Chapter 114: The New Konoha—A Nest Usurped
The sudden conquest of the Blood Wasteland shocked every player, as if a surprise attack had slammed into their screen.
Even though the real world was embroiled in the Fourth Great Ninja War, and chaos reigned with players too busy dealing with reality to care, the system announcement immediately reignited the lifeless Newbie Village.
"Who did it? Who snuck in and hunted the Vampire Baron?!"
"I ran into him while farming low-level vampires. That terrifying blood magic is way beyond what one player could handle. It must've been some major power."
"Didn't you read the announcement? A player called Paper Flower participated in the hunt and even earned a Resurrection Coin for outstanding contribution."
"Paper Flower… she's the leader of the Dawn Organization. I heard she's a noble from the Land of Rain."
"So jealous. Can't believe it wasn't one of the Five Great Nations who cleared the Wasteland, but the supposedly weak Land of Rain."
"The big nations are all tearing each other apart in reality. Who's got time to hunt Corrupted Creatures?"
"Resurrection Coins are rule-breaking items. They're gone from the game store now. I'm so jealous… If I had one, I could bring back my daughter, who was killed by a rogue shinobi. Oh, and correction—it's now the Four Great Nations and the Fire Nation. Konoha's gone."
Amid the clamor,
players felt both envy and schadenfreude.
They admired the Dawn Organization's timing—swooping in when no one else could and claiming the first-kill rewards of a boss-level enemy.
At the same time, they laughed at Konoha's collapse in the real world.
Most players were commoners. They didn't live in grand capitals or in shinobi villages free from bandit attacks.
Ordinary civilians bore the heavy taxes needed to support the shinobi system, while also fearing rogue ninja or thieves could rob and kill them at any moment.
To them, shinobi were little better than nobles—an elite class that lived by exploiting the weak.
So, few had much sympathy for Konoha's fall.
Still, most players were more focused on what the announcement hinted at—new maps.
In the Village of Hot Water—
a relatively prosperous place filled with rows of wooden buildings—steam drifted from multiple hot spring houses, visible from the top floor of the tallest structure.
The streets were empty, save for the occasional merchant.
A massive flag hung from the roof of the tallest building.
Gone was the symbol of the Hidden Hot Water Village—replaced by the insignia of Konoha.
In a newly established office,
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the central seat, his once-tanned face now covered in scars.
Gone was his former gentle demeanor.
The blade wounds, the burn marks—his skin twisted and torn. His face was no longer one of wisdom, but of a war-worn specter.
Seated around him were the elite shinobi who had rescued him from prison in what was once Konoha—and now the new Fire Nation capital.
"What do you think of the latest Samsara Game announcement?"
Hiruzen tapped his pipe against the table, brow furrowing.
The humid climate of the Land of Hot Water, with its endless steam baths, made it hard to keep tobacco dry—the flavor had changed too.
To his right sat Nara Shikaku, calm as ever, who spoke after a moment of thought:
"First, the newly opened Bloodcastle. It appears to be a dungeon similar to the Soulcamp. It will likely yield large quantities of materials and reward points."
"But we need to be cautious. Last time, when Soulcamp opened, Naruto got extremely lucky and dropped two hearts. He sold them cheap before anyone understood their value. The rare materials from this dungeon—we must hoard them."
He paused to gauge Hiruzen's reaction.
Naruto's silver-tier loot had once been casually sold off by Hiruzen, who had failed to recognize their importance—materials crucial for unlocking clan tokens.
Remembering that blunder, Hiruzen instinctively reached down—only to grasp empty air.
Below his seat,
the once-great "Shinobi Hero" of Konoha had no legs.
They had been hacked off in prison by executioners after he refused Homura Enshō's demands:
To take responsibility for all of Konoha's sins as the former Hokage, to repent publicly, and to dissolve the Hidden Leaf Village.
He chose torture instead.
Even strangled Danzo with his bare hands when the man tried to give in under pain.
He had never betrayed Konoha—and he wouldn't dissolve it, even if it meant death.
Expressionless, Hiruzen nodded to Shikaku to continue.
"Next, the Blood Wasteland resource map."
Shikaku looked regretful. "Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and even cunning Kirigakure were able to manufacture excellent equipment and raise civilian crafters. Their access to these resource maps played a big part."
"It was my fault. I overthought the game's intentions, worried about its hidden agenda, and missed the chance to bid for the map."
A smart man like him tended to think too deeply—and in doing so, let opportunities slip by.
As a result, when war broke out, Konoha's academy-trained shinobi—who should've held the advantage—were soundly beaten by equally trained enemy ninja equipped with superior gear.
He sighed. "What's worse, we had to flee the Fire Nation in a hurry. Orochimaru's forces kept hounding us. The Hyuga's Byakugan scouts followed our trail. We barely brought anything with us."
"After accounting for village operations, we probably only have enough funds for a single small-scale map."
That, at least, was thanks to Asuma's game team, which had won a Ghost Iron Mine in a previous auction.
Unfortunately,
ever since arriving in the Land of Hot Water, Asuma had clashed repeatedly with his father. Their relationship had deteriorated badly.
Now, in the new Konoha rooted here, tensions ran deep.
Around Hiruzen, still serving as Hokage, were the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, the resurrected Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, and civilian ninja like Might Guy who still believed in the Will of Fire.
On the other side, Asuma was surrounded by Hiashi Hyuga, Uchiha Sasuke with his awakened Mangekyō Sharingan, and a formidable team of player-ninjas.
Jiraiya and Tsunade remained neutral, maintaining a delicate balance between both camps.
"If things continue like this…"
Shikaku didn't finish the thought.
It was too dangerous to speak plainly during such a fragile time.
Once the mighty Hidden Leaf, home to tens of thousands of shinobi, their numbers now barely reached two thousand—like a ragtag band of mercenaries.
Even Hiruzen's seasoned heart could barely bear the humiliation.
He took a long pull from his moist pipe. "I've already sent Minato to negotiate with the daimyo and nobility of the Land of Hot Water. Funds should be replenished soon."
"What about mission requests?"
Shikaku reported, "We've just replaced the local Hot Water shinobi. The villagers don't yet trust us, so commissions are few."
It was an ugly truth.
Under Hiruzen's command, they had seized control of the Hot Water hierarchy in a swift and ruthless purge.
The pacifist village stood no chance. Even weakened, Konoha's surviving clans outmatched them.
Hiruzen fell silent for a moment, then muttered, "The Land of Hot Water is a tourist destination. Traders come and go. Despite their military weakness, they're wealthier than even Sunagakure."
He gave a wry smile. "We'll borrow from the locals for now. Once we're stable, we'll repay it with interest."
Once, such words from the Third Hokage would've warmed the heart.
But now—
scarred, disfigured, and hollow-eyed—he looked less like a wise leader and more like a demon risen from the underworld.
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