Gekko Chizan nodded. He already knew about this news.
The only three survivors had already lost another one to abduction. Anyone in their position would feel miserable.
Unfortunately, this was the shinobi world—a place where people vanished or died mysteriously every single day. All he could do was offer some comfort.
"Yahiko, this isn't your fault. Even I wouldn't have had a good way to deal with someone of that level."
"Akashige being captured… I'm guessing the enemy wants to use him to force Nagato to submit."
"Sigh, of course, that's just my speculation."
"I heard you've become the leader of Takigakure?"
To keep the grief from spreading, Gekko Chizan deliberately changed the topic.
After all, now wasn't the time for them to wallow in sadness. The war was still ongoing, and his time was limited.
Although he had always slipped out during the war without anyone holding him accountable—and had his great teacher backing him from above—this time was different.
Orochimaru had left the village. That was also a blow to him.
After all, he was Orochimaru's disciple. Even if his military achievements were outstanding, he would still be implicated if they decided to dig into it.
Not that he cared too much. At most, he'd be grounded for a while, and honestly, he'd enjoy the break.
"Yeah, because you mentioned before that your teacher was coming."
"So Konan used that as an excuse to cover everything up. Chizan, how are things going on your teacher's side?"
Though Yahiko acted like a commander in public, in front of his mentor and friend Gekko Chizan, he was still quite humble.
Or maybe he was just scared. After all, that soul-piercing Thousand Years of Death… he remembered it all too well. Just thinking about it made him hurt. That pain was deeply engraved in his memory.
"Mm, I got a message from my teacher. He's already preparing to withdraw from the battlefield."
"After that, he'll head straight to the Land of Waterfalls."
"Before coming to Takigakure, I'd already visited the Land of Waterfalls' daimyo's residence."
"The daimyo already knows my teacher will be residing in the Land of Waterfalls. It's taken care of."
Hearing that Gekko Chizan had already settled things with the daimyo, Konan and Yahiko froze.
That fast?
Without saying a word, he had already settled the daimyo issue.
Even Yahiko had originally planned to stabilize the village first, then inform the daimyo afterward.
As the military force of the Land of Waterfalls, the village head needed the daimyo's recognition. Without it, he'd just be an empty figurehead.
"Since you're already the village head, you'll be dealing with the daimyo eventually anyway."
"Don't worry about it. He's just some fool blinded by wine and women."
"With my teacher stepping in, dealing with him will be easy. So just go ahead and carry out your own policies in Takigakure with confidence."
Gekko Chizan directly handed Yahiko a reassurance pill.
In Yahiko's mind, since they had just taken control of Takigakure, the daimyo might have tried to trip them up.
But clearly, he'd been overthinking it.
With the daimyo's residence handled, many things would go much more smoothly.
"Chizan, about improving the overall quality of the shinobi here… do you have any ideas?"
"Honestly, I've got nothing."
"Konan already announced it, and now the pressure's on me."
Yahiko had pinned all his hopes on Gekko Chizan.
Just look at Yugito—his student. Her strength improved by the day.
Right now, Yugito was definitely Takigakure's most promising shinobi. Her powerful taijutsu combined with that bizarre Fire Release made her strong enough to overwhelm most jōnin.
Hearing Yahiko praise her, Yugito beamed proudly, puffing out her chest and raising her head high.
"What are you so smug about? You do realize what your position is, right?"
"Feeling proud just because you're stronger than some regular shinobi?"
"When you can actually beat me, I'll allow you to be proud. You can't even beat me—someone who doesn't even like fighting—so what the hell are you proud of?"
Yugito's smiling face froze.
That bucket of cold water drenched her from head to toe. Then a flame ignited in her eyes.
"You jerk of a teacher! You've gone too far!"
"Other people praise their students, but you—"
"I challenge you to a duel!"
Yugito's sharp claws flashed into view again, gleaming coldly as she glared at Gekko Chizan, ready to attack at the slightest provocation.
And of course, Gekko Chizan obliged her.
"Good, I like it when you're so eager to be taught a lesson."
"Once we're done here, I'll see how much you've improved lately."
Tossing Yugito aside, Gekko Chizan began outlining his plan for Takigakure.
"If you want to improve a village's overall strength, it basically comes down to two areas."
"Combat ability and support ability."
"We'll temporarily shelve the former. You can't cultivate combat strength overnight."
"So we'll start with the latter—using weapons, medicines, and other means to enhance the shinobi's combat performance."
A sharp gleam flashed in Gekko Chizan's eyes. He already had plans regarding ninja weapons.
And of course, his biggest card was still his teacher, Orochimaru.
Orochimaru wasn't just a scientist. His skill in mechanical creation was formidable.
With him leading weapon development, increasing the power of their arsenal was absolutely possible.
On top of that, there were special potions that could enhance abilities. These could easily be distributed among Takigakure's shinobi. With that, their combat strength could rise rapidly.
"This one my teacher made. It can boost chakra for a short time."
"This one stimulates blood flow, puts the body into a state of excitement. Side effect—fatigue afterward."
Gekko Chizan placed several potion bottles on the table.
As he explained their effects, Yahiko and Konan's eyes lit up.
These were good potions.
If they could be distributed throughout the village, it would be a huge boost for Takigakure.
"I'll be staying here for a while, waiting for my teacher to arrive."
"In the meantime, Yahiko, I'll be training you. Get ready."
"As the village head… I can't keep looking at your current strength anymore."
"If you don't work hard, Yugito will surpass you soon."
Gekko Chizan shot Yahiko a frustrated look. His strength was truly disappointing.
He was already the village head, yet only at an average jōnin level. That wouldn't do.
He was too much of a weakling.
If this had been before, Yahiko would have protested in every way possible.
But after Akashige was captured, he had come to truly understand how weak he was.
So when Gekko Chizan offered to train him, Yahiko nodded without hesitation.
He needed strength. He needed the power to protect his comrades.
Konan stepped forward too.
"I want to train with you as well."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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