Sick Man of the Hidden Cloud

Over the past few days, the accompanying ninja from the other villages had deeply experienced Konoha's Will of Fire. So the cultural development of a ninja village could be done this way too.

Black Rock of the Hidden Stone Village had been secretly imitating Konoha these past few days, studying its advanced culture and regulations. Everything had to follow Konoha's example. Konoha's slogans, school anthem, library displays, and statues—all of it had to be adapted locally. Once he returned to the Hidden Stone Village, he would create a "Will of Earth" just like Konoha's.

Black Rock had read through Hokage Quotations and How Konoha Was Built cover to cover. He was especially struck by the matter of teaching songs in school. Education had to start with children, and village-loving education had to begin in elementary school; a love for one's village had to be instilled from a young age. He would establish a school anthem in the Hidden Stone Village too.

If he could not write one himself, then he would hire a diva—hire professionals to write it. In short, whatever Konoha had, the Hidden Stone Village had to have too; whatever Konoha did not have, the Hidden Stone Village had to have even more.

No matter how hard things got, the children could not suffer; no matter how poor they were, education could not be neglected. Black Rock felt that the Hidden Stone Village still did not place enough importance on school education. Its village-loving education had been such a failure, repeating only the same few lines over and over: "Do not betray the village." Yet no one had ever explained why one should be loyal to the village, or why one could not betray it.

Just look at how well Konoha put it. Black Rock had read the speech Youthful Konoha Speaks three times. With each reading, his insights deepened. He felt that this one trip to Konoha had taught him more than the first half of his life.

"What is wrong with you? Konoha prohibits spitting anywhere, and littering is even less allowed."

With visitors from other villages arriving these past few days, the Konoha Guard Department had been on high alert, afraid that someone might tarnish Konoha's reputation.

A member of the Guard Department stopped a ninja from the Hidden Cloud Village. The man had just spat on the ground, then casually tossed the paper he had used to wipe his mouth by the roadside.

"I only threw away a little trash, and you Konoha people are throwing your weight around!" Kuroi of the Hidden Cloud Village shouted.

"Konoha is bullying you? You were the one who broke Konoha's laws, and now you dare falsely accuse us!"

Before long, a crowd of Konoha villagers had gathered around them.

"Hey, do you think the Guard Department will dare arrest him?" one troublemaking villager asked.

"They'll definitely arrest him!" another villager said. "The Guard Department enforces the law strictly and investigates every violation. In Konoha, I trust the Guard Department."

"Hmph, I'm just afraid they'll bully the weak and fear the strong. He's an honored guest from the Hidden Cloud Village. If this is mishandled, it could affect diplomacy." Some people were unconvinced.

"You spineless coward!" someone beside him immediately shot back. "Konoha traitor!"

"You're the Konoha traitor!"

"Who doesn't know that the Guard Department is impartial and incorruptible? If you ask me, these barbarians are definitely getting hauled away."

"The Guard Department treats everyone equally. Last week, Uchiha Ghostfire was fined just because he accidentally kicked over a trash can by the roadside."

"First, never act on emotion!

Second, never overlook a single misdeed!

Third, ensure that every judgment is fair and splendid!"

Just as the Konoha Guard Department and Kuroi were locked in an argument, Senju Momoka arrived in time.

"Great, Dragonfly Captain is here!" The surrounding villagers immediately made way upon hearing his voice.

"Chief, this guest from the Hidden Cloud Village spat on the ground and littered. We caught him red-handed."

"Is that true?" Senju Momoka looked at Kuroi.

"I don't know! I don't know anything!" Kuroi felt guilty as well. Back in the Hidden Cloud Village, no one cared if he relieved himself wherever he pleased. How had he ended up alerting the Guard Department just by coming to Konoha?

"You have the right to remain silent, but everything you say may be used as evidence in court." Seeing Kuroi shake his head, argue stubbornly, and refuse to tell the truth, Senju Momoka secretly rejoiced. He had finally gotten to say that line.

Uchiha Yan and Lord Hokage had said those words when they came to inspect the Guard Department some time ago. Senju Momoka had thought they sounded excellent and had been looking for a chance to use them ever since. Unfortunately, after being immersed in the Will of Fire, Konoha's villagers had become increasingly civilized and had stubbornly refused to give him an opportunity. Today, he had finally caught someone from another village.

"Take him to the Guard Department." Senju Momoka waved his hand. "Have the Raikage pay the fine to bail him out."

With that, he held his head high and strode toward the Guard Department.

"Good!" Seeing that the Guard Department truly was impartial and treated everyone equally, the villagers who normally disliked it suddenly found it far less objectionable.

"That black barbarian has no manners. Unlike us Konoha people—every one of us is so civilized."

"Hey, you're trying to talk manners with those black barbarians? Do they even know how to write the word?"

As Kuroi was led away, the Konoha villagers felt their spirits lift considerably. This must have been the "collective sense of Konoha honor" Lord Yan had spoken of.

"Exactly! That black barbarian is practically dragging down the standards of the entire ninja world!"

"Konoha is still the best. The streets are spotless, and no one throws things around."

"Of course. Last time I tossed out a cigarette butt, I was fined five hundred ryo. I never dared do it again." He spoke as if being fined were some great honor.

"That wasn't what you said last time. You cursed nonstop." Someone immediately exposed him.

"The Guard Department really made a name for itself this time."

Black Rock had witnessed the entire thing. No wonder Konoha was so prosperous and thriving—its villagers had such high standards. If this method could be promoted in the Hidden Stone Village, then its rise to strength would be just around the corner.

Konoha Post Station.

After a full day of verbal sparring, the First Raikage, A, had only just returned to the post station when he heard his subordinates report what had happened to Kuroi.

"How disgraceful!" A slammed his palm onto the table. "It's unbearable to look at!"

He wanted nothing more than to chop that useless brother-in-law to death. He had intended to bring him out to broaden his horizons, only for the man to come here and make a fool of himself.

"Go. Pay the fine and bail him out." A waved his hand.

"Yes, Lord Raikage."

In just one afternoon, news that "someone from the Hidden Cloud Village was arrested for spitting on the ground" had spread throughout all of Konoha.

Whenever Konoha villagers gathered to chat, they could bring it up within three sentences. Their after-dinner conversation shifted from "What are we eating today?" to "Did you hear about that Hidden Cloud Village spitting incident?"

As for the Hidden Cloud Village having no manners, once the other Kage each returned to their villages, it would probably spread throughout the entire ninja world.

Kui Lian and the other two fanned the flames even further.

"Those Hidden Cloud Village people may look sturdy, but they're actually weak as hell—strong on the outside, hollow within."

"Exactly. I'd say they're usually too feeble to even stand straight. What decent person spits on the ground like that?"

"Sick Men of the Hidden Cloud, obviously."

The three of them bantered like a comedy act, each chiming in and embellishing the story until, in the span of a single afternoon, Hidden Cloud Village's image changed from "the strongest of the Five Great Nations" to "the weakest of the Five Great Nations."

The title "Sick Men of the Hidden Cloud" began in Konoha and gradually spread outward.