Land of Rain — Amegakure
Office of Hanzo of the Salamander
"Continuous rainfall saturates the soil with water, depriving plant roots of oxygen and affecting crop growth. In severe cases, it causes root rot."
"Meanwhile, constant rain washes nutrients out of the soil, reducing its fertility."
"On top of that, the humid environment encourages fungal and bacterial diseases. Moist conditions also allow pests to reproduce rapidly, increasing the risk of infestations."
"Heavy rainfall can also cause flooding, submerging farmland and leading to complete crop failure. Flooding further worsens soil erosion and damages soil structure."
"These are the primary reasons why agriculture in the Land of Rain has never been able to develop properly."
Standing before a large topographical map of the Land of Rain, Hanzo of the Salamander explained his thoughts.
Below him sat Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, Amayu, and Kanzō, all listening attentively.
"The Land of Rain lies at the center of the continent," Hanzo continued.
"We border six countries simultaneously: the Land of Fire, Land of Earth, Land of Wind, Land of Birds, Land of Grass, and the Land of Rivers."
"By all logic, we should be a major commercial hub."
"But aside from the economic blockade imposed by the three great nations—Fire, Earth, and Wind—our geography is another major reason for our slow development."
"The humid air causes goods to spoil quickly."
"And the endless rain combined with muddy roads greatly slows travel."
"Most merchant caravans would rather take a longer route than pass through the Land of Rain, even though it would normally be the shorter path."
"So no matter how you look at it—if we want to change the fate of the Land of Rain…"
"We must first change its environment."
Hanzo stood before the map, pointing continuously as he explained his plans.
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan excitedly lowered their heads, quickly taking notes.
However, the expressions of Amayu and Kanzō gradually became more troubled.
Although Uchiha Ren intended to gradually transfer Hanzo's authority to Yahiko and the others, the development of the Land of Rain could not rely on the three of them alone.
Because of this, whenever discussions focused purely on national development, Ren would have Hanzo summon Amayu and Kanzō, his two most trusted subordinates.
With their assistance, Yahiko's group would be able to better manage the country in the future.
Hanzo continued pointing across the map.
"So I plan to plant forests in these areas to regulate the local climate."
"Trees absorb water and reduce flood risks. Through transpiration, they also help regulate humidity."
"Then here… here… and here…"
He tapped three locations on the map.
"We will construct three large reservoirs."
"And here, here, and here…"
"We will dig canals to channel excess water into the reservoirs."
"With reservoirs and drainage systems as infrastructure, we can properly manage rainfall and reduce flooding disasters."
"At the same time, I plan to build road networks centered around Amegakure, connecting the six surrounding nations."
"Here… and here…"
Hanzo continued outlining his plans across the map.
But the more he spoke, the darker the expressions of Amayu and Kanzō became.
From what Hanzo described, these projects were clearly massive undertakings capable of transforming the entire Land of Rain.
But precisely because they were such enormous projects—
The Land of Rain simply did not possess the manpower or resources necessary to carry them out.
Let alone all of them.
Even completing a single project would be extremely difficult.
If they tried to force these projects forward, given that many civilians in the Land of Rain already struggled to obtain enough food…
It could very easily trigger a popular uprising.
"So," Hanzo finally asked, returning to his desk and taking a sip of water,
"What do you think? Any questions?"
Before Yahiko and the others could ask about the details, Amayu and Kanzō exchanged a glance.
Then Amayu spoke first.
"Lord Hanzo… I have a question."
Hanzo glanced at him, unsurprised.
"Go ahead."
Amayu carefully chose his words.
"My lord… the Land of Rain is poor. Most civilians struggle even to feed themselves."
"If we launch so many massive projects at once, I'm afraid…"
He did not finish the sentence.
But his meaning was perfectly clear.
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan showed no concern whatsoever.
Their expressions remained calm.
Because Uchiha Ren had already explained the solution to them earlier.
Hanzo responded calmly.
"Don't worry. I never intended to launch all these projects at once."
"I understand that haste makes waste."
"And besides…"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"When did I say we would mobilize large numbers of civilians to build these projects?"
Amayu and Kanzō had just begun to relax after hearing the first half of Hanzo's statement.
But after hearing the second half—
Both of them froze.
If they weren't mobilizing civilians…
Then who would build these enormous projects?
Before they could ask, Hanzo posed another question.
"Amayu. Kanzō."
"What do you think a ninja is?"
"…A ninja?"
The two men were momentarily stunned.
In the shinobi world, there was a widely accepted belief:
Ninja are tools.
It was even written directly into the shinobi code.
Yet both of them could clearly sense that this was not the answer Hanzo wanted.
Hanzo shook his head slightly.
"You might say ninja are tools."
"But in my eyes…"
"A ninja is simply a person who has mastered certain special skills."
"Just as a chef masters cooking."
"A doctor masters medical techniques."
"And a musician masters the art of music."
"A ninja is simply someone who has learned specialized skills."
"Beyond those skills, there is no fundamental difference between ninja and ordinary people."
"People learn skills and then use those skills to live better lives."
"That is only natural."
"And ninja should be the same."
"But the abilities of ninja should not exist solely for war."
He paused and looked at the increasingly confused Amayu and Kanzō.
Then he shook his head.
"It's fine if you don't understand now."
"Someday, you will."
"For now…"
Hanzo picked up the weapon resting beside him—
his signature sickle.
"Take this sickle as an example."
"For me, it's a weapon used to kill."
"But for a farmer…"
"It's simply a tool used to harvest crops."
"Do you understand now?"
Amayu nodded uncertainly.
"So… Lord Hanzo, you intend to use ninja to construct those large projects?"
"Of course."
Hanzo nodded without hesitation.
"Who better than ninja to split mountains, break stone, dig canals, and reshape the land?"
"Normally, our village doesn't receive many external missions anyway."
"So the village will simply issue practical missions instead."
"That way, we can improve the Land of Rain's environment…"
"…and at the same time train our shinobi."
…
Hanzo suddenly paused mid-sentence.
"Alright, that's enough for today."
"I'm feeling a bit tired."
"You may all leave."
His tone had shifted abruptly.
It seemed as though he had sensed something.
Amayu and Kanzō exchanged another glance but said nothing.
After bowing respectfully, they quietly withdrew from the office.
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