Uchiha Tekka and Uchiha Izumi immediately knelt on one knee, heads bowed in respectful attention.
They were absolutely obedient to Di Yan's commands.
Di Yan's gaze swept into the distance, as if he could already see the future battlefield, and he commanded in an icy tone:
"Once the troops deploy and reach the border battlefield..."
"Find an opportunity to eliminate all members of the Hyuga Main Family mixed in with the Ninja Army."
"Remember, leave no one alive, and do it cleanly."
"It should look like an accident or that they died at the hands of the enemy."
He paused, then added, "Also, those stubborn elements from other Ninja Clans who were sent out with ulterior motives, who might try to contact old subordinates or cause trouble."
"Similarly, find an opportunity... and assassinate them. Izumi will give you the list later."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Uchiha Tekka and Uchiha Izumi did not hesitate, immediately accepting the order.
For them, who had experienced the Night of the Clan Annihilation and had long dedicated their bodies and minds to Di Yan, executing such a dark mission carried no psychological burden.
The two figures flickered.
They vanished as if merging into the shadows, like 01.
They went to prepare for this bloody secret mission... Meanwhile, the terrifying news of Di Yan's brutal display of power in the Hyuga Clan Estate meeting hall spread like wildfire.
It quickly circulated secretly among Konoha's major clans.
At first, some people remained skeptical.
But when the precise news and details, including even the bloody scene, were confirmed, a chill ran down the spines of all clan heads and high-ranking officials!
This new Emperor was not a monarch who favored appeasement.
Instead, he was a thorough, 'prosper with me, perish against me' tyrant.
He possessed absolute power and had no qualms about using the cruelest methods to achieve his goals!
How prominent was the Hyuga Clan, with a thousand-year legacy and one of the strongest ocular techniques?
He killed the Hyuga Main Family elders without a second thought, showing no mercy whatsoever.
Other clans wondered, compared to the Hyuga, how much stronger could they be?
For a time, all the clans that were still observing, still secretly plotting, immediately ceased their activities.
They no longer dared to make any small moves of feigned compliance.
All previous excuses of evasion and delay instantly vanished.
All clans became incredibly "cooperative."
They meticulously followed Di Yan's orders, sending their age-appropriate Ninja from their clans to the military camps and front lines near the Forest of Death.
They dared not make any further reductions.
Circumstances were stronger than individuals.
Although countless people were filled with anger, resentment, and humiliation, for the lives of their entire clan, old and young, and for the continuation of their families, they could only temporarily swallow their pride.
They would survive first, then plan for later.
However, beneath the surface of obedience, undercurrents still surged.
Some clans embedded true confidantes and loyalists within the armies sent to the border.
They carried secret missions, seeking to establish contact with the border defense forces who were originally loyal to the old Konoha system.
They secretly conspired and accumulated strength, awaiting a potential opportunity for a counterattack.
Of course, all of this was still in its extremely secretive nascent stage.
Di Yan, with the fastest speed and most ruthless methods, forcefully steered Konoha's massive war machine onto the track he had set.
As for how much rust and internal damage this machine contained, and when it would erupt, that would require more time and methods to slowly clean up and adjust.
Konoha, in bloody silence, awaited an unknown tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Di Yan went straight to the Hokage Building.
He stepped into the Hokage's office, only to find the room empty, with no sign of Tsunade.
There was only a slender figure in a form-fitting black long dress, her back to the door, diligently organizing a mountain of documents and files at the desk.
That was Shizune.
She seemed completely engrossed in her work, oblivious to Di Yan's quiet arrival.
Her slender fingers quickly and skillfully sorted and filed scrolls and documents, her movements meticulous, showcasing her professional competence as the Hokage's chief secretary.
Di Yan's gaze lingered for a moment on her back, which appeared even more curvaceous as she bent over.
A barely perceptible curve played on his lips.
He remembered this loyal female secretary.
She had been caught by Danzo's Kotoamatsukami and knocked unconscious by Tsunade.
By a strange twist of fate, she had avoided many subsequent upheavals.
Now awake, she found the world turned upside down, yet she was still dutifully assisting Tsunade with official duties.
It was truly rare.
"What a... good secretary."
Di Yan mused inwardly.
Then, silently, he reached back and gently closed the office door, making an extremely faint "click" as it locked.
But Shizune was clearly distracted and completely unaware of it.
The light in the room seemed to become somewhat ambiguous because of this.
Shizune was currently compiling the newly organized list of registered Konoha Ninja.
This list was now crucial, relating to Di Yan's subsequent reorganization and control.
Tsunade had specifically instructed her to organize and submit it as quickly as possible.
Just thinking about handing this roster, which embodied Konoha's heart and soul, to that ruthless and unfathomable His Majesty the Emperor, Shizune's heart couldn't help but clench.
She instinctively shivered.
Even Lady Tsunade... how could she resist?
She could only do her best in her duties, hoping that... hoping that fewer people would die.
She was lost in thought when suddenly... a pair of warm hands unexpectedly covered her eyes from behind, blocking all light.
At the same time, a deep male voice with a clear hint of playful amusement sounded behind her ear:
"Guess... who am I?"
Shizune instantly froze!
This voice... this voice was?
A huge fear, like ice water, instantly drenched her entire body, making her limbs cold.
Her blood seemed to have congealed!
The documents in her hands scattered to the floor with a rustle, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
How could she not recognize this voice? The voice of the man who now held the power of life and death over Konoha, the man who made both her and Lady Tsunade feel utterly powerless!
"Your... Your Majesty..."
Shizune's voice trembled violently, almost unable to form words.
She wanted to break free, but found her body stiff and unresponsive.
Di Yan felt the violent trembling of her eyelashes and the shivering of her body beneath his palms.
Instead of letting go, he mischievously leaned his lips closer to her sensitive earlobe, his warm breath fanning across it, causing her to shiver violently again.
"You guessed right, Shizune~"
His laughter was deep and magnetic, yet like a devil's whisper, "Working so diligently that you didn't even notice I came in... Are you organizing something important?"