"Didn't you leave already?"
Hanzo was utterly bewildered. He had watched Kin depart with his own eyes, so how was there another one standing here?
If it were a clone, it wouldn't make sense—clones couldn't persist for long. So what was the meaning of this?
To intimidate him?
Did he even need intimidating?
"Guess," Kin said, lifting his eyelids. He was in a foul mood. Who would willingly choose to suffer in the Land of Rain? He was here out of sheer necessity.
If he had a choice, he'd return to Konoha in a heartbeat.
This place had nothing—women were all skin and bones, hardly worth looking at, and ingredients were so scarce that even cooking a decent meal was impossible.
The original Kin was truly inhuman.
That's right.
This was a clone left behind by Kin to oversee things outside.
Flesh Clone Technique.
As long as it was supplied with food, it could persist indefinitely. Though it lacked potential for growth, it wouldn't shatter at the slightest touch. And with the chakra reserves Kin had left, it could nearly match the original's strength.
But that bastard of an original had only left him with genin-level chakra!
What a joke!
Now, the strongest combatant in the Land of Rain was once again Hanzo. The thought made Kin's expression darken further.
He wasn't worried about Hanzo getting any ideas—the Soul Illumination Technique wasn't so easily broken.
What he hated most was having someone stronger looming over him.
Most of his resentment, however, was reserved for the original.
May the original step in dog shit every time he goes out, find no seasoning in his instant noodles, and draw "Thank You for Your Patronage" in every lottery.
Hanzo, noticing Kin's grim expression, wisely kept his mouth shut.
He was all smiles earlier—why the sudden change?
With someone as ruthless as this, who knew what he might do?
Trembling, Hanzo bowed deeply.
"Gather all the shinobi—every single one—for a meeting in the underground chamber. Now."
"Yes!"
Kin motioned for Kakuzu to follow as he strode outside.
The Land of Rain no longer bore its former dilapidated appearance. Neat, clean houses lined the streets, and the roads had been repaired.
Yet the people passing by were still emaciated, clad in tattered clothes.
The surface might look polished, but little had truly changed.
"Building a city from scratch... five billion ryo isn't nearly enough," Kakuzu muttered, his heart aching though his face remained impassive.
Constructing a city required astronomical sums, let alone rebuilding an entire nation.
He wasn't about to dip into his personal savings.
He was here to make money, not invest it!
But after witnessing Kin's terrifying power, escape seemed impossible.
The might of Wood Release—something he'd only seen in legends—had appeared in an Uchiha, of all people.
Was this the fusion of Uchiha Madara and Hashirama Senju?
And then there were those dark, unfathomable techniques...
Perhaps this man would surpass even those two.
"Train a group first, then find ways to generate income and cut costs," Kin said dismissively.
Ninjutsu was too sensitive to trade, but ninja tools had market potential. They wouldn't provoke the Five Great Nations—though they might attract unwanted attention.
Still, that was a minor concern.
The real challenge was developing the Land of Rain.
This place lacked everything—talent, resources, money.
Every corner was a problem, every step a hurdle.
Beneath the new city lay a hidden space, constructed under Kin's orders to conceal what couldn't be shown to the outside world.
Kin had changed into loose black training clothes, his face obscured by a black oni mask.
Dealing with the Five Great Nations required a proper image—and anonymity.
Even if his current strength was lacking, he was just a clone.
He still had to ensure the original's secrets remained hidden.
What a pain.
Behind him, all the Rain shinobi knelt on one knee.
Kakuzu and Hanzo stood at his sides like twin guardians.
In the center, Kin lounged on a wooden stool, one foot propped on the armrest, his body turned sideways to the crowd.
"Everyone, what follows concerns the reformation of the Land of Rain. That's why I've summoned all of you."
Every one of the 343 Rain shinobi was present—only three of them were jōnin.
A typical hidden village maintained around 2,000 to 3,000 active shinobi, excluding Iwagakure, which had more. After accounting for retired or weakened veterans, the effective force numbered around a thousand.
Before the war, the Hidden Rain had boasted over 2,000 shinobi. Now, after the conflict, only 343 remained—a tenfold reduction.
The village's entire foundation had been obliterated.
"Before we begin, I need to ensure everyone here is... trustworthy."
Kin didn't move, but darkness surged from his feet.
"Kill anyone who resists."
"Yes," Kakuzu and Hanzo replied in unison.
A few among the Rain shinobi tensed but held their ground.
Spies had infiltrated the ranks—no major village would leave Hanzo unchecked.
The darkness enveloped them all.
Within the shadows, eyes opened—crimson pupils with three spinning tomoe.
"Sharingan?!" someone gasped, but it was too late.
"Sharingan—Enhanced Soul Illumination Technique: Memory Scouting!"
Every shinobi felt their souls being pulled apart. The Rain ninja endured the agony silently, but not all of them were loyal.
"Uchiha! You're betraying your village?!"
One man leaped forward, shouting at Kin.
Before Kin could react, Kakuzu's tendril-like fist ensnared the traitor, and Hanzo appeared behind him.
A head flew. Blood fountained.
Others turned to flee, but in the endless dark, where could they go?
Hanzo moved like a specter, his scythe rising and falling.
Heads rolled across the floor.
The darkness receded, and the Rain shinobi collapsed, gasping for breath.
Kin clapped, surveying the survivors.
"Impressive, holding out this long."
He pointed at a few in the crowd. Their faces paled, but before they could react—
Hanzo and Kakuzu struck.
"The Land of Rain is practically a sieve," Kin remarked, shooting Hanzo a sidelong glance. Over a dozen spies had been hiding among them.
And that didn't even account for the civilians outside. The number of infiltrators was beyond counting.
Hanzo bowed his head. He'd been short-handed, forced to tolerate these spies.
The Land of Rain was poor. The Land of Rain was desperate.
What else could he do?
"Alright," Kin clapped again.
"Now, let's talk about reform."
...
Thanks to Dunlap Dulany for the support!
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(End of Chapter)