XX-level Hokage

"Sato, you seem to harbor disrespectful thoughts towards the gods. From this moment forward, resign from your post and await further orders in the rear." Inoue said calmly.

He glanced at Sato and said calmly.

Upon hearing Ino's words, Sato's pupils contracted, and he quickly explained, "Lord Ino, I, I didn't mean to..."

However, Nakano paid no attention to this, waved his hand, and said in a deep voice, "Someone, take Lord Sato to the rear."

Immediately, several burly soldiers rushed into the tent; they were Jing Zhong's personal guards. "Take them away!"

As soon as Inoue finished speaking indifferently, the soldiers dragged Sato away.

Sato's face was deathly pale, but as he was dragged out, a look of madness flashed in his eyes. His face was contorted as he struggled to break free, staring intently at the calm Ino, and he shouted angrily, "Ino, you are nothing but a puppet of the gods, what right do you have to punish me!"

After saying that, he quickly turned to the few pale-faced men inside the tent and shouted, "What about you? Are you going to wait until the well kills us one by one before you speak? I want to see the magistrate! As long as I can see the magistrate, I will definitely..."

Upon hearing his words, several people inside the tent became restless and their faces turned pale. While Sato was speaking so freely, Namikazu had already waved for his guards to bring him over. Then, Namikazu slowly rose, his slender frame gradually moving towards the robust Sato.

Sato glared at him and said angrily, "Ino, do you really think you're so capable? If it weren't for the God, you would be nothing and could only wait to die in the fields with your tattered granddaughter."

Upon hearing this, Inoue's somewhat aged face remained expressionless, a hint of icy coldness brewing in his eyes as he walked step by step toward Sato.

Upon reaching Sato, Ino, who had been silent all along, finally spoke. He calmly said, "You're right, everything I have was given to me by adults, but I'm different from guys like you."

At this point, his eyes fixed on Sato, then he glanced around, his voice low and cold as he sneered, "Ruthlessly plundering wealth, toying with women, utterly useless in war—what do you think you've done to deserve this long? The Lord has granted me this power, and I will certainly not disappoint him. As for you, you lot, you are no good!"

Then, suddenly, he bent down and pulled a blade from his waist. He looked thin, but he unleashed terrifying power.

He raised the knife high. "Thud!"

With a scream, blood splattered everywhere inside the tent. Everyone stared blankly at the scene, unable to believe their eyes as Jingzhong, his face grim, sheathed his sword.

Before him, Sato, who had been lively and energetic just moments before, was cleaved in two from head to toe with a single, powerful blow. The bloody corpse testified to this cruel reality.

Everyone stood there dumbfounded, filled with a mixture of surprise, doubt, and fear. When had he acquired such power?

Standing before the bloodied figure, with a detached expression, he stared at Sato's shattered body, his eyes flashing with excitement and a chilling light. "Is this the power bestowed upon me by the gods? It's too powerful, it's mesmerizing."

He quickly suppressed the excitement in his eyes, looked coldly at the dead Sato, pondered for a moment, and said in a deep voice: "Sato has been corrupted by evil spirits and dared to offend the divine might. Little did he know that I am a general under the command of the Goddess of Rabbit. Such a petty villain acted recklessly and was ultimately destroyed by me."

Now, evil spirits are rampant, and Zhuque, Xianshui, and others have been controlled by them, committing wicked deeds against the divine tree.

This matter came to the attention of the Divine Tree's messenger, the Goddess of the Rabbit, who personally appointed me as the General Who Slays Evil, to annihilate all demons and evil spirits.

Upon hearing his words, everyone present narrowed their eyes. The people on either side, responsible for recording, exchanged a knowing glance and instantly understood what Jing Zhong meant. Things were about to change…

It must be said that Ino is indeed a smart person. After being guided by Mashiro, he quickly broke free from the limitations of a farmer and showed extraordinary strategic talent.

Rumors like these don't need to be deliberately spread; they can spread extremely quickly among the public.

Originally, the rebel army led by Bingzhong was several times weaker than the combined forces of Zhuque and Xianshui, and the morale of the rebel army that participated in the war began to decline.

But after these words were spread, the rebels were instantly in high spirits, even though they were about to face an enemy several times their size.

Prior to this, there had been rumors that Lord Bingzhong was able to lead the uprising with the help of the gods, and now these seemingly plausible rumors instantly made them realize who they were working for.

The Divine Tree, the Goddess of the Rabbit, and the General Who Slays Evil.

The various respectful titles put everyone in a state of excitement.

Those who joined the uprising began to believe they were fighting for the sacred tree they worshipped. This gave everyone immense confidence; after all, the sacred tree was a real, tangible thing.

The story was also circulating among the villagers in the countryside. For a time, it became a popular tale that the rebel leader, who had transformed into the Demon-Slaying General from the well, was entrusted by the goddess to sweep the sacred tree.

Rumors about exorcising evil spirits began to circulate, and many farmers who were originally hesitant joined the uprising.

A month later.

With the outbreak of an uprising within this country, Shui Xian was forced to withdraw her troops, and the alliance was thus abandoned. Without the support of this country, Suzaku's ability to resist the ever-expanding revolutionary army was virtually impossible. Most of the country had collapsed, leaving only its last major city.

During this period, the story of the Goddess of Rabbit also spread. Legend has it that she was a goddess who lived on the moon. Entrusted by the divine tree, she descended from the sky and transformed into the Goddess of Rabbit to guide people to eliminate evil spirits.

When Kaguya found out about this, she sulked for a long time, because the story, including the prototype of the goddess of the rabbit, was based on her, which made her very unhappy.

Mashiro simply said one thing to this.

This is your honorific title, and it sounds beautiful, doesn't it?

This made Kaguya blush again. "That bastard!"

Inside a tent outside the main city, Suzaku, his face extremely grim, glared at a guard delivering a message below. His gaze was so cold that the guard, trembling with fear, knelt on the ground, head bowed, not daring to move an inch. Beside him, Nara, whose expression was equally troubled, stepped forward and waved for the guard to leave.

Then, after a moment's thought, he said to Zhuque, who had a sinister look on his face, "Lord Zhuque, this is just the other side spreading rumors. I believe Lord Xianshui will not distance himself from us because of this. Once Lord Xianshui has quelled the rebellion in the country and reinforcements arrive, we will still have a chance to turn the tide."

As the ruler of that country, Suzaku is extremely cruel, but he is also exceptionally intelligent and has great ambitions.

But he could never get over it, that a lowly peasant he had never taken seriously before could overthrow his rule in just three months and even drive him to his current predicament.

"The Divine Tree, the Goddess of Rabbit, and the General Who Slays Evil."

Zhuque muttered to himself, his eyes turning cold as he said fiercely, "Your Majesty, once I have wiped out this bunch of lowly people, I will surely raze your ancestral kingdom to the ground and topple the divine tree!"

At this moment, Suzaku realized that the well might have been accomplished with the help of the extraterrestrial visitor who had previously been in contact with the emperor, and he was filled with extreme anger.

Moreover, the emperor of the Ancestral Kingdom had refused his request for help before. He remembered these debts deeply and would make him pay for them one day.

Chapter 105: The Growth Story of the Goddess of Rabbit (Part 8)

Meanwhile, within the land of the ancestors, a group of people were slowly advancing through the villages without disturbing the farmers working in the fields.

At this moment, a soldier leaned forward and whispered to a handsome young man in the middle of the formation, "Your Majesty, in the land of Zu, the people live in peace and prosperity, and the crops are growing well. Why do you seem to be somewhat uneasy?"

Upon hearing his words, the emperor, who was riding on horseback, turned serious, as if he had just snapped out of his daze.

The procession gradually came to a halt. The Emperor remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly, "How is the war between that country and this country progressing? Just as Mashiro said, Your Majesty possesses almost all the qualities of an ideal monarch. Therefore, our Ancestral Country has become the only one among the nearby great powers..."

Even in countries where no uprisings or wars occurred, many farmers from both countries fled to their ancestral homeland for refuge.

Upon hearing the emperor's words, the soldier was slightly taken aback and quickly replied, "Your Majesty, according to the information we have received, the uprising in this country is small in scale and should be successfully suppressed in the next few days. However, the other country is in danger, as most of its territory has already been occupied by the rebel army."

Upon hearing his words, the emperor fell silent, his expression turning slightly somber, as if a hint of sorrow lingered between his brows.

The soldier was very good at reading people's expressions and quickly whispered, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. After Lord Shuixian finishes resolving the uprising, he will be able to go and assist that country. The area that Lord Zhuque is currently defending is easy to defend and difficult to attack, so there will be no problem."

Although our ancestral nation did not participate in the war, it received many refugees and provided both nations with ample food as military rations. I presume that Suzaku and Lord Sensui will not hold a grudge because of this.

The emperor pursed his lips slightly, a beautiful figure in black robes flashing through his mind. After a long while, he slowly sighed, "I'm afraid this battle will not be easy."

He had initially given up on participating in the war because of a letter that came from the well; after all, he was a benevolent ruler, and he did not...

They wanted their country and people to be mired in war.

Ten days later, the final battle began.

Tens of thousands of dark, densely packed people and horses galloped across the land, kicking up countless clouds of dust.

Armed with various weapons and wearing only light armor, they charged forward recklessly. Sometimes, perhaps only by risking their lives can one truly survive.

"For the sake of the Goddess of the Rabbit, kill!! Kill!!"

Although it was an open plain, the roars still echoed as the two equally sized forces clashed violently like two raging floods.

Just as the two forces were clashing, two figures slowly appeared on the nearby cliff.

"Many people will die, and their deaths will be meaningless." On the cliff, Kaguya looked down at the dark mass below with slightly lowered eyes, her voice tinged with sadness.

Although she was no longer so opposed to Mashiro's actions, she still felt somewhat reluctant to see so many people die while calling out her name.

Mashiro looked at Kaguya, then slowly lowered her gaze to the battlefield below where you were fighting fiercely, and said softly, "Sometimes, only a few people can..."

Only through the death of many can the survival of the majority be achieved; that is how the world works.

Ultimately, wars originate from people's endless desires. As long as people exist, their desires can never be completely eradicated, even in times of peace.

What do you think they'll do in the well after they win?

Even so, there is still a way to suppress endless desires. Kaguya turned to look at Mashiro, the two facing each other in light, pure white facing pure white.

Mashiro looked into Kaguya's clear eyes and said softly, "Power! A power that completely surpasses everyone else, a power that makes people feel unshakeable."

When this power is forcibly bound to everyone, faced with this invincible force that can never be reached, all desires can only be hidden in the deepest recesses of the heart. Therefore, war will be forever forbidden, thus achieving true and lasting peace.

Mashiro's philosophy is somewhat similar to that of Yahiko and Nagato, but the difference is that Yahiko and Nagato want to achieve power, using the combined power of the nine tailed beasts to exert influence.

What Mashiro wants to do is control—control through power, economy, technology, education, and other means, so that desires dissolve in the economy and class distinctions are dulled.

In the law, equality is engraved in morality, and she is the guarantee that keeps everything running smoothly.

Mashiro's calm words were like a drop of ink falling into a lake that had been still for who knows how long, instantly breaking the tranquility in her heart, splashing countless ripples, and slightly changing the color of the lake water.

Kaguya froze, her eyes widening slightly. In that instant, she seemed to understand something.

But she quickly shook her head, as if trying to shake off the thought. Seeing Kaguya's expression, Mashiro smiled and said nothing more.

She gently kissed Kaguya on the cheek and said, "So cute." Instantly, a blush crept onto Kaguya's fair cheek.

Her fair eyes immediately lowered, darting around, unsure where to look. Her pretty face was flushed, and her slender hands were tightly rubbing her face, hidden beneath the wide hem of her dress.

On the vast plain, countless people fought and shouted.

Blood gradually stained the ground red, and severed limbs were scattered everywhere on the field. Sometimes, a black object splattered with blood would fly high into the air, revealing itself to be a human head.

The faces of the dead bore traces of pain, and the last vestiges of life in their pupils before death were regret and resentment.

In the end, Suzaku was killed in battle, the remaining soldiers of the Other Country surrendered, and the rebel army stormed into the royal city. "Kaguya, let's go to the royal city and take a look." After saying that, Mashiro turned and left.

Upon entering the royal city, the rebels began burning, killing, and looting. One of them, along with a few personal guards, stormed into the Vermilion Bird Palace and killed everyone inside.

"Lord Namichū, we've captured a woman; she seems to be Suzaku's sister." A Namichū guard held a bloodstained knife in one hand and grabbed a young girl's hair with the other.

The girl, dressed in a pale yellow dress, had a pretty face and appeared to be around twelve years old. Her youthful face was now filled with fear and despair. "Zhuque's sister?" Bingzhong stepped forward, looking at the struggling girl.

He thought of his granddaughter, and then an idea began to form in his mind. He took the girl from his guard and began to undress her.

The girl struggled and was slapped. As her clothes were removed, her eyes became lifeless. "Jingzhong! What are you doing!"

Just as Bingzhong was about to commit his atrocities, a very magnetic voice rang out. Bingzhong hurriedly stopped what he was doing and turned to look.

Kaguya, like a goddess descending to earth, slowly descended from the sky.

Her fair face was filled with anger, and her wide red and white robes swayed slightly as she slowly fell to the ground like a leaf blown by the wind.

Following Mashiro's advice, she entered the royal city and witnessed countless tragedies. Not knowing how to stop them, Kaguya decided to search for the well, where she discovered its atrocities.

"Lord Kaguya!" Inoue hurriedly knelt on the ground.

Upon seeing this, several of his guards quickly knelt down as well.

"What are you doing?!" Kaguya asked again, her expression somewhat cold, without saying a word.