Chapter 348: Miscellaneous Events in the Land of Water

The muscles on the human arm were tensed and gathering strength under the action of nerves. Along with the caster's roar, ten finger bones shot out. The pale white bones were difficult to capture under the bright moonlight, and they arrived in front of several Iwagakure ninjas almost instantly.

The leading Iwa Ninja sneered, stood still, puffed out his cheeks and sprayed out a wall of water. The high-speed rotating water wall had super strong defense, and the finger bones did not have any killing effect.

Kimimaro frowned, realizing something was wrong. The Rock Ninjas' combat emphasizes cooperation with each other and advocates a spirit of sacrifice, but the Rock Ninjas' defensive methods just now not only did not include their companions, but their casting style was also very similar to that of the Mist Ninjas.

"Stop pretending, you guys. I've already seen that you're not Iwagakure. It turns out that you all live in the same village. How can you not know each other?"

The leading Iwagakure was stunned for a moment, stretched out his right hand and made a seal to cancel the transformation technique, but he turned out to be a young man in his thirties, with a handsome face and an upright figure. He carried a long sword behind his back and looked smart and capable.

Kaguya Fujiki frowned and looked at the leading ninja's face. After a while, hesitantly asked: "Are you from the Kirigakure Anbu?"

"It's been a long time since I last saw Fujiki. I didn't expect that the person we were monitoring is now living a carefree life. This shows the benefits of having a big tree to lean on. But you two should not forget what blood is flowing in your bodies!"

The leading young ninja was filled with righteous indignation: "Forty years of struggle for our country and nearly a hundred years of independence have all been ruined in one day by a bunch of you who are greedy for life, afraid of death and love vanity!"

"I just don't understand why some people would rather be a dog than a human being, a person who can make his own decisions!"

Kaguya Fujiki was speechless. He was a muscular man who was not good at speaking and only knew how to fight. Things like patriotism and national independence were too illusory for him. It would be better for him to think about how to practice in an easy and interesting way.

Kimimaro chuckled: "What's wrong with being a dog? All the dogs in Konoha are scrambling to be dogs now. You guys are just crazy. You have a good life but insist on licking blood from the knife."

"Ten years ago, the Hidden Mist Village implemented a blood mist high-pressure policy. In order to graduate, students of the ninja school had to kill at least one of their classmates with whom they had been living day and night. How cruel is this?"

"Fifteen years ago, the Hidden Mist Village implemented a centralized power strategy. All the ninja families that had made great contributions to the village were purged. The superiors only cared about their own petty gains without considering the overall situation. How narrow-minded and selfish is this?"

"In the past hundred years, the Daimyo of the Water Country has been extravagant and has been plundering the people with taxes more and more each day. Countless people have been forced to cross the sea to make a living. How cruel is this?"

Kimimaro stopped laughing and his voice turned cold: "For thousands of years, history books have only recorded the word cannibalism. Ninjas, nobles, and samurai have become parasites. War, disease, and death have become frequent visitors in books. Don't you see that?"

"I just don't understand. Using ninja to support farmers and farmers to support ninja is a good policy that benefits both the country and the people. Why can't it be implemented? There are always conspirators and selfish people like you who mess with it, and you even give yourself a righteous reason and package yourself as a victim. Do you deserve to talk about the country?"

The leading ninja's face turned pale. After a moment of silence, he said, "No wonder others say that you are the smartest ninja in the Kaguya clan. Just your mouth is enough to leave people speechless."

"I have no business dealing with what you're talking about, nor am I interested in dealing with it. I'm only sure of one thing: the Hidden Mist Village surrendered without a fight ten years ago, not only because of the weakness and incompetence of the top leaders, but also because of the instigation of your two families. If it weren't for the betrayal of the Kaguya clan and the Mizunotsuki clan, the Hidden Mist Village would never have been destroyed."

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha"

Kimimaro laughed heartily. He still remembered the dark life in the dungeon. He was trapped in a cave less than one and a half meters high every day. He could not see a single light with his eyes. The only sounds were the thumping of his own heartbeat and the creaking of his growing bones. He was treated like this just because he was a genius.

At first, Kimimaro hated his family and the clan elders who had locked him up in a cage, until one day his father was carried in front of him.

His father was a patient with a blood disease and was dying at the time. He was lying on a simple stretcher, gasping for breath. Kimimaro put his hand on his forehead, trying hard to adapt to the long-lost light, and the voice of the man who was nominally closest to him came to his ears.

"The clan has agreed to relocate to Konoha, but we need to make sacrifices to stop the Mist Ninja from hunting us. You have long been recognized as a genius, so you are naturally not on the list of the last to be left. But you must remember that when you arrive in Konoha, you must be careful with your words and actions, and never mention the Hidden Mist Village in the Land of Water again. Live like a human being within your ability, and never be servile and pray for survival like a dog again."

"Son, our fate in this life has ended. I have not fulfilled my responsibilities as a father, and you have not had the opportunity to fulfill your obligations as a son. Let's just assume that neither of us owes the other anything. However, if there is an afterlife, I will be your son and be filial to you, as a way of making up for these years of imprisonment."

Kimimaro still remembers that the man had a hint of fatigue on his pale face and even held a sharp bone in his hand, but when his eyes looked at him, they were bright and warm.

This was the first time he had a memory of seeing his father, and also the last time he saw him. Shortly after the conversation, Kimimaro was escorted to the Land of Fire by a team of elite Konoha Anbu ninjas, and Mizunoe Aoi was among them.

In the vibrant and inclusive Konoha Ninja Village, the young Kimimaro carried his schoolbag and walked into school, received a new-style education, and learned that the ninja world is not only made up of ninjas and daimyo, but also hundreds of millions of people. He also knew where his life goals were.

"There are many supporting roles in the world, but only one protagonist, just like flower petals. There are many green leaves, but only one bud. I am willing to be a green leaf for the sake of the village and the new policy, even if it is a green leaf that cannot see the sun."

When Kimimaro thought of this, he couldn't help but show murderous intent on his face. He took a step forward and said, "How can a scum like you know the greatness of the Hokage? Ninjas are not tools for anyone, and the people are not sustenance for anyone. The blood-sucking national organizations like the Hidden Mist Village and the Land of Water are destined to be eliminated by history."

"The age of ninjas has ended, and the age of ninja farmers is coming next!"

Kaguya Fujiki stared at him with wide eyes and yawned: "Stop talking nonsense, nephew, just tell me whether you are going to do it or not."

Kimimaro chuckled. "These people will naturally be eliminated, but before that, I need to make something clear. The battle between ninjas also follows a cycle of cause and effect. Meaningless death is not encouraged now."

"Let me ask you, have you ever killed unarmed civilians?"

Without waiting for the other party to answer, Kimimaro said to himself: "I think there is. After all, in the cognition of the former Kirigakure ninja, completing the so-called mission is the first priority, and anyone who stands in the way of the goal must be eliminated."

"This is the fundamental reason why the Water Nation was destroyed and the Fire Nation prospered!"

"They don't treat the people as human beings, they don't treat ninjas as human beings. The superiors only care about their own petty profits, and the executors only care about the so-called mission. They are self-righteous and think that what they do is just and beneficial to the country and the people. They turn a blind eye to the cries of the people and the country, and narrowly judge that chakra is the primary weapon to maintain rule."

"But you forgot that ninjas are human beings first! Every ninja was an ordinary person before training!"

The leading ninja sneered: "This world is inherently unfair. People are divided into different classes before they are born. People who work hard naturally enjoy more resources, and mediocre people must support excellent people. Even in Konoha, don't you collect taxes from the people every year to maintain your rule?"

“This is called taking from the people and giving back to the people!”

"Of all the taxes Konoha collects every year, not a single cent is sent to the village. All the money and goods are used for public welfare!"

"Railways, roads, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, welfare homes, etc., which one is not a measure to protect the people, develop and promote progress? The weak should not be exploited, and the strong have an obligation to help the weak!"

Kimimaro's eyes were bright, as if there was a ray of light: "The destiny of a ninja lies in dedication, in saving the suffering, not in completing the so-called killing mission and safeguarding the interests of the corrupt daimyo nobles!"

"Open your eyes and see what the ninjas of Konoha are doing, and see how much support the people have for us!"

The leading ninja laughed heartily: "The support of the weak is not worth mentioning in front of the technique. In the end, ninjas still have to rely on strength to get everything they want. If it weren't for Baiyun Yeshan in Konoha, you would have been torn to pieces long ago."

Kimimaro was noncommittal: "So, the battle between us is not a personal grudge, nor a battle over missions, but a battle of ideology and ninja concepts."

"In this case, whether I kill you or you kill me, there will be no complaints between us!"

The two sides stood facing each other with the mature crops between them, and the murderous intent between them solidified into substance, pressing the crops so hard that they could not lift their heads.

"Kirigakure no Jutsu!"

As the ninja murmured, fog suddenly rose from the bright sky and earth illuminated by the moonlight, and it became extremely thick after just a few breaths.

Kimimaro looked calm, and as expected, he did not see his feet. The reason why the Ninja Village in the Land of Water is called the Hidden Mist Village is not only because it is shrouded in fog all year round, but also because most of its ninja tactics are carried out in conjunction with thick fog.

The caster hides in the thick fog and uses certain means to determine the specific location of the prey. Then he uses the technique of instant body movement to sneak silently to the ideal attack position, thus killing the prey with one blow before the prey can react in time.

Of course, the above is the most ideal plan. It is enough to deal with some weaklings who are inexperienced and have never seen blood. It is simply wishful thinking to take advantage of Kimimaro's uncle and nephew.

"The throat, heart, liver, spleen, stomach, and spine are the five most fatal parts of the human body. Traitors, tell me how you want to die."

A flash of murderous intent flashed across Kimimaro's face. He reached out from the tool bag behind his waist, took out a pair of glasses and put them on. Immediately, his vision in the thick white fog changed.

The entire world turned gray, except for four figures that were bright blue. In Kimimaro's eyes, they were no different from targets.

"No, the enemy's chakra amount is off. It should be one person and three water clones. The remaining three are most likely hiding underground."

"Secret Technique: Tsubaki Dance!"

The chakra in Kimimaro's body suddenly exploded, and the whole person was like a willow leaf gently dancing in the spring sunshine. In a very short time, he crossed a distance of dozens of meters, and then his sharp bones weaved into an impenetrable net, covering all the enemies and clones.

What if you don't know which one is the real one and which one is the clone? It doesn't matter, just destroy all the targets you can see!

"what!?"

The enemy's sudden scream rang out, and just a few seconds later, his dying wail forced his companions to emerge from underground.

From the activation of the Mist Hidden Technique to the separation of the enemy camps, and then to Kimimaro putting on glasses to kill the enemy, it was only five or six seconds, but a life of more than 20 years old came to an abrupt end.

Kimimaro shook off the blood on the bones, and a trace of pity flashed in his eyes. He was a kind-hearted man, and if there were no ideological conflict between the two sides, he would not be willing to fight to the death.

"What kind of glasses are yours?"

"This is the third generation of stereoscopic glasses for large machinery maintenance that the association has just promoted. It can see the flow of chakra under five millimeters of iron. So your Mist Hidden Technique is as ridiculous as your faith in my eyes."

"..."

Kimimaro's face was calm, so he said that the Ninja Era had ended and the Ninja Farmers Era had begun. No, perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it the Ninja Revolution Era.

......

In the office of the Konoha Hokage, Zabuza half-knelt on the ground respectfully, his head bowed deeply with the Konoha forehead protector tilted on it, and his ANBU raccoon mask still clutched in his hand.

Ye Shan was reviewing the document with a frown on his face. This was a flood warning report sent by Uchiha Itachi. According to the weather station's forecast, the northeastern part of the Land of Grass will experience large-scale rainfall in the next half month, and the artificial rivers and reservoirs under construction may not be able to be preserved.

Ye Shan sighed and put the document on the empty space on his right. This matter was of great importance and required several people to discuss it together. He rarely acted arbitrarily.

When Zabuza heard the Hokage sigh, he couldn't help but bury his head lower, and at the same time he felt uneasy.

"Get up, it's hard for you to kneel down all the time."

Zabuza was startled and stood up hastily, but he didn't dare look straight ahead and still kept his head half lowered.

Ye Shan pushed away the heavy wooden chair, stood in front of the window, looking at the pedestrians on the street and the statues on the Hokage Rock, his eyes full of memories.

"How long have you been a member of Konoha?"

"To answer Hokage-sama, I joined the village in the 48th year of Konoha. I first served as a member of the Purge Team and vice-captain in the Land of Water, but was later dismissed for being too harsh. In the 56th year of Konoha, I joined the Anbu Assassination Division and currently serve as a squad leader."

In general, Zabuza's path to promotion was very bumpy. After ten years of hard work, he is still a small captain and does not even have any rank allowance. He is a complete loser.

Ye Shan nodded, walked to the sofa and sat down, while waving his hand to signal the other party to sit down as well.

"Smoking?"

Zabuza hurriedly took the cigarette handed to him by the Hokage, and the smell of tobacco floated in the office.

"Harsh measures are just words used by Deputy Hokage Fugaku to protect you. In fact, your real fault is the indiscriminate killing of innocent people, the persecution of the relatives of the former Daimyo of the Land of Water to death, and the rebellion of the fence-sitters of the former Hidden Mist Village."

Zabuza subconsciously wanted to defend himself, but suddenly remembered what Mei Terumi had told him, and lowered his head and said, "Hokage-sama is right. I was too eager to make a contribution at that time, and I did something wrong."

"It's just the tradition of the Hidden Mist Village. You can't be blamed entirely."

Ye Shan waved his hand and said, "The personnel arrangements of our Konoha Ninja Village are decided by Deputy Hokage Fugaku. He recommended you seriously a few days ago and said that your sword has been sharpened to a very sharp point and it's time to unsheathe it and see blood."

"It was Fugaku who dealt with you against all odds, and it is still Fugaku who is recommending you now despite the pressure. This shows that he is competent as the deputy Hokage in charge of personnel. At least he is not nepotism and has handled things impartially."

Zabuza listened with his ears pricked up, and even though he didn't quite agree in his heart, he still nodded in agreement.

"From now on, you are relieved of all your Anbu duties. After discussion by our Hokage team, you are officially appointed as the second-level captain of the new Rain Country Garrison Corps, with full responsibility for the cleansing mission of Wave Country."

Ye Shan had his own reasons for appointing him as the new Hokage. He planned to retire in two or three years, so it was reasonable to promote Kakashi to a higher rank before his retirement. But Kakashi was already a high-ranking official, and the next step was to become the Deputy Hokage, so he couldn't do without some achievements.

"You can choose any ninja in the village. I give you three days to prepare. Report to Kakashi in three days. You must eliminate the Biwa Juzo Group within two months!"

"Shiro Mizunotsuki of the Mizunotsuki clan is with me. I hope the Hokage can assign him to me."

Zabuza began to put forward conditions without hesitation. Other supplies could be obtained by just asking, but Mizunotsuki Haku was different. He was the most precious grandson of the patriarch of the Mizunotsuki clan, and it would be difficult to mobilize him without the Hokage's words.

"I will go to Mizunotsuki Hara to ask for someone later. Is there anything else that needs to be coordinated and resolved?"

"I want the beheading sword."

"can."