Chapter 9: The Nine Samurai and Orphanage Reform
"We don't have any good ideas for new sources of revenue at the moment," an elder began, "but we should definitely strengthen our control over the ones we already have. Perhaps we can start with the Daimyo? Try to secure more stable and substantial support..."
Just then, a flash of inspiration struck one of the advisors.
"We could station an elite unit of ninja permanently in the capital of the Land of Lightning!" he exclaimed. "Their long-term mission would be to protect the Daimyo, which would also strengthen the bond between the village and his court."
The idea was straightforward and very much in the spirit of a ninja.
Another shinobi chimed in, "That could work. We've only ever had a small squad protecting the Daimyo personally. While that's sufficient in peacetime, it doesn't exactly show how much we value him. It weakens our presence and our connection."
The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning was a man who loved pomp and circumstance. Assigning more elite ninja to his personal guard would definitely appeal to his vanity.
"What if..." another suggested, "we give them a cool-sounding name? The Daimyo loves impressive titles."
"Like the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist? You're right. It needs a powerful name, and it would also be a good way to project the Hidden Cloud's strength to the rest of the world."
A stroked his beard. As the man who had given ridiculously flashy names to nearly every taijutsu technique in the Yotsuki clan's arsenal, the Third Raikage's eyes lit up. "If we're talking about names, then I'm wide awake."
"How about... The Valiant Thunderstorm Armor of Roaring Justice Squad!"
Everyone stared at A as if they'd seen a ghost.
What in the world was that nonsensical name?!
It's bad enough you give your own moves absurd names, but do you have to extend your demonic claws to the village's internal affairs?
(For example, an axe kick? He calls it: "Righteous Thunder Axe of Sinking Fury." A jumping chop? That's: "Horizontal Dance of a Thousand Thunderous Torments." A full-body charge followed by a powerful clothesline? "Thunder Plow Hot Knife." And two people doing it together? "Absolute Ox Thunder Plow Hot Knife!")
This is completely insane!
The advisors looked as if they were prepared to commit seppuku to make their point. They couldn't imagine the Cloud's elite forces walking the ninja world with a name like that. They'd be laughed to death.
Dodai cleared his throat. "Perhaps we could call them the Nine Samurai of the Thundercloud? It's exactly three squads."
"I second that."
"Agreed."
The others quickly finalized the decision, terrified the Third Raikage might try to chime in again.
A sighed, a little disappointed, but ultimately nodded in agreement to the name he felt lacked sufficient flair.
"Dodai," A continued, "I have another task for you. Go to the orphanage, assess the current situation, and see what needs to be changed."
"As you command, Lord Raikage!" Dodai knelt on one knee, accepting the order despite his confusion.
"And..." A stroked his yellowish beard, choosing his words carefully. "Dana has taken an interest in the orphanage. He may come to you to get involved. Handle it as you see fit. Don't spoil him, but if he has useful suggestions, you should listen."
Dodai was a seasoned and intelligent Jonin; A trusted him to handle the situation. A's warning was mainly to prevent Dodai from being overly compliant simply because of Dana's status. As a retainer of the Yotsuki clan, Dodai was more susceptible to Dana's influence than a regular Cloud ninja.
At that moment, a Jonin stepped forward to report. "Lord Raikage, the six members of the Steel Release clan from the Land of Frost are scheduled to arrive today. In addition, the Red Eye clan we located in the Land of Birds has been persuaded and is on their way. Including the Uzumaki family that arrived last week, the village has officially added three new Kekkei Genkai to its ranks, even if their numbers are small for now."
Smiles spread across the faces of everyone in the Raikage's office. In the three years since the "Fire Thief Initiative" was launched, the Hidden Cloud had invested a massive amount of manpower and resources. Now, they were finally beginning to see the fruits of their labor. They could all imagine how the initiative would continue to strengthen the village in the years to come.
Dana's butterfly wings had not stopped beating; in fact, they had only grown stronger.
"Lord Raikage's plan was truly visionary!" one of the advisors exclaimed. "We must continue with this initiative. One day, the Hidden Cloud will be like the Mist and the Leaf, filled with powerful bloodlines and teeming with geniuses!"
"Indeed! Lord Raikage is truly brilliant!"
The praise flowed freely, but A remained impassive, though he was beaming with pride on the inside. He had started the Fire Thief Initiative half because the Cloud was genuinely lacking in bloodline abilities and research, and half because of Dana's illness. While they were no closer to finding a cure for his son, the village's foundation was undeniably growing stronger.
Though these new additions were currently small and weak, the name of the plan said it all. The Cloud wasn't just stealing present power; it was stealing future potential.
The Next Day
"Young Master Dana, isn't this plan a bit... radical?" Dodai said, looking down at the proposal Dana had handed him with a troubled expression. "And the village hasn't allocated this kind of budget for the orphanage."
To be honest, despite the Raikage's warning, Dodai had assumed Dana would just offer a few simple suggestions. He figured he would just have to humor the boy and be done with it. He never expected Dana to present him with a detailed, comprehensive plan.
And a professional-looking one, at that.
Dodai couldn't help but study the young boy before him. It seemed there was another side to this reclusive Second Young Master that he had never known.
"Uncle Dodai, this is a long-term plan," Dana explained calmly. "We can implement it one step at a time. The village won't approve a large, unsubstantiated budget increase, I know that. But if we can show phased results, they will be willing to invest more."
Dana wasn't surprised by Dodai's hesitation. He knew it was impossible to launch a massive project from the get-go, especially when the proposal came from a six-year-old. His reason for presenting the entire plan now was simply to get Dodai to take him seriously.
"Besides, this plan will need constant improvement. We can take it one step at a time, always looking two steps ahead."
Dodai nodded. Framed that way, the proposal didn't seem quite so outlandish. Setting aside the fact that it was written by a six-year-old, Dodai was actually intrigued by its contents.
"Then, Young Master Dana, where do we begin?" he asked.
"It's simple. Step one: reform the orphanage's curriculum. Instead of throwing them directly into high-intensity military training, we give them a buffer period. This will allow the children to genuinely accept the village as their home."
"Step two: to make them feel cared for, we need more staff. One or two Chunin trying to manage everything—food, lodging, sanitation, and training—is impossible. Their exhaustion will lead to crude, authoritarian management. But we can't just ask the village for more manpower and resources right away. So, we create 'zero-reward missions.'"
"Zero-reward missions?" The phrase sounded absurd to a ninja, but Dodai's mind quickly caught on. He flipped through the proposal to the relevant page.
"Or more accurately, micro-reward missions," Dana clarified. "The reward is just enough to cover a child's meal for one day, about 200 Ryō. The mission content is simple: take an orphan out into the village for a day."
"This mission..." Dodai was starting to understand what Dana was getting at.