Even a Sage would instantly meet his doom if caught off guard by the power of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Yet this statue seemed to retain a lingering will, clearly attempting to break free from Soushu's control and charge toward the other Tailed Beasts or Jinchuriki.
Of course, Soushu would never allow this thing to act on its own.
So as soon as the battle ended, Soushu ended the Summoning Technique, sending the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path back to its secret hiding place.
"This really isn't something good," said the Slug Sage as he once again produced a small Katsuyu. The tiny slug slowly crawled to Soushu's feet, climbing upward along his pants until finally resting on his shoulder.
"Whether it is or not doesn't matter—it still has its uses," Soushu replied vaguely.
He already knew the origins and purpose of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
But so what? Should he just throw it away? Or even destroy it?
Since it couldn't be discarded or destroyed, he might as well keep it as his trump card.
Still, even someone like Soushu, with his massive Chakra reserves, found it extremely exhausting to operate such a colossal entity—at least not as effortlessly as Minato Uzumaki would later maneuver by burning his own life force to wield the giant statue.
"Yes, Soushu, as long as you have things figured out in your heart, that's fine," responded the little slug. It didn't attempt to argue with Soushu using its own faulty reasoning. After shaking its head for a moment, it launched itself back into its main body and merged.
The last resisting Ninja Frog was finally killed by the combined efforts of the Shogunate forces, bringing an end to their campaign across vast distances.
[Victory beyond Count!]
[Victory beyond Count!!]
"Lord Soushu, may your reign last forever!"
[Eternity!]
After the victory, cheers filled the sky and earth.
As the smoke of war gradually faded away, the ninja under the Shogunate immersed themselves in the joy of triumph; their smiles appeared especially radiant beneath the glow of the post-battle sunset.
Meanwhile, Mount Myoboku—the once-mysterious Promised Land—seemed to possess magical natural energy flowing within. Gently brushing over every inch of scarred land, it diluted the thick smell of blood in the air, replacing it instead with a refreshing vitality, wrapping the war-torn land in a soothing, tender embrace.
"What a wonderful place!"
Soushu took a deep breath and immediately felt as though his soul were floating in ecstasy.
No wonder the Ninja Frogs of Mount Myoboku had become a clan renowned for inheriting Sage Arts. With such an environment, unless someone was terribly dull-witted, living here for years on end would likely grant them at least some affinity with natural energy.
"This truly is a Holy Place."
The Slug Sage created another humanoid-sized clone beside Soushu, while most of its main body returned directly to Shikkotsu Forest through the Summoning Technique.
After all, the Toad Sage was already captured; what remained was simply to slowly digest its remains with the passage of time.
"But without barriers to contain the natural energy, its concentration here might drop rapidly,"
Slug Sage added another suggestion shortly afterward.
"Natural energy is the source of life."
Hyuga Soushu shook his head slightly. "If some natural energy were allowed to seep out naturally, perhaps the Savage Lands could show signs of improvement."
"Perhaps so."
Regarding this, Slug Sage gave no clear opinion.
After all, Mount Myoboku was not an environment favored by slugs; whether it was destroyed or seized by Hyuga Soushu didn't concern it much. It wasn't its territory anyway. The reason it offered that suggestion was mainly to strengthen rapport between them.
"If the Savage Lands recover their vitality, the living conditions in the Ninja World should be significantly improved,"
Hyuga Soushu remarked.
In today's Ninja World map, the once vast desert area of the Land of Wind was undergoing unprecedented transformation. A series of newly dug canals had dramatically changed the once arid wasteland's climate.
The once shrinking oases were gradually showing signs of revival thanks to careful planning and tireless effort, displaying increasing greenery and vibrant vitality.
And if the natural energy of Mount Myoboku could restore the Savage Lands' vitality, then the future Ninja World might indeed witness dramatic changes.
"Honorable Lady Soushu."
At this moment, Takahiro Uchiha used Body Flicker to appear beside Hyuga Soushu, bowed respectfully, and reported: "Main command has completed full deployment. Please give your orders!"
"How are our ninja combatants doing?"
Hyuga Soushu did not rush to make a decision but instead asked one question.
"4,760 plus fatalities and around 6,640 injured, nearly half seriously."
Takahiro Uchiha answered solemnly.
"So over ten thousand dead or wounded."
Hyuga Soushu rubbed his temples, unable to shake the growing headache.
This was the most devastating conflict since the formation of the Shogunate and Ninja Clan Capital Corporation.
Although they had anticipated heavy casualties beforehand for invading Mount Myoboku, facing the actual numbers now still brought indescribable grief to Hyuga Soushu.
"First, arrange for the wounded to return to the mainland on the first ferry. Then clean up the battlefield."
After a brief moment of reflection, Hyuga Soushu issued instructions. "Also, deploy uninjured personnel immediately to clear the battlefield. All intact Ninja Frog remains shall be sealed for potential future use, while meat scraps and bloodstains can simply be cleaned off."
"Understood!"
Takahiro Uchiha obeyed instantly and left.
Once the dust settled, Mount Myoboku gradually regained its original appearance.
However, the damage from war remained evident. All landscapes and structures had been nearly completely destroyed. Therefore, the Shogunate ninjas rebuilt an open-style stone-pillar dome hall atop the original location of the royal chambers using selected leftover construction materials.
It was there that Hyuga Soushu set up his temporary command center.
After arranging the retreat schedule for the Ninja Force, Hyuga Soushu instructed the Uzumaki ninjas to deploy a Heavenly Transport Formation within the dome hall. They would then utilize this Sealing Formula to transport resources.
Rebuilding Mount Myoboku required massive resources. Otherwise, constant consumption of its natural energy might not be sustainable for many years to come.
"Honorable Lady Soushu, we've examined the reefs in the Savage Lands!"
Just as Hyuga Soushu began feeling drowsy, an Uzumaki ninja rushed in shouting loudly. "There are already early signs of fern plants growing on the reefs now!"
"In that case, let's establish a Life Research Facility here," Soushu mused thoughtfully before continuing, "This facility will focus on restoring life to the Savage Lands efficiently and sustainably."
In other words, making it suitable for human habitation.
Undoubtedly, this was going to be a difficult task.
"Me!"
"Me me!!"
"Me me me!!!"
Upon hearing this, the Uzumaki ninjas immediately started volunteering one after another.
Once all battlefield cleanup was complete and injured personnel had been sent away, it was finally time for Hyuga Soushu to head back.
Except for the five hundred personal guards and one thousand Directly Commanded Units she intentionally left behind, everyone else evacuated the Mount Myoboku area.
Right after stepping beyond the borders of Mount Myoboku, Soushu suddenly straightened her posture and stared toward a stone tablet engraved with the words "Mount Myoboku."
"Just smash it now!"
An eager Jonin immediately rolled up his sleeves, ready to perform.
"No need."
Soushu stopped his action and instead ordered, "Erect a new stone tablet right beside it."
Immediately, a Servant Ninja Body Flickered out, found a huge rock, trimmed it down into a proper size for a stone tablet using a ninja blade, then returned it.
Soushu gathered chakra at her fingertip and slowly engraved characters onto the tablet.
"Takamagahara."
The Jonin assembly exchanged puzzled glances; none could grasp the meaning behind those three characters.
"Let the Mount Myoboku stone tablet remain here—it will serve as proof of how we acquired this blessed land. Similarly, if our clan declines someday, they can just place another stone tablet next to it," explained Soushu.
"[Long live the Shogunate — A Dynasty Eternal and Unbroken!]"
"Honorable Lady Soushu, please speak carefully!"
The Jonin assembly expressed even greater astonishment.
Soushu remained silent.
For ninjas who lived constantly on the edge of life and death, the idea of preparing for crises during peacetime seemed somewhat meaningless.
Still, perhaps this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
What Soushu envisioned was establishing a dynastic rule passed through bloodlines, rather than relying on traditional teacher-disciple relationships.
When the first batch of injured members from the Expeditionary Force arrived at the Frontier Camp, all pre-war anxiety vanished.
Although many among the initial group were severely wounded, the Shogunate still awarded them generous recognition.
Regardless of which faction these injured ninjas belonged to, they all received uniform compensation and support.
All participating ninja who died in battle received generous survivor benefits. If they had descendants willing to continue serving the Shogunate, their family members under fourteen years of age could be sent to training camps within the Shogunate's Directly Commanded Units for military drill.
This was also one method Hyuga Soushu used to continuously expand his personal corps of Servant Ninjas.
Though this approach took a long time and yielded results slowly, at least it ensured unquestionable loyalty.
Unfortunately, both the Hyuga and Uchiha clans were never known for having large populations, and with many of their elite members scattered across the Ninja World fulfilling important duties and missions, the number of Servant Ninjas these two clans could supply became relatively scarce.
Moreover, all ninja who had been bravely wounded in battle would receive a special lifelong pension from the Shogunate—lasting until the end of their lives, symbolizing the Shogunate's deep care and respect for their selfless dedication and sacrifice.
This guarantee transcended former factional boundaries and identity affiliations. Only official identification documents and a certifier's confirmation were required; once verified, every injured soldier could effortlessly enjoy this financial support until old age, ensuring stable living conditions for them and their families.
In particular, for those combatant ninja originally belonging to Sunagakure, the Shogunate's kindness earned boundless admiration, naturally accompanied by increasing disdain toward their original villages.
Meanwhile, Third Kazekage felt like a rat trapped inside a bellows—caught between forces and completely lost. Upon returning to the Land of Wind, he immediately convened a secret meeting to decide on a course of action.
After all, in the current era where unification of the Ninja World had become an unstoppable trend, maintaining complete independence was already impossible.
Yet if they actively negotiated and pushed harder, perhaps they might still secure better treatment than what the Rain ninjas or even New Mist had received.
When Hyuga Soushu returned to Hakone Prefecture city, the first order he issued was to abolish the status of all remaining nobles.
This meant that whether surviving Fire Daimyo courtiers or local aristocrats, even though they held only nominal existence, from now on their titles and so-called noble bloodlines would no longer be recognized.
Though there would not be outright killing campaigns launched against these families, they would permanently lose their social standing and were forbidden from behaving as nobility in public.
Immediately afterward, the Shogunate's ninja forces entered the former Fire Daimyo's court, completing full takeover of the area.
Though the original Daimyo Palace itself wasn't directly confiscated, its plaques and inscriptions were ordered removed, and personal guards and attendants were disbanded. The samurai troops under command of the former daimyo, however, were allowed to remain as ceremonial guards.
After all, these samurai posed no real threat, and the ninja simply didn't bother holding extra meetings regarding them.
Shortly followed the second political decree.
Hyuga Soushu commanded all regions under his control to begin surveying farmland and registering all land outside the territories governed by the Ninja Clan Capital Corporation. At the same time, he introduced a corresponding taxation law: a unified single-whip tax system taxing agriculture at ten percent and commerce at five percent.
Moreover, from now on even the territories of all Ninja Clans under the Ninja Clan Capital Corporation must comply with these tax law requirements.
However, each Ninja Clan's territory operates under a self-reporting system, meaning Clan Leaders report based on their actual conditions, after which taxation is applied accordingly.
This could be considered a moderate loophole, giving Ninja Clans room for falsification and misreporting. Therefore, although they felt somewhat dissatisfied, all ultimately accepted Hyuga Soushu's decree.
"They'll totally try to cheat on their taxes or underpay!"
Mahiru Uchiha stated, "Every single one of those Ninja Clans is led by incredibly greedy people. Letting them self-report? There's no way they won't hide stuff!"
"Tax evasion and misreporting can be tolerated. After all, they were the ones who helped build the Ninja World."
Hyuga Soushu appeared quite magnanimous about the situation.
Then he changed tone: "If they don't generate some incriminating records, it'll make things hard for us when we weaken their authority later."
"That makes sense!"
Mahiru Uchiha was stunned for a second, then caught on quickly.
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