A Yamanaka's Trait System

Kiri was undoubtedly the most tragic among the ninja villages.

After Madara secretly took control of the Third Mizukage, he implemented an extremely terrifying rule. This led to the title "Village of the Bloody Mist" spreading across the entire shinobi world.

Even now, despite Kiri being in the state depicted in the original work—after Obito tormented it for over a decade—the village's ninjas have long since engraved the law of survival of the fittest into their very bones.

Its atmosphere of bloodshed and cruelty is deeply rooted and completely different from other ninja villages. Even though there are still a few rational individuals in the village, their numbers are too small to make much of a difference. Trying to integrate them through peaceful means would be even more difficult than unifying the village by force.

Kei was no reincarnated Buddha, sent to the shinobi world to save everyone.

Since persuasion was not an option, he would ensure that Kiri served its greatest purpose—as a sharpening stone for the rapid fusion of the three ninja villages. Except for certain characters from the original work whom he found somewhat regrettable, he might intervene to save them when the time came.

As for the rest? All he could say was: let them follow their destined fate.

Jiraiya, having spent years traveling across the shinobi world, understood the cultures of various villages far better than most. It only took him a moment of thought to grasp why Kei was being so ruthless towards Kiri.

At the end of the day, if they couldn't be friends or allies, then showing mercy to an enemy would only lead to endless trouble and future disasters.

"What next?" He shot Kei a glance, subtly hinting that Danzō was still present.

Officially, once Danzō arrived at the frontlines, he would be the highest commanding officer, taking over all leadership of Konoha's ninja forces. Although Kei had already demonstrated his strength, making everyone acknowledge him as the de facto leader, certain matters still needed to be handled privately.

They couldn't let outsiders see a joke unfold before them.

"No need to look at me. If it benefits Konoha, why wouldn't I agree?" White Zetsu, disguised as Danzō, let out a cold snort.

He reached into his robe, pulled out the official appointment document issued by the Third Hokage and tossed it directly to Kei.

"Then I must thank Danzō-sama." Kei smirked and responded in a deliberately polite manner.

In his mind, he was already considering whether to arrange for Danzō to die from a serious illness or fall in battle. As for the fact that he had long since secretly dealt with Danzō?

That should remain buried in history.

A coup d'état wasn't exactly an honorable tradition—he didn't want to set a bad precedent for the next generation of ninjas after the villages were unified.

After securing the appointment scroll, he entrusted Jiraiya and Minato with the tasks of stabilizing the morale of Konoha's frontline ninjas and organizing the follow-up troops.

Then, he stepped out of the camp.

Seeing this, Kitsuchi, who had been standing at the forefront of the Iwa forces, handed Ōnoki over to his trusted subordinates for care and stepped forward.

As for the Suna forces on the other side, their frontline commander, Sajin, hesitated for a moment before mustering the courage to step up—only after seeing Kitsuchi's reaction.

"From the Warring States period to the era of the ninja villages, battles between ninjas have never ceased, and their scale has only grown. I hope to change this, and I hope that Iwa and Suna will join me in reshaping this world." Kei's opening speech was grand and righteous.

However, neither Kitsuchi nor Sajin were swayed by such simple words.

Change the shinobi world?

Hashirama had the same dream back in the day. And what was the result?

"If you have any demands or plans, just say them directly. I will relay them truthfully to the Kazekage." Sajin furrowed his brows. Though his tone seemed firm, he was clearly passing the responsibility along. There was no way he would agree to any of Konoha's proposals at the frontlines. Even if he feared the terrifying power of Wood Release that could reshape the landscape, such decisions weren't his to make.

"I hope Iwa and Suna will sit down with Konoha for a peace negotiation to discuss how the three villages can merge smoothly into a unified whole."

Kei looked up at Kitsuchi, who stood at a towering 2.2 meters, and silently marveled at Ōnoki's wild ways back in the day.

If this wasn't a genetic mutation, then his wife must have been at least eight feet tall!

Otherwise, given his own height of 1.3 meters, how could he have possibly fathered a 2.17-meter-tall Kitsuchi?

Impossible…

Buzz!

The air trembled as cracks spread across the ground.

Kei's body emitted pitch-black senjutsu chakra, locking onto Sajin and forcing him to swallow the words he was about to say.

"If you're going to be a messenger, act like one. If you have no authority, keep your mouth shut."

Sajin's pupils trembled, cold sweat streaming down his face. Under the suffocating pressure, his body shook uncontrollably like a sieve before collapsing onto the ground. The overwhelming fear of being torn apart in the next moment consumed his mind, nearly robbing him of his ability to think.

"The merger of the ninja villages isn't just about integrating the combat forces; it also involves reorganizing different administrative institutions and dealing with the nations that support each village. Completing this merger won't be easy." Kitsuchi crossed his arms over his chest, hiding his clenched fists. His nails dug deeply into his palms, helping him steady himself against the crushing aura.

Whether for Iwa or his father, he could not afford to bow down now.

"If you were born in Konoha, or if I were born in Iwa, we would have been great friends. Perhaps we can still be friends in the future." Kei looked at Kitsuchi, standing firm like a boulder, and a smile of admiration appeared on his face.

Seeing Sajin slowly regain clarity in his eyes, he continued, "Everything else can be discussed gradually. First, let me explain my vision so there are no unnecessary misunderstandings."

"First, in the merger of ninja villages, all personnel—whether in administrative roles or combat units—will be reassigned based on their specialties and abilities. Each village's Kage will form a governing council to collectively decide the village's future and major affairs."

"Under this council, there will be multiple departments, including the Combat Forces, Police Force, Finance, Logistics, Infrastructure, Research & Development, Intelligence, and Civil Administration, with positions assigned based on individual capabilities."

"Let me emphasize this: I am not merging Suna and Iwa to turn them into captives or slaves. What I seek is a more stable and peaceful shinobi world."

"As for the nations that support the villages, that is a matter to be addressed after the merger is complete."

Kei finished speaking and slightly lifted his chin, signaling Kitsuchi to voice any questions he had.

"I agree with the merger, but unifying the voices within the village will take time. When will the negotiations officially begin?"

Kitsuchi nodded slightly and asked about the division of responsibilities. He was not skilled in administrative matters, but he could tell that Kei was not standing here as a conqueror imposing his will on the defeated.

There was no arrogance, no exploitation, and no attempt to enslave Iwa. Of course, Sajin from Suna might not see it the same way.

"It will take you at least two or three days to return to your villages. Let's set the negotiations for ten days from now, at this same location."

"Alright, farewell."

"I hope that by the time you return, you will have officially taken on the title of Tsuchikage."

"I will." Kitsuchi turned and walked back toward the Iwa forces.

He knew that once he returned to the village, he would face immense pressure and challenges. But as his father once said, in the face of such overwhelming power, they had no other choice.

At least, for now, Kei's terms didn't seem as bad as they had feared.

A unified ninja village… Would it truly bring lasting peace?

"Go back and tell Chiyo and the others to think it over. If they decide not to come in ten days, let me know in advance, and I will visit them myself."

Kei turned to look at Sajin.

"Understood." Sajin forced himself to stand, bowed slightly to Kei, then stumbled away.

Those who had never experienced Kei's power firsthand could never understand how utterly powerless one felt in his presence.

Chiyo, Ebizō, and the others had always been full of self-importance. He had no desire to be buried alongside those old fools.

Damn it!

As soon as he got back, he was heading straight for the Temple of Wind to become a monk.