https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-668-Might-Guy-s-Life-Mission-Settlement/12937962/
Chapter 667: The Dispute within the Leaf Shinshu
Chapter 667: The Dispute within the Leaf Shinshu
Rain Country, Rikudo City.
"Strange, why is Akado-san and his team standing here on the main road?"
The residents entering and exiting the city curiously observed Akado, a well-known figure in the Shinshu organization.
At that moment, a group resembling a ninja squad appeared on the main road.
The leader wore a Rain Village Emblem, but the team members behind him did not have any emblems.
Seeing the people he was waiting for, Akado approached them with a smile and shook hands with the leader of the Rain Ninja squad.
"Bai Chuan, welcome back," Akado said with a smile.
Bai Chuan was none other than Laozi, who had gone to Bird Country to develop the Shinshu organization, but he used a pseudonym to conceal his identity.
When Akado returned to the Shinshu organization, there were still some tasks left in Bird Country. However, Akado, fearing for the organization's safety, returned early and left the remaining work to Laozi.
That's why Akado had come to greet Laozi upon learning of his return, as Laozi had indeed helped him with many tasks.
Otherwise, with his rank, there was no need to go outside the city to receive someone.
The Shinshu ninjas behind Akado curiously examined the ninjas following Laozi.
They knew they were also Shinshu ninjas, members of the Bird Country branch of the organization.
The reason they didn't wear emblems was that the Bird Country Shinshu ninjas had not yet received their emblems.
Someone suggested that the Bird Country Shinshu ninjas should also wear Rain Country emblems, but the leader rejected this idea outright.
After much discussion, it was decided to design a new emblem unique to the Shinshu organization, abandoning the use of the Rain Village Emblem.
Therefore, until the new Shinshu emblem was designed, the Bird Country Shinshu ninjas would not wear any emblems.
The Bird Country Shinshu ninjas also scrutinized the Shinshu ninjas wearing the Rain Village Emblem, but their gazes held a hint of respect, a sign of reverence for the pioneers and their predecessors.
"Let's go, I'll take you to see Son Ryouka to report on your work first."
Laozi nodded.
After personally practicing the Shinshu doctrine in Bird Country, it wasn't long before Laozi officially joined the organization and became a Shinshu ninja.
Witnessing a country transform for the better under his efforts, Laozi felt a sense of fulfillment, realizing how empty and meaningless his previous life had been.
Led by Akado, the group headed towards the Shinshu base.
"What's going on recently? Why does Rikudo City seem a bit deserted?" Laozi asked with a puzzled expression as they walked along the city's main thoroughfare, noticing the sparse crowd.
During the Third Shinobi World War, Son Ryouka successfully brought order to Rain Country, transforming it into a peaceful and stable nation.
Rain Country, situated at the intersection of the three major countries, boasted superior geographical conditions. After Son Ryouka's governance, it instantly became the center of nearby nations, experiencing a rapid surge in population and economy.
Rikudo City, with the presence of the Shinshu leader Son Ryouka, was considered the safest place in Rain Country, attracting the wealthy and the common folk alike to purchase property and settle down.
Despite its short construction time, Rikudo City rivaled the capitals of the Rain Country in terms of prosperity.
"Recently, Orochimaru from Konoha came for negotiations, but we couldn't reach an agreement. Perhaps they believe a war is imminent," Akado replied calmly.
To be honest, he could understand those who had left.
After all, they were the victors of the Third Shinobi World War and currently the strongest ninja village in the ninja world.
Not only ordinary civilians but even Akado himself, the second-in-command of the Shinshu organization, felt uncertain about the future of the organization and Rikudo City. However, Akado was unafraid of death.
Dying for one's ideals was better than being betrayed by trusted companions.
"Konoha..." Laozi's expression turned solemn.
His formidable strength and unique identity granted him knowledge of many secrets within the Rock Hidden Village, including the formidable power of the five great ninja villages.
The strength of the five great ninja villages was beyond the imagination of ordinary ninja forces.
Even with over ten thousand active ninjas, the Rock Hidden Village approached other major ninja villages with utmost caution, only to become a defeated nation in the Third Shinobi World War.
"Teacher Akado, are we going to go to war with Konoha?" a Bird Country Shinshu ninja from Laozi's team couldn't help but ask.
Akado had played a decisive role in the establishment of the Bird Country Shinshu, and most of the ninjas from Bird Country were familiar with him, so they asked directly.
"It's not certain, but even if war breaks out, there's no need to be overly pessimistic. It'll be fine," Akado reassured with a smile.
"This isn't my decision; it's the directive of the Supreme Leader, Son Ryouka," Akado added.
With Akado's assurance, the Bird Country ninjas instantly felt more at ease.
They had never met Son Ryouka but had only seen his photographs and portraits.
However, they were well aware of Son Ryouka's achievements, and they believed that the legendary founder of the new Shinshu organization would have a solution.
Upon reaching the Shinshu base, Akado arranged accommodations for the Bird Country Shinshu ninjas, while he proceeded to the organization's headquarters and entered the leader's office.
"The initial establishment of the Bird Country Shinshu branch is now complete..."
Laozi began by reporting on his work, refraining from inquiring about Konoha.
After listening to Laozi's report, Yu Sheng Mu Yue thought for a moment before asking, "What are your plans for the future development of the Bird Country Shinshu?"
"We should intensify the promotion of the Shinshu doctrine, allowing more people to understand our beliefs," Laozi replied after some thought. "Conduct detailed investigations into the ninja forces in Bird Country, distinguish friends from enemies, eliminate elements that disrupt the country's stability, and strengthen security."
Laozi's plan incorporated some of Son Ryouka's strategies for maintaining peace in Rain Country, as well as his own insights from his work in Bird Country.
Although Bird Country lacked a ninja village, there were still ninja forces present. In the current ninja world, it was rare to find a place entirely devoid of ninjas.
Where there were ninja forces, there were bound to be differing ideologies and conflicts.
Laozi believed that by leveraging the conflicts between different forces, they could maximize the support they could garner, thereby strengthening the Shinshu organization.
"It seems you've gained a lot from this trip," Yu Sheng Mu Yue said with a satisfied smile.
Practice is the sole criterion for testing the truth. The fact that Laozi remained passionate and thoughtful even after putting his ideas into action demonstrated his genuine commitment to the ultimate ideals of the Shinshu organization.
This unexpected outcome was a pleasant surprise. Initially, Yu Sheng Mu Yue's decision to protect Laozi was largely influenced by the presence of the Four-Tails.
But now, even without the Four-Tails, Yu Sheng Mu Yue would stand up to the Rock Hidden Village for Laozi.
Laozi was a great warrior of their organization, a defector from the Rock Hidden Village!
"You've truly changed a lot," even the Four-Tails within Laozi couldn't help but exclaim.
The former Laozi was taciturn, often getting into arguments after only a few words. But now, he could enthusiastically report for half an hour without losing his enthusiasm.
"But it's a very good change," the Four-Tails added, giving a thumbs-up.
Regardless of how others viewed the Four-Tails, it was clear that it was very fond of Laozi's transformation.
Laozi, in his current state, gave off an aura that even during the era of the Rikudo Sennin's Shinshu, would have earned him a prominent position by the Sage's side.
Laozi gave a thumbs-up to the Four-Tails in the consciousness world, expressing his gratitude for the continuous Chakra support.
"Leader, I heard that we have some issues with Konoha, do you think I should make an appearance near Konoha's borders? It might draw some of their attention," Laozi asked.
He wasn't planning to single-handedly start a war with Konoha and the Fire Country, but he wanted to use his status as a Jinchuriki to create friction between Iwagakure and Konoha.
Konoha and Iwagakure had just signed a peace treaty, with Iwagakure suffering a defeat, so it was unlikely that they would go to war again in the short term. However, the Jinchuriki was of utmost importance to a ninja village, so Iwagakure would definitely take some action, just not in the form of war.
Although he didn't have a good impression of Iwagakure, it was still the village where he grew up. He didn't want to return, but he also wouldn't intentionally provoke a war between other ninja villages and Iwagakure.
"No need. Just focus on your work, don't worry about Konoha," Yu Sheng Mu Yue shook his head and said.
Akado added, "With Son Ryouka's height, even if the sky falls, it's fine. You don't need to worry."
Laozi's idea was feasible, but it would put himself in danger.
Compared to Laozi, Akado was more inclined to trust Son Ryouka. After all, Son Ryouka was the man who almost instantly defeated him.
Of course, while Akado trusted Son Ryouka, he was still curious about what backup plan he had.
If he wanted to use brute force to deal with a major ninja village, Son Ryouka would need to be at least as powerful as Senju Hashirama.
Laozi eventually nodded and left the office with Akado.
Akado suddenly remembered something and said to Laozi, "Let me show you something amazing that you've never seen before."
Laozi had originally planned to rest and read a book, but Akado's words piqued his interest.
Perhaps it was because they were both defecting ninjas, or maybe it was due to their time together in the Bird Country, but despite not knowing each other for long, they had become good friends.
Akado then led Laozi to Scorpion's laboratory.
When they arrived, Scorpion had just finished performing surgery on a one-armed ninja and was checking for any adverse reactions, while Nagato was assisting by taking notes.
"Clench your fist and swing it out. Gather Chakra in your palm and perform a Wind Nature Transformation..." Scorpion instructed.
Laozi's eyes widened at the sight.
At first glance, he didn't notice anything unusual, but upon closer inspection, he realized that one of the ninja's arms was not a normal arm.
As the ninja shot out poison needles and released a sword from his sleeve using the arm, Laozi's expression became even more shocked. This was somewhat similar to a puppet.
"Impressive, isn't it? This is our Shinshu's latest research achievement—Puppet Prosthesis!" Akado said proudly.
"Whether it's a broken leg or a severed hand, we can use this method to transplant prosthetics and overcome disabilities."
"Moreover, our prosthetics not only look no different from normal limbs but can also function like them. They can be used for Ninjutsu and can be modified to incorporate Secret Weapons, thereby enhancing their capabilities."
"But the effectiveness is a bit of a headache. I heard that some weaker ninjas want to cut off their healthy limbs to transplant prosthetics," Akado said, feigning a headache.
Laozi was speechless.
Although it sounded far-fetched, he realized it made sense upon further thought.
In the ninja world, strength was revered, and many ninjas would even attempt forbidden Ninjutsu that could cost them their lives, let alone replacing hands and legs.
"Akado-san, do you have something for us?" Nagato approached the two and asked.
Nagato had noticed Akado and Laozi's arrival earlier but was busy recording the experiment.
"Nothing much. I just brought him to see our Shinshu's research achievements," Akado said, patting Laozi's shoulder.
"I do have some questions. Is it a good time now?" Laozi asked after some thought.
"Sure," Nagato nodded.
"What is the current success rate of the prosthetics, and what are the side effects of a failed transplant?" Laozi asked quickly.
For ninjas, both arms and legs were indispensable. Losing a hand meant being unable to perform hand seals, and only a few ninjas could do so with one hand.
Losing a leg was even more severe than losing a hand. With one hand, there was still a chance to perform one-handed hand seals and use Taijutsu, but losing a leg meant saying goodbye to the ninja profession.
A one-legged ninja would only be a sitting duck in combat.
Being a ninja was a dangerous profession, and while they would try to protect their limbs, accidents happened. Hence, there were quite a few ninjas with amputated limbs.
The reason they weren't commonly seen was that they retired and became ordinary civilians after their injuries.
Laozi believed that the prosthetics were crucial to Shinshu. If managed properly, they could not only generate substantial revenue but also gain more power.
"One hundred percent success rate, no failures, and no side effects," Scorpion replied casually, answering for Nagato.
Of course, this was just a derivative of his puppet technology; how could there be any issues?
"However, for now, only Scorpion can perform this Ninjutsu and create the prosthetics. Others are still learning," Nagato added.
Scorpion raised his head. Those mediocre people couldn't possibly master his genius techniques, just as he couldn't use Ninjutsu to defeat Nagato.
Laozi's enthusiasm faded slightly. The fact that it couldn't be mass-produced and that Scorpion was the only one who could perform the surgery limited its potential.
Nevertheless, Laozi still found it impressive and subconsciously showed respect when speaking to Scorpion, as this invention could benefit the entire ninja community.
After a tour of the laboratory, it was soon time for lunch. As Akado was about to take Laozi to the mess hall, a Shinshu ninja approached them.
"Akado-sama, Konoha has sent another negotiation team, led by Orochimaru," the Shinshu ninja reported.
"They're here."
Akado wasn't surprised, as Konoha had informed them in advance.
"Do you want to go for lunch or join the negotiations?" Akado asked Laozi.
"Let's go together. I'm not that hungry, and we can eat after the negotiations," Laozi replied.
Even if he was hungry, he would still want to see what was going on.
He didn't want Shinshu and Konoha to clash, as they were not on equal footing, and the gap was significant.
"Alright, let's wait for Nagato, and we'll go see what funny ideas they've come up with this time."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report