Chapter 290: Minato's Vision, the Land of Thunder and Fire!
"You... are you serious?"
Staring at Minato, whose expression showed no trace of pretense and was filled with unwavering determination,
Uchiha Ci's face darkened instantly. He locked eyes with Minato and asked in a deep voice,
"Do you not realize what the consequences of this will be?"
"Assassinating the Daimyō is a grave crime, unacceptable to all nations. And to do it at a gathering like the Five Kage Summit?"
"Have you not considered that this will make you a rogue ninja!?"
"Minato, isn't your dream to become Hokage!?"
"Are you really going to abandon your dream?"
Indeed, Namikaze Minato was perhaps the only one capable of assassinating the Daimyō under the watchful eyes of the Third Raikage and escaping unscathed.
But Uchiha Ci hoped this was merely an impulsive, heat-of-the-moment thought—an act of vengeance born from grief over his supposed death.
Perhaps, now that he was alive, Minato would change his mind?
But unfortunately, that was not the case.
Minato did not show his usual confident and gentle smile.
His expression was calm—an eerie calm, one that only comes after deep pain, contemplation, and unwavering resolve.
Like the Naka River flowing under the evening sun, its surface reflecting the unwavering determination of a martyr.
"Ci, you should be aware of Konoha's original plan."
"With Lord Orochimaru launching a surprise attack first, all we needed to do was protect the Daimyō and observe the situation unfold. This way, Konoha could remain unshaken in this Third Shinobi World War, standing in an invincible position against Kumogakure."
"And indeed, Konoha could reap the benefits of Lord Orochimaru's 'Kumo Collapse Plan' without lifting a finger!"
"But the final outcome will not change."
"The Land of Fire, rich and fertile, is the target of all nations. The other countries will not allow Konoha to continue growing stronger.
Even if we survive this war, another war will come.
And another after that.
Sooner or later, war will descend upon Konoha again."
Standing before the map, Minato pointed at the central battleground of Konoha's four war fronts and spoke in a solemn tone,
"This is an inescapable reality!"
Then, he turned directly to Uchiha Ci.
"As Hokage's advisor, even if Danzo has his faults, his vision is correct!"
"If we want to change this, someone must make a sacrifice!"
Hearing this, Uchiha Ci could no longer hold back.
He felt like Danzo must have strapped Minato into an electric chair and brainwashed him repeatedly—
Otherwise, why would this supposedly brilliant man refuse to listen to reason!?
He stepped forward, grabbed Minato by the collar, and yanked his head down, forcing him to meet his closed eyes.
Then, Uchiha Ci glared at him with a terrifying, almost furious gaze, suppressing the inexplicable frustration rising within him as he growled,
"Sacrifice?"
"What sacrifice?! How does this have anything to do with sacrifice? Minato, listen to me—do not let Danzo deceive you!"
"That old bastard only wants the Hokage's seat.
He wants Konoha to be his.
He's using you—to eliminate his competition!
If you go through with this, you'll lose your qualification to compete for Hokage!"
"The Daimyō is just a title!"
"Even if you kill the person sitting in that seat, a new Daimyō will take his place the very next day.
The system will remain unchanged.
But you… you will have buried your dream and become a rogue ninja!"
"You will spend countless nights regretting the foolish decision you made today!"
"You don't understand—individual strength means nothing in the face of an entire system!
And you do not have the power to overturn the table and rewrite the rules!"
Uchiha Ci clenched his jaw and slammed his forehead against Minato's headband, his eyes burning with frustration at Minato's stubbornness.
"Can't you wake up already!?"
Even though he had resolved to change the world for the people he cherished,
Uchiha Ci did not rush in recklessly.
He chose to bide his time, to conceal his fangs, to gather strength—
To wait until he truly possessed the power to overturn the entire board!
Because he understood.
Yet, even after taking a headbutt that left his forehead bleeding, blood trailing down past his nose and chin,
Minato showed no anger.
Instead, he smiled gently, looking at Uchiha Ci with an expression of absolute certainty and happiness.
"As expected… you are this kind of person."
"Uchiha Ci,"
"You see things more clearly than anyone."
"You understand better than anyone that, for shinobi—"
"The Daimyō… is a disease!"
Then, his tone shifted as he pulled Uchiha Ci's arm and led him toward the map.
Pointing at the city of Yunming, Minato spoke with a grave expression,
"But Ci—"
"No matter how much you try to avoid it,
The unprecedented transformation of the ninja world has already begun—because of you!"
"Right now, Yunming City is shrouded in turbulence.
Everyone has set their sights on the Daimyō!"
"Some hesitate.
Some withdraw.
Some are still calculating the risks."
"But—"
"The thought of killing him has already taken root!"
"The Daimyō… is no longer untouchable!"
Then, Minato dipped his finger in his own blood, tracing a line on the map that connected the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth.
That blood-red line spanned the vast ocean separating the two nations,
As if one could see countless Kumogakure and Iwagakure shinobi clashing in brutal battle—
Blood flowing in rivers, bodies piling into mountains, the air filled with endless wails of agony.
"This is the situation now!"
"Kumogakure and Iwagakure are destined for conflict!"
"If we eliminate the Daimyō now and place his son, Ryūzōji Sugiya, in power—
Then after the war between Iwa and Kumo, we can use the opportunity to severely weaken the Land of Lightning!"
"And with the intelligence gathered by Lord Orochimaru—
Kumogakure's secrets, their yet-to-be-updated battle plans—"
Minato pointed once more, this time at the border of the Land of Fire, at the Land of Fields.
He drew another line—one that connected the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.
Then, his expression filled with exhilaration as he declared,
"At this moment—"
"Konoha must cross the Land of Fields—
And claim the Land of Thunder and Fire!"
"We will subjugate the Lands of Fields, Hot Water, and Frost!"
"If this momentum holds, we will have the five smaller nations—Iron, Taki, Grass, Rain, and Valley—as our barriers to the north!"
"And to the south, the Land of Water as our support!"
"With such a foundation, we would only need to defend against threats from the west—
And at the very least, Konoha could secure a stable territory that would last for a hundred years!"
As Minato traced the vast expanse of territory with his own blood,
His breath grew heavier.
He couldn't help but imagine—
"Our next generation… and the generation after them…
They will be able to live here in peace,
Never again needing to step onto the battlefield at such a young age, like you and Kakashi did."
Staring at the blood-streaked map, crisscrossed with lines of conquest,
Uchiha Ci fell silent.
Even with his insight, he had to admit—
This… was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
(Support me and read ahead on Patreøn: patreøn.com/craxxtranslation. Thanks for your support!)