When they heard they would have to pay taxes to the World Government—and at a ridiculous rate of over 60% of national income—
Some people couldn't sit still anymore.
Especially the smaller countries. It basically meant handing their whole country over. The Five Great Nations weren't even hiding their ambition anymore—it was out in the open now.
Giving up 60% of their income? What was the point of even running a country? At that point, the World Government was like a major shareholder owning 60% of everything.
And a country's independence would basically be gone.
Even though small countries didn't always talk about independence, they still cared a lot about their status.
Not every country's leaders were out to squeeze their people. Some were so laid-back they didn't even have real systems in place—just letting their citizens live however they wanted.
So, in a messy system like the ninja world, trying to roll out a single policy for everyone was nearly impossible.
"You object?"
"Our World Government absolutely respects your choices. And I can promise you, the World Government is a government that believes in fairness and justice.
If your country doesn't want to join the World Government, we won't force you. But in the same way, the World Government won't do anything for your country either."
Standing at the center of the meeting hall, the Ichidai Kiyomu was still speaking calmly, his face full of kindness.
"But I hope you understand that the duty of the World Government is to protect peace. So, if your country gets taken over by pirates or the Revolutionary Army, the World Government will still take action."
As he looked around at everyone in the room, a powerful energy burst from his body. That gentle presence now gave off a wild, intense feeling—he had entered Sage Mode.
Blue flames appeared around Ichidai Kiyomu.
The moment people saw those flames, a wave of fear swept through the room.
Other sages also stepped forward at that moment. Huge amounts of natural energy gathered inside the meeting hall, and under that terrifying pressure, many people felt their hearts pounding and chills running down their spines.
It was pure instinct—living beings naturally sensing danger. This wasn't a subtle message anymore—it was a direct threat.
There was no way the world nobles were giving up their privileged status. And the sages? Even less so.
To the sages, they were the ones who had contributed the most to forming the World Government.
Sages and regular people were on totally different levels—they weren't even the same kind of being.
In the past, sages didn't even bother to acknowledge ninjas. But now, with the rise of a new era, ninjas had earned some serious status.
Still, sages were at the very top.
Their position was unquestionable.
These people are full of pride. When it comes to regular folks, killing them means nothing—they don't care how many die. Even when a world noble dies, it's not a big deal.
To them, the death of a world noble only affects the reputation of the Sages.
But for the Sages themselves, these people are just tools—or maybe not even tools.
It's true that not all Sages are useless, but this group definitely aren't good people. In fact, calling them "people" might be too generous.
Just look at guys like Yamano Shishi and Kiyosu Iemitsu, who were almost killed by Orochimaru. They've already drifted way too far from the rest of the ninja world.
After living for over a thousand years without worries, they've lost any real sense of who they are. Their high status made them forget to think about their own place in the world.
Or maybe, to the Sages, they were just born to be "above" everyone else.
Even Fukuda Ichidai Kiyomu, who takes it to another level—he doesn't even treat the other Sages as people. He aimed straight at the Sage of Six Paths himself. He just failed.
At that moment, the Sages at the meeting all gave off a cold, sharp look. A terrifying wave of natural energy spread across the entire place.
"Hehehe, looks like we've stayed quiet for too long. These bugs have forgotten their place, haven't they?"
"Yeah. Trash like this wouldn't have even seen us before."
The disgust and scorn in the Sages' eyes were plain as day.
"So... anyone still want to object?"
First Sage Ichidai Kiyomu spoke again—his voice calm but freezing cold, echoing through the room.
He's known as one of the more reasonable Sages, but even he looks down on ninjas—and even more so on normal people.
The whole room went silent in an instant.
"Quite the show of power, huh?"
Gato stared at the people in the center of the meeting. And not just them—he looked up and saw more figures floating in the sky, watching from above.
"So this is the hidden strength of the Five Great Nations?"
"This kind of power... it really is scary."
Doto Kazahana gave a cold snort. He didn't seem too bothered. In the Land of Snow, money? What money? It's all shady business anyway.
So even if they had to pay up, it wouldn't be much.
For the Land of Snow, this was just one more problem on top of many. And honestly... Dotou had seen worse.
He once blew the entire national budget on building some huge vanity project. The Land of Snow survived that. So now, handing over 60%? Whatever.
And now, he could totally just sit back and let others take care of things. If someone else wants to run the place, they're welcome to it.
But that was just Doto's take. He knew full well that for other countries, things could go bad—fast.
"It's not just the Five Great Nations. Those countries that haven't reacted yet? They probably know what's going on too.
Right now, the world government is just using its power to crush others. If you don't join them, they'll slap a label on you and find a reason to replace your whole country."
Gato sneered.
"Mr. Gato, I assume you're not planning to join?"
"Me? The real boss of the Land of Waves is Zabuza. Even if we lose the country, I'll still be a businessman."
Gato shrugged. He might have the title of ruler, but he was never really in charge.
And now, he didn't even care about the Land of Waves anymore.
It's small, the people are always complaining, and they cause trouble whenever they feel like it.
"If I speak out now, I'll probably be targeted, huh?"
Doto Kazahana looked around the hall. No one dared to speak up. In a situation like this, whoever steps forward first is as good as dead.
Gato was also waiting. He didn't want to die either. His position still wasn't strong enough.
After being the one to take the lead so many times before, Gato had learned to keep a low profile. Every time he stood out too much, trouble would come knocking.
"Sigh\~"
A long sigh came from the area behind the Land of Water's seat.
Hearing that, a sly grin crept onto Gato's face.
"So that guy's finally speaking up."
Gato and Doto Kazahana both turned their eyes to the person who had made the sound.
It was a chubby middle-aged man, dressed in fancy noble clothes, with two thin mustaches and a nervous, hunched posture.
It was none other than the Daimyo of the Land of the Sea, Mishima Gekkou.
As soon as he spoke, all eyes in the hall turned to him.
"Kiyosu, it's getting cold. Bring me something warmer."
Mishima Gekkou spoke softly and told his servant to bring him a change of clothes. He slowly stood up, took off his fancy robe, and tossed it aside.
Underneath, his pale, flabby body was fully exposed, leaving only a pair of floral boxers.
"Mishima Gekkou, what are you doing?!"
The Land of Water Daimyo stood up immediately. His eyes were cold and sharp. Why are you making a scene now?
"What am I doing? Nothing much. Just feels like things are about to change."
Mishima Gekkou dropped his cowardly act and looked straight at the Land of Water Daimyo with a serious gaze. At the same time, his eyes locked onto the sages in the center of the hall.
Behind him, Kiyosu pulled out a large flag and draped it over Gekkou's back like a cloak.
Kiyosu wasn't just a servant—he was a loyal retainer, someone Gekkou fully trusted.
Even though Kiyosu always looked cold and serious, his loyalty to Gekkou was absolute.
"Sir, it's done."
Kiyosu's voice was icy, but Gekkou smiled as soon as he heard it.
"This one's still the most comfortable to wear, hahaha!"
At that moment, Mishima Gekkou looked completely ridiculous—like a clown.
His pale, jiggling fat was fully exposed, making people want to look away. His appearance wasn't exactly creepy, but it was definitely greasy and off-putting.
He was now only wearing floral boxers and a long cape trailing on the ground behind him.
But Gekkou didn't seem embarrassed at all. Instead, he stared straight at the sages.
"Sorry, everyone!"
"The Land of the Sea just can't afford to pay such a huge protection fee. All this fat on me is thanks to the people of my land."
"It's only because of them that I've been able to live like this."
"So… there's no way the Land of the Sea can hand over that money. I'm a shameless, useless Daimyo, and I don't want to give up the life I have now."
"And… I hope one day, everyone in the Land of the Sea can live just like me."
As he said those words, Mishima Gekkou's smile looked genuinely sincere. His eyes, locked on the sages, were full of determination.
He looked like a clown, but until this new era arrived, he had been quietly paying protection money to the Land of Water.
After what happened in the Land of Water, the Sea Country got dragged into the mess too.
To protect the Sea Country, Mishima Gekkou had no choice but to ask the Land of Waves for help. That's how he eventually got connected to Shanks.
He was willing to give up anything for the Sea Country. And what Shanks wanted — was his life.
He asked him to bet his own life to win a future for everyone in the Sea Country. As long as he could do that, Shanks promised to keep the Sea Country safe.
In the ninja world, you don't have to trust anyone. But Shanks — even if he's a pirate — is someone you can always count on.
A pirate, but still one you can trust.
"You're asking to die!!"
One of the sages standing beside the Ichidai Kiyomu shouted angrily.
Since someone wanted to die, he wasn't going to hold back.
In the next second, a flash of lightning shot straight at Mishima Gekkou. The powerful blast locked onto him, tearing through the air.
Everyone at the meeting saw it — including Mishima Gekkou.
But the next moment, a white flash of a blade cut the lightning in half. The lightning was fast, but the sword was even faster.
*Clang!!*
The sharp sound of metal rang out from the center of the meeting. In the crowd, Naruto and Sasuke looked at Kakashi's now-empty seat with surprise on their faces.
"Are you looking to die too?"
Kakashi's cold voice rang out. His sword, still sheathed, was pointed at the sage who attacked. His eyes were full of killing intent.
"..."
At that moment, the entire hall was stunned. Even Tsunade stood up from her seat.
"Kakashi!!"
"Kakashi!"
Nara Shikaku stood up too. He didn't want a fight to break out right now. Kakashi wasn't Hokage yet — if something started here, it'd be a mess to clean up later.
"..."
"You… you dare attack me?"
The sage Kakashi was pointing at looked shocked — and a little scared. There was blood on Kakashi's blade — his blood.
"So... do you really want to die?"
Kakashi's voice stayed cold.
"Heh… heheheh!!"
"Kakashi, huh? I'll remember you."
The sage backed off, slowly raising his hands in surrender.
Kakashi also put his blade away.
He kept a sharp eye on the group of sages. Back when Jiraiya told him about them, Kakashi had already prepared for a possible clash.
They weren't allies — these guys were even more dangerous than Danzo.
Behind the Land of Water Daimyo, Mishima Gekkou was still shaken.
He had almost died — right here, right now.
"Kiyosu, let's go!!"
Dragging his heavy body, Mishima Gekkou got up and left his seat.
The strange cloak on his back fluttered in the breeze, revealing a pirate flag—with bright red hair that stood out sharply.
Kiyosu quietly followed behind him. Mishima Gekkou walked away from the meeting hall, under the eyes of tens of thousands of people.
He looked silly and awkward, but no one dared to laugh.
"That's the Red-Haired Pirates' flag..."
"That guy... he's got guts."
"He might look like a coward, but he has the spirit of a pirate. If Red-Hair chose him, then he must have something special."
As the Red-Haired Pirates' flag spread out behind him, the Daimyo of the Land of the Sea—who once looked timid in everyone's eyes—suddenly seemed taller and more powerful.
His clumsy steps and wobbling fat might've looked funny, but...
No one laughed at the fat man.
And no one dared to laugh at him either.
"The world is about to change."
"That guy's bold... doesn't he care if he dies?"
Kazahana Nutou also let out a sigh of admiration.
Once someone makes the first move, others are bound to follow.
A few leaders of smaller nations also stood up and quietly left the meeting.
Gato also slipped into the crowd and left quietly. But with his chubby body, he still drew some attention.
As for the others, with Kakashi's sudden interruption, the mood of the whole meeting turned a bit strange.
Still, a few small nations walking out didn't have much impact on the overall event.
---
You can read 50 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu