Takamagahara

As the rain fell, Uchiha Zhuang listened in silence as the boy recounted his experiences as if they were nothing. "So, what's your dream, young man?" Uchiha Zhuang asked gently. The boy looked up at him—Uchiha Zhuang was a little taller—and said, "Samurai, I'm already twelve. In another year, I want to join Lord Hanzo's ranks and become an ashigaru. It's steady work, and if I work hard, Mom and my little brother will have a good life." His eyes shone with hope, like someone who believed in Ultraman Tiga. Uchiha Zhuang smiled. "Then you'll have to train hard and eat plenty. Lord Hanzo will be a world-famous man one day, so stay close to him! I think you can do it, young man!" The boy turned to him, excitement written all over his face. "Thank you, Samurai! If you say I can do it, then I definitely can. After all, you're a samurai lord! Hehe!"

The boy grinned shyly. The three of them kept walking and soon reached the checkpoint at the foot of the mountain. The boy took out two silver-white plaques and handed them to the guard, who accepted them and recorded their details with practiced ease. He gave them a wooden pass and motioned for the two of them to go in. "Samurai, I won't be coming in. I still have another group of visitors to see to. Have fun!" the boy said earnestly. Uchiha Zhuang hesitated, then took out a towel printed with a ping-pong paddle and handed it to him. "If you don't become one of Lord Hanzo's ashigaru, believe me: leave Takamagahara and go to the Land of Iron. This is our organization's token. Take it to the far north of the Land of Iron and find a woman named Delia. She'll give you and your family a stable life." The boy accepted it, confused. "Remember, don't let anyone else see this towel. You'd better hide it in your pocket every day, or you'll be beaten to death." The boy shuddered, then quickly stuffed it into his pocket. Uchiha Zhuang gave him a hundred thousand ryō, then entered the wicked Takamagahara with Persia!

They crossed a garden courtyard and entered a reception hall, bustling with people and dazzling with gold. In the distance were a bar and tables full of card players. Closer by was a laid-back café, where people in fine clothes—though their cuffs and collars were slightly worn and faded—drank coffee and read newspapers, or chatted quietly before breaking into laughter. After removing his raincoat and straw hat in the lobby, Uchiha Zhuang took the tissues offered by the receptionist and wiped his face and hands. He handed his wooden pass to the front desk, and soon an attendant came over to escort the two of them to an elevator leading upstairs.

The silver-white elevator carried them swiftly upward, all the way to the rooftop Garden Terrace Park. The attendant gave them a practiced smile and led them out of the elevator. A security gate stood before Uchiha Zhuang. He strode through it boldly. He had stowed away everything he carried, leaving his unknown opponents no opening to exploit. Once they had passed through safely, the attendant led them into a tall enclosure formed by lush green hedges. Several simple fabric sofas had been arranged inside, facing a large desk. The executive chair behind it turned around, revealing the woman from the night before.

The attendant politely withdrew and closed the wooden door. The woman eyed Persia with interest, looking her over before saying, "No wonder you wouldn't give in last night. How could a man who's seen a mountain settle for a little hill?" "If you're here to mock me, you didn't need to make such a big production of it. Tell us what you want us to do. And let me make one thing clear: the payment has to satisfy me." The woman slowly approached them. "Men are always in such a hurry. We haven't even talked, and you're already eager to get down to business. Isn't that right, dear sister?" Her eyes seemed to sparkle with flirtation. Persia looked utterly bewildered, ignoring the woman's insinuations, and quietly sat beside Uchiha Zhuang without a word. The woman got no reaction, but didn't take offense. She simply pulled out a lighter, lit a cigarette, and began smoking. Uchiha Zhuang declined the cigarette she offered. "I don't smoke, thanks!"

The woman sat opposite Uchiha Zhuang on the sofa, crossed her alluring long legs over the coffee table, and reclined lazily as she smoked, slowly blowing out rings. After a long silence, she came to her senses and spoke seriously. "I'm Tomoko. I've been doing business in the Land of Rain for a long time. This time, I'd like you to help me find out some things." With that, Tomoko rose and walked over to the glass wall, gazing out at the view as she spoke. "Look. Isn't it perfect? The people bustling around below are like ants, laboring tirelessly to provide nourishment for the wealthy and powerful in exchange for food. It's only natural, and perfectly reasonable, isn't it?"

Uchiha Zhuang also got up and walked over. He looked beyond Takamagahara, where a cluster of luxurious buildings stood beside a run-down neighborhood. The lower classes thronged the streets, giving the place a lively air. The courtyard at the front entrance must have been reserved for distinguished guests. "I've seen a lot on my travels. To be honest, this is still better than many places after a war. At least people don't have to worry that their neighbors will carve up their bodies the next day." Uchiha Zhuang spoke quietly. Then he pressed his lips together and continued, "Being weak isn't a sin. But once the strong show up, the weak become sinners."

"Oh?" Tomoko tilted her head and glanced at Uchiha Zhuang. "Then would you be willing to help these weak people? Kill Mado Tadamori and find out what he's up to. Rumor has it he wants to join forces with foreign powers and divide his own country. Would you be willing to do something for the common people of the Land of Rain?"

There was a note of pleading in her voice, and a pitiful look appeared on her face. But Uchiha Zhuang could see the coldness in her eyes, so at odds with her expression and tone. He turned to look out the window. The rain still fell without end. Tilting his face up at a forty-five-degree angle, he smiled. "Sure. Thirty million ryō. A hero can't work on an empty stomach, can he?" Tomoko stared intently at Uchiha Zhuang for a long moment, then smiled. "That's true. Well, then, I'll await your victory."

He left the terrace park with Persia, never looking back. As the elevator descended, Uchiha Zhuang began to think. Mado Tadamori was a prominent figure in the Land of Rain. Even a foreigner who had just arrived, like him, could learn about the man's deeds from the conversations of the common people.

Mado Tadamori was born and raised in the Land of Rain. He had suffered the ravages of war and the pain of losing loved ones from a young age. Later, he entered the service of the previous Daimyo as an ashigaru. The harsh conditions he'd grown up in had made him fierce and warlike. If he thought something was his due, he bared his fangs and took it by force. He served the previous Daimyo for over a decade, rising from ashigaru to Ashigaru Commander, then to ashigaru general, senior ashigaru general, and finally general. Before the old Daimyo died, he urged the young Daimyo to heed Mado Tadamori's guidance and learn statecraft from him. So the young Daimyo took Mado Tadamori as his teacher, diligently following his instructions for twenty years without daring to defy him.

At first, Mado Tadamori had been utterly devoted to his duties. The old Daimyo's deathbed trust had set him apart from the other ministers, and he soon built his own network of followers through force, threats, and inducements. When his power was at its height, he also did many things for the good of the country and its people. He built dams and dikes throughout the country, dug waterways, strengthened urban drainage systems, and improved public education, healthcare, law, the military, and public security. It could be said that Mado Tadamori was the undying sun of the Land of Rain, bringing hope and warmth to its people. Even now, many elderly people still muttered that he was an angel sent by Heaven to the Land of Rain!

In matters of state, the Daimyo had gradually gone from sitting in the main seat and presiding over affairs to sitting beside Mado Tadamori while Mado Tadamori took the main seat. He made every decision about the country's affairs and military. All the ministers meekly obeyed him, as if Mado Tadamori had already become the new Daimyo. And he didn't just wield absolute power—his personal life was extravagant as well!