Chapter 355: The United Delegation!
Chapter 355: The United Delegation!
Delegations from the Fire Country, Water Country, and Wind Country, sent by their respective Daimyos, were heading towards the Heavenly Fortress, determined to pressure them into abandoning the Tea Country.
Indeed, these three great Daimyos had joined forces, accompanied by several smaller country Daimyos, all rallying for the same cause.
It wasn't that they had an exceptionally close relationship with the Tea Country's Daimyo, nor was it solely about standing up for him.
The real issue was setting a dangerous precedent.
If this example were set, the nobility's claim of 'inviolability' would be shattered.
And if it triggered a 'broken window effect', things would become even more troublesome.
In the previous Shinobi World Wars, while the casualties among ninjas and civilians were severe, the nobility feasted on the chaos, growing richer and fatter, with minimal losses. This was because, no matter how the ninjas fought, they dared not offend the nobility.
If the ninjas were to feel that the nobility could be offended, then these nobles might never sleep soundly again.
Therefore, the Tea Country issue had to be resolved, not for the sake of the Tea Country, but for their own self-interest.
As long as Dong Ping continued to hold onto the Tea Country, these nobles would relentlessly oppose him.
His audacity knew no bounds.
If he had acted covertly, they wouldn't have reacted so strongly.
There were several small countries in the Shinobi World that were controlled in this manner, and they didn't make a fuss about it.
They simply ignored it as if nothing was amiss.
But why didn't Dong Ping control the Tea Country secretly?
It was simply impractical.
Such a method wouldn't allow for grand gestures like publicly building ports, roads, and organizing defense forces. What could be achieved through covert control?
For minor actions, yes, covert control was feasible.
But for such significant moves, the backing of a Daimyo was essential.
Especially when dealing with obstructive nobles and powerful clans, it was crucial for the Daimyo to 'convict' them, making it easier to reclaim their territories and populations.
Otherwise, with constant bandit attacks, did they think everyone was a fool?
In reality, if Dong Ping were willing to let go of the Tea Country, these Daimyos wouldn't want to offend a force with several Kage-level shinobi.
However, in Dong Ping's heart, the Tea Country represented his future security, and he would never give it up.
At this moment, the Tea Country was being rapidly transformed by Wuliang, who was directing the Terra Cotta Warriors in their efforts.
Several large ports had already been constructed, countless mountains flattened, and vast lakes filled in.
The Blazing Sun continuously transported supplies and tools into the country.
In a short time, they had cultivated several hundred thousand hectares of farmland (1 hectare = 15 acres), even more than the cultivated land in the River Country.
Compared to the River Country, the difficulty of cultivating land in the Tea Country had decreased by a hundredfold or more, hence the rapid progress.
Apart from the ease of cultivation, the more critical factor was the vast amount of usable land.
A large portion of the River Country's area was designated for rivers, so despite the United Fruit and Produce Chamber occupying several hundred thousand square kilometers, the cultivable land was limited to a few million acres, or around two hundred thousand ching of land.
The Tea Country, however, was different.
If they controlled several hundred thousand square kilometers, the usable land would far surpass the River Country's by tens or even hundreds of times.
Thus, the River Country could serve as a starting point but not the core territory.
It was inevitable that Dong Ping would clash with these Daimyos over the core territory.
However... the delegation was taking too long.
Even though they knew about the delegation's arrival at the Heavenly Fortress while still in Konoha, they only arrived several days after Dong Ping's return.
At the outskirts of the Heavenly Fortress.
Clatter! A fleet of extravagant carriages entered the city.
Surrounding the carriages were foot soldiers with long spears, samurai with swords at their waists, and even a few ninjas.
The number of people exceeded a thousand!
Indeed, the delegation alone numbered in the thousands, a testament to its massive scale.
However, considering that this was a joint delegation from three great countries and multiple smaller ones, the scale seemed quite reasonable.
Countless people lined the sides, witnessing this astonishingly large delegation.
The once-quiet Heavenly Fortress had transformed into a bustling port city, attracting many onlookers. In the beginning, when survival was a daily struggle, who would have had the leisure to gawk at such spectacles?
However, the situation at the Heavenly Fortress was also a shocking surprise for the Joint Mission.
It was too clean and orderly!
Compared to the Fire Country's capital, the population and area might not be as impressive.
But the flat and tidy roads and streets, the sea breeze carrying a hint of fishy air, and the buildings that seemed as straight as needles left a deep impression.
"Look up there!"
Suddenly, someone in the mission team pointed to the sky.
Gliders were circling in the sky, looking incredibly magical.
If it were ninjutsu, they wouldn't be so amazed, but the sight of hundreds of gliders was truly spectacular.
As soon as the mission arrived, they were greeted by a small glider from the Heavenly Fortress.
Now, gliders had become a unique feature of the fortress.
Not only were competitions held regularly, but land was also allocated, making it incredibly appealing. Even the occasional deaths couldn't deter people's enthusiasm.
In the Shinobi World, deaths were not considered a big deal; people died of hunger elsewhere every day.
The few deaths from glider accidents at the fortress were insignificant, so it had become a popular sport, producing numerous licensed pilots.
The convoy drove along the clean and tidy bluestone avenue and soon arrived at their destination.
Note that the current Heavenly Fortress was completely different from the original Chasun Castle.
Initially, only the upper half of Chasun Mountain was part of the city, but now it included the entire small Chasun Mountain and the surrounding area within a few kilometers, all combined to form the Heavenly Fortress.
The Joint Mission convoy stopped at the foot of the mountain, which was also their destination.
"Why isn't Uchiha Douhei here to greet us?"
A minister with a heavily powdered face, as pale as a ghost, stepped out of the carriage and called out in a sharp voice.
For a formal mission like theirs, the Kage would usually greet them in any ninja village they visited.
But now?
The welcoming party was sparse, and even the higher-ups didn't show up.
Uchiha Hachidai!
He was the representative of the welcoming party.
Although he felt something was amiss, the will of Douhei was everything, so with a single order, the originally planned welcoming party was disbanded, resulting in the current situation.
However, the welcoming party was small, but there were plenty of watchers.
Numerous ANBU ninjas with 'Heaven' headguards stood at high points around the area.
Many of them were from the Uchiha clan.
The Uchiha were known for their arrogance and lack of empathy. If you dared to cause trouble, they would not hesitate to arrest you.
"Apologies, Minister, they are all on missions. Please disembark and rest for a while!"
Uchiha Hachidai tried to explain.
Even though he knew Douhei and the others were around, he had to say this.
"Hmph!"
The Fire Country minister snorted coldly but didn't object and followed Uchiha Hachidai into the inn.
With the development of commerce, various shops and commercial buildings naturally emerged.
For instance, the Joint Mission occupied several inns and required a significant amount of space for their accommodation.
Douhei intentionally delayed meeting with the mission, completely put off by their arrogance.
With limited power, they relied on their control of finances and 'status' to treat ninjas like dogs.
Why should they be allowed to do this?
Just because they were nobles?
Others in the Shinobi World might accept these rules, but he didn't.
Currently, his strength was insufficient to wage war against the Shinobi World, but fighting the nobles was not an issue.
Moreover, the conflict between the Heavenly Fortress and the nobles reassured many people.
They believed that if the nobles were caught in the flames of war, they wouldn't be able to rise.
However, even with the determination to fight the nobles, it wouldn't be a direct confrontation without any strategy. At the very least, they would engage in verbal sparring first.
The meeting was scheduled for half a day later, at the onset of night, and the Joint Mission was invited to a banquet.
Thus, the messengers and their escort ninjas gathered and set off.
But as soon as they stepped out of the inn, they felt a slight tremor from the Heavenly Fortress.
(End of Chapter)
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