Chapter 167: A Death-Trap Concept Appears (Bonus Chapter)
A few days later, the simmering tension within the upper echelons of the Hidden Sand Village finally reached its boiling point. The catalyst was Kazushi's latest proposal: an unmatched joint mission with Konoha. Elder Chiyo could no longer bite her tongue. Shoving open the heavy oak doors of the Kazekage's office without so much as a knock, the seasoned veteran marched straight up to Kazushi's desk, her weathered face etched with deep lines of suspicion.
"Kazushi, what exactly are you playing at?" Chiyo demanded, planting both hands firmly on the polished wood. "Your initial policy of cooperating with the Leaf might have been acceptable as a temporary measure. But look at how things are developing! Konoha has already begun to quietly erode the foundations of the Hidden Sand. They are sinking their roots into our infrastructure. Do not tell me you haven't noticed."
Kazushi didn't flinch. She calmly set aside a stack of mission proposals—most of which bore the red rejection stamps of the conservative elders—and began to idly twirl a fountain pen between her slender fingers.
"I honestly thought you would wait a few more days before storming in here," the Kazekage murmured, a faint, unbothered smile touching her lips. "I didn't expect someone of your vintage to lose her patience so quickly."
Chiyo's shoulders slumped a fraction, the sharp edge of her anger dulling into weary concern. She took a slow breath, deliberately softening her tone. "I apologize, Kazushi. I am not trying to question your authority. But this concerns the very survival of the Hidden Sand, and by extension, the entire Land of Wind. I need a clear answer."
To the elder, Kazushi wasn't just the Kazekage; she was a trusted comrade and a close friend. Chiyo desperately wanted to avoid a scenario where they would be forced to draw blades against one another.
"I understand your anxiety," Kazushi replied, her voice dropping to a serious, measured cadence. "And you are right. There is something I need to explain to you in full."
Pulling open the bottom drawer of her desk, she retrieved a thick, sealed document and slid it across the smooth surface toward the elder.
"This is the 'Ninja World Peace Countermeasure Proposal.' It was drafted and handed directly to me by Konoha's Fourth Hokage. It was only after reading these pages that I agreed to such deep, uncompromising cooperation with the Leaf. Go ahead. Read it for yourself."
Frowning, Chiyo picked up the heavy parchment. She broke the seal and scanned the first few lines. Within seconds, her faded eyes widened, pupils shrinking in absolute shock.
The core thesis of the proposal was nothing short of revolutionary—or perhaps, heretical. It outlined the establishment of a unified system of common interests, backed by a global security agency that entirely transcended individual national sovereignty. The Fourth Hokage's goal was to forcibly bind the Five Great Nations and every surrounding minor country into a single, inescapable web. They would prosper together or burn together. By intertwining their economies and resources, the plan aimed to fundamentally eradicate any financial or territorial motives for large-scale warfare, replacing the chaos of the ninja world with a strict, institutionalized method for resolving international disputes.
The details were carefully laid out. First, it proposed the creation of a 'Ninja World Joint Council.' The Kage of the Five Great Nations would sit as permanent, veto-wielding members, while representatives from the smaller nations would rotate through a democratic election process. This unmatched council would hold absolute arbitration and legislative powers to safeguard the continent's shared interests.
Second, it mandated the formation of a unified 'Joint Force'—a global military branch composed of elite shinobi handpicked from every single hidden village, tasked solely with upholding international law.
Finally, the economic section detailed a massive infrastructure overhaul. The unique strengths of every nation would be pooled to construct sprawling, cross-continental transportation routes, forging a flawless international trade and communication network.
Resource integration was equally ruthless in its efficiency. The Land of Fire, blessed with endless fertile plains, would serve as the continent's agricultural heart, ensuring global food security. The Land of Wind would pivot entirely to harnessing its brutal gales, generating massive amounts of wind-powered electricity and expanding its rare mineral mining operations. The rugged terrain of the Land of Earth made it the natural epicenter for heavy civil engineering and construction. Meanwhile, the Land of Lightning would focus its aggressive energy on pioneering advanced technology and mass-producing high-grade ninja tools. The isolated Land of Water was slated to dominate the maritime economy and global shipping lanes.
Even the minor nations had specific, inescapable roles carved out for them. Most notably, the perpetually weeping Land of Rain—historically a bloody buffer zone—was to be completely restructured into the central, bustling trade hub connecting the major powers.
But the final clause was what truly chilled Chiyo's blood.
To maintain this fragile, forced utopia, the entire system would rely on the absolute, overwhelming military deterrence of a single entity: the individual possessing the highest combat power on the continent. This 'Overseer' would renounce all national ties, existing above the laws of any single country. Their sole mission? To act as the ultimate executioner, using catastrophic force to annihilate any nation, faction, or individual foolish enough to attempt to overthrow the new peace system through violence.
Chiyo stared at the ink on the page, her alarm skyrocketing with every passing second. The sheer scale of the ambition was terrifying. After a long, suffocating silence, she lowered the parchment. Her aged hands were visibly trembling.
"This... this kind of situation..." she stammered, her voice barely a whisper. "It is utterly impossible to achieve. Kazushi, you and the Fourth Hokage have lost your minds. This plan is madness..."
She exhaled a shaky breath, pressing a hand to her chest in a desperate bid to steady her racing heart. "I apologize. My thoughts are in disarray. I need to return to my quarters and rest."
Clutching the document to her chest like a shield, the once-proud elder stumbled out of the Kazekage's office, her robes clinging to the cold sweat pooling on her back.
As she hurried down the dimly lit corridors, Chiyo's mind spun wildly. How could Kazushi not see it? This wasn't a blueprint for peace; it was a manifesto of the Fourth Hokage's boundless, terrifying ambition. Kazushi has been completely brainwashed by Ida Mutzuki, Chiyo realized with a sickening jolt of dread. If she continues down this path, she will drag the Land of Wind into the abyss. She will destroy the Hidden Sand Village.
Back in the office, Kazushi moved to the large glass window, gazing down at the sandy streets below. She watched Chiyo's pale, retreating figure and offered a slow, solitary shake of her head.
Having survived the endless, bloody meat grinder of ninja politics, Kazushi had long since grown indifferent to the petty squabbles of tradition. She felt only a deep, icy calm. If Chiyo chose to trust her and follow this path to the bitter end, Kazushi would ensure the transition was handled with the utmost care. Under this new world order, the Land of Wind's future prosperity would easily rival Konoha's.
But if the elder failed to grasp the genius of the proposal and instead rallied the stubborn Ninja Clans in rebellion... well, then the Hidden Sand would simply be left behind to grind itself into dust, following the tragic trajectory of its original fate. In fact, without this intervention, their future might end up far bleaker than history intended.
Still, Kazushi couldn't entirely blame the old woman.
Honestly, how many decades had it really been since the hidden village system was first established? The moment the Warring States Period ended, the villages were founded, and the civilian Daimyos were swiftly marginalized into figureheads. The entire world had merely been dancing to Konoha's rhythm ever since.
Then, five years ago, the model shattered. The Daimyo of the Land of Fire was assassinated, and his entire aristocratic regime was violently dismantled overnight. Konoha stepped out of the shadows and seized absolute control over the entire nation.
Even a superpower like the Leaf had suffered through a grueling period of internal chaos while attempting to govern such a massive territory. The surviving nobles and displaced power-brokers had desperately poured their wealth into hiring rogue ninja and mercenary armies, sparking countless rebellions across the Land of Fire. But those uprisings were brutally, methodically crushed beneath the heel of Ida Mutzuki and her loyalists. That iron-fisted suppression was the only reason Konoha now enjoyed total, undisputed dominion over their country.
The ripple effects had thrown the rest of the world into disarray. With the traditional Daimyo systems collapsing globally, the domestic politics of the other nations were a chaotic, fumbling mess.
In short, this radical concept of unified peace was simply too far ahead of its time. The rest of the world had barely learned how to crawl out of the mud, and Stelle was already violently shoving them onto a sprinting track. How could the old guard possibly comprehend it?
Perhaps if someone had unveiled this master plan in the aftermath of a catastrophic Fourth Great Ninja War, the traumatized survivors might have embraced it. But now? It was too much, too fast. It was no wonder Chiyo had completely lost her composure.
It seems the elder will inevitably align herself with the conservative factions and the stubborn Ninja Clans, Kazushi mused silently.
The Kazekage let out a soft, almost imperceptible sigh. Reaching back into her drawer, she pulled out a second, identical copy of the proposal, smoothed it flat against her desk, and began to review the clauses once more. After a few minutes of quiet contemplation, she stood up, adjusted her robes, and strode out of the office, the heavy doors clicking shut behind her.
Silence reigned in the empty room for only a moment.
Slowly, a viscous, pitch-black substance began to seep up through the microscopic cracks in the floorboards. The shadowy mass slithered silently up the leg of the Kazekage's chair, pooling onto the polished surface of the desk until it formed a distinct, humanoid shape.
Black Zetsu leaned over the parchment. As his golden, beady eyes scanned the radical doctrines drafted by Ida Mutzuki, a deep shock rippled through his dark form. The sheer audacity of the plan threatened to upend centuries of his careful, behind-the-scenes manipulations.
But that shock quickly melted into a twisted, manic gleam of excitement. A jagged grin seemed to form in the shadows. Just based on the contents of this single document, Ida Mutzuki had painted a massive target on her own back. She had given the entire world a reason to want her dead.
If you love me, just say it, a mocking, utterly shameless thought seemed to echo in the void—a phantom trace of the very troll who had set this entire death-trap into motion.
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