Kurenai, Might Guy, and Tenzo excitedly put on their Grim Reaper masks. From this day on, they would be Lord Brook's direct subordinates, and those masks carried the power to seal even Kage level shinobi.
Kakashi Hatake and Shisui Uchiha hesitated for a moment, then put theirs on as well. After all, both of them had already served in the ANBU and Root before.
Minato Namikaze and Orochimaru merely hung their Shinigami masks at their waists, their expressions returning to calm, as though their earlier fervor had never existed.
Hiashi Hyuga held the two Shinigami masks with open excitement. With those two masks in hand, even if three Kage level enemies attacked the Hyuga clan at once, they would have no reason to fear.
Fugaku Uchiha's face turned dark. He had already realized the Hyuga clan had gained a massive advantage. Fortunately, the Uchiha still had Shisui as a seed planted close to Brook, so they had not entirely lost out.
As for the Ino Shika Cho clans, they, too, felt the sting of gain and loss.
"For now, Konoha's basic structure will not change. Continue performing your duties as usual. Minato Namikaze will remain the Fourth Hokage and continue managing you."
Brook spoke calmly, then pointed toward the others.
"As for the Hyuga clan and the ninjas who serve the royal family, prepare to move into the daimyo's residence tomorrow. Clear it out and turn it into the imperial palace."
"After that, you will preside over negotiations with the Lands of Earth, Lightning, and Water."
As he spoke, the space beside him blurred.
Then four figures from the Six Paths appeared, each dressed in a black robe and wearing a mask.
"These four are all Kage level guards. Take them with you to the Land of Fire as well."
The four black robed figures varied in build, some thin, some broad, but Brook introduced them casually, as if Kage level guards were no different from household servants. That alone made every ninja clan present feel even more uneasy.
It was clear now that they had missed an unbelievable opportunity.
"Hey, Brook. Are you really serious about this? If you abolish the daimyo system, the daimyo of the other great nations will unite against you, the rule breaker and heretic!"
Tsunade finally spoke, her voice sharp.
"Although you defeated three ninja villages this time, if the four great nations unite, the Land of Fire will face another great ninja war."
"Then we defeat them again, abolish their daimyo positions, and unify the entire ninja world."
Brook appeared before Tsunade like a phantom, lightly pinching her cheek as he answered in an offhand tone.
"Do you know how many civilians and ninjas that would drag into war?"
Tsunade slapped his hand away and gritted her teeth in anger.
"If you really want to reduce casualties, then become the queen of the palace. With more power in your hands, you can govern the world the way you want."
Brook did not even try to hide his intention. The moment he said it, the entire room fell silent again. Even Jiraiya's face twisted with rage.
He had spent decades trying to move Tsunade's heart, and now this bastard was reaching for her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Lord Brook, please have some self respect. Didn't you say you were an elder of the Senju clan?"
Jiraiya immediately stepped forward, his voice cold.
Brook looked at him and laughed.
"I already let go of the Senju name. From now on, I am only Brook. Besides, what is wrong with keeping the bloodline close? Maybe that way a Wood Release child even stronger than Hashirama Senju could be born."
"You!"
Both Jiraiya and Tsunade were furious now, Tsunade's face red with anger.
But Brook had already returned to his seat before either of them could say more.
"Fine. Since you are unwilling, then both you and Jiraiya will stay in Konoha from now on. You are forbidden from leaving the village. If you do, you will be treated as rogue ninja."
Those words completely broke the two Legendary Sannin's composure.
They had both planned to leave Konoha as soon as the negotiations ended.
"What right do you have to issue such an order?!"
Tsunade snapped.
Jiraiya also looked like he had been struck by lightning. To him, being forbidden from leaving the village was practically a death sentence. Without travel, how was he supposed to gather material?
"Then let there be a village exit ban."
Brook could not even be bothered to repeat himself. He simply looked toward the Fourth Hokage.
"Minato, issue the order."
"Understood, Lord Brook."
Minato answered in his usual gentle tone, but his words hit like iron.
"A Hokage decree will be issued shortly. Except for designated S rank missions, Lady Tsunade and Lord Jiraiya are forbidden from leaving the village. They are also not permitted to accept any missions on their own."
"Minato! I'm your teacher! And you're actually going to obey him and place me under house arrest?!"
Jiraiya could hardly believe his ears.
Minato looked at him with a calm, serious expression.
"Lord Brook now stands above the Land of Fire itself. From this day onward, Konoha will follow Lord Brook's orders."
The meaning in those words was crystal clear.
Konoha would gradually return authority to the new royal family of the Land of Fire.
At present, the so called Brook royal family consisted of only Brook himself. There was no queen, no emperor, no heir. So for the time being, real power would still rest in the hands of Brook, Minato Namikaze, Orochimaru, and whichever clans managed to stand close to them.
That realization stirred all kinds of thoughts in the room.
Fugaku Uchiha, in particular, felt both envy and regret.
With just nine Shinigami masks, the inner circle around Brook had already gained enough deterrence to survive even if Brook were to disappear one day.
And from Brook's tone, it sounded as though he intended to destroy the other great powers and unify the ninja world while he was still alive.
If that really happened, the royal family would become the only true power in the world.
Even though the Uchiha had missed the first opportunity to enter Brook's inner circle, Fugaku still wanted to seize the second.
"Lord Brook."
Fugaku suddenly stood.
"My Uchiha clan has a daughter favored by heaven, Uchiha Yuri. She is eighteen this year. She awakened the three tomoe Sharingan at fifteen, and her strength has already reached Jonin level."
He lowered his head respectfully.
"My clan is willing to offer her to Lord Brook as a wife."
The entire room froze.
No one had expected such a move.
Since Tsunade refused, Fugaku had simply changed the direction of the game.
If no one could become daimyo, then perhaps they could enter the royal family another way.
The Hyuga father and son could only lament inwardly. The Hyuga main house had no suitable women to offer, and the branch family girls were all bound by the Caged Bird. None of them were qualified to stand before Brook.
So the Hyuga had no way to seize this chance.
Kurenai Yuhi, still wearing her Grim Reaper mask in the back, also felt her heart stir.
If she could stay by Lord Brook's side, what kind of future would that lead to?
One by one, the other clans began glancing at each other, their thoughts changing rapidly.
At this moment, even Tsunade finally realized just how terrifying Brook's appeal had become.
Unmatched strength.
An ageless, handsome face.
The highest seat of power in the Land of Fire, soon perhaps in the entire world.
Whoever became his wife, and whichever children were born to him, would stand above all others.
He had become the man of countless ambitions and countless dreams.
-----------
As the eager ninja clans stepped forward one after another, Brook merely chuckled. He left behind nine Grim Reaper masks and four of the Six Paths Puppets then departed from the meeting room.
Before leaving, he handed control of the Six Paths over to Orochimaru and entrusted him with the task of overturning the daimyo's rule in the Land of Fire.
How could the mere Twelve Guardian Ninja possibly stand against Orochimaru, four Paths Puppets and the combined power of the Hyuga clan?
The daimyo's authority existed only because the ninja clans had maintained a fragile balance of power for generations.
But Brook's current strength was enough to shatter that balance completely. He could even overturn the one country, one village system that Hashirama Senju had established.
Even if all the clans united and tried to preserve the old order, none of them could stop Brook alone.
His overwhelming power was enough to crush the combined might of every clan in Konoha.
If they did not align themselves with Brook, then the only thing they could do was pray for his sudden death so they could return to their old, stable lives.
But that possibility was far too uncertain.
If they wanted their clans to prosper, the only path left was to draw closer to him.
As Brook left, Fugaku Uchiha could not help regretting that he had not been as decisive as the Hyuga.
Now, other than Uchiha Shisui, it would be extremely difficult for the Uchiha clan to push any deeper into Brook's inner circle.
And Minato Namikaze was still young. With Brook backing him, this Fourth Hokage's reign might even outlast the Third Hokage's. Minato might not step down for another thirty or forty years.
The meeting was officially adjourned.
From this day onward, Konoha would become a war machine. Even diplomacy would fall under the authority of the new royal family. Negotiations with the Lands of Earth, Lightning, and Water would no longer be Konoha's responsibility.
In the future, even Hokage meetings would likely become less and less frequent. All that would remain was for Konoha to obey the orders of the royal court of the Land of Fire.
Of course, the village would still have to complete missions and earn money as before.
Before nightfall, before the moon had even risen, Brook went out and personally reinforced Konoha's barrier system, drawing countless onlookers.
He even went to great lengths, taking out four more Grim Reaper masks and placing one in each of the four directions.
With that, if even four Kage level enemies tried to force their way into Konoha, they could still be dragged down with them.
The sight left Tsunade and Jiraiya with livid expressions.
Was this barrier supposed to protect them, or keep them trapped?
As for the other ninjas in Konoha, especially those below elite Jonin level who liked slipping out to do as they pleased, their scalps tingled.
Fortunately, they could still leave the village normally by accepting missions. On the surface, life had not changed much.
Meanwhile, the two people who were completely banned from taking missions were nearly driven mad.
They went to Brook and demanded an explanation.
"This barrier is supposed to defend against outside enemies. Why does it also work against people inside the village?"
Brook did not even bother answering them. He vanished before their eyes, and no matter where they searched, they could not find him. After all, Brook did not even have a residence in Konoha.
In the end, the two of them could only go to Minato Namikaze and ask for permission to leave the village.
They were refused.
Tsunade was so furious that she nearly smashed the Hokage's office to pieces.
Minato simply smiled, used Flying Thunder God to vanish, and left behind a note stating that everything Tsunade broke would be added to a compensation form for later payment.
That instantly pushed Tsunade over the edge.
Unable to vent her frustration on Minato, she turned around and beat Jiraiya black and blue instead. It was the only way to keep from exploding on the spot.
Meanwhile, five members of the Hokage's guard, already wearing Grim Reaper masks, stood quietly inside the office and watched Tsunade beat Jiraiya without intervening.
The Reaper Death Seal contained within those masks sent a chill down Tsunade's spine.
In the end, she could only drag Jiraiya away from the Hokage Building and continue beating him somewhere else.
At this point, the Hokage Guard, now wearing Grim Reaper masks, had become the highest symbol of honor in Konoha.
Whether they were ANBU, former Root members, or ordinary jonin, countless ninjas now dreamed of obtaining one of those masks.
The Fourth Hokage had already announced that during next year's mission evaluation, the ninja with the highest overall performance would earn the opportunity to receive a Grim Reaper mask from him.
Since Minato Namikaze could already use the improved Reaper Death Seal without any side effects, he no longer needed such a mask for himself.
That announcement instantly ignited Konoha.
A Grim Reaper mask capable of sealing a Kage level enemy, and the chance to step into Brook's inner circle, was worth risking one's life for.
Even clan heads like Fugaku Uchiha wanted one.
As a symbol of honor, and as a strategic deterrent, the Uchiha clan desperately wanted to secure another Grim Reaper mask.
Brook paid no attention to any of Konoha's internal excitement.
The moon had risen.
The power of the Six Paths erupted from his body. He cast off gravity itself and shot toward the moon.
In the world of One Piece, he had once been sent to the moon. In this world, he would go there with his own strength.
It was only a moon formed through [Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei].
Even Hamura Otsutsuki, who possessed only the Byakugan, had been able to reach it.
Brook's current strength had already surpassed the Sage of Six Paths. Flying there was no challenge at all.
He streaked across the night sky like reversed lightning, rushing straight toward the moon. Anyone watching closely would have seen what looked like a meteor flying backward into the heavens.
Brook's actions immediately caught the attention of the Sage of Six Paths.
Even Black Zetsu might have noticed, and certainly Isshiki Otsutsuki, who had been keeping a close watch on this world, would not miss it.
"That bastard… is he not even willing to spare Hamura's descendants? Or does he want to release Mother?"
The Sage of Six Paths glared angrily at Brook, who had already landed on the moon, worry flashing through his eyes.
He had secretly hidden away two jinchuriki, the Four Tails and the Six Tails. Brook could not awaken the complete Ten Tails, nor could he use Infinite Tsukuyomi to break Kaguya's Six Paths seal.
If he and his younger brother Hamura were still alive, then even if their mother broke free, the two of them could still seal her again.
But both of them were gone.
He had left behind only a chakra body, while Hamura's chakra consciousness had weakened to the point of nearly dispersing.
He had to protect what remained of Hamura.
For that reason, the search for Isshiki Otsutsuki would have to be postponed once again.
And all of it was because of Brook.
At the same time, on the moon, the last descendant of the Otsutsuki branch family, Otsutsuki Ubuto, looked down at his newborn son, Otsutsuki Toneri.
His expression was full of bitterness.
His son had been born without eyes.
Was this Heaven's punishment for the sins of the branch family?
The branch family had once carried out Hamura's will and sought to destroy the war torn ninja world, but the main family had opposed them in the name of peace.
In the end, the branch family had gathered the Byakugan of their entire bloodline and fused them into the mighty Tenseigan, using that power to wipe out the main family.
Yet since that civil war, the Otsutsuki of the moon had only continued to decline.
By this generation, only he and his wife were left.
And now their only child had been born eyeless.
Was their bloodline about to come to an end before they had even fulfilled their ancestral mission of destroying the ninja world the Sage of Six Paths had left behind?
It was a world that had suffered war for more than a thousand years.
And yet their clan might die out before ever carrying out judgment.
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
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