Chapter 288: The Simplicity of Wood Release
Nara Shikaku rubbed his temples. He felt a throbbing headache he hadn't experienced since the early days of Uchiha Akira's rule.
No, it was more intense than ever before. It was a logistical headache.
"The population," Shikaku sighed, looking at the complex planning scrolls. "That is the biggest immediate problem."
"Even if we disperse them to various smaller towns across the Land of Fire, it will require a great deal of time, coordination, and resources. And it's highly likely to cause conflicts and resentment with local residents."
Shikaku analyzed clearly, laying out an incredibly thorny reality for Uchiha Akira.
Annexing a Great Shinobi Village like Kirigakure sounded impressive and powerful.
But the subsequent digestion and absorption—relocating thousands of families, integrating their economy, maintaining order—that was where the true, complex test of a ruler's ability lay.
Uchiha Akira smiled slightly after listening to Shikaku's flawless, pessimistic analysis.
"Shikaku."
"Have you forgotten how I solved the initial accommodation problem for the large troops when I first attacked the Hidden Sand Village?"
Nara Shikaku was suddenly stunned. His eyes widened.
A scene he had subconsciously overlooked—dismissing it as an isolated tactical miracle—instantly flashed in his mind!
Wood Release! The continuous wooden houses rising from the desert sand!
"You mean..." Shikaku immediately asked, the dawning realization hitting him with the force of a physical blow.
"If there's nowhere to live, then build homes for them," Akira stated, his tone matter-of-fact.
"We will use Mokuton (Wood Release) to build a batch of large, temporary, highly durable houses along the outskirts of the village."
"When the new urban area's planning and infrastructure are complete, we will let them move into permanent housing."
Akira spread his hands. "Problem solved, isn't it?"
Nara Shikaku stared blankly at Uchiha Akira, his mouth agape.
Yes. The problem was solved. Just like that.
For Shikaku, it was a problem that could turn his hair white from stress. A nightmare of bureaucracy, permits, and financial deficits.
But for Uchiha Akira, the Hokage... it was just a matter of lifting a finger. An instantaneous solution.
"I... I understand, Hokage-sama."
Nara Shikaku exhaled heavily, the shock fading, replaced by the calculating gleam of a planner.
"I'll get right on it! This simplifies the relocation by ninety percent!"
"I will have the Logistics Department and combat teams coordinate immediately to plan the most suitable plain area. We will mark the perimeter and organize the security details to prevent panic."
"At the same time, I will immediately discuss with Lady Tsunade to formulate a detailed phased relocation plan. We will move them unit by unit, by family, to ensure the entire process is smooth, orderly, and minimizes any chance of rebellion or chaos."
After speaking, Nara Shikaku bowed deeply to Uchiha Akira, his respect reaching a new level. He then hurried away, his headache gone, replaced by a manageable checklist.
Subsequently, Nara Shikaku arrived at the Logistics Department and the main planning center.
"Emergency mission! Priority Alpha!"
He gave the order to the Chūnin in charge of overall dispatch, his voice sharp and loud.
"Hokage-sama's decree."
"The Kirigakure is officially merged into Konoha, starting today. It will become the 'Konoha Kirigakure Division'."
Boom!
The single sentence stunned everyone around him.
A shinobi's scroll dropped to the ground with a dull "thud." Silence.
"Wh-what?"
"The Kirigakure... merged into Konoha?"
"Lord Nara, you're not joking, are you? That was one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages!"
Nara Shikaku ignored their shock. He was beyond the capacity for surprise. He continued to give orders.
"All shinobi and civilians of the Kirigakure Division will be relocated to Konoha within the next few weeks. It begins immediately!"
"Pass on my order! The Logistics Department is to immediately mobilize all available personnel! Inventory the warehouses! Prepare to receive and catalog massive new supplies from the Land of Water!"
"In addition, the First and Third Combat Squadrons are to depart immediately for the Land of Water to assist with the Kirigakure Division's relocation. Ensure absolute safety and order along the long route!"
"Hurry! Time is of the essence! Hokage-sama will personally build the immediate resettlement area—our task is to manage everything else!"
After a brief, terrifying silence, the entire dispatch center instantly erupted. It began to operate with an unprecedented, frenzied efficiency.
Half an hour later.
Outside Konoha Village, in a newly designated, vast plain area south of the main walls.
This plain was originally part of the general training grounds, but now it had been urgently requisitioned by Nara Shikaku.
Several Konoha shinobi squads were setting up vigilance lines and perimeter patrols around the plain, clearing the site.
Uchiha Akira's figure then appeared in the center of the designated area.
Beside him was a curious Kurenai Yūhi, and perched silently, almost invisibly, on her shoulder, was the mini-form of the Three-Tails.
"Akira, are you really going to... build a Village here?" Kurenai asked, looking around the empty expanse of grass and dirt.
"Not a Village," Akira corrected her gently.
"Just a highly effective, temporary residence."
He reached out and gently stroked Kurenai Yūhi's soft, long hair, his movements natural and intimate.
"Watch, Kurenai."
"It'll be done soon."
After speaking, Uchiha Akira took a single step forward, away from Kurenai.
Immediately after, he slammed his hands, palms down, onto the ground beneath his feet.
"Mokuton: Shichūka no Jutsu!" (Wood Release: Four-Pillar House Technique!)
BOOM—!
The earth began to shake violently! The sound was deep and resonating!
Centered on where Uchiha Akira's palms pressed, an unimaginably vast life energy—chakra combined with elemental affinities—instantly poured deep into the earth!
The Konoha shinobi responsible for perimeter security in the distance all looked up in collective horror at the shaking ground.
They saw countless thick tree roots burst from the earth, spreading wildly in all directions like the veins of a giant!
Immediately after...
RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE—!
Giant trees, impossibly tall, rose from the ground at a visible, miraculous speed!
Then... One!
Ten!
A hundred!
Rows of neat, uniformly styled, solid wooden buildings were successively constructed. They were instant barracks, perfectly sealed against wind and rain.
In the distance, on the crown of a large, unaffected tree, two Anbu wearing animal masks stood silently, observing.
One of the junior Anbu spoke, his voice trembling with awe.
"So strong! Building so many houses at once... how much chakra must that consume! It's impossible!"
Beside him, the taller Anbu commander muttered, his head slightly bowed.
"Although it's not the first time I've seen it... every time I do, it's incredibly, profoundly shocking."
"As expected of Hokage-sama. He is unmatched."
Kurenai Yūhi stood behind Uchiha Akira, her small mouth slightly agape, completely speechless.
The sheer scale of the power... it wasn't a jutsu. It was creation.
She quickly walked in front of Uchiha Akira, her beautiful eyes scanning Akira up and down, filled with deep, immediate concern.
"Akira!"
"Are you... are you alright? Building so many houses in one go... your chakra... it must have been severely depleted, right? Are you okay?"
In her understanding, such a scale of Wood Release would probably drain the chakra of several Kage-level powerhouses, leaving them on the verge of death.
Akira looked at Kurenai Yūhi's worried face. His heart warmed. He gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Don't worry, Kurenai."
"This much consumption is nothing to me."
He chuckled softly. "This level probably only used a tiny, negligible bit of the total reserve."
"A tiny bit?"
Kurenai Yūhi was completely shocked. Her beautiful eyes widened to their limit.
This scale of Wood Release... only using "a tiny bit" of chakra?
What kind of terrifying, bottomless chakra volume does this man possess?
Akira slowly withdrew his hands, looking at the completely stunned Kurenai Yūhi, and smiled slightly.
"Let's go. We're done here."
Kurenai Yūhi subconsciously nodded, her face still showing a deep shock that had not yet faded.
She allowed Uchiha Akira to lead her, obediently following behind him.
And the mini-Three-Tails, Isobu, perched silently on her shoulder, was equally shocked at this moment.
This guy... Isobu muttered internally. He can even use Wood Release! That's... that's too much.
This immediately made the giant turtle recall some very unpleasant memories of the Shodai Hokage's brutal efficiency.
Rinnegan plus Wood Release... what kind of monster is this guy? Even if Senju Hashirama were here... he probably wouldn't be his opponent!
The Three-Tails shrank its head, dispelled its chakra form, and disappeared from Kurenai Yūhi's shoulder, retreating deep into her seal.
I'd better go back to sleep. And never complain again!
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