Several days later, Yuto's Three Kingdoms series reached its final update.
[Old general recommends new strategies, Sun Hao surrenders, and the Three Kingdoms unite into one.]
Countless Ninjas in the shop sighed as they read this conclusion.
Over the past few days, they had been addicted to this book like it was some kind of drug.
After finishing the final chapter, these readers felt as if they had befriended a group of heroes, only to watch them fall one by one.
The story of the Three Kingdoms had finally reached its conclusion: "The world returns to Jin."
Each of the three factions had its own spirit: Wei had its backbone, Shu had its romance, and Wu had its valor.
---
Jiraiya had been staying up day and night, reading the latest updates of Romance of the Three Kingdoms over and over again.
But no matter how many times he read it, it was never enough.
He remembered when Tsunade had seen how obsessed he was with the book and asked him why it was so captivating.
Jiraiya calmly replied, "Have you seen the moon at four in the morning in Konoha?"
Tsunade was confused, not understanding what Jiraiya was trying to say.
Jiraiya explained, "The moon at four in the morning in Konoha is exceptionally bright. You can see a line stretching dozens of meters in front of the shop."
But after Three Kingdoms ended, Jiraiya felt a void in his heart, as if it still wasn't enough.
In fact, during these days, he hadn't gone out to 'gather material' even once.
---
In the Hokage's Office, the desk was piled high with paperwork.
But there was still some space left for Hiruzen to take out the Romance of the Three Kingdoms book hidden under the table.
If he didn't finish the paperwork soon, Tsunade would probably come to nag him again.
But as Hiruzen read about the fall of Shu, he already knew how the Three Kingdoms would end.
One line stood out to him the most.
"Do not do evil because it is small; do not neglect good because it is small. A wise ruler like Liu Bei couldn't even conquer the world. If he hadn't made that final push, Shu could have remained a small, stable kingdom…"
Although he said this, Hiruzen deeply admired Liu Bei.
In his eyes, only a benevolent ruler like Liu Bei could bring order to the world.
---
"Konan, is this really the last chapter?"
"Nagato, you've asked this at least five times. Doesn't it say 'The End' right here?"
Konan was surprised by Nagato's unusual behavior.
Standing on a high platform overlooking Amegakure, Deva Path's Rinnegan gazed down at the villagers walking below.
As the rain fell gently…
"I would rather let myself wrong the world than let the world wrong me."
"Konan, for the sake of peace in the Ninja World, we must carry this path forward! "
Konan frowned slightly, "Such domineering words. Nagato, did you learn this from the book?"
Deva Path nodded, then shook his head. "Konan, after we finish dealing with the current matters, you should read this book too."
"For the sake of peace in the Ninja World, starting today, we will disband the paired teams and have each member operate independently, recruiting civilians or Rogue Ninjas and training new soldiers."
"When the time comes, we will unite and strike together."
Konan was even more confused, 'After that incident, hadn't the Akatsuki decided to only recruit high-level fighters?'
'If Nagato went through with this, wouldn't it risk repeating the tragedies of the past? These were civilians living in dire conditions.'
Just as Konan was about to argue, Deva Path spoke again, "Without war, there can be no peace, and without death, there can be no rebirth. For the sake of peace in the Ninja World, I have a new idea: war."
"Only by unifying the world can we achieve peace! The scattered, chaotic nations are obstacles to peace. Only by... unifying the world!"
Konan was stunned by Nagato's words.
"Then... what about collecting the Tailed Beasts?"
"Of course, the Tailed Beasts are an important force, but now is not the time."
…
In a cold, dark basement.
The bandaged man revealed a sinister expression.
"Heh... hehehehe! In the end, it was Zhongda who had the last laugh."
Then he tore off the humorous bandages on his right hand, "The shadow hidden beneath the flames eventually devoured the light..."
Looking at the ending of the Three Kingdoms returning to the Jin, Danzo's face showed increasing satisfaction.
"Compared to Zhongda, I seem to have even greater advantages."
"Hiruzen, I'll have to play with you a bit more."
---
Until a few days ago, Danzo was only viewing the novel from the perspective of a 'spectator.'
But as the Three Kingdoms approached its end, Danzo began to notice something unusual.
While other readers lamented the fall of heroes, only Danzo noticed... the shadow lurking behind the curtain had emerged.
The shadow gradually eroded the foundation of Wei.
In the end... the Three Kingdoms returned to Jin!
For others, this was the end of an era.
But for the cheerful and sunny Danzo...
This was pure wish-fulfillment!
The Sima Yi Arc of Romance of the Three Kingdoms is the perfect wish-fulfillment story for Danzo. (T/N: Zhongda is Sima Yi.)
---
Nara Clan's compound.
A group of Nara clansmen with pineapple-shaped hairstyles were deep in discussion... They had been talking for days.
Even Shikamaru, who usually avoided trouble, couldn't help but join in occasionally.
"In my opinion, if Prime Minister Zhuge Liang's Seven-Star Lamp Ritual hadn't been disrupted, Sima Yi wouldn't have had a chance to show off?"
"No... Prime Minister Zhuge was wise and resourceful, but unfortunately, his lord was mediocre and easily swayed by flattery."
"Shu was lacking in talent in its later years! Why did they have to execute Ma Su? He was a rare talent!"
"It was to stabilize morale and establish authority..."
---
The Nara Clan was busy analyzing how to help Zhuge Liang succeed in his northern campaigns.
In three days, they came up with 108 strategies, only to have all of them dismantled by their own people.
In the end, they realized... Prime Minister Zhuge was just too damn impressive.
He was as clever as a demon, as if the characters and events in the book were alive.
---
Just as everyone was reflecting on the conclusion of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the next day, Yuto released the preliminary version of [Legends of the Three Kingdoms].
With the immense popularity of the Three Kingdoms, the game immediately attracted countless eyes.
And after a brief introduction, those who loved the original Three Kingdoms were all captivated by the game.
Even the bandaged man from the basement couldn't resist going out to gather intelligence.
Using his advanced Transformation Technique, Danzo curiously examined the shop.
"Is this the shop that released Romance of the Three Kingdoms?"
After muttering to himself, Danzo walked inside.
He saw a sign in the shop.
[Three Kingdoms players, please go underground]
'Three Kingdoms players? I guess that includes me.' Danzo thought, nodding. He loved cold, damp basements, perfect for the growth of humorous bandages.
"Eight players needed for the game, one more... anyone? If there's no one, we'll start."
"Eh? Old man, want to join? We're one player short..."
Danzo had just entered when he was called over.
He was about to refuse, but seeing this new thing and considering his current disguise, Danzo said, "I'm not very familiar with the rules, so please bear with me later."
"No problem, we had only learned about the rules not long ago. You'll pick it up after a couple of rounds."
---
The game rules were the same as [Legends of the Three Kingdoms] from Yuto's previous life.
After receiving his identity card, Danzo silently looked at his [Traitor] role.
Then, the General cards were dealt.
Danzo glanced at the General cards in his hand and could choose one.
At the end of the stack, Danzo saw a General card.
[Sima Yi]
He then looked at his identity card again.
Danzo quietly picked Sima Yi, "This old man... Cough, I have made my choice."
"Oh, alright. By the way... we don't know your name yet."
Danzo looked at the Ninja across from him
"Hehe, me? You can call me Shimura... Zhongda."