Hanzo said, "Let me see your curse!"
"Mm." Haruki nodded nervously.
He gently touched his ring. A faint black mist swirled around the ring.
"Rika, my sensei wants to meet you." Haruki called out softly.
[Congratulations, Rika, on successfully meeting the parents!]
[Host, congratulations to you and Rika on your happy union!]
Haruki: "…"
The black mist grew thicker and thicker. Suddenly, the black mist seemed to tear open a rift.
The first thing to emerge was a pale, skeletal giant claw. Immediately after, the rift seemed to burst open, and the black mist dispersed into the air, as Rika appeared.
Hanzo looked at the ugly behemoth before him, sensing the immense power of this cursed monster, and narrowed his eyes.
"Yuta…"
Rika shielded Haruki beneath her, her voice sticky and muffled.
Haruki: "…"
It was not appropriate to be so intimate in front of Hanzo.
"Is it the one that killed the Sunagakure ninjas?" Hanzo asked.
Haruki shook his head, saying with some disappointment, "The one that killed the Sunagakure ninjas was another curse, I can't control it."
Hanzo mused, the scattered remains of the Sunagakure ninjas on the battlefield indicated they had no power to retaliate against the other curse.
He glanced at the curse hovering above Haruki's head. The monster that Haruki couldn't control must be more powerful than this curse. He must make Haruki master the power of curses.
"Alright, let her go back." Hanzo said.
He observed the curse before him.
"Rika, go back." Haruki stroked Rika's head.
Rika grumbled a few dissatisfied remarks about "not wanting to be separated from Yuta" but obediently went into the ring.
Hanzo watched Haruki's actions and asked, "Why are you able to control this curse?"
Haruki glanced at Hanzo. Had Muteki not told Hanzo?
Rika was his fiancée!
Sukuna wasn't his fiancée.
Haruki shivered. Wouldn't Sukuna be even more terrifying if he were his fiancée?
"Because Rika is my fiancée."
This was the sentence Haruki had repeated the most since arriving here. He had also fully embodied Yuta's persona.
Hanzo was speechless for the first time. He looked at Haruki and then recalled the monster's appearance from earlier.
Fiancée?
"Rika only became like this after she died." Haruki explained.
He lowered his head in guilt amd said, "I cursed her, which is why she became like this."
Hanzo understood. The core was still Haruki's curse ability. It was just that Haruki himself didn't know how to control this ability. But the power of curses had never appeared in the Ninja World.
"Haruki, try to accept your power, understand your power, and control your power."
All Hanzo could do was change Haruki's evasive mindset, prompting him to actively try to control his curse power.
"If you can control Rika, you can control other curses." Hanzo looked at Haruki.
Once Haruki mastered the power of curses, he would become a great asset to Amegakure.
Whether from the perspective of the Amegakure's leader or Haruki's teacher, Hanzo had to urge Haruki to gradually master the power of curses.
Just as he himself had gradually mastered the power of salamander toxins.
"I will!"
Haruki nodded solemnly. "I won't disappoint sensei!"
Watching Haruki make his promise, Hanzo's eyes were filled with satisfaction.
Haruki was indeed a good child, just like he was back then.
"Starting tomorrow, you will follow me to learn ninjutsu and taijutsu." Hanzo said.
Haruki nodded.
"Your curse power requires you to calm down and take control of it yourself."
Haruki continued to nod.
Hanzo patted his shoulder with satisfaction and said, "Go back and get some good rest."
Haruki was a child, not an energetic ninja, and after spending a whole day on the battlefield, saving people and fighting, he must have been exhausted.
"Mm."
Haruki walked to the office door. He pushed the door open, not rushing to leave immediately, but instead urged, "Sensei should also get some good rest. Don't overwork yourself."
After saying that, Haruki closed the office door.
Hanzo, who had returned to his desk and sat down, blinked. It was the first time anyone had told him to get some good rest.
He was a ninja known as a Demigod, his subordinates had long been accustomed to his strength, and no one thought he would get tired.
Hanzo sighed. Having an apprentice felt quite wonderful.
[Ding!]
[System detected Hanzo's affection value +500.]
[Ding!]
[Your companion Cursed Spirit, Rika's rank has increased to 59.5%.]
Haruki at the doorway and smiled.
He waved to Suzaku, who was still standing guard at the door and said, "I'm going back to rest now. Brother Suzaku, remember to get some good rest too."
Suzaku nodded slightly, still expressionless. He watched Haruki's figure disappear into the distance.
Inside the office.
Hanzo's hand rested on the Ninja World map, his eyes deep in thought.
Currently, the war between Amegakure and Konoha had stopped. However, no one had proactively proposed a peace treaty.
Today, the battle with Sunagakure had just ended. The two hundred Amegakure ninjas he led had faced Sunagakure ninjas led by the Puppet Master Chiyo on the second battlefield.
Chiyo had deciphered his toxins and created an antidote, but Chiyo still couldn't defeat him.
Correspondingly, Hanzo also lost the advantage of his toxins and couldn't defeat Chiyo.
The two sides were in a stalemate for a long time before deciding to retreat.
On the first battlefield, Sunagakure was completely annihilated, suffering heavy losses, while the Amegakure ninjas had no casualties.
This was all thanks to Haruki's Medical Ninjutsu and his curse power.
Sunagakure was still engaged in battle with Konoha. To free up their hands and focus on dealing with Konoha, Sunagakure would likely soon cease hostilities with Amegakure.
The day the war completely ended would arrive very soon.
Of course, the end of the war did not mean that the Land of Rain had completely restored peace.
The Land of Rain had been a battlefield for Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Konoha for many years, and its territory was a mixed bag, with Iwagakure, Sunagakure, Konoha, rogue, and wandering ninjas still causing trouble within the Land of Rain.
It would take considerable effort to completely clear these ninjas from the Land of Rain. In addition, there was the reconstruction plan for Amegakure.
All of this would require at least ten years of effort.
Currently, the most important thing was to establish peace treaties with Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Konoha, to ensure that the great nations recognized Amegakure's status as an independent ninja Village, and to prevent the Land of Rain from becoming a battlefield for the great nations again.
Ceasefires were easy, but establishing peace treaties was difficult.
Amegakure must constantly maintain strong combat power.
Once Amegakure ninjas show weakness, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Konoha will immediately return.
Training new ninjas and absorbing new blood were crucial for Amegakure.
(End of Chapter)
Gimme those powerstones. 🙃