Makiya was silent for a long moment before tentatively asking, "Grandma Mako, have you ever thought about moving to another country?"
Grandma Mako: "???"
Although she said nothing, Makiya could read the confusion in the elderly woman's expression.
"Move to... another country? Little Makiya, what in the world happened?"
"...It was nothing, really. I just had a minor clash with some nobles and got a bit carried away..." Makiya thought for a second, then gently explained the situation to her.
After hearing Makiya's story, Grandma Mako remained silent for a long while. She watched the children playing in the courtyard and asked softly, "Little Makiya, where exactly is this 'other country' you mentioned?"
"The Land of Demons, or somewhere else. Regardless, I'll find a suitable home for the Uchiha clan. You can rest easy on that front."
Makiya was on good terms with Minato and many others in the village. If it ever came to a real fight, he didn't want them caught in the crossfire.
Furthermore, the rule of the Daimyos and nobles was deeply entrenched in the Five Great Nations. Such a system wouldn't change overnight. Makiya wasn't some kind of demon who wanted to slaughter an entire population; it would be better to find a place where the concept of a Daimyo was weaker and slowly reshape the ideology of the commoners under his rule.
But before leaving, Makiya intended to pull off something big. Tekka had already left the village in secret under his orders to compile a complete list of every noble in the Land of Fire.
He wouldn't turn his blade against the ignorant commoners, but as for those nobles...
When the people saw those so-called nobles cowering and losing control of their senses in public, they would realize that these 'emissaries of the gods' were nothing more than ordinary men.
Grandma Mako stayed silent for a long time before finally saying, "If this is your decision, Grandma will support you. Just remember to take the children and any clansmen willing to follow."
In her youth, Grandma Mako had been a spitfire of a woman, and she remained decisive when it came to major events.
"Of course. I'll make the arrangements," Makiya nodded, finished his red bean soup in one gulp, and stood up to leave.
In the Hokage's office, a heated debate was raging. Minato was fighting a three-on-one battle and was gradually being forced onto the defensive.
"Minato, Makiya Uchiha must be arrested immediately." Homura Mitokado spoke with a grim face, setting a final tone for the discussion.
Minato frowned. "Makiya is a war hero of this village. I have no grounds to arrest him."
Bang!
Koharu Utatane slammed her hand on the table in fury. "Isn't the Daimyo's word reason enough? If the Daimyo decides to impose sanctions, you will be the one who failed Konoha!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a cloud of smoke and added his voice to the pressure. "Konoha needs the funding provided by the Daimyo to survive; otherwise, the village's finances will collapse. Minato, you've only just taken office, so it's natural you don't fully understand the weight of this. If our finances fall apart, Konoha will be driven to ruin. That is an inescapable reality."
Minato took a deep breath and choked slightly on the thick smoke. "Cough... Lord Third, I understand your reasoning. But that noble Makiya killed was the one at fault. Since when did the Land of Fire start interfering in Konoha's internal affairs? He even stole the village's ninjutsu scrolls. Surely you consultants aren't ignorant of that."
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado exchanged glances. They knew all about the scrolls. In their minds, those were just ninjutsu that could be easily replicated; trading them for noble support was a perfectly acceptable bargain.
However, they couldn't say that openly, so they feigned ignorance.
"Fourth Hokage, you need to make a decision now." Koharu's expression was sterner than ever. "The Daimyo won't wait much longer. Once he issues the sanction order, it will be too late for everyone."
Under the scrutiny of three pairs of aging eyes, Minato felt a crushing weight. The thick smoke from Hiruzen Sarutobi's pipe made it nearly impossible for him to focus.
"I will find a perfect way to resolve this," Minato said helplessly, intending to go home and clear his head.
"We are discussing the solution right now, Minato. Do not evade the issue. You must provide a plan immediately." Homura Mitokado stepped closer, his eyes locked onto Minato.
Minato frowned. "A decision of this magnitude requires time for consideration. Please leave, consultants."
"Minato, you—" Hiruzen Sarutobi tried to interject, only to be met with a very familiar retort.
"Lord Third, I am the Hokage!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "..."
That single sentence left Hiruzen speechless. He finally understood how Danzo used to feel—it was more than just 'stifling.'
In the middle of the night, the moon hung over the treetops.
Makiya flew on his sword, feeling the humid mist brush past him. Once he reached the designated coordinates, he vanished from his flying sword instantly.
Within the priestess's palace in the capital of the Land of Demons.
The barrier formation Makiya had previously installed was functioning perfectly. In the energy recovery room on the third floor, above the black [Rectification] recording device, Makiya's form flickered into the room.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was truly convenient. Once a mark was set, it was nearly impossible to stop unless someone used Yin-Yang Release to erode the space-time anchor.
Just as he was now, Makiya had appeared quietly within the priestess's inner sanctum while the guards outside were none the wiser.
"Who goes there?" a sharp voice called from outside. Purple priestess energy erupted, forming a blade that shattered the door and shot toward Makiya.
Miroku had entered her priestess form. Her form-fitting uniform highlighted her perfect, curvaceous figure. As soon as she recognized the face in the room, she instantly pulled back the energy surging from her hands.
However, her momentum was too great to stop. Miroku became a human projectile, her head slamming right into Makiya's chest.
Facing the priestess who was effectively 'ramming into him with her full weight,' Makiya 'couldn't react' in time. Her power was immense, and her burst of speed was something even the dynamic vision of a three-tomoe Sharingan couldn't track in an instant. Makiya's vision was suddenly filled by two soft mounds, and by the time he could process it, the impact had happened.
Thud!
The two collided and tumbled to the floor in a heap. A warm, fragrant scent overwhelmed him as Makiya felt his face pressed into a soft warmth, as if two water balloons filled with warm water had hit him, nearly stealing his breath.
This moment of bliss was far too short. Miroku scrambled up in a panic, pulling her robes tight. "Ma-Ma-Makiya-sama, what are you doing here?"
"Something came up." Makiya touched his cheek. The brief contact had sparked memories of the Erotica Makiya in his mind. In some ways, he really did need to put in more effort.
He couldn't let his other-world selves put him to shame!
Miroku led Makiya to the drawing room and busied herself boiling water for tea. She pushed a steaming cup toward him. "What exactly happened? Please tell me, Makiya-sama. If there's anything I can do to help, I'll do it with all my strength."
"It's nothing major." Makiya took a sip of the tea. The scalding water seemed to have no heat at all to him. "The Daimyo of the Land of Fire wants my head. So, I've planned to 'delete' him and the nobles. But I don't want to kill my old friends and acquaintances because of it, so I intend to bring my clan here to seek refuge."
Makiya's words were enough to leave anyone speechless. Miroku stood frozen for a long time before finally finding her voice. "Kill the Daimyo... and the nobles... Your thinking is... certainly unique!"
Makiya spread his hands. "I never liked them to begin with. I wasn't going to stoop to their level, but since those fools decided to provoke me, they can't blame me for being ruthless."
Seeing Miroku fall into thought, Makiya assumed she had reservations. He stood up to leave. "Never mind. I'll look elsewhere."
Seireitei in the Land of Hot Water had plenty of room too.
"Makiya-sama, wait!" Miroku hurriedly stopped him. "The Daimyo and the nobles are considered sacred and inviolable; that's a rule etched into the hearts of everyone in the Ninja World. I was thinking... if you were to become the ruler of the Land of Demons—the highest noble here—the entire situation would change."
Makiya frowned. "You mean..."
Miroku nodded. "Yes. If you rule the Land of Demons and become its Daimyo, this becomes a war between nations rather than a subordinate rebelling against his superior."
Makiya thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No. Becoming a noble goes against everything I stand for. I appreciate the offer, but I won't become one of them."
"I see." Miroku considered it. "Then, do you have the confidence to protect the people who submit to you?"
"Of course. I might struggle with an area as large as the Land of Fire, but the Land of Demons is small. I can fly across it in thirty minutes. With formations set across the country, I can protect everyone."
Makiya's answer was firm. He had absolute faith in his abilities.
Makiya was well aware of his standing in the Ninja World. A massive coalition army of the Five Nations might be able to exhaust him eventually, but he wasn't an idiot. If his chakra ran low, he'd just leave. No one could hold him.
The Land of Demons' terrain was naturally defensible, and the Land of Earth to the north wouldn't tolerate foreign armies near its borders. With Makiya here, the country would be an impenetrable fortress.
"Then I can put my mind at ease, Makiya-sama." Miroku smiled. "Since you're unwilling to rule, I will appoint you as the State Preceptor of the Land of Demons. Your rank will be second only to mine and above all others. What do you think?"
Makiya was indifferent. "Do whatever you think is best. Just clear out a section of the capital for the Uchiha. I'll bring the first group over in a few days."
"It shall be done."
In an ordinary house in Konoha, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Hiruzen Sarutobi were gathered in secret.
"Minato is far too soft. I told you that the Uchiha were a blight on this village, and now look where it's gotten us..." Homura sighed.
Koharu's eyes glinted. "Hiruzen, what if we take care of Makiya Uchiha ourselves? We can give the Daimyo the answer he wants. Once the deed is done, Minato won't have a choice but to accept it."
"