NARUTO: SECOND GOD OF SHINOBI

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At the edge of the central continent, on the western periphery near the coastal area leading to the Key Nation, one of Hiruzen's clones arrived in a country named the Land of Crystals.

It was a vast territory, almost as large as the Land of Fire, connected to multiple nations.

To its western coastal side lay the Land of Thieves and the vast sea.

Inside one of the cities, a middle-aged man stepped onto the bustling streets.

He was one of Hiruzen's clones, dispatched to the western coastal region with the mission to take over the Land of Crystals.

As he approached the city gates, a group of guards stopped him.

"Halt! First, let us check you. Only then may you enter," one of them commanded.

The clone frowned but complied, choosing to use illusion jutsu to fool the guards.

Under the effect of the genjutsu, he handed them a few silver coins.

With sly grins, the guards accepted the money.

One of them chuckled, "Heh... To tell you the truth, people from the Land of Thieves often sneak in and cause trouble inside the city.

On orders from the nobles and city lord, we have to check everyone."

The clone nodded in understanding and entered the city. Observing the city's prosperity, he mused,

"This city seems well-off. The nobles and civilians must be wealthy... Well then, let's hit a tavern and gather some information."

Asking around for the most famous tavern, he swiftly arrived at a well-known establishment.

The tavern was entirely wooden, with intricate crystal carvings adorning its entrance.

Noting the craftsmanship, the clone nodded in approval before stepping inside.

Upon entry, he found himself in an average-sized dining area.

For a few seconds, all eyes were on him, but he ignored the stares and made his way towards the counter.

Soon, the patrons resumed their conversations.

Sitting down, the clone placed a gold coin on the counter and addressed the bartender.

"Tell me about the situation in the Land of Crystals."

The bartender's eyes gleamed as he swiftly snatched the coin, smirking.

"Heh... Of course, sir! You must be new here, but you came to the right place. In this city, no one knows more about information than me."

He continued, **"The Land of Crystals has seventeen cities.

Among them, this city—Crystal Birch—is the largest and closest to the coastal area on the southern side and also the strongest city in Land of Crystal.

It also borders the Land of Thieves.

In this city, there are five noble families. The Takahara Clan controls the city, and one of their members serves as the City Lord.

They command a force of 4,000 soldiers and 100 mysterious energy masters.

The other four noble clans each maintain varied numbers of soldiers and mysterious masters, with a minimum of 50 each.

Additionally, they hold large-scale business affiliations within Crystal Birch's main market, almost entirely controlling it."**

The clone placed another gold coin on the counter. The bartender snatched it immediately and continued.

**"The other sixteen cities also have mysterious masters. Our old tavern has branches in all seventeen cities, so we have information on them all.

Among them, the Tamada Clan of the northern coastal city wields the most power.

They control Northen Tamada City, with mysterious masters numbering 120 to 130.

However, due to limited trade routes, their resources remain scarce, restricting their influence over the eastern and southern lands.

The other fifteen cities maintain an average of 100 to 200 mysterious masters each.

Meanwhile, the eastern city of Maple Tree is the wealthiest. Its immense trade revenue comes from taxation on all imports and exports across the country.

Recently, two mid-area crystal mines were excavated near Crystal Birch.

Within the next decade, the five ruling clans here are expected to become even richer, positioning Crystal Birch as the wealthiest and most dominant city in the Land of Crystals."**

The clone listened intently and then inquired, "Is there no Daimyo or ruler governing the Land of Crystals?"

The bartender chuckled, prompting the clone to place another gold coin on the counter.

**"Heh... You really aren't from here. If you were, you'd know what happened five years ago.

Back then, the most powerful clan was the Sukuna Clan. They ruled the city of Swift Castle, located near the Crystal Mountain Range in the center of the Land of Crystals.

They were ambitious—too ambitious. They sought to dominate the entire country, expanding their control from one city to five.

Their strength was terrifying; at their peak, they commanded 1,000 mysterious masters.

Their Clan Leader was a monstrous powerhouse who could single-handedly fight 1,000 to 5,000 soldiers and even 100 mysterious masters.

Seeing this overwhelming might, the remaining twelve cities formed an alliance to take them down.

Thus, six years ago, the Great War broke out.

Sukuna Clan's forces included 20,000 soldiers and 1,200 mysterious masters—though 300 of them were traitors planted by the Twelve Cities Alliance.

The Twelve Cities retaliated with 50,000 soldiers and 2,000 mysterious masters.

The war raged across five battlefronts, forcing the Sukuna Clan into a desperate defense.

Being outnumbered, they soon contract their defense and launched an all out attack. The Sukuna Clan's leader alone—it's said—killed 700 masters and 10,000 soldiers.

People claimed he could summon fire from the sky and launch gigantic fireballs, akin to a deity.

But even deities tire. Exhausted, he was ultimately slain, marking the end of the Sukuna Clan.

The battle resulted in mutual destruction—more than 38,000 soldiers and 2,500 mysterious masters perished.

In the aftermath, more than five noble clans were wiped out and some reduced to near extinction, which their rival factions in their city quickly eliminated the remnants.

Even the Tamada Clan—despite now ruling the north—has never dared to show aggression since."

Hiruzen's clone was stunned by the revelation.

"So these 'mysterious masters' must be chakra practitioners... But it seems they lack proper training methods.

That Sukuna Clan leader must have been at least Jonin-level. But even then, if I had been there, a single attack from me would have ended the war."

Expanding his natural sensing, the clone swept across the city. He quickly located the so-called mysterious masters within the noble clans.

Observing their chakra levels, he sighed.

*"They're barely at the level of academy students. Most are Genin-tier, with only one Chunin-level practitioner per clan.

Their chakra control is abysmal—a waste of potential. Seems like they also don't know jutsu.

If I had been present during that war, I could have ended it in an instant."*

With newfound understanding of the Land of Crystals, the clone left the tavern, his mission taking clearer shape.

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