Coercion

"Long ago, there was a demon fox that plagued mankind! It had nine tails, and wherever it went, mountains collapsed and seas roared."

"The people suffered greatly and gathered Ninja."

"One Ninja spared no effort to seal the demon fox, but died of exhaustion as well."

"This Ninja was called the Fourth, known as the Hokage."

This was the message included with Uzumaki Company’s newly released Ninja Game, accompanied by exquisite special-effect animations.

The latest version of Ninja Game was exceptionally well-made and included many new modes, such as team battle and Weakness Effect. The moment it was released, it won the love of countless youths.

The game starring the Fourth Hokage was especially popular. People in Konoha and elsewhere in the Land of Fire all knew of Namikaze Minato. The Yellow Flash had made his name during the Third Shinobi World War, and Sarutobi Hiruzen had intended to elevate Namikaze Minato to power at the time, so he had employed many methods to build Namikaze Minato’s reputation.

Moreover, Namikaze Minato had only been dead for a few years, and people’s memories had not yet faded.

With the latest Ninja Game carrying the Fourth Hokage’s name, it naturally attracted plenty of interest.

It was not just youths. Even Ninja passing shops that sold Ninja Game consoles and computers could not resist going inside for a look.

This game made the Nine-Tails Demon Fox the final boss, and its difficulty was tremendous. It was absolutely impossible for one person to clear it. Only five people working together, all with exceptionally high skill levels, had the slightest chance of beating it.

Roughly five Nara working as a team could clear it.

There was also an utterly maddening setting: every time you were killed by the Nine-Tails, you would be knocked back two stages. That meant players had to waste time and energy clearing those stages again. Furthermore, under Android 18’s development, the stages were not fixed. Trying to improve through endless attempts was nothing but wishful thinking.

Only after playing for several years and becoming proficient in all hundred-plus variations of the stages would one have a chance.

After playing this game, plenty of people would surely curse the Nine-Tails. When youths became enraged after failing to clear it, they would think to ask their parents about the Nine-Tails, thereby stirring up the fear the villagers had experienced years ago.

Games did not always bring joy. Sometimes, they brought conflict. Once Konoha’s people were reminded of the fear caused by the Nine-Tails, that emotion would continue to spread.

All it would take was someone to add fuel to the flames, and fear of the Nine-Tails would become furious, hostile Abomination, surging toward the little one who represented the Nine-Tails like a flood and tsunami.

"A game related to the Fourth?"

In Root’s underground base, Danzo picked up the game presented by his subordinate. The first thing he saw was that hateful Ceremonial Robe and Hokage Hat.

"Hmph, so what if he became Hokage? He still died. Hiruzen’s choice for the Fourth was fundamentally a mistake."

"Lord Danzo, quite a few youths in the village who played the game have started talking about the Nine-Tails because of the final stage—"

The Root operative had investigated the matter thoroughly. Many people were not only discussing the Nine-Tails on the streets; many students at the Ninja Academy had also asked Ninja Teacher about it.

Although they had received no specific answers, this trend had already spread through the village.

Discussion of Tailed Beasts should have been stopped in the first place, but the Uchiha Military Police Force had taken no action.

First, there were simply too many people talking. More people were discussing the Nine-Tails this time than had discussed the Uchiha last time. If they truly started arresting people, even three more detention prisons would not be enough.

Second, the Military Police Force members did not want to deal with it either. Back then, quite a few people had claimed the Nine-Tails was controlled by the Uchiha. If they stepped in now, no matter their intentions, they would only invite trouble.

Unless the Hokage issued an order, the Military Police Force would not act. This was not merely the opinion of several Squad Captains in the Military Police Force, but Uchiha Fugaku’s as well.

After the Root Ninja finished reporting the situation, Danzo pondered for a while before a cold smile appeared on his lips.

"Hmph, Uzumaki Company wants to make money off the Fourth’s reputation? They have happened to help me. I also want to see how you will protect the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki when the entire village’s fury is directed at you, Hiruzen, Kushina."

Danzo then summoned several Root Ninja and gave the order.

"Spread the news throughout the village that Uzumaki Naruto is the Nine-Tails. Be careful. Do not let anyone else obtain evidence. Wait—do not limit it to Konoha. Spread the news throughout the Land of Fire as well. Then we shall see what Hiruzen does."

As for Uzumaki Naruto’s safety, Danzo had considered that as well. Over the past several decades, only Kumo-nin had taken action against Jinchuriki; the other Ninja Villages had made no such moves. As long as he had Root Ninja keep a close watch on Uzumaki Naruto, he could ensure that Ninja from other villages did not target him.

At the same time, the more people involved in discussing the Nine-Tails, the greater his chance of taking the Jinchuriki into his grasp. A former Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, having lost the Nine-Tails’ power and her greatest support, simply could not protect the Nine-Tails.

Danzo could already imagine himself controlling the Nine-Tails. By then, both the Nine-Tails and Wood Release would be in his hands, and the position of Hokage would be within easy reach. With Konoha as his starting point, he would create a Ninja World of eternal peace—a feat far surpassing that of the First Hokage!

At the same time, the same scene was playing out in Sunagakure, and it was far more intense than in Konoha.

Ninja Game had been released simultaneously. Naturally, the final boss in the Land of Wind’s version was the One-Tail. Sunagakure’s seal was nowhere near as effective as Konoha’s, unable to keep the Jinchuriki completely free from the Tailed Beast’s disturbances.

Sunagakure’s Jinchuriki had to endure the One-Tail’s noise at all times. If his mind was not firm enough, it could very easily trigger a Tailed Beast rampage.

Among Rasa’s reforms was one measure: to have his son gain control of the One-Tail’s power as quickly as possible.

Only by successfully controlling the Tailed Beast could Sunagakure have confidence on the battlefield.

However, Rasa’s plan had been disrupted by a Ninja Game. Of course, Sasori’s networking efforts had also played a major role.

In front of the Kazekage’s Office Building, many Ninja and Villagers had gathered. Most had learned of the One-Tail through Ninja Game, so they had come together to the Kazekage’s Office Building, wanting an explanation from the Kazekage.

The Ninja and Civilians here were not causing trouble. They were merely shouting and discussing the matter, and there were too many of them for Sunagakure’s Anbu to drive away. They were all Fellow Villagers. Being able to prevent them from storming the Kazekage’s Office Building was already enough; they could hardly use ninjutsu to drive them off.

"Lord Kazekage, please come out and give us an answer!"

"That’s right, Lord Kazekage. Please provide a solution regarding the One-Tail."

"Exactly! We do not want to live in fear anymore!"

"Lord Kazekage, the lives of Villagers and other Ninja are lives too. Please come out and respond!"

These people did not charge into the Kazekage’s Office Building just because of their numbers. Instead, they shouted outside, their voices rising wave after wave and drawing even more people over. Once others learned that this matter concerned the One-Tail, they immediately joined in.

Unlike Konoha, the One-Tail frequently erupted in Sunagakure. Rasa wanted Gaara to master the One-Tail’s power as soon as possible, so he often sent people to deliberately provoke Gaara, causing the One-Tail to erupt again and again so that Gaara could become familiar with the Tailed Beast’s power through the process.

But Gaara certainly lived within the village. Rasa could not possibly place Gaara outside the village. If the One-Tail fully erupted, only he had the strength to suppress it.

For this reason, Sunagakure’s Ninja and Villagers would occasionally see Gaara go berserk. Moreover, because of the sand’s protection, Rasa did not restrict Gaara’s freedom. Whenever Sunagakure’s Villagers saw Gaara on the streets, they reacted as though they had encountered a flood beast.

That was indeed the case. Fluctuations in Gaara’s emotions would cause One-Tail Chakra to leak out, triggering Tailed Beast Transformation within the village and injuring many people.

This Ninja Game, together with the efforts of certain people to rally others, had thoroughly ignited the conflict surrounding the One-Tail. Over a thousand people had gathered before the Kazekage’s Office Building, demanding an explanation.

Among these people was Blaze Release Yōkura, a Ninja of considerable strength and prestige.

At a friend’s request, Pakura had no choice but to come along. After hearing everyone else’s demands, she also felt that resolving the One-Tail issue sooner would be better, at least so the Villagers would no longer have to live in constant fear.

Second update.

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