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  “What’s going on in Kirigakure? Why haven't they made any moves?”

  This question lingered in the minds of the ninjas statio both the Konoha and Kumogakure outposts.

  Although they were aware that the Land of Water was a retively isoted nation and Kirigakure a retively closed-off vilge, after several days of observation, they couldn't help but marvel at the extent of its isotion.

  Perhaps due to transportation limitations, the number of people entering aing the Land of Water's borders was signifitly lower pared to other major nations.

  The Konoha Special Jonin leading the team, Raidō Namiashi, couldn't help but recall the arguments he had overheard from Advisoj a meeting he had the privilege of attending at the Hokage Tower-

  [Kirigakure, pared to our vilges located on the mainnd, possesses a natural maritime defense line.]

  [Although as ninjas, we adhere chakra to our feet for sea-crossing bat, it ultimately es chakra. And due to our ck of swimming proficy, we're vulnerable to ambushes at sea.]

  [Their unique geographical advantage provides Kirigakure with ample room for development. Moreover, I believe that in the absence of a “God of Shinobi,” Kirigakure will eventually bee Konoha's primary adversary in the shinobi world.]

  [They leverage their eid ninja prowess to keep the major vilges on the mainnd in ched vying for power, preventing any single vilge from dominating the nd-based shinobi world. Essentially, Kirigakure manipute the bance of power among the mainnd vilges.]

  [Furthermore, by establishing ninja outposts and Kirigakure's forward operating bases in the Land of Hot Water, Land of Bears, Land of Iron, Land of Artisans… these smaller coastal nations, they create a of isnds to impose a maritime blockade on Konoha and other vilges, making them virtually invincible.]

  [Explosive tags wouldn’t even reach Kirigakure's mainnd. They effortlessly maintain their domihrough a "Shinobi World Bance of Power" policy.]

  [However, unfortunately, two secutive geions of Mizukage have been shhted and foolish ninjas, plunging Kirigakure into prolonged chaos. And I, Gojo Kaigetsu, will not give them the ce to wait for a miraculous leader to emerge… We must seize any opportunity to strike decisively and eliminate all possibilities of Kirigakure's rise!]

  Every time Raidō Namiashi recalled Advisojo’s speech at the Hokage Tower’s military seminar, his heart surged with excitement.

  Apart from the "Shadow Guard" position promised to him privately by Advisojo, this was one of the reasons he eagerly volunteered for the Kirigakure Freedom Operation.

  “So, Kirigakure is the potentially stro enemy Konoha might fa the future.”

  Raidō Namiashi was filled with emotion. Just then, the Byakugan-wielding ninja responsible for forward observation suddenly shouted excitedly, “They’re… they’re here!”

  “They’re really here! So many ships!”

  From the perspective of a ndlocked ninja, it was truly a on-a-lifetime sight to witness so many ships at once.

  On the horizon, tless bck dots appeared on the sea's surface.

  Ferry boats and mert ships of various sizes were seemingly fleeing for their lives, desperately heading towards the Land of Hot Water.

  As they drew closer, the expressions of terror on the faces of these refugees became visible, as if something dreadful was chasing them.

  “Go and receive them!”

  Raidō Namiashi didn’t eveo give the order. Most of the ninjas present were Konoha in and Genin, and they were all eager to get started. The mission reward was lio the number of people rescued, meaning… the more people they brought in, the greater the reward.

  This kind of mission, with minimal bat risk and a generous reward, was a dream e true for these in and Genin.

  Ninja run! It’s the ninja run!

  One by ohe Konoha ninjas dashed across the water, swiftly pleting the rescue mission.

  As the first rescued Kirigakure vilger regaiheir posure, they reted the events with lingering fear in respoo the Konoha ninja's inquiries:

  “The vilge… the nation is in chaos, plete chaos.”

  “The Mizukage was also assassinated and is missing.”

  More and mees from the Land of Water arrived, each tributing fragments of information that gradually formed a plete picture.

  After a while, Raidō Namiashi pieced together what had happened.

  As described ielligence reports, Kirigakure had indeed erupted in civil war!

  The dissenting voices that had been suppressed for a long time sihe implementation of the Bloody Mist policy finally erupted like a voloreover, this opposition force was backed by several powerful nobles in the Land of Water who opposed the Daimyo.

  Not only were the ninjas in turmoil, but the samurai had also risen i. The eion and vilge were plunged into scary internal strife.

  The Fourth Mizukage, the vilge leader, seemed to have been attacked and his whereabouts were unknown.

  The Bloody Mist fa and the Reformist fa were locked in a fierce battle, while ordinary ninjas who wanted no part in the flid had long suffered uhe Bloody Mist's oppression removed their headbands and joihe fleeing masses.

  Looking around, just hoeople were there?

  Raidō Namiashi couldn’t even begin to t. A rough estimate suggested that the number gathered heir Konoha outpost alone exceeded a thousand. Among them were ordinary ninjas, wealthy merts, minor nobles, and oners of unknown professions…

  More ships tio appear on the horizon.

  It was like a massive oil well blowout.

  “Everyone, don’t panic, don’t panic!” The thick-browed and wide-eyed Might Guy shouted amidst the crowd.

  The chaotic se nearly made even this well-traiaijutsu master lose his footing.

  Sihe mission objective was to receive good-natured ninjas and merts from Kirigakure and the Land of Water…

  Might Guy and the other Konoha ninjas had to present their frie demeanor, fearing that even a slight release of chakra might scare the refugees away.

  “This is not good… this se is far too chaotic.”

  Sarutobi Asuma, a cigarette dangling from his lips, struggled to maintain order.

  Their pns had been fwless, but there was always a loophole somewhere. Only during implementation did the problem bee apparent.

  These ninjas might excel at capturing stray cats and dogs for D-rank missions… but managing refugee resettlement was a differe altogether. Resettlement was easy for one person, but handling hundreds or thousands was a headache, let alone filtering out the right individuals from the masses.

  No one present seemed to have any experien leadership or managing refugee reception.

  Only at times like these did oruly uand the difficulties of being a leader, Asuma mused, “The advisenius needs no further expnation.”

  The chaotic resettlement work at the Konoha outpost tinued until around two iernoon.

  The influx ees from the Land of Water finally began to slow down.

  Raidō Namiashi, sitting ihe ander’s tent, rubbed his temples in frustration. Was he cut out for this? He was just an unremarkable Konoha Special Jonin!

  “Asuma, are the statistics ready?”

  “Yes.” Asuma looked exhausted. His lighter had been pilfered by a ing refugee from the Land of Water during the resettlement process. What a frustrating experience.

  “As of now, we have a total of 3,144 refugees from the Land of Water. Over 3,000 are ordinary people whose identities and professions we haven't had time to verify yet, and a few dozen are ninjas from various parts of the Land of Water.”

  “Most are Genin, with a small number of in.”

  Asuma added.

  The shinobi world was still quite servative in this regard. Generally, removing one’s headband or marking it with a line signified severing ties with one’s past ninja identity.

  It meaher retiring from the ninja profession aurning to civilian life or being a missing-nin.

  When Advisojo initially proposed accepting good-natured ninjas from other vilges, he faced strong opposition from the servative fa, led by Elder Mito Kadach.

  Asuma had also been part of the servative fa.

  However, after witnessing the state of these ninjas who had removed their headbands, Asuma silently ged his political stance.

  While not absolute, in the eyes of these refugee ninjas from the Land of Water, Asuma saw only a desperate desire to survive!

  Advisojo had once said that the eyes were the windows to the soul and couldn’t lie.

  Being a ninja, ultimately, rofession, a means of supp oneself and one's family.

  cepts like “hatred” and “glory” were s fher-ranking ninjas. For these ordinary, lower-ranked ninjas caught iides of ge, things weren’t so plicated.

  “Sigh, what a mess,” Asuma shook his head, hesitating whether to light a cigarette with his fire jutsu. “Namiashi-san, how should we proceed?”

  “That questio’s set that aside for now. I’ve already sent an emergency request for reinforts to the vilge. They’ll send specialists to ha.”

  “Let’s talk about the refugees outside. What are their thoughts on joining Konoha?”

  “Not good.”

  “Most of them want to recuperate in the Land of Hot Water for a while aurn to their homend ohe civil war in the Land of Water subsides.”

  …

  …

  While the Konoha outpost was in disarray, the Kumogakure outpost wasn’t much better, perhaps even worse.

  The battle-hungry Kumogakure ninjas were like wild beasts, only kept in check by order and the Raikage’s iron fist.

  And those from the Land of Water, having lived uhe oppressive rule of the Bloody Mist in Kirigakure, were extremely sensitive to unfamiliar enviros. Fri arose from their initial enters with the Kumogakure ninjas, as they simply couldn’t stand each other.

  “Damn it! This is so frustrating!”

  A Kumogakure in, fuming with indignation, smmed his fist against a pilr. They were just a bunch ees, yet they dared to defy Kumogakure ninjas.

  Were they tired of living?!

  “If it weren’t… if it weren’t for the Raikage’s orders…”

  The in sighed, dejectedly stroking his headband.

  Interpretations of the inscription on the headbands varied.

  Some believed it was the beginning of the vilge’s dee, while others thought it signified a shift in the higher-ups’ priorities.

  In short, during this sensitive period, even the beast-like Kumogakure ninjas were suppressing their true nature, trying their best to avoid flicts with outsiders.

  No one knew if they might bee the “chi” made an example of as the political winds shifted.

  “Having so many people gathered at the outpost isn’t sustaihe daily ption of soldier pills and medical scrolls alone is a signifit burden.”

  “Haven’t we received any guidance from above?”

  Everyone krouble was brewing in Kirigakure, but no oicipated that the rebellion would engulf not only the vilge’s military but the entire Land of Water.

  The scale and scope of the u were unpreted sihe establishment of the hidden vilge system.

  The Kumogakure in removed his headband to wipe away the sweat. Suddenly, a shout came from his rade ihe tent. Without putting his headband ba, he pced it on the sink aered the tent.

  At that moment, a few refugees from the Land of Water passed by the sink and saw the inscription on the back of the headband.

  Their expressions turo realization. “I k! There’s a reason why these Kumogakure gorils suddenly seem to have ged their ways. There’s actually writing on the back of their headbands!”

  “Writing on the back of their headbands? What’s the big deal?”

  “Judging by the message… ood days might be ing! Kumogakure will defireat us refugees from the Land of Water well.”

  The leader of the small refugee group’s eyes gleamed with ing. He clearly had some brains.

  Although they were idle, unproductive individuals ba the Land of Water, with little education and barely literate, mostly employed as… well, let’s just say they werely model citizens…

  That didn’t prevent them from transf into highly sought-after… good citizens upon fleeing to Kumogakure!

  The shrewd refugee seemed to have grasped the deeper meaning behind the inscription.

  It was a gesture of goodwill tood citizens like him from other nations!

  “I remember some of our brothers fled to the Konoha outpost, right? Bring them here quickly! ood days are ing!”

  The refugee leader barked orders rapidly. tally, at that moment, the Kumogakure in’s voice, filled with disbelief, came from ihe tent:

  “What?!”

  “Accepting everyohout exception, preferential treatment?!”

  “Assigning them to the South District? That’s absurd!”

  “Why would the Raikage issue su order? Is he serious?”

  “The advisors’ suggestion? They had a disagreement? But the order was still passed, wasn’t it? If it’s passed, then it’s the Raikage’s responsibility…”

  Ihe tent, the Kumogakure in, tasked with reying the orders, had a pletely darkened expression.

  He couldn’t fathom why the Kumogakure higher-ups would issue such a ludicrous order. The ninjas on the front lines could easily identify the ing aful refugees from the Land of Water.

  Iing these unproductive individuals into Kumogakure?

  Wouldn’t that spell disaster?

  Kumogakure wasn’t particurly rge, but it wasn’t small either. It was divided into several ses based on the pre-vilge tribes and s.

  Among them, the South District was where the toughest and most battle-hardened Kumogakure residents lived, and it was also the area that produced the most elite Kumogakure ninjas.

  The infamous Gold and Silver Brothers, the most dangerous criminals on Kumogakure’s wanted list, hailed from there.

  What were those muscle-brained idiot advisors thinking, shoving these refugees into the South District? Did they expect them to create wealth or bee elite Kumogakure ninjas?

  The Kumogakure in sighed in resignation. A predictable storm was about to engulf their vilge, and he owerless to stop it.

  He was a bookworm and had read “Iki.” Sometimes, he fantasized about whether, if he could bee an advisor as a in, he could prevent this disaster.

  Unfortunately, there were no ifs, and he could never be Gojo Kaigetsu.

  With a resigned wave of his hand, he instructed his Genin subordio begin the resettlement process.

  ‘First Raikage, watch over the vilgers of the South District.’

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