As time passed, Konoha, as the victorious nation, solidified its dominance with an assertive stance.
Iwagakure had no choice but to agree to Konoha's numerous unequal demands.
Konoha secured extensive economic reparations, sovereignty over the Land of Grass, and a military alliance where Konoha held the dominant position.
It wasn't that Onoki was willing to concede, but rather that the situation left him with no other choice.
Originally, an alliance with Kumogakure might have allowed him to resist Konoha to some extent.
But now, with the Raikage struggling to maintain his own position and the newly established Council of Elders refusing to acknowledge previous alliances, Kumogakure had become an unreliable ally.
This placed enormous pressure on Onoki, who feared that Konoha might break all restraint and directly invade the Land of Earth.
After much deliberation, he decided to remain dormant—after all, he had done the same in the past.
All signs indicated that Konoha had truly secured its position as the undisputed leader of the ninja world.
Small nations along the borders of the Five Great Nations, having witnessed the fate of the Land of Grass, proactively sent letters expressing their goodwill toward Konoha.
Even merchants from other major countries followed suit, increasingly favoring Konoha's shinobi for mission commissions.
In just two months, Konoha's mission requests had doubled, and commission fees had risen by a third.
Some minor skirmishes between small nations were even resolved with a single letter from Namikaze Minato.
If there was anyone who was most displeased with this development, it was none other than the Daimyō of the Land of Fire.
...
Inside a lavish palace, the rotund Daimyō paced back and forth, his face dark with anger but with no outlet for his frustration.
"Tell me, am I the Daimyō, or is he? A filthy shinobi dares to make such demands of me...!"
As he roared, his corpulent body trembled, waves of fat quivering with his fury.
Below him, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Internal Affairs, and other officials knelt in silence, trembling, not daring to utter a word.
"...Damn shinobi... and that fool Kazuma, all talk and no substance..."
After minutes of furious outburst, the Daimyō, gasping for breath, slumped onto his chair, glaring at the officials before him.
"What should we do? Are we really going to agree to his demands?"
The Minister of Internal Affairs cautiously raised his head and suggested, "Perhaps we could seek aid from the shinobi of the Land of Water—"
"Absolutely not!" The Minister of Finance interrupted urgently. "Kirigakure might not even dare take on such a mission, and if Konoha finds out, they will completely sever all pretense of diplomacy..."
Though left unsaid, everyone present understood the underlying implication.
The fact that the Fourth Hokage dared to deliver this letter to the Daimyō meant he was not afraid of their retaliation.
A heavy silence fell over the chamber.
"Perhaps we should just agree," the Daimyō finally said, looking utterly dejected after his earlier rage.
His personal shinobi force had been taken by Kazuma on a campaign—only for them to be completely wiped out.
Konoha's overwhelming stance filled him with deep unease... and even a hint of fear.
The ministers present lowered their heads further, refraining from voicing any opinions.
Soon, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire issued a new decree that swept across the entire nation.
"Nobles are prohibited from killing commoners within their territories without justifiable cause. Any violation will result in the loss of noble status and confiscation of their lands."
This decree was like a drop of water into a pan of hot oil, igniting an uproar throughout the Land of Fire.
As the news spread, the reactions of the populace and the nobility sharply contrasted.
While the commoners celebrated with cheers and jubilation, the nobility was outraged.
To them, the commoners within their domains were nothing more than property—slaves.
The notion that killing their own "property" could lead to severe punishment was utterly unacceptable.
Nobles began petitioning the Daimyō en masse, and rumors spread that he had been coerced into issuing the decree.
For the first time, a clash of social classes erupted, and the commoners realized that their lives could, in fact, hold some value.
Such an idea had never been entertained before.
The decree was like a spark in dry grass. Despite the nobles' desperate efforts to suppress discussions about it, the flames of resistance continued to spread.
Conflict erupted throughout the Land of Fire as the struggle between commoners and nobles escalated.
Under the cover of night, in the southern territories of the Land of Fire, a dense sea of torches flickered outside a noble's castle.
The firelight illuminated the weary, wrinkled faces of the gathered commoners, their eyes shining with determination in its glow.
"You filthy peasants, get out of here! There is no such decree!"
"Leave now, or die where you stand!"
But furious threats alone were not enough to resolve the issue.
The noble, head pounding with frustration, turned to a nearby shinobi clad in black.
"Kill them. They need to be taught their place..."
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A hired shinobi swiftly formed hand seals, releasing a massive fireball from the castle walls, aiming straight for the crowd.
"Water Style: Water Wall!"
A circular barrier of water surged up, enveloping the fireball and extinguishing it effortlessly.
Three masked figures in black landed atop the castle walls.
"Lord Matsushita, you have violated the decree of the Land of Fire. The evidence is irrefutable. We are the Fire Nation's Enforcement Squad, and we will take you to Konoha for trial."
They then turned to the terrified hired shinobi.
"You have broken the shinobi code by attacking commoners."
As soon as the words fell, a blade flashed, and the hired shinobi clutched his throat, collapsing off the wall.
"No... You can't do this to me! I demand to see the Daimyō! I must go to the capital!" The captured noble struggled desperately.
As a high-ranking noble of the southern region, he was privy to some secrets and knew he couldn't afford to be taken to Konoha.
But his resistance was futile.
Ever since the decree was issued, conflict had erupted throughout the Land of Fire.
Lesser nobles, faced with the overwhelming numbers of commoners, had no choice but to compromise.
However, the great nobles, those with private armed forces and even hired shinobi, had no fear of mere commoners.
...
Inside the Hokage's office,
Namikaze Minato examined the latest intelligence reports.
The number of civilian casualties listed made even him pause with discomfort.
"Elder, do you think this is right... or wrong?"
Yet these figures were only the tip of the iceberg.
"There is no right or wrong in this," Danzo replied, already mentally prepared for such casualties.
"If they did not wish to fight for their rights, they could have remained as they were, living under oppression. Naturally, there would have been no casualties.
"But if they choose to resist, then they must be prepared to pay the price.
"And there is only so much we can do..."
Minato gazed at Danzo, the man who had spearheaded this decree, and asked earnestly, "When did you start thinking this way?"
Danzo sighed slightly, his eyes gleaming with an unreadable emotion.
"I don't know. Perhaps I just realized that while people may have differences in status, the gap is not so vast that one should be treated as livestock."
He paused, then continued, "And from what we can see, it seems most people share this belief."
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Read more than +100 chapters and support me on Patreon
Patreon(.)com/Jixo