Creating artificial beings without souls wasn't difficult for Daniel Davis given his technological prowess. He could easily manufacture artificial humans with kekkei genkai, much like the Germa army from another world. However, despite his capabilities, there was a line he refused to cross. Just because he could create an army of artificial beings didn't mean he wanted to.
"But just because I don't want to, doesn't mean I can't," Daniel muttered to himself.
"Looks like Hiruko hasn't yet reached the stage where he can fuse five major kekkei genkai," Daniel mused after absorbing Hiruko's memories using the Soul Clone Technique. "It makes sense since he's still in his early research phase."
With the knowledge of Hiruko's Chimera Technique now in his possession, Daniel no longer had any need for the rogue ninja. Having inherited all of Hiruko's findings, Daniel ended the man's life swiftly.
Hiruko's ambition was simply to conquer the ninja world and impress the likes of the Sannin. Such a narrow goal put him at odds with Akatsuki Nation's grander plans, making him a natural enemy. As for keeping Hiruko alive to continue his research, it was unnecessary. The technique had already been perfected, and in other fields, Hiruko had little expertise to offer.
Yet Daniel hadn't completely discarded Hiruko. With three kekkei genkai, Hiruko was as strong as a high-level jōnin. Through the Edo Tensei, he could be revived and serve as a powerful asset.
"Finally, things have settled for now." The chaos in Grass Ninja Village had subsided after it was conquered by Akatsuki Nation. With figures like Ryūzetsu stepping up to manage the situation, the disorder slowly diminished.
Of course, Grass Ninja Village would soon abandon its old headbands, officially becoming part of Akatsuki Nation. But Daniel had no intention of overseeing the bureaucratic process. That was Konan's domain, and with the help of the other Akatsuki members, she was handling the integration.
"You've made a smart decision," Daniel said, smiling at the three figures standing before him in Akatsuki's main tower. These were the last surviving members of the Kamizuru Clan from Iwagakure: Black Bee, Hive Bee, and Earth Bee.
Although Daniel normally wouldn't personally handle recruitment, the unique situation of the Kamizuru Clan required his involvement. No one else could properly explain what he had in mind for them. Konan, despite her competency, was already overwhelmed by the administrative tasks of running Akatsuki Nation.
"I need to find a strategist," Daniel thought to himself as he presented the Kamizuru Clan with a vision of their future. "Konan can't keep doing all this alone."
"In a unified ninja world, things will be very different. Power won't determine a clan's standing anymore. Your Kamizuru Clan is lucky," Daniel explained to the Kamizuru members.
"You claim that, but aren't you Akatsuki at odds with the entire ninja world? How can you be so sure you'll win?" Hive Bee questioned, skeptical of Akatsuki's chances.
"It's all about your perspective," Daniel replied with a confident smile. "If you join now, you'll be rewarded for your loyalty. If you wait until Akatsuki has already consolidated power, you won't get the same deal. There are plenty of clans like the Kamizuru Clan that would jump at this opportunity. You came here because you're willing to take that gamble, aren't you?"
After contemplating for a moment, Hive Bee looked at the others, and finally nodded. "Alright, we accept."
"You won't regret this decision," Daniel assured them. As the Kamizuru Clan imagined their future in a world where they would no longer be marginalized, Daniel's thoughts wandered to the next steps for Akatsuki.
"I wonder if I can convince Shikamaru Nara to join us," Daniel pondered. Akatsuki needed a strategist, and Shikamaru was a genius with an IQ over 200. He had played a pivotal role in managing the Allied Shinobi Forces during the original timeline. Without him, Naruto would have faced far more challenges.
"With Grass Ninja Village now under control, it's time to move on to the Land of Rivers and the Land of Birds."
Geographically, the former Rain Village was sandwiched between several nations: the three great powers of the Fire, Wind, and Earth countries, as well as smaller nations like the Land of Rivers and the Land of Birds. Akatsuki had already made moves to infiltrate these areas, discreetly influencing border towns in the larger nations. The Land of Rivers, with its long, narrow shape, was trickier to manage, but the Land of Birds was a small and defenseless country, making it an easy target.
The ninja world had many such small nations, often no bigger than a single town. In most other worlds, these would have been easily absorbed by their neighbors, but the peculiar system of the ninja world had allowed them to survive until now. However, that was rapidly changing with the rise of Akatsuki.
"You're the Daimyo of the Land of Birds? I didn't expect that," Daniel said, a bit surprised when his men brought the daimyo before him. Though they succeeded in subduing the country, two Akatsuki shinobi had been killed—not by the daimyo, but by rogue ninja who had infiltrated the nation before Akatsuki's arrival.
Like pirates infiltrating a noble family, rogue ninja had used transformation jutsu to impersonate the daimyo's court members, even killing the old daimyo and assuming his son's identity. Akatsuki's swift action had prevented the rogues from fully taking over.
Not every ninja abided by the rules of the ninja world. There were countless rogue ninja who exploited smaller nations, using chakra for personal gain in ways that broke the traditional codes—whether by cheating at gambling or taking over weak, defenseless countries like the Land of Birds.
"Never! We will never surrender!" The young daimyo of the Land of Birds stood before Daniel, defiant and determined. But Daniel only chuckled coldly.
"Won't surrender, huh? But you let rogue ninja take control of your country. Do you really think I'll go easy on you?" Daniel sneered. "Akatsuki can give your people a better life, with lower taxes and more security. Tell me, if rogue ninja can take your land, do you think we can't?"
To demonstrate, Daniel transformed into an exact copy of the daimyo, his flawless replication causing the young man's face to pale in shock.
"The true responsibility of a daimyo is to ensure the well-being of their people. I doubt you even have any real support left in your country," Daniel said, his voice dripping with contempt. "Ask your sister what your people really think of you."
The rogue ninja who had infiltrated the Land of Birds had only cared about living in luxury, never about developing the nation. As a result, the people had suffered while their leaders indulged.
"I'll give you three days to think it over," Daniel said, turning to the Akatsuki shinobi overseeing the situation. "If he doesn't agree by then, proceed with the original plan."
"Understood," the shinobi replied.
The "original plan" was simple: just like the rogue ninja, Akatsuki would use transformation jutsu to take control. The people of the Land of Birds wouldn't know the difference.
In this world of chakra, even high-ranking officials like the five Kage had to undergo routine checks to ensure they hadn't been replaced by transformation jutsu or fallen under genjutsu. Even the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, had been controlled by Uchiha Madara for years before Konoha finally confirmed it.
With that, the daimyo and his sister were led away.
"The villages of Takigakure and Hoshigakure can wait. After the ceremony, we'll deal with them. For now, it's time to show the world what a new ninja village can look like."
Akatsuki had invited not only the five great nations but also smaller ninja villages to attend their upcoming ceremony. If they could convince them to join peacefully, that would be ideal. But even if they refused, at least Akatsuki could say they had offered them a choice.
---
A loud roar interrupted Daniel's thoughts as he was researching the Chimera Technique in his lab. Moments later, alarms blared across the Rain Village, signaling an enemy attack.
Curious, Daniel left his lab and flew to a high tower overlooking the village. He peered out, watching the chaos unfold below.
"That's the Nine-Tails! Has Konoha launched an attack? But something's off. Naruto shouldn't have full control of the Nine-Tails yet," Daniel thought, frowning as he observed the rampaging beast in the village's commercial district.
"Could it be...?" A suspicion formed in Daniel's mind. He quickly descended, using Moonwalk to speed toward the scene of the attack.
"I hope it's not what I think it is. Otherwise, Konoha is playing with fire. Forcing the Nine-Tails to go berserk could kill Naruto, even with his Uzumaki bloodline."
Though Daniel doubted Tsunade or the Konoha elders would willingly sacrifice Naruto, the thought lingered. In desperate times, even the most trusted allies could make terrible decisions.
"There are quite a few of them. Looks like a lot of people snuck in recently," Daniel muttered, noting the number of unfamiliar ninjas in the area. But he wasn't too surprised. With Rain Village now open to outsiders, it was inevitable that spies and
enemies would infiltrate.
"What the—this isn't Naruto!" Daniel's eyes widened in shock as he landed near the Nine-Tails. Instead of Naruto, an unfamiliar boy stood at the center of the rampaging beast.
"Asuma? You've got guts showing up here," Daniel growled, recognizing Konoha's Sarutobi Asuma among the attackers. Next to him was Chiriku from the Fire Temple, and a group of others Daniel didn't recognize.
"Twelve Guardian Ninja..." Daniel realized, piecing together the identities of the attackers. These were the elite ninja sworn to protect the Fire Daimyo.
"The Fire Temple dares to attack here? Looks like it's time to wipe them off the map," Daniel said, his voice cold.
"Rain Village's ambitions to unite the world are an unforgivable sin. It is you who have no right to exist!" retorted a bald man with a lute standing next to Chiriku. As he spoke, he strummed the strings, releasing soundwaves.
"Sound-based genjutsu, huh?" Daniel wasn't impressed. Ignoring the illusionary effects, he focused on the rampaging Nine-Tails. In a flash, he appeared above the beast, delivering a crushing kick to its head. The force of the blow sent the massive fox crashing to the ground with a pained roar, blood spurting from its human host's mouth.
"So, this is a fake Nine-Tails jinchūriki," Daniel mused, recognizing the artificial creation from the original story.
"His name's Sora." Asuma called out, worried for the boy, who struggled to his feet. With a twisted face, Sora let out an enraged howl as his five tails morphed into six, intensifying the destruction around him.
"Asuma, it seems I need to remind you why you should never use a tailed beast in my presence," Daniel said, his voice cold. He swiftly formed hand seals, summoning a massive wooden dragon that surged from the earth and coiled around the rampaging Nine-Tails.
At that moment, elsewhere in the Rain Village, a woman activated a large scroll, shouting, "Barrier Technique: Eight Gates Lockdown!"
Eight massive gates appeared in all four directions, forming a colossal barrier that sealed off the entire village.
"A barrier, huh?" Daniel looked up as the barrier enclosed Rain Village.
"Looks like I underestimated the Twelve Guardian Ninja," he muttered, his expression turning serious.
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