Dexter's POV;

The remaining loyalists were quickly rounded and either executed or imprisoned, depending on the severity of their crimes. Most higher ranked officials were killed, while a few escaped with heavy fines or prison time.

The use of my Human Path allowed us to interrogate high-profile loyalists without any fear of letting those who were guilty unpunished.

All in all, it took us only two weeks to get control of most of Kirigakure and it's surroundings.

There are a few resistant pockets here and there, however, those were smoked out one after the other.

It was similar to Nazi Germany. Most took part in it, but only a few were real of the 'evil' kind and not only following orders. Once the head was cut off the rest will soon die as well.

Mei had her coronation as the next Mizukage a week after the destruction of the last major loyalists base. The contract for the unification of Kiri and Uzu was then next on our to do list. Most of the following week was taken up for it. Advisers and jurists from both villages were working on it and came to a final result that effectively allows Uzu to absorb Kiri. Kiri in return is granted with a set amount of seats in the newly formed parliament of Uzu and a certain amount of self-government.

The majority was what I already told Mei. She knew that we could dictate whatever we wanted and was happy with the result. She still had a voice that had some power and her country would get help with the rebuild. The battle they witnessed made them wary of me and quenched any thought of refusing the agreement.

We estimate that Kiri is up and running in three to five years. They're now the weakest of the five great villages and only slightly above others like sound or moon.

Konoha in comparison is the 'capital' of the Ninja population in the Land of Fire, which does not mean that it's the only city with an academy. There are at least thirty smaller ones in other cities. The overall military strength of Konoha could be estimated to be 45.000 Ninja with another 150.000 Samurai. At a population of approximately 2 or 3 million people.

Konoha with its 40.000 inhabitants has, if I remember it correctly, around 10.000-15.000 Ninja alone. Another good 5.000 are out on missions, while the remaining 25.000 come from the Land of Fire.

Most of the Ninja population is of Genin rank, with many Chunin. There are only around 2.500 or so Jonin. But a Jonin from the countryside is not comparable with a Jonin from Konoha. Clans are feared for a reason. Their special Jutsu and secrets are the reason for their strength, and why such few can rule over the large bulk of Ninja. And even the Jonin from Konoha without a clan are stronger than their counterparts from the countryside. This is because they have better instructors and facilities for their training.

It's like it was on earth, those from the country are often lacking if it comes to things that are centered around cities. The big villages are the focus point of everything related to the way of a Ninja.

Be it Jutsu to learn from or Taijutsu instructors. Most countryside Ninjas have to go with the Konoha academy style or develop their own style.

The other main villages; Kumo, Iwa, Suna and Kiri are the same.

Uzu isn't really listed on the village ranking list. It never participated in a war and the only time it got dragged into one was when it got destroyed during the Second Great Ninja War. Still, this war alone gave them a reputation of being fierce fighters. They may have died, but they also took a lot of enemy Ninja with them. I think I revived at least a thousand of the ANBU from Kumo, Iwa, Kiri and Konoha. All of them died in the invasion. An invasion that started from inside their walls.

Needless to say that we were estimated to be at the top of the lower ranked villages. In an all out war, this would be incorrect. We have not enough manpower to win, or for that matter even start, a war with a big village. Our position and the seals we have make us strong. Give us time to prepare and no army would survive an encounter with us. Without it, the village itself is hardly above the middle section on the list. You can't win a war without conquering the enemies territory. And manpower is needed for that, manpower that isn't available for Uzu.

Simply killing everyone might be possible, but isn't very well looked upon.

At least our Ninjas are starting to be a force of nature. My forbidden scrolls from each major village, those I got in the other Naruto universe, allow us to learn the best Jutsu of each village. On top of that are the possible training and equipment methods with seals. Gravity seals, Chakra storage seals, nearly indestructible training facilities. Seals that are able to heal, cast Genjutsu and so on.

Uzu has now a little less than 25.000 inhabitants. 20.000 of those are the original Uzushiogakure citizen. 5.000 are Ninja, while the rest is exclusively civilian or the family of a Ninja. We don't have a noteworthy Samurai corp. Maybe a thousand or so, they are used as our police.

The Uzumaki are only about 250 people strong. With only a few of them intermarried into branch families. Most of them married inside the family. Inbreeding isn't such a problem for the Uzumaki, thanks to their massive Chakra and their body constitution.

The fact that such a small village was seen as a threat by three of the five, way stronger, villages told a good story of their skills. But truth be told, a fight against any large village would be the dead for Uzu. At least in open warfare.

The thing that made every army obsolete was a Jinchuriki in control of its Bijuu. A Bijuudama can wipe out thousands of Samurai or Ninja. They aren't called Army Killer for nothing.

However, only Bee and Yagura were in complete control. Yugito Nii has some control over the two-tailed cat but isn't able to transform fully into it. Her transformation is more like the chakra cloak that comes with the fourth tail. Not the real thing, but nonetheless strong.

Anyway, I was rambling again. Kiri now has a little less than 20.000 Ninja left, with another 70.000 Samurai. This would make Uzu, if it absorbs Kiri fully, one of the five major villages. The only thing is that no one knows of this, yet. Kiri will stay 'independent' until I say so. Mei will use Hiraishin seals to travel between Uzu and Kiri for her political responsibilities. The chosen representatives will stay permanently in Uzu. This way we still have control over Kiri, while it doesn't look like it. It's not like I will dictate Kiri, this would only result in antagonizing them. We will help them rebuild their land and help in their training. The positive image we will gain is one major goal. The subtle brainwashing of their Genin only a minor thing.

The other villages will only see an alliance between a weakened major village and an up-starting minor village. A common tactic. The minor village gets, most of the time, knowledge and the major village a buffer.

Someone knocked on my office door, I was in the Kage-Tower of Uzu, and I allowed them to come inside. The door opened and Daichi walked in, he had another stack of paper for me to go through and sign. It was only 11 am or so and his first visit today. His eye twitched whenever he looked over the half dozen shadow clones who were going through their tower of paperwork.

“Dexter, it's lunch time, why don't you go out and eat something?”, he recommended after putting down the tower of work on one of my clones desks. The clone growled at him but continued his work without stopping.

“Already? I was just going over the overall position of Uzu in comparison with the other villages”, I replied.

“And to what conclusion did you come?”, he asked.

“We lack in terms of brute strength, but guerrilla warfare and heavy use of traps would allow us to take on the minor villages. The major ones only with my help”, I answered and stood up. I swung the Kagerobes over my shoulder and placed the hat on my head. The robes were mostly white with an orange under color. The red swirl of Uzushiogakure on its back. The head was the same, also with a swirl at the bottom of the front part.

He nodded in agreement and then ushered me out of my office. I grinned a little at his behavior and walked out of the tower. Secretaries and other co-worker were greeting or bowing to me whenever I passed them.

Other things happened as well in the last few weeks. One of them was the arrival of Guren and Yukimaru. And boy was that an arrival. They were delivered like promised. Exactly a week after Konoha's downfall. The snake bastard thought it was funny to play with my words. He sent both of them, alright. The arms in one box, the legs in another and the still living rest in a third.

On top of that was a virus that would have killed many in Uzu if Kura-chan hadn't informed me of it. I quickly activated the [Flames of Healing] on everyone present and also healed Guren and Yukimaru. After that we applied disinfection seals on a wide area around the delivery point, let Tsunade taking samples of the virus and finished with burning the caskets they were delivered in.

This taught us that there were also biological weapons and disinfection seals became customary on any border point and major building, as well as each Ninja team.

After that, I got rid of Guren's seal and let them rest for a few days. Guren, without the influence of her seal, was rally thankful for what I did and pledged her loyalty to Uzushiogakure.

She has now an apartment with her adopted son Yukimaru and will soon start as a Jonin instructor for a new Genin team.

People I passed were bowing and greeting me with friendly smiles, I waved back and stayed polite. These people managed to adapt to the new technological time and were eager to bring Uzushiogakure to new glory.

The city was blooming like a beautiful flower. Work came mostly from inside, with a few merchants going out of Uzu. All of them have a security seal on them like the one Sai has from Danzo. This will prevent anyone from learning the location of the main entrance to Uzu. It's a massive seal array in Wave that basically works as a teleporter. The whole thing is a freaking masterpiece of a seal and sadly only works with a twin array inside Uzu.

There are plans for weaponising the seal, but so far we haven't gotten anything that works.

The food was grown in greenhouses. Each one multilayered and with seals for a better environment. Wood was either grown the same way or bought from the Land of Fire. In exchange, we sold many rare medical plants and minor seals. We don't need much from the mainland.

Thanks to the greenhouses we had food in abundance and were distributing some of it to the homeless. We didn't have many of them, but every city or town has some.

The orphanage got steadily fewer children and only a few were still there. Those who weren't adopted when they reached the age of 8 had the opportunity to get a stipend and become a Ninja. Most took the path of a Ninja, from where they then got directed into a field they showed promise in.

Our curriculum was adaptable. You didn't need to be good in casting Genjutsu to pass. The academy was more for orienting yourself and learning Chakra control and basic survival. The students had to choose a path in their second year and only this one was examined.

I reached my favorite restaurant. It has the best chicken dishes in the town and I am often seen eating here. They even had a table reserved for me at all times. The chef also made it his goal to improve his chicken dishes. Something I gladly help him with, by testing his new creations.

“Uzukage-sama, it's an honor to serve you again”, greeted the chef. He often greeted me personally.

“Dan-san, the honor is on my side. You know how I am, I simply can't get enough of your fine dishes”, I greeted back and sat down on my table. Other customers were looking over to us but quickly resumed with their own business. It was well known that I often ate here.

“You flatter me Uzukage-sama”, he said with a smile and then got a serious expression, “I have developed a new dish. A honey chilli marinade. The chicken gets marinated and then soaks inside for a few hours. It then gets sliced in thin pieces and roasted until the marinade is caramelized.

Quickly fried vegetables, as well as steamed potatoes and a fiery hot sauce are added as topics”. His description sounded delicious and I already felt how my mouth got flooded with saliva.

“Hohoho, bring it on Dan-san, I really look forward to this new dish. Your last one was brilliant. The white sauce in combination with rice and well-cooked chicken was already delicious.

But you know me, nothing is better than roasted chicken”, I said eagerly and rubbed my hands together in anticipation.

“Gladly my lord”, he said with a bow and a smile and then vanished into the kitchen. A waitress served some juice a moment later and I had some time to go over some more plans.

With Kiri in our bag, we have our backside covered. Kumo is to the north, with Konoha to the west.

Wave is a buffer against Konoha and our anchor point to the mainland. Demon Land to the south is not a treat and can be put aside for now.

But the land of Snow, way further north is interesting. They are the most technological advanced land in the world and is rrumored to have a lot of ore under its ice and snow.

Yukie Fujikaze, the 'lost' daughter of the late daimyo of Snow was working as an actress and Uzu managed to get the contract that would lead to her going back to her homeland. There she will be attacked by her uncles Ninja. Doto, her uncle, started a coup when she was a child and is now the dictator of Snow.

It was the story of a Naruto movie and I fully plan to use it to our advantage. The Genin team we have sent was followed by three ANBU teams, all of them with the mission to take Doto out.

The Genin will keep her safe, while the fighting happens in the background. Once Doto is dead we will come out in the open and offer them to join Uzu. If they accept, then they will get the same privileges as Kiri, if not, then they will get killed and we will use the giant heating machine under the snow to lead Snow into a better future.

Our main objective is the ore under the snow, as well as the Chakra armor. I think we will be able to improve it with our seals and equip the Samurai with it. Of course, they will have a security seal integrated that will kill any none Uzushiogakure Samurai, in case they betray us. We aren't trusting Kiri enough for such a weapon.

Next on my list are the remaining Jinchuriki. I plan to confront Fu in a few days. Maybe I can convince her to hand the Chakra over to me and then let her join Uzu? If not, then I have to take it by force. Fu isn't really strong.

The six tailed Jinchuriki Utakata is a lone wanderer in Kiri, a search order is already out and my fox summons recently got a trail.

After him come the two Jinchuriki of Iwa, the four and five tailed Jinchuriki. Roshi is a fire user, his lava release can be deadly. But that's it. He has no control over the four tailed Bijuu and is only an S-Rank Ninja. Susano'o might be good against him or a water based Rasengan.

Han, the Jinchuriki of the five tailed Bijuu, relies heavily on his steam. Once I get rid of the water container in his back and he will have a hard time in any fight. The Hungry Ghost Path, in combination with the God Path will be used for a start up. If that doesn't work, then Kura-chan's Chakra cloak and a few heavy hits in the face.

Both of their locations are already known to me and I plan to get to them when Jiraiya stops with his search for Tsunade. Then my Dexter-clone will die and only Dexter the Uzukage will remain.

“Here it is Uzukage-sama, my best try so far”, said Dan. He put a tablet in front of me and the sweet smell of roasted chicken, potatoes and caramelized honey drifted into my nose. The spicy hotness of chilly follows directly after and my mind is instantly away from future plans. The only thing left is this good looking piece of art in front of me.

“Dan-san, this looks perfect, thank you very much”, I said in gratitude and began to eat.

A delightful moan escaped me after the first bite and Dan grinned proudly.

“The honey makes the first sheet crispy, while the chilly directly under it adds some hotness. The texture of roasted chicken follows directly after”, he elaborated and I nodded in agreement.

I took a piece of potato and paprika with my chopsticks and added them to the orgy of deliciousness that already took place in my mouth. They crashed into it like a group of bi-sexual girls in an all-out hardcore sex scene and I closed my eyes in delight.

°Your mental comments make this kinda hot°, added a fairly amused Kura-chan.

°Let me, you know my love to chicken, and this is a masterpiece°, I grumbled and got distracted by a good looking piece of chicken at the side of my plate. It was quickly put into my mouth and got company by bamboo shoots with some hot sauce.

“I see it was a success”, said Dan from the other side of the table.

“Dan-san, please ask if you want anything. Don't stop with your new creations and ask if you want something in return. I would gladly burn down Konoha in an hour if it means that you would never stop creating such delicious things”, I said, without opening my eyes.

“I feel kinda worried to know that you would really do it”, came from my other side and I opened my eyes to see Kushina and Mikoto coming towards us.

“Kushina-san, I'm sure Uzukage-sama is only making fun”, laughed Dan.

“I wish he is”, she muttered. I didn't pay too much attention, there was still some meat on my plate and I would make sure it would get eaten.

“I once tried to steal a piece from his plate... I wet myself from the killing intent that crashed over me”, confessed Mikoto with a full body shudder. Oh yes, that happened didn't it? Should have lectured her to never try it again.

“Anyway, Dex-kun, we came to tell you that the Snow mission was a success. You are needed there to sign the contracts”, said Kushina happily.

“Yes, after my sixth serve of this dish. Oh, and I also got news from the clone that traveled with Jiraiya”, I agreed and put another piece of chicken into my mouth. This texture and flavor was godly.

“This is important, why didn't you tell us sooner?”, asked Kushina in slight anger.

I just pointed down at my now nearly empty plate and continued. Dan got the message and rushed into the kitchen, where he then soon after came back out with another plate. He also knows that I ate a lot, so he must've already prepared more than one dish.

“Argh, fine. Dan-san, I'll take the same as him”, shouted Kushina in defeat. She knows better than to stop me from eating. Only an attack from Pain or the Juubi could bring me away, and that only because they would disturb my meal. Chicken needs its attention. It's godly, nothing defies godly things.

Mikoto just smiled and sat down next to Mom. She wasn't as fond of chicken anymore, not after her attempt of theft.