A Pleasant Partnership

"Boom!!"

Under the watchful eyes of Amemura and Erika, the two Amegakure Jōnin, a brilliant flash of fire erupted.

The scorching flames turned the surrounding rain into white vapor, and thick smoke instantly swallowed the attackers, leaving them no chance to even cry out.

By the time the other Amegakure Ninja arrived, the battle was already over.

Jingū Kiraku, the newly appointed leader, stood amid the dense drizzle. Rainwater traced the sharp lines of his face, while his black windbreaker fluttered gently in the wind.

"Everyone, disperse. They were just a few petty thieves."

Jingū Kiraku waved a hand. His casual demeanor made it seem as though they were seeing Hanzō the Salamander in his youth—

Calm and powerful!

At his command, the Amegakure Ninja who had rushed over quickly withdrew and turned to maintain order.

As for Amemura and Erika, who stood in the office, they exchanged stunned looks.

"That just now..."

"The Water Body Flicker Technique?"

"Was his Body Flicker Technique always that fast?"

Erika looked astonished, her mouth slightly open, her frost-like face filled with surprise.

Amemura, beside her, was equally shaken. Shaking his head, he said, "I don't know, but judging by the speed he displayed just now, I'm afraid he is no slower than Lord Hanzo."

As the two spoke, Jingū Kiraku had already appeared before them.

"To be honest, I'm a little surprised. You actually stepped in on your own."

Back in the office, he casually tossed the sole surviving attacker onto the floor and spoke bluntly.

Erika looked at the opposition ninja bound by clay on the ground, then at the new leader before her. She slowly exhaled and said, "The village's situation is already bad enough. We simply didn't want any more unrest to break out."

Jingū Kiraku nodded at that explanation.

Just as Erika had said, the Land of Rain's situation was indeed dreadful.

To avoid exposing the existence of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, he had slaughtered every one of the dozens of ninja who had followed Hanzō the Salamander.

From the perspective of the entire village, this was undoubtedly a tremendous loss.

At that thought, Jingū Kiraku suddenly raised his eyes and looked at the cold-faced female Jōnin.

"So, you think killing Hanzō the Salamander and his followers was a mistake?"

Jingū Kiraku's voice was remarkably calm, yet it placed immense pressure on the two battle-hardened Jōnin.

After all, the man before them was someone capable of killing Hanzō the Salamander.

That terrifying explosion remained deeply etched in many people's hearts.

Leaving everything else aside, with speed comparable to Hanzo's and that strange explosive technique, killing them would be no difficult task.

Even under such pressure, Erika gritted her teeth slightly and chose to meet Jingū Kiraku's scrutinizing gaze.

"No. Eliminating dissenters is merely something every ruler does."

"The strong prey upon the weak. That is an unchanging law of the ninja world."

"What I truly want to know is how you intend to lead Hidden Rain Village back to prosperity."

Erika stared fixedly at him, as though trying to discern something from the new leader's expression.

In response, Jingū Kiraku smiled faintly, then his expression abruptly turned serious.

He clasped his hands before him and said each word distinctly, "I will kill the parasites feeding off the people and reclaim the wealth that belongs to us."

"I will drive every invader from the Land of Rain and make them understand pain."

"I will lead the people to every victory, so that no one will have to worry about bread and milk again."

His voice grew louder and louder, his bearing radiating the composure and confidence of a blazing sun.

Jingū Kiraku's words seemed to possess an indescribable power of persuasion, making people unable to resist believing him.

This was also an important reason why he had gathered so many supporters in such a short time.

Seeing the two of them stunned by his Overbearing Aura, Jingū Kiraku understood—

His S-rank speech ability had taken effect!

Still, Jingū Kiraku had no intention of deceiving them.

He lightly tapped the tabletop with a finger, and the crisp sound immediately "woke" the two of them.

Then, with an exceptionally solemn expression, he said, "You two, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice. Right now, no matter what we say, it is all empty talk."

"There is only one thing I can guarantee—"

"If the day comes when we truly face utter destruction, I, Jingū Kiraku, will die before the Land of Rain does."

Compared to before, Jingū Kiraku did not speak loudly when he said this, yet to Erika and Amemura, his words exploded like thunder.

They sensed an unimaginable resolve from this young leader, a temperament completely different from Hanzō the Salamander's.

Erika's expression changed several times before she finally said, "I can serve you, but if one day you betray the interests of the Land of Rain like Hanzo did..."

Before she could finish, Jingū Kiraku teased, "You couldn't beat me anyway, could you?"

Erika's face instantly flushed red, leaving her speechless for a moment.

Seeing this, Jingū Kiraku laughed, then said seriously, "Don't worry. I was born with rather hard bones. I can't kneel."

Only after receiving that affirmative answer did Erika and Amemura secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

If another spineless leader appeared, then the Land of Rain truly would be beyond saving.

Seeing their relieved expressions, a faint smile appeared on Jingū Kiraku's face again.

"As the first step of our partnership, the two of you can join my Leader's Guard."

The invitation left them both frozen once more.

After all, the Leader's Guard was the most core force directly under the Amegakure Leader.

Generally speaking, only the most trusted confidants could hold such a position.

Yet they had still been serving Hanzō the Salamander two days ago.

Perhaps seeing through their thoughts, Jingū Kiraku shrugged.

"Trust those you employ; do not employ those you distrust."

"And as you can see, I currently do not have much manpower at my disposal."

"So..."

"A pleasant partnership?"

Jingū Kiraku slowly rose to his feet and extended his hand toward them.

After hesitating for a moment, Erika and Amemura finally reached out as if waking from a dream.

"A pleasant partnership, Leader."

Amemura spoke with a rather complicated tone.

Though he felt that he still did not know this new leader well enough, this was already the best possible choice.

Upon hearing Amemura's form of address, Jingū Kiraku swiftly turned his gaze toward Erika.

Under his scrutiny, a faint blush actually appeared on her icy face.

She lowered her head, lightly biting her lip with pearly teeth, before finally forcing out the words, "A pleasant partnership..."

"Leader."