Just as Yakushi Kabuto stood at a loss for words under Jūbei’s questioning, an elderly commoner dressed in plain clothes stepped out from among the farmers.
"Lord Jūbei, is it true that people from Konoha have attacked us?"
The old man asked cautiously.
Jūbei nodded without saying anything.
He wasn’t entirely sure what had happened himself, but he had no other answer he could give them.
There was simply no way to explain it.
After all, they had spent so many years spreading this narrative.
Upon receiving confirmation, the old man became even more agitated, his voice almost breaking into sobs.
"My lord, there are people here who were once citizens of the Land of Fire, and there are people who came from other countries as well. But now, we all share only one identity."
He knelt down.
"We are all people living under the rule of the Uchiha."
"For years, we endured endless warfare and oppression from the nobility. We lost our land and became impoverished commoners who couldn’t afford to pay taxes. We became debtors who could never repay what we owed our lords."
Tears rolled down the old man’s weathered, wrinkled face and fell onto his clean clothes.
"Wind mingles with rain, and rain turns to sleet. Through the night, the cold pierces to the bone. The tongue touches salt like stone...
"Dressed in short hemp garments, we are exposed to the freezing wind, yet there are others even poorer than us. Their parents freeze stiff, while their wives wail and weep.
"The earth and sky may be vast, yet there is nowhere for the poor to stand. The sun and moon may shine brightly, yet their light never reaches the common people."
No one had expected this formerly impoverished old man to know such a song.
He sang to express what was in his heart, then began repeatedly bowing his head to the ground.
"My lord, we were forced to leave the homes that once belonged to us. It was you, Lord Daimyō, who gave us the chance to begin our lives again."
Blood trickled down the old man’s forehead.
When he raised his head once more, his gaze was resolute.
"Those Konoha shinobi once helped the nobles take away the very foundation of our survival. If today they intend to take everything we have from us once again, then they will have to step over our dead bodies!"
Once people had lost everything, experienced helplessness and suffering, and then regained something better, there was no way they would fail to cherish what they possessed now.
For a moment, the crowd became utterly incensed.
These people who had once been ruined and displaced were determined never again to live as wanderers without a home.
The voices of nearly four thousand people rose into the heavens.
Looking at these people who possessed no real martial strength yet had such courage, Jūbei was deeply moved.
He suddenly remembered something Lord Kei had said when he was distributing land among his people.
"Listen carefully. A man without a permanent livelihood cannot have a settled heart. Today, I have divided this land among you, so you must divide land among those under your command as well."
"If there isn’t enough land, seize it. Take it. Whatever you do, never allow the people under your rule to lose the foundation upon which they can make a living."
At this point, Lord Kei had suddenly taken on an almost sinister expression.
"As long as you bind these displaced people to their land and homes for generations, giving them a reason to keep living, and then spread the idea that more children mean greater blessings, they’ll understand one thing: a family with children will never remain poor forever, while a family without children cannot remain wealthy forever."
That wicked grin had been Lord Kei’s favorite expression back then.
Until the repeated pressure from the Hokage made him gradually stop smiling.
"Hehehe. In their desire to make each generation stronger than the last, those displaced people will pour everything they produce into raising their children."
"Hahaha! At that point, they’ll all become proper leek-growing families!"
"And you will become capitalists and exploiters, eternally sucking their blood as parasites living off them."
"When that happens, you won’t have to do anything. Countless riches will come to you, and countless beautiful women will offer themselves to you. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?"
Lord Kei had looked extremely pleased with himself when he said that.
"I’m simply too evil! Is there anyone in this world more wicked than me?"
Jūbei hadn’t understood what he meant at the time.
He had simply followed Lord Kei’s orders to the letter.
Give everyone land.
Give those capable of working an occupation.
Give those who came after them an education.
Just as Lord Kei had predicted, within only a few months, the once-barren territory had become vibrant and prosperous.
Even Jūbei, as the daimyō, could remain at home without working or worrying, enjoying the material prosperity generated by his domain.
Simply collecting his share of the agricultural harvest was enough for Jūbei to stop laboring himself.
The displaced people who had been gathered under his rule not only regarded Jūbei as their benefactor and worshiped him accordingly, they also worked with extraordinary intensity.
Some even wanted to obtain more fertile farmland from Jūbei and therefore sent their daughters to his residence to serve as maids and attendants.
Even Jūbei himself had never expected his reputation to become what it was.
Instead of being regarded as an evil exploiter, he had somehow gone from benefactor to master.
The displaced people considered it an honor to serve him.
It wasn’t because they had willingly accepted a life of submission.
It was simply because life had been too difficult for them over the years.
In years of famine, displaced people multiplied, and naturally banditry flourished.
Then there were Rogue Shinobi and Missing-nin mixed among them—people whose strength ordinary civilians had absolutely no way of opposing.
That left the disaster-stricken with even less hope of survival.
But wherever the Uchiha went, they gathered the displaced, recruited shinobi, and restored peace to the region.
Thus, the Uchiha who were portrayed as evil by Konoha were, in the eyes of the displaced people, great benefactors and heroes who drove away bandits and returned their farmland to them.
Looking at these people who knew perfectly well that following him would only mean marching to their deaths, yet still wanted to accompany him onto the battlefield, Jūbei sighed inwardly.
"Lord Kei, this prosperous age ultimately hasn’t turned out the way you wanted it to~"
Lord Kei was probably going to be disappointed.
His dream of becoming an evil mastermind was likely going to be shattered.
Jūbei really couldn’t understand it.
Why did Lord Kei always refuse to be a good person?
Whenever someone praised Lord Kei by calling him a good man, Lord Kei would angrily snap back:
"You’re the good person! Your whole family are good people!"
The way he would stomp around in furious indignation made it seem as though he genuinely wasn’t pretending.
Lord Kei truly didn’t want to be a good person.
But that didn’t matter.
Whatever Lord Kei wanted to do, all his subordinates had to do was play along.
After all, Lord Kei rarely came into contact with ordinary civilians.
So what if he had become a saint in the eyes of the common people?
Lord Kei himself didn’t know.
As subordinates, all they had to do was indulge their lord’s little game.
If Lord Kei wanted to be the great villain, then they would report their work to him as though he were the most evil villain imaginable.
For example, today they had actually liberated another village in the Land of Fire that had been overrun by bandits.
But when reporting it to Lord Kei, they would simply say:
"We occupied another civilian settlement."
That way, Lord Kei could remain evil.
The most evil of them all.
Thinking of this, Jūbei, despite having the support of the people, had no intention of proving anything through sheer numbers.
They couldn’t stand on the side that represented justice simply because they had more people.
Lord Kei wouldn’t be happy about that.
"I understand your intentions."
"Driving out foreign enemies is my responsibility as your daimyō. Producing food is your responsibility as my people."
"Go back and farm. Don’t let this interfere with the coming autumn harvest!"
"Go and be grateful to Lord Kei for everything he has given you. Then produce even more food for him and raise even more children."
"Everything for the glory of the Uchiha!"
After saying this, Jūbei paid no attention to the crowd’s reaction.
He led the shinobi through the center of the people and continued forward.
Under the open sky, a thunderous unified cry erupted from the crowd.
"Everything for the glory of the Uchiha!"
The people parted to form a road.
Jūbei said nothing more.
He didn’t tell them how he intended to face Konoha.
But his actions told them everything they needed to know.
They were marching toward the battlefield.
Ten li of streets escort the warrior.
The crowd that had gathered gradually stretched into a long road of farewell as Jūbei and his people advanced.
They understood that the daimyō had refused to take them along because the situation had not yet reached the point where their blood needed to be spilled.
They also understood that following him now would only make them a burden.
They had come to demonstrate their loyalty.
If their lord needed them, they were willing to offer their lives.
And if their lord did not need them, then all they could offer was their support.
Support for every decision made by the warriors heading into battle.
The crowd remained there for a long time, unwilling to disperse, until Jūbei and the others finally disappeared from sight.
Atop Bashan, a towering platform had been erected.
Ten zhang-high white jade pillars supported it.
Dragons were carved and phoenixes embroidered across its surface, gleaming brilliantly in the light.
This platform was called the Red-Viewing Terrace.
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