Naruto: Starting with the Two Kamui

Tobirama said, "As expected of master and disciple, their reactions and words are exactly the same!"

"Haha..." Minato scratched his head awkwardly.

At this moment, Hashirama stepped forward, grasped Kakashi's shoulders with his large hands, helped him up, and solemnly said, "I'm sorry, Fifth Hokage, I should apologize to you."

"What...why is this?" Kakashi wondered if he had misheard.

Hashirama said with remorse, "I've heard about most of what happened in Konoha during your tenure. It was all due to my poor guidance that Konoha gradually strayed from its path, leaving you and your teacher with endless trouble..."

Kakashi said, "How could that be? First Hokage, what are you saying? You pacified the chaotic world and laid the foundation of Konoha. Your achievements are outstanding. It is we, your successors, who have failed to protect the foundation you established. I am the one who should apologize!"

Hashirama insisted, "No, I am the one who should apologize! If I hadn't taken on so much responsibility for everything, the people and the village's ninjas wouldn't have relied so much on the Hokage, and you and Minato wouldn't have had to bear such immense pressure!"

Hashirama pacified the chaotic world, founded Konoha, captured the Tailed Beasts to balance the fighting forces, and repelled the overwhelming Uchiha Madara. Yes, the key figures who determined the course of Konoha's development were mostly not from Konoha, but rather the First Hokage, Hashirama!

Everything he did was earth-shattering, making the title of "Hokage" unattainable. This high ceiling made it difficult for subsequent Hokage to reach the great achievements of their predecessors, no matter what they did. To some extent, this was indeed the reason why Minato was questioned!

But this is merely a contributing factor, not the root cause!

The culprit is the greed in people's hearts, the desire to take without giving back, and the nature of wanting to reap the benefits without sowing!

Unwilling to make sacrifices, relying on the sacrifices and protection of others, using the name of heroism to hold them hostage, using the name of morality to blackmail them! This turns the Hokage of Konoha into mere tools in life, and into tragedies after death!

Kakashi closed his eyes, and a thousand words could be summed up in four words: "I am deeply grateful."

After completing the meeting with the Hokage, at the back mountain of Feather Emperor City.

Lin Yu called Kakashi over.

The ground was marked with the incantation for the Impure World Reincarnation, six corpses lay side by side, and one person was still alive, kneeling in the place of the living sacrifice.

Kakashi recognized them; they were all Konoha civilians who had come with him. "You..."

Lin Yu, with his back to Kakashi, said, "I've investigated. These are the very people who were involved in the murder of Shikaku..."

Kakashi said, "But after all the hardships they've endured, they should realize their mistakes. Shikaku also said he won't seek revenge..."

Whoosh! Lin Yu flicked his clothes and coldly formed hand seals: "The crimes committed are not so easily washed away. The opportunity to repent and start anew is not available to everyone. Blood must be paid for with blood."

—Ninja Art: Impure World Reincarnation!

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!!" The sacrificial offering let out a scream, dust clinging to it as it transformed into Nara Shikaku's form. He opened his dim pupils, resurrected through Impure World Reincarnation, and gazed at the corpses laid out before him, Lin Yu standing in the center, and Kakashi retreating to his side. He immediately understood everything: "So that's how it is. It seems we've arrived safely..."

Lin Yu put down his hand seal and said bluntly, "Lu Jiu, you have extraordinary talent and wisdom to govern the country, but unfortunately you died young without fulfilling your ambitions. Why don't you stay in the world and guide us?"

"..." Shikaku gazed at the night sky with a complicated expression.

Lin Yu said, "I know you want to use your own death to train your son Nara Shikamaru, but the future is infinitely vast, and the battlefield of the future is full of unknown challenges. There is no shortage of wise men, and father and son can fight side by side!"

Shikaku said, "A wise man is never too many, and a father and son can fight side by side. It makes even a dead man like me feel excited. Shadow, you are not only powerful, but also a rare orator and strategist... I can stay, but I will prioritize helping Kakashi stabilize the situation, and I will only be at your command when necessary."

“Then it’s settled…” Lin Yu nodded and smiled, then patted Kakashi on the shoulder and said, “You have an excellent strategist.”

“Shikaku…” Kakashi looked at Shikaku with emotion, and choked up for a moment.

Shikaku said, "Kakashi, getting here is just the beginning. We have a long way to go. Please take care of me in the future."

Kakashi replied solemnly, "Ah, that's my honor!"

The following day, Lin Yu discussed with the three members of the council how to arrange the future of Konoha.

In the open, there are only two paths.

First, completely assimilate them and absorb them into the Dark Ninja Kingdom!

Second, incorporate them and grant them fiefdoms, just as the Dukes of Phantom and Ghost were granted fiefdoms and two subordinate cities, Phantom City and Ghost City, were established!

Lin Yu first consulted the opinions of the three men, who were all founders of Konoha and had a special affection for the village.

"..." Hashirama hesitated to express his opinion, after all, it was the village he had founded.

Mito said, "Konoha comes from the Land of Fire and has unique cultural customs. Assimilation is not easy. Moreover, they are ultimately outsiders, and there will always be a psychological gap between them and the native ninjas of the Hidden Shadows. If it is not handled properly, it will create a rift. Therefore, it is better to incorporate them and grant them a separate fiefdom as an affiliated city."

Tobirama said, "I agree with my sister-in-law's opinion. Moreover, complete assimilation is tantamount to annexation, which is not conducive to long-term development. Just imagine, Konoha has set such a precedent. Other ninja villages are definitely watching the attitude of the ninja nation... If we annex them right away, other ninja villages that have the intention to join us will probably back down."

Finally, Tobirama added, "Furthermore, from a personal perspective, I don't want Konoha to lose its unique characteristics and become completely subservient..."

He essentially spoke out what Hashirama was thinking.

All three looked at Lin Yu, after all, he was the Feather Emperor, and he was the one who made the decisions.

Mito said, "Xiaoyu, it's up to you. This is the first major decision you've made since becoming emperor. Whatever you decide, your mother will stand by you..."

The council can veto Lin Yu, but only if it passes unanimously. Mito's attitude means that no matter how Lin Yu arranges things for Konoha today, the resolution will pass.

She really is Mito's godmother...

Lin Yu was deeply moved and expressed his thoughts: "The affiliated city... let's forget about it, it's pointless..."

Hashirama remained silent, his head hanging even lower.

Mito nodded, while Tobirama remained silent.

Lin Yu smiled and said, "How about we call it... the Leaf Village Ninja Country, as a vassal state?"

Chapter 434 Unparalleled in the World!

"You mean, it's true!" Hashirama suddenly looked up, overjoyed.

Lin Yu laughed and said, "A king's word is his bond, so how could it be false..."

"Hahahaha! That's great! The Hidden Leaf Village I founded has now become a nation!" In the courtyard, Hashirama, the God of Shinobi, cheered and jumped for joy, letting loose.

Mito put down her teacup: "Koyu, half of your decision was made with Hashirama's feelings in mind, wasn't it..."

Lin Yu said noncommittally, "But it's also for the long term. The Second Hokage makes a lot of sense. Right now, the other ninja villages are all watching and waiting. It's not easy for Konoha to make such a decision and become the first to take the plunge. And they've made such great sacrifices along the way. If we don't give them an extra reward, it will be hard to motivate the other ninja villages."

Mito said with satisfaction, "It's rare to find someone like you who thinks so thoroughly..."

"Less than 10,000 people from Konoha came here alive. It's too much of a stretch to build a country, even a vassal state, with only 10,000 people..." Tobirama, being a pragmatic man, immediately considered the practicalities of the situation, even though he was pleased with Lin Yu's decision.

Lin Yu said, "As far as I know, when Konoha's advance was blocked, a large number of civilians were left behind. The Hyuga clan volunteered to stay and protect those civilians. It is only a matter of time before the Hyuga clan returns with these people, and their numbers will increase several times over by then."

"Furthermore, recently, hundreds of thousands of civilians from various countries have come to join us. It would be more than enough to allocate about 100,000 to the Konoha Ninja Kingdom for their jurisdiction..."

Tobirama nodded: "I see. That is indeed a feasible solution. However, what do you intend to do regarding the monarch's title, as well as the establishment and laws?"

Lin Yu stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, then stood up and paced around: "Since it is a vassal state, the ruler certainly cannot call himself an emperor; it would be more appropriate to call him a king. The fiefdom I will grant to Konoha is in the south. Currently, among the ninja villages of the great nation, Kirigakure, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure have not yet submitted. When they submit in the future, they will also enjoy the treatment of a vassal state. I will reserve fiefdoms in the east, west, and north. Thus, the ruler of the Konoha Ninja Kingdom shall be called the 'Southern King'!"

Tobirama pondered, "Since ancient times, the south has been revered, and the king who faces south is called the King of the South, not bad..."

With the issue of the monarch's title resolved, Lin Yu pondered further: "While nations differ, the ninja system must be unified. From the day the Konoha Ninja Kingdom is established, the old Genin, Chunin, and Jonin system will be immediately abolished, and the Heaven and Earth System will be introduced. All active ninjas will undergo the 'Great Battle' assessment, and their past performance will be combined to determine a new ninja rank!"

"Ordinary ninjas are noble knights, with five ranks of nobility above them: duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron. The Southern King can bestow titles upon Konoha ninjas in his own territory based on their merits. However, titles of nobility in vassal states are only valid within the territory of the vassal state and are invalid in our country as the main country, as well as in other vassal states!"

"Furthermore, vassal states can formulate their own laws, but these laws will be subject to the laws of the host state. In case of conflict, the laws of the host state will be the highest standard!"

Tobirama nodded: "Yes, it preserves the traditions of a vassal state without undermining the status of the main state. That's acceptable."

Thus, the establishment of vassal states was established, serving as a reference for the establishment of other vassal states in the future.

The next problem is the territory of the vassal states!

In terms of status, a vassal state is certainly superior to a duke, so its territory cannot be meager.

The Dark Ninja Kingdom now possesses a vast territory of 30 square kilometers. Apart from Feather Emperor City, it has only two first-class cities under its jurisdiction: Phantom City of Phantom Duke and Ghost City of Ghost Duke.

In the past year, Lin Yu also conferred titles on several earls. Earls could own third-class cities. For ease of management, Lin Yu designated these third-class cities as subordinate cities of the two dukes.

Even so, there is still a large amount of idle land in the Hidden Ninja Country, more than enough to allocate a large area for the development of Konoha.

Therefore, Lin Yu designated the nearly 6 square kilometers of land he had originally purchased from the Land of Fire as the territory of the Leaf Village!

After the land was divided, Lin Yu originally wanted to personally use Wood Release to build the city, but Hashirama, as the patriarch of Konoha, couldn't sit still and took on this huge project. Lin Yu gladly agreed...

After all, building a city is effortless, but building a kingdom would require an unknown amount of chakra, and even I would probably need several days to recover.

While Hashirama was busy clearing land for his grandchildren, Lin Yu was thinking about how to expand his territory.

He had his own strategic vision: "Establishing a vassal state, but having to carve out territory from our own land, is putting the cart before the horse! For every inch of land we carve out, we should seize just as much from the outside, no, seize even more, as an expansion, so that it will be mutually beneficial! Otherwise, outsiders will think that we ninjas are playing house behind closed doors!"

At his home in Tianyu Pavilion, Lin Yu repeatedly examined the map of the ninja world and set his sights on another piece of land...

"Why did you choose this spot?" the setting sun asked.

Lin Yu spoke fluently and at length.

"What we previously purchased from the Land of Fire was uncultivated land in the northwest of the Land of Fire, bordering the southern part of our Dark Ninja Kingdom. It was connected with the 10,000 square kilometers we acquired from the Land of Grass. Apart from that, it had no strategic significance..."

"Look at this land again. It is located directly north of the Land of Fire, bordering the Land of Frost and the Land of Fields to the north, and the Samurai Kingdom and the Land of Iron to the east... Could it not be an excellent strategic pass!"

Sunset said, "Have you forgotten how much effort we put into the last negotiation to appease those stubborn daimyo? We even used trillions of taels of gold for it..."

"This time, we don't need to spend any money." A strange light flashed in Lin Yu's eyes: "I've traveled a long way and even used the God of Heaven once. How can we not make good use of it to gain enough benefits for us..."

“Look at you, you’re turning into a schemer. No matter how much land we have, Tianyu Pavilion is more than enough for our whole family to live in…” Xi Yang’s beautiful eyes sparkled with tears.

To rule the world and wield power is a man's ambition.

Being a devoted wife and mother, and experiencing tender and affectionate love, is a woman's hope.

Yes, Lin Yu realized that he had been too busy lately and hadn't spent much time with his loved one in a long time, maybe seven days...

Lin Yu placed his hand on the infinitely serene face of the setting sun, gently stroking it: "Sunset, no matter how vast the territory, what I cherish most is your fertile field..."

"You're so annoying..." Xi Yang said coquettishly, leaning close to Lin Yu's ear and exhaling a breath of hot air, saying charmingly, "Then my Yu-gege...aren't you going to come and cultivate it?"

"!" Lin Yu, overcome with emotion, picked up Xi Yang.

What she was leaning against was the map of the ninja world!

Chapter 435 The Change of Ninjutsu!

The interaction between Yu and Xiyang caused the sea on the ninja world map to ripple with tides, and the indoor spring pool, which served as the second battlefield, was stirred up again, finally coming to a stop on the warm waterbed in the bedroom...

Its beauty is something that can only be experienced and not described in words; please savor it for yourself.

Little Tornado is still breastfeeding and has recently become increasingly eager for breast milk, so she has been temporarily entrusted to Kushina's care.

Xue'er and Hinata are sworn sisters. They rise together in the morning, train together during the day, return home together in the evening, and sleep together at night. They are inseparable, just like real sisters.

In the boudoirs of the two little princesses.

Little Xue, woken up by the noise, rolled over and muttered, "Mom and Dad are so loving, they can't even stop making noise this late at night..."