Chapter 249: The Fire Country Annexes the Wind Country
Blood splattered. It stained the ornate, expensive carpet of the Daimyō's main hall, creating an ugly, crimson pattern against the silk.
The Lord Daimyō of the Land of Wind's head, still bearing an expression of bewildered disbelief—a silent testimony to the shock of his swift demise—arced through the air. It finally rolled to a stop with a sickening 'thud' at the feet of the Chief Minister.
Warm, sticky blood even splattered onto the minister's pale, trembling face.
"Ah—!!!"
A high-pitched, feminine scream pierced the air! It was the sound of absolute psychological collapse.
The Chief Minister's eyes rolled back into his head, and he crumpled, fainting instantly on the spot, scared senseless by the sight and the smell.
The remaining five or six ministers, officials, and advisors could no longer hold themselves together.
Their psychological defenses—the belief that their status protected them, that nobility was sacred—completely collapsed at this terrifying, brutal moment!
"Have mercy! Hokage-sama, have mercy!"
"We were wrong! We were truly wrong! We were foolish!"
"We are willing to submit! We are willing to do anything! Just please, spare our lives!"
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The remaining ministers scrambled onto their knees, tearing their robes as they kowtowed frantically towards Uchiha Akira.
Before the Daimyō was killed, they still held a glimmer of foolish hope, believing the other party was merely bluffing, merely intimidating them.
But now, that naive illusion was shattered.
The headless corpse of their sovereign, still gushing blood onto the floor, was the coldest, most brutal reality check imaginable!
Uchiha Kenji, the executioner, flicked the blood from his short sword. He slowly sheathed it with a sharp shink, and returned to stand beside Uchiha Akira with an expressionless, professional face.
The entire hall was filled only with the ministers' heart-wrenching, desperate pleas for mercy and the frantic, rhythmic sounds of their heads hitting the floor.
Uchiha Akira, now standing on the Daimyō's dais, looked down from his elevated position at these pathetic, groveling figures.
"Silence."
The single word, spoken without amplification, was enough.
All the cries and kowtows in the hall instantly ceased.
All the ministers froze in place, their bodies rigid, not daring to even breathe.
Akira's gaze slowly swept over each of them, cool and clinical.
"Your ruler died because of his stupidity and his arrogance. A refusal to see the truth."
"Now, I will give you a chance to live."
"Cooperate with me. You will take over and manage everything in the Land of Wind."
Akira paused, his next words shattering the fundamental structure of the Shinobi World.
"From today onwards, the Land of Wind (風の国) will cease to exist. Everything it possesses—its assets, its resources, its political structure—will be officially incorporated into the Land of Fire (火の国, Hi no Kuni)."
"You will become ministers... of the Land of Fire."
Akira looked at the trembling politicians. "Who agrees? And who objects?"
Annex the Land of Wind?!
Directly incorporate a sovereign, Great Nation into another country?!
Since the establishment of the Shinobi World, although wars between nations were constant, no country had ever dared to directly annex another major power! Such an action would disrupt the balance of power, the entire status quo!
It would arouse the immediate, violent hostility of all remaining nations!
However... these thoughts only dared to circulate feverishly within their minds.
Object?
What a joke! Who would dare to utter a single 'no'?
Did they not see the headless corpse on the opulent carpet? The silent Uchiha guard?
To survive, these officials—whose bodies had long been hollowed out by indulgence and luxury—erupted with an unprecedented, desperate will to live.
"We agree! We wholeheartedly agree, Hokage-sama!"
"Hokage-sama is wise! The Land of Wind and the Land of Fire should have always been one family! It is destiny!"
"We are willing to serve Hokage-sama to the best of our abilities! We will spare no effort! Even if it means sacrificing our lives!"
The ministers, who had just been wailing and crying, were now speaking with sudden, frantic righteousness.
The speed of their change in demeanor—their sudden, absolute, groveling loyalty—made Uchiha Kenji, who was standing nearby, curl his lip in silent wonder and professional contempt.
Akira was not surprised by this blatant display.
For these politicians, loyalty was the cheapest, most disposable thing.
As long as they could survive, as long as they could preserve their wealth, their status, their lives... let alone acknowledging a new ruler, they would not hesitate even if it meant acknowledging a demon as their father.
"Very good," Uchiha Akira nodded slightly.
"Since you all agree, then act immediately."
"Block the news. Announce to the outside world that the Lord Daimyō of the Land of Wind suffered a sudden, tragic illness and died in the night."
"Then, in your names, pacify the capital. Stabilize the political situation. Prevent any disorder."
"And prepare to welcome the transition officials sent by the Land of Fire for the formal transfer of power."
"Remember."
Akira's tone suddenly turned cold, carrying an implicit threat that reached their very bones.
"What I want is a smooth, immediate transition. Not a chaotic civil war. Not resistance."
"Anyone who dares to play tricks, anyone who proves ineffective in their duties, anyone who harbors rebellion..."
"I don't mind letting the nobility of the Land of Wind... get a fresh batch of blood."
The icy words made all the ministers tremble. Any small, desperate ambitions that had just risen were instantly extinguished completely.
"Yes! Yes! We understand! We obey!"
"Please rest assured, Hokage-sama! We will handle it well! We swear it!"
Everyone kowtowed again, their heads hitting the floor like pounding garlic. They were terrified that their loyalty was not obvious enough.
Akira was too bored to look at them anymore.
He turned and instructed Uchiha Kenji.
"Kenji, you stay here. You are the shadow ruler."
"Take a portion of the Anbu and assist them in completing the handover. Ensure the political and financial assets are secured and cataloged. Do not fail."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Uchiha Kenji respectfully replied, his Sharingan blazing with pride and duty.
Having given all instructions, Akira did not linger. His purpose here was complete.
Buzz—!
His figure, amidst an almost imperceptible spatial distortion, instantly vanished from the spot...
In the Land of Fire, the capital city. The Daimyō's Residence.
Inside the magnificent main hall, Lord Daimyō Chiba sat lazily on his throne, looking bored.
A young Hime (princess) was carefully feeding Chiba a small pastry.
Just then.
Buzz!
The air directly in front of Chiba's throne rippled and twisted violently.
The next second.
Uchiha Akira's figure appeared out of thin air in the center of the hall.
"Ah!"
The surrounding guards, musicians, and maids were startled by this elusive, impossible sight. They let out gasps of terror.
Chiba, however, reacted with incredible speed.
The moment he recognized the person, he scrambled down the high steps of the throne. Then, with a thump, he dropped onto his knees before Uchiha Akira.
"Welcome, Hokage-sama! Welcome back to the capital!"
Chiba's head was buried deep in the carpet. His voice was filled with absolute awe and desperate, paralyzing fear.
"Rise." Akira said indifferently.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama!" Only then did Chiba dare to stand up, his legs still shaking. He remained deeply bowed.
Akira did not waste words with him. He went straight to the point.
"I just returned from the Land of Wind."
These words instantly made Chiba's heart pound. He could taste the copper tang of fear in his mouth.
"Sunagakure has already been destroyed by me."
"The Lord Daimyō of the Land of Wind has also been killed by me."
Chiba's legs immediately went weak. His body, which had just stood up, uncontrollably knelt down again! He didn't even notice.
Gulp.
He swallowed with difficulty. His throat was parched. His heart hammered incessantly against his ribs.
Destroyed Sunagakure?
Killed the Lord Daimyō of the Land of Wind!
Just like that... killed?
Chiba once again deeply realized what a terrifying, apocalyptic existence he was loyal to!
"From today onwards," Akira stated, his voice ringing with authority, "there will be no more Land of Wind in the Shinobi World."
"The Land of Wind will be officially incorporated into the Land of Fire's territory."
"You, Chiba, will immediately mobilize samurai and government officials to the Land of Wind to fully take over its political, military, and financial affairs."
"Complete the annexation as quickly as possible. I want speed and efficiency."
Chiba's brain, overloaded with shock and ambition, had completely crashed.
An... annex the Land of Wind?
The territory of the Land of Fire would directly double!
This... what an astonishing, world-shaking achievement!
He, Chiba, would become the Daimyō with the most expansive, largest territory in the entire history of the Land of Fire!
After the immense shock came an unspeakable, terrifying ecstasy!
But then, boundless fear immediately suppressed this trace of euphoria.
Chiba suppressed the chaos in his heart and asked the single most crucial question in a trembling voice.
"Ho... Hokage-sama..."
"If... if those nobles of the Land of Wind, or local lords, they... they resist. How should they be dealt with?"
This was an inevitable problem. Annexing a country could never be smooth sailing. Those hereditary nobles would never easily surrender their power and wealth.
Akira glanced at Chiba, his eyes cold and distant.
"Resist?"
Akira's face was utterly devoid of pity.
"Then clean them out."
"Any nobles who dare to resist, along with their families and confidants... are to be completely, utterly cleaned out. Their names will be erased."
"This new era, Chiba... it does not need so many dissenting voices."
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