novelraw Chapter 310
Chapter 310
Chapter 310
Naruto Time Control
The Land of Fire.
The Daimyo's Mansion.
Inside a vast, opulent hall, the Daimyo sat at the head of a long table. At this moment, however, his posture was stiff, and his face betrayed a hint of restless anxiety.
Seated along the table were the aristocrats, generals, and high-ranking officials of the Land of Fire. Not a single one of them dared to display their usual arrogance or self-assurance; they were all visibly wary and subdued.
"...and that is roughly how things stand."
Yeruashi sat at the far end of the long table, directly opposite the Daimyo. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the surface with his fingers interlaced, and spoke with calm authority. He then looked toward the Daimyo and asked, "What are your thoughts on this matter?"
"Lord Hokage, the decision rests entirely with you..."
The Daimyo replied cautiously.
While shinobi were nominally subordinates of the Daimyo, serving as the shield that protected him, the current Hokage was a different matter entirely. Following the unification of the world, Yeruashi had attained an unprecedented level of fame and prestige, not only among the shinobi but also within the civilian population.
It was no exaggeration to say that if Yeruashi desired it, he could dismantle the current system of government in an instant. He possessed the power to become not just the Hokage ruling over the shinobi, but a sovereign lord over the entire civilian world as well.
"Very well. Then let it be done,"
Yeruashi nodded and declared simply.
He had no interest in upending the current system.
Managing the shinobi was already a heavy burden; Yeruashi found the idea of taking over civilian administration as well to be far too tedious.
However, given the unification of the shinobi world, the governing system still required a complete overhaul. Yeruashi had already held meetings with Tsunade, Mei, Shikaku, and several others. Together, they had drafted a rough blueprint for the future administrative structure of the unified shinobi forces.
In theory, the proposal should have been submitted to the Daimyo for deliberation and approval. In reality, this meeting was more of a formal notification. Everyone understood that the true power in the Land of Fire no longer rested with the Daimyo, but with the Fifth Hokage.
"Does the Lord Hokage have anything else to discuss?"
The Daimyo asked, watching Yeruashi attentively.
As the sole Daimyo of a unified world, he held immense power in his hands, yet he did not dare speak to Yeruashi even as an equal, let alone with the condescension usually afforded to his subjects.
"No, that covers everything."
Yeruashi shook his head and offered a small smile. "Ah, there is one minor thing. Please have a proper mansion built for me here in the capital. I intend to visit from time to time."
Konoha was still quite small compared to the capital of the Land of Fire. The civilian population far outnumbered the shinobi, so it was pointless to compare the scale of a military village to the sprawling metropolis where ordinary people congregated.
"Of course. I will issue the order immediately."
The Daimyo visibly relaxed once Yeruashi smiled and made a personal request.
Yeruashi stood up and said, "Then we are finished."
The Daimyo prepared to rise as well, but Yeruashi signaled for him to remain seated with a casual wave of his hand before stepping into a newly formed rift in space.
Watching the Fifth Hokage vanish, the Daimyo finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Just sitting across from Yeruashi exerted a staggering amount of pressure on him. After all, this was a man who could strip him of his status and authority with a single thought.
The Daimyo looked up at the ceiling and sighed helplessly.
The world was unified.
He now ruled over a territory five times larger than the original Land of Fire, and the former leaders of the other great nations were now his subordinates. Yet, for the first time, there was someone standing clearly above him.
The generals and aristocrats at the table remained silent. They too had felt the overwhelming weight of Yeruashi's presence, even though the Hokage hadn't released a shred of killing intent.
"You may all leave."
The Daimyo shook his head and dismissed them quietly.
He chose not to dwell on it any longer. He was the sole Daimyo in the world, and the Fifth Hokage seemingly had no intention of seizing his throne.
In fact...
Word was that Yeruashi still hadn't married, and his youngest daughter had just turned sixteen... wouldn't that be a perfect match?
Yeruashi, who had already departed, was naturally unaware of the Daimyo's schemes.
He would only find out about ten days later when Rin, laughing, tore up a letter from the Daimyo and tossed it into the trash bin.
...
Konoha.
A pitch-black spatial rift opened above a rooftop, and Yeruashi stepped out.
He was standing atop the tallest building in Konoha, which offered a panoramic view of the entire village.
By now, Konoha had grown significantly.
It had expanded outward once again to accommodate the women and children arriving from Iwagakure and Kirigakure.
Modern Konoha was at least three times its original size.
In the distance, work was underway on the Hokage Rock.
Yeruashi had initially been against it, finding the idea a bit excessive and embarrassing, but Shikaku, Hiashi, and the others had insisted on modifying the monument. The faces of the four previous Hokage would remain, but the cliffside was being extended so that Yeruashi's likeness could be carved above them.
In truth, Tsunade had even suggested renaming the village and the title of Hokage. She argued that since Hashirama and Madara had founded Konoha, Yeruashi’s radical changes to the world deserved a new legacy.
However, Yeruashi felt that things were fine as they were.
The title of Hokage suited him perfectly, so he decided against making any drastic changes to the village's identity.
The Hokage Residence had been rebuilt as well. Several surrounding buildings had been demolished to make room for its expansion.
The new administrative center stood seven stories tall.
The top two floors served as the Hokage's private residence. The remaining five housed the sealed archives, the grand conference hall, offices for the Hokage, Shikaku, and Tsunade, as well as the mission dispatch desk and other various departments.
Yeruashi was quite pleased with the new building. The previous one had been a bit cramped. Now, there was only one downside: ever since the residence was finished, a constant stream of people kept dropping by just to play Mahjong.
Yeruashi gazed down at the bustling streets of Konoha below.
He saw Might Dai jogging through the village, children training at the Shinobi Academy, and Hinata listening intently to a Chunin instructor...
He spotted Shikaku buried under a mountain of paperwork, Mei relaxing in a bath, Kurenai tidying up a room, Orochimaru studying Otsutsuki cells, and Kurama playing video games in a clearing just outside the village walls...
As he looked at the vibrant, thriving life of Konoha, Yeruashi couldn't help but smile, filled with a deep sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
After all, it was he who had forged this prosperous new world.
With a faint rustle, Yeruashi’s figure vanished from the rooftop.