"Famine," "refugees," "world war"—these were terms Tsunade had barely ever needed to consider. In past wars between shinobi villages, none of this mattered.
The shinobi world was vast and sparsely populated, rich in natural resources. Even back when the Land of Rain became a battlefield between Iwagakure, Konoha, and Sunagakure, the civilians could still afford to eat. Heck, Yahiko even used to bring Konan and Nagato out to steal supplies and stash them in mountain caves.
That's just how war zones in small nations worked—it wasn't great, but people survived.
Now, Orochimaru had informed Tsunade that large numbers of refugees were pouring into the Land of Fire from the Land of Water. And the people who managed to survive famine? They had long abandoned things like decency and conscience. They would do anything to live.
The massive influx of foreign refugees at the Land of Fire's borders had become the biggest social crisis yet. They were a source of cheap labor, instantly wiping out job opportunities for the locals. Theft, assault, trafficking... almost every major criminal case had ties to refugees. Even something as simple as hosting a Cherry Blossom Festival resulted in dozens of cases of harassment and theft.
To make things worse, the daimyō had issued a public order: the refugees were to be welcomed with open arms. He even declared, "In times of disaster, humanity must put aside old grudges. We must understand one another and help one another. Together, we will all have a bright future..."
—The hell? Since when did the daimyō turn into such a bleeding heart? If he's so noble and kind, why hasn't he dropped the warrant for Sarutobi Hiruzen?
While countless people were calling him out, the daimyō was acting like he'd been possessed by Uzumaki Naruto himself, spouting off nonsense like,
"Mutual understanding, mutual help! The white void, the white future awaits us!"
"He's not being mind-controlled, is he?" Tsunade muttered. Rumors had long circulated that Uchiha Sasuke was using Sharingan genjutsu on the daimyō. And now... that didn't sound so far-fetched.
"I can't say for certain." Orochimaru shook his head. "With Konoha gone, the shinobi intelligence network has mostly collapsed. You're in the dark about the outside world, and given your... unique position, I suggested you stay. My lab is large and secure—no one will find you here."
Tsunade said nothing.
Just then, a small snake slithered out from a corner and opened its mouth, producing a scroll.
Orochimaru unrolled it and gave it a glance. His thin brows lifted slightly.
"Well now... things are getting even more interesting."
Tsunade leaned in and caught sight of the intel on the scroll—there was an uprising.
Natural disasters were rare in the shinobi world. As for peasant uprisings? Practically unheard of. Yet Tsunade was now living through a truly historic moment—
The daimyō's reckless decision to accept foreign refugees had caused chaos across the nation, and many citizens were furious. A resident in a border city of the Land of Fire, a woman named Chuchu, publicly declared:
"Daimyō, you're a disgrace. Using your people as a raft to float your reputation? You don't deserve to lead the Land of Fire! This is our country, not a land for refugees! Drive those outsiders off our soil!"
These refugees had nothing to lose. Desperate and hungry, they'd do whatever it took to survive. Regular people stood no chance against such madmen. It was infuriating!
Chuchu's words struck a chord with the public. Dissatisfaction with the daimyō surged, and soon the situation spiraled out of control.
It started with protests that Chuchu herself organized—something never before seen in the shinobi world. Nationalists, foreign spies, and anarchists all joined in.
Then, amidst the crowds, people wearing shinobi uniforms and Konoha forehead protectors appeared. They looted, destroyed property, burned buildings, and committed "zero-cost" thefts—attacking public order officials without a second thought.
The daimyō immediately blamed the series of violent incidents on so-called Konoha reactionaries, claiming they were manipulating the public to revive the corpse of Konoha.
Public discourse exploded. Some called the daimyō a liar who twisted the truth; others said the people were mindless fools, manipulated by Konoha's remnants and risking national upheaval.
Voices clashed. No one agreed.
Then Chuchu dropped a bombshell—a petition with over a million signatures, demanding that all refugees be expelled and that Konoha's reactionaries be punished.
It was too massive to ignore. Suddenly, all eyes turned to her. Journalists and government agents started digging into her past, trying to uncover every detail down to her ancestors.
But to their shock... Chuchu seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
She wasn't some orphan without records—she had parents, relatives, and friends. Her family had a full family register, and they were all native to the Land of Fire.
But she was never supposed to exist.
Her parents had never had a daughter.
And yet, one day, Chuchu had simply shown up. People around her accepted her without question. Their memories just... filled in the blanks, like she'd always been there.
By now, both Orochimaru and Tsunade had realized—Chuchu was part of some scheme. No wonder her name sounded so awkward and fake.
But the story didn't end there.
Her extreme rhetoric drew in countless supporters. Sure, some had ulterior motives. But most citizens of the Land of Fire felt that, while Chuchu might be a bit radical, at least she was looking out for the people's real interests—unlike the daimyō, who only cared about his image.
Then, right when her popularity hit its peak—Chuchu was assassinated.
The killer had planted explosive tags all along her usual route. The resulting blast obliterated her—and injured or killed over 800 bystanders.
Her body was never found. But everyone assumed she was dead.
So who was the killer?
The daimyō? Konoha's remnants? Foreign agents?
It didn't really matter. What mattered was who the survivors wanted the killer to be.
Led by some unknown force, her supporters became paranoid and irrational. They blamed anyone and everyone, convinced the world had conspired to murder her.
The daimyō denied involvement—but only with empty words. He gave no further explanation, launched no public investigation, and made no effort to comfort the people.
Tensions only grew worse. The refugee crisis remained unresolved, and riots broke out in multiple cities. In response, the daimyō ordered ninja to suppress the unrest.
But even the ninja were divided. Should they obey the orders of a despised leader? Or should they protect the common people?
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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