Passenger trains.
Freight trains.
The investment was enormous.
Ticket sales alone would never recover the cost.
But that wasn't the point.
What mattered were the hidden benefits—
Transportation efficiency.
Population mobility.
Land value appreciation.
This barren land would soon transform.
With the railway complete, even a simple proposal could attract waves of investors.
Construction was already in full swing.
Workers—many of them shinobi—hammered iron spikes into place.
Nearby, Orochimaru moved through the site wearing a safety helmet.
He was the project's lead.
A talent Uchiha Ren was deliberately cultivating.
"Orochimaru, if you run into any problems, speak up."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
His youthful face was filled with excitement. Even the dark circles under his eyes seemed lighter.
Ren smiled, ruffling his hair.
This version of Orochimaru was nothing like the one he remembered.
Now, he was fully devoted to Konoha—walking a bright path.
As long as Tobirama didn't corrupt him with dangerous ideas…
That future might never come.
"…Is that Jiraiya?"
Ren suddenly spotted a familiar figure.
Jiraiya—working as a laborer?
"He's not short on money," Orochimaru said calmly. "He's just using labor to cope with heartbreak."
"…I see."
Ren understood instantly.
Jiraiya.
A hopeless romantic.
But also a fool.
Loving Tsunade while behaving like a pervert?
No woman would accept that.
Ren watched him with a hint of pity.
"Since he's such a… hardworking individual," Ren said lightly, "make full use of him."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Ren patted Orochimaru's shoulder.
No labor should be wasted.
After the ceremony, Ren returned to the Hokage building.
A mountain of work awaited him.
And in the Land of Fire—
The so-called loyal officials…
Were starting to grow restless.
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