Chapter 77

"Do you want to annex our Land of Winds? Annex our Sungakure and Sand Shinobi. It's impossible!" Chiyo responded firmly.

"Even if you are strong, even if you kill all of our Sand Shinobi, we will never agree!" she added.

Facing Ryan's proposition, Chiyo and the others chose to refuse without hesitation. For them, it meant losing their homeland, which was essential for their survival. They knew Ryan could easily wipe them out.

Looking at their determined eyes, Ryan shifted his gaze towards Sunagakure. The city, constantly baptized by wind and sand, had its unique architecture and clothing style adapted to the harsh weather conditions. But who would willingly stay in such a place all year if they could live in a better environment?

"Don't rush to refuse, Elder Chiyo," Ryan said slowly, trying to persuade them.

"Because, soon, you will change your tone."

Hearing this, Chiyo and the others scoffed. The idea of agreeing to annexation after depending on their homeland for survival was inconceivable.

"Even if I wait, so what?" Chiyo retorted, "Nothing can change our resolve."

"Hmph, Fourth Hokage! I advise you not to waste your efforts!" she continued, "Our Sand Shinobi may be defeated, but they have not yet perished. The terms of annexation, forgive us, Sand Shinobi cannot accept it!"

Ryan was not upset by their refusal. He calmly observed the unique scenery of Sunagakure.

Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Wind's Daiymo Mansion of , chaos ensued. The leading ninja effortlessly dispatched the guards and looked around.

"How is it? Has everything been resolved?" he asked nonchalantly.

Seeing the chaos around him, he confirmed that there was no one left except the stubborn daimyo.

"Okay, according to Master Hokage's request, fully take over the Kingdom of Wind!" the leading ninja ordered.

"Let him give orders!" the others echoed.

Following the command, they quickly arrived at the daimyo's location. The daimyo of the Land of Wind was panicking, begging for his life.

"Please, don't kill me! I am the daimyo of the Land of Wind; I can give you whatever you want! Wealth?! Status?! Women?! You can have whatever you desire, just please don't hurt me!"

The group of ninjas looked at him with disgust. "Hmph! You can't give us what we want!" one of them said coldly.

"Only Master Hokage can bring true peace to the ninja world!" another added, "As for you, let's announce it to the public! The Kingdom of Wind will officially merge into the Kingdom of Fire today!"

As the leading ninja proclaimed the order, the face of the daimyo of the Land of Wind displayed a mix of emotions. He knew that once the announcement was made, his current life would come to an end. Hesitant, he watched as the leading ninja's hand grazed the kunai.

Observing this scene, the daimyo resigned himself to his fate. Trembling, he stood up and accompanied two ninjas to the high platform of the Daimyo Prefecture. The people in the capital raised their heads, eagerly awaiting the appearance of their daimyo.

In the past six months, under constant pressure from the daimyo, the Land of Wind had been suffering immensely. The people of the capital anxiously looked towards the daimyo, fearing that he might again issue some outrageous order.

Once everyone's attention was on the daimyo, he slowly began to speak: "Everyone! It is time to issue the final daimyo order! From now on, the Land of Wind will be merged into the Kingdom of Fire! There will only be a more powerful Land of Fire, and the Land of Wind will cease to exist!"

As the name of the Land of Wind left his lips, everyone in the capital froze in place. Disbelief and confusion filled the air. They exchanged incredulous looks, unable to comprehend the sudden merger with the Kingdom of Fire. The Land of Wind was one of the five great countries. How could it simply merge into another nation?

Before anyone could process the situation, the Konoha Shinobi, who had prepared in advance, sprang into action. "Hurry up! Quickly take control of the capital of the Land of Wind! Pass on the daimyo's order! From today onwards, the Land of Wind belongs to our Land of Fire!" they commanded.

Without delay, Konoha Shinobi swiftly began to take over the entire country. The people of the Land of Wind remained in a daze, unaware of what was happening. Confusion engulfed them as they faced the takeover by Konoha Shinobi. Caught between resisting and obeying, they were unsure how to react. As a result, Konoha's takeover proceeded smoothly, and they soon gained control of the entire capital.

With the capital under their control, the Land of Wind was officially expelled. The next step was to deliver the message to Sunagakure.

Meanwhile, Ryan continued to stroll through Sunagakure, admiring the unique village. Chiyo and the others were perplexed by the delay in negotiations. Just as impatience grew among them, news of the capital's merger with the Kingdom of Fire reached Sunagakure.

"Accept the daimyo's order! The Land of Wind is merged into the Kingdom of Fire! Sunagakure should give up resistance and accept the merger with Konohagakure as soon as possible!" The order, which seemed unbelievable, spread throughout Sunagakure.

The initial reaction of Chiyo and the others was disbelief. "Impossible!" they exclaimed. "This can't be the daimyo's order! How could such a ridiculous decision be made? Is the daimyo out of his mind?"

Knowing that Chiyo and the others wouldn't believe it, the ninja in charge of delivering the order quickly handed over the intelligence gathered from various sources to Chiyo. As they read the description in the report, they were stunned to learn that the order had indeed been issued by the daimyo of the Land of Wind himself.

For a moment, Chiyo and the others stared blankly at the information in their hands, unsure of how to react. However, their contemplation was interrupted by the return of Pakura, leading the army back to the village after the war's defeat. There was no conflict as Pakura's army met with Konoha's forces.

Pakura rushed to the Kazekage Building upon her return. Just as Chiyo was about to say something, she sighed and remained speechless, passing the order to Pakura. Even the valiant hero Pakura felt powerless at that moment. Despite her strength and heroic status, there was no way to salvage the current situation in Sunagakure. With the daimyos having surrendered, the point of continuing to resist seemed futile.

No war can be fought without money.

Ryan slowly approached Chiyo and the others, prompting a self-deprecating smile from Chiyo. She stared deeply at Ryan, attempting to discern his true intentions. Chiyo questioned if his purpose extended beyond the land of Wind, and if there was something more he sought to achieve.

Ryan did not hide his ambitions. He acknowledged that the ninja world was both vast and compact. Large countries clashed with one another due to conflicting interests, while smaller nations struggled to survive amidst the chaos. The desire for peace was universal, as it meant prosperity and happiness for all.

"I want to bring about true peace in the ninja world and unify all its lands," Ryan declared.

His audacious goal left Chiyo, Rasa, Pakura, and the others deeply shocked. The idea of unifying the entire ninja world was beyond their wildest imagination. However, Ryan's words held a mesmerizing power that evoked the fantasy of a peaceful future, a vision that seemed almost tangible.

The room fell silent, and Chiyo and the others exchanged glances, contemplating the magnitude of Ryan's ambitions. After a long moment of reflection, Chiyo turned to Ryan solemnly and asked, "Then, Hokage-sama, how will you treat Sunagakure?"

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