It had to be said that the series of policies pushed by the Fire Daimyo had directly benefited the national treasury. Tax revenue increased, commerce flourished, and the nation's overall strength was steadily rising.
However, the expressions of the high-ranking officials were not quite as pleasant. While their income had indeed increased, their expenses had skyrocketed even further. To push through his reforms, the Daimyo added many new projects and expenditures, much of which was squeezed out of their pockets. As they neared the end of their political careers, they were particularly disgruntled, feeling their personal interests were being sacrificed.
Yet, considering the big picture, they couldn't openly defy the Daimyo—especially since his orders were rational and immensely popular with the common folk.
Thus, it was the perfect time to invite them to become "Special Advisors" to Konoha. Recognizing this, Hiruko meticulously arranged a meeting to facilitate the transition.
"This choice is mutually beneficial," Hiruko stated, his eyes projecting a sincere warmth.
Konoha needed these powerful figures as practical leverage. They had "face," widespread influence, and connections that ordinary people simply couldn't reach. With their backing, Konoha's position in the Land of Fire would be unshakable, and many complex matters could be handled smoothly.
After the previous assassination attempt, the Hokage (Minato) looked favorably upon Hiruko. After the habitual lecture, Minato expressed hope that Hiruko would officially enter the Land of Fire's political arena to produce results as quickly as possible. Hiruko was still young and lacked experience, so taking on such a massive burden was no easy feat.
"As your seniors, we should provide as much help as we can," the elders chuckled. Their words were filled with encouragement—and a frantic hint that they had already planned to defect to Konoha's side long ago.
After simple pleasantries, they got down to business. The negotiation process was agonizingly tedious, especially when dealing with a group of "old foxes" who were never satisfied. They spent their lives in politics and wanted to squeeze every drop of profit for themselves, constantly alternating between demands and conditions that gave Hiruko a headache.
But Hiruko, relying on his superior intellect and stamina, skillfully navigated every pitfall, successfully negotiating a mountain of contracts. In the market, all parties were relatively cooperative, each finding their own slice of the pie. They understood that in this partnership, cooperation was the only way to ensure a win-win scenario.
Thus, the Five Great Nations acted in unison. In the eyes of the Fire Daimyo, they were just a pack of opportunists trying to get a bite of the Land of Rice Fields—nothing too out of line for the shinobi world.
In reality, however, Hiruko and the Leaf ninjas had already seized direct economic control of the Land of Rice Fields through incredibly complex means. By establishing shell companies, controlling key industries, and manipulating market prices, they held the nation's economic pulse in a death grip. The control was so intricate, involving layered equity structures and commercial layouts, that it bypassed the need for military intervention—which would have triggered international backlash.
With these headaches settled, Hiruko kept a copy of the contracts and sent the rest back to Konoha.
The pool of candidates Konoha could send for this kind of deep-cover management was small. After careful consideration, the most suitable choice was Orochimaru. The genius ninja possessed the strength and the unique skillset required, but more importantly, he was meticulous and ruthless.
Hiruko and Minato agreed: Orochimaru was the man to control Rice Fields. While he could be extreme, his competence was beyond reproach. Thus, a new layout began in the Land of Rice Fields, and Orochimaru prepared to set foot on the path of controlling an entire nation.
When Orochimaru took the letter from Hiruko, his hand paused slightly as his eyes swept over the gold-embossed seal. As a man of the world, he understood the weight of the title "Lord of a Nation." It was the peak of secular power. The status of a Great Nation's King versus a Small Nation's Lord was like clouds and mud, yet it was still a throne.
Orochimaru was genuinely surprised. He knew the weight of Hiruko's "gift"—it was almost absurdly valuable. As he flipped through the stack of documents and evidence Hiruko had provided, a meaningful smile curled his lips.
I see. If we only count the economic dimension, calling oneself the 'Lord' of Rice Fields isn't entirely baseless. As long as he was willing to marry into a Great Nation's nobility, gaining the formal title was only a matter of time. But Hiruko's methods were so clean that no one could find a flaw or a way to stop him. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, feeling as though he were watching a magnificent chessboard unfold.
Since learning that Hiruko had resurrected his student, Nawaki, Orochimaru's mood had improved daily. The death of his student had once made him feel the fragility of life, driving him into the abyss of obsession. Now, everything seemed to be moving toward a better future.
After losing its local factions, Rice Fields should have spiraled into chaos. But the Five Nations intervened so quickly that the situation stabilized instantly. Paradoxically, the public security was actually better than before.
Beneath the calm, however, undercurrents swirled. The internal strife between the surviving local families was exactly what outsiders wanted to see; they preferred a bleeding Rice Fields to a stable agricultural competitor.
Fortunately, Hiruko's rapid economic stabilization prevented a collapse. His cross-border merchant guild fueled a new prosperity. As the Land of Fire's industry boomed, fearful Rice Fields landlords chose to flee, offloading their land to Konoha at bottom-tier prices.
Following Hiruko's blueprint, Rice Fields would eventually stabilize as the world's granary. By then, even the most farsighted strategist would struggle to untangle the web Hiruko had spun over the years.
But for now, it was about steady, incremental progress.
The work was far from over. In fact, it was just beginning. There was one individual Hiruko decided to handle personally. He was curious about the "thing" the man possessed—he wanted to see if it could be replicated.
Hiruko activated Konoha's intelligence network to track Kakuzu. As a primary operation, the funding was massive. If Hiruko didn't want to find someone, that was one thing; but once he decided to look, the combined might of the Leaf's Intelligence Bureau and Root made short work of the task.
Luck was on his side. After staking out for two full days, Kakuzu finally appeared.
A tall ninja radiating a chilling aura walked slowly from the distance. He seemed draped in darkness, his clothes wrapping his body tightly, leaving only his eyes exposed. Those eyes were haunting—cold, bottomless pools without pupils that sent a shiver straight to the marrow. On his head sat a forehead protector with a jagged horizontal scratch: the mark of a rogue from Takigakure.
Though Hiruko had never met him in person, he recognized him instantly. He didn't bother hiding; he stood boldly in the middle of the path, blocking the way.
Kakuzu, who had been moving like a ghost, detected Hiruko immediately. Even with dozens of meters between them, the air seemed to solidify. Kakuzu stopped, his voice guarded. "Who are you? Is there some misunderstanding?"
Kakuzu's temper was a powder keg, but without a bounty to collect, his desire for combat was at an all-time low. He was like a hibernating beast, unwilling to expend effort without profit. Especially now, facing a man radiating such a composed, dangerous aura, he sensed trouble.
With Hiruko's current strength, unless a Six Paths-level entity appeared, he had no equal. He was like a predator hiding its claws, masking his true depths. But the veteran Kakuzu still felt a sliver of primal danger—a sensation like a venomous snake slithering up his spine. He instinctively shifted his weight back, contemplating flight.
"Are you Mr. Kakuzu? I have some business I'd like to discuss with you," Hiruko said, his voice echoing in the still air.
Kakuzu didn't hesitate. He immediately unleashed a jutsu. In an instant, a wall of fire surged forward as if the fires of hell had been released to consume the world.
Kakuzu possessed no innate bloodline limit. However, after obtaining the Earth Grudge Fear (Jigo), he could transplant the beating hearts of his victims into himself to gain extra "lives." By connecting to the meridians of these hearts, he could master their original chakra natures. Currently, he held five hearts, giving him access to Lightning, Wind, Fire, Earth, and Water. He was a walking library of elemental ninjutsu.
The four masks on his back represented his stolen lives. In battle, he could detach them as autonomous monsters or attack using black, thread-like vascular tentacles. If an opponent didn't know his secret, they would easily be overwhelmed and shredded by his multifaceted assaults.
But Hiruko knew his secrets by heart.
In the next second, Hiruko's blood began to boil. It felt as if a colossal beast were waking inside him. His heart hammered with a heavy thump-thump, and his surging life force created a radiant aura that enveloped him.
Hiruko activated his unique Sage Mode.
For most ninjas, Sage Arts were a trump card to be used sparingly due to the risk of being consumed by natural energy. But Hiruko's refined version enhanced his body, giving him wings.
Seeing the Sage transformation, Kakuzu knew he was in deep. As a Kage-level master, he had a vague sense of natural energy and could feel the atmosphere around them becoming turbulent.
It was too late. Hiruko channeled Sage Chakra into his hands, turning them into razor-sharp blades. He lunged like an arrow, tearing through the sea of fire as if it were made of wet paper. He slammed into Kakuzu's chest like a cannonball.
A massive fist, carrying the weight of the world, crashed into Kakuzu's waist. Hiruko's strike felt like it intended to hammer him in half. Since becoming a ninja, Hiruko had favored precision and efficiency, hoarding his chakra. But he had to admit—this feeling of absolute, unbridled power was intoxicating.
The punch forced Kakuzu into a state of fatal crisis. Even with his Kage-level strength, he couldn't withstand the deluge.
CRACK!
In the nick of time, Kakuzu used one of his masks as a shield. Hiruko's fist, wreathed in raging Lightning Style, pulverized the mask instantly.
BOOM!
With a single move, Hiruko pinned Kakuzu to the ground, dominating him completely.
A single relevant follow-up question: As Hiruko pins Kakuzu, does he intend to recruit him into his growing corporate empire or harvest the Earth Grudge Fear technique for his own research?
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