Chapter 303: A New Era for the Ninja World, Establishing a Unified Calendar! (Requesting Full Subscription)
April 3rd and 4th, Year 62 of Konoha.
These two days were exceptionally special for the Ninja World.
The Ninja World War had erupted, uniting all the ninjas of the world, including samurai, like never before. They fought together, setting aside all past hatreds and disputes over interests.
Although the battle lasted only a day and a night, its significance was profound.
On April 4th, at dawn, the major ninja villages reached a consensus to establish a Ninja Alliance.
This consensus marked the beginning of the Ninja World's move towards unification.
It also signified a brand new start in the history of the Ninja World, as significant as when Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara joined forces to establish the one village, one nation system, ending the Warring States period.
April 6th, Year 62 of Konoha, was another exceptionally special day.
On this day, the Ninja Alliance was officially established.
Sarutobi Asuma was unanimously elected as the first leader of the Ninja Alliance.
The Elder Council members included Sarutobi Hiruzen, Namikaze Minato, the Third Tsuchikage Onoki, the Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumi, the Fifth Kazekage Gaara, the Land of Iron's General Mifune, the leader of Amegakure Konan, and the leader of Takigakure.
As for the other smaller ninja villages, they were not eligible to enter the Elder Council and become elders.
The Secretariat members included Nara Shikaku, Hatake Kakashi, Mabui, Kurotsuchi, Ao, Temari, and Uzumaki Miri.
From this day forward, ninja villages became a thing of the past.
Konohagakure, Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, Kirigakure, Amegakure, and Takigakure all became branches of the Ninja Alliance.
The first task Sarutobi Asuma undertook after being elected leader of the Ninja Alliance was to establish a unified calendar for the Ninja World.
April 6th, Year 62 of Konoha, was officially changed to April 6th, Year 1 of the Unified Calendar.
Anyone with a keen mind could see Sarutobi Asuma's ambition, yet no one opposed it.
From the moment the Ninja Alliance was established, all ninjas had boarded Sarutobi Asuma's chariot.
Or rather, from the moment Sarutobi Asuma proposed to transform the environment of the Land of Wind, parts of the Land of Earth, and even to turn the Forbidden Life Zone back into a place of thriving life, the feudal lords were destined to become relics of the past.
Would the territories painstakingly opened up by the ninjas be willing to be given back to those feudal lords, only to receive a small commission from them?
The Fourth Raikage certainly wouldn't agree!
Gaara wouldn't agree either!
As for the argument that ninjas couldn't manage civilian affairs, Konoha's South Sage Continent had been doing an excellent job.
Even the Land of Fire served as a very good experimental ground, with quite outstanding results.
The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire had been sidelined even before the war began.
The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire's ninja army, cultivated by Konoha, had also been thrown into the battle.
And now, it had become a part of the Ninja Alliance.
Besides, Did feudal lords alone understand how to govern civilian affairs?
It was all done by the people below them.
If the feudal lords were removed and the people who did the work were kept, that would be enough!
In just a few days, the mindsets of Onoki and others had completely changed.
Even if Sarutobi Asuma hadn't explicitly stated the intent to eliminate entities like feudal lords, everyone was already acting as if they were.
Konoha, temporary meeting room of the Ninja Alliance.
Sarutobi Asuma, along with the members of the Secretariat and the Elder Council, were all present.
"Although the war has ended, the Ōtsutsuki clan has not been completely wiped out, and the Ninja World remains in a highly dangerous state. The feudal lords must be protected with utmost care."
The Fourth Raikage spoke first.
This was the first agenda item after the confirmation of the unified calendar.
"I agree with Elder Ay's proposal. If the feudal lords fall into the hands of the Ōtsutsuki clan, it will have a terrifying impact on the Alliance."
Gaara said.
"Then how can we protect the feudal lords properly?"
Mei Terumi asked seriously, "Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's abilities, his Space-Time Ninjutsu, cannot be prevented even with barriers."
Sarutobi Hiruzen suggested, "The South Sage Continent might be a good place."
Namikaze Minato shook his head, "Although the South Sage Continent is very far from the Ninja World, Space-Time Ninjutsu can easily reach it."
Onoki looked at Sarutobi Asuma and asked, "Lord Asuma, isn't Kaguya's other dimension still around?"
Everyone was stunned.
If it came to ruthlessness, Onoki definitely took the cake.
Kaguya's alternate dimension would be difficult for ordinary people to survive in.
Gaara stated directly, "Kaguya's alternate dimension, without a marker, would be hard to find, right? It really is a good place."
Sarutobi Asuma listened and couldn't help but sigh.
Self-interest was the strongest bond.
Shaking his head, Sarutobi Asuma said, "Kaguya's space is not suitable."
"Let's send the Feudal Lords to the moon!"
Namikaze Minato nodded, "The moon's interior is indeed good."
"That was once where Ōtsutsuki Hamura lived. Currently, only one member of the Ōtsutsuki clan remains, and he can be chosen to protect the Feudal Lords," Fourth Raikage Ayi immediately declared, "Then let's send them to the moon!"
Everyone quickly reached an agreement.
Sarutobi Asuma directly issued an order, "Elder Ayi, I'll entrust you with the mission of escorting the Feudal Lords. I will create a passage to the moon's internal world. After you return from the moon, I will also destroy this passage."
He felt it was appropriate to assign the dirty work to the Fourth Raikage.
"Understood!"
Fourth Raikage Ayi nodded.
"The second agenda item is the disposition of Orochimaru."
Onoki spoke.
He had been elected as the chief of the Elder Council and was responsible for presiding over the meeting.
Fourth Raikage Ayi immediately stated, "Although Orochimaru was previously a spy for Konoha, he must not be forgiven for manipulating the souls of past individuals."
"Furthermore, according to intelligence, this guy is still conducting various human experiments and researching Kekkei Genkai. He is an extremely dangerous individual."
Sarutobi Hiruzen then said solemnly, "Manipulating souls is indeed unforgivable, but with his contributions, he doesn't deserve death."
Fourth Raikage Ayi immediately glared, "Sarutobi Hiruzen, are you trying to cover for your disciple?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen replied calmly, "I am merely stating facts!"
Mei Terumi looked at Asuma, who remained silent, and spoke, "Orochimaru is indeed a very dangerous individual, and we should restrict him."
"Jutsu like Impure World Reincarnation must be classified as forbidden jutsu, which cannot be practiced or used unless permitted by the Alliance Leader and the Elder Council."
Gaara also quickly chimed in, "I agree with Elder Mei Terumi's suggestion."
"When Orochimaru was a spy, he did indeed take advantage of the situation to do many things for his own benefit, but he ultimately provided a lot of intelligence about the Akatsuki Organization and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. If we were to kill him directly, it would be very unfair to spies, and future spies would likely have doubts."
"Damn it..."
Fourth Raikage Ayi was furious, "You will regret today's decision!"
Onoki and the others remained silent.
Because the matter was obvious: Sarutobi Asuma intended to protect Orochimaru.
Otherwise, this agenda item wouldn't even exist. Orochimaru would have been dealt with immediately after the Infinite Tsukuyomi was dispelled.
"Elder Ayi, no need to rush," Sarutobi Asuma said with a smile to ease the atmosphere, "Orochimaru is indeed very dangerous, but under the alliance's surveillance, the elders shouldn't have to worry, right?"
"Of course, the reason I want to keep him isn't about his merits or demerits, but because he is very useful to us."
Onoki asked solemnly, "Could Mr. Asuma be referring to Orochimaru's research?"
"You could say that."
Sarutobi Asuma's expression turned serious, "In the current Ninja World, when it comes to research on Ninjutsu, the human body, and Kekkei Genkai, no one can compare to Orochimaru except me."
"Even Tsunade, and Elder Senju Tobirama who is skilled at developing forbidden jutsu, are not as capable."
"His talent is undeniable, but he just lacked proper guidance, which led him down some wrong paths."
"You may not have personally experienced the strength of the Ōtsutsuki clan, but you have all felt the power of Uchiha Madara and Nagato, who possesses the Rinnegan."
"Not to mention Ōtsutsuki Isshiki and the young Ten-Tails he holds. Just consider the Ōtsutsuki clan members who are highly likely to descend here. They can traverse the stars, and I believe their strength is definitely not weaker than Uchiha Madara and Nagato."
"The Ōtsutsuki clan members are born with powerful Byakugan, and when combined with the Rinnegan, I believe that in the current Ninja World, it would be difficult for anyone other than myself to contend with them alone."
Everyone fell silent. This was a harsh reality.
The entire Ninja World's sky was currently held up by Sarutobi Asuma alone.
Sarutobi Asuma continued, "Naruto and Sasuke have both received gifts from the Sage of Six Paths. One has mastered Six Paths Yang Power, and the other has awakened the Rinnegan. However, their Six Paths power will eventually be depleted."
"I don't think you all want the Ninja World to rely solely on me, or solely on Naruto and Sasuke, do you?"
"Therefore, we must cultivate more outstanding ninjas to deal with the crisis from the Ōtsutsuki clan."
"In that regard, Orochimaru is very important. His talent can greatly promote the development of the entire Ninja World."
General Mifune immediately stated, "Since the Alliance Leader considers it so, then I also agree to keep Orochimaru. However, as Elder Mei Terumi said, such a dangerous individual needs to be monitored. We must ensure his talents are utilized for the benefit of the Ninja World!"
Onoki and the others also expressed their agreement, with only Fourth Raikage Ayi stubbornly refusing to concede.
Sarutobi Asuma looked at him and smiled, "Elder Ai, how about you arrange the mission to monitor Orochimaru?"
Ai immediately nodded in agreement.
The conference concluded.
Sarutobi Asuma came to the experimental base under the Sage Tree.
Then he heard Orochimaru boasting in front of Senju Tobirama, "Second Hokage, to be honest, your ninjutsu isn't that difficult, and it has many flaws, so I had to modify it."
Senju Tobirama was very angry, "Don't you know that developing ninjutsu is hardest at the very beginning?"
"Moreover, your modifications aren't that good either."
"Your own body is the most suitable for you. Orochimaru, you've gone down the wrong path. Asuma's path is the correct one."
Orochimaru slowly smiled, "It's just a different path. Of course, he has gone further for now, but the facts prove that my research direction is also correct."
"The human body contains immense energy, and bloodline powers can change a person."
"Second Hokage, you should have researched Kekkei Genkai back then."
Senju Tobirama really wanted to hit someone.
What Kekkei Genkai could he have researched back then?
Sharingan?
His brother, Senju Hashirama?
Sarutobi Asuma, hearing this, wanted to laugh, then walked in.
The two turned around, and Orochimaru turned to look at Sarutobi Asuma, smiling, "It seems my luck is quite good."
"You shouldn't thank your luck."
Senju Tobirama quipped.
Without even thinking, it must have been Sarutobi Asuma who used Orochimaru's abilities to convince others.
"Although you won't be held accountable, you need to be monitored."
Sarutobi Asuma said.
Orochimaru smiled indifferently, "As long as it doesn't affect my experiments, there's no problem."
In fact, if someone provided him with the resources for his experiments, he could stay in the experimental base without leaving.
Monitoring wouldn't matter, as it wouldn't affect his research anyway.
Especially with the cloning technology developed by Tsunade, he no longer had to worry about a lack of test subjects.
Whatever kind of test subject he needed, he wouldn't have to capture anyone anymore; he could clone countless individuals with just a gene sample.
Of course, that wasn't the issue he cared about most right now.
Sticking out his tongue, Orochimaru looked intently at Sarutobi Asuma and said, "The promise from back then should still be honored, right?"
"Of course."
Sarutobi Asuma nodded.
Although Orochimaru had made many small moves, he had indeed followed his plan and facilitated the outbreak of the Ninja World War.
Since he promised, he would naturally keep his word.
Sarutobi Asuma valued his reputation greatly and had no intention of silencing Orochimaru.
Furthermore, Orochimaru's abilities were indeed very useful.
In researching bloodline powers, as well as the Ten-Tails and the Ōtsutsuki Clan, Sarutobi Asuma believed Orochimaru was more suitable than Tsunade.
Senju Tobirama was also a good helper, but ultimately, he belonged to the past.
Sarutobi Asuma had previously proposed the complete revival of Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, but he was refused.
After all, they were no longer people of this era!
...
He led Orochimaru to another laboratory, where a prepared clone was already placed in an incubation pod.
This was a Six Paths clone, composed of the genes of Ashura and Indra.
It could be called a mini Sage of Six Paths.
Of course, it was still incomparable to the living Sage of Six Paths.
However, it was powerful enough.
In terms of constitution, it was much stronger than Naruto or Uchiha Sasuke.
However, whether the Rinnegan could be activated depended on Orochimaru himself. Sarutobi Asuma had not left any Rinnegan gene information within this clone.
Taking out the clone, Orochimaru looked at the complex formations on it and said, "What an exquisite design, perfectly suppressing the emergence of the clone's own consciousness."
Sarutobi Asuma directly sent a Spirit Clone into the clone to control it.
"We can begin!"
Sarutobi Asuma said to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru nodded, then opened his massive maw. A great white snake was shot out from his mouth under the gazes of Sarutobi Asuma and Senju Tobirama, and then burrowed into the clone's mouth.
Senju Tobirama watched the scene and said, "This guy is indeed very formidable!"
Sarutobi Asuma recalled his Spirit Clone and laughed, "His talent is undeniable, but I admire the pioneers even more."
"And our excellence is built upon the shoulders of those who came before us."
Senju Tobirama was very pleased to hear this.
At this moment, the clone on the experimental platform was rapidly transforming into Orochimaru's appearance.
Orochimaru's Reincarnation Jutsu was already very complete. In the blink of an eye, it was finished. He sat up from the experimental platform, twisted his neck, and said with a smile, "What a marvelous and powerful body!"
"I can feel incomparable strength within this body; this is the power the Sage of Six Paths possessed!"
"It's truly unimaginable how powerful Ōtsutsuki Kaguya must have been."
Orochimaru looked at Sarutobi Asuma with fervent eyes, "You were able to defeat Ōtsutsuki Kaguya; what level of power did you reach? It's truly hard to imagine!"
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