"Because you are too weak, they do not respect you," Aoi said coldly.
"What you need is a proper ninja army, and to bring the entire Land of Craftsmen under military rule."
Hearing this, Seimei shook his head helplessly. "But I have no way to do that. The senior officials who command the troops have already turned their backs on me…"
"Which is exactly why you need a brand‑new army!"
Aoi smiled and sent a letter to Pearl Town. "There, a strong force is waiting for you to take charge of it — as long as you agree…"
Did Seimei really have a choice?
If he refused, even if he survived this ordeal, he would eventually be pushed out of power. If he agreed, at least he could keep his position as ruler.
Even though he knew this was inviting a wolf into his home, he had no other path. This was how people were — they fell deeper and deeper into the abyss, one step at a time…
Now that Seimei was effectively on his side, he still had to honor the terms of their wager.
As the founder of the nation, Seimei's skill as a craftsman was naturally outstanding.
He quickly realized that the problem holding back the induction coil was not the workmanship, but the materials.
"Far out in the southern sea, I once came across a meteorite that fell from the heavens," Seimei said thoughtfully.
"It seemed to draw lightning to itself; bolts struck it again and again, yet it never suffered the slightest damage…"
Ding…
Quest Triggered: Obtain the Lightning‑Attracting Meteorite
Details: Heaven offers a gift; refuse it, and you will only bring misfortune upon yourself.
Retrieve the Lightning‑Attracting Meteorite from the farthest reaches of the southern sea.
Reward: One Kage‑grade treasure chest, plus 10,000 points.
"I was wondering why the System stayed quiet through all this," Aoi muttered.
"So it was waiting for me here all along…"
Still, since the quest had been issued, it confirmed that such a meteorite truly existed. What puzzled him, though…
Was why such a simple retrieval mission offered such a generous reward — a full Kage‑grade chest?
There had to be more to it than met the eye!
But Aoi was not one to shy away from danger. A true man travels the world with sword in hand. A quest rated at Kage level is nothing to me.
Preparations were made, and the ship set sail.
Just as Aoi was about to depart, someone unexpected came to find him.
"Gengetsu Hozuki?"
Gengetsu stood there with a stern expression, blocking Aoi completely inside the cabin.
Seeing this, Aoi felt a flicker of unease. He watched the whole drama unfold and still hasn't left. Has he discovered the Cursed Seal users from the Land of Water?
Or worse… has he seen through my plan to take control of this nation?
If it was the second, the worst outcome would be having to withdraw.
But if it was the first — using Cursed Seals to control ordinary people was something no ninja village would ever tolerate…
Aoi even began to weigh his options: Should I kill him now, then flee to another dimension for ten or twenty years? If Tobirama Senju ever catches up to me…
That would be the end of the road.
While Aoi was hesitating…
Gengetsu spoke, serious and earnest. "What do you think of the Mist Village?"
"Uh… it's fine. Great scenery — if you developed it as a tourist spot, you'd make a fortune," Aoi replied casually. That is, if endless, blinding fog counts as scenery…
And over in the Sand Village, their endless desert would probably call itself a five‑star scenic attraction too…
Aoi's mind was just as foggy as the Mist Village. What is he getting at? Is he trying to show off his strength before a fight and intimidate me?
"Then… how would you feel about becoming the Mizukage?"
Gengetsu's question hit like a thunderclap, yet he remained completely sincere. "The Leaf Village lacks vision — but we in the Mist have no such concerns!"
"Once you're in charge, you can kill Uchiha elders by the dozen and no one will say a word!"
Gengetsu truly lived up to the reputation of the Bloody Mist — his words carried a cold, unyielding edge.
The Uchiha elders would protest: Even if our clan is doomed, we refuse to be used as a unit of measurement for how many people you can kill…
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