C224

The change of a daimyo is no trivial matter in the ninja world. This is not merely the succession of a common daimyo but the complete replacement of the daimyo's inheritance.

The allies of the Fire Nation will undoubtedly send envoys to offer their congratulations, and the daimyos of the other four great nations will also dispatch representatives.

Before the succession ceremony, the Fire Nation daimyo had already handed over nearly all his power to Kain. This was witnessed by many people, and before the decision was finalized, it underwent extensive scrutiny to ensure that the daimyo was not under any form of control.

It's not that Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others lacked the means to assess the daimyo's physical condition, but all control techniques in the ninja world are ultimately tied to chakra. 

And when it comes to detecting chakra, whether through the Yamanaka clan or the Hyuga clan, no abnormalities were found in the daimyo.

Having maintained relationships in Konoha for so many years, Sarutobi Hiruzen had little difficulty borrowing a branch family guard from the Hyuga elders without Hyuga Hiashi noticing.

For a major clan like the Hyuga, even if the clan head supported Orochimaru, the elders would still maintain relationships in other areas. However, whether Orochimaru would discover this was another matter entirely.

Meanwhile, in Konoha, Orochimaru convened a Jōnin meeting regarding Kain's succession as daimyo.

He and Kain had already discussed the matter privately multiple times and reached a broad consensus. The Jōnin meeting was intended to convince others.

Sarutobi Hiruzen attended the meeting as well, but his expression was grim. Orochimaru had only recently become the Fourth Hokage, and of the previous generation's leadership, he was the only one left.

Utatane Koharu had been imprisoned due to financial irregularities, and the investigation into her accounts revealed an unaccounted sum of 200 million ryo, which was confiscated. 

The financial loss left the Shimura family struggling, as they had no businesses and few active ninja.

When Orochimaru questioned Utatane Koharu about the source of the money, she hesitated and failed to provide an answer.

Mitokado Homura had fully retired—no Konoha shinobi approved of his past actions, and remaining in office would only tarnish his reputation further.

As for Danzo, he had been branded a traitor. Seven Anbu teams, seven Jōnin teams, Namikaze Minato, and others were all hunting him and his Root forces. At least within the Land of Fire, he could no longer hide.

Moreover, under Orochimaru's leadership, even if Root managed to flee the Land of Fire, survival would become increasingly difficult. 

The Sarutobi and Ino-Shika-Chō clans were unlikely to take the risk of aiding Danzo. If caught by Orochimaru, any ninja involved would be in grave danger.

"Except for those who are away and unable to return in time, almost everyone is here."

Orochimaru entered the meeting room, scanned the assembled shinobi, and stated directly, "The Land of Fire has a new daimyo, and the succession ceremony will be held in two days. Konoha will also send a delegation to offer congratulations. I will not be attending personally, but—"

"Wait a moment, Orochimaru… Fourth Hokage."

Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly interrupted, then said, "This is far too suspicious, Fourth Hokage. How can the position of daimyo be changed so easily, and—"

"In fact, Nawaki should have been the first to hear the news. Since the Daimyo's residence has no direct heir, Nawaki would have been considered the most suitable candidate for succession."

At Orochimaru's words, most of the Jōnin in the room turned toward Nawaki, who sat at the front, their faces showing slight surprise.

After the Cloud Shinobi's retreat, Nawaki had returned to Konoha, but his relationship with Tsunade had soured. Tsunade had left shortly after he returned, her departure still fresh in everyone's minds.

Sensing the gazes of Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others around him, Nawaki nodded and said, "That's right. Both the Daimyo's household and my sister asked me about this, but I have no interest in the daimyo position, so I rejected their proposal."

So that's how it is!

The Jōnin in the room nodded silently upon hearing his words. From this perspective, it seemed the Daimyo's household had been considering this matter for a long time, and their recent actions had been a last-resort decision.

Orochimaru let out a hoarse chuckle and continued, "Besides, Lord Sarutobi, haven't you checked multiple times? You even invited members of the Hyuga clan and used the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques. You should be able to confirm that the daimyo wasn't being controlled by anyone."

The next moment, Hyuga Hiashi immediately stood up, bowed, and apologized. "Lord Hokage, as clan head, I was unaware that some of my clansmen left the village. This was my failure in duty."

"It's not a problem, Hiashi. Besides, it's good that Sarutobi-sensei conducted an investigation." Orochimaru then turned to Hiruzen. "So, Sarutobi-sensei, did you find any evidence that someone tampered with the daimyo?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's face darkened. He knew that since Orochimaru had brought this up, he must already know the answer. Finally, with a weak sigh, Hiruzen admitted, "Nothing was found."

Neither he nor Jiraiya had uncovered anything related to the poisoning of the daimyo's heir or the Fire Nation's minister.

Little did they know, it had been the daimyo himself who orchestrated it.

Orochimaru gave a silent, mocking smile, his expression causing Hiruzen's fingers to dig into his palm beneath the table.

"Then, the congratulatory delegation will be led by Nawaki, along with Hiashi-kun, Yatsushiro-kun, members of your two clans, and Uzumaki Kushina. You will all travel together to the Fire Nation's capital."

Orochimaru then turned to Nawaki and added, "Nawaki, from today onward, I will have Lord Hiashi guide you. You will begin working in the Hokage Building."

This was essentially an imperial decree naming Nawaki as the next Hokage, yet not a single Jōnin objected.

Nawaki's battlefield achievements were undeniable. From before the Third Ninja War to the recent confrontation at Cloud Shinobi Village, he had been a constant presence on the front lines. His Wood Style ninjutsu was also extremely powerful.

In all of Konoha, few could rival him for the position of Fifth Hokage. While Namikaze Minato was of the same generation, the gap between them had only widened over time. Nawaki's battle records had far surpassed those of the future Yellow Flash.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

Those summoned by Orochimaru responded immediately.

However, Sarutobi Hiruzen interjected anxiously, "Fourth Hokage, about Kushina… Are you sure about this? After all, she is Konoha's Nine Tails Jinchūriki—"

"Konoha Village will not place the daimyo's wife under house arrest, Sarutobi-sensei. Say no more. I am Hokage now!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's face turned slightly pale. Hearing Orochimaru's words, he abruptly stood up and shouted, "Orochimaru, you will regret this!"

With that, he stormed out of the Hokage Building in anger.

If things continued this way, the Sarutobi clan would undoubtedly face a slow but inevitable decline. Perhaps it was time to reconsider Danzo's words.

The daimyo's succession ceremony concluded swiftly.

After the ceremony, all of the Guardian Ninja swore allegiance to Kain. The previous daimyo died immediately afterward, not even lasting a minute.

Following the transition, the former daimyo's relatives moved out of the mansion, and the entire estate was thoroughly cleaned—inside and out.

However, Kain had no intention of living in the daimyo's mansion. Instead, he had instructed Shinno to pilot sky Fortress, the City of Sky, to the capital of the Fire Nation. If all went as planned, the City of Sky would serve as the new daimyo's residence.

With this change, the capital of the Fire Nation could also be expanded—becoming a city truly under his control. Even in the biochemical world, Kain had never experienced such a sense of ownership. Although Umbrella wielded immense power, it was never, strictly speaking, a nation.

The Fire Nation was poised for a significant transformation.

Media, the internet, and heavy industry would be the primary focus of its future development. Aside from the Kain Chamber of Commerce, all businesses involved in these sectors would receive official development subsidies from the Fire Nation.

Kain also had plans for Konoha Village.

Currently, Konoha was located too far from the Fire Nation's capital. To address this, he intended to construct several acropolis around the expanded capital, allowing for Konoha's eventual relocation closer to the heart of the nation.

Centralizing governance and military power would streamline development and regulation. While Konoha had long held near-equal status with the Fire Nation—where the daimyo merely held more prestige than the Hokage—this dynamic would change under Kain. 

From now on, Konoha would operate as a military force under the Fire Nation's command.

After the daimyo's succession ceremony, Kain discussed these plans with Nawaki and Hyuga Hiashi. Given Tsunade's close ties with Kushina and Orochimaru's friendship with Kain, Nawaki naturally shared a strong relationship with him.

Kain even regarded Nawaki as a brother-in-law.

To ease the transition, the financial burden of relocation would be covered by Kain's merchants. Moreover, being closer to the capital offered many benefits—better trade, improved communication, and an end to Konoha's historical isolation.

Both Nawaki and Hyuga Hiashi were intrigued by the idea. After all, the Hyuga clan and other ninja families had only been established in Konoha for sixty years, and many of their businesses were based elsewhere. The move wasn't a significant loss for them, and the advantages were undeniable.

They had no reason to refuse.

However, this wasn't an immediate action. The plan wouldn't commence until the Fire Nation's capital had been expanded and its infrastructure—especially roads—was fully developed.

As daimyo, Kain had extensive discussions with Nawaki, Hyuga Hiashi, and Uchiha Yatsushiro, recording ten official documents detailing the changes in Fire Nation-Konoha relations.

One of the most critical matters for Nawaki was the official mission contracts from the Fire Nation. Starting next month, the number of missions assigned to Konoha would quadruple, though more than 80% of them wouldn't involve combat. 

Instead, tasks would focus on infrastructure development, such as paving roads, redirecting rivers, and even reforestation efforts.

Nawaki himself would likely oversee numerous tree-planting missions.

"Damn it, I lost everything in a single afternoon!"

Tsunade sat with an expression of pure frustration. She had been so close to winning, only to suffer defeat in the end. The three million ryo she had just borrowed from a Senju family acquaintance had vanished in an instant.

Now, she only had enough money for one meal and a single night's stay at an inn. She wouldn't even have enough for breakfast the next morning.

"Should I borrow more?" she pondered. "Even though we're from the same clan, it doesn't feel right to keep asking them for money…"

Tsunade racked her brain for a solution. Aside from traveling the world as a healer, her only option was to borrow from close friends.

"Oh, right! I heard from Hanako that Miwa is nearby. I'll go see her!"

Miwa Kawaki was one of the first people Kain had spoken to and was also among the first few individuals Tsunade had introduced to him. 

She now managed a massive dessert business, generating an annual income of nearly 10 million ryo, and her profits were still rising.

Just as Tsunade was considering asking Miwa for a loan, someone suddenly sat down across from her.

A very familiar voice spoke:

"Yo, long time no see! Didn't expect to run into you outside the village!"

Tsunade's head snapped up. The moment she recognized the person in front of her, her expression turned furious.

"You've got some nerve showing your face in front of me, Jiraiya!"

…

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