Qingshui had to admit that Shinya made a lot of sense.
So, upon returning, Qingshui relayed Shinya's exact words to the Third Kazekage.
"That's what he said?"
Inside the Kazekage Building, the Third Kazekage looked somewhat disheartened but quickly composed himself.
"It was during the First Great Ninja War. Stone Hidden took advantage of the Second Kazekage's eastward offensive against Konoha to harass our southern border. At that time, I was the commander of the village's northern defense line, leading a team to guard the border fortress. Before that, Shinya and I, combining my Magnet Release, were invincible in the Ninja World, conquering everything we set our minds to. We both thought our combination would continue to win indefinitely.
But when the Second Tsuchikage Mu and Onoki, who was already making a name for himself, joined forces, Shinya and I suffered our first defeat.
I wanted to retreat with my team, but Shinya stubbornly believed that with our combined strength, we could hold off the enemy. He even pushed some of the Sage Art Chakra condensed within him, developing his 'inverse scale,' which could send him into a berserk state and enhance his power."
So that's how Shinya's inverse scale came to be.
"The inverse-scaled Shinya's strength is quite decent; he can hold his own against me for a little while."
Qingshui nodded slightly, evaluating.
A Summoning Beast of Shinya's caliber is a huge asset even for Kage-level experts. The fact that inverse-scaled Shinya could last so long against him meant it could probably hold off ordinary Kage-level opponents for a considerable time.
The Third Kazekage, however, shook his head:
"But under the attacks of Mu and Onoki, two Dust Release users, I could still use Iron Sand to fly and evade their interference. As long as I wasn't restrained by other Ninjutsu, I could temporarily protect myself without worry. But Shinya was different, and so were the other ninjas. Not to mention, the Stone Hidden army far outnumbered us."
Large Summoning Beasts like Shinya, which couldn't fly, were extremely powerful against regular ninjas and were top-tier killing machines on the battlefield. However, against two high-damage, highly mobile Dust Release users who could fly and decompose matter into atoms, they were just sitting ducks, completely countered.
No matter how strong its scales were, how many Dust Release attacks could they withstand?
Dodge? With such a massive body, unless its speed was so fast that it was difficult to track, it would be hit sooner or later. Not to mention, the Second Tsuchikage Mu was one of the Ninja World's top sensory ninjas. Unless it was a top-tier speedster like Minato Namikaze, it would be very difficult to escape his sensory lock.
The Third Kazekage continued:
"The fortress was about to fall, and I had to cover the retreat of two thousand ninjas. Yet, Shinya, in his inverse-scaled state, still wanted to charge forward. If that continued, I didn't know if he could survive a Dust Release attack, but those two thousand ninjas would definitely be wiped out, and I would certainly not escape either.
So I had no choice but to use a Secret Technique to attack Shinya's head, injuring his eye and causing a Genjutsu to invade the brain nerves connected to his eye, making him faint. Then I used Magnet Release to bury him underground and hide him. Because Shinya was unwilling in his heart and resisted with Sage Art Chakra, I couldn't release the Summoning Jutsu, so I had to resort to this desperate measure."
"Then why didn't you go explain it to Shinya?"
"I tried. With his inverse scale active, he was too agitated to listen to any explanation. Instead, he would try to attack me every time he saw me. What could I do?
After the First Great Ninja War, Senior Monza and the Second Kazekage both passed away due to their injuries. After your two teachers took over as Kazekage and Elder, I had even less time. Several attempts at communication were fruitless, and Shinya even started attacking me fiercely. Over time, we simply stopped communicating."
Qingshui was taken aback, then realized he had a point.
Given the strength of inverse-scaled Shinya, only a master of Qingshui's caliber, or two or more Kage-level ninjas with complementary skills and perfect coordination—one leading the main assault and diversion, the other sneak-attacking to grab the scale—could possibly succeed. This would require the main attacker to have the ability to directly confront a large Summoning Beast, and the other to possess Minato Namikaze's speed or a stealthy Ninjutsu like those of the Nara Clan to successfully land a sneak attack.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be easy for others to remove Shinya's inverse scale. Even an expert like the Third Kazekage, considered strong among Kage-level individuals, wouldn't have much chance of seizing Shinya's scale in a one-on-one fight.
Of course, this was assuming they didn't kill Shinya. While such a top-tier Summoning Beast could indeed intervene in Kage-level battles, its methods were ultimately not as diverse as those of true Kage-level experts. If it couldn't use Reverse Summoning Jutsu to escape, and the opponent had the ability to break through its scales, then in a prolonged one-on-one deathmatch, Shinya would be the one to lose.
And if the opponent's stamina and pursuit capabilities were strong enough, it would also be a life-threatening situation.
Such large Summoning Beasts certainly had the ability to contend with Kage-level experts for extended periods on the battlefield, but they were ultimately not true Kage-level experts themselves.
"Now that Shinya's inverse scale has been removed, don't you plan on seeing him?"
Qingshui asked the Third Kazekage.
"I... alright, I'll go see him tonight. Tomorrow, you will go see Elder Chiyo and the others to prepare for the Kazekage succession ceremony. The day after tomorrow, you will officially become the Fourth Kazekage."
The Third Kazekage hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded slightly at Qingshui.
He was about to lay down the burden of the Kazekage, and it was time to take this opportunity to resolve this matter.
The next day.
In front of the Sand Village's outer city gate.
A convoy of about a dozen Chakra Energy Vehicles arrived at the Sand Village.
"Is this the Sand Village? It's so prosperous!"
A tall, orange-haired young man with a Rain Hidden headband looked at the constant stream of vehicles and the bustling crowds inside and outside the Sand Village, as well as the towering buildings under construction, his eyes filled with intense curiosity.
The Sand Village now subtly showed signs of a modern metropolis.
"Are you the envoys from the Rain Hidden Village? I am Zisha, a Jonin from the Sand Village responsible for this reception. Please follow me."
A robust young ninja with purple hair, accompanied by three younger ninjas, appeared before the orange-haired youth from Rain Hidden.
Zisha was currently the most skilled in Breathing Style among all the ninjas practicing it in the Sand Village, and he had also received the most private tutoring from Qingshui.
This was because he had already reached the Constant State two years prior, even unlocking the Score, and had even devised a rough, semi-finished Breathing Style before learning Qingshui's.
This was why Qingshui valued him and believed that he was likely the father of the future Ziluo, who would pass down the unfinished Taijutsu Breathing Style to his son for continued development.
As for now, after integrating the Breathing Style brought by Qingshui, he had combined both to create his own Breathing Style—the Seven Days Breathing Style. It had currently developed to the Fourth Activation and was considered a top-tier expert below Kage-level in the Sand Village, equivalent to an Elite Jonin of Fukami Senran's caliber. He had already gained considerable fame in the Third Great Ninja War.
Because his combat style was similar to Might Duy, the "Green Beast" from Konoha, Ziluo was also seen as a smaller version of Might Duy. Combined with his bright, semi-long purple hair, he earned the nickname "Purple Beast."
"Ah, so it's the Purple Beast of Sand, Senior. I am Yahiko, a disciple of the Rain Kage."
Yahiko smiled and extended his hand to Zisha.
Zisha shook hands with Yahiko, then gestured for them to follow.
"Please, everyone. The village has arranged a hotel for the Rain Hidden envoy delegation. The Fourth Kazekage's succession ceremony will be held tomorrow morning. The village is at its liveliest right now. After you've settled in, I can take you on a tour of the Sand Village this afternoon."
"Last month, the village also planned an entertainment district on the west side of the outer city. There's a museum with many precious war trophies, a science and technology museum showcasing various new technologies, and a food street and amusement park to attract tourists from all over. These should all be novelties you haven't seen before."
"Then I'll have to broaden my horizons."
Yahiko laughed heartily, then earnestly said, "I wonder when we'll be able to meet the Fourth Kazekage? Besides the previously discussed purchase of Sealing Jutsu, we in Rain Hidden have accumulated many questions we'd like to ask you, Qingshui-sama."
The Rain Village currently faces numerous problems. There's a new national border several times larger than the original Land of Rain to govern, and many more ninja to support than before. While Hanzo is indeed a Hero of his generation, he ultimately comes from humble beginnings. Even with vision and ability beyond his social class, he still feels somewhat overwhelmed.
There's no helping it; Rain Hidden's foundation is too weak. Even if Hanzo managed to lay the groundwork for a major nation through his strength and luck, it still lacks the talent to govern.
Who assisted the First Hokage in governing Konoha back then? It was Tobirama Senju, along with a large group of elite ninja clans. The other Kage of that era were the same; they all had talented individuals from their respective ninja clans under them, as well as capable second-generation successors helping them.
And Hanzo?
Kakuzu is good with money, but he has little experience in governance. He was merely a high-level enforcer in Waterfall Hidden Village, not a high-ranking official with administrative power, otherwise he wouldn't have been sold out to assassinate the First Hokage.
Nagato and the other two are still young. If they had a few more years to develop, they might be capable, but they aren't ready to take on leadership roles now. Beyond them, there are only the high-ranking elites who started with Hanzo from Rain Hidden. Both the quality and quantity of personnel are still lacking significantly; they are just barely managing for now.
But if you ask Hanzo to use the talents from smaller and medium-sized ninja villages like Grass Village who surrendered, he would dare to use them, but he would absolutely not trust them as confidantes. Therefore, many matters can only be handled by Hanzo himself, an old man already over sixty.
Without Sand Village's financial support, Rain Hidden's logistics and the Land of Rain's economy would have completely collapsed during the war.
The situation is somewhat better now, but until economic reconstruction reaches a certain level and they can sustain themselves, Rain Hidden still needs Sand Village's assistance.
Yahiko's visit this time is precisely for this reason.
He is here to represent Rain Village in requesting continued economic assistance from Sand Village, and also to seek advice. Sand Village, relying on canals, road construction, and technology, managed to develop an economy in the barren desert that other ninja villages envy.
Now, other ninja villages, from their systems to their economies, are starting to reform by "crossing the river by feeling the stones" of Sand Village, just as they once reformed by following Tobirama Senju's reforms in Konoha.
As Sand Village's closest ally, Rain Hidden naturally had to seize this opportunity to learn from them.
"I will report this. However, concrete negotiations will definitely have to wait until after the Kazekage succession ceremony."
Zisha replied to Yahiko.
Not long after, Qingshui, who was rehearsing for the succession ceremony on the open-air balcony above the Kazekage Building, received Zisha's report from an Anbu member beside him. After reading it, he casually handed it to Chiyo, Rasa, and others beside him.
"Rain Hidden still wants money and provisions?"
Rasa frowned in dissatisfaction after reading it.
Ebizo pondered for a moment, then spoke, "The war has ended, so we can no longer provide war materials like ninja tools and iron ore to Rain Hidden. However, we can consider giving them money and provisions. Rain Hidden's structure cannot be allowed to collapse, but we also shouldn't give as much as before. Maintaining Rain Hidden's current strength is what's most suitable for us."
Qingshui shook his head slightly and said, "As long as we ourselves are not lacking, we can and should provide large amounts of money and provisions. However, Rain Hidden must offer something in return; we can no longer provide low-interest loans like before. Therefore, we can also send people to the Land of Rain to support their production and construction, transform their industrial chain and environment, and also create a complementary industrial chain with our Land of Wind."
"Are you suggesting…"
Ebizo seemed to grasp his meaning.
"The people we send to help are real, and the work they do is real, but the direction must be set by us. The economy, resources, food, population, markets, and industries of the Land of Rain will become fully integrated with and dependent on the Land of Wind.
Since the Land of Rain has a weak foundation, let us become their foundation. For example, if they lack food, we can use large quantities of cheap food to suppress the Land of Rain's own food production and sales. That way, everyone in the Land of Rain will be eating food provided by us.
Of course, this is theoretical. Our own food production in the Land of Wind is sufficient for ourselves, but until the agricultural areas in the former Land of Rivers, former Land of Valleys, and former Land of Fire are re-planned and upgraded, we don't have much surplus food for these things.
But we can do these things in other areas where we have an advantage; the principle is the same.
For example, we can help them build infrastructure and develop industries, but they must use infrastructure loans to exchange for mining rights to various resources, and there are many other miscellaneous things. In short, it's about strengthening our influence in all aspects of the Land of Rain through these methods.
If they remain allies in the future, we can also gain significant benefits from them. This is called win-win cooperation. If they cease to be allies, then…"
Qingshui smiled slightly, leaving Rasa in a daze and causing Chiyo and Ebizo to nod continuously.
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