435. The Situation in the Shinobi World

The Chunin Joint Exams were like a massive boulder thrown into a calm lake, and the ripples it created continued to affect the entire shinobi world.

In the Land of Earth:

After the exams, the daimyo's son immediately signed an agreement with Konoha, purchasing a large number of cannons, as well as various conventional and scientific ninja tools.

To assist with their use, Konoha dispatched several teams to provide guidance.

Upon the daimyo's son's return to the capital, the daimyo issued a recruitment order, inviting talented shinobi from across the world to serve the Land of Earth.

He even declared that whether they were rogue ninja or shinobi from major villages, anyone willing to join his ranks would receive generous rewards and citizenship in the Land of Earth.

Attracted by these benefits, many responded, significantly boosting the daimyo's forces.

Along with the new recruits trained by the Yellow Group, the daimyo's shinobi numbers had reached 3,000.

In the context of the entire shinobi world, this was a formidable force that could not be ignored.

This rapid increase in power deeply unsettled Ōnoki.

"That damned daimyo is really planning to break ties with us," he muttered, tearing the recruitment order to shreds in frustration.

After witnessing Konoha's development, it was clear which system was better suited for the new era.

Ōnoki decided he could no longer wait. If Danzō could do it, so could he.

"If you show no mercy, then don't blame me for being ruthless," Ōnoki said, his eyes narrowing with a sharp glint of killing intent.

He turned to Kitsuchi, and asked coldly, "Have you prepared everything I asked for?"

Kitsuchi nodded solemnly. "The elite forces of the Anbu are ready and can move out at any time. Additionally, discontent within the village toward the daimyo has reached its peak. All we need is your order..."

He didn't need to finish. The implication was clear.

Ōnoki's lips curled into a cold smile. "Then there's no need to hesitate any longer. We will execute our plan tonight. I will seize control of the Land of Earth's future with my own hands!"

---

In the Land of Water:

Upon returning to Kirigakure, Mei Terumī immediately convened a high-level meeting.

Zabuza Momochi, a leading figure in the reformist faction, was the first to speak.

He argued that Kirigakure must undergo thorough reforms, fully adopting Konoha's system and eliminating the corrupt noble class and remnants of the Blood Mist faction.

Unlike previous meetings, which had been filled with heated arguments, Zabuza's proposal this time received Mei's full support.

She knew that if Kirigakure continued to hesitate, their only fate would be destruction.

Even representatives from the shinobi clans, such as Ao and Hōzuki Mangetsu, who had previously opposed the reforms, fell silent after witnessing Konoha's remarkable progress.

Thus, after overthrowing the Blood Mist faction, the Land of Water launched another wave of reforms.

With strong support from Konoha, they marched on the capital under the pretext that the daimyo had been controlled by the Blood Mist faction.

This move directly impacted the domestic situation in the Land of Wind.

Upon hearing of Kirigakure's "rebellion," the nobles of the Land of Wind demanded that their daimyo cut off funding to Sunagakure and establish a direct shinobi force loyal to the daimyo, similar to what the Land of Earth had done.

This move infuriated Sunagakure, escalating tensions between the two sides.

Many Suna shinobi began requesting meetings with the Kazekage, Rasa, with one clear demand: war.

Not war with another nation, but war with the daimyo.

They wanted to follow Konoha's example and seize control of the entire country, rather than being manipulated at every turn.

However, even in such tense times, Rasa remained remarkably composed.

He did not immediately agree to his subordinates' demands but instead chose to wait and observe the developments in other nations.

But soon, shocking news swept across the shinobi world: the daimyo of the Land of Lightning announced a comprehensive reform, transferring all his powers and responsibilities to the Raikage, A.

The Kumogakure would be integrated into the national military system, and the daimyo would remain only as a nominal leader, stripped of financial and other powers.

This news was explosive!

It meant that the Land of Lightning had become the second nation, after the Land of Fire, to achieve centralized power.

However, unlike the Land of Fire, the Land of Lightning still retained its noble class, though their powers were significantly reduced.

"Well, the daimyo of the Land of Lightning certainly has guts," Minato Namikaze remarked in surprise when the news reached the Hokage's office.

Although Konoha's intelligence had detected the daimyo's intentions, it was still shocking to see him actually relinquish his power.

Shikaku Nara nodded but offered a different perspective.


"While the daimyo's decision ensures stability in the short term, it may not be beneficial for the country in the long run."

Danzō agreed with this view.

Although the daimyo's voluntary surrender of power made A's reforms easier, it also created a problem: the reforms were incomplete.

Without a complete break from the noble class, it would be impossible to fully eliminate their influence, leaving the Land of Lightning with lingering issues.

Of course, much depended on A's leadership. If he could ignore the daimyo's authority and purge the nobles, it might still work. But such a scenario was unlikely, as the resistance would be too great.

If things went wrong, the Land of Lightning could fracture.

If that happened, the Konoha forces stationed in the Land of Rice would not hesitate to act...

In the entire history of the shinobi world, only Danzō had the vision, courage, and strength to push through such reforms.

Thinking of this, Minato and Shikaku looked at Danzō with even greater admiration.

Indeed, having a "founding father" like Danzō was an immense blessing for Konoha and the Land of Fire.