Chapter 225 (Patreon)

In his previous life, Kizaru had learned that different people had to be approached in different ways. It was a lesson his elders had impressed upon him, and one he had never forgotten.

No matter how sound a plan might be, there was no single argument that everyone would welcome. Not even money could tempt every person.

His uncle, Danzō, was an ambitious man who longed to accomplish something great. Thus, Kizaru spoke to him of grand undertakings and won him over with an ambition even greater than his own.

Hashirama and Tobirama wanted a stronger Konoha and lasting peace. With them, Kizaru spoke of the future—and of the better world his reforms could create.

The key was understanding what the person before him truly desired, then showing them how his path could lead them to it.

That was how Kizaru had gradually gathered so many people around him.

At tonight’s dinner, the people he intended to win over were Chiyo and Hanzo, the leaders of two other shinobi villages.

What Chiyo wanted was simple: a future for her descendants.

She did not have a vast clan standing behind her. Her family had consisted of her son and grandson, and what mattered most to her was ensuring that her bloodline had a future.

For Kizaru, satisfying that wish was easy. Not only could he grant it—he had already granted half of it.

Half the shares in the Bandai Chamber of Commerce and Shukaku remaining at Sasori’s side had both come from Kizaru. Chiyo understood that perfectly well.

Without such a display of sincerity, Chiyo would never have moved so decisively toward Kizaru, no matter how dissatisfied she was with the daimyo and nobles of the Land of Wind.

The Second Shinobi World War had cost Sunagakure nearly all its elite shinobi, leaving the village gravely weakened. When a shinobi village lost the core of its veteran forces in a single war, survival was possible, but reclaiming its former position became almost impossible.

Sunagakure was like a damaged vessel taking on water, always one storm away from sinking. Unless everyone aboard intended to go down with it, they had to find a stronger vessel willing to take them in before it was too late.

That was when Kizaru’s faction reached out to them.

Their interests aligned, and an alliance was formed.

Hanzo’s desires were more complicated than Chiyo’s. He wanted secure wealth and authority—things he could enjoy without fear and eventually pass down to future generations.

Compared to Chiyo, Hanzo was undeniably greedier. However, his greed was not difficult to understand.

He had truly begun with nothing. He had fought his way to his current position by surviving one near-death battle after another. After enduring so much hardship, he believed he had earned the right to enjoy the rewards.

The general method for winning over Chiyo and Hanzo was the same, but the details had to be different.

Chiyo asked for little. As long as Kizaru treated her with sufficient respect and protected the future she cared about, she would remain satisfied.

Hanzo wanted far more. Kizaru could give him the wealth and status he desired, but never genuine authority. At the same time, Hanzo had to be reminded through overwhelming strength that betrayal was not an option.

“Oooh~ Granny Chiyo, I have some good news for you,” Kizaru said, smiling at her.

“What is it?” Chiyo asked curiously.

“Do you remember the jutsu capable of bringing your son and daughter-in-law back to life?”

“Rinne Rebirth.”

It was a name Chiyo could never forget.

“And Rinne Rebirth requires the Rinnegan,” Kizaru continued. “Now... wouldn’t you call that good news?”

Everyone present had already been told about Madara Uchiha and the Rinnegan he possessed.

Hanzo was surprised to learn that the Rinnegan could restore the dead to life, but he quickly regained his composure.

Chiyo could not.

The Rinnegan represented a chance to bring back her son and daughter-in-law. No matter how hard she tried, she could not suppress her excitement.

“But the Rinnegan is in Madara Uchiha’s possession,” she said. “Can we truly take it from him?”

“Madara Uchiha is certainly powerful. Now that he has awakened the Rinnegan, he is even more frightening.” Kizaru’s smile remained untroubled. “But we have enough strength to face him.”

He turned his head toward the wall beyond which two people had been waiting.

“You two have waited long enough. Please come in.”

Kizaru’s words left Chiyo and Hanzo both curious and confused.

What kind of people could give him enough confidence to confront Madara Uchiha?

They did not remain confused for long.

Two figures appeared beyond the wooden door. A moment later, it slid open.

As the doorway widened, Chiyo and Hanzo froze. Even Sakumo, who had remained silent throughout the discussion, stared with his mouth slightly open.

“Hahaha! It has been a long time, Chiyo!” Hashirama greeted her with a hearty laugh.

As the wife of the First Kazekage, Reto, Chiyo had met Hashirama and Tobirama when they were all still young.

She rose to her feet in excitement, staring at the First and Second Hokage standing in the doorway. Then a shadow passed over her expression.

“Were the two of you summoned back by Konoha?”

Although Chiyo was looking at Hashirama, the question was clearly directed toward Kizaru and the other leaders of Konoha.

If Chiyo was excited, then Hanzo was utterly stunned.

He remained seated, staring blankly at the First and Second Hokage as his thoughts ground to a halt.

What kind of jutsu had Konoha mastered that allowed them to call the dead back into the world?

And they had not summoned ordinary shinobi. Standing before him was Hashirama Senju, the former God of Shinobi, together with his younger brother, Tobirama Senju.

“To face the threat posed by Madara, we naturally had to make a few modest preparations,” Kizaru replied with a smile.

“You call these modest preparations?” Chiyo exclaimed. “Fourth Hokage, this is far beyond that!”

As she looked at the God of Shinobi from the previous era and the man now regarded as the God of Shinobi of the new era, Chiyo could not help feeling grateful for the decision she had made.

The force Konoha had assembled in this room alone was enough to challenge the entire shinobi world.

“Please, take a seat,” Kizaru said, warmly inviting Hashirama and Tobirama inside.

The brothers had already discussed the course of the meeting with him, so neither wasted time. After nodding, they walked directly to Kizaru and sat on either side of him.

As Hashirama and Tobirama took their places, everyone’s attention returned to Kizaru.

He sat at the center, with the First and Second Hokage flanking him like two guardians. Both Chiyo and Hanzo felt a pressure unlike anything they had experienced before.

The combined power of those three was terrifying. Even Madara Uchiha might not be able to defeat them together.

“Oooh~ It’s getting late, and everyone must be hungry, so I’ll keep this brief,” Kizaru said. “My reason for inviting the two of you here is very simple.”

His gaze settled on Chiyo and Hanzo.

“I want Konoha, Sunagakure, and Amegakure to unite. Together, we will use our own strength to establish a nation that truly belongs to shinobi.”

His smile deepened.

“What do the two of you think?”

Kizaru fell silent and waited for their answer.

Even Hanzo felt nervous at this decisive moment. His response would determine not only his own future, but the fate of Amegakure as well. He did not dare speak carelessly.

Instead, he looked toward Chiyo, wanting to see what decision the Fourth Kazekage would make.

“I support it,” Chiyo answered without hesitation.

She had made her decision long before entering the room.

Her immediate support left Hanzo completely isolated. He was now the only outsider in the room who had yet to choose Kizaru’s side.

He felt helpless, and a small part of him remained unwilling, but he knew there was only one possible answer.

“I agree.”

The moment those words left Hanzo’s mouth, the tension in the room eased. Smiles appeared on everyone’s faces.

Once the agreement had been secured through an overwhelming display of strength, Kizaru turned to the benefits of standing beside him.

During dinner, he brought up Hanzo’s missing arm and revealed that Konoha had successfully developed a cloning-based regenerative treatment.

Kizaru promised that the new treatment would be used to restore Hanzo’s arm.

At the same time, he invited both Hanzo and Chiyo to invest in the project.

The two already controlled the distribution rights to several products created by the Konoha Research Institute within their respective countries. They understood exactly how much profit a successful project of this kind could generate.

Neither hesitated to accept Kizaru’s invitation.

After receiving such tangible benefits, Hanzo’s mood improved immediately. The smile on his face grew broader—and far more sincere.

Within that pleasant atmosphere, the banquet that had quietly decided the fate of most of the shinobi world came to a flawless conclusion.