Shisui understood Hiromi's thoughts. He just didn't want Hiromi to kill those who remained in Konoha. After all, they were fellow villagers, including elderly people who saw Konoha as their home and ignorant children.
So Shisui hoped Hiromi would wait a bit. Perhaps Sunagakure would be tempted to attack Konoha.
Compared to Hiromi raiding the village, a Sunagakure raid would clearly be more moderate. At least some people might be able to escape.
Thus, Shisui persuaded, "Hiromi, we just arrived at the Daimyo's Residence, and there are many things to arrange. How about waiting a bit longer?"
Hiromi noticed this, stopped his pace, stared into Shisui's eyes, and frowned. "Nii-san, I don't mind your soft-heartedness, but you must see the future clearly and understand the consequences of leaving them alive."
He paused for a few seconds, as if the future were manifesting in his words.
"Even if we don't go, smaller villages will be tempted. When that time comes, Konoha will surely be destroyed. They will be displaced, and their families torn apart. And the root cause of it all will be the Uchiha clan withdrawing from Konoha."
"So they will hide in the shadows, hating the Uchiha clan, waiting for the day they can wipe us out. When that day comes, they won't even spare the children."
Hiromi's tone became cold. "Because, after all, we are the evil Uchiha clan."
How could Shisui not know this?
But he had always thought this wasn't an absolute certainty, just a possibility.
But now that Hiromi had said it, he felt that if those escaped villagers had the ability to seek revenge, how could they not?
Was it possible they would possess power yet stay hidden in one place? Forgetting their hatred? Living in peace and prosperity?
How could that be possible!
Let alone the Uchiha clan, even with the Senju clan, one could see from Tobirama's wariness toward the Uchiha clan that hatred cannot be forgotten. Furthermore, hatred is passed down.
Shisui's expression was complex. It wasn't that Hiromi was cruel and heartless, but for the sake of the Uchiha clan, they had to die.
"I... will go with you."
He made up his mind, his eyes turning firm as scenes of him slaughtering in Konoha appeared in his mind.
Everything for the Uchiha clan!
Hiromi looked at him and nodded. "Fine, but you don't need to do the fighting."
"Okay."
"Follow me after you've arranged things properly." Hiromi stepped forward.
Shisui nodded, then remembered someone and asked from behind, "Then how should the Daimyo be handled?"
The Uchiha clan had entered the Daimyo's Residence like a relocation, with tens of thousands of villagers and thousands of ninjas following behind.
Anyone who wasn't an idiot could see what the Uchiha clan was doing. But the Daimyo wasn't dead yet, nor had he said the word "no." So in reality, the veil hadn't been completely torn off.
Therefore, they could still act like an "ostrich with its head in the ground," playing dumb to delay for some time.
"Kill him." Hiromi said.
"Alright."
Shisui turned to leave.
At that moment, Hiromi's disdainful reminder drifted over.
"Learn more from Shikaku's ruthlessness—be decisive when it's time to cut ties, and don't learn from his idiotic mercy."
"..."
Shisui said, "I'll keep that in mind."
Shisui left using the Body Flicker Technique.
Hiromi was alone, walking calmly on the main road, slowly approaching Konoha step by step.
—
Daimyo's Residence.
Of the five old-fashioned desktop television sets, only four were glowing. Among them, the four Daimyos of the Land of Earth, Land of Lightning, Land of Wind, and Land of Water had somewhat solemn expressions.
"The Daimyo of the Land of Fire isn't even showing up." The Land of Lightning Daimyo was very dissatisfied.
"I'm afraid he's already met with misfortune." The Land of Wind Daimyo said.
"Five years ago, he became very strange and stopped going out." The Land of Water Daimyo added.
"At that time, I offered him a songstress he had always wanted as a condition and invited him out to play, but I could never get him to come. I thought he had lost interest in that songstress, but looking at it now, he must have been controlled when the ceasefire agreement was signed." The Daimyo of the Land of Earth sighed.
As for that songstress, he had used some means to force her into selling her body. Although that songstress was useless now, her screams were still more stimulating than playing with ordinary people.
But now...
"Land of Water Daimyo, how have you considered the matter of the Allied Forces?" The Daimyo of the Land of Earth asked.
The Daimyos of the Land of Lightning and the Land of Wind both looked toward the Land of Water Daimyo.
The three major nations had all agreed, now only the Land of Water remained.
The Land of Water Daimyo smiled apologetically and said, "My apologies, but Kirigakure has just ended the Blood Mist era, and the distance is far. We will not be participating this time."
The other Daimyos immediately became displeased.
"Hmph! I think you just want to sit back and reap the spoils."
"If it ends in a pyrrhic victory or mutual destruction, and Kirigakure launches a sneak attack, we won't be able to afford it."
"You are either an ally or an enemy."
Facing the collective condemnation of the three Daimyos, the Land of Water Daimyo already had a plan in mind.
"Gentlemen, on the day war begins, my Land of Water will burn our ships to assist your efforts. How about that?"
Hearing this, the expressions of the three Daimyos softened somewhat. They didn't want to consume their military strength to eliminate Kirigakure before the war even began.
If the Land of Water was willing to burn its ships and render itself unable to reach the mainland, then that would naturally be acceptable. After all, Kirigakure was truly weak.
"That would be for the best."
"I hope your Land of Water doesn't play any little tricks."
"Hmph!"
—
Land of Rivers.
Located between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, it is famous for its numerous mountains and rivers and its lush forests.
However, due to excessive humidity, it is not friendly to Sunagakure ninjas. Additionally, a large nation swallowing a small one would cause dissatisfaction among many small nations and provoke public outrage. Therefore, Sunagakure had never considered the Land of Rivers as a target for invasion.
In the humid air of the forest, a pair of siblings walked through it.
Temari, carrying her fan, looked behind her from time to time, feeling very uneasy.
Her younger brother Gaara, the village's important weapon and Jinchuriki of One-Tail, had left the village privately without the village's permission. Once the village found out, he would surely be hunted down.
What she didn't know was that Jinchuriki defecting from their villages was actually quite common in other villages.
For example, Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki of Iwagakure, and Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki of Kirigakure.
The remaining Jinchuriki only stayed because they were properly brainwashed, even perfect Jinchuriki like Bee and Yugito were the same.
Otherwise, who would protect their abusers while being insulted?
Gaara had long since decided—anyone who stood in his way would die.
Suddenly, he saw two people wearing black cloaks with red clouds appearing in front of him.
One was a middle-aged man resembling a giant scorpion—Sasori, an S-rank Rogue Ninja from Sunagakure and Chiyo's grandson.
The other was a youth with deep blonde hair tied in a high ponytail—Deidara, an S-rank Rogue Ninja from Iwagakure and Ōnoki's student.
Gaara wouldn't be worried facing either one of them alone. But if these two attacked together while he also had to protect Temari, it would be a bit difficult.
"Leave this place." Gaara said expressionlessly.
"Gaara..." Temari was very worried.
But looking at Sasori and Deidara opposite them, she couldn't help at all and could only grit her teeth and leave. She headed in the direction of Sunagakure, she was going back to the village to bring reinforcements.
As soon as Temari left, yellow sand rapidly emerged from the ground beneath Gaara's feet.
Just as Sasori was about to move, he was stopped by Deidara.
"Master, just leave it to me, hmm." Deidara walked forward.
"Are you sure you'll be okay alone? The opponent is a Jinchuriki." Sasori said in a low voice.
"Master, just watch my art from behind."
Deidara walked up with confidence in his art.
For a time, in the humid forest, yellow sand filled the air, and the sound of explosions was incessant.