"Is he dead?"
"He's dead. His Sharingan has closed, and his chakra is gone. But Izanagi really is terrifying—cutting off his arm still couldn't stop it from activating."
Kurenai Yuhi chuckled. "It is a forbidden Uchiha technique. But Danzo's schemes were completely crushed by Kiyo. As expected of her."
"Don't talk nonsense."
Kiyo Hyuga shot her a glare. Every time this woman praised her, something troublesome followed. She looked gentle on the outside, but beneath that smile was pure darkness.
"The battle over there is ending too. It seems the Edo Tensei bodies were controlled by Danzo. Once he died, the jutsu stopped."
With her Byakugan, Kiyo confirmed the situation. She carried Danzo's corpse and headed back to help. Although the Edo bodies had stopped moving, the daimyo's guards still hadn't given up. They didn't know whether the daimyo was real or a fake—they only knew he'd entered the Hokage Building and was blown to pieces, and that they themselves were sealed inside the barrier.
But the daimyo's guards were no match for the Konoha force, especially trapped in a sealed barrier. Teams of two from the Hyuga clan kept firing Eight Trigrams Air Palm in rapid succession—each strike nearly as destructive as an A-rank jutsu, low in chakra cost, and reusable every three seconds.
The Inuzuka clan unleashed their Beast-Human Combination Taijutsu, while the Aburame clan filled the sky with clouds of insects.
Individually, the daimyo's guards were strong—many were at jonin-level—but they could not stand against Konoha's coordinated assault. After the Edo bodies stopped, the guards quickly lost morale. One after another surrendered.
More than half had only joined the daimyo for his wealth. Now the daimyo was dead, the barrier sealed their escape, and the only alternative to surrender was death. They had no such resolve—aside from just a few like Uma, the rest gave up.
By the time Kurenai and Kiyo arrived, surrender spread like falling dominoes.
When the last few elite guards were captured, Kiyo walked toward them, staring at one of them with a frown. "Asuma? Impressive. You actually helped the daimyo attack Konoha."
"You're leading Konoha to ruin. I was—"
Asuma Sarutobi didn't get to finish. Kiyo tapped his throat, cutting off his voice entirely.
"Lock them all up. We'll deal with them when the Hokage returns."
After handing the guards to the security corps, Kiyo turned to the Hokage Building. The Edo bodies had stopped fighting but still had no consciousness. Danzo, aware of the danger of loose lips, had used talismans from the start to suppress their minds, leaving only combat instinct behind.
Even now, they couldn't communicate—disappointing Kakashi.
"Check the Forbidden Jutsu Scroll. It should have the method to release Edo Tensei."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, subtly hinting. He himself knew Edo Tensei—but it wouldn't be wise to demonstrate that in front of so many.
"We'll seal them for now. I'll deal with the Edo bodies later. Get the wounded to the hospital. Escort the daimyo's men to the security detainment center."
Kiyo took full command. The Hokage Building, however, was so heavily damaged it would be unusable until fully rebuilt.
Once everything was delegated, she summoned the clan heads and department leaders to the security headquarters and announced Konoha's merger with the Sand Federation.
She and Kurenai had already received information through their ring terminals: the allied forces—no, the three-nation alliance—had been crushed without suspense. Kumogakure lost over three thousand elite shinobi. Iwagakure lost fifteen hundred. The Hidden Mist suffered similar losses and even lost their warships.
All Konoha shinobi aligned with the Sarutobi clan or opposed to merging with the Sand Federation had been sent to the southwest mining zone of the federation. They wouldn't be killed, but they'd be doing heavy labor for years—unlikely to return. Along with them were three of the five Kage. Apart from the Ino–Shika–Cho clans and select individuals chosen by Nara Shikaku, none of the others would ever come back.
After Kiyo finished speaking, the Inuzuka, Aburame, and Kurama clan heads were silent—they had no grounds to oppose the merger. The Hyuga clan, Root remnants, and Kakashi's two battalions already supported Tsunade's decision.
Many still believed Kakashi had known about this beforehand. Tsunade had always favored him—promoting him from ANBU squad leader to vice-captain, then giving him command of two battalions. Becoming Hokage's assistant was his next logical step. With such trust, it was unthinkable he was unaware of the merger.
And when Kiyo announced it, Kakashi had shown no surprise—proving he knew.
Even so, some clan leaders still had worries.
It was called a merger, but in truth Konoha would be absorbed and reshaped entirely under the Sand Federation's system. Small villages joining a large nation was one thing—but Konoha was a Great Village, too big and too powerful to be treated the same.
Kiyo spoke calmly. "There's no need to worry. As long as we merge sincerely, the Sand Federation will not treat Konoha unfairly."
The Taketsuru clan head frowned. "But the federation was originally Sunagakure. Many in that village still hold deep grudges against Konoha. This isn't simple."
The hostility between Konoha and Sunagakure was real—only recently they had fought a major war, personally led by the Fifth Kazekage.
Despite Kiyo's assurances, not everyone could relax. Old grudges could cripple a clan even with minor, subtle bias. The Uchiha were proof of that—years of suppression had nearly broken them.
"Then allow me to explain."
Kabuto stepped forward.
"Though the Fifth Kazekage is from Sunagakure, it's almost certain that the next ruler will be Hyuga Mirai. And Lord Mirai will marry Clan Leader Kiyo Hyuga and Jōnin Kurenai Yuhi. Under Lord Mirai's leadership, your concerns are unnecessary. He will not target Konoha clans for old grudges. Anyone capable will be valued."
"Oh? So that's how it is. Congratulations, Clan Leader Kiyo, Jōnin Kurenai."
The smaller clans suddenly looked at Kiyo and Kurenai with warmth—and immediately began planning generous gifts for them.
"Congratulations to both of you."
Blessings echoed throughout the room. Even the usually quiet Shibi Aburame offered his congratulations—though halfway through, Inuzuka Tsume cut him off, and he soon realized neither Kiyo nor Kurenai had noticed his attempt.
"A-alright, that's enough. Let's discuss this later. Our priority now is securing the Land of Fire."
Surrounded and repeatedly congratulated, Kiyo—unlike Kurenai—couldn't handle the embarrassment and forcibly changed the topic. Still, she felt a small warmth in her chest. Their blessings meant they supported this future wholeheartedly.
Kabuto's explanation relieved everyone completely. They rarely interacted with Hyuga Mirai, but before defecting from Konoha he had an excellent reputation. Now he would marry Kiyo and Kurenai, and likely become the next leader—there was nothing to fear. Even hostile Sunagakure factions wouldn't be able to touch them with Kiyo and Kurenai present.
"Danzo brought the daimyo's men into Konoha and managed to blow himself up. Conveniently, this gives us room to maneuver. Once Nara Shikaku returns, we will seize control of the entire Land of Fire. Clan heads—I need your true support."
The Land of Fire's power structure was complicated—many noble families had deep roots for centuries. Unlike the Land of Wind, the aristocracy here was exceptionally strong. Uprooting them would take real force.
"We understand, Clan Leader Kiyo."
All clan heads agreed in unison. They would put all their clan resources on the line.
Kiyo nodded. "Thank you. Your contributions will be recorded. When Shikaku returns, we will convert your efforts into federation rewards. Until the Hokage returns, Kabuto and Kakashi will coordinate operations with you."
Kabuto suddenly sensed something off.
"Captain Kiyo… isn't Lady Tsunade returning with Shikaku?"
"Tsunade is inspecting the Sand Federation's governance system."
"As expected of the Hokage. She truly thinks ahead."
"Yes. Her decision puts us at ease."
Many clan heads praised her without hesitation.
Only Kabuto twitched slightly, stiffly pushing up his glasses.
(End of chapter)