Although Gento's methods were ruthless, he had indeed accomplished what the previous Feudal Lord could not, bringing true peace to the Land of Hot Water.
Just like that, Gento completely took over the Land of Hot Water.
Politically, he promoted a group of down-and-out yet capable minor nobles, replacing those officials who had "unfortunately died" during the purge.
These newcomers had no foundations and no backing; they could only rely on Gento's trust to secure their positions, making them fiercely loyal to him.
Through them, Gento's decrees could be carried smoothly to every corner of the Land of Hot Water.
Militarily, Hidden Gento Village was officially recognized by Gento, under the law, as the Land of Hot Water's official military organization.
The Uchiha ninja were no longer merely "mercenaries" or an "outside force," but the legitimate national defense force of the Land of Hot Water.
From that day onward, the Uchiha and the Land of Hot Water were bound together.
After the chaos was quelled, Gento looked through the reports compiled by the officials and was surprised to discover that the Land of Hot Water's tourism business had become even more prosperous than during the previous Feudal Lord's era!
"Merchants, nobles, and even commoners from every nation now trust the Land of Hot Water's public security far more."
An official responsible for commerce explained.
"In the past, people coming to the Land of Hot Water for the hot springs had to worry about being robbed on the road or stolen from at inns. Now that Uchiha ninja are stationed here, who would still dare cause trouble? Not only are there more guests from the Land of Fire, but even tourists from the Land of Lightning, Land of Wind, and Land of Earth have started coming over."
Gento nodded in satisfaction.
Even though the Land of Hot Water was small, its geographical position was excellent, and its economic potential was enormous.
As long as it was managed properly, it might very well become a shining jewel of the Shinobi World.
Laying the foundation for his future unification of the Shinobi World!
...
At the same time the Land of Hot Water stabilized, a vigorous revolution was also unfolding within the Land of Rain.
Hidden Rain Village, central tower.
The office that once belonged to Hanzo was now in complete disarray.
Tables and chairs were overturned, and the walls were covered in traces of ninjutsu bombardment.
Hanzo knelt on the ground, covered in blood.
His mask had already shattered, revealing an aged face filled with fear.
Both of his legs had been broken during the battle. Unable to stand, he could only support himself with his hands against the ground, barely maintaining his kneeling posture.
And standing before him was a man.
The man wore the Akatsuki's black cloak patterned with red clouds and had orange hair.
Several black chakra receiver rods were embedded in his face.
Most striking of all were his eyes, pale purple concentric circles formed by rippling rings.
The Rinnegan.
Deva Path, Pain.
Hanzo raised his head and looked at the man before him in terror, his voice trembling.
"You... who are you... to actually reduce me to this..."
Pain remained expressionless, looking down at him from above as though he were an insect.
His voice carried not the slightest emotional fluctuation.
"Do you no longer recognize my face?"
Hanzo froze for an instant.
His gaze shifted across Pain's face, trying to find traces of familiarity within that unfamiliar appearance.
Suddenly, his expression changed.
Disbelief appeared on his face as his pupils abruptly contracted.
"You... you're Yahiko from the Akatsuki!"
"You should have died long ago!"
"I saw it with my own eyes... Th-this... why exactly is this happening?!"
Pain's expression did not change, his voice calm and indifferent.
"You joined forces with Danzo and betrayed us."
"A man like you, who only cared about saving his own life, is now nothing more than trash."
As he spoke, he slowly walked closer under Hanzo's terrified gaze.
"I once respected you deeply."
"I believed you were the hope of the Land of Rain. I believed you could lead this country out of endless war."
"But for the sake of power, you colluded with outsiders, slaughtered your own people, and turned the Land of Rain into a living hell."
Hanzo's lips trembled as he tried to defend himself, yet could not find a single excuse.
"But now... you've changed."
Pain stopped directly in front of Hanzo.
"You are no longer the Salamander Hanzo of those days. You are merely a cowardly piece of trash corrupted by power."
Before his death, Hanzo asked one final question.
"Th-this... what exactly is going on...?"
"Why do you possess such terrifying power?!"
He stared at Pain's Rinnegan, his eyes filled with unwillingness and fear.
That kind of power, power that surpassed the limits of humanity, should never exist within someone who was already dead.
Pain did not answer.
Six different figures stepped out from the shadows, surrounding Hanzo from all sides.
Deva Path, Human Path, Asura Path, Animal Path, Preta Path, Naraka Path.
Their expressions were cold and emotionless.
At the front, Pain spoke indifferently.
"Even now, you still fail to understand why you lost to me."
"It was not because you grew old, nor because your power declined, but because you forgot your original purpose. You forgot why you fought in the first place."
"A man without conviction does not deserve to live in this world."
He raised his hand, his palm aimed directly at Hanzo.
"Disappear, Hanzo."
"Feel pain."
"S-stop..."
Hanzo's voice trembled, his eyes overflowing with fear and pleading.
But Pain gave him no opportunity.
"Ahhh...!"
The scream echoed through the tower before abruptly coming to an end.
Salamander Hanzo, the "Demigod" who once made the entire Shinobi World tremble in fear, the dictator of Hidden Rain Village, died just like that upon the land he had once ruled.
His corpse collapsed into a pool of blood, those murky eyes still wide open in death.
At that moment, a voice sounded from behind Pain.
"So your long-cherished wish can finally be fulfilled?"
Pain turned around.
Space twisted for a moment, and a man wearing an orange spiral mask slowly emerged from the void.
Behind him followed a strange half-black, half-white figure, Zetsu.
The masked man walked up before Pain.
"After making so many preparations, there's finally a reward for it all."
"Up until now, although it took a great deal of time, the civil war of the Land of Rain has ended at last."
"With Hanzo dead, the Land of Rain now belongs to the Akatsuki."
"According to the agreement we made earlier..."
"It's time for all of you to help me fulfill my wish as well."
Konan stepped out from the shadows and stood beside Pain, her gaze fixed warily upon Obito.
Obito continued.
"First, we recruit companions."
"We need more partners operating under the name of Akatsuki."
"As for the number... aside from me, let's gather another ten people."
"Right now, Akatsuki only has you, Konan, and Zetsu. There are only three members in total, far from enough."
"Why aren't you included in that number?"
Pain asked.
Obito glanced at him.
"I'll remain behind the scenes and act as circumstances require."
"When the time is right, I'll naturally join. Until then, Nagato, Akatsuki will be led by you."
Pain said nothing, silently accepting it.
Konan asked:
"Then which companions should we recruit?"
The masked man immediately replied:
"I've already thought of several candidates. At present, there are three people in mind."
---
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