Naruto's civilian cannon fodder starts with the three-body technique

Chapter 374 Ninja Village Reform
"Kazekage-sama?!"

"Even the Kazekage-sama has told us to surrender, is there any point in us continuing to fight?"

"For the sake of the family's survival, perhaps..."

Elder Zhuolan, Ye Cang, and the Zhuolan clan soldiers all changed their expressions drastically, unable to believe that the Third Generation Wind Shadow would say such a thing.

"Impossible! It must be fake. Lord Kazekage would never make us surrender!" Ye Cang retorted sharply.

Sasuke Umino secretly admired Pakura's keen sixth sense, but he still had to keep up the act.

The Third Kazekage spoke again, his voice filled with helplessness and sorrow: "When we signed the agreement, we intended to ambush the Konoha delegation, but we fell into their trap instead. Chiyo was captured, and I... Alas, it's too late to change anything now. Let's surrender, preserve our strength, and wait for the future..."

To increase his persuasiveness, the Third Kazekage raised his hand and unleashed Magnet Release.

hum!
The metal ninja tools such as kunai and shuriken held by the soldiers of the Scorching Storm Clan below suddenly floated up slightly without control, which was the Third Kazekage's signature Magnet Release ability.

Now, most of the Zhulan clan soldiers believed it. Magnet Release couldn't be faked. Even in the entire Sunagakure village, only the Third Kazekage and Rasa possessed the Magnet Release bloodline limit.

"This really is Lord Kazekage!"

"Magnetic escape cannot be faked."

"Then what should we do?"

The will to resist crumbled as quickly as an avalanche.

Umino Sasuke looked at the pale-faced Elder Zhuolan, then at the ashen-faced Elder Shapu beside him, and reminded him, "Elder Shapu, it's your turn to speak."

The Sandfall Elder closed his eyes, struggling in agony, but thinking of the safety of his people, he finally spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse: "Old friend, surrender. My Sandfall clan has already surrendered. If you continue to resist, you will only face death. For the sake of the clan's survival, surrender..."

Upon hearing this, Elder Zhuolan swayed, as if he had aged decades in an instant. Even the number one ninja clan in Sunagakure had surrendered?! This news was undoubtedly the last straw that broke the camel's back for the Zhuolan clan.

He looked at the familiar faces in the air, at the desperate yet hopeful eyes of the tribal soldiers below, and at Ye Cang beside him, who was still unwilling but equally confused. In the end, endless exhaustion and despair overwhelmed him.

He slowly raised his hand, and with all his might, he hoarsely shouted, "Burning Storm Clan, lay down your weapons, we surrender."

Clang! Clang...

The sound of weapons falling to the ground rose and fell. Most of the surviving Zhuo Lan soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, as if a huge burden had been lifted. But what followed was immense humiliation and bewilderment.

Upon hearing the clan elder's order, Ye Cang's body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground. Tears finally welled up in her eyes. She was relieved that she would no longer have to see her clansmen die, but she also felt endless sorrow for the fate of the village and her clan. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Sasuke Umino ordered the prisoners to be received and their chakra sealed.

He made a point of coming to Yekura, who was sitting on the ground with her long brown hair disheveled and her face covered in dust and tear stains. Yet, her beautiful appearance and unique temperament were still undeniable. Her combination of fragility and strength was particularly striking.

"Yakura, we meet again," Umino Sasuke said calmly.

Ye Cang raised her head, her beautiful eyes filled with complex emotions: anger, humiliation, sadness, and a hint of something else that was hard to detect: "White Blood Demon, you've won. Are you satisfied?"

“There are no winners in war, only survivors,” Sasuke Umino replied calmly. “I simply chose the path most beneficial to Konoha. You should be glad you surrendered, otherwise we would have had to make an example of your father.”

Ye Cang's eyes softened when her father was mentioned. She had thought her father had died in battle, but now it seemed he had been captured.

Sasuke Unno knew that Pakura possessed the Scorch Release Kekkei Genkai, and that ordinary sealing techniques were limited in effectiveness and easily destroyed by the high temperature of Scorch Release. He had to personally apply a more powerful seal.

He walked behind Yekura, his hands began to form hand seals, complex sealing runes flowed at his fingertips, and then he placed a palm on Yekura's smooth back.

"Hmm..." Ye Cang's body trembled slightly, and he couldn't help but let out a soft groan.

Sasuke Umino's palm was warm and strong, and the place where he pressed made her feel a little strange. Then, a cool and powerful chakra surged into her body, accompanied by a dense stinging sensation.

Countless black tadpole-shaped runes spread out from Umino Sasuke's palm, crawling all over Yekura's fair back like living creatures, forming a complex and mysterious sealing pattern. This was a powerful sealing technique developed by Umino Sasuke by combining the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan with the characteristics of Mizutane, specifically designed to counter this special bloodline limit.

The sealing process lasted for a moment. During this time, Umino Sasuke could clearly feel the smoothness and elasticity of the skin under his palm, as well as the slight trembling of Yekura's body. Unconsciously, his fingers moved slightly, as if he was feeling that delicate and familiar touch.

Yekura clearly sensed the subtle movement as well. Her ears instantly turned bright red, and memories of the intimate moments of physical contact between the two of them at the border of the Land of Rivers involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

That bastard! That lecher! Even at a time like this, he still… She felt both ashamed and angry, but she couldn’t vent her anger. She could only bite her lip tightly and bury her head even lower.

Finally, the seal was complete, and the black runes gradually disappeared beneath Yekura's skin, leaving only faint traces.

Umino Sasuke withdrew his hand, as if nothing had happened, and said calmly, "Alright, your Scorch Release has been temporarily sealed. Don't try to forcefully break the seal."

Yekura suddenly stood up, straightened her clothes, and glared fiercely at Umino Sasuke. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were filled with shame and indignation, but she couldn't say a word. Her eyes seemed to say, "You just wait!"

Umino Sasuke touched his nose, slightly embarrassed, and looked away, but couldn't help but smile to himself. This hero of Sunagakure's Scorching Release was as interesting as ever.

After taking control of the two strongest Sand Village ninja clans, Sandfall and Scorching Storm, Umino Sasuke continued his relentless advance, leading his elite troops and the "surrendered" Sand Village high-ranking representatives towards the next objective.

Faced with the Third Kazekage's personal order and the fact that the Sand Village and Scorching Storm clans had already submitted, the remaining Sand Village ninja, even if a few within them wanted to resist to the end, ultimately had no choice but to yield to the naked threat of "extermination."

With the last influential ninja clan laying down their weapons, the resistance of Sunagakure essentially came to an end.

Unlike the Hokage of Konoha, who has considerable autonomy, the elders and various ninja clans of Sunagakure are deeply entrenched, and their power even surpasses that of the Kazekage in some aspects, forming a unique oligarchy.

Now, the Third Kazekage, Elder Chiyo, the heads of the various ninja clans, and the members of the elder council have all been captured or surrendered. Their joint surrender order is the final decision for the vast majority of Sunagakure ninja who are used to obeying orders from their superiors.

The high degree of discipline and obedience characteristic of the ninja system was evident at this moment. Since the higher-ups had already decided to surrender, even if some individuals below were unwilling, it was difficult for them to organize effective resistance.

Any attempt to provoke resistance, however sporadic, would be futile against the ironclad army that had already taken full control of the situation and formed battle formations; it would be extinguished instantly.

Sasuke Umino's strategy of controlling the situation by forcing the Sunagakure leadership to surrender was extremely clever.

If we rely on the Iron Wall Legion to launch a strong attack, even if we eventually take over Sunagakure, we will inevitably suffer considerable casualties. The brutality of urban warfare is beyond doubt.

And now, they have completed the complete occupation of this great ninja village at almost the lowest cost.

Just as Sunagakure was beginning to stabilize, eight hundred elite Iron Wall Legion soldiers who had come from Red Rock Fortress arrived just in time and quickly took over key locations and defensive points throughout the village, further consolidating Konoha's rule.

Sasuke Umino immediately issued strict military orders: a curfew was imposed, all weapons were confiscated, movement of people was restricted, and the Sand Village elders and key figures from various ninja clans were taken hostage to force these high-ranking Sand Village officials to assist in maintaining order, conducting a population census, and appeasing civilians. Only after the Sand Village was completely under the control of the Iron Wall Army and the situation was basically stable did Sasuke Umino finally have time to deal with the most important issue: the spoils of war.

Inside the temporarily requisitioned Fengying Building office.

Nara Shikaku walked in carrying a large stack of preliminary account scrolls, his usually lazy face now filled with disbelief, shock, and excitement.

"Captain, something's not right!" Nara Shikaku placed the scroll on the table, his voice filled with confusion. "Isn't Sunagakure always known as the poorest and most resource-scarce ninja village among the Five Great Nations? But these accounts, and the mountains of supplies piled up in the warehouses—how can they be poor? They're practically rolling in money! The gold, silver, and various jewels alone are worth as much as the wealth of an entire small country! And those mountains of rare metals, ninja tool materials, explosive tags… I feel like we didn't just conquer Sunagakure, but rather the Daimyo's capital in the Land of Wind?!"

Sasuke Umino sat in the seat that originally belonged to the Third Kazekage. Upon hearing this, he simply gave a faint "hmm," without any surprise on his face, as if he had already expected it.

He picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and slowly began to speak: "Little Shika, you've been misled by the Sunagakure's propaganda all along. The Land of Wind may seem to be mostly desert, but its underground mineral resources are extremely rich, especially gold, silver, and various rare metal deposits. Their so-called 'poverty' refers more to the scarcity of water resources and agriculture, and..."

He paused, his eyes becoming somewhat profound: "And the extremely severe wealth inequality."

Then, he put down his teacup and continued, "When Senior Zuoyun and I went deep into the heart of the Land of Wind to carry out our mission, we witnessed firsthand how miserable the lives of the common people and ordinary genin in the Land of Wind were. Many times, they couldn't even get enough to eat. But the upper-class nobles and great ninja clans lived extremely luxurious lives by monopolizing trade and mineral resources. Their wealth even surpassed that of many nobles in the Land of Fire. Sunagakure is just a microcosm of the society in the Land of Wind."

Nara Shikaku, being an exceptionally intelligent man, immediately grasped the point. He exclaimed, "I understand! You mean that the wealth of Sunagakure is not nonexistent, but rather highly concentrated in the hands of a few ninja clans and high-ranking members, while lower-ranking ninjas and commoners don't actually share much of the benefits of development?"

“That’s right.” Sasuke Umino nodded. “You could even say that these ninja clans and their leaders are parasites sucking the blood of Sunagakure. Even the Third Kazekage, who was known as the ‘Strongest Kazekage,’ couldn’t fundamentally change this situation because he himself was one of the representatives of the ninja clans’ interests. How could he possibly overthrow his own clans?”

Sasuke Umino's tone carried a hint of sarcasm: "Compared to Konoha, thanks to the reforms vigorously promoted by the First and Second Hokage, especially Tobirama, the power of the ninja clans has been weakened to some extent, while the power of the Hokage lineage and the training of commoner ninjas have been strengthened."

Other ninja villages, while also imitating, were unable to fully implement their reforms due to the time lag, which allowed the traditional ninja clans within the villages time to adjust and respond.

Aside from Tsuchigakure, which has a more in-depth understanding of ninja, villages like Sunagakure and Kirigakure are still largely controlled by ninja clans. This situation might only be broken through the attrition of multiple wars, which would increase the number and importance of civilian ninja to a certain level.

Nara Shikaku nodded in deep agreement. As the heir of the Nara clan, he understood the delicate relationship and power struggle between the ninja clan and the village better than ordinary ninjas. Umino Sasuke's analysis was spot on.

However, he keenly sensed that Umino Sasuke's sudden discussion of so many topics about the reform of the ninja village structure was not without purpose.

He asked tentatively, "Captain, why are you suddenly telling me all this? Could it be that you intend to carry out similar reforms in Konoha after the war?"

Umino Sasuke glanced at him, but instead of answering directly, he asked in return, "Do you think Konoha's current system is perfect? ​​The ninja clans are entrenched and occupy a lot of resources. Aren't they also sucking the village's blood to some extent? The village is a military group. Strength and organizational efficiency are fundamental. If there are too many internal redundancies and unfair distribution, it will be a path to death if external pressure becomes too great or if it becomes too weak."

Nara Shikaku fell silent, carefully considering Umino Sasuke's words, and had to admit they made a lot of sense.

He sighed: "Reform is certainly a good thing, and I support it, but Captain, the resistance is too great. It will almost shake the foundation of all ninja clans. Even if we Nara clan consider ourselves to be relatively enlightened, we may not support it. It's a matter of moving one thing and affecting the whole body. I think it's better to proceed slowly."

Upon hearing this, Sasuke Unno smiled, but his smile was somewhat cold: "You're right, the resistance is indeed enormous, and historically, reformers have rarely had a good ending, easily becoming the target of public criticism."

Nara Shikaku pondered the phrase "reformers never have a good ending," and a chill ran down his spine. Indeed, reform meant the redistribution of interests, which would inevitably offend a large number of vested interests. Even if one acted with the public good in mind, it was hard to guarantee that one would not be retaliated against and purged one day.

Just as he was pondering this, Umino Sasuke changed the subject, his tone becoming more relaxed: "So, it's better to let others take the lead in things that might offend people. We can just follow behind and go with the flow."

Nara Shikaku instantly understood Umino Sasuke's subtext: it wasn't that he didn't want to reform, but rather that he didn't want to personally act as the "vanguard" who charged into battle and drew all the firepower. This political wisdom and forbearance gave Nara Shikaku a deeper and newer understanding of this young commander. He was not only a military genius, but also a politician who was well-versed in the ways of power.

"Sigh." Nara Shikaku sighed dramatically, then resumed his lazy demeanor. "It seems that even after the Ninja War ends, things won't calm down. When will these days of mental and physical toil ever end? I'm truly destined to be a laborer."

Umino Sasuke laughed and gave him a flick on the forehead: "Stop complaining and hurry up and take stock of the spoils and come up with a distribution plan. If you dare to slack off or try to cheat, I'll recommend you as the leader of the reformists!"

Nara Shikaku immediately turned pale and waved his hands frantically: "No, no, no! Captain! Spare me! I'll go to work right away and make sure I complete the mission. I don't want those old guys cursing me all the time!"

Watching Nara Shikaku run off in a panic with the scroll in his arms, Umino Sasuke shook his head with a smile. This little Shikaku is really smart, but also really lazy. However, he can definitely be relied on in a critical moment.

Soon, Nara Shikaku returned with a preliminary plan for the distribution of the spoils.

Looking at the staggering numbers on the list, even Sasuke Umino couldn't help but exclaim again, "As expected of a great ninja village that has accumulated wealth over many years, this wealth is probably far greater than the Uzumaki clan's accumulation over a thousand years."

After a moment's thought, he made a decision: "Issue the order that all captured ninjutsu scrolls be made available to all Konoha ninjas who participated in this battle. According to their merits and rank, Jonin can learn one A-rank ninjutsu for free, Chunin one B-rank ninjutsu, and Genin one C-rank ninjutsu. Those with special and significant contributions can have their quotas increased after passing an assessment, and may even apply to learn S-rank forbidden techniques!"

"As for money and supplies," Umino Sasuke paused, then delivered a decision that made Nara Shikaku's eyelids twitch, "we will take 30% of the total value of all the spoils from this operation and distribute it to all the soldiers of the legion according to their merits and contributions!"

"Thirty percent?!" Nara Shikaku nearly jumped up, quickly advising, "Captain! Isn't thirty percent too much? That's thirty percent of the accumulated wealth of the entire Sand Village! It's almost equivalent to the total income of a small country for many years. Distributing such a large sum of money will probably cause the Hokage and the village's higher-ups to..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: You destroyed Sunagakure without permission, which is already a great achievement that overshadows the leader and violates the rules. Now you're going so far as to spend so much to win over the army's morale. What will the higher-ups think? This is practically a challenge to the Hokage's authority!
Umino Sasuke waved his hand dismissively, his tone resolute: "So what if it's 30%? Proportional distribution of spoils after a battle is standard practice in the ninja world! It's just that we got more spoils this time, so we get more. It's only right that soldiers get paid. Without my brothers risking their lives and fighting alongside me, where would the great victory in Sunagakure have come from? Where would all this spoils have come from? That's settled then. I want to see who dares to say a word!"

Nara Shikaku looked at Umino Sasuke's determined expression and knew perfectly well that the captain was using the village's spoils to win people's hearts and further bind the Iron Wall Legion to his chariot.

Now, the Iron Wall Legion has everything it needs: money, ninjutsu, and combat experience that surpasses all others in Konoha. It is now the strongest, best-equipped, and best-treated ninja legion in Konoha.

With this enormous spoils of war and ninjutsu resources distributed, coupled with the immense merit and glory of "conquering a ninja village in a country," what level of prestige would Umino Sasuke achieve within the Iron Wall Army? Nara Shikaku simply couldn't imagine.

From this day forward, in the hearts of the Iron Wall Legion soldiers, the priority of Umino Sasuke's orders might even surpass that of the Hokage, who is far away in Konoha!
"Sigh, I understand." Nara Shikaku stopped trying to dissuade him. As a core confidant of Umino Sasuke, he naturally knew which side to stand on. "I'll go and announce the order now."

When this unprecedented order of reward was passed down through commanders at all levels, the entire Ironwall Legion fell into a deathly silence at first, and then erupted into earth-shattering cheers!

"Long live the Commander!"

"Squad Leader Umino Itaza!"

"I swear to follow the Konoha demigod to the death!"

The enormous sound almost lifted the sky above Sunagakure.

Perhaps some ninjas don't love money, but absolutely no ninja can resist the dual temptations of money and advanced ninjutsu at the same time. Umino Sasuke's actions can be said to have given all the soldiers who fought alongside him the greatest "substance" and "face".

This act of kindness and generosity was enough to make these iron-clad ninjas serve to the death. At this moment, Umino Sasuke's personal prestige reached an unprecedented peak, and it was foreseeable that as long as he continued to lead everyone to victory, this prestige would continue to rise until no one could match it.

The entire legion was swept up in jubilation and activity. The warriors excitedly discussed which coveted ninjutsu they should learn, calculated how much bounty they would receive, and were filled with hope for the future.

Among them, the most excited were the three hundred-strong puppet troops.

Sunagakure is famous in the ninja world for its puppetry. The number and quality of the puppets seized this time are terrifying, ranging from the most basic standard puppets to the special puppets treasured by various ninja clans, and even a few top-level puppets comparable to the "Chikamatsu Ten".

With a wave of his hand, Sasuke Umino decided that, except for a few particularly rare and valuable ones that were kept separately, all the remaining puppets would be prioritized for distribution to the puppet troops.

As a result, the puppeteers of the Iron Wall Legion were instantly upgraded from steel guns to cannons, becoming incredibly wealthy. Many Chunin puppeteers were now equipped with two high-performance Jonin-level standard puppets as standard, and their waists were also filled with scrolls containing spare puppets. Their luxurious lifestyle made the ninjas of other units extremely envious.

(End of this chapter)