The Hidden Mist Village had been destroyed.
The impact of this event was enormous.
But for Senju Yukika, it was merely an early step in taking control of one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages and pushing forward his progress bar.
His ultimate goal wasn't to dominate the entire ninja world.
It was to prepare for the inevitable confrontation with the Ōtsutsuki clan.
Yukika wasn't one of those transmigrators who only thought about the small picture, caring only for the prosperity of their own village.
He knew the plot of the Naruto world inside and out—through his perspective, the path ahead was crystal clear.
The people living in this world didn't even truly understand the forces shaping their fate.
The environment they lived in had molded their worldview.
Even individuals like Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Madara, who believed wholeheartedly in their chosen paths, were walking down the wrong roads.
Itachi murdered his parents for the sake of justice—but was he truly on the side of justice?
On what grounds did he decide that Konoha's ideals were right?
The conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha had been embedded since the village's founding.
Who gave him the right to determine the fate of the Uchiha clan?
Throughout history, those who used "righteousness" as an excuse rarely ended well.
Senju Yukika needed to change the world bit by bit.
The submission of the Hidden Mist Village to the Senju clan was calculated with two considerations in mind.
From Obito's standpoint, he wouldn't care who ruled the Mist; it was irrelevant to his plans.
But Yukika couldn't afford to give up the resources of the Land of Water.
After witnessing the destructive power of a single explosion and the forces of nature that followed, Yukika realized that forcing the country to kneel wasn't all that difficult.
With that, there was even less reason for him to back off.
As for what Obito might do in the future?
That wasn't his concern.
As long as he could steer the general direction of the plot, there was no need to rigidly adhere to the original storyline—otherwise, what would be the point of his journey?
Most of the Mist ninja and civilians had been wiped out, and the Uzumaki clan's grudge had been avenged.
The survivors would be too terrified to rebel against him.
As for the Hōzuki clan—
They were certainly not thrilled by Yukika's methods, especially since it went far beyond just causing a tsunami.
Thus, taking control of the Hidden Mist Village was an inevitable outcome.
After returning to the Senju Yukinoya Palace, Yukika checked in on Orochimaru's experimental progress, then left again.
Beneath the throne, Hatake Sakumo was already waiting.
"Just as Master Yukika predicted, the stalemate ended much sooner than we anticipated," he reported respectfully. "At least for the other villages."
After handing over the intelligence report, Hatake stepped aside.
He was now in charge of gathering external intelligence for the Senju clan.
It wasn't a difficult task. After all, Mikoto and Kushina still controlled Konoha's intelligence network, and with Hatake's reconnaissance skills, it was nearly impossible for anyone to hide anything from them.
"So..."
Yukika crooked his finger slightly toward the nearby puppet, and the small maid puppet obediently poured him a glass of red wine.
However, Yukika clearly wasn't interested in drinking the usual way.
The puppet flushed red, trembling as she sipped a little of the wine, then sat in Yukika's lap.
Hatake kept his head bowed, not daring to glance at the scene—clearly, this wasn't the first time this kind of "feeding" had occurred.
To an outsider, it might look like Yukika had grown corrupt.
But Hatake knew that with Yukika's power, he had more than earned such luxuries.
"So, Ōnoki and Chiyo weren't included in the treaty negotiations. Didn't they compensate the Senju for their materials?"
Yukika released the exhausted puppet and asked with a clear gaze.
"Not only that," Hatake replied solemnly, "but the Sand and Stone villages have been eyeing the Rain Village's strategic position. They've already sent multiple spies into Konoha."
"Based on early estimates, they'll make a move within seven days."
Indeed.
Yukika wasn't in any rush. On the contrary, he almost seemed to see through the barrier of Yukinoya Palace into the neighboring Konoha.
"What did Jiraiya say?"
"Nothing. Konoha hasn't said anything official yet."
The Senju had already announced their departure from Rain Village and severed ties with Konoha.
But before leaving, Yukika had made it clear: all interests in Rain Village must be calculated by the Senju.
"Konoha is being very smart."
"They've said that all resources from Rain Village will be handed over to the Senju—so long as the Senju allow them free passage through the Land of Rain."
Very generous.
Who came up with that idea?
Yukika raised an eyebrow.
To be fair, although the Senju had been the main force behind conquering Rain Village, doing so hadn't come cheaply.
Konoha's current leaders—his future wives—were playing their cards well.
Was this a collaboration?
No—it was protection.
As long as Rain Village bore the Senju name, then—
"Move, and you die."
Yukika crooked his finger again toward the puppet maid, but before she could move, he turned his gaze back to Hatake.
"In my name, and the name of the Senju clan, go to Rain Village and take over."
"Pick a few capable clan members—no matter their strength, put them in charge."
"As for Konoha wanting easier access—fine. But if they break the rules, clean them up."
Hatake nodded, but as he turned to leave, he suddenly frowned.
"Master Yukika, aren't you even a little worried?"
He was genuinely puzzled. Could he really handle all this alone?
It wasn't that he feared death.
After all, his life belonged to Yukika. He would carry out the mission with everything he had—any enemy who attacked would have to go through him first.
Still, it was hard to imagine such an overwhelming task.
"There's no need to act like it's a death sentence."
Yukika shook his head, confidently stroking the little puppet.
"As long as you gather intel on their movements within seven days, that's enough."
"You don't have to lift a finger. They'll crumble on their own."
"In the end, all the benefits of Rain Village will fall into our hands without lifting a sword."
No action needed?
Hatake was more confused than ever, but this time he kept his doubts to himself.
Yukika had his reasons—or perhaps he simply couldn't be bothered to explain.
A subordinate who asked too many questions wouldn't earn his master's favor. Hatake understood that.
Just do as the King commands.
...
After receiving the order, Hatake personally picked several talented Senju members and set off for Rain Village.
It wasn't until he met up with Jiraiya that he realized just how bad things had gotten.
"You're saying... they actually dared to act near Rain Village?"
And it wasn't just one village.
Jiraiya grumbled bitterly.
He had been busy training Nagato and the others—things had seemed relatively calm at first.
But everything had changed so suddenly.
Besides the Hidden Cloud, both the Sand and Stone Villages continued to harass the Konoha ninja stationed near Rain Village.
Just a few days ago, the main supply route between Rain Village and Konoha had been completely cut off.
If not for Jiraiya's efforts to stabilize the situation, things would be much worse.
"It's more complicated than that. I'm afraid they'll act very soon."
"Senior White Fang, what should we do? What did Yukika say?"
Jiraiya felt like his scalp was going numb.
"Wait."
Hatake replied with a single word.
Yes. Just wait.
He had memorized his orders: at the right moment, he would step forward.
But not yet.
"Wait?"
Jiraiya was dumbfounded.
What kind of strategy was that?
But judging from White Fang's expression, it was clear he wasn't going to explain further.
No way.
Sighing, Jiraiya left to continue organizing defenses.
He had no idea—