Kirigakure, No Future in Sight!

Amegakure.

Splash!

Amidst the clouds and raindrops, a figure rapidly coalesced from pieces of paper that transformed into the color of the sky, finally appearing outside Hanzo's door.

Not long after.

"Lord Hanzo!"

"Konan, why are you the only one back? Did something happen?"

"Sir, the situation is like this..."

Konan described Konoha's proposal.

Hanzo listened carefully, then smiled and said, "Since I sent you, it's because I trust you completely. You can decide for yourselves."

"These matters concern the village and the country; we lack the experience and authority to handle them."

Konan answered respectfully.

Hanzo pondered for a moment and said, "If opening the mountain is indeed as you say, then it can be basically concluded that it is beneficial to both us and Sunagakure, and we can proceed with it."

"The cost..."

"Sunagakure will definitely have to shoulder more of the burden, because for our Land of Rain, the extent of the impact of opening a breach is still unknown."

Hanzo replied calmly, "We can't gamble money on unknown profits."

Furthermore, Amegakure has become accustomed to rain.

The Sunagakure is different.

For Sunagakure, a wisp of moisture could mean a river, an oasis, or a trade route...

Hanzo didn't understand many of these things, but his intuition told him that Sunagakure would definitely reap greater benefits from this plan!

so.

Rasa will definitely concede.

"Then, the cooperation in the northern part of the Land of Rivers?"

"This needs to be discussed with the Feudal Lord and nobles of the Land of Rivers. The interests of all parties need to be balanced, and it can't be resolved in a short time. Let's postpone it for now."

Hanzo said with a slight smile.

"You've done a great job, securing considerable benefits for Amegakure and the Land of Rain, but what about your village? What are your plans?"

"They originally only went there to escape war and conflict, and had no intention of expanding. If the village needs us, we are ready to provide manpower and resources at any time!"

Konan lowered her head and answered quickly.

Hanzo waved his hand.

"Don't be nervous. You come from the Land of Rain and Amegakure, so we are natural allies. We can increase our cooperation in the future."

"Yes, we are completely at your command!"

Konan answered decisively.

Hanzo said, "Go and inform Yahiko that he can decide everything during the negotiations in Konoha without consulting me."

As he spoke, he wrote down everything he had just said on a scroll and stamped it with the leader's seal.

Go for it!

"Thank you for your trust, Lord Hanzo!"

Konan bowed and took the scroll, then stepped back to the windowsill, quickly wrapped it up, and disappeared from the spot.

Hanzo walked to the window and watched Konan leave.

Yahiko, Konan, Land of Birds.

If the smaller ninja villages want to fight against the larger ninja villages and their alliance, they must unite and rely on the larger ninja villages.

Yahiko and his group from Amegakure are indeed the most suitable partners.

When a village cannot expand, differentiation and closer alliances are far better than simply increasing the number of people.

Because the resources of the Land of Rain cannot support the consumption of a large ninja village.

This is also why he genuinely collaborated with Yahiko and Konan, giving them opportunities and a platform to hone their skills.

In the future, Yahiko and Konan will become the backbone of Amegakure, and even --

The next leader!

Rasa left.

The main things Sunagakure needs to discuss with Konoha are those issues, and now there's also cooperation on the southern seas. He needs to go back to take charge of the overall situation.

Amegakure is different.

The main figures in charge of the village were Hanzo, Yahiko, Konan, who were essentially just Jonin with special status.

He can linger in Konoha for much longer.

The difference is--

Yahiko's purpose was different.

He was observing Konoha's operating model, pondering whether Amegakure and the villages of the Land of Birds could learn from and adopt it.

Even learning just a small part is far better than them trying to figure it out in isolation.

but.

After looking around, Yahiko felt a sense of despair.

Konoha's model is always based on the premise of "wealth".

Sufficient capital and trade routes are needed to attract more merchants and create a virtuous cycle.

Furthermore, the peace of the Land of Fire is something that their small country cannot replicate.

Over the course of several days, he increasingly felt that Konoha was like a snowball, which, after its initial accumulation, would only grow bigger and bigger.

If Konoha is able to absorb the benefits of the snowball effect and promptly convert them into power, creating a virtuous cycle...

That Konoha will truly become the number one village in the Shinobi World.

Even the other four great ninja villages probably can't compare to Konoha.

If the four strongest villages were to unite, they could contend with Konoha. However, the problem is that Sunagakure was crippled by Konoha and now can only live by Konoha's attitude.

Amegakure has no other choice.

The future Shinobi World...

I hope Kyohiko is a peace-loving person!

Yahiko sighed secretly in his heart.

Inside the forest outside the Anbu.

Kakashi was dressed in special attire, wielding a heavy blade, and was drenched in sweat, but he gritted his teeth and persevered.

Over the course of several days, his physical condition improved rapidly, though he himself was unaware of it.

"Ten times the gravity, combined with his own Chakra, can sustain him for three hours, which is not bad, just a bit troublesome."

Orochimaru recorded the data.

The new Chakra Armor has been completed.

Effect...

It's just passable.

Because the current version can only be activated up to 10x, increasing it further will significantly increase the increase in Chakra consumption, making it extremely inefficient.

"Once it reaches ten times the speed, it can be used; the rest is just optimization and iteration."

Kyohiko looked at the pattern and pondered how to optimize it.

The principle behind this armor is to amplify the duration of Ninjutsu, so its design is quite different from before.

but.

This armor only received a Hardening spell as a reward...

That thing is useful, but its effect is only strong for those Chunin level; it's practically useless for those Chunin.

Especially when facing Lightning Release Ninjutsu.

so.

We need to think further and extract more value from it!

Kyohiko was deep in thought.

Then, his eyes lit up.

"This design would actually be better suited for combination with hardening techniques and Earth Spear; the effect would be even better."

"His coordination with the others is just average."

Kyohiko quickly pondered the situation.

"Kakashi, how are you feeling?"

"Better than ever before!"

Kakashi was very excited.

The exercise these past few days has surpassed the physical training of the previous six months.

Although it was also related to the fact that he had been busy with official duties for the previous six months and had not exercised much.

But.

This will only take a few days!

If one can persist in training, its value is self-evident.

"This..."

"No."

Orochimaru refused outright, "It's too expensive, and as Kyohiko said, it's more suitable for Iwagakure. We absolutely cannot let it slip out."

"So, it can only be used in the Anbu?"

"Kyohiko already has this in mind, doesn't he?"

Orochimaru looked at Kyohiko.

Kyohiko put down his pen. "Hmm, I've just gotten some ideas, but they're not quite complete yet."

"The current plan is to produce a dozen or so items and distribute them to key personnel for training. Additionally, every month or every three months, we will select individuals who have demonstrated strong performance in training, learning, and tasks to compete..."

Chakra Armor is expensive to make, and it's unrealistic for everyone to have one.

so.

As a reward for "monthly exams" or "quarterly exams," that would be perfect.

Orochimaru laughed, "That's right! With your method, they'll become more and more determined to fight, and the village will grow stronger and stronger!"

"You can only improve by competing."

Is graduation the end of it?

Graduating from the Ninja Academy? Your ninja career is just beginning!

The old system kept pushing tasks to their limits until they died; that's not how it works.

Upon hearing this, Kakashi trembled.

This is going to cause a huge uproar!

He swallowed hard.

"And what about people like me who are busier?"

"Outstanding talents should definitely be prioritized for development. Although it's not entirely fair, it's the fastest way to improve the village's overall strength."

Kyohiko answered.

The foundation of a village depends on its Chunin and Genin.

With its Ninja Academy education system, Konoha's quality is definitely the highest among the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

The Gravity Armor Training Program is primarily aimed at Jonin).

Jonin the Jonin level requires an immense amount of effort to improve one's physical abilities, even by a fraction.

In this situation, the Gravity Chakra Armor becomes extremely useful.

His thoughts gradually became clearer, and he quickly wrote them down, preparing to go back and talk to Tsunade to see if they could finalize the entire reward system.

The South, Land of Sea.

A young ronin, with a sword at his waist, leaped off the ship.

On the boat, everyone waved and thanked him.

He waved his hand and walked towards the shore of the Land of Sea.

Not long after, Kazuma slowly walked towards the street, and soon couldn't help but look in the direction of the dock.

Mist Village!

A group of Mist Village ninjas jumped off the ship.

He quickly went to a place to inquire.

I only found out after asking.

Recently, many wandering ninjas and thieves have appeared at sea, posing a considerable threat to the merchant caravans of the Land of Sea.

The Land of Sea therefore increased its recruitment of Mist Village.

"A wandering ninja?"

"How could a wandering ninja dare to attack a caravan passing through the Land of Sea?"

There's definitely something wrong!

Having spent the last few days in the Land of Rivers, Kazuma understands the thoughts and ideas of those wandering ninjas Land of Rivers.

He thought about the purpose of his trip and suddenly understood.

Konoha?

It should be.

War is about to break out.

He thought to himself.

Kirigakure.

"Elder."

"Why!"

Genji frowned and reluctantly put the scroll down.

He sat back.

"We've already sent more ninjas regarding the caravan, but we're afraid this might be a counterattack from Konoha."

"I'll go over there!"

Hozuki Mangetsu volunteered.

Genji shook his head.

Hozuki Mangetsu...

Although he is no longer forced to watch over the Three-Tails as before, he doesn't have much power now, and he is given very few tasks.

He is currently leading the team, and his teammates are Mei Terumi, Zabuza, and Ringo Ameyuri.

certainly.

The Genji didn't let him go, mainly because of the village's orders.

He took out the scroll and said, "Take some men and intercept this fleet. Don't kill anyone, just seize the cargo and make it clean."

"Grown ups..."

Hozuki Mangetsu panicked.

What kind of logic is it to vandalize someone's own home?

"Child, go do something. I understand what you're saying, but who can afford the cost of failure right now?"

The Genji's tone grew increasingly sorrowful.

He had already realized there was something wrong with the Mizukage, but Karatachi Yagura was already incredibly powerful before.

Yagura has now sealed the Three-Tails and voluntarily become its Jinchuriki Three-Tails, making him even more terrifying than before.

Besides Yagura himself, who else in Kirigakure could defeat him?

Currently, Kirigakure is still functioning and maintaining itself. However, if they fail to defeat their opponent after doing what Hozuki Mangetsu suggested, then...

What should Kirigakure do after their defeat?

The Genji must consider the consequences of failure.

"Go."

"This is!"

Hozuki Mangetsu left helplessly.

Once outside, he looked up at the sky and felt that the air in Kirigakure was oppressive.

The current state of Kirigakure makes him see no future.

Inside the Hokage Office.

Tsunade looked at the scroll in her hand, her expression gradually becoming serious.

This is yet another decision that will impact the ninja system!

She rubbed her temples.

Kyohiko's proposal has obvious advantages, but its flaws...

The ninjas are working harder and harder, so how to ensure their safe training is a question that needs careful consideration.

otherwise.

One wrong move and you could ruin your life.

"Kyohiko, my suggestion is to test the Gravity Chakra Armor multiple times first, instead of just giving it to someone like Kakashi..."

"I understand. Once the numbers increase, I'll test it at various levels first."

Kyohiko answered.

but.

He paused, then said, "However, you should know that this is a reward upgrade for geniuses and elites, so the selections will definitely be among the most outstanding."

"Yes, also, we need to consider whether it will have any long-term impact on the child's development..."

From the perspective of Medical Ninja, Tsunade continuously offered her own ideas.

Then she put down the scroll.

"Instead of this, I think we should establish a ninja health assessment mechanism as soon as possible and summarize a training plan suitable for normal ninjas."

Tsunade couldn't help but complain about what had happened over the past few months.

Since the Eight Inner Gates proved its Yamato and controllable safety, there has been a noticeable increase in Taijutsu ninjas undergoing intensive training.

The number of injured people in hospitals has also increased significantly.

"This should be something that Konoha Hospital needs to do, right?"

Kyohiko carefully raised his head.

Tsunade said irritably, "Where's anyone? Konoha Hospital, the Medical Ninja are all very busy right now, researching, treating..."

"Fortunately, it's not a state of war, otherwise the shortage would be even more urgent."

but.

What troubled Tsunade the most was--

War is imminent!

Currently, they can already foresee that a war is bound to break out.

This will be a war that engulfs the entire Shinobi World, and there is almost no possibility of compromise unless they can ultimately kill Madara Uchiha.

"There's still not enough time!"

If we had another ten years...

Kyohiko believed that with Konoha's current rate of development, it could absolutely suppress the entire Shinobi World!

but.

Within a limited timeframe, all they can do is continuously improve the quality of their current ninjas and train and develop those with potential as quickly as possible.

Tsunade put the matter aside and sighed, "I'll arrange your plan along with the health check and training. Do you have any intelligence on Kakuzu's side?"

"I've already had people stake out several black markets; we should be able to find his approximate location soon."

"Arrest them as soon as possible."

"Clear!"