Ichihime saw Hakushi withdraw his hand, so she also sheathed the blade she held, showing no intention of apologizing.
In response, Hakushi was not surprised.
If it were anyone else, he would not let it go so easily.
However, seeing how cute his daughter was, he decided to forgive her.
"I really can't do anything about you. Have you been back home yet?"
"Yes, I just went back for a quick look. Those two were fighting again. You're truly sinful, old man."
Ichihime looked at Hakushi with disdain.
In the past, because she didn't understand these things, she was always puzzled about the relationship between her mother and Aunt Ayane.
Why was it that the child born by Aunt Ayane could be her and Asuka's brother or sister?
But as she grew up and gained more experience, she naturally came to understand certain things.
"I've said it, I'm only in my early thirties, not that old yet."
"Wouldn't it be nice to go home and enjoy your twilight years? Or should I give you a ride?"
"..."
Hakushi sighed and didn't get entangled in this matter any further.
"If Yagura asked you to return, he must have given you something."
Ichihime took a scroll out of her Ninja Tool Bag and placed it on the table in front of Hakushi.
Hakushi picked up the scroll but didn't open it immediately; instead, he casually tossed it into the drawer beside him.
"Where do you plan to take up a position next?"
Hakushi asked this question.
Ichihime had completed her basic education courses, and after spending a few months experiencing official Genin life in the Hidden Mist Village, she presumably had accumulated some experience in carrying out missions.
However, due to his request, there was never anyone from Yagura's side for Ichihime's squad to undertake high-difficulty missions above B-Class.
Even B-Class missions were rarely executed, with most being D-Class and C-Class missions.
Because in Hakushi's view, these two levels of missions are the closest to the reality of the world.
B-Class and above missions are domains only accessible to ninjas.
The Land of Demons, unlike other countries, had already established a foundation for welfare and security systems for its citizens, tightly integrating the populace, government, and military.
Rather than adopting the one nation, one village system like the Five Great Nations to manage the country.
In Hakushi's opinion, such a system has fatal flaws.
The represented military power is severely detached from the civilian base.
In Ninja Villages, self-sufficiency is practiced, and troops are sourced internally without tapping other areas of the country.
The Ninja Village, which represents a nation's military power, completes its external connections through monetary 'transactions'.
Outsiders pay money, and the Ninja Village provides ninja labor.
It's a transaction between merchants, clean exchanges of money and goods.
This method cannot be said to be wrong, but it is too indifferent and profit-driven.
Therefore, Hakushi is not at all worried that the citizens of the northwest region of the Land of Wind will have a strong aversion to the Land of Demons.
Did the sacrifice of many ninjas from the Hidden Sand Village have anything to do with those people?
No!
Their link with the Hidden Sand was that of a transaction between merchants; only money and benefit exchanges, without a deep foundational connection.
Because all ninjas from the Hidden Sand Village are selected internally.
They don't recruit externally, creating a vast relational network with the entire nation's populace.
During the Land of Demons' advance into the Land of Wind, no harm was caused to ordinary people, even when receiving part of the population; they only experienced maladaptive rejection, rather than hatred or emergence of resistance forces.
The Ninja Squad from the Land of Demons has always been selected from across the Land of Demons, and only after formal training do they form a scale, with a relational network spread throughout the country.
Sometimes, those seemingly inconspicuous, fragile ordinary people can also be the 'eyes' monitoring enemies for the Land of Demons.
Not only does the local population from the Land of Demons serve in its military squad, but a significant portion comes from other countries as well.
The Land of Fire, the Land of Earth, the Land of Rain, and even the Land of Wind are represented.
Hakushi hopes the Land of Demons adheres to this path, selecting the most elite ninjas from the national scale, and for those who cannot become ninjas, they can pursue other careers, contributing to the construction of the Land of Demons.
Hakushi also hopes Ichihime can follow this path.
Before reform, you must first clarify who your friends are and who your enemies are.
On this point, Ichihime is already very clear.
Konoha adheres to the traditional one nation, one village system.
The Hidden Mist Village is transitioning away from such a system, beginning to shift towards a civilian-oriented route.
The Land of Demons has already achieved this foundational goal.
Ichihime has personally seen and heard with her own eyes and ears three different types of countries.
Hearing Hakushi ask where she plans to work next, Ichihime was momentarily stunned, aware that this might be a more rigorous test than any she's faced before.
Moreover, the Land of Demons will have major moves coming.
The Land of Demons' stride will not halt arrogantly, just because it defeated the Land of Wind and gained the recognition of its strength from the other great nations.
The upcoming challenges may be even more difficult than defeating the Sand Hidden Ninja of the Land of Wind.
The system established by the First Hokage further stabilized the powers of Daimyo and nobles, unconsciously casting the populace into the dust.
Even if a Ninja Village merges into a country, its connection with the people is maintained through 'employment'.
This connection is fragile and quite lamentable.
The populace is a humble power that has never been tapped by anyone.