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

Chapter 388 The Emperor Emeritus Arrives

"Sir, is this a lot?"

Sha Chongba had a "this is normal" expression on his face. "Although it's hard to find even a few people with ninja aptitude among a hundred, we have a lot of people. And these are the ones who have been carefully selected. If we have enough food, we can help guide the chakra refining, unleash our attacks, and give us some time. It wouldn't be a problem to assemble an army of 10,000!"

Upon hearing this, Xiaochun, who was turning the bed, felt a chill run down her spine.

She suddenly realized that she might have underestimated the power of these untouchables and the danger of this model.

In the harsh environment of the Land of Wind, the pressure to survive is immense. The common people have a strong drive to acquire power, even the smallest amount, in order to survive. And these bandit leaders seem willing to expend effort to help guide the refinement of chakra.

If this were done in the densely populated and resource-rich Land of Fire, wouldn't it be easy to raise an "army" of tens of thousands? Although these "armies" might be no match for regular ninja legions, their sheer number would pose a significant threat, especially in counterinsurgency and wars of attrition.

Of course, maintaining such a large army would be an astronomical logistical burden. It seems that these bandits are in a hurry to go to Daming Prefecture not only for security reasons, but also because they want Daming Prefecture to help share the logistical burden.

Tsutomu Koharu glanced at Sha Chongba and said meaningfully, "Daming Prefecture is not well-off right now, and it may not be able to support so many troops all at once. The defense and production of each oasis are also very important. Why not leave more troops to guard the base?"

Sha Chongba patted his chest and assured him, "Elder, don't worry! We left more than half of our brothers to guard our homeland, so the oasis is perfectly safe! As for food and military pay... we know His Majesty is in a difficult situation and dare not ask for more. As long as His Majesty can give us a formal title so that we can 'legally' 'requisition' food from those disobedient nobles and temples, we can find a way ourselves!"

The implication is clear: bring your own food and go rob, as long as you get the policy, it's fine, which is reminiscent of Zeng Guofan's "shaving heads" rhetoric.

After a moment of hesitation, Xiaochun finally nodded.

Anyway, it's not Konoha's money that's being spent; it's the Land of Wind's own national strength that's being depleted. If the sand bandits are stronger, they can better suppress the nobles and the Temple of Wind, which is also in Konoha's interest. As for the logistical pressure... let that "wise" daimyo worry about it himself.

"In that case, let's set off." Koharu finally made the decision.

Thus, with Koharu Utatane and Tekudo's air force in the lead, and Shigehachi Sa, Anrokui, and Shinsori leading more than three thousand chaotic but highly motivated bandit "new army" soldiers behind, they marched in a grand procession toward Daming Prefecture.

The process of accepting the surrender took less than three days, but the return journey took nearly a week because of the large and cumbersome infantry force.

During this time, the news that the daimyo of the Land of Wind had offered amnesty to the sand bandits spread like wildfire throughout the oases and the Temple of Wind.

One stone caused a thousand waves!

This news caused a huge shock and panic among the ruling class of the Wind Kingdom.

Those oasis nobles who had just tasted the sweetness of autonomy, and some even dreamed of having the "bloodline of the wind god," were the first to become restless. They sent representatives to the daimyo's capital at full speed, wanting to question the daimyo in person and even exert pressure to demand that he rescind his decision.

"Has the daimyo gone mad?! He actually offered amnesty to those lowly bandits?! And even granted them official positions?! This is self-destruction!"

"To associate with bandits will lead to the downfall of the nation; this is absolutely unacceptable!"

"His Majesty must immediately issue an order to cancel the amnesty, or don't blame us for disobeying the imperial decree!"

Some radical noble representatives even proposed a wicked plan during their audience: since those bandit leaders are coming to Daming Prefecture, this is a golden opportunity. Why not take this chance to lure them into the city and capture and kill them in one fell swoop, thus eliminating future troubles!
The reaction from the Temple of the Wind was equally intense.

Abbot Sha Hai, accompanied by the talented disciple of Monk Fenfu, the young monk Fa Yi, personally arrived in Daming Prefecture.

Unlike the nobleman, Master Shahai did not become enraged. Instead, he adopted a compassionate attitude and tried to reason with the famous man, while in reality he was constantly applying pressure.

"Amitabha! Your Majesty, please reconsider! These bandits are cruel and tyrannical, utterly devoid of integrity! To offer them amnesty is tantamount to inviting wolves into the house, or seeking a tiger's skin! They may submit for profit today, but they may rebel for profit tomorrow! At that time, the Kingdom of Wind will surely fall into even greater turmoil and suffering. We, the entire Wind Temple, earnestly beg Your Majesty to consider the well-being of all people, rescind your decree, and use the compassion of Buddhism to purify those lost sheep, rather than using official positions and power to nurture vicious wolves!"

Faced with immense pressure from the nobles and the Temple of the Wind, the daimyo's stand initially appeared somewhat nervous and hesitant. However, with the secret support of Umino Sasuke, he quickly regained his composure and displayed exceptional persistence and toughness.

He repeatedly emphasized that the country was in a time of crisis and needed to recruit talents without being bound by convention. Although the bandits came from humble backgrounds, if they could reform themselves and serve the country, they would be meritorious. He also sternly rejected suggestions that required him to devise a plan to kill the bandit leaders, condemning them as treacherous and not benevolent rulers.

When the pressure became unbearable, he naturally used Konoha as a shield.

"This matter is not my own idea, but also a request from Konoha. Now that the war has just ended, Konoha hopes that the Land of Wind can restore stability as soon as possible. If any of you have any objections, you may wish to discuss it with the elders of Konoha."

The nobles immediately fell silent. Go to the elders of Konoha? They wouldn't dare.

However, some nobles, unwilling to give up, whispered among themselves and even began to question: "Could the Daimyo have already been taken over by Konoha? Or perhaps, this is just an imposter hired by Konoha?"

As soon as this speculation began circulating in a small circle, it immediately aroused considerable suspicion.

However, just as these nobles were launching their attack, a ghostly figure silently appeared behind the noble who had led the questioning.

A cold light flashed.

puff!

The nobleman's voice abruptly stopped as he looked down in disbelief at the blade protruding from his chest.

The figure slowly appeared; it was the Shadow who should have been seriously injured and on the verge of death. His aura was icy, and his eyes were sharp, as if he had never suffered any serious injury. He had been turned into a human puppet by Umino Sasuke, and a rare Kage-level human puppet at that.

The shadow clone's strength is ultimately quite limited. With this Kage-level puppet by his side, the Daimyo's substitute can be guaranteed to be safe. "To speak ill of a Daimyo is utterly despicable!" The shadow's icy voice echoed in the silent hall.

All the nobles were terrified by this sudden scene and fell silent.

The shadow has reappeared, and it remains as powerful and loyal as ever!
It seems that he is still the same ruthless and unassuming daimyo. His recruitment of the sand bandits is not due to manipulation, but rather a continuation of his series of policies to strengthen central authority, crack down on local tyrants, and suppress ninja villages. It's just that this time, his methods are more radical and reckless than before!

After this incident, although the nobles were extremely dissatisfied and fearful, they no longer dared to openly question the daimyo's decision. They could only bury their resentment in their hearts and begin to think about how to get along with the upcoming "new sand bandit nobles," and even secretly plotted new countermeasures.

Master Shahai of the Wind Temple witnessed all of this. He murmured a Buddhist chant, glanced deeply at the great name on the throne and the "shadow" beside him, and said nothing more. He then silently withdrew from the main hall with the young monk Fayi. He knew that the heavens of the Wind Kingdom were truly about to change.

All of this was within Umino Sasuke's expectations and control.

He cleverly used the daimyo's substitute and the upcoming new sand bandit army to create a fragile balance of mutual restraint and hostility within the Land of Wind. Konoha, on the other hand, sat back and played the role of arbitrator. In reality, the daimyo and the new sand bandit army were both under his control, and he was able to manipulate the Land of Wind to a certain extent behind the scenes.

When Koharu Utatane finally arrived outside the city of Daimyo with her massive army of three thousand bandits, she witnessed a fragile balance: the nobles were temporarily lying low, preparing for a counterattack, Kazenoji was choosing to observe the situation, and the Daimyo seemed to have regained power.

"It seems that Your Excellency has done a lot of work while I was away," Koharu Utatane remarked to Sasuke Umino, who had come to greet her.

Sasuke Unno smiled slightly and said calmly, "After all, he is a daimyo of a country. He always has some tricks up his sleeve. In any case, it is more beneficial to Konoha."

Koharu Utatane looked at the seemingly "calm" but turbulent situation outside the Daimyo's residence and nodded in deep agreement with Sasuke Umino's words: "That's good. Let them check and balance each other internally. It's better than them being a monolithic group against us. As long as we keep a good balance, the Land of Wind can become Konoha's stable rear base."

Then, she paused, her tone becoming particularly solemn, and lowered her voice to say, "Sasuke, there is something you need to pay special attention to. Lord Minamoto no Kōmyō has arrived. You must be careful with your words and actions and not act recklessly as you have before."

"Lord Minamoto no Kōmyō?" Umino Sasuke's face showed just the right amount of "importance" and "respect". "Is it Lord Minamoto no Kōmyō, the Finance Minister of the Fire Country's Daimyo Prefecture who is deeply trusted by His Majesty and has been specially dispatched to take charge of the post-war economic reconstruction and coordination affairs of the Wind Country?"

"It is him!" Koharu Utatane's expression became even more serious. "Although Lord Minamoto no Kōmyō is not a member of the royal family, he enjoys the deep trust of His Majesty and controls the finances. He is deeply trusted by the Emperor and wields immense power. A single word from him can even affect the increase or decrease of Konoha's military expenditure next year. We must not be negligent. Have you done anything disrespectful?"

Her tone carried a hint of barely perceptible worry, fearing that the young, ambitious, and highly decorated Unno Sasuke might have unknowingly offended this powerful imperial envoy.

Sasuke Umino gave a "humble" smile: "Elder Koharu, rest assured, as soon as Lord Minamoto no Kōmyō arrived, I immediately arranged for him to stay in the most luxurious and comfortable villa in the Daimyo's residence, and assigned my most capable subordinates to be in charge of security and service. All his requests will be granted without the slightest negligence."

On the surface, he maintained sufficient awe for this "Lord Minamoto no Kōshō," but deep down, he remained calm and undisturbed.

Koharu Utatane was naturally unaware that Minamoto no Mitsuaki, the Finance Minister who now held a powerful position in the Land of Fire's court and was deeply trusted by the daimyo, was able to sit in this position through the clandestine operations of him and the Iron Wall Anbu.

At the time, Minamoto no Kogure was just an unsuccessful, marginal official in the Ministry of Finance of the Land of Fire. He did not come from a distinguished background. Although he was good at scheming, good at maneuvering, and knew how to judge the situation, he was basically useless in a political system that valued family background and interests, until he joined the Iron Wall Dark Division.

The Iron Wall Dark Division provided a wealth of information on the secrets of nobles and powerful officials in the Land of Fire, such as corruption, bribery, illegal activities, and other private matters. Coupled with the massive transfer of benefits, Minamoto no Kōmyō gradually rose to the high position of Minister of Finance.

Minamoto no Kōmyō's "favor" was not solely based on flattery, but rather on his ability to bring substantial financial revenue to the daimyo of the Land of Fire and to help the daimyo skillfully balance the power of various factions.

The support provided by the Iron Wall's secret service played an indispensable role in this.

In a sense, Minamoto no Kōmyō is an extremely important high-ranking peripheral member of the Iron Wall Dark Guard, hidden within the core of the Fire Country's power structure.

His official purpose in coming to the Land of Wind was to act as the plenipotentiary representative of the Land of Fire, responsible for "guiding" the economic reconstruction and distribution of benefits in the Land of Wind. In reality, however, he was secretly instructed by Umino Sasuke to pave the way for Umino Sasuke to completely control the economic lifeline of the Land of Wind and ensure the safe implementation of his plan to control the Land of Wind.

Of course, all of this is top secret.

To outsiders, Minamoto no Kōmyō was an envoy sent by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire to reap the benefits, supervise Konoha, and ensure the maximization of the Land of Fire's interests.

Xiaochun, who was switching dorms, thought so too, which made her especially nervous.

"That's good, that's good." Koharu Utatane breathed a sigh of relief. "Lord Minamoto no Kōmyō is of noble status, and his visit is of great importance. Many details of the post-war distribution of interests and economic terms need his final approval and confirmation with the Daimyo of the Land of Wind. I will go to see him now to discuss the follow-up matters."

"Elder Koharu, please go ahead." Umino Sasuke bowed slightly. "If you need my help, please let me know at any time."

After Koharu left in a hurry, Sasuke Umino watched her retreating figure with a deep gaze.

He sent Yuan Guangming because he was well aware of the complexities of politics. Military conquest was only the first step; the key to truly reaping the fruits of victory lay in subsequent economic control and the distribution of benefits.

The daimyo of the Land of Wind, though seemingly revered, actually has a weak power base. To a large extent, he is a representative of the interests of various nobles and religious forces, or more accurately, a balancer.

If a daimyo's actions seriously damage the interests of the old ruling class, his orders may not even leave the daimyo's residence.

Historically, it was not uncommon for powerful figures to be sidelined by nobles or even to fall from grace without cause.

Although Sasuke Umino has temporarily taken control of the Daimyo's prefecture through his substitutes and the new Sand Bandit Army, these alone are not enough to fight against the deeply entrenched local nobles and the Wind Temple. He also needs a "legitimate cause" from the central government of the Land of Fire and strong external pressure.

Minamoto no Komyo was the best person to represent this "righteous cause" and exert pressure. As the envoy of the Land of Fire, he proposed economic terms and a plan for the division of benefits, which the Daimyo of the Land of Wind could only "accept gladly." Even if the nobles and the Temple of Wind of the Land of Wind were dissatisfied, they dared not openly defy the will of the Land of Fire, especially with the Konoha army stationed nearby.

This allows them to bypass many internal obstacles and, as the victorious nation, firmly grasp power and the most lucrative economic benefits.

(End of this chapter)