Yaksha's Rule: Kirigakure's Rapid Reforms

It was already late at night outside the top-floor office of the Mizukage Building. Dense fog lingered beyond the windows, while the room remained brightly lit.

Before the heavy mahogany desk, Terumi Mei leaned forward slightly and spread out the sorted asset inventories one by one.

The black business suit Kabuto had rushed to make overnight clung tightly to her body. The stuffiness from checking documents for so long had made her undo the top two buttons of her collar early on.

As she bent over to arrange the documents, the light illuminated a broad expanse of snowy-white skin across her chest.

As a former top-tier female ninja, Terumi Mei knew very well how to make use of her assets.

Even though she had already submitted, she still harbored a measure of temptation in her heart. She wanted to see whether this new leader who had suddenly descended upon them would fall for a pretty face.

"Lord Ye, these are the account books the Hozuki Clan and the Yuki Clan just submitted."

Softening her tone, Terumi Mei let her gaze linger briefly on Ye's face before pushing the documents toward his hand.

"They have surrendered eighty percent of the Chakra Ore mining rights under their names. The remaining twenty percent is still in the Daimyo's Estate."

Her fingertips slowly traced the edge of the paper.

"And those troops withdrawn from the front lines..."

Halfway through speaking, Terumi Mei lifted her eyes and carefully observed Ye's reaction.

Ye did not look at her at all.

The man sat back in his broad leather chair, his gaze fixed on the map of the entire Land of Water spread across the desk.

The red-and-blue pencil in his hand spun repeatedly. Before long, three bright red circles appeared on the map.

"Idiots."

The moment those words left his mouth, Terumi Mei's shoulders stiffened, and the seductive look on her face vanished.

Only then did Ye raise his head, his gaze settling into her eyes.

"You stayed up the entire night, and this is the sham of an account you brought me?"

He flung the document, still carrying Terumi Mei's scent, onto the floor. Pages scattered everywhere, their crisp rustling echoing through the office.

"The Hozuki Clan has more than the seven mines listed on the surface."

Ye picked up the pencil again and placed its tip directly on the southeastern region of the map.

"At least two high-grade companion Chakra Ore veins are hidden here. They did not report a single word about them."

The pencil tip moved along the coastline before quickly stopping at the second red circle.

"The Yuki Clan's financial ledger has a massive missing entry from three years ago. That money was transferred into overseas black-market accounts long ago."

Moving his wrist again, Ye pressed the pencil against the third red circle, producing several soft taps against the desk.

"As for the troops withdrawn from the front lines..."

He released his fingers, and the pencil rolled back toward the center of the map.

"The vast majority are cannon fodder without Kekkei Genkai. Their true elites were scattered long ago and slipped into merchant caravans, preparing to preserve the families' remaining strength."

With every sentence he finished, Terumi Mei's face grew a little paler.

Faced with these accounts, the insight she had always been proud of proved utterly useless.

Though he had not investigated personally, Ye had uncovered the deepest secrets those clans had hidden with nothing but a few reports.

"Put away those cheap little tests of yours."

Ye tossed the pencil back into its holder, and there was no patience left in his voice.

"Do your job as a secretary first. If you dare mix in personal motives again, I'll throw you into the seabed to clear your head."

Terumi Mei's back tightened, and she immediately stood straight, both hands pressed against the seams of her skirt.

All the seduction and calculation from before vanished. Lowering her eyes, she no longer dared to casually pry into the thoughts of the man before her.

What she could not understand was where Ye had obtained such intelligence, and why he knew the Land of Water's hidden details so thoroughly.

Just then, a series of mechanical notification sounds rang in Ye's mind right on cue.

"Ding! The old Hidden Mist Village system has been detected on the verge of collapse. Host, make a choice immediately and establish the framework for a new era of rule!"

"Option One: Continue the Blood Mist's slaughter-based system, maintaining the status quo through high-pressure terror. Reward: ten ordinary ninja tool crates."

"Option Two: Implement a moderate appeasement policy and gradually assimilate the major clans. Reward: B-rank Earth Release: Rock Shelter Collapse."

"Option Three: Promulgate the Yaksha Codex, reorganize Hidden Mist Village under a modern warlord model, abolish Kekkei Genkai discrimination, consolidate nationwide resources to establish a war army. Reward: premium formula [Psychic Nutrient Solution (can strengthen genin physiques in batches)]."

A blue screen appeared in Ye's vision, and he did not hesitate in the slightest.

In his eyes, the first two options were both trash.

The Blood Mist system could only produce a group of psychologically twisted lunatics. It could never create large-scale military formations.

The moderate appeasement policy was even more foolish. It would only give the major ninja clans the chance to catch their breath and strike back.

What he needed was a regular army that obeyed orders absolutely and could be sent into battle at any time.

"I choose Three."

Ye made his choice within his mind.

A vast number of medicinal formulas immediately appeared in his memory. From ingredient quantities and mixing order to fusion temperatures, every detail was crystal clear.

In reality, Ye pulled open the drawer beneath the desk, took out a thick stack of documents he had prepared long ago, and slapped it directly in front of Terumi Mei.

Printed on the document cover were four large characters: Yaksha Codex.

"Open it and take a look."

Terumi Mei held down the cover and opened the first page.

After reading only a few lines, her eyes widened.

"Th-This... what is this?"

"Starting tomorrow, abolish the ninja academy's life-or-death combat assessments entirely."

Ye leaned back into his chair again, interlacing his fingers beneath his chin.

"All newly promoted ninjas will be assigned ranks solely according to basic physical ability and chakra reserves: private, noncommissioned officer, and commissioned officer."

His gaze slowly swept across the first page of the codex.

"From now on, the village will issue military pay every month."

The hand clutching the page froze in midair, and Terumi Mei did not turn another page for a long while.

In the past, the village's ninjas relied entirely on missions to earn commissions. A ninja village was essentially just a large mercenary organization.

Once military pay was distributed uniformly, the armed forces of the entire nation would break away from the clan and mission systems and come directly under the leader's control.

"And that is not all."

Ye raised his hand and pointed to a clause in the middle of the codex.

"Revoke the special surveillance of Kekkei Genkai clans. No ninja who awakens a Kekkei Genkai may be trained privately by their clan again."

His fingertip moved down the clause before stopping at the organizational note at its end.

"All of them must be broken up and centrally assigned to the Yaksha Direct Assault Unit, under my personal command."

As Terumi Mei continued reading, her breathing gradually grew heavier, and her chest rose and fell faster and faster.

This codex left no room for the interests of any clan.

Under its stringent military merit and peerage system, the major clans would no longer be able to control ninja promotions. Everyone's future would be determined by the new system.

Whoever dared stand in the way would be the first to be purged by this military system that had only just begun to be implemented.

Such an advanced political vision and modern military philosophy completely surpassed anything Terumi Mei had known before.

All along, she had believed Ye was merely a bloodthirsty tyrant who suppressed everything with overwhelming force.

Only after finishing the codex did she finally understand that Ye used violence only to deal with all opposition.

What this man truly wanted to establish was an unprecedented order, a vast empire capable of consolidating all the Land of Water's strength.

"Do you understand now?"

Ye asked.

"I understand."

Terumi Mei's response was somewhat slow. Her chest was still rising and falling, and even her breaths had become quieter.

"Within three days, print and distribute the codex's contents throughout the village."

Ye closed another copy beside him and looked up at her.

"Anyone who dares utter a single objection, kill them."

"Yes, sir!"

Terumi Mei straightened her back. This time, her answer was crisp and decisive.

At that moment, there was not the slightest trace of unwillingness left in her eyes.

Following such a ruler to establish a new order was a hundred times better than being a puppet Mizukage constrained by the daimyo and ninja clans.

After rising from the leather chair, Ye casually straightened his trench coat and strode toward the office door.

"Keep up, Secretary."

"Leader, where are we going?"

Terumi Mei gathered the documents from the desk and hurried after Ye in her high heels.

"To the underground laboratory."

Ye pushed open the door, and the cold wind from the corridor immediately rushed in to meet them.

"I'll show you how I intend to redefine that bunch of crippled Anbu of yours."