Three days later, Kitazawa, Konan, and Oyashiro En arrived at the border of the Land of Grass. Beyond this point lay the Land of Rain.
The two countries used the rainfall as their boundary line—clear-cut, like a natural wall.
"Konan, I'll see you off here. Go early, come back early."
Kitazawa stopped and said, "I still have to head back to the Land of Lightning to pick up Hinata and the others."
Oyashiro En's thoughts stirred.
He'd assumed Kitazawa would escort them all the way to Amegakure, but he hadn't expected Kitazawa to stop at the Land of Rain itself.
When Kitazawa was around, En didn't dare entertain any ideas.
Now Kitazawa was leaving—only Konan remained.
En felt like his chance had come. He could run.
"I'll be back in Konoha soon."
Konan nodded.
Kitazawa didn't say anything more. He turned around and left.
Konan withdrew her gaze and stepped into the Land of Rain.
Oyashiro En followed behind her, his mind racing.
Konan didn't care what he was thinking.
Because this was the Land of Rain.
From the moment he entered, everything he tried to do would be pointless.
After walking for a while, Kitazawa stopped.
He raised a hand, and the ground nearby began to tremble.
Everything containing iron was pulled by his Magnet Release, gathering and compressing until it became black sand iron.
Under his control, the sand iron formed into a pair of wings behind him.
He leapt—and shot into the sky, flying at extreme speed.
On the way from the Land of Lightning back to the Land of Rain, Oyashiro En had been present, so Kitazawa couldn't have Konan carry him through the air. They'd traveled normally.
But now that he was alone, there was no need to keep up appearances.
At the same time, Kitazawa activated the Byakugan.
If Hinata and the others finished their mission and headed back, he'd be able to spot them and rendezvous midway.
A day and a half later, Kitazawa re-entered the Land of Lightning.
Flying cut the travel time by nearly half compared to going on foot.
And that was just his normal speed.
If he activated Senju Chakra Mode and Yang Release Chakra Mode, he could go even faster.
Kitazawa's gaze sharpened—and he dove straight down.
After landing, he dismissed the sand-iron wings and waited in place.
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
Hinata was the first to notice him.
Since they were still within the Land of Lightning, she kept her Byakugan active while traveling, acting as the team's sensor.
Kitazawa then released his Shadow Clone Technique.
As the memories returned, he immediately learned everything that had happened over the past few days.
After Hinata, Ino Yamanaka, and Haku signed up for the arena fights, their solid strength helped them advance quickly.
That very afternoon, they received notice: they would be facing Fūshin and Chino.
First, Haku fought Fūshin and lost to his Typhoon Release.
Then Ino fought Fūshin and defeated him with genjutsu.
After that, she fought Chino—but due to a lack of intel, she lost to Chino's Ketsuryūgan.
Finally, Hinata stepped in and defeated Chino with the Moonchaser Bow.
Because of the arena's scheduling, those two matchups took two full days to play out.
After the fights ended, Kitazawa's shadow clone approached Chino and offered her a deal: he would help her—and Lightning Group—escape the arena.
Chino didn't hesitate and agreed immediately.
Because escaping the arena—and leaving Oyashiro En behind—had always been her dream.
And in the original storyline, Chino and Fūshin's eventual outcome was to join Kirigakure.
Kirigakure had even dealt a devastating blow to their group, the Lightning Group.
So joining Konoha now wasn't strange at all.
After reviewing the memories, Kitazawa's eyes settled on Chino.
She looked young—like someone only a little older than Hinata's group.
Besides Chino, there were Fūshin and the others.
They were "arena fighters," but in truth they were slaves—kept purely for people's entertainment.
And most of them were quite young.
Fūshin was the oldest, with the look of a young man.
Kitazawa fell into thought.
Chino could join the Advanced Class.
Fūshin's Typhoon Release was special, and his combat ability was solid—more than enough to become an Anbu operative.
As for the remaining young people, he would hand them to Yakushi Nono and let them live at the Konoha orphanage for now.
If any of them showed talent as ninja, they could attend the ninja academy—but whether they could enter the Advanced Class would depend on their own ability.
Kitazawa didn't say anything more. His shadow clone had already explained what needed to be said. After meeting up, everyone resumed their journey.
By the afternoon of the next day, they arrived in Konoha.
Kitazawa was relieved he'd canceled one monthly exam—otherwise this semester's schedule would have gone over time again.
This mission to the Land of Lightning had delayed them by over a week—nearly two.
"You three go home and rest."
Kitazawa looked at Hinata, Ino Yamanaka, and Haku.
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei."
The three replied and headed off in different directions.
"You all, come with me."
Kitazawa smiled. "I'll take you to meet Konoha's Hokage."
Chino and Fūshin exchanged a glance, both visibly nervous.
They'd lived in a relatively closed environment, but they still knew about the Five Great Villages—and the Kage.
"Don't worry. She's a good person."
Noticing their expressions, Kitazawa reassured them.
There were many kekkei genkai in the shinobi world.
Some weren't particularly useful or valuable—but Typhoon Release and the Ketsuryūgan were both powerful, high-value bloodlines.
If cultivated properly, producing two elite jōnin was practically guaranteed.
Tsunade might have a sharp temper, but as Hokage, seeing two gifted ninja voluntarily join Konoha would naturally put her in a good mood.
And it wouldn't just be her—any village leader would be pleased.
After all, elite jōnin were rare even among the Five Great Villages.
Kitazawa arrived at the Hokage's office.
"Why are there so many of them?"
Tsunade looked past Kitazawa and stared at Chino and Fūshin, surprised.
The last time Kitazawa brought back this many young people was when he defeated Orochimaru and reclaimed Otogakure.
But this time, hadn't he gone to the Land of Lightning?
Don't tell her he'd "kidnapped" them from Kumogakure…
"An unexpected gain."
Kitazawa cleared his throat and gave a half-true explanation of what happened.
Naturally, he left out the part about Konan recruiting Oyashiro En.
In short, it boiled down to two points:
He had Hinata and the others enter the arena to sharpen their skills.
But when he discovered their opponents were all young fighters, he investigated further and uncovered the arena's darkness.
"So you brought them back. Do they have something special?"
Tsunade asked after hearing it.
She knew Kitazawa—he wasn't the type to randomly act out of pure charity.
"Fūshin has a kekkei genkai: Typhoon Release. He can generate typhoons—stronger than ordinary Wind Release."
Kitazawa introduced him.
"That does sound promising."
Tsunade nodded, acknowledging Fūshin's value.
Then she looked at Chino.
"Ketsuryūgan."
Kitazawa kept it brief.
"The Ketsuryūgan?"
Surprise flashed across Tsunade's face.
The Chinoike clan was a shinobi clan from the Warring States era—but the Senju were as well.
She'd heard Senju Hashirama mention them before: the Chinoike possessed an eye power comparable to the Sharingan.
"Excellent."
Tsunade's lips curved into a smile. "Welcome to Konoha."
"Tsunade-sensei."
Kitazawa explained his plan for arranging their placements.
"Fine."
Tsunade thought for a moment, then agreed.
"I'll have Haru call Nono-senpai over."
Kitazawa turned and headed to the door.
After Haru heard the instructions, she vanished.
Not long after, Yakushi Nono entered the office.
She instinctively sized up Chino's group, then bowed to Tsunade.
"Nono, you'll be looking after them from now on."
Tsunade got straight to the point.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Yakushi Nono agreed without hesitation.
To her, orphans were orphans—no matter where they came from.
"If you're short on funds, remember to go to Rina."
Tsunade reminded her.
"I understand."
Yakushi Nono nodded.
In the past, the Konoha orphanage often lacked money because Danzō Shimura meddled in everything, but after Tsunade became Hokage, that stopped happening.
And with Kitazawa's initiatives bringing Konoha more income, they could afford to be more generous in many areas.
"Fūshin, you'll settle in with Nono-senpai first. Report to Anbu tomorrow."
Kitazawa paused, then added, "Chino, you too—come to the ninja academy tomorrow."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sama."
Fūshin and Chino replied in unison.
"Then I'll take them with me."
Yakushi Nono looked at them and smiled warmly. "Please come with me."
Her gentle smile calmed Chino's group noticeably.
They nodded and followed her out of the Hokage's office.
Once the door closed, Kitazawa walked up to Tsunade.
"Why do I feel like you're always bringing talented people back to the village?"
Tsunade looked at him.
"Good luck."
Kitazawa blinked.
"Really?"
Tsunade didn't quite buy it.
"These gifted people come from all over the shinobi world," Kitazawa said with a grin. "You can't seriously claim I arranged that, can you?"
"That's true."
Tsunade nodded.
"I brought back the Ketsuryūgan and Typhoon Release," Kitazawa said, his eyes drifting toward the necklace resting against her pale skin. "No extra reward?"
"Do you want Konoha's reward," Tsunade asked, catching his look immediately, "or my reward?"
"In my heart, your reward matters more than Konoha's."
Kitazawa answered with a perfectly straight face.
"…"
Tsunade tugged at the corner of her mouth.
For a moment she couldn't tell whether to feel touched or annoyed.
Sure, he was putting her above the village—but she knew him well enough to suspect he was just trying to take liberties.
"Sit down."
Tsunade rolled her eyes.
"Thank you, Tsunade-sensei!"
Kitazawa lit up instantly.
"Hands where I can see them."
Tsunade stood, pulled him close against her in a firm hold, and warned him.
Kitazawa behaved—mostly—though his grin didn't.
"Do you want to die?"
Tsunade shuddered and knocked him on the back of the head.
It didn't help much.
"That's enough. Reward's over!"
Tsunade finally shoved him back, glaring, flustered and furious.
"See you tomorrow, Tsunade-sensei!"
Kitazawa vanished in a flash.
Tsunade stood there for a beat, cheeks faintly warm, then adjusted her clothes.
What on earth was that idiot thinking?
The next day arrived.
All students and instructors of the Advanced Class were present.
"Before I announce this month's exam rankings, let me introduce a new classmate."
Kitazawa smiled.
Everyone's eyes naturally fell on Chino.
They'd noticed her earlier.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Chino. Please take care of me from now on."
Chino stepped forward and greeted them.
"Chino, over here!"
Ino Yamanaka called out enthusiastically.
Chino glanced at Kitazawa. After he gave permission, she walked over to Ino.
She, Ino, and Hinata had become acquainted the hard way—through fighting.
And Hinata's strength, in particular, had earned Chino's respect.
More than anything, though, she was fascinated by the Advanced Class itself.
She'd heard Ino describe it before—even Hinata struggled to break into the top three.
Chino was curious: just how terrifying were the geniuses stronger than Hinata?
"The top six in the practical exam will serve as temporary captains for the final team battle."
After a quick reminder, Kitazawa said, "Now I'll read out the practical rankings."
As before, the final exam included a team battle.
This time, Kitazawa stayed calm about it—he didn't need to care who took first place.
Because no related system quest had triggered.
"…And that's the full ranking for this month's exam."
Kitazawa paused. "It's about time. Go train."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei."
The Advanced Class students dispersed to find their respective instructors.
"Chino, you'll join my study group."
Kitazawa thought briefly, then decided.
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei."
Chino nodded.
She was looking forward to training—because on the way back to Konoha, Ino, Hinata, and Haku had praised Kitazawa to the skies.
Kitazawa created a shadow clone to guide his study group, then brought Chino to the training field nearby.
In the original storyline, Chino was strong—at least at the level of a special jōnin.
The main reason was her Ketsuryūgan.
Its genjutsu rivaled the Sharingan's—just that alone surpassed many ninja.
Besides that, she also knew blood-based secret techniques and Water Release.
But how good she really was would only be clear after testing.
After all, she hadn't yet reached the peak she would later achieve.
"Let's spar."
Kitazawa smiled.
Chino immediately activated the Ketsuryūgan.
The sweet-looking young woman's eyes turned a vivid crimson, her presence shifting sharply.
Ketsuryūgan: Genjutsu!
Her eyes trembled, and her ocular power expanded outward.
Kitazawa nodded slightly.
In terms of raw ocular power, she was roughly comparable to a two-tomoe Sharingan right now.
Kekkei genkai users really were blessed by nature.
Water Release: Drizzle!
When the genjutsu failed to take hold, Chino formed hand seals at once.
More than a dozen fist-sized water bullets formed and slammed toward Kitazawa.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!
Kitazawa spat out a massive fireball, evaporating all the water bullets instantly.
Mist spread through the air.
Chino dashed forward in a burst, swinging her fist at him.
Kitazawa caught her punch easily.
A surprisingly strong force came through.
Chino looked up at him, and blood seeped from the corner of her eye.
She poured out her ocular power in a surge—still useless.
Confusion flickered across her face.
Why was Kitazawa ignoring her genjutsu?
She was certain he hadn't "broken out" of it—he simply hadn't been affected in the first place.
"What other jutsu do you know?"
Kitazawa released her hand and asked.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall."
Chino answered honestly.
"For your age, mastering two Water Release jutsu is already impressive."
Kitazawa nodded, praising her.
The Advanced Class had exceptional teachers.
Chino hadn't.
She was more like a Root ninja—forced to grow fast under brutal conditions.
"Kitazawa-sensei…"
Chino hesitated for two seconds, then couldn't resist asking, "In the Advanced Class, what level am I?"
"With your strength—and the Ketsuryūgan's genjutsu—you can enter the top fifteen."
Kitazawa considered briefly before answering.
"Only top fifteen?"
Chino was stunned.
She'd expected something like that, but hearing it aloud still felt unreal.
Back in the arena, aside from Fūshin trading a few moves with her, no one else had been able to stand against her.
"Next semester I'll hold a traditional one-on-one practical exam."
Kitazawa smiled. "When that happens, you can test their strength yourself."
This midterm was already over, and the next final was a team battle—Chino had just joined and wasn't suited for it yet.
Once she'd fully integrated into the Advanced Class next semester, she could try the placement matches.
Kitazawa rubbed his chin.
Chino could probably make it into the top eighteen—which meant someone would drop out.
And with Shion still never having entered the top eighteen, Kitazawa figured he could expand the teams again.
But if each squad needed three people, they were still one short.
"I'll teach you Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu first."
Kitazawa decided.
He hadn't mastered the Ketsuryūgan's Blood Dragon Ascension yet, so he couldn't teach that for now.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei."
Chino nodded.
Kitazawa waited a moment, but no system quest triggered.
Was it only going to trigger once he taught the Blood Dragon Ascension?
He set the thought aside and began teaching.
After an hour, he created a shadow clone dedicated solely to coaching Chino.
By noon, Ino dragged Chino off to eat lunch with everyone in the Advanced Class.
A few back-and-forths later, they started getting familiar with each other.
After all, they were all young adults—there wasn't much scheming among them.
That afternoon, after classes resumed, Kitazawa left a shadow clone behind and ran off to the Forest of Death to train Wood Release: Cutting Technique.
As the sun sank, faint footsteps reached his ears.
Kitazawa looked up—and saw Konan.
Back in Konoha, she'd changed into Anbu attire again.
"You're back that fast?"
Kitazawa chuckled.
"Nothing came up."
Konan replied.
"After I left that day, did Oyashiro En behave?"
Kitazawa stopped training, walked up to her, and asked.
"Not really. But he's been integrated into the Akatsuki."
Konan thought for a moment.
After Kitazawa left, Oyashiro En bolted the moment she looked away.
She didn't chase. She simply notified White Zetsu.
Not long after, Deva Path Pain dragged him back.
Konan still remembered the look on his face—utterly shaken, as if Pain's power had rattled him to the core.
Kitazawa couldn't help laughing.
He could guess exactly what En had tried to do.
He'd been forced into the Akatsuki by Konan and Kitazawa—if he didn't try to run, that would've been weird.
"You did good. Go rest at the Anbu base first."
Kitazawa reached out and gently brushed her cheek.
"Mm."
Konan's gaze dropped to his hand.
Then she leaned in and lightly bit his thumb—more teasing than aggressive.
"When did you learn to bite people?"
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow.
Instead of answering, Konan brushed a soft touch over the spot—like a cat testing boundaries.
Kitazawa watched the gesture, then withdrew his hand before his patience ran out.
He leaned in and kissed her—returning the favor.
Konan's body tensed for a split second, then relaxed.
She stepped closer, resting against him.
Eyes closed, she held onto him and let her breathing steady, as if that closeness made her feel safe—like she'd finally come back to life.
When they finally separated, Konan's cheeks were faintly warm. She took a breath—and vanished in an instant.
Kitazawa smiled and shook his head.
She'd been the one to start it, then ran off the moment she was done teasing him.
Then another thought struck him.
Maybe, with Konan's personality, she didn't even realize how dangerous those little gestures were to his self-control.
Time moved into July.
The Advanced Class welcome the final exams—and the coming summer break.
On July 14th, the finals officially began.
The first day was a written exam. Kitazawa didn't go to the academy—he went to the Anbu base instead.
Sitting at his desk, he took out a blank training schedule.
Summer break was about to start. He needed to design a special training plan for the Advanced Class.
After thinking, he took out a second blank sheet.
Calling it a "summer special plan" was one thing—in reality, it was also a summary of this semester and their current stage.
The students' training could be split into two parts:
One part would continue their existing training.
The other would introduce new training.
Kitazawa picked up his pen and first wrote down the students who would keep their original plans.
Yakumo Kurama—she learned genjutsu quickly, but not the Leaf Body Flicker Technique, because of her physical condition.
Even though she'd been healed, compared to others she'd lost a long stretch of training and buildup.
Body Flicker techniques demanded a lot from the body.
Chōji Akimichi—still learning Super Open Hand Slap.
There were other Akimichi secret techniques he hadn't learned yet—not because he couldn't, but because he shouldn't.
Akimichi techniques depended heavily on physique.
Techniques like Partial Multi-Size Technique looked completely different depending on physical condition.
For Chōji, the most important thing was still: eat, eat, eat.
Rock Lee—while solidifying his Leaf Dragon God, he would continue physical conditioning.
Tenten—like Yakumo, she was learning the Leaf Body Flicker, but progressing much faster.
Hinata and Neji were learning the World-Ending Arrow.
But it was so difficult that it would take them a long time.
With that in mind, Kitazawa planned to teach them a new bow secret technique.
He called it the Phantom Arc Arrow. It wasn't as powerful as the Spiral Arrow, but it could change direction, making it far harder to predict.
In simple terms—it could curve in flight, inspired by the Uchiha's Manipulated Shuriken Technique.
Ino would continue learning Ninja Art: Mind Body Switch.
Shikamaru Nara's Shadow Possession still needed work—training unchanged.
Sakura Haruno was handled by Maruboshi Kosuke, so Kitazawa didn't need to manage her.
Shino Aburame's kikaichū mutation experiments had progressed—he'd bred a defensive variant.
But the subterranean variant still hadn't succeeded.
Karin was learning medical ninjutsu. Kimimaro Kaguya was learning Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Clematis.
While Kitazawa was organizing the list, Konan quietly walked up behind him.
She placed both hands on his shoulders and kneaded gently.
When he finished, Kitazawa switched to the second sheet.
This one listed students who needed changes in training content.
First was Shion.
She'd learned Finger Carving Seals and also a String Light Formation.
Kitazawa planned to teach her the Sealed Binding Formation and the Fire Sealing Method during summer.
The Sealed Binding Formation was relatively simple, and with Shion's solid foundation in sealing, she could also learn the Fire Sealing Method.
Most importantly, she had a system quest: learn five sealing techniques in one year.
So he could only make her work a bit harder.
Second was Uchiha Sasuke.
He'd learned the Rasengan. Next was Yin Release: Rasengan.
Third was Uzumaki Naruto.
Next he should learn Yang Release: Rasengan.
Once he mastered it, he and Sasuke could use the combo technique: Supreme Ultimate Rasengan.
Then Kitazawa could complete another system quest.
Fourth was Kiba Inuzuka.
He'd recently learned Earth Release: Mud Bullet, but Kitazawa didn't plan to teach him more Earth Release yet.
Because Kiba finally had a dog—Akamaru.
His summer assignment was to raise the dog and learn proper Inuzuka clan techniques.
Fifth was Haku.
He'd mastered Water Formation Wall and could learn Water Dragon Bullet.
Sixth was Tayuya.
She'd mastered Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing, and next Kitazawa planned for her to learn Mind Butterfly and Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique.
Both were C-rank, low-level genjutsu.
She should learn them quickly.
Seventh was the newest addition: Chino.
On top of strengthening Water Dragon Bullet, she would learn Water Release: Heavenly Weeping.
Right now Chino relied heavily on the Ketsuryūgan's genjutsu.
But genjutsu wouldn't always land—so she needed ninjutsu as backup.
Heavenly Weeping consumed little chakra, was hard to defend against, and suited her perfectly.
Time slipped by.
After writing, Kitazawa put both sheets away.
Then he turned to Konan.
"Come sit."
Kitazawa patted his thigh.
"No massage anymore?"
Konan glanced at him, her tone cool.
"You've been doing it for almost an hour. No need. Come rest."
Kitazawa smiled.
Konan nodded.
She stepped in front of him and, rising slightly on her toes, sat down on his thigh.
Kitazawa naturally wrapped his left arm around her waist.
Konan lifted her legs slightly and drew them together, leaning into his chest.
Her eyes rested on his face.
She didn't speak—just quietly looked at him.
"How's business been for the Akatsuki lately?"
Kitazawa searched for a topic.
With Konan's personality, if he didn't start talking, the two of them could sit in silence all day.
"Neither good nor bad. It's been going smoothly."
Konan answered.
"So Sunagakure made new moves again?"
Kitazawa's right hand rested lightly across her legs.
"Mm."
Konan nodded. "Sunagakure started copying our marketing."
"No wonder."
Kitazawa breathed in the faint fragrance around her. "That is a headache."
"They can't compare to us."
Konan said calmly.
"We have first-mover advantage," Kitazawa said, then added, "but if they copy everything, they won't be completely crushed."
"Is there a solution?"
Konan tilted her head to look at him.
"Not really."
Kitazawa shook his head. "Sunagakure is still one of the Five Great Villages. They have more people and more connections than you do."
Konan bit her lip slightly.
These promotional methods were Kitazawa's ideas—seeing them stolen made her unhappy.
"Even if we can't destroy them completely, as long as we keep the advantage, they won't be a threat."
Kitazawa leaned in and kissed her lightly. "Tell you what—I'll teach you a few more marketing methods."
"Thank you."
Konan froze for a split second.
"It's nothing."
Kitazawa smiled, then reminded her, "But be careful—Sunagakure may do something extreme."
"Mm."
Konan nodded, though she didn't seem worried.
Then Kitazawa talked her through various "past-life" marketing tactics and promotional frameworks.
The more she listened, the more astonished she became.
By now, she understood business quite well.
Especially with many competitors, she'd even sent people to investigate the market.
But what Kitazawa described didn't match the current world at all.
She couldn't understand where he'd learned these methods and "rules."
"It's already noon. Let's stop here."
Kitazawa glanced at the wall clock.
"I prepared a bento."
Konan snapped back and said immediately.
"You'd make a great secretary."
Kitazawa lifted a hand, gently tipping her chin up. "Want to be my Hokage secretary?"
Konan's heart jolted.
She parted her lips, but didn't know how to answer.
"Alright, I'm just teasing. Let's eat."
Kitazawa patted her thigh.
Konan silently stood.
She glanced at him, a faint sense of disappointment flickering inside her.
She wanted to give him a definite answer—but logic told her that answer wasn't possible.
"Tomorrow's the start of summer break. You can go back to the Akatsuki for a bit and put the marketing ideas I taught you into practice."
Kitazawa took the bento box and sat on the sofa.
"Mm."
Konan sat opposite him, and they ate lunch together.
In the afternoon, Kitazawa went back to the Forest of Death to train.
He needed to get stronger—strong enough to bring Konan back to Konoha… ahem, to solve the Akatsuki problem.
The next morning, 9:00 a.m.
The final exam team battles began.
Last time the arena was a forest. This time, it was lava.
In other words, the battlefield was a sea of lava dotted with various platforms to stand on—pillars, springboards, waterbeds, and more.
If you weren't careful during combat, you could easily fall into the scalding lava.
Because it was a lava field, the pace was much faster than the forest battle, where you could hide and reposition endlessly.
In less than half a day, all five team battles ended.
Finals concluded, and summer break officially began.
For Kitazawa, this summer looked similar to the previous ones.
He coached the Advanced Class while also training Flying Thunder God and Wood Release: Cutting Technique.
The only difference was that this summer was longer—about forty-five days, from July 15th to September 1st.
Kitazawa estimated he could master Wood Release: Cutting Technique before school resumed.
But Flying Thunder God would likely still need another two or three months.
Once Konoha entered August, the weather turned scorching.
But Sunagakure was different—its twelve months all felt like Konoha's August.
After Yura returned from the Land of Wind metropolis to Sunagakure, he went straight to the Kazekage's office.
"These promotional tactics… how did Amegakure even come up with them?"
Rasa frowned at the documents in his hands.
"No idea. I asked many famous merchants in the Land of Wind—they said it was the first time they'd ever seen methods like these."
Yura shook his head. "They all praised them, and said they couldn't think of anything better."
"Can we find the person behind this?"
Rasa raised his head and asked.
"It'll be difficult."
Yura looked troubled. "All the ninja we sent into Amegakure vanished without a trace."
"No—not Amegakure."
Rasa set the papers down. "I mean investigate the merchants who are selling water for Amegakure."
"Kazekage-sama, brilliant!"
Yura froze, then brightened.
They'd been fixated on Amegakure and forgotten the merchants helping them do business.
It was also because they still thought like traditional ninja—more concerned about the powerful Hanzō.
"Someone who can come up with so many unique promotional methods isn't likely to be a ninja," Rasa said with a faint smile. "If we capture or eliminate him, Amegakure loses a massive support."
"I'll dispatch people to investigate immediately!"
Yura said at once.
"Go."
Rasa waved him away.
After Yura left, Rasa picked up another report.
As he read, a smile crept across his face.
This report recorded Sunagakure's income since entering the water business.
It was extremely impressive—more than ten times what he earned back when he worked as a "gold miner."
And that was while only holding a small portion of the market.
Rasa's reason for targeting Amegakure was to seize the entire market.
If he achieved that, he was confident Sunagakure would no longer need to rely on the Wind Daimyō's funding.
After reading, Rasa put the report down.
Then he remembered something, rummaged through his desk, and pulled out another sheet.
Its contents could be summarized in one sentence:
"This week, there were nine assassination attempts on Gaara. His counterattacks resulted in five ninja deaths."
Rasa shook his head.
Gaara—his son—was Sunagakure's jinchūriki, containing Shukaku the One-Tail.
A jinchūriki was Sunagakure's strongest weapon.
To test his stability, starting when Gaara was four, Rasa repeatedly sent people to assassinate him.
When he was six, Rasa even ordered Gaara's uncle, Yashamaru, to attempt it.
Gaara killed Yashamaru and lost control, causing Shukaku to rampage.
From then on, Rasa deemed Gaara a failed product.
Half a month passed quickly.
Kazekage's office.
Rasa unconsciously clenched his fist.
Even though Sunagakure copied Amegakure's approach, being one step behind meant falling behind at every step.
And Amegakure had introduced new moves again, making Sunagakure's situation worse.
There was another reason as well.
Once people saw how profitable the water trade was, other Land of Wind merchants couldn't sit still—they jumped in one after another.
Merchants chased profit.
To Rasa, those merchants were even more troublesome than Amegakure.
Because he couldn't just "deal with" them—they were employers, or potential employers, of Sunagakure.
They also had strong ties to the Wind Daimyō and nobles.
Fortunately, they weren't ninja, so they couldn't compete on costs. At most, they could sip some leftovers.
The real issue was still Amegakure.
If not for fear of Hanzō—and fear that other villages would seize the opportunity to attack—Rasa would have already sent people to "teach Amegakure a lesson."
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
Rasa looked up and saw Yura. He asked immediately, "Any results?"
"We didn't find the person providing the promotional methods," Yura took a deep breath, "but we found something unexpected."
"We discovered the ninja responsible for transporting water for Amegakure—he's Biwa Jūzō."
"Biwa Jūzō… the missing-nin of Kirigakure, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?"
Rasa sprang to his feet.
"Yes!"
Yura said firmly. "Our ninja saw him with their own eyes—he was carrying the Executioner's Blade, Kubikiribōchō!"
"Good!"
Rasa grinned. "Our chance has arrived!"
Now they had a legitimate excuse to act.
Because villages purging missing-nin was only natural.
In other words, Kirigakure had every right to go after Biwa Jūzō.
If Hanzō tried to stop them, it would instead prove that he and Amegakure were violating the rules recognized by the major villages.
Of course, if Hanzō truly wanted war, Sunagakure couldn't stop him.
Sunagakure would still face the danger of other villages taking advantage.
But that would only be true if it were just Sunagakure against Amegakure.
Now Kirigakure was involved.
Rasa planned to cooperate with Kirigakure—use the chance to eliminate Biwa Jūzō, and at the same time sabotage Amegakure's business.
Would Amegakure dare attack both Sunagakure and Kirigakure?
Rasa believed Hanzō wouldn't.
Those were two of the Five Great Villages.
Even Konoha or Kumogakure would hesitate before declaring war on two major villages at once.
And even if—worst-case scenario—Hanzō dared to declare war…
With the combined strength of Sunagakure and Kirigakure, wouldn't crushing Amegakure be easy?
All they needed was to wipe out Amegakure's ability to resist as quickly as possible.
Then other villages wouldn't even have time to take advantage.
"Send envoys to Kirigakure immediately," Rasa ordered without hesitation. "Tell the Fifth Mizukage that Sunagakure wants to cooperate."
He understood Kirigakure's situation well.
They had only recently ended the era of the Bloody Mist—and they were even poorer than Sunagakure.
If there was a chance to make money, Kirigakure wouldn't refuse.
~~~
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