Having multiple aliases while traveling meant multiple paths to take.
No matter what he did, he wouldn't admit it was his doing anyway.
However, upon hearing Kin's self-proclaimed title, all the Rain ninja fell into silence.
Letting a stranger become their Kage was something they couldn't accept. In the shinobi world, the title of Kage carried profound significance.
If not for Hanzo's presence, they would have fought Kin to the death on the spot.
Hanzo watched silently as Kin maintained his grin, staring at the crowd.
A chilling sensation crept up Hanzo's spine.
He knew that if the Rain ninja didn't submit, this young man wouldn't hesitate to kill as a warning. After all, this boy was no pushover.
Hanzo was the first to kneel before Kin.
"Greetings, Mr. An!"
Seeing their "Half-God" kneel before this youth, the Rain ninja had no choice but to follow, no matter how unwilling they were.
One by one, they spoke up.
"Greetings, Mr. An."
"Greetings, Mr. An."
"Greetings, Mr. An."
Their voices were stiff, dripping with resentment.
Kin laughed wildly, doubling over with amusement.
These would be his future subordinates. It didn't matter if they resented him—as long as they obeyed.
At that moment, Hyuga Kiyoshi and the other two approached, their clothes stained with blood.
"Done?" Kin asked.
"Not a single one left," Kakuzu replied.
The trio had followed Kin's orders to wipe out the underground bounty exchange.
Kin nodded in satisfaction.
While Wood Release was meant to conceal his identity, its exposure would inevitably draw Konoha's attention. The later that happened, the better.
Once his forces grew stronger, Konoha would be powerless against them.
Even if Konoha racked their brains, they'd never suspect an Uchiha, right?
Probably.
Now, everyone who had witnessed Wood Release was here.
The rest were already dead.
"What a shame," Kin sighed.
The woman at the bounty exchange had a great figure and a face that matched his tastes.
Too bad she was gone. His orders had been explicit: total annihilation.
You were the one who gave the order!!?
Hizure screamed internally. What are you regretting!?
Is there even a single normal person in this group besides me!?
"Our priority now is to develop the Land of Rain," Kin said, oblivious to Hizure's thoughts. He surveyed the ruined city, planning to establish a base here.
Once they gathered enough manpower, he could begin his plan to sell jutsu.
"We should first gather all surviving refugees in the Land of Rain," Hanzo suggested.
"Then we can focus on development."
Kin smirked at him. "Do I need you to teach me?"
"My apologies," Hanzo lowered his head.
This guy… is impossible to deal with.
The Rain ninja watched their "Half-God" being humiliated, their anger simmering—but they dared not act.
Kin grinned at them.
"Alright, let's start by gathering all surviving refugees in the Land of Rain. Then we'll talk about development."
That's exactly what I just said!!
Hanzo roared inwardly.
Couldn't you at least rephrase it!? Not even a single word changed!
Fine. You want to play like this?
Seeing Hanzo's dark expression, Kin laughed even harder.
"I love how much you all want to kill me but can't."
"Please, just act like a human!!" × Everyone's inner voices.
I wonder if it's too late to betray him now…
Hanzo thought silently.
…Probably.
He looked up at the sky, at the dark clouds looming over the Land of Rain.
Under this man's rule, he could already envision a hellish future for the nation.
But as long as the Land of Rain survived…
There would always be hope.
As the Rain ninja began locating all the marketplaces in the Land of Rain, they herded the survivors toward the former capital.
Many died along the way.
Not everyone wanted to return to a world of order.
Those who resisted became corpses, piled into a small mountain at the city's entrance.
"What's the point of this?" Hanzo asked, standing beside Kin in a wooden building near the entrance.
The city was taking shape. Though there were no skyscrapers, the ruins had been cleared, and wooden houses now stood in their place.
Apart from the lack of people, it was no different from any other city.
After all, the Wood Release: Continuous Pillar Houses Technique made construction effortless.
The First Hokage's Wood Style conquered the world. Yamato's Wood Style landscaped it.
Kin's Wood Release fell somewhere in between—landscaping was no challenge for him.
The entire city had been built by his hand.
The debris had been buried underground by Hanzo and the Rain ninja using Earth Release.
It had to be said: ninja were incredibly efficient laborers.
Though Rain ninja weren't proficient in Earth Release, burying rubble was well within their capabilities.
"Intimidation and deception," Kin replied, leaning against the window as he gazed at the pile of corpses.
"This serves as a warning to anyone who dares cause trouble in the new city. It also tells the other villages of your rage and savagery."
The Five Great Shinobi Villages, who prided themselves on civilization, would look down on such barbaric acts.
Sometimes, that slight disdain could conceal a great deal of information.
Hanzo pondered this.
"Next, we'll search for the remaining survivors hiding in the Land of Rain."
Though they'd gathered people from all the marketplaces, many still lived in caves and ruins, cut off from the world. There were at least a thousand of them.
"Then we'll take it slow."
With just Kakuzu and Hanzo as his top fighters, his ambitions couldn't be realized yet.
Downstairs, Hyuga Kiyoshi and Hizure arrived at the building's entrance and looked up at Kin.
"We should head back now."
They'd only left on a mission, and their prolonged absence would raise suspicions if they delayed further.
"A man of your strength… why hide in Konoha?" Hanzo asked solemnly.
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen might not be a match for this youth.
"Stability and caution," Kin replied.
No place in the shinobi world was as stable as Konoha.
As for caution—if he went too far, someone wouldn't stand idly by. Kin wasn't invincible yet.
There were still those who could threaten him.
"See you around." Kin waved and leaped out the window.
Hanzo watched as the trio slowly disappeared beyond the city's borders.
"Caution, huh? So Konoha still holds greater power… as expected of the strongest hidden village."
As their figures vanished, the Land of Rain returned to Hanzo's hands.
"Gone, huh?" A familiar sigh sounded behind him.
Hanzo frowned and turned to see Kakuzu and Kin standing at the door.
Hanzo: "???"
...
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(End of Chapter)