Since Konan was also a highly skilled ninja, a typical prisoner would normally have all of their chakra sealed. However, in order to make her useful, Kaede only sealed 90% of her chakra, leaving her with enough to perform certain tasks. This naturally created a potential security risk.
As a result, her "workplace" was set up right next to the Hokage's office, allowing Kaede to monitor her personally. After all, there was no place safer than under his own eyes.
The collapse of the New Hidden Rain Village…
…sent ripples once again through the otherwise stabilizing ninja world.
Both Iwagakure and Sunagakure immediately dispatched scouting units into the Land of Rain and began stationing troops at their respective borders, ready to take military action at a moment's notice.
Soon, Sunagakure's scouts uncovered detailed information: the Rain Village had been defeated by none other than the Fifth Hokage of Konoha, and Konoha was now deploying forces into the Land of Rain.
"That guy…"
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, fell silent for a few seconds. He recalled the terrifying power Kaede had displayed during his invasion of Sunagakure. In the end, Rasa decisively ordered a full military withdrawal.
He had no intention of getting involved in the Land of Rain conflict again.
While the fall of the Rain Village meant the Land of Rain was now open for conquest, and potentially full of gains, any attempt to seize it risked direct conflict with Konoha. And the last thing Rasa wanted was another personal "chat" with Kaede in his village.
If tailed beasts were once considered the ultimate weapons of deterrence among the great shinobi villages, then in Rasa's eyes, the Fifth Hokage of Konoha, Hatake Kaede, had already surpassed that level. He was the deterrent.
Meanwhile, Iwagakure had no intention of pulling back so easily.
Though the Third Tsuchikage also wasn't eager to provoke another war with Konoha, the death of his advisor in the Land of Rain was still fresh. Now that the Rain Village had fallen and the Land of Rain was up for grabs, he wasn't about to let the opportunity slip away. Soon, he personally led an elite force into the Land of Rain.
The chaos in the Land of Rain lasted about three months.
One by one, Konoha deployed ninja squads to take control of towns and strongholds across the country.
As for the former ninja of the Hidden Rain Village, Konoha adopted a policy of absorption. Those willing to submit were provisionally integrated into Konoha's forces under tight surveillance.
Those who resisted were eliminated.
Another group, who neither submitted nor fought back but chose to become rogue or freelance ninja, scattered throughout the Land of Rain.
This group was the largest in number. Most of them were trying to loot whatever they could before fleeing to other countries to live anonymously, perhaps enjoying a comfortable life with their spoils.
Konoha's stance on this group was also clear: eliminate them.
Kaede's approach was nothing short of aggressive.
He deployed over six thousand Konoha ninjas, more than double the original size of the Rain Village forces, into the Land of Rain, dividing them among the country's key towns and cities.
Back in the days of Sarutobi Hiruzen, such an action would have been unthinkable. If other great villages had decided to launch a surprise attack during such a maneuver, Konoha would've suffered heavy losses. But Kaede wasn't afraid.
He had Flying Thunder God markers throughout the Land of Rain.
No matter what happened, he could arrive instantly.
Even the fact that six thousand troops were deployed, leaving Konoha's other defensive lines stretched thin, wasn't a concern. With Kaede's presence alone, numbers simply didn't matter.
Under Konoha's large-scale operations, the chaos in the Land of Rain was quelled in just three months.
In truth,
Integrating an entire country is no easy task. Differences in culture, geography, and public opinion all pose enormous challenges. A nation like the Land of Rain, shrouded in perpetual rainfall, was worlds apart from the warm, temperate Land of Fire.
Yet Kaede's iron-fisted approach had drastically reduced resistance to integration.
The reason was simple:
Many former Hidden Rain ninjas had become rogues, looting and terrorizing towns. In contrast, the Konoha shinobi stationed across the country were acting as protectors, defending towns and citizens from attackers.
At first, the civilians of the Land of Rain feared both sides. But as time went on, and they saw Konoha's ninjas only killing those who attacked towns and otherwise maintaining order, this perceived "protection" gradually won them over.
Moreover,
Since Konoha controlled the Hidden Rain Village, all state-run media and propaganda were now portraying the surrender as a peaceful transition, framing the Land of Rain as a vassal of the Land of Fire, which would now safeguard its peace and stability.
Such messaging spread far and wide within the Land of Rain, slowly easing public resistance.
Of course,
To truly annex a country, much more interaction and cultural exchange is required. Due to stark climate differences, there wouldn't be immediate large-scale migration between the two nations. This kind of integration would take years, decades, even.
But for now, a preliminary level of stability has been achieved. As long as that held and no new complications arose, full control of the Land of Rain was only a matter of time.
=============
Konoha.
Hokage Office.
A young kunoichi, around seventeen or eighteen, stood in front of Kaede's desk. After completing her mission report, she carefully placed a small gift bag on the table.
"H-Hokage-sama, this is a little present I brought for you… um…"
"From the Land of Rain? Thank you," Kaede replied with a gentle smile. "Alright, I'm already familiar with most of the situation. Go ahead and submit your final report to the intelligence division."
"Yes, sir."
The girl's cheeks flushed slightly as she cast one last glance at him before quietly exiting the office.
Kaede looked down at the carefully wrapped gift bag on his desk, decorated with cute sticker labels. With a sigh, he muttered, "They're already starting to bring me presents? At this rate, I won't even be able to walk the streets in peace…"
Just yesterday, he went shopping with Kurenai. They barely bought anything, but ended up receiving more gifts than they purchased, leaving Kurenai smiling stiffly for the rest of the day.
Then there were all the invitations to dinner, home visits…
And the more bold ones, who even invited him over to "rest"!
What the hell were they thinking?
"Looks like things are finally getting out of hand…"
Kakashi, who was sorting documents nearby, glanced at him and said, "I thought you'd enjoy the attention forever. Maybe it's time to tone it down a bit, before it takes a toll on your health."
Just hearing him say that, you'd never guess he was only fourteen. Kaede signed another document and gave him a sidelong glance.
"When are you bringing home a girlfriend?"
"Ah… um… well… about that…"
Kakashi tapped his chin, thinking.
==========
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