I, The New Hokage of Konoha - Chapter 240
“Big brother!!”
An hour later, a heart-wrenching cry suddenly echoed over the ruins of the Hidden Cloud Village.
Soon, a figure rushed to the body of Ei, which was still standing, at a lightning-fast speed. Subconsciously, the figure reached out to grab Ei’s body but suddenly remembered something. The hand stopped abruptly in mid-air, and the figure could only tremble, tears streaming down uncontrollably.
The person who came was Killer Bee.
Behind him, a large group of people were following closely behind.
After Ei had conveyed the message before his death, Toshiro, who had momentarily lost his composure, regained his composure and carried out the final task entrusted to him by Ei.
With him came the Cloud Ninjas, who had been taken away earlier, and a large number of Hidden Cloud Village residents.
At this moment, not only was Killer Bee crying, but everyone in Hidden Cloud Village was also in tears.
Although Ei couldn’t forgive himself, they still had a deep respect for the Fourth Raikage’s actions, which were done for the sake of Cloud Ninjas.
In this moment of grief, Yuki and three thousand Konoha Ninjas stood out in stark contrast with an air of victory.
“Lord Hokage.”
At this moment, Toshiro, who had not forgotten his heavy responsibilities, bowed to Ei’s body before approaching Yuki and taking a deep breath. He said respectfully, “Toshiro, you understand the Fourth Raikage’s decision, right?”
“Everyone who has come with me and those who have returned from outside are all clear about it, and we are willing to obey the Fourth Raikage’s final decision,” Toshiro replied, his eyes showing a hint of complexity.
He naturally understood that Cloud Ninjas would no longer exist after this, just like everyone who had come with him. However, they still came.
Among them, the influence of being from the lineage of the Raikage and the endorsement of the Fourth Raikage Ei played a significant role. Moreover, they had come with Yuki and many Konoha Ninjas, which added a sense of threat.
In the battle five years ago, Yuki nearly broke Cloud Ninjas’s cervical vertebrae single-handedly. Although Cloud Ninjas was terrified of him, they also deeply admired his strength.
Now, with Yuki single-handedly defeating Satori without any effort, their admiration for him had only increased.
This was the result of the battle five years ago that had been delayed. Suppose Yuki had not initiated the war against Cloud Ninjas and had not deliberately used the Thousand-Armed Kanzeon to leave a profound memory. Many of those present might not have surrendered so easily in that case.
Of course, there were still die-hard individuals among Cloud Ninjas who were not afraid of death.
Yuki surveyed the number of Cloud Ninjas present and asked Toshiro, “There should be more Cloud Ninjas than this, right?”
Excluding those whom the Box of Bliss had swallowed, Toshiro had taken nearly four thousand Cloud Ninjas with him. Afterward, he collected the Cloud Ninjas forces that had received orders to return and a group of Ninjas responsible for evacuating the villagers. In total, there were over five thousand of them.
This was almost all of Cloud Ninjas’s assets after several setbacks.
At this moment, only around four thousand of them had returned to Hidden Cloud Village.
There were still over a thousand who obviously had other ideas.
Upon hearing this, Toshiro’s face changed slightly.
After observing Yuki, who showed no emotions on his face, Toshiro became even more uneasy. He clenched his teeth and spoke candidly, “Although the vast majority of Cloud Ninjas have obeyed the Fourth Raikage’s decision, there are still some who have different opinions and have chosen a different path.”
Yuki’s eyes flashed. “So, these people are the stubborn ones?”
At this moment, Toshiro quickly added, “They just haven’t thought it through for a moment. Lord Hokage, I am willing to go and persuade them.”
“No need,” Yuki refused. “I gave them a chance, but they didn’t appreciate it. Don’t blame me for not showing mercy.”
Instantly, Toshiro’s face turned pale. He could sense the strong scent of blood in the air.
Looking at the familiar face in front of him, Toshiro, who had already decided to make an example of them, also gave them a carrot: “The future ninja world will be united under my control. At that time, people from all nations will find their place in the new world. Their status will depend on their contributions. Toshiro, if you and your group perform well, I won’t hesitate to give you a bigger stage and higher status.”
“With my caliber, I won’t favor only Konoha.”
“I… understand!”
At this moment, hearing Yuki’s words, the slight confusion in Toshiro’s expression was suddenly swept away, and he nodded heavily.
With Yuki’s identity and character, he wouldn’t speak empty words.
With these words, although they would no longer be known as Cloud Ninjas, they would not be erased.
They came from the same place and could still make a name for themselves in the new nation.
In the end, the legacy of Cloud Ninjas would continue in a different way.
This was the best outcome at the moment.
Toshiro breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, Yuki patted his shoulder and said, “Keep up the good work. I look forward to your performance.”
“Furthermore, consider those over a thousand people as if they never existed.”
…
Fast forward in time.
As Toshiro led most people back to Hidden Cloud Village to pledge their allegiance to Yuki, a group of over a thousand Cloud Ninjas broke away from them and fled deeper into the ravine, no longer obeying orders.
These were the die-hard combatants of Cloud Ninjas.
Having a precedent of assassinating their own Second Raikage and Second Hokage to tear up the peace treaty, they couldn’t accept giving up their Cloud Ninjas identity and following Konoha.
Therefore, upon learning of the Fourth Raikage Ei’s final decision, they cursed Toshiro and the surrendering party before deciding to establish a new Hidden Cloud Village, refusing to submit to Konoha and intending to confront it.
Of course, before that, they needed to get far away.
They didn’t talk about Yuki’s arrival; they couldn’t contend with just the fact that he brought with him three thousand Konoha Ninjas.
“Damn Toshiro! I knew he was a softie when he first proposed the peace talks five years ago! I can’t believe the Fourth Raikage entrusted such an important position to him. Now, he led most of Hidden Cloud Village to surrender! What a coward!”
One of the Cloud Ninjas couldn’t help but curse.
“Toshiro is a coward, and the Fourth Raikage is even worse! He allowed Cloud Ninjas to cease to exist and handed everything over to Konoha! I wonder how he
I’ll explain this to the previous Raikages and the ancestors of Cloud Ninjas in the afterlife!”
Another Cloud Ninjas cursed Ei.
The Raikage line had severely suppressed their combatant faction for the past five years, so they had always been dissatisfied with Ei’s actions.
With new grievances added to old ones, they were even more resentful.
“And what about the Box of Bliss! The Fourth Raikage swore that we would gain unimaginable power. But what happened? It caused so many of our comrades to die in vain!”
“The more I think about it, the angrier I get! If I hadn’t heard that the Fourth Raikage had died, I would have gone back and taken care of this waste that has caused such a situation in Hidden Cloud Village!”
“In any case, Hidden Cloud Village’s legacy of fifty years, the position of the Five Great Nations, cannot be destroyed by us. Those who follow Toshiro can be considered traitors, and the true heritage of Cloud Ninjas is with us now!”
“That’s right! Toshiro and his bunch of losers don’t deserve to be called Cloud Ninjas. We are the true heirs!”
“In the future, we must also quickly contact the other nations, such as Rock Ninja, Mist Ninja, Sand Ninja, and Iron Land Warriors as soon as possible. As allies, we will ask for their help in reclaiming Hidden Cloud Village.”
“Right! Since we’re going to contact the other countries, we must choose a leader from among us. Now that the Fourth Raikage has betrayed Cloud Ninjas, I suggest we select the Fifth Raikage from among ourselves.”
“Agreed!”
“That’s the way to go! Choosing the Fifth Raikage from among us shows our determination not to submit to Konoha.”
“… ”
So, during the following time, the die-hard combatant faction of Cloud Ninjas, as they crossed mountains and traversed valleys, also began the process of selecting their Fifth Raikage.
Before Moro, a veteran elite Jonin and the leader of the staunch combatant faction could say anything, a voice suddenly interrupted them from above:
“Fifth Raikage? It’s hard to imagine that you bunch of stray dogs have the interest to discuss this. So, I’ll have to interrupt you. After all, the title of ‘Fifth Raikage’ has some use for me. I can’t let you steal it!”
“Who…”
Moro was about to say something, but he suddenly looked up and saw a familiar red and white robe blocking their path.
His heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t help but look up.
The next second, when he noticed the unforgettable face that appeared before him, Moro’s eyes were filled with despair.
Not only him but everyone in the area fell silent when they saw the person they least wanted to see right now – Yuki.
Or, more precisely, Yuki’s Wood Clone.
Upon learning that some refused to surrender, Yuki split off many Wood Clones to find them and eliminate the potential threat.
While the mountainous ravine was difficult to search, he quickly located this group with the advantage of flight and his powerful sensory abilities.
“Now, do you want to take your own lives? I’ll give you some time.” Yuki’s Wood Clone spoke calmly.
“Cloud Ninjas are not cowards! Even if we die, we’ll die charging into battle. Everyone, for Hidden Cloud Village, for the Land of Lightning, let’s fight to the death!”
Moro, who had nearly become the Fifth Raikage, decisively rushed forward toward Yuki.
Following his lead, the remaining combatant faction of Cloud Ninjas also roared and followed suit, refusing to flee.
They were true to their beliefs.
“Very well, then I will grant you death,” Yuki’s Wood Clone said calmly and extended his hand.
Soon, a strong smell of blood spread within the nameless valley.
Not long after, the intense commotion turned into silence.
Only the lush trees remained adorning the area.
At the same time, inside Hidden Cloud Village.
After the initial sorrow had passed, the leaders and military personnel of the Raikage lineage, along with Killer Bee, the wooden human, and others, were bowing to Yuki’s main body, pledging their loyalty.
From then on, Cloud Ninjas officially ceased to exist, and its original members pledged their loyalty to Yuki.
The Five Great Nations’ alliance instantly became a Four Nations alliance.
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