"Tsk."
Hanzo stared blankly at Kin, utterly baffled how someone with a body temperature of 36 degrees could utter such icy words.
Annihilating an entire village—and from Kin's tone, leaving no survivors. Even he, the "Demigod of the Shinobi World," wouldn't dare commit such an act.
Many in the shinobi world spoke of destroying villages, and quite a few had the capability, but few actually carried it out.
Though the Hidden Rain Village was gone, it had sacrificed itself willingly to protect the Land of Rain. Had they shut their gates and ignored the outside world, the village might not have vanished entirely.
Now, perhaps the entire Land of Rain would cease to exist if not for the Hidden Rain Village.
The Third Great Shinobi War had turned the Land of Rain into a battlefield, and the three warring factions would never provoke a Hidden Rain Village that still possessed combat strength.
Yet Hanzo had resolutely led the entire village into battle.
At this thought, his expression darkened.
"If it's about annihilating a village… as long as it's controlled properly, it can be kept secret."
Kusagakure, to put it nicely, was a loyal ally of the Five Great Nations. To put it bluntly, they were weeds no one cared about. Unless they made a scene, no one would even notice their existence.
If they were wiped out, no one would bother investigating.
"As long as we control the Daimyo of the Land of Grass, all problems can be solved."
Because Kin had shattered the sanctity of daimyo, Hanzo no longer saw them as important figures.
Now, even the Five Great Nations acknowledged Kin's right to inherit the title of daimyo. After all, Kin's status was derived from a deceased noble, and aside from them, no one knew he was a shinobi.
Hanzo pondered the feasibility of destroying Kusagakure.
"But our forces aren't strong enough to take on Kusagakure. Their training time has been too short."
They had only trained for a short while, and the combat strength they'd developed wasn't fully formed yet. They were still relying on the original Hidden Rain shinobi as their foundation.
They could fight Kusagakure, but the losses would be devastating.
"I don't care about their combat strength, nor do I expect much from them."
Kin shook his head. He hadn't placed high hopes on the army from the start; it was merely to provide the Land of Rain with some armed forces.
As time passed, the role of sheer numbers of shinobi would inevitably diminish, and individual strength might increasingly determine the course of war.
"Then why establish an army?"
Hanzo frowned, confused. If that was the case, why disband his Hidden Rain Village?
Kin gave a slow explanation.
"The tide washes away the sand. I'm giving everyone a chance. Sooner or later, someone will rise above the rest."
These were the people he truly had expectations for.
Kin didn't believe that only those with bloodline limits could become powerful. Many ordinary people without such advantages were simply missing an opportunity.
The selection mechanisms of hidden villages always left some behind.
The army wouldn't. As long as there was economic support, Kin would continuously expand its scale. There would always be those eager to grow stronger who joined.
As long as they kept pushing forward—relentlessly!
Eventually, some remarkable individuals would emerge.
Hanzo fell silent. He didn't agree with Kin's approach.
But alas.
He wasn't the one making decisions.
By now, Kin had already figured out how to destroy Kusagakure.
"To annihilate a village, we must seal off all entry and exit points. Bring me ten shinobi of chūnin rank or higher. I'll develop a sealing barrier to prevent anyone from entering or leaving."
"The two of you—one needs to guard the Land of Rain, and the other must destroy Kusagakure. Leave the Daimyo of the Land of Grass to me."
"I'll handle it."
Kakuzu stepped forward to take on the task. The jutsu Kin had recently given him was already within his grasp—a technique perfectly suited to him.
This was the perfect opportunity to test its power and collect a substantial number of lives in the process.
"I'll guard the Land of Rain."
Hanzo's voice was heavy.
He had no desire to annihilate a hidden village, even though his hands were already stained with blood.
But this was a step too far.
As they left the council hall, Hanzo blocked Kakuzu's path.
"Something on your mind?"
Kakuzu's green eyes fixed on Hanzo.
Hanzo had strength—enough to keep Kakuzu from acting recklessly—but he still fell short of someone like Hashirama Senju.
"Are you truly willing to submit to someone like him?"
Hanzo's voice was low, accusatory.
A man who completely overturned the shinobi system, who disrespected the sanctity of daimyo, and now sought to annihilate an entire village.
Every action revealed Uchiha Kin's naked malice toward the world.
Kakuzu studied Hanzo with amusement.
He hadn't expected Hanzo to ask him such a question.
"And what do you suggest?"
Kakuzu asked curiously.
Hanzo was silent for a moment before replying, "I don't know."
Even now, he didn't know what kind of control Kin had over him. With his life no longer in his own hands, any resistance was futile.
Kakuzu shook his head at Hanzo. The man just wanted someone to confide in. The soldiers respected him, and in the entire Land of Rain, only Kin and Kakuzu were his equals.
As for telling Kin, "I'm dissatisfied with you"?
That wasn't just seeking death—it was delivering it on a platter.
As for Kakuzu…
"I don't care about any of that. As long as I'm paid, give me enough money, and I'll even help you kill Uchiha Kin."
If he died, there'd always be another life. But if he missed out on money, he'd never forgive himself in this one.
Though killing Uchiha Kin would require factoring in his strength, his genius in research, the jutsu Kin had given him, and the price of betrayal…
The calculation wouldn't be simple, but the sum would undoubtedly be substantial.
Hanzo looked Kakuzu up and down. With strength comparable to his own, how could Kakuzu be so confident in making such a claim?
Kakuzu sensed Hanzo's disrespect and snorted.
"Next time you talk to me, I'll charge a fee. No money? Don't bother."
He shoved Hanzo aside and strode off.
Hanzo stood there, speechless.
This time, he truly understood Kakuzu's obsession with money.
"You'll be the death of yourself over money."
Grumbling, Hanzo walked away.
Once both men had left, the ceiling suddenly cracked open, and Kin's head poked through.
"Were those two badmouthing me?"
Kin fell into deep thought.
Moku no stood in the military camp, feeling the raindrops fall from the sky onto his head.
It seemed the rain in the Land of Rain had never ceased.
It was like this before, and it was still like this now. But the future might be different.
Because he could sense this country gradually breaking free from the shadows. He saw hope for this land.
"You're early today."
People began emerging from the barracks behind him.
Moku no smiled and nodded at his comrades.
"Training more is always good."
His gaze shifted into the distance, where the Rain Corps was drilling.
As for their Money Corps… it really was all about self-discipline.
Their commander, Kakuzu, simply didn't care about their training.
It was hard to describe.
...
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(End of Chapter)