Three Years

The Land of Rain, as its name suggested, was drizzly and overcast seventy percent of the year. Its unique climate had shaped a unique landscape, with most buildings clinging tightly to cliffs to shelter from the rain.

The harsh natural environment meant this place was not prosperous. Since the Warring States Period, no notable strongmen or shinobi clans had emerged here—until Hanzo of the Salamander rose to prominence.

During the First Shinobi World War, Hanzo of the Salamander first made his name. Over the next decade or so, he gradually earned the title of demigod of the Shinobi World, his fame shaking the land. Unfortunately, the village under such a renowned man's command was merely the weak and frail Amegakure.

For many years, Hanzo had led Amegakure in maneuvering among the major nations, hoping that one day they would gain recognition from the other Great Ninja Villages and become the sixth great ninja village.

With so few people, Amegakure did not cover much ground. A dozen or so buildings had been built against the mountains, and the faint sound of Hanzo slamming a table carried through the air before vanishing into the wind and rain.

"They've gone too far! How dare Sunagakure do this?!"

Hanzo of the Salamander, known as the demigod, slammed his desk with loud cracks.

Though he had always faced pressure from the Lands of Wind, Earth, and Fire, the major ninja villages had become increasingly excessive in recent years. Sunagakure in particular had pushed Hanzo's patience to its limit.

Every time someone came, they acted imperious and overbearing. Hanzo could have separated their heads from their bodies in the time it took to breathe, yet he had no choice but to listen time and again as they called him by name and made all manner of outrageous demands.

This time was even more absurd. They had actually demanded that Amegakure permanently and unconditionally allow Sunagakure's shinobi to enter and leave the Land of Rain as they pleased, without obstruction.

For a ninja village, that was equivalent to handing its lifeline entirely to someone else. It was also the greatest humiliation.

Naturally, Hanzo could not agree. But Sunagakure had made such an outrageous demand precisely because they knew Amegakure could not accept it. Even that weak messenger shinobi might have been cannon fodder sent here to give them an excuse.

So Hanzo had to endure!

Sunagakure definitely had another move prepared. He needed to make preparations as soon as possible...

Thinking this, Hanzo asked his assistant beside him, "Have Kumogakure's guests not arrived yet?"

"They arrived earlier, but they were worried about running into Sunagakure's people, so they concealed themselves first."

"Invite them over. No—take them to the tea room."

Hanzo of the Salamander was no simple man. Within a few breaths, he had calmed his emotions and forced himself to regain his composure.

The Shinobi World had grown increasingly turbulent over the past few years. Hanzo felt as though the Land of Rain was sitting atop a volcano, surrounded on all sides by malicious eyes. The only thing that could lift his spirits was every visit from Kumogakure's people.

Several figures wrapped head to toe in cloaks were led into the tea room, where Hanzo of the Salamander was already waiting.

"Lord Hanzo, it has been a long time." The leader nodded in greeting as he removed his hood.

Those words, Lord Hanzo, made Hanzo of the Salamander feel a little better.

Look at the difference. Look at Kumogakure's people. Compared to them, Sunagakure's people were nothing but a pack of bandits!

"Karui, it has indeed been a long time." The other party was courteous, so Hanzo naturally returned the courtesy. Besides, he truly did not wish to offend this envoy from Kumogakure.

"This shipment has been delivered in full. Here are the Sealing Scroll and the inventory list." Karui drew two scrolls from his sleeve and handed them to Hanzo.

Hanzo opened the list without changing expression. As he looked over the items one by one, his heart gradually settled.

One of the other scrolls bore the character for seal. Hanzo carefully put it away. He was familiar with it—it was Kumogakure's specially made Extra Large Sealing Scroll, capable of sealing a huge quantity of supplies within a single scroll.

About three years ago, Kumogakure, the only one of the four inland ninja villages not bordering the Land of Rain, had sent an envoy. With tremendous sincerity and determination, they had expressed their willingness to secretly form an alliance with the Land of Rain—or rather, to support Hanzo himself.

Ninja tools, weapons, Explosive Tags, all manner of supplies needed by shinobi, and even ninjutsu scrolls were all included in that support. The prices were so low that Hanzo could resell the supplies for a massive profit. Most importantly, he could write unlimited IOUs.

And that secret support had never stopped. Shipment after shipment kept coming. Hanzo himself had lost track of how many IOUs he had written to Kumogakure.

At the time, Kumogakure's only request had been that if the Rain Ninja gained anything on the battlefield in the future, Kumogakure hoped to share it. If it could not be shared, they hoped to receive priority in exchanging for it.

At first, Hanzo had thought they harbored ill intentions. Where was there trust in the Shinobi World, especially between powers? Who could say what the future would bring?

Yet over the past three years, Kumogakure's support had never ceased. Rain or shine, no matter how the other Great Ninja Villages threatened them, no matter how high supply prices rose, one could always trust Kumogakure.

With Kumogakure's secret support, Amegakure had become well supplied with both resources and money. Over the past few years, it had gradually grown stronger and begun to resemble a proper ninja village. Though it was still far behind the Five Great Villages, it at least had some confidence now.

Hanzo had gone from disbelief at the beginning, to wariness midway through, to gratitude now.

When the entire Shinobi World opposed and suppressed him, only Kumogakure stood firmly behind him. Though the support was secret, it was extraordinarily precious to both the Rain Ninja and Hanzo himself.

It also allowed Hanzo to see a glimmer of hope—a hope that he could lead Amegakure one step further in the future.

Yet the longer this nearly free support lasted, the more unreal it felt to Hanzo. He had even begun hoping Kumogakure would one day make an excessive demand, if only to put his mind at ease.

To his disappointment, Kumogakure still made no demands this time. Instead, they had given even more.

"Lord Hanzo, the adults in the village asked me to remind you that the Shinobi World has grown increasingly unstable in recent years. Amegakure is an important ally to us, but we are separated by thousands of miles. Should the Shinobi World change, even if the village wishes to intervene, it may be powerless to do so. In the end, Amegakure must become strong itself. Aside from supplies, I have brought two companions this time. They are both outstanding ninja instructors. Ninjutsu, taijutsu, assassination, intelligence analysis, and team combat are all subjects they can teach. If you need them, my companions can remain and help Amegakure train shinobi for one year. Of course, you may also refuse."

Karui pointed to the two people behind him. They removed their hoods as well. Neither wore a forehead protector, and Hanzo guessed there would not be anything on them that could prove their identities.

Kumogakure had always been cautious in that regard.

As for the adults in the village Karui mentioned, Hanzo knew that person was the leader of Karui's department, likely a powerful adviser in Kumogakure. Their remote exchanges over the past few years had benefited Hanzo greatly. The other man's wisdom had taught him much, and Hanzo had long considered him a kindred spirit.

However, for the sake of secrecy, Hanzo still did not know his true name.

"The adults also said that if the Rain Ninja wish to rise amid the cracks, they must possess the ability to cultivate their own talent. Amegakure has no ninja clans, so it can only establish a Ninja Academy. These two are precisely the talents Amegakure needs most. Lord Hanzo, I hope you will consider it carefully."

Hanzo took a sip of tea, his expression unchanged, but inwardly he marveled at how his old friend always knew exactly where to scratch.

He had once believed the Rain Ninja were weak because the Land of Rain was poor. But with Kumogakure's assistance these past few years, the lack of resources and poverty had largely been resolved. Still, the inability to cultivate their own talent had become a chokehold around Amegakure's neck.

He, Hanzo, was strong, but being powerful and being a good teacher were two entirely different things. Nor could he spend every day doing nothing but teaching students. Thus, over the years, Hanzo had only selected one or two assistants with decent talent to instruct. He truly could not spare attention for anyone else, much less bring in fresh blood.

Most importantly, Hanzo excelled in taijutsu and Water Release, but he was not proficient in everything. He was especially poor at noncombat abilities such as intelligence decryption.

Hanzo looked at the two ninja instructors, and a hint of fervor appeared in his eyes.

Though the two might only remain for a year, if they could lay the foundation for a Ninja Academy in Amegakure, then in a few years, the Rain Ninja would possess a foundation of their own.

As for trust, Hanzo still believed in his old friend. Besides, what kind of trouble could two ninja instructors stir up? A little watchfulness would be enough.

My old friend truly understands me.

"Hanzo is clearly being naive. There is not much time left for the Rain Ninja."

In Kumogakure Year 37, the same as Konohagakure's calendar, Hanzo's old friend Dada was already ten years old. However, he looked fourteen or fifteen in height, with a trace of childishness still on his face—along with nine parts handsomeness.

At that moment, Dada stood on the rooftop of the Kumogakure Ninja Academy, listening to a subordinate's report.

Even as the Raikage's son, Dada still had to attend the Ninja Academy, even if he could pin his teachers to the ground and beat them senseless. Well, such a thing had absolutely never happened.

But Dada clearly did not have time to attend school every day for a full six years, so he decisively transferred in midway.

Since everyone graduated after one year anyway, merely going through the motions, Dada simply joined the same year as Uzumaki Hirohiko.

Returning to student life after so many years felt rather fresh to Dada, though the subjects were killing, destruction, and infiltration.

And the children in the school were remarkably mature.

Especially the girls.

Over the past few months, Dada had acquired the highly melodramatic nickname "Kumogakure's Young Nobleman." Furthermore, almost every week, duels over Dada's right to choose a spouse took place somewhere he knew nothing about.

"Let's duel! Whoever loses can never approach Dada again!" Things like that.

Such events happened frequently. By rough estimate, Dada's right to choose a spouse had already circulated through the girls of the Ninja Academy several times.

Skipping class was mandatory, of course. Over the past few years, Dada's responsibilities as a Kumogakure "adviser" had grown increasingly heavy, and he had much work to handle. He often listened to reports from the Special Strategy Department on the school rooftop.

This had given rise to a legend within the Ninja Academy: "The Young Nobleman's Lonely Rooftop." It was especially popular among the girls.

"Kumogakure's Young Nobleman is actually a lonely person inside. He often skips class and goes alone to the rooftop to embrace the morning dew, sunlight, and evening breeze. If someone meets him there at the right time, he will open his heart to that person."

Dada's response was that if any of them could make it up there, he would admit defeat. Every report was guarded by at least two jonin blocking off the rooftop, and there was even Barrier Ninjutsu in place. If a little girl who had not even graduated from the Ninja Academy could get up there, Dada would be willing to call her the strongest.

But that was not even the most impressive thing. A week ago, Dada had sent his dean of students and homeroom teacher to the Land of Rain. Dada estimated that achievement was truly one in ten thousand...

It was absolutely not personal revenge. They really were the most suitable candidates.

"I hope the dean of students and homeroom teacher can adapt to the Land of Rain's climate," Dada remarked.

The ninja reporting beside him wiped cold sweat from his forehead...

The dean of students and homeroom teacher must have been rogue ninja in their past lives to meet a student like this in this one...

The situation in the Shinobi World had become increasingly unstable over the past few years. Imbalances in development among the Lands of Wind, Earth, and Fire had escalated their conflicts, and friction continued around the Land of Rain as a battleground for their games. It felt as though a storm was about to break.

Kumogakure, meanwhile, was far enough from the center of the conflict in the Land of Rain. Combined with its focus on peacefully absorbing the foundation it had gained in recent years, it was temporarily able to stay out of the fray.

It had already been ten years since Dada had transmigrated. He no longer clearly remembered the role Kumogakure had played in the original Second Shinobi World War, but in this life, he hoped Kumogakure could pass through it steadily and avoid being dragged in too early—especially passively.

After all, the Third Shinobi World War would follow soon after.

After hearing his subordinate's report, Dada jumped directly from the rooftop. That was also why few people ever caught him there—the door leading to the rooftop had long since been welded shut. He usually jumped up and down directly, and not many Ninja Academy students could manage that.

"School should be over, right? Let's go, Hirohiko. Where's Kagari?"

Uzumaki Hirohiko's younger sister, Kagari, was also a Ninja Academy student, one year below Dada and Hirohiko.

The red-haired youth who had been waiting for some time was no longer surprised. "She said she had some personal business, so she won't be coming with us today."

Hirohiko was also a well-known figure in the Ninja Academy. Part of that was because he was Dada's friend, but more importantly, Hirohiko was the academy's best student, consistently ranking first in every subject.

That was with Dada not participating in any assessments.

The two who left the Ninja Academy together had no idea that, in the woods behind the school, nine-year-old Uzumaki Kagari took a pair of fingerless gloves from her pocket, exposing the bones of her fingers.

"The usual rules. Let's duel. The loser is forbidden from approaching Brother Dada again!" Kagari adjusted her glasses as she spoke, staring at the girls before her.

"Shut up! You are not allowed to call Lord Dada Onii-chan! If you want to fight, then fight! Come on!"