["The Land of Snow is on the verge of collapse?!"
The moment Kakashi's words landed, everyone in the meeting room went pale. Before Asama Sandayū could even begin explaining, people were already springing up from their seats in shock.
Even Naruto forgot to scratch his head. His eyes went wide as he blurted out:
"Wait, seriously? Weren't we just saying that the snowy scenery and landscapes of the Land of Snow were perfect for filming movies? How did things suddenly get this bad? Bad enough that the whole country is about to fall apart?"
Seeing the mixture of shock and confusion on everyone's faces, Asama Sandayū—whose cheeks were still wet with the traces of earlier tears—let his expression darken. Then he suddenly slammed a hand down on the table and, gritting every word through his hatred, said:
"The root of it all is that traitor Doto!"
"Under Lord Sōsetsu's rule, even though the Land of Snow was small and bitterly cold, the people could still live on their homeland and maintain peaceful, stable lives."
"But ever since that vile usurper Doto took power, all he's cared about is authority and wealth. Every policy he's pushed through has been about squeezing the people dry. Life for the common folk has long since become unbearable."
"If that were all, perhaps the people could still grit their teeth and barely endure it."
"But six months ago, that mad traitor—whether his mind was clouded by greed or he'd simply gone insane—emptied the national treasury to build a temple called the Phantom Demon Palace. Not only did he force the entire country to worship something called the Phantom Demon Emperor, he also imposed an incredibly harsh and cruel martyrdom ritual!"
"Wait, Sandayū-ossan, I want to ask something. What exactly is this 'martyrdom ritual'? I've never heard of anything like it before."
Sandayū was speaking through clenched teeth when Naruto suddenly raised his hand, his face full of innocent curiosity as he interrupted to ask.
Before Sandayū could respond, Kakashi spoke first, his voice grave:
"Martyrdom, in the normal sense, refers to willingly sacrificing one's life for a religious faith or some secular cause."
"Of course, that's what martyrdom means under ordinary circumstances."
"From what Mr. Sandayū just described, what Kazahana Doto is enforcing now is actually a forced martyrdom ritual. It has nothing to do with the people choosing it of their own will. He is simply demanding that they give up their lives."
"How... how can something like that even happen...?"
After hearing Kakashi's explanation, Sakura's face turned deathly pale, her eyes filled with disbelief and horror.
"That's right! That traitor Doto is now brazenly and forcibly taking the lives of the people!"
At that point, Sandayū continued, his tone growing heavier, tinged now with a despair so deep it was almost suffocating:
"In just half a year, more than thirty thousand people in the Land of Snow have already died in the Phantom Demon Palace's cruel martyrdom ritual. Some resisted and were killed for it. Others were dragged away and used as sacrifices. Not even the elderly or the children were spared!"
By the time he finished, Sandayū's voice had begun to choke again, but his gaze had become firmer than ever. Looking straight at Kazahana Koyuki, he emphasized each word:
"If Doto is allowed to continue doing as he pleases, then it won't be long before the Land of Snow is utterly ruined. By then the country will cease to be a country, and the people will have no way left to survive."
"Now, the only person who can stand up and stop him—the only one who can save this nation and its people—is Your Highness!!"]**
"Bastard! What do you mean I'm the one dragging the Land of Snow down?!"
Land of Snow, royal hall.
Staring at Asama Sandayū's image on the light screen, Kazahana Doto was so furious that he could not stop himself from smashing the luxurious ornaments around him even as he paced back and forth, gnashing his teeth and cursing loudly:
"When I took the throne, the Land of Snow's treasury was already so empty it didn't even have a single coin left!
"If I hadn't worked myself to the bone these past few years—cutting expenses, saving wherever possible, and doing everything I could to refill the treasury—the people of the Land of Snow would have frozen and starved long ago! They'd all be dead by now, instead of still living peaceful lives like this!!"
The more he spoke, the more agitated he became. Unable to contain himself, Doto slammed his palm hard against the armrest of his throne, his voice thick with grievance and rage, as though he were the real victim of a terrible injustice.
Unfortunately for him, the right to define the story was no longer in his hands.
At that very moment, the light screen was still showing scene after scene of the relevant events, while Asama Sandayū's despair-filled accusations continued to echo in the ears of the entire ninja world.
Countless viewers, watching all this unfold, would only conclude that every disaster afflicting the Land of Snow stemmed from Kazahana Doto.
Just as he was being driven half-mad by anger and frustration over this situation, Nadare Rōga hurried into the palace. He had barely come to a stop before urgently asking:
"My lord, what are we supposed to do now?"
"At this rate, even if we had a hundred mouths, we still wouldn't be able to clear our names!"
Hearing his subordinate's question, Doto drew in a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the agitation in his heart, falling once more into thought.
After a long silence, he slowly shook his head and finally replied in a tone that carried both bitterness and absolute decisiveness:
"There's no helping it. At this point, we can only abandon all these great works we built with our own hands."
"Because of that light screen, other forces across the ninja world are definitely going to send people to the Land of Snow to investigate. Even the rulers of neighboring countries, along with all the different factions within our own nation, will probably start getting restless."
"In a situation like this, trying to hold on stubbornly will only make things worse. Better to cut our losses and flee first."
At that, Doto paused. A calculating gleam flashed through his eyes, and then he continued:
"Of course, before we leave, we need to search for clues connected to the Phantom Demon Emperor. Judging from the video on the light screen, if those really are glimpses of the future, then the day I establish the Phantom Demon Palace cannot be far off."
"In other words, it was around this period of time that I obtained the Phantom Demon Emperor's power. Twisted or not, that power is still an undeniable treasure—something extraordinarily rare."
"With it, even if we abandon the Land of Snow, it may not be impossible for us to rise again elsewhere."
"Yes, my lord!"
Nadare Rōga bowed his head obediently, not daring to hesitate in the slightest.
The very next moment, the two of them split up and began moving at once.
Not long after leaving the hall, Nadare Rōga personally gathered an elite squad of Snow ninja and led them out into the blizzard-swept lands of the Land of Snow, searching everywhere for any traces connected to the Phantom Demon Emperor.
As for Kazahana Doto, he did not waste even a second. He immediately set about gathering gold, grain, and every other essential supply needed for withdrawal, clearly making his final preparations for the day he would regroup and return.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 175)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 119)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter105)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter100)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter79)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter125)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 60
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 40
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 73
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 55
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 66
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 64
The Way the Umamusume Look at 63
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 55
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 45
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 31
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 31
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 31
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