https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-614-A-Change-in-Leadership-in-the-Rain-Ninja-Village/12558904/
Chapter 615: Regaining Focus
Chapter 615: Regaining Focus
"Leader, Hanzo-sama asked me to give this to you after the battle," the Ambu ninja from the Rain Village explained, handing over a scroll.
Mu Yue took the scroll and placed it in his ninja tool pouch before performing a series of hand seals to cast a medical ninjutsu on Hanzo.
Under the influence of Yang-attribute chakra, Hanzo's wounds gradually healed, though Mu Yue's ninjutsu couldn't bring him back to life, it at least allowed him to appear more dignified in death.
The surrounding Rain Village ninjas seemed to understand Hanzo's actions a little better now, gaining some insight into his decision.
"Take Hanzo-senpai's body to prepare it, and have someone clean up the traces of the battle here," Mu Yue instructed the Ambu ninja.
He then addressed the other Rain ninjas, "I know you may be feeling upset right now, but there's much we need to address. There will be a meeting in half an hour, and everyone needs to be there."
All the ninjas Hanzo had brought with him were high-ranking jonin of the Rain Village and held important positions in its management.
"Yes, So Uzuki-sama," one of the Rain ninjas replied, having composed himself.
He had accompanied Hanzo to the Land of Six Paths to listen to Mu Yue's lecture the second time it was given without restrictions and had come to hold a favorable impression of Mu Yue.
While Hanzo's death pained him, he didn't blame Mu Yue for it. In his eyes, this wasn't a fight for fame or gain but Hanzo's way of passing on his legacy, and Mu Yue was his chosen successor.
The other Rain ninjas nodded in agreement, none of them daring to be obstinate.
This was partly due to Hanzo having prepared them for this outcome, and partly because they could accept Mu Yue as their leader.
After all, he was a ninja of the Rain Country and had been working tirelessly for its peace, achieving notable results.
This was one of the most important reasons, and everyone could see the efforts of both Mu Yue and the Ninjutsu Sect to bring prosperity to the Rain Country.
Sensing the lack of animosity from the Rain ninjas, Mu Yue nodded inwardly.
While these Rain ninjas were weak and easily disposable in his eyes, he knew that ruling required more than just brute force.
Having just taken over the Rain Village, he couldn't afford to go on a killing spree; otherwise, who would be left to manage the village? It would descend into chaos.
Mu Yue, accompanied by Nagato, made their way to the Rain Village's administrative building and stopped in front of the office exclusive to the Rain Village leader.
Pushing open the wooden door, Mu Yue surveyed the room's layout and design.
Aside from incorporating some features unique to the Rain Country in its decor, the office didn't strike him as particularly remarkable—it was just an ordinary workplace.
"I never thought it would come to this. I shouldn't have tried to persuade Yahiko last night," Nagato sighed.
For the Ninjutsu Sect, this outcome was close to perfect.
Not only had Mu Yue become the leader of the Rain Village, but Hanzo and the other former high-ranking members of the Rain Village had also perished, ensuring they wouldn't interfere with Mu Yue's efforts to consolidate power.
Before arriving, Nagato hadn't expected things to go so smoothly.
He had anticipated that Hanzo and Danzo Shimura might gang up on Mu Yue or that Hanzo could order the Rain Village's ninja forces to attack, but he had never imagined that Hanzo would admit defeat and pass on the leadership position to Mu Yue.
After all, Hanzo had a reputation for treachery, having once lured them into a trap under the guise of cooperation, and Nagato struggled to fathom his character.
"What about Yahiko?" Mu Yue asked, pulling out the office chair and sitting down.
"He wanted to come with us to the Rain Village to meet Hanzo," Nagato explained.
Even if Yahiko didn't say a word, Nagato felt that seeing Hanzo like this would make the trip worthwhile for Yahiko.
"Notify him to come now," Mu Yue said, taking out a scroll from his ninja tool pouch.
This way, he could at least see Hanzo's body one last time before only having a photograph to visit during grave-sweeping ceremonies.
Nagato nodded, agreeing with Mu Yue's reasoning, and left the room to contact the Ninjutsu Sect.
Mu Yue unfurled the scroll and began scrutinizing its contents.
"So Uzuki, by the time you read this, I will be dead," the message began.
Mu Yue sighed softly. Perhaps, when Hanzo had approached the Ninjutsu Sect, he had already accepted his mortality.
That would explain why he hadn't taken up any of the opportunities presented to him.
"You don't need to feel anything about this. I just want you to know one thing: only you can bear the burden of the Rain Country now."
"Even though you are now the leader of the Rain Village, I must caution you against merging the Rain Village and the Ninjutsu Sect for the time being. Doing so will invite the hostility of the five great ninja villages."
Mu Yue's expression turned to one of approval. This advice aligned perfectly with his own thoughts on the matter.
His system was a Teacher System, not one designed for the prosperity of the Ninjutsu Sect. Rushing to merge the two forces would bring more disadvantages than benefits.
Without the merger, both the Ninjutsu Sect and the Rain Village were under his control, and the only real drawback was the added administrative hassle.
However, merging them would be a different story. In the eyes of other ninja forces, the Rain Country would become even more formidable and a greater potential threat.
The current state of the ninja world was defined by the five great ninja villages, which had established a system of five dominant nations—Fire, Wind, Earth, Lightning, and Water—that divided the spoils of the ninja world among themselves.
The rise of the Rain Country would inevitably disrupt this balance and invite suppression—a predictable outcome.
"You can lie to the outside world by claiming that I'm still alive. With proper intelligence work, this lie should hold for several years."
Mu Yue furrowed his brow in thought, deciding to keep this suggestion in mind for discussion during the upcoming meeting.
He didn't intend to organize a grand funeral for Hanzo, but he also wasn't going to dispose of the body casually.
Mu Yue wanted to give Hanzo a proper leader's funeral, befitting a Rain Village leader, even though it would make the intelligence work more challenging.
"Kosuke, Inosuke… these individuals are among the more promising talents in the Rain Village."
The scroll then listed several names of Ambu ninjas, likely because there wasn't enough space to write in detail. Hanzo had only jotted down a few names and provided Mu Yue with a reference to more comprehensive information elsewhere.
Mu Yue located the referenced material and recognized Kosuke as the first Rain ninja who had responded to him earlier.
In addition to the ninja profiles, Hanzo had also included a brief overview of the Rain Village's current state.
The Second Great Ninja War had inflicted heavy losses on the Rain Village, but after more than a decade of recovery, it had regained much of its strength.
Before the emergence of the Ninjutsu Sect, the Rain Village had enjoyed a relatively peaceful existence.
However, since the rise of the Ninjutsu Sect, the Rain Village had to divert its energy to dealing with the Sect's presence and had also lost out on lucrative missions, hindering its development.
Nevertheless, the Ninjutsu Sect was still young, and overall, the Rain Village remained a relatively healthy ninja village.
"One thousand six hundred and fifty-two ninjas," Mu Yue mused, putting down the document detailing the Rain Village's ninja forces. "Together with the Ninjutsu Sect's two hundred ninjas, we can mobilize nearly two thousand ninjas."
With over eighteen hundred ninjas at his disposal, Mu Yue could not only maintain law and order in the Rain Country effectively but also deploy more forces to spread the teachings of the Ninjutsu Sect.
As the appointed time for the meeting drew near, Mu Yue, accompanied by Nagato, made their way to the largest conference room in the administrative building.
"So Uzuki-sama," the Rain ninjas greeted Mu Yue as they entered, one by one.
As the appointed time neared, Mu Yue cleared his throat and began, "Let's begin the meeting."
"First, we need to discuss Hanzo-senpai's funeral arrangements."
The Rain ninjas listened intently, knowing this was an important matter. After all, Hanzo was killed by So Uzuki, and if he were to handle Hanzo's funeral carelessly, they would feel uncomfortable, no matter how favorable their impression of So Uzuki was.
"My idea is to follow the usual customs. We will give Hanzo-senpai the same funeral rites as previous Rain Village leaders."
The Rain ninjas nodded in agreement; there was no fault in this suggestion.
"However, Hanzo-senpai had an idea. He thought that if the five great ninja villages found out the Rain Village was now under my control, they would be wary. He wanted to use misinformation to create the illusion that he was still alive, buying time for the development of the Rain Country."
As Mu Yue spoke, he glanced at Nagato.
Understanding his intent, Nagato immediately took the scroll and unfolded it for the Rain ninjas to see.
They could clearly read Hanzo's suggestions to Mu Yue, while other parts of the scroll were covered by paper strips, hiding content that was not suitable for everyone to know.
"It's Hanzo-sama's handwriting!" One of the Rain ninjas recognized the familiar strokes, instantly identifying it as Hanzo's handwriting.
Another ninja's eyes reddened as he read the line, "By the time you see this scroll, I will be dead."
After about three minutes of silence, Mu Yue addressed the ninja standing at the front left, "Koshiro, what are your thoughts on this matter?"
Koshiro was taken aback, not expecting So Uzuki to seek his opinion. He quickly composed himself and replied seriously, "I think Hanzo-sama's idea is correct. We can bury Hanzo-sama without fanfare and conceal the news of his death."
"Konoha already has their eyes on So Uzuki-sama's Ninjutsu Sect. If they find out that So Uzuki-sama has also become the leader of the Rain Village, they will undoubtedly be extremely vigilant towards the Rain Country."
"Additionally, So Uzuki-sama's Ninjutsu Sect has a good relationship with Iwagakure. If they learn of this development, Iwagakure's attitude towards the sect may change."
"Sunagakure has always been wary of the Rain Village, and they may take some action if they receive this news."
As Koshiro analyzed the pros and cons, many of the Rain ninjas nodded in agreement. This was indeed a decision where the benefits far outweighed the risks.
After all, they weren't suggesting to not bury Hanzo at all; it was just a matter of not holding a grand funeral. Most of the Rain ninjas could accept this proposal.
During intense wars, many ninjas couldn't even have their bodies retrieved, and their funerals were often symbolic.
"Hanzo-sama has done so much for the Rain Village. How can we let him die without any recognition?" another Rain ninja argued passionately.
"At the very least, the people of the village should know," he added, his voice filled with emotion.
The atmosphere grew silent, heavy with the weight of this undeniable argument.
Hanzo had indeed contributed greatly to the Rain Village, and without him, it might have remained an ordinary, unremarkable ninja village.
Mu Yue looked at the agitated ninja, recognizing him as one of the individuals mentioned in Hanzo's scroll—Inosuke.
The name sounded a bit odd to him, but in this world, 'Ino' referred to a fierce beast.
Surveying the room, Mu Yue spoke, "Let me share my thoughts on this matter."
"We will hold a funeral, and it will be conducted according to the usual customs for a village leader."
"But, So Uzuki-sama—" Koshiro started to object, but Mu Yue interrupted, not allowing him to finish.
"However, I will not publicly announce my position as the new leader of the Rain Village," Mu Yue continued.
"We will select a ninja to act as the village leader in name only, to mislead other forces. Additionally, for the time being, the relationship between the Rain Village and the Ninjutsu Sect will remain unchanged."
"What do you think of this proposal?"
It was a compromise.
If they wanted to be extremely cautious, they would follow Hanzo's suggestion and spread misinformation, creating the illusion that Hanzo was still alive.
In the eyes of other ninja forces, the Rain Country would then have both the formidable So Uzuki and the revered Hanzo, essentially gaining an additional top-tier powerhouse.
Although Hanzo's reputation had suffered after his defeat at So Uzuki's hands, it didn't mean that ninjas would underestimate his strength.
Aside from that loss, Hanzo had no other defeats to his name.
While caution was important, Mu Yue also valued the emotions of his subordinates.
As an outsider who had just taken over as the leader, it was crucial to earn the recognition and acceptance of Hanzo's former followers.
"So Uzuki-sama's idea is even better. Although we lose a bit of Hanzo-sama's deterrence, it will also make the surrounding great ninja villages more at ease," Koshiro praised.
He was glad that Hanzo's efforts hadn't been in vain.
Whether So Uzuki could lead the Rain Country to achieve Hanzo's unfinished goals remained to be seen.
But So Uzuki had not disappointed; even after defeating Hanzo and becoming the leader of the Rain Village, he still showed Hanzo the respect he deserved, and his decisions weren't solely driven by self-interest.
"Your idea is excellent," Inosuke also agreed briefly.
Initially, when So Uzuki had brought up the topic of Hanzo's funeral, Inosuke had been angry, thinking that there was no need for such a discussion. He had assumed that So Uzuki had some ulterior motive for suggesting a grand funeral for Hanzo.
Now, Inosuke felt a sense of guilt, realizing that he had misjudged So Uzuki and that his own thinking had been too simplistic.
The Rain ninjas unanimously approved of the plan, with no objections raised.
If Mu Yue's system could display their favorability ratings, he imagined that the Rain ninjas would be giving him major bonus points right now.
In addition to discussing Hanzo's funeral, Mu Yue also brought up the topic of the Ninjutsu Sect.
He proposed that the Rain Village and the Ninjutsu Sect did not need to merge immediately, but it was necessary to deepen their interaction and cooperation.
Mu Yue suggested that ninjas from the Rain Village go to the Ninjutsu Sect to study, while ninjas from the sect would come to the village to carry out missions, fostering a clearer understanding and strengthening mutual recognition between the two groups.
After Mu Yue finished handling the Rain Village's affairs, he opened the system panel.
Danzo Shimura, a high-ranking member of Konoha, indeed had some influence. With his death, the life tasks of both Obito and Kakashi had undergone significant changes.
Kakashi's progress, in particular, was notable, as he had surpassed a task completion node.
Mu Yue couldn't help but acknowledge that Danzo Shimura truly lived up to his reputation as a troublemaker, even in death causing such substantial changes.
(End of Chapter)
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