Land of Rain, Amegakure.
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan stood atop the tallest tower in Amegakure—the political center—gazing at the Land of Rain they had vowed to change.
It had been half a year since Katsura entrusted Amegakure to the three of them and left.
In these six months, the entire village and even the whole Land of Rain had undergone earth-shaking changes!
Though young, thanks to Katsura's insistence against all opposition, the three had smoothly become the highest leaders of the Land of Rain half a year ago.
Gazing at the country where the rain still hadn't ceased, the three wore identical, faint smiles, brimming with a mix of emotion and relief.
Perhaps recalling their tragic past, as they smiled, tears silently streamed down their faces at the same moment.
Well... at least that's how it appeared on the surface.
Katsura-sensei is so unfair! He just dumped the country on three underage kids and ran away!
And even called it the first step toward their dreams!
Sensei, we've realized that "wholeheartedly supporting" means offering mental support without lifting a finger.
So... can you come back?
We can't handle this anymore!
Governing a country is so hard!
Economy, education, agriculture, ninja management, mission assignments, diplomacy, infrastructure...
Why is there so much work to do?
This isn't what we imagined when we talked about changing the country!
Back then, you never told us governing a country required so much effort!
Leader's Lesson #1: Never reveal your weaknesses (or vulnerability) to anyone!
This was one of Katsura's teachings to the three.
So, after six months of relentless work pressure pushing them to the brink of collapse, the three secretly sneaked away from all the ninjas to vent their frustrations here at this moment.
After about ten minutes, when the tears had mostly dried up, Konan wiped her red and swollen eyes from crying and was the first to speak.
"Do you think there's a possibility that Katsura-sensei foresaw things turning out this way after taking over Amegakure? That he deliberately hid his identity and age when taking us as disciples, just so he could one day smoothly hand over the village to us while he continued his free travels across the Shinobi World alone?"
Hearing this, Yahiko and Nagato exchanged glances, simultaneously noticing the shock in each other's eyes—
Konan might have uncovered the truth!
"Ahem! I don't think Katsura-sensei is that kind of person!"
Nagato cleared his throat and said, "I believe Katsura-sensei truly just wanted to support Yahiko's dreams! After all, Yahiko has been shouting since he was a child about changing this country and all that. Sensei must have been moved by Yahiko's grand ambitions when he took us in,"
Not realizing Nagato was shifting the blame towards him, Yahiko chuckled sheepishly and said.
"Don't say that... I never imagined my dream would be realized in this way..."
At this point, Konan coldly glared at Yahiko.
"So you're saying the reason we've ended up in this situation today is entirely Yahiko's fault?"
"Huh?"
Only then did Yahiko sense something amiss.
Just as he was about to ask for clarification, he noticed Nagato had already quietly retreated several steps, giving Konan some space.
Seeing Konan cracking her knuckles, Yahiko immediately raised his hands in protest.
"Calm down, Konan! I think it was Katsura-sensei's plan all along! It has absolutely nothing to do with me! Besides, what hot-blooded youth doesn't have grand ambitions and brag a little? Right? Heh heh..."
"Die—!!"
...
Back on the same windowless rooftop, the three of them regained their solemn expressions, standing side by side as they surveyed the war-torn Land of Rain.
"Pfft!"
Nagato couldn't hold back, turning his face away and covering his mouth to suppress a small snort—from his angle, Yahiko's left eye was completely black and blue!
"Nagato, you bastard!"
Yahiko gritted his teeth in frustration, but ultimately didn't continue the squabble.
After all, their statuses were no longer what they used to be.
As the highest leadership of the Land of Rain, the three no longer had as much time for their old playful antics.
They had to devote all their energy to the nation's reconstruction.
"Konan, recently those Rain Ninja who left the village during Hanzo's rule because they couldn't accept his policies have been returning one after another due to our new policies. There's also an influx of refugees, so about the finances—could we..."
"No money."
Konan's reply was crisp and brief.
"Wait, just... just a little more. All of Rain's factories are gradually resuming operations. Soon we'll be able to produce goods, including the Warm Water Automatic Flushing Toilet. Once we sell them, the Land of Rain won't be so strapped for cash anymore!"
"Do you have buyers lined up?" Konan asked pointedly.
"We'll find them soon! At the very least, I'm certain the Warm Water Automatic Flushing Toilet—the only one of its kind in the Shinobi World—will be highly sought after by Hemoroid sufferers everywhere!"
"Since when does the Shinobi World have that many Hemoroid sufferers?!"
"You clearly haven't paid close attention to the Third Shinobi World War. I've heard that the Shiroyasha, a hero from Konoha, single-handedly created countless Hemoroid patients in Iwagakure and Sunagakure! The Hemoroid medicine in our Land of Rain's pharmacies was completely bought out by these two villages!"
Konan: "..."
"Anyway, let's find a way to squeeze out more funds to settle these refugees first. I'll figure out the rest later."
Opening her mouth, Konan ultimately swallowed back the words "we're broke."
She had no choice—holding this position meant taking responsibility.
"Nagato, has the mission volume for Amegakure this month remained the same as last month?"
"Both the total number and overall price of missions have increased by 20% compared to last month, matching the highest monthly mission volume during Master's governance. Moreover, the mission completion rate has surpassed the average level of that period."
Hearing this, Yahiko nodded. "Good. Keep an eye on this. As long as mission completion efficiency improves and we offer some price discounts, I believe Amegakure will receive more and more missions. Also, how is the progress on the school for both shinobi and civilians?"
"The first batch of age-eligible students will officially enroll next month. The teachers will be Rain Ninja—no, Akatsuki members who have embraced Katsura-sensei's ideology."
"Excellent! At this rate, I believe that in just a few years, the entire Land of Rain will be completely transformed through our efforts! Even if the real rain never stops, the rain in people's hearts will cease!"
At this point, Konan interjected with a serious expression.
"Yahiko, this isn't enough. In just half a year, we've exhausted the savings Hanzo—no, Master—accumulated over a lifetime! We must find new revenue streams!"
"The Land of Rain can't grow crops, so we currently rely entirely on imports. With the war just ended, food prices remain high. If this continues, famine and refugees will remain the country's biggest problems!"
"Easier said than done..."
Nagato sighed deeply.
The Land of Rain's situation was far too unique—its agricultural conditions were even worse than the desert-covered Land of Wind!
All crops had to be imported, and prices were dictated by others.
The only steady income came from the country's steel exports, but steel reserves were finite.
At the current rate of mining, forging, and exporting, the Land of Rain's steel deposits would be depleted in twenty years at most!