"We must speed things up." Yahiko looked at the shinobi world map on the table, sighed, and said, "Once this war breaks out, no country or shinobi village in the entire shinobi world will be able to avoid it."
The Red ideology challenges the shinobi village system...
The seeds of war were sown long ago, it's just a matter of when they sprout.
And when that time comes...
It will be when the major countries and shinobi villages truly begin to choose sides. Either choose reform and become a member of the Red Alliance, or continue to maintain the one-country-one-village system. These are the only two choices in the shinobi world now...
So...
Remaining neutral is often more dangerous.
"Have all the refugees been gathered?" Yahiko raised his head and looked at Hatosuke beside him, saying, "You must know, these are the hope for the future development of the Land of Rain."
Especially the children...
Under education, they will become the backbone of the Land of Rain in the future.
Yahiko had already decided that after the war ends, he would send these children to the Land of Whirlpools to receive advanced Red ideology education...
"They have been gathered." Hatosuke nodded and said, "According to your instructions, Leader, we have already started having people lead them to reclaim wasteland, build houses, and plan the design."
Looking at the serious Yahiko before him, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly...
Back then, he only wanted to gather a large group of shinobi to overthrow the rule of Amegakure in one fell swoop. So, he directly ignored these people suffering from disasters in the Land of Rain. On one hand, it might have been because the organization didn't have enough food. Although he couldn't bear it, for the bigger picture, he had to ignore them. On the other hand...
His perspective on social classes hadn't changed yet.
Because he was a shinobi, he always focused his attention on shinobi. At that time...
He was full of limitations.
"But the supplies sent from the Land of Whirlpools are almost used up." Hatosuke hesitated for a moment, then said, "The seeds we just planted will probably take a few more months to yield a harvest."
"Is that so..." After hearing this, Yahiko thought for a moment and said, "I'll have the Land of Whirlpools send more later."
Now that the communication satellites had been launched, and to maintain smooth communication, he had also set up base stations in the Land of Rain, so...
Everything could be resolved with just a phone call, unlike before when they had to raise messenger eagles or dogs.
Of course...
Some shinobi villages in the shinobi world were still in that situation...
Seeing that Hatosuke seemed to have something else he wanted to say, Yahiko smiled and nodded, saying, "Actually, you don't need to have any psychological burden about this."
"This is all a transaction between the Land of Rain and the Land of Whirlpools. The steel produced in the Land of Rain is used to exchange for supplies from the Land of Whirlpools."
"Leader, that's not actually what I was thinking." Hatosuke shook his head and said, "As long as it can bring peace, stability, and a life where people can eat their fill and dress warmly to the Land of Rain, I don't care who rules it."
So...
That's why they accepted an official from the Land of Whirlpools as their leader, because they had experienced far too much.
The Land of Rain had not had a moment of peace since its founding.
Foreign invasions, internal conflicts... When he thought that the appearance of a Demigod of the Shinobi World in Amegakure would finally bring unified peace to the Land of Rain, he never expected...
It would become even more chaotic than before.
It was because of this...
That the people of the Land of Rain longed for peace more than anyone else.
"It's just that we are asking from the Land of Whirlpools without having done anything..."
Hatosuke thought for a moment, then decided to say it...
"This ultimately isn't sustainable."
"It's not just taking." Yahiko patted Hatosuke on the shoulder, a smile on his face, and said, "The Land of Rain is exchanging with steel, so don't think about these unnecessary things."
"If you have time, use your cement to help the engineering team pave some roads."
Even if it's a little...
"Yes, Leader!" Upon hearing Yahiko's words, Hatosuke immediately straightened up and said, "I will go down now."
Then, he turned and walked to the door, but showed a hint of hesitation, looking back at Yahiko...
"Leader, after the matters in the Land of Rain are over, will you return to the Land of Whirlpools?"
"Of course..." After hearing Hatosuke's words, Yahiko was stunned for a moment, then said with a smile, "The Land of Whirlpools still needs me."
His face carried a nostalgic look...
From the time when a group of Uzu-nin broke open his door and took him away...
His fate had long been connected to the Land of Whirlpools.
...
Amegakure...
"Leader, are we really not going to send shinobi to eliminate that organization?" A Rain-nin said with a worried expression, "That organization is growing larger and larger now."
It has already become a threat to Amegakure's ruling position. If we don't take action now, in the future...
It will definitely become a serious threat to Amegakure.
"Ahem, it's fine." The elderly Hanzo of the Salamander coughed weakly twice and said, "The current situation is unclear. It is not yet time for Amegakure to act."
"But..." The Rain-nin, hearing the Leader's words, hesitated, then said, "If this continues, Amegakure will..."
Before he could finish...
"Shut up!" Hanzo of the Salamander raised his head to look at the Rain-nin. His hair was graying, and even with his gas mask, the wrinkles on his face were unmistakable. He said calmly, "You just need to follow orders."
"I... Yes!" The Rain-nin, who originally intended to say more, could only sigh and nod upon seeing the Leader's familiar, sharp eyes that had not been dulled by age, saying, "I obey your command."
He lowered his head, a flash of madness in his eyes...
No matter how sharp his eyes were, he was no longer the Demigod of the Shinobi World of the past.
The Leader was already old. After the failure in the Second Great Shinobi War, he began to become timid, no longer the heroic figure of the past. All these years, facing invasions from any shinobi village or country, he would only turtle up inside Amegakure...
So, as long as...
Amegakure, the Land of Rain, would be his then.
"Sigh." Hanzo of the Salamander looked at the Rain-nin who still stood with his head respectfully bowed, sighed, and said, "Dismissed."
"Yes!" The Rain-nin nodded in response, "I will take my leave now, Leader."
With that, he turned and left directly, not noticing...
The gray-haired, aged Hanzo of the Salamander was squinting his eyes, quietly watching his retreating back...
Only after he left did Hanzo murmur, "It seems there are discordant voices in the village again."
He raised his head, his eyes cloudy as he looked out the window...
"It's about time... cough, cough."
He stood quietly by the window, his right hand trembling as he covered his mouth, coughing twice before lowering his hand, gazing at the Land of Rain still shrouded in a light drizzle...
He sighed...
It was still the familiar scenery.
Back when he stood at the peak of the shinobi world, how heroic, how confident he was.
He still remembered a pure samurai, who should have long been obsolete in the shinobi world, dragging his injured and disabled body, intending to block him to cover his companions' escape. In the end...
It was the samurai's nearly extinguished conviction that moved him, so he let him go. He never expected...
After the Second Great Shinobi War, he would become like this...
Suspicious, fearful, willpower lost, having completely forgotten the dream of his youth to protect Amegakure and bring stability to the Land of Rain...
Hanzo of the Salamander lowered his head to look at his aged hands, the wrinkles and age spots clearly visible...
Slowly, Hanzo of the Salamander trembled, seemingly wanting to clench them into fists. Finally, he sighed, lowered his hand, and murmured, "Hurry up, hope of the Land of Rain."
"I can't..."
"Hold on much longer."
A glint of determination appeared in his eyes...
"Let me use the last of my life to do something for this sorrowful country."