Land of Earth, Iwagakure.
Ever since Black Rock returned from Konoha after further study, he had modeled everything after Konoha, paying tribute to it across the board. He had even coined a slogan: "Mobilize the whole village, get everyone involved, surpass Konoha in five years! Work with full vigor, strive to lead, and build a beautiful Iwagakure quickly, efficiently, and economically!"
He had set up numerous bookstands throughout Iwagakure, filling them with books he had compiled about the Will of Earth.
He had collected and bound the everyday "earthy sayings" of the First Tsuchikage, Ishikawa, then copied Konoha by printing Ishikawa's portrait on the cover and naming it Will of Earth. He had also written a book himself, How Iwagakure Was Founded, learning from Konoha in every possible respect.
Black Rock believed that incomplete tribute was the same as no tribute at all. He wanted to recreate Konoha's miracle in Iwagakure.
Not only that, he had erected a statue of the First Tsuchikage, Ishikawa, in the center of the village. One hand of the statue rested against a rock while the other was clenched into a fist, symbolizing: "My heart is like rock, unbreakable."
Several passages Black Rock had written himself were engraved on the statue's pedestal, things like "The Will of Earth lights the road ahead" and "Iwagakure ninja never retreat."
Unfortunately, as Konoha's earliest ally, Iwagakure had long since received all sorts of books about Konoha. Black Rock's actions were too much for the young people of Iwagakure, who had already been steeped in the Will of Fire.
"So this is plagiarism, and he calls it tribute?"
"Compared to Konoha's Will of Fire, the Will of Earth doesn't sound grand at all. It has none of that youthful, passionate feeling. Even his plagiarism doesn't resemble the original. It's