"Monument Erection Mission?"
The moment the Five Great Ninja Villages finished reviewing the mission details released by the Sacrificial Shop, they all arrived at the same conclusion:
once this mission was fully implemented, the total number of Ninja in the world would surge dramatically, and the existing structure of the Ninja World would be irreversibly rewritten.
The Daimyō would never accept it.
But neither would the Five Kage oppose it.
Expanding the Ninja population brought only benefits to the Villages and posed no inherent risk. More importantly, Konoha had already been quietly laying the groundwork for Ninja academies among civilians. This mission merely accelerated an outcome that had long been inevitable.
Yagura was the first to steer the discussion away from the mission itself.
"Then how do we deal with the Daimyō?" His voice was calm, but the question cut straight to the core.
The reality was simple. The Sacrificial Shop had publicly issued the mission. There was no room for withdrawal, compromise, or negotiation. The Villages would not oppose the shop. Which meant only one obstacle remained.
Tsunade's response was immediate and unambiguous.
"The Fire Daimyō privately sheltered a rogue Ninja, directly leading to major losses for Konoha," she said coldly. "That act violated the One Country, One Village system. Konoha will formally demand his replacement."
Yagura nodded without hesitation. "Hidden Mist will do the same. I suggest a joint declaration by all Five Villages."
His gaze sharpened.
"It's time they remembered—we were never their puppets."
"Sunagakure agrees," Sasha said flatly. The Wind Daimyō had been a thorn in his side for years. If not for Shukaku's disappearance and the threat of Uchiha Madara, Sasha would have dealt with him personally long ago.
"Iwagakure agrees," Ōnoki added at once. He had never forgotten how the Land of Earth's Daimyō once tried to squeeze Iwagakure dry.
Only Ay hesitated.
"This puts every Ninja Village in direct opposition to the Daimyō," he said slowly. "Village operations still rely on their funding."
"That was before," Tsunade replied evenly. Her gaze swept the room. "It won't be the case going forward."
She paused, then continued.
"After Madara was sealed—and before Shikaku returned—Orochimaru, acting on behalf of the Sacrificial Shop, distributed the bounties. He also left us this."
She unfurled a scroll across the table.
Ninja World Transportation Status and Environmental Research Report.
"According to this," Tsunade said, "inter-country roads are in catastrophic condition. Trade is inefficient. Logistics are slow. Economic growth is being strangled at the root."
Sasha nodded grimly. "The Land of Wind is a nightmare for merchants. Sandstorms, venomous insects, wild beasts—escort fees alone drive traders away."
Yagura followed. "Hidden Mist is no better. Sea routes are monopolized. Safe passage is extortion. Unsafe routes cost lives."
Ōnoki shook his head. "Building roads or shipping lanes would require absurd amounts of manpower and funding. Even five Villages together would struggle."
"Kumogakure is worse," Ay said. "Mountains, landslides, constant maintenance."
Sasha suddenly looked up. "So the Sacrificial Shop wants to fund construction?"
"Yes," Tsunade said. "Through loans."
She explained calmly: professional engineering teams, costs borne by the Villages, repayment through future tolls. Loan limits tied directly to each Village's mission contributions. Six existing construction units, already staffed by mixed-Village Ninja, ready to begin immediately.
"And later," Sasha added with a thin smile, "those road hubs become outposts."
No one needed him to finish the sentence.
At that point, Ōnoki spoke again, slower now.
"Why?" he asked. "Why is the Sacrificial Shop pushing this so hard?"
Tsunade inhaled deeply.
"Because when the roads connect the Five Nations," she said, quoting Orochimaru word for word, "that will be the day the Chakra Network covers the Ninja World."
Silence fell.
She opened a second scroll.
A pale-blue projection bloomed above the table.
Chakra-conductive metal beneath roadbeds. Transfer stations at fixed intervals. Information towers every hundred li. Sage-Immortality Pearls anchoring regional cores.
A single, vast energy network.
"This isn't just infrastructure," Yagura murmured. "It's a world-scale formation."
"And more," Tsunade said. "It stabilizes Chakra flow, powers facilities—and reshapes climate."
Ōnoki scoffed. "So the Sacrificial Shop controls the world's Chakra?"
Ay slammed the table. "Unacceptable."
"They grant each Village autonomous control," Tsunade replied. "Including full authority to sever local connections."
Then she added, voice steady and heavy:
"This network can transform geography."
The room fell silent as the implications sank in.
Deserts becoming farmland.
Mountains smoothing into roads.
Storm seas calming.
Frozen lands thawing.
Endless rain dispersing.
A rebuilt world.
Even Ōnoki could not deny the temptation.
At last, he spoke again, voice low.
"They planned this from the start."
He laid it out piece by piece—the missions, the construction teams, the Pearl, the Longevity Pills, the pressure on the Daimyō.
"All of it," he concluded, "was preparation."
Ay frowned. "So this network isn't just benevolence?"
Ōnoki shook his head. "There is no such thing as selfless power."
"Hashirama Senju," Sasha said quietly.
No one argued.
Tsunade rose to her feet.
"Then we vote," she said.
"Accept—"
"Or refuse."