Chapter 172

The situation in the Shinōbi World continued to shift, with various characters taking action one after another.

Under the influence of Uchiha Madara and Black White Zetsu, the Daimyos rallied their armies and adopted a confrontational stance, ready to challenge the world.

In response, all the Great Hidden Villages adjusted their strategies. Sunagakure, Konoha, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure ceased their minor conflicts. Small units began to disperse and retreat, while larger units remained on standby, prepared to return at a moment's notice.

The Daimyo Mansions stationed Samurai Armies near their cities, awaiting further instructions.

In short, everyone was in a state of anticipation, unwilling to be the first to break the peace and become the catalyst for war.

Meanwhile, Madara, the mastermind behind it all, roamed through the Shinōbi World, observing the displaced people affected by the impending war.

The Daimyo Mansions held significant power and wealth. With their Chakra-infused weapons, they possessed the means to demonstrate strength through financial resources.

Tetsu no Kuni, in particular, surprised everyone by openly selling Chakra weapons. Nobody had anticipated that the samurai country of Tetsu no Kuni secretly possessed the capability to forge Chakra weapons. Now that their forging ability was known, they even began publicly selling them.

The actions of Tetsu no Kuni stirred up unease among the Five Great Hidden Villages. The hot-tempered Raikage even considered launching an assault on Tetsu no Kuni, feeling betrayed by their deception.

The Five Great Hidden Villages had forgotten one crucial fact: Tetsu no Kuni did not have Hidden Villages. They had only samurai, who were loyal to the Daimyos. In their eyes, there was no guilt in undermining the power of the Five Great Hidden Villages. They believed it was merely an opportunity to secure their Daimyos' position.

While Tetsu no Kuni seemed benevolent in the original work, one must not forget that the samurai were originally a privileged class, responsible for carrying out acts of violence on the streets.

In Kaze no Kuni, the Daimyo's city had transformed into a major military town. The Kaze no Kuni Daimyo had gathered 50,000 samurai troops, although most of them were ordinary individuals. The remaining half consisted of wandering samurai and Shinōbi.

Although the Kaze no Kuni Daimyo was arrogant, he wasn't entirely foolish. He understood that most of his subordinates were unruly. To counter this, he devised a clever plan.

He distributed all the Chakra weapons obtained from Tetsu no Kuni and shared the Chakra Refining method learned from wandering Shinōbi. The samurai army under his command was then divided into different ranks, distinguishing between ordinary individuals and those with Chakra. Commanders were appointed to lead the troops into battle.

In his pursuit to challenge Hitoshi, the Kaze no Kuni Daimyo embarked on his own reckless journey.

Once the most prosperous city in Kaze no Kuni, the Daimyo's city had now lost its luster due to the constant disturbances caused by the samurai. With daily brawls, fights, and troublemaking, chaos reigned supreme.

"Hashirama was wrong. His system of entrusting ruling power to ordinary individuals while separating Shinōbi was a grave mistake. There is no peace in this world," Uchiha Madara reflected as he walked through the city of the Kaze no Kuni Daimyo.

"This time, I have triumphed," Madara concluded with satisfaction.

As he observed the scene, Madara couldn't help but feel a sense of superiority.

"Dare to ask for money? I am the Samurai Lord of the Daimyo's House."

"Lord, please spare some money. My family, young and old, are waiting for me to buy food."

"Get lost."

"Please, Lord."

"If you don't leave, I'll draw my blade."

"I can't, Lord."

An enraged samurai threw aside the stolen vegetables, raised his scabbard, and struck the vegetable farmer's leg, causing a piercing scream.

In a street corner, a tragedy unfolded as if it were an everyday occurrence.

A samurai stole vegetables from a farmer, refusing to pay and attempting to leave. When the farmer confronted him, the samurai broke his leg.

Witnessing this inhumane act, the surrounding onlookers responded with heartless laughter.

No one took responsibility for the situation.

"They have lost their humanity and become beasts in human form. When war arrives, they will face retribution," Madara remarked with a grim expression.

He thought back to the people under Uchiha's control in Sengoku, who lived far better lives than this. As long as they paid their taxes on time, they never had to worry about war or robbery. In times of disaster, the Uchiha would protect and provide for the people.

"I heard that Konoha handed Taki no Kuni to the Shinōbi Clan and adopted a different approach. I wonder how things are progressing. Let's take a look," the laid-back Uchiha Madara said to Tobi, as they made their way towards Taki no Kuni.

He was curious to see how the living conditions were under the management of the Shinōbi Clan and the village's management of the Shinōbi.

Taki no Kuni had considerable land, and each member of the Shinōbi Clan had been allocated a substantial portion. There were still a significant number of ordinary individuals surviving.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, far away in Konoha, had no idea that the founder of Konoha was about to assess their progress.

The scenes witnessed in the Kaze no Kuni Daimyo's city were not unique. Similar situations were occurring in the Daimyo's cities across the Five Great Countries. Reports of these incidents had already reached the desks of the Great Hidden Villages.

"Such tragedy! The Daimyo's cities have become a disaster. Fifty thousand idle samurai are engaged in drinking and fighting all day long, with no one able to control them," Ebizo commented sarcastically in the Kazekage's meeting room.

"The Daimyo Mansions have accumulated wealth over several decades. They have the means to support themselves. While they have nothing to do, we can make a fortune," another member added.

"We should make even more money. Hi no Kuni is the main food producer. Officials in the Daimyo's government have already colluded with Hi no Kuni's Daimyo's government to engage in buying and selling," someone else chimed in.

"Hmph! We can't let them get away with it. Luckily, we have Konoha, and Konoha has Shinōbi stationed at the border. Hi no Kuni's Daimyo won't be allowed to recklessly sell food," Hitoshi stated.

"Hehe, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the old fox. He is going to destroy the Daimyos. How ruthless," another participant remarked.

"Konoha is clearly targeting the Daimyos and nobles. They have fallen into their trap. Taking advantage of the situation, Sarutobi Hiruzen will not hold back. He is not blindly loyal, especially to Hi no Kuni's Daimyo," Hitoshi explained.

The room erupted in laughter at Hitoshi's remark. The attendees, consisting of Sunagakure's influential individuals, engaged in lively discussions.

With the outbreak of these events in the Shinōbi World, their worries had dissipated, and their mood continued to improve.