Before long, Zabuza returned as well, carrying only the broken Executioner's Blade.
He had also found Samehada, but it was reduced to mere fragments, completely unusable.
Having been blasted into shards by the God King's world-shaking attack, there was no way to restore it.
'If it is just shards, then forget it. Still, it is a pity for such a fine blade.'
Compared to the Executioner's Blade, Samehada's special abilities were undoubtedly superior, allowing its wielder to absorb the chakra of others and grow stronger as the battle progressed.
The Executioner's Blade, on the other hand, could only bathe in blood to repair itself and was essentially indestructible.
However, the Executioner's Blade was undeniably more suited to his combat style—all he had to do was hack away at his enemies.
Ryōsuke watched Zabuza return with only the single large blade and said nothing.
If Samehada was broken, it was broken. It didn't matter.
Afterward, Ryōsuke led the three of them directly toward the Land of Earth.
As long as he subdued the two Tailed Beasts in the Land of Earth and signed summoning contracts so they could be called upon at any time, his work would be done.
Then, this excursion could finally be considered a success.
He could then return to the Land of Fire and consult with the current Leaf Village leadership on how to conquer the entire shinobi world.
He would bring the world into a state of order.
Tsunade might oppose him, but Ryōsuke had ways to convince her.
Only by establishing a unified village for the entire shinobi world could wars be minimized, preventing the world he lived in from falling into chaos.
After leaving the Land of Waterfalls, the four of them traveled toward the Land of Earth at a leisurely pace.
Since Fū was younger than Haku, they naturally slowed their speed.
The slow pace didn't matter; they treated it as a chance to see the world.
It was a rare opportunity to be out and about.
Along the way, Fū looked at Haku beside her.
She felt that he was very kind, whereas Zabuza, with the bandages wrapped around his face, was a bit cold—he gave off a vibe that kept people at a distance.
As for the God King, he felt too powerful; while she admired him, he seemed almost unreachable.
Driven by curiosity, she finally asked a question.
"Haku, what are we going to the Land of Earth for?"
Hearing Fū's question, Haku glanced at the God King, unsure if he was allowed to disclose their plans.
Suddenly, an idea struck her.
The God King had said he wouldn't extract the Tailed Beast from Fū and would even teach her how to use its power. Fū would surely become a formidable ninja in the future.
She couldn't help but ask, "Lord God King, will Fū be joining us in The Illuminati?"
If she joined, Haku felt it would be fine to reveal some less critical information.
Ryōsuke didn't even turn his head. "Of course she can, as long as Fū is willing."
This trip had already caused him to alter his original objective.
His new goal was to establish a basic order in the shinobi world, ensuring his world wouldn't be dominated by the law of the jungle where the strong devoured the weak.
Otherwise, living in such a world would be uncomfortable.
To establish a fundamental order, it would be impossible without the help of powerful subordinates.
Since Fū was a Jinchūriki, and Ryōsuke could control the Tailed Beast to make it willingly grant its power, she was destined to become a powerhouse capable of standing on her own.
This would be beneficial for the realization of his plans.
Fū beamed with joy upon hearing this.
"I am willing to join the organization!"
It felt as if she had become one of the God King's people. It made her happy; she was no longer alone.
Seeing this, Haku felt it was safe to tell Fū the truth. "Actually, our goal in the Land of Earth is to seize the two Tailed Beasts there."
Fū was surprised. Did the God King want to obtain even more Tailed Beasts?
Since she was a Jinchūriki herself, she wondered if the God King had sought her out only because of the beast inside her.
It made sense.
Haku continued, "That's right. The goal of The Illuminati is to bring peace to the shinobi world."
Fū's eyes widened.
"To bring peace to the shinobi world?"
It felt like such a grand goal. As expected of the God King.
Ryōsuke added at that moment, "Actually, achieving true peace in the shinobi world is far too difficult. However, The Illuminati will at least ensure the world has order."
"Instead of a world of total chaos, we want one where ordinary people can at least make a living without being in constant fear for their lives."
This world was divided between those who could use ninjutsu and those who couldn't.
Battles between ninjas easily brought ruin to ordinary people.
Even if a powerful ninja simply wanted to murder a commoner, it was all too easy.
Just like the disaster that had occurred in Takigakure; it was truly tragic.
If all forces were brought under the control of the Land of Fire, and the Land of Fire established a basic order, such tragedies could naturally be avoided.
To achieve this, the Tailed Beasts were necessary. Nine Tailed Beasts could create nine great powerhouses.
By sealing the beasts into ninjas, nine Jinchūriki could be created—undisputed masters of the battlefield.
If their potential was fully realized, they would certainly be stronger than a wild Tailed Beast.
Otherwise, wild beasts wouldn't be so easily captured and sealed into humans by others.
A Tailed Beast only knew how to fight like an animal or spit out Tailed Beast Bombs.
However, a Jinchūriki could use all sorts of ninjutsu and possessed a much wider variety of attack methods and tactics.
Both Haku and Fū were stunned by the God King's words.
The purpose of The Illuminati was no longer just about bringing peace to the shinobi world, but about establishing order within it.
Though they didn't fully understand the implications, it sounded incredibly impressive.
Zabuza, however, was different. As an adult and a Jōnin of the Mist Village, he possessed his own capacity for critical thought.
He understood deeply what the 'order' the God King spoke of truly represented.
The original Mist Village could have been described as having no order at all.
Conflict was constant, and bloodshed was a daily occurrence.
Even civilians were caught up in the violence for no reason.
But if the world had a basic order where ninjas were forbidden from harming people without cause, then there would surely be far fewer casualties.
Wars between nations would also decrease, and fewer people would die.
The shinobi world would undoubtedly be a completely different place.
The world would be much closer to the peace the God King mentioned.
He felt the objective was becoming clearer and the methods more distinct.
Perhaps collecting the Tailed Beasts was simply the God King's means to achieve the goal of world order.
And to build a new order, the old world order had to be destroyed.
It meant challenging the entire shinobi world—challenging the Five Great Nations.
The God King was also connected to the Uchiha Clan, and might even be their strongest member.
Even if he wasn't the Uchiha Ryōsuke currently known as the strongest in the world, he was undoubtedly even more powerful than that man.
The world-ending power of that one technique had left Zabuza deeply shaken; it was truly terrifying.
Perhaps the God King's might really could force the Five Great Shinobi Villages to submit and establish a basic order.
Just like the legendary Sage of Six Paths.
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