CH - 63 Let's confront Hanzo!

Having decided to temporarily stay in the Land of Rain, they needed to devise a plan to ensure they remained united and focused. Nagato, to be honest, had reservations about staying in such a dangerous place. The recent act of stealing something from the Land of Rain felt like a direct challenge to its leader. If their presence was discovered, their lives would be in grave danger.

However, Yahiko was not keen on returning too soon. He had grand ambitions and wanted to pursue something significant. Konan, despite expressing concerns about worrying Akihiko, Fuso, and Kana, seemed secretly excited about staying behind. It was as if she had a strong curiosity to experience the situation.

Reluctantly, Nagato made the decision to stay behind, primarily to prevent Yahiko and Konan from getting into trouble. However, deep down, he couldn't deny the thrill that came with secretly remaining in the Land of Rain. Moreover, he found it increasingly frustrating to be constantly scolded by Akihiko and seemingly used as a scapegoat without any apparent reason. Despite understanding that these were tests, Nagato couldn't help but feel irritated by Akihiko's behavior.

Furthermore, he had already received valuable training at the academy and felt that he had learned what he needed to. It had become tiresome to always remain at the academy and follow Yahiko on their quest to find elusive students.

In any case, staying for a few more days shouldn't pose significant problems. As for Yahiko's grand plan, Nagato chose to disregard it for now. After all, was it really so simple to eliminate a demi-god of the Shinobi world?

Nagato regarded Yahiko and Konan with a serious expression, emphasizing the importance of identifying their enemies. With determination, he wrote "Amegakure" on the whiteboard, explaining the situation in the Land of Rain. "Due to the misguided decisions of Sanshōuo no Hanzō, the leader of Amegakure, many people within the Land of Rain harbor dissatisfaction and resentment towards him."

Yahiko raised his hand, seeking clarification. "So, Nagato, are you suggesting that our enemies are solely from Amegakure?"

Nagato shook his head, elaborating, "It is not accurate to label all of Amegakure as enemies. Our primary adversaries are Sanshōuo no Hanzō and the ninjas who support him. However, it is crucial to recognize that not all ninjas within Amegakure are aligned with him. Some have defected or gone into hiding due to their dissatisfaction with his policies."

Konan also chimed in, seeking further clarity. "So, Nagato, you mean we should focus on winning over the dissatisfied ninjas and individuals who oppose Sanshōuo no Hanzō?"

"Yes, precisely!" Nagato affirmed. "Our goal is to win the support of those who are dissatisfied with Sanshōuo no Hanzō, be it ninjas or civilians. By doing so, we can not only expand our network of allies but also strengthen the Land of Grass. Our strategy is to distinguish between friends and enemies, unite all available forces, and harness the power of collective struggle."

Observing the plight of the displaced and hungry people in the Land of Rain, Nagato recognized the existing dissatisfaction towards the self-proclaimed demi-god of the Shinobi world.

"Only by harnessing their dissatisfaction can we have hope for victory," Nagato concluded, receiving applause from Yahiko and Konan.

Yahiko sighed and turned to Nagato, expressing admiration. "You're quite knowledgeable, Nagato!"

"Naturally! Didn't you pay attention during our lessons on the recent history of the Land of Grass?" Nagato replied, a tinge of annoyance in his voice. "Akihiko-sensei emphasized this when he brought order to the Land of Grass after ending the chaos. How could you forget such important details?"

"Yahiko was probably sleeping during history class!" Konan interjected while rolling her eyes at Yahiko.

"Hahaha, you got me! I simply forgot! I simply forgot!" Yahiko chuckled, scratching his head. He then turned his gaze to Nagato and Konan, gratitude evident in his eyes. "Truly, having both of you by my side gives me peace of mind. So, what should we do next?"

"First..." Nagato sighed, shaking his head, and said, "Let's observe Amegakure's reaction to the recent events for now."

"Oh, speaking of Amegakure's reaction..." Konan recalled something and said, "This morning, while I was out on a reconnaissance mission, I discovered that we are now wanted by Amegakure!"

"So soon? Do they already know our identities?" Nagato was momentarily taken aback, impressed by Amegakure's swift intelligence gathering.

"No, not yet!" Konan shook her head and retrieved a large unfolded paper from her pocket. She nonchalantly said, "However, Amegakure has issued a bounty on us using this image! They're offering a reward for anyone who captures individuals resembling these figures!"

Both Nagato and Yahiko's expressions twitched as they examined the paper that Konan laid out before them. It depicted their familiar likenesses—dressed in green work clothes, holding shovels on their shoulders, standing confidently. Below the image were the words: "Join us and build a better future together!"

They couldn't help but inwardly curse at their oversight. Amegakure had issued a bounty using that image, and they hadn't even bothered to remove the original text! Couldn't they have at least redrawn it?

Both fell into silence, realizing the unintended consequences of their actions. Then, Nagato raised an eyebrow, turned to Yahiko with an impassive expression, and said, "You know what, Yahiko? I think you were right. It's not a good idea to return too soon. Let's find an opportunity to confront Sanshōuo no Hanzō."

Yahiko was taken aback by Nagato's sudden change of heart and couldn't help but scold him internally, 'Weren't you the one who initially disagreed? What's with the sudden change in attitude?'

…

"Still not back?" The next morning, Akihiko had planned to spend the entire day relaxing at home. After all, with the children safely returned and Kana and Elder Yoshinori taking care of the necessary tasks, he had no reason to worry.

"Why wouldn't they return after several days?" Akihiko's expression froze as he received the letter from Mubuki's hand and quickly skimmed through its contents. He looked up at Mubuki and exclaimed, "That's impossible! Let's calculate the time it should take for them to travel from there to the Land of Grass. Based on their speed, it shouldn't take more than half a day. Could they have gotten lost?"

He couldn't help but feel perplexed. How could those three clever kids get lost? Especially Nagato, whose sensory abilities were quite exceptional. Getting lost should be impossible for him!

"Or could something have happened to them? I witnessed them leaving safely!" Akihiko rubbed his chin, then lifted his head and asked Mubuki, "Did the investigation yield any findings?"

After a moment of contemplation, Mubuki replied, "we have dispatched a team for investigation and received reports that Yahiko and the others might have been spotted in a small town. However, it appears that Amegakure has issued an arrest warrant for them, but they haven't been apprehended yet."

"If they haven't been caught, then why haven't they returned? Could they be enjoying themselves too much outside? Are they avoiding coming home because of excessive homework?" Akihiko pondered aloud.

Mubuki couldn't help but roll his eyes at Akihiko's speculations, thinking that Akihiko was overthinking the situation.

"Forget it! Has the village dispatched ninjas to locate them?" Akihiko let out a sigh of relief knowing that the children were safe. Although he understood that even if Sanshōuo no Hanzō himself intervened, the worst outcome would be Yahiko and the others sacrificing themselves while Kusagakure remained unharmed, However as their teacher, he couldn't bear to see them in danger. That's why he had left a paper clone to keep an eye on them, only dispelling it after witnessing their safe escape.

"Find out what they've been up to all this time! They should be aware that their families would be worried sick about them, right? When they return, they will each have to write 5 kg of homework! They are acting irresponsibly!" Akihiko declared firmly.

Mubuki's mouth twitched, thinking that even the leader himself couldn't measure homework in words and had to resort to weight. He began to suspect that the reason the three kids didn't want to come back might actually be because of an excessive workload.

After hesitating for a moment, Mubuki spoke up, "Leader... isn't this a bit too much?"

"This is all for the sake of the children! As parents, we can't spoil them. What if they grow up to become disrespectful and harm their parents and teachers? That's why they must study hard!" Akihiko patted Mubuki's shoulder, speaking earnestly. "Hurry and bring the children back. We can't let their homework be delayed!"

Then, he let out a yawn and stretched. "I wonder how their first day of work is going. Well, I'll go out for a walk myself!"

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