"I'm not joking.
Kusagakure has already chosen death.
What we need to uphold isn't some barely-patched, 'good enough' order, but a real order—one that actually lets everyone live.
Grass crossed a hard line. If we let them survive after that, then we lose our moral legitimacy.
If a village that committed an atrocity like cannibalism can still live on, then what right do we have to stand there and openly claim we're building a good, correct, just order?
So Grass must die.
All of Kusagakure must be put on trial.
Every Grass shinobi who took part in eating people must be executed.
The rest of them must be punished as well.
Only then will the world—will everyone—understand that our resolve to establish a new order is absolute.
Do you understand what I'm saying, Minato?"
Looking at Uchiha Yorin's dead-serious expression as he said all of that, Minato fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "I understand."
Off to the side, Uzumaki Kushina looked from one to the other, and for a moment didn't know what to think.
From the outside, it looked like Yorin was the one holding the situation—like Yorin was the one Minato was following.
"Looks like I'm not becoming the Empress of the Ninja World," Kushina thought.
She felt a little disappointed… but more than that, relieved. For someone with a free soul like hers, being "empress" might not actually be a good thing.
So fine—let Yorin handle the headache.
When he becomes the ninja emperor, she and Minato could find an easy, relaxed job… or just retire. That wouldn't be so bad.
…
And just like that, the destruction of Kusagakure was officially put on the agenda.
In Konoha's high-level meeting, even the Third—who always felt this kind of thing was improper—only opened his mouth, then closed it again, ultimately letting Yorin push the plan forward.
People like Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, on the other hand, practically became Yorin's supporters on the spot—good for nothing but clapping and shouting "Long live—!" at the top of their lungs.
If they stayed this "well-behaved," keeping them around wasn't impossible.
…
"Konoha has become Uchiha Yorin's one-man show," some sharp-eyed people couldn't help thinking. "There's basically nothing left inside the village that can stop him anymore."
…
And that was true.
With enough prestige and enough force, Yorin had completely taken Konoha in hand. His words carried more weight than Minato's—and honestly, even back when the First was alive, he didn't have this kind of obedience.
So the vote to attack Kusagakure passed unanimously.
Plenty of people didn't really understand what Yorin meant by "this has huge meaning" or "we must prove we have the right and ability to make the world better." But if it was Yorin's order, they just had to applaud.
…
Konoha had a proven playbook for destroying an organization.
The first weapon to go in was still public opinion.
From television to newspapers, old media and new media moved together to hammer Kusagakure.
And calling it "smearing" wasn't even accurate.
What did they do?
They just repeated what Grass had actually done—no exaggeration necessary. They told the world how Kusagakure had abused Uzumaki refugees for years.
As the Uzumaki clan's closest ally, Konoha had both the responsibility and obligation to demand justice for its ally.
Karin—who had been rescued by Minato and Kushina—went on television in tears, condemning what Kusagakure had done.
It gave the whole thing a weird "pre–Gulf War media offensive" vibe.
If even Americans could be swayed by that kind of narrative back then, people in the ninja world—who were even more straightforward—ate it up completely.
Before long, even the janitors and cafeteria aunties were gossiping during breaks: "Girl, let me tell you—those Grass people are evil."
The public-opinion groundwork finished cleanly. Then Konoha's army began preparing to march.
During that window, Kusagakure tried diplomacy.
They sent envoys to Konoha to submit and beg, they tried to appeal to other major villages with "if we fall, you're next"—but everything failed.
Kusagakure finally understood, in despair, that Konoha truly wanted them dead.
"Is this really necessary? Is there really that much hatred? We only… we only…"
Grass didn't actually believe they were wrong—they just knew they were about to die.
They still thought they were innocent. They thought they'd merely acted according to "Warring States standards," doing what was "reasonable."
"We did it for the village."
And if it was for the village, then it was righteous.
They even believed the suffering they were about to endure would become "merit." Why were Konoha and the world rejecting them?!
By the end of that logic spiral, Grass actually felt wronged—genuinely convinced they were the victims.
"Even worse," Yorin sighed to himself, "there are plenty of people across the world who think like this too. We've still got a long road ahead."
"But at least right now, I still have enough time—and enough power—to push my will through."
As he thought that, he glanced at the girl standing quietly beside him: Karin, unusually obedient.
Suffering forces people to grow up.
She was only a little older than Yorin's own "kids," but Karin felt… adult.
After the Uzumaki became refugees, after her mother was treated like livestock—after she was, quite literally, eaten—Karin the soft, small, childish girl died. What remained was a revenge-ghost wearing the skin of an Uzumaki child.
"Mature in a way that hurts," Yorin thought.
She looked at him with a kind of yearning.
Minato and Kushina had decided to adopt her, but compared to them, she seemed more attached to "Uncle Yorin."
Was it because Yorin was stronger? Because he had more power? Or because she believed he would take revenge more completely?
Even Yorin wasn't sure.
"Kids like this show up all the time in war," Orochimaru commented coolly. "So—are you going to hand her over to me? I don't mind. Minato and Kushina will, though."
Yorin said, "I'm not really worried about them being mad."
He had considered handing Karin to Orochimaru. But in the end, he didn't.
Not because he feared Minato and Kushina.
They might not even be mad, honestly. Orochimaru underestimated himself there.
After all—he'd raised Haku, Kimimaro, Kabuto, Anko, and plenty of other kids extremely well. By now, everyone had basically accepted that this guy was Konoha's top-tier educator.
And besides the kids everyone knew, Yorin also knew Orochimaru had taken in people like Jūgo, and many others, just like the original timeline.
If Karin went to him, Minato and Kushina might even feel relieved.
But Yorin couldn't.
Because Karin's attachment to Yorin was too extreme.
She kept saying, "Whatever you decide, I'll support it." But her eyes screamed, "If you send me away, I'll die for real."
"It's security," Orochimaru said with a small smile. "Security—admiration—and fanaticism. She's decided it's you, Yorin."
"Fine, fine." Yorin sighed. "I'm not an education expert, but I do have three 'kids.' I'll handle it."
"They're not your biological children," Orochimaru reminded him.
"They will be someday. Also—don't tell me you came all the way here just to say this."
"Of course not." Orochimaru's tone sharpened. "I received some… unpleasant news. You know, ever since the Kusagakure situation, people are unhappy with you. Some even think you're going to conquer the entire ninja world by force—erase every village and leave Konoha alone at the top."
Yorin frowned. "That's ridiculous. Not because I lack the strength, but because I don't have enough people to govern the world."
"Any intelligent person knows that," Orochimaru said. "But the world isn't made of only intelligent people. Most are idiots who drift with the current."
Yorin's eyes narrowed. "So someone is steering that current."
"Yes."
"What—are they actually going to form an allied army and surround Konoha?"
"Yeah."
That answer genuinely surprised Yorin.
"Not the big villages," Orochimaru continued. "They don't have the spine. But they have another card. Have you heard of the 'Box of Ultimate Bliss'?"
"I've heard the name, but I don't know the details."
"It's a so-called 'Sage of Six Paths' relic. Supposedly it can reshape the world—grant wishes. And supposedly… Kusagakure's leader has it."
Yorin clicked his tongue, half-remembering something. In the end, most "world-changing" movie items capped out around "Tailed Beast-tier" in actual power. Grass betting their survival on it was idiotic.
But Orochimaru's point wasn't that Grass could win.
"It's not just Grass," Orochimaru said. "Minato's war ended. Snow Country happened. Takigakure happened. People are scared of Konoha's destructive power now.
They're supporting Grass.
Even if they don't believe Grass can beat you, to them, Grass is their 'lifeline'—the thing they hide behind."
Yorin exhaled slowly.
A village that committed cannibalism… becoming the rally flag for people afraid of him.
"Understood," he said at last, eyes cold. "Then we make sure nobody ever thinks they can hide behind monsters again."
~~~
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