Within Kirigakure, all the rational members of the village—those led by Elder Genshi—had gathered at his residence.
Ever since the Third Mizukage was reportedly killed during a mission outside the village by a Konoha ninja, Yamanaka Shinno...
Kirigakure had spiraled out of control like a wild horse with its reins cut loose.
It had begun racing blindly down a path that none of them could understand.
First, former ANBU commander Yagura Karatachi sealed the Three-Tails into his own body and suddenly became a Jinchuriki. He quickly gained support from many radical factions within the village and ascended to the position of Fourth Mizukage. With his newfound power, he launched a brutal purge of all the mid- and high-ranking officials who opposed him.
Then, during a secret diplomatic mission to discuss a joint attack on Konoha with Iwagakure and Sunagakure, Yagura was ambushed and killed at the border of the Land of Fire...
By none other than Yamanaka Shinno. Again.
Another Mizukage. Another death at the hands of Konoha. And the same damn ninja.
They hardly had time to mourn the loss of two Mizukage in quick succession... before things got even worse.
A woman named Uchiha Hikari appeared out of nowhere—using genjutsu and brainwashing to forcibly control the vast majority of the radical leadership.
Then, she summoned tens of thousands of eerie white soldiers, crushed all opposition within the village, and seized the title of Fifth Mizukage.
Uchiha. From Konoha.
Two Mizukage had just been killed by Konoha shinobi—and now the Mizukage's seat was in the hands of a Uchiha?!
The irony. The humiliation.
The radicals, sounding like fanatics, kept insisting this Uchiha Hikari was reorganizing the village to launch a massive war against Konoha. But how could they believe her?
She was a Uchiha. How could anyone in their right mind trust a Uchiha?!
"Are we seriously just going to do nothing?"
Ao, a Jonin of Kirigakure who still retained both eyes, spoke with clenched fists and an expression full of anger and frustration.
He hadn't originally served under Elder Genshi, but with more and more of the village falling under Hikari's spell, he had few options left. This was the only place for those still capable of rational thought.
"Someday, the sunlight will break through the thick fog... and wash away this blood-stained haze. Maybe things aren't as hopeless as they seem."
Elder Genshi's eyes glinted with wisdom.
Uchiha Hikari controlled most of the village, and there was no way she didn't know about their existence.
Yet she hadn't used the power of her Mangekyō Sharingan on them.
There was always a reason behind everything.
Every action Uchiha Hikari had taken so far was deliberate, strategic.
If she had spared them, it meant she intended to use them later.
Just a few days ago, the news of Yagura's death came hand in hand with another shocking revelation—Konoha had proposed a full alliance, even integration, with Sunagakure and Iwagakure.
If the three great shinobi villages truly united, who could possibly stand against them?
Not Kirigakure. And not Kumogakure, even if they had already signed a ceasefire with the Mist.
The future looked dark—utterly bleak.
But maybe this was the deepest hour of the night... and dawn was just around the corner.
Meanwhile, a certain pink-haired girl—Mei Terumī, barely Kakashi's age and still a naive, wide-eyed kunoichi—blinked in confusion, looking completely lost.
...
Northwest of the Land of Wind.
Thousands of tall spires rose like stone spears in the heart of the desert.
Yamanaka Shinno sat on the back of his hawk-like summon, one hand shielding his eyes from the sunlight as he gazed at the awe-inspiring city nestled within the sands.
This was Rōran, a small country technically located within the Land of Wind.
Thanks to generations of its royal family protecting the Dragon Vein, it was nominally under the protection of the Wind Daimyo.
But the current daimyo was a lazy hedonist who barely even cared about Sunagakure, his nation's own military power—constantly cutting its budget. What chance did Rōran have of getting his attention?
According to the records in Konoha...
Rōran was supposed to be a small, impoverished country plagued by sandstorms and poverty.
So how the hell was there such a magnificent city here...?
"An Lushan? Or... Mukade? No, that doesn't add up..."
Shinno rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Even while he was busy uniting the three great shinobi villages, he couldn't afford to ignore the Dragon Vein—especially now that his [Multiversal Traveler] trait required massive amounts of energy.
There was no way he'd let someone else tap into that power.
Wait a second...
Could it be that his future self sent someone back here on purpose—to build this city?
After all, you couldn't exactly develop a remote, sand-ridden backwater village just by planting a few Mokuton trees.
But if someone had already laid the groundwork...
Then a few Wood Release jutsu could finish the job nicely.
"So who exactly did I send...?"
He had his hawk land just outside the city gates.
The locals glanced at him with a mix of fear and curiosity as he walked toward the entrance, carefully observing the city's layout and architecture.
Clack, clack...
Uniformed puppets patrolled the streets, their limbs moving in near-perfect synchronicity.
Chakra threads extended from their backs and disappeared into the ground, connected to a massive underground chakra network that powered and controlled them.
They carried weapons and marched methodically, their sleek bodies far more elegant than the bulky, clunky puppets of the original timeline.
In fact...
The more he looked at them, the more they resembled the kinds of dolls single men liked to keep around...
Civilians didn't seem fazed by these sultry, strutting puppet guards at all.
Street vendors shouted their wares. Townsfolk walked through the markets, haggling over prices without a care.
Most of the men, based on Shinno's sensory feedback, were underground in the "factories," working on various projects—but they didn't seem to be enslaved or mistreated.
More like...
They were just regular employees?
"Don't tell me... I did send someone."
There was no way that rogue from the original timeline—Mukade—would treat the citizens of Rōran this well.
Still puzzled, he made his way to the tallest and most luxurious tower at the city's center.
The current queen of Rōran, Sāra, stood at the entrance waiting for him, flanked by more than a dozen ministers.
Shinno's eyes scanned her entourage—and instantly locked onto one peculiar figure.
A petite girl in traditional Rōran garb, her face caked with makeup, her pale blue hair tied into twin ponytails... clutching a freaky-looking doll.
Completely out of place.
That had to be...
Sēramu?
Shinno's mind flipped through memories like a Rolodex until he recalled someone from the original timeline with the exact same look.
"..."
Sēramu, barely 160 cm tall, stared at him with sparkling eyes full of awe and admiration.
It looked like she was just seconds away from charging forward and saying something.
But then... she seemed to remember something.
She puffed up her cheeks, forcing herself to hold back whatever she was about to do.
Her crimson-shadowed eyes fluttered rapidly as she batted her lashes at Shinno over and over again.
"Honored guest, please—this way."
Queen Sāra gave a graceful curtsy and smiled warmly. She waved off the ministers behind her, raising one hand in an inviting gesture.
"Ah... thank you, Queen Sāra."
Shinno returned the bow, stepping forward.
This whole situation...
Was absolutely not what he had expected.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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