138 CH - 135 Cleaning the Land of Rain.

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In the pursuit of peace in the Land of Rain, it was essential to begin with a comprehensive nationwide lockdown. The Land of Rain had been embroiled in turmoil for an extended period, and Hanzo recognized that they could not secure peace on their own after witnessing the overwhelming power of the Five Great Ninja Villages following the Second Great Ninja War.

In a bid to find a resolution, Hanzo had chosen to compromise, leading to the Land of Rain falling under constant surveillance and external influence. This had led to internal confusion and turmoil. Thus, the first step towards peace was to address the Land of Rain's internal issues.

Now, with the Grass and Rain forming an alliance, and the Hanzo, the demi-god defending personally, he believed that the Five Great Ninja Villages would refrain from reckless actions after the substantial losses they incurred in their encounter with the Grass Village. After all, The ongoing war between the Five Great Ninja Villages was of greater concern to them.

Furthermore, Akihiko surmised that all five major ninja villages desired peace. Additionally, their failure to gain any advantages in the war with the Grass Village meant that embarking on another conflict recklessly would be unwise. In fact, They understood already that without deploying a significant portion of their forces, the Five Great Ninja Villages had no means to defeat the united fronts of the Grass and Rain.

"Remember the instructions given by Leader Akihiko and Hanzo-sama," Aso, the commander entrusted with leading the 'Cleaning Campaign,' declared with determination, addressing the assembled shinobi. "Our primary mission is to gather the People of Land of Rain and ensure their safety."

Aso's gaze swept across the assembled shinobi, which included members of the Uzumaki Clan sent by Akihiko due to their exceptional sensing abilities, which would prove invaluable for this mission. He spoke with sincerity, emphasizing the importance of their mission. "Remember, the safety comes first. This opportunity has been hard-won, and I hope each of you will rise to the occasion and not let down Leader Akihiko and Hanzo-sama. This may be our Land of Rain's only chance for lasting peace!"

Aso's impassioned speech moved the assembled Rain ninjas, and they responded with a resounding chorus of determination. "We promise, Aso-sama, we will give our all to meet the expectations of Leader Akihiko and Hanzo-sama!"

Aso leaned in and spoke in a hushed tone, as if sharing a secret. "By the way, Hanzo-sama mentioned that if we successfully complete this mission, he'll speak to Leader Akihiko about allowing our children to attend school."

With a raised fist, Aso rallied the Rain Ninja. "So let's give it our all! Our children might have the opportunity to enroll in the academy founded by Leader Akihiko, It's a ninja academy even more remarkable than Konoha's. They can even learn various ninja arts, including secret techniques there. Therefore, Let's strive for this chance, so that our children won't have to sacrifice their young lives in the future."

At that moment, the Rain ninjas couldn't contain their excitement, raising their fists and cheering, "This is incredible!" "Our children might finally have a chance to attend school!" "Thank you, Leader Akihiko and Hanzo-sama!"

"Now, let's begin. Squad leaders, lead your teams!" Aso addressed the enthusiastic crowd and urged them, "Remember our true mission: To cleanse the Land of Rain and expel anyone who doesn't belong here!"

"Yes, Cleanse the Land of Rain!" The Rain teams responded with conviction, fully aware of their purpose.

As the Rain ninja teams departed one by one, Aso wore a satisfied smile. Could it be that, after so many years, the Land of Rain was finally on the path to achieving peace?

Feeling as if both Leader Akihiko and Hanzo-sama were watching over him, Aso turned to face their direction, his gaze determined. He saluted in their direction, then took a deep breath and declared, "Let's get moving too!"

…

"Jeez! Haven't we already discussed the plan? The rest was up to you to handle. There was no need for me to be here," Akihiko remarked, withdrawing his gaze from the departing Rain and Grass shinobi.

Speaking of which, He was puzzled by Hanzo's continued silence. What was going on in Hanzo's mind? Why hadn't he spoken up? He had been observing them all along, yet he remained silent. Was he too sentimental to voice his thoughts as their leader?

Hanzo suddenly burst into laughter, but then fell silent once more, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon, filled with a sense of melancholy. He continued to speak, "It's because having you here puts my mind at ease, Leader Akihiko."

Hanzo's voice carried a mix of nostalgia and bitterness. "Ever since I was an orphan, I've longed for peace in the Land of Rain. I made a vow to bring peace to this country. Later, I became renowned as a Ninja World Demigod, and I truly believed that I could make it happen. I wanted to show the Five Great Ninja Villages how formidable the Land of Rain was and challenge them to leave our land. But they ignored me and continued to treat our land as their battleground."

"So, I declared war on Konoha, Suna, and the Land of Iron. After swiftly defeating the Land of Iron, I thought we could also overcome Suna and Konoha." As he recollected these events, his tone was tinged with bitterness and a hint of nostalgia. "But they were the Five Great Ninja Villages, after all."

After the Second Great Ninja War, the combined forces of Konoha and Suna had penetrated deep into the Land of Rain. Ultimately, the Rain Village had to surrender, and the turmoil persisted to this day.

Hanzo turned to Akihiko with a heartfelt smile and said, "Thank you!"

Akihiko waved his hand dismissively and chuckled, "Just don't make a habit of lying on my office floor. You know what needs to be done. Now, I'm going to take a break, and in a few days, I'll need to check on Elder Yoshinori's progress with the Lightning Train project."

With these parting words, Akihiko turned and walked away without further conversation. Hanzo observed his departure, his inscrutable mask concealing any emotions as he softly whispered, "Thank you, Leader Akihiko. Truly."

As Akihiko vanished into the gentle rain, Hanzo's eyes glimmered briefly. He murmured to himself, "The Lightning Train, huh?"

Raising his gaze to the expanse of the Land of Rain, he found solace in the gentle rain's embrace. Today's light rain was rather pleasant, a welcome change. A subtle smile formed beneath his mask as he looked toward the direction the rain ninjas left, and he murmured, "I'll be right here, waiting for everyone."

If Anyone saw Hanzo's situation right now, No one would believe that this is the once-feard Ninja Demi-God.

…

As the Rain and Grass shinobi gazed at the devastated landscape ahead, it was clear that this region had borne the brunt of the war. The aftermath had rendered it eerily quiet and barren, with little sign of life.

"I'm sensing some faint life signs in those few buildings up ahead," mentioned a red-haired Grass shinobi. "They seem quite weak, though."

The Rain shinobi, surveying the desolation, let out a heavy sigh. "It's no surprise that they're weak. This area was one of the primary battlegrounds. The civilians here not only endured the ravages of war but also suffered from hunger and the harsh elements."

He then turned to the young Grass shinobi, who appeared to be from the Uzumaki clan and had recently graduated from the Grass Ninja Academy. This Uzumaki ninja was one of the members sent by Akihiko due to their strong sensory abilities, making them valuable for this mission. Considering their options, the Rain shinobi inquired, "So, what's our plan now? Should we use the same method used in the past, barging in and subduing people?"

"I've heard of that approach, but it was employed during the initial chaos when Leader Akihiko first arrived. It was used to minimize unnecessary conflicts," the Grass shinobi replied. "But now our mission is different from back then. We're here to bring peace and a fresh start to the people. We don't need to resort to that tactic now, and given the number of places we have to visit, it wouldn't be practical to subdue everyone."

The Rain Shinobi was still unsure about their approach, prompting him to seek further clarification. "What should we do, then?"

The young Grass Shinobi, recalling Akihiko's instructions, replied, "We need to utilize the advantages you guys have."

"Advantages? What advantages are you talking about?" the Rain Shinobi inquired, his confusion deepening.

"Your identities," the Grass Shinobi responded with a smile, turning to the Rain Shinobi.

"Identities?" The Rain Shinobi remained perplexed, wondering what unique identity he could possibly have.

…

The Rain shinobi and the Grass shinobi approached a dilapidated house that bore the scars of war, their doubts lingering. The Rain shinobi, primarily trained as assassins, found themselves in unfamiliar territory. They harbored concerns that they might mishandle this mission.

However, they had no choice but to proceed. The words of Aso-sama resonated in their minds, providing the motivation they needed. They reminded themselves of the potential opportunity for their children to attend school.

Taking a deep breath, one of the Rain shinobi plastered a gentle smile on their face and knocked lightly on the door. In a friendly tone, they called out, "Hello, fellow resident of the Land of Rain! We're Rain Shinobi. Please open the door!"

They could only hope that this approach would yield positive results.

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