Chapter 244 Announcement

Day two.

The news of the destruction of the Iron Kingdom spread throughout the ninja world like a plague.

When the sun rose again, all the shadows of the ninja village received Yu Xi's handwritten letter.

They were asked to go to the former site of the Iron Kingdom immediately to attend a meeting.

Minato Namikaze's fingers trembled slightly as he unfolded the scroll.

There were only a few short lines on the letter, but they were filled with weight: "Tomorrow at noon, at the Iron Nation Conference Hall. Latecomers will be deemed to have declared war."

"Is it finally here..." Tsunade stood in front of the window of the Hokage's office

The golden hair shines in the sun, but it cannot hide the haze in the eyes.

Minato Namikaze placed the letter on the table, and the seal of the Fourth Hokage glowed faintly in the sunlight.

The same scene was played out in every ninja village.

As Ohnoki looked at the letter, his short body seemed to hunch even more.

Mei Terumi crumpled the letter so tightly that her nails almost pierced the paper.

Gaara stood quietly in the Kazekage's office, with Temari and Kankuro behind him looking solemn.

The next day at noon, in the Iron Kingdom.

In the conference hall, representatives from the four major countries arrived one after another.

Minato Namikaze arrived first with Tsunade, his golden hair was particularly eye-catching in the sunlight.

He looked around and saw Yu Xi sitting at the main seat at the long table in the center of the conference hall, with Uchiha Madara and Orochimaru standing beside him.

Minato's pupils shrank slightly - the legendary figure was actually resurrected.

Yu Xi raised her eyes and said in a terrifyingly calm voice, "Please sit down."

Tsunade's hands clenched unconsciously, and she could feel Orochimaru's cold gaze wandering over her.

Representatives from Iwagakure Village arrived shortly thereafter.

Ōnoki floated into the meeting room, Kurotsuchi following closely behind.

The shrewd Tsuchikage recognized Uchiha Madara at a glance, and his heart almost stopped.

The legend who once fought against the first Hokage now stood before him.

"Oonoki-kun, it's been ages." Madara spoke calmly, his voice dripping with condescending sarcasm. "Your back seems even more bent."

Cold sweat broke out on Ohnoki's forehead, but he forced himself not to back down: "Uchiha Madara... I didn't expect you to stand on Yuxi's side."

The atmosphere became even more solemn when Mei Terumi and Chojuro from the Hidden Mist Village entered the meeting room.

Mei Terumi's gaze swept across everyone present, finally settling on Yuxi.

The last to arrive were Gaara and Temari from the Sand Village.

The young Kazekage's face remained expressionless, but Temari's grip on her fan betrayed her inner nervousness.

Temari practically gasped when they saw Uchiha Madara.

"Everyone is here." Yu Xi stood up, her black robe fluttering in the wind. "Then let's get started."

The conference room was so silent that even the breathing could be heard clearly.

Yu Xi looked around at everyone, her eyes like a knife. She slowly said, "I don't think I need to say much about the end of the Hidden Cloud Village."

Minato Namikaze's fingers trembled slightly under the table.

He remembered the bottomless cross-shaped cliff in the Hidden Cloud Village - the entire village was wiped out by an unimaginable force, and even the foundation no longer existed.

"I've called you all together today to announce a decision." Yu Xi's voice was soft, but it resonated like thunder in every Kage's ears. "From today on, the five great ninja villages will be dissolved and merged into a unified nation - the 'Wu Kingdom'."

"You have two choices," Yu Xi continued, "peacefully merge and retain some autonomy; or... disappear from the map like the Hidden Cloud Village."

Ohnoki's brows were furrowed. He had never seen such a naked threat in his entire life.

But when he looked at Uchiha Madara, the old Tsuchikage knew what resistance meant.

"The surrounding small ninja villages must also join." Orochimaru added grimly, "Otherwise... hehe, my laboratory is short of materials."

Mei Terumi dug her nails deep into her palms.

She remembered the "Blood Mist Village" policy of the Hidden Mist Village. That dark history made her vow not to let the village be controlled by others again.

but now...

"Lord Mizukage seems to have some objections?" Yu Xi keenly caught the change in Terumi Mei's expression.

Chojuro looked at his shadow nervously, afraid that she would say something impulsive.

Mei Terumi took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. "I was just thinking... the governance structure after the merger."

Yu Xi smiled with satisfaction. "That's a wise question. Each of the Kages will become the 'Four Pillars' of the Wu Kingdom, managing their respective territories. However, military, diplomatic, and economic power will be returned to the central government—which means I will be in charge."

Namikaze Minato raised his head, his blue eyes flashing with complex light: "Lord Yuxi, such a change is too sudden. The ninja village system has lasted for decades, and rash changes may cause turmoil."

"Turbulence?" Yu Xi chuckled. "Is the Fourth Generation worried about those opponents?" She snapped her fingers.

The walls of the conference room suddenly became transparent, revealing the Impure World Reincarnation army and Akatsuki members lined up in neat rows. "Any unrest will be quickly... quelled."

The conference hall fell silent again.

Everyone is weighing the pros and cons, calculating the possibility and cost of resistance.

Finally, it was Tsunade who broke the silence.

She slowly stood up and slammed her fist on the table, "For the survival of the village... Konoha... accept the terms."

These words seemed to drain all her strength.

As the granddaughter of the first Hokage, she understood what this meant better than anyone else - the ninja village system established by Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha would end in front of her today.

"The Iwagakure Village... also agrees." Ohnoki said heavily, his voice hoarse, unlike his own.

"The Hidden Mist Village...accepts it." Mei Terumi said this almost gritting her teeth.

Everyone's eyes were on Gaara.

The young Kage was silent for a long time, and finally nodded slightly: "The Sand Village... agrees to merge."

A triumphant smile spread across Yuxi's face. "A wise choice. From now on, the ninja world will have true peace—under my rule."

She clapped her hands, and several servants came in with scrolls and spread them out on the table.

It was the merger agreement, stamped with the seal of the Iron Kingdom—a seal stained with Mifune's blood.

"Please sign your names." Yu Xi made an inviting gesture. "From today on, history will turn a new page."

Namikaze Minato picked up the pen, his hand hovering over the paper for a long time. He looked up at Yuxi and asked, "Will you guarantee the safety of the villagers?"

"As long as they obey the new order." Yu Xi said lightly, "I hate unnecessary killing."

Minato took a deep breath and signed his name on the agreement.

Other figures also signed one after another, and each stroke seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.

When the last agreement was signed, everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.