A New Snake In The Shinobi World

The Third Mizukage's decision to retreat so decisively was based on harsh realities. After the other villages suffered defeats, Kirigakure knew it couldn't take on Konoha head-on. With their base camp far out at sea, their supply chain was slower compared to the other villages.

Orochimaru killing five of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen was the final blow, the straw that broke the camel's back leaving Kirigakure no choice but to retreat.

Thus, the Third Ninja World War ended in an anticlimactic manner.

Even Orochimaru hadn't anticipated that defeating the Seven Ninja Swordsmen would have such a significant impact on the war. To him, their lives meant nothing. At that time, he had simply acted on a whim.

If he could kill them, he would. If not, he wouldn't bother.

Otherwise, with his strength and the cooperation of three Edo Tensei Kage, not just seven, but even eighteen opponents wouldn't have been able to escape.

As for the weapons dropped by the Seven? Orochimaru had no interest in them. His strength had long surpassed the need for such tools.

To him, it was merely a gift for Tsunade.

After defeating the Seven, Orochimaru returned to the Sound Ninja Village with Kushina.

"Are they… really the daimyos of small countries?"

The figures inside the capsules were far from the refined appearances one might expect. Unlike the uniformly crafted clones Orochimaru had previously created, these individuals varied greatly in height, weight, and build.

Some were gaunt with scraggly beards, while others were overweight and appeared aged. From their appearances alone, they seemed more like ordinary people than ninjas.

Hearing Kushina's question, Orochimaru shrugged nonchalantly. "Of course. Why would I need to lie to you?"

"How… how is this possible?" Kushina stammered in shock.

Having spent so much time with Orochimaru, she was well aware of his numerous research projects, including human cloning.

But why would he clone the daimyos of small countries?

Even if Kushina wasn't a ninja, it wouldn't take much for anyone to guess Orochimaru's intentions.

"Lord Orochimaru, are you planning to…"

"Rule over these small countries," Orochimaru said bluntly, not even attempting to hide his motives. "The first step is to use these clones to replace the daimyos of those small nations." ʀ𝒶No͍ꞖЁś

"What… what?"

Kushina was rendered speechless.

Orochimaru's actions were already in direct conflict with her ideals.

Having witnessed the destruction of her own village, Kushina longed for peace more than anything else.

In Konoha, she had experienced tranquility and desperately hoped to preserve it. Like Tsunade, she dreamed of a world where countries could coexist peacefully without war.

But Orochimaru's actions now…

"What's wrong? Do you have an issue with this?" Orochimaru asked casually when he noticed Kushina's silence.

"No… no, I don't."

Kushina didn't dare voice her objections. She knew that only Tsunade had the authority to challenge Orochimaru's decisions.

---

After the war, all the nations entered a period of recovery and rebuilding.

Those who needed to marry got married, and those starting families welcomed children.

Under Tsunade's leadership, Konoha underwent a complete reorganization.

While the larger nations focused on recuperating, Orochimaru quietly advanced his own plans for controlling the smaller countries.

His plan was simple: program the clones with an unwavering loyalty to him while implanting the original daimyos' memories into their minds.

This created clones identical to the original daimyos in appearance, memories, and even habits—but completely obedient to Orochimaru.

The method was akin to Sasori's technique of controlling people with chakra strings.

However, Orochimaru's approach was far more advanced.

Unlike Sasori's puppetry, which could be discovered and used only once, Orochimaru's method was nearly undetectable. The clones could maintain continuous interaction with the populace without raising suspicion.

Imagine: a daimyo, indistinguishable from the original, ruling as usual yet secretly controlled by another. It wouldn't take long for the entire country to fall under Orochimaru's control.

Once the clones were installed as daimyos, Orochimaru would oversee the administration, tailoring policies to suit each country's specific needs.

Of course, Orochimaru didn't stop at simply replacing the daimyos.

He also imparted agricultural and farming techniques to the clones, ensuring that the people of these countries wouldn't go hungry.

By improving the lives of the citizens, the daimyos could earn their loyalty, further solidifying Orochimaru's influence.

As for why Orochimaru didn't simply implant obedience commands into the original daimyos' minds?

The answer was simple.

Humans, with their emotions and resistance, were unpredictable. Forcing obedience required the full cooperation of the subject, which was difficult to guarantee.

Even using genjutsu to increase success rates wouldn't push beyond 50% and was ultimately a waste of time.

Replacing the original daimyos with obedient clones was faster, safer, and far more effective.

---

Konoha, January Year 48.

Orochimaru led Kushina, twenty clone guards, and the replacement daimyos to their destinations in two separate countries.

For ordinary people, swapping out daimyos would be an insurmountable task. The complexities of memory extraction and implantation alone would be beyond their capabilities.

But for Orochimaru, it was far from impossible.

A man who could manipulate souls and master cutting-edge technology would hardly struggle with transferring memories.

Sneaking into the daimyo's residence undetected, Orochimaru would replace the original before anyone could react.

---

The Daimyo's residence, Land of Grass.

Orochimaru sat leisurely on a sofa.

Kushina, her long red hair cascading down her back, stood with her back to him.

Lifting her skirt slightly, she sat down on Orochimaru's lap.

One of her black knee-high stockings slipped off completely, while the other remained half-removed.

Orochimaru, however, paid no attention to these details. His focus was entirely on the way Kushina moved her waist, eliciting a sense of satisfaction.

"Kushina, you've become much more… skilled, haven't you?" Orochimaru teased.@@novelbin@@

"Lord… Lord Orochimaru, I… I…" Kushina stammered, her voice faltering as her movements continued.

Her gasps of pleasure filled the room, and soon, Orochimaru's "battle" reached its end.

"Hah… Lord Orochimaru… I don't think I can stay with you any longer," Kushina whispered breathlessly.

"Why not?" Orochimaru asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I… I think… I might be…"

"Pregnant?"

"…Yes."

"Then why were you still coming here?" Orochimaru snapped, his tone annoyed.

"Don't you know the first three months are the most critical?"