"Mm."
Shiratori Rin nodded nervously.
He gently touched his ring.
A faint black mist swirled around the ring.
"Rika, my teacher wants to meet you."
Shiratori Rin called out softly.
"Congratulations, Rika, on successfully meeting the parents!"
"Dear, congratulations to you and Rika on your happy union!"
Shiratori Rin: "…"
The black mist grew thicker and thicker.
Suddenly.
The black mist seemed to tear open a rift.
The first thing to emerge was a pale, skeletal giant claw.
Immediately after, the rift seemed to burst open, and the black mist dispersed into the air, as Rika Orimoto appeared.
Hanzou looked at the ugly behemoth before him, sensing the immense power of this cursed monster, and narrowed his eyes.
"Yuta…"
Rika shielded Shiratori Rin beneath her, her voice sticky and muffled.
Shiratori Rin: "…"
It was not appropriate to be so intimate in front of Hanzou.
"Is it the one that killed the Sunagakure Ninja?"
Hanzou asked.
Shiratori Rin shook his head, saying with some disappointment, "The one that killed the Sunagakure Ninja was another curse; I can't control it."
Hanzou mused, the scattered remains of the Sunagakure Ninja on the battlefield indicated they had no power to retaliate against the other curse.
He glanced at the curse hovering above Shiratori Rin's head.
The monster that Shiratori Rin couldn't control must be more powerful than this curse.
He must make Shiratori Rin master the power of curses!
"Alright, let her go back."
Hanzou said.
He observed the curse before him.
"Rika, go back."
Shiratori Rin stroked Rika's head.
Rika grumbled a few dissatisfied remarks about "not wanting to be separated from Yuta" but obediently Drillinto the ring.
Hanzou watched Shiratori Rin's actions and asked, "Why are you able to control this curse?"
Shiratori Rin glanced at Hanzou. Had Muteki not told Hanzou?
Rika was his fiancée!
Ryomen Sukuna wasn't his fiancée.
Shiratori Rin shivered.
Wouldn't Ryomen Sukuna be even more terrifying if he were his fiancée?
"Because Rika is my fiancée."
This was the sentence Shiratori Rin had repeated the most since arriving here.
He had also fully embodied Yuta Okkotsu's persona.
Hanzou was speechless for the first time.
He looked at Shiratori Rin and then recalled the monster's appearance from earlier.
Fiancée?
"Rika only became like this after she died."
Shiratori Rin explained.
He lowered his head in guilt: "I cursed her, which is why she became like this."
Hanzou understood.
The core was still Shiratori Rin's curse ability.
It was just that Shiratori Rin himself didn't know how to control this ability.
But the power of curses had never appeared in the Ninja World.
Hanzou was also only half-aware.
"Rin, try to accept your power, understand your power, and control your power."
All Hanzou could do was change Shiratori Rin's evasive mindset, prompting Shiratori Rin to actively try to control his curse power.
"If you can control the curse Rika, you can control other curses."
Hanzou looked at Shiratori Rin.
Once Shiratori Rin mastered the power of curses, he would become a great asset to the Amegakure.
Whether from the perspective of the Amegakure's leader or Shiratori Rin's teacher, Hanzou had to urge Shiratori Rin to gradually master the power of curses.
Just as he himself had gradually mastered the power of salamander toxins.
"I will!"
Shiratori Rin nodded solemnly: "I won't disappoint Teacher!"
Watching Shiratori Rin make his promise, Hanzou's eyes were filled with satisfaction.
Rin was indeed a good child!
Just like he was back then.
"Starting tomorrow, you will follow me to learn Ninjutsu and Taijutsu."
Hanzou said.
Shiratori Rin nodded.
"Your curse power requires you to calm down and take control of it yourself."
Shiratori Rin continued to nod.
Hanzou patted his shoulder with satisfaction: "Go back and get some good rest."
Shiratori Rin was a child, not an energetic Ninja, and after spending a whole day on the battlefield, saving people and fighting, he must have been exhausted.
"Mm."
Shiratori Rin walked to the office door.
He pushed the door open, not rushing to leave immediately, but instead urged: "Teacher should also get some good rest! Don't overwork yourself!"
After saying that, Shiratori Rin closed the office door.
Hanzou, who had returned to his desk and sat down, blinked.
It was the first time anyone had told him to get some good rest.
He was a Ninja known as a Demigod; his subordinates had long been accustomed to his strength, and no one thought he would get tired.
Hanzou sighed.
Having an apprentice felt quite wonderful.
"Ding!"
"The System detected Hanzou's affection value +500."
"Ding!"
"Your companion Cursed Spirit, Rika Orimoto, has increased to Rank 59.5%."
Shiratori Rin at the doorway smiled.
He waved to Senba Suzume, who was still standing guard at the door: "I'm going back to rest now. Brother Qianyu, remember to get some good rest too!"
Senba Suzume nodded slightly, still expressionless.
He watched Shiratori Rin's figure disappear into the distance.
Inside the office.
Hanzou's hand rested on the Ninja World map, his eyes deep in thought.
Currently, the war between the Amegakure and Konoha had stopped.
However, no one had proactively proposed a peace treaty.
Today, the battle with Sunagakure had just ended.
The two hundred Rain Ninja he led had faced the Sunagakure Ninja led by the Puppet Master Chiyo on the second battlefield.
Chiyo had deciphered his toxins and created an antidote, but Chiyo still couldn't defeat him.
Correspondingly, Hanzou also lost the advantage of his toxins and couldn't defeat Chiyo.
The two sides were in a stalemate for a long time before deciding to retreat.
On the first battlefield, Sunagakure was completely annihilated, suffering heavy losses, while the Rain Ninja had no casualties.
This was all thanks to Shiratori Rin's Medical Ninjutsu and his curse power.
Sunagakure was still engaged in battle with Konoha.
To free up their hands and focus on dealing with Konoha, Sunagakure would likely soon cease hostilities with the Amegakure.
The day the war completely ended would arrive very soon.
Of course, the end of the war did not mean that the Land of Rain had completely restored peace.
The Land of Rain had been a battlefield for Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Konoha for many years, and its territory was a mixed bag, with Iwagakure Ninja, Sunagakure Ninja, Konoha Ninja, rogue Ninja, and wandering Ninja still causing trouble within the Land of Rain.
It would take considerable effort to completely clear these Ninja from the Land of Rain.
In addition, there was the reconstruction plan for the Amegakure.
All of this would require at least ten years of effort.
Currently, the most important thing was to establish peace treaties with Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Konoha, to ensure that the great nations recognized the Amegakure's status as an independent Ninja Village, and to prevent the Land of Rain from becoming a battlefield for the great nations again.
Ceasefires were easy, but establishing peace treaties was difficult.
Their Amegakure must constantly maintain strong combat power.
Once the Rain Ninja showed weakness, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Konoha would immediately return.
Cultivating new Ninja and absorbing new blood were crucial for the Amegakure.