Chapter 187: The Anomalies of the Rain Country and Yan Shifan's Grievance

"Hokage, the ninja who went to the Rain Country for the assessment have run into trouble."

Inside the Hokage Tower, Nara Suzaku, clutching intelligence sent back from the Rain Country, hurriedly approached Shisui.

Rain Country

Shisui slightly frowned; as early as the time of the Third Hokage they had already sensed that the Rain Country had some issues, otherwise he would not have sent those assessment ninjas there.

But now it appears the Rain Country's problem is clearly serious, serious enough to make the usually composed Nara Suzaku a little frantic.

Shisui took the report, examined it carefully: over thirty ninjas from Leaf Village, eight squads, went to the Rain Country on a reconnaissance mission, yet only two‑thirds returned safely, and that includes those whose missions failed.

The loss was only a dozen or so people, which seems few, but they were all candidates put forward by various ninja clans for the Chunin exam, and their strength was certainly not weak.

"Did Hanzō notice it?"

The Rain Country's shadow, Hanzō, who is called a demigod, once single‑handedly defeated the Legendary Sannin; the very name of the Legendary Sannin came from Hanzō's mouth, and such a person's strength is beyond doubt.

"According to the assessment mission, three squads infiltrated Rain Hidden Village to gather intelligence, but only one person came back alive; the lucky escapee was gravely wounded, uttered a single 'Dawn' before collapsing, and has now been taken to the Ninja Hospital, yet the situation remains unstable."

Moreover, other ninjas operating inside the Rain Country seem to have been affected as well; many were inexplicably attacked and had to abandon their missions and withdraw early.

"Oh?"

Shisui's expression changed abruptly; he instantly sensed something was amiss.

"Only one person escaped from the three squads, and the defenses of Rain Hidden Village are astonishingly stringent."

Even with such a formation, sneaking into Leaf Village wouldn't result in a total wipeout so quickly; this level of strength left Shisui somewhat surprised.

"Any news on Hanzō?"

"There is not a single piece of information; Hanzō seems to have vanished. Leaving aside Rain Hidden Village, they couldn't extract any Hanzō news from the ninjas outside the village."

"Hanzō got into trouble?"

That was Shisui's first reaction, but he quickly denied it; the term 'demigod' is already the highest praise, and as a village's shadow, even if their size is less than the Five Great Nations, their shadow would not die silently.

"What a pity; we should have sent someone to invite them for the Chunin exam."

Since the war had just ended, the villages' hostilities were still strong, and they were unwilling to jointly hold a Chunin exam, so Shisui did not invite ninjas from other villages.

"And the Rain Country?" Nara Suzaku hesitated a moment before asking.

"Temporarily suspend missions related to the Rain Country; once the returnees compile the intelligence, I will reconsider. As for their assessment, give me the list of those who completed the mission; halt the others for now and let them recuperate for a while."

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

After Nara Suzaku left, a trace of worry gradually appeared on Shisui's face.

Something clearly happened in the Rain Country, and that is certainly not good news for Leaf Village.

"Hanzō's power is extraordinary; he once even sparked the Second Ninja World War. If he intends to act, Leaf Village would have a hard time dealing with him."

The Rain Country borders Leaf Village, and any clash between them leaves no buffer; the weaker side's nation becomes the battlefield.

"Lord Hokage."

Suddenly, a member of the ANBU wearing a hawk mask and a dark cloak slipped into the office.

"Hawk, postpone the investigation of Rain Hidden Village for now; the ninjas who have entered the Rain Country are ordered not to approach Rain Hidden Village. Gather all intelligence outside the village, focusing on Hanzō's whereabouts. Also, tell them to be extra cautious in the coming days."

"Understood."

Hawk, as a member of the previous Hokage's ANBU, shares foreign‑mission duties with others; although he was a bit puzzled by Shisui's order, he promptly complied as an ANBU.

After dealing with the incident triggered by the Chunin assessment, Shisui picked up the recent reports sent by the various divisions.

Broadly speaking, there is one piece of good news and one piece of bad news.

The good news is that under the coordination of Zhuan Qin Xiaochun and Mito Monen, the wounded withdrawn from the Hot Country's front line have been well taken care of; the Ninja Hospital's funds appear sufficiently ample, with no incidents, which has slightly restored Zhuan Qin Xiaochun's reputation.

The bad news is that, aside from the Medical Division, the budgets of all units—including the Police Department—are decreasing; some have even been allocated but then temporarily redirected to the Medical Division.

Moreover, a portion of the death benefits and war‑mission rewards have not been disbursed, causing discontent across the divisions.

After rereading it repeatedly, Shisui did not act on it; instead, he slipped the document into his coat as if he had never seen it.

That night, Shisui returned home and found Yan Shifan.

"Teacher."

"What happened in the Village?"

Seeing Shisui approach, Yan Shifan set down his brush and looked up to ask.

"A few minor incidents occurred over at the Rain Country, and the Village's fiscal problems are worsening; I'm afraid it won't be long before they become public."

Shisui said a brief sentence, then handed over the detailed documents recording the Rain Country and the Village's finances.

Yan Shifan gave it a cursory glance, then asked, "How do you intend to resolve this?"

"The students think that the Village's interests come first for now, so the Rain Country matter can't be pursued deeply; therefore I ordered a pause in actions, only taking preventive measures. As for the Zhuan Qin consultant, I plan to let it be."

"Zhuan Qin should realize her position won't last, yet she clearly doesn't know why we kept her. You may continue to let it be, but I suggest you first meet those people, without mentioning this, yet subtly convey your stance, and later meet the Third Hokage again."

"Third Hokage?"

Shisui pondered briefly, then quickly grasped the key, and laughed, "As expected of you, Teacher; far beyond what a student could achieve."

Yan Shifan let out a hearty laugh, taking it lightly.

"These are merely trivial tactics, not a lasting path. Since you've decided to prioritize the clan and civilian ninjas, they are the foundation of our existence."

"Teacher, I understand."

Seeing Shisui take it in, Yan Shifan added, "You're just in time; in Kyoto, aside from the daimyo's inner city, the outer city's intelligence has basically been surveyed. I'm preparing to send someone to approach Finance Minister Matsuno Yoshiyuki."

"Teacher, do you intend to influence the daimyo through Matsuno Yoshiyuki or through Taro?"

"During this Chunin assessment, I spoke again with Enshii Yasumi; unlike his father, he hopes the daimyo's relationship with the Hokage can be eased, though his opinion clearly carries little weight."

"What a pity; I still have a good sense of Taro, and if he were the daimyo, we might manage much more easily."

Yan Shifan's eyes flickered slightly, but his expression remained unchanged.

"Given the daimyo's current condition, surviving another ten years is certainly not an issue; we cannot just wait, we must act proactively."

Shisui, increasingly understanding Yan Shifan's approach, instantly grasped his meaning: "The daimyo is surrounded by many guards; even I cannot silently eliminate him, and the risk is too great—if exposed, the entire ninja world would turn against us."

Assassinating the daimyō from a ninja village would draw the enmity of all daimyōs.

"Hahaha, I am not that arrogant; even if I were to kill a daimyō, I would not act personally," Yan Shifan shook his head, laughing as he denied it.

However, Shisui did not relax; he believed Yan Shifan would certainly act, but his methods would surely be more covert than Shisui imagined.

"If the teacher has any thoughts, perhaps we could discuss them, so the student can make a mental preparation."

Shisui hesitated for a moment, then spoke evasively.

Yan Shifan was taken aback; he did not expect the guy before him to distrust him.

Even daring to trust Sima Yi, yet not trusting him? What a disgrace! Yan Shifan, angry, pointed at Shisui, unable to contain his fury, and raised his hand for a slap.

With a smack, Shisui froze on the spot, his face full of astonishment as he stared at the other.

A bright red palm imprint appeared on Yan Shifan's cheek; seemingly unsatisfied, he raised his hand to slap again.

Only then did Shisui react, quickly reaching out to stop Yan Shifan.

"Teacher, stop! Teacher, what are you doing? Stop it quickly!"

Shisui jumped in fright, his expression panicked; he had never seen anything like this before.

Shisui's strength was immense; no matter how hard Yan Shifan pushed, he could not break free, and, angry, he shouted, "Why are you still blocking me?"

"What is my purpose? Isn't it for you Uchiha, for you Shisui? What benefit would killing a daimyō bring me? Yet you guard me like this—what would I, an old man, do then!"

Yan Shifan's expression turned sour, as if he had suffered a great injustice.

Shisui, panicked, hurried to explain, "The student does not distrust the teacher; it's just that the daimyō's affairs are far‑reaching, and the teacher is not adept at ninja methods. The student only fears a possible flaw and wishes to learn a bit for supplementation.

The student would never doubt the teacher's motives; the previous remark was improper, and we ask the teacher to forgive us."

Shisui released Yan Shifan, quickly stood up from his seat, and earnestly begged for forgiveness.

Yan Shifan felt something shift inside; he did not expect Shisui to stand up directly.

"Very well, I was overthinking. You get up first."

"If the teacher does not forgive the student, Shisui will never get up."

Yan Shifan raised an eyebrow; he had never taught Shisui these things.

"Was it that guy Sima Yi who taught them?"

"I, the teacher, forgive you. Rise."

"Yes, thank you, teacher."

Shisui stood, then approached under Yan Shifan's puzzled gaze.

"Teacher, don't move; I will heal your wound."

As Shisui spoke, a green glow lit up in his hand; Yan Shifan instantly felt a coolness, and the red mark on his face faded considerably.

"Since you want to know, I will tell you," Yan Shifan sighed, then sat down again and said, "With the daimyō's body, we can still control the Fire Country for at least another ten years. Even if I do not act now, once the Village's internal reforms are complete, we must expand outward, and the daimyō will be our first enemy.

By then, the daimyō may already have realized that Konoha is gradually breaking free from his economic dependence; he certainly would not sit idly and await death."

Just as the Wind Country's daimyō feared the Sand Hidden Village's military theory, he employed various methods to restrict Sand Hidden, including but not limited to forcing the Sand Hidden Village to reduce military equipment, drastically cutting its allocated funds, and even diverting mission quotas to Konoha.

"Given the daimyō's vigilance toward the ninja village, our reforms may not yet be finished, yet he has already noticed; by then, various restrictions will follow one after another. As the saying goes, prevent trouble before it arises; we must not give him that chance."

Shisui nodded, deepening his understanding of the daimyō's restrictions on Konoha once more.

"Then, what method does the teacher intend to use?"

Shisui agreed to kill the daimyō, but if he does not participate, the small amount of power Yan Shifan controls would be easily exposed.

"The ancients said, the supreme army attacks strategy, next attacks alliances, then attacks troops, and lastly attacks cities. Using the clan's power for direct assassination is the lowest of tactics; I would never do that."

Yan Shifan snorted coldly.

Shisui forced a smile; Sima Yi did teach him Sun Tzu's Art of War, but he felt his learning was mediocre.

Yan Shifan instantly saw that Shisui did not understand, then explained, "Remember, when there are political enemies, all your intentions must be concealed carefully. If I intend to kill the daimyō, I must not let anyone see that I intend to kill the daimyō; moreover, from start to finish I cannot act personally.

Although I am not skilled in warfare, I know that a solid fortress is often breached from within."

"From within."

Shisui frowned, thought for a moment, and then realized that unless he used his otherworldly deity, he could not think of a way to kill the daimyō from within; the ninjas guarding the daimyō could never be bought by conventional means.

"In this world, where are there riverbanks like golden soup, or sluice gates like golden soup?"

Yan Shifan fumbled on the table, then found a document and handed it to Shisui.

After receiving it, Shisui discovered it contained intelligence on the daimyō, including health condition, hobbies, and family information.

"Besides Yuan Shixiu, the daimyō has other sons; the mothers of the second and sixth sons come from the Matsuno family, they are the younger sisters of Matsuno Yoshiyuki. That is the breakthrough point."

Shisui suddenly looked up; combining it with what he had been doing lately, he finally understood why Yan Shifan was confident enough to complete this alone behind his back.

"Teacher, you kept it from me so painfully!"

In May of Konoha's 51st year, the East Sea Route, South Sea Route, East Mountain Road, West Mountain Road, West River Route, Northland Route, and six locations successively saw rogue ninja slaughter local nobles in malignant incidents.

The local nobles formed punitive armies; only the mountain bandits of the West River Route were repelled and then vanished, while the punitive forces elsewhere all failed to return, some being completely annihilated.

The nobles were terrified, and the news quickly reached Konoha and Kyoto.

Because the six locations' massacres occurred in sequence and were small in scale, only a few unrelated families were wiped out; the daimyō did not mind.

Konoha, however, gradually received commissions from the local nobles of the Six Paths.

"Konoha has just endured war, is recuperating, and is temporarily unable to help. Moreover, the ninjas in the village are engaged in other missions; even some mid‑rank ninjas may not be of much aid. Please wait a while."

Nara Suzaku, acting on Shisui's orders, blocked the nobles' envoys outside the Hokage Building, buying time.

Everyone grew anxious, fearing the mountain bandits' next target might be their families, repeatedly pleading and even threatening.

Nara Suzaku seemed deaf until one of them spoke, "Our matter is urgent; let Konoha set aside other affairs. If Konoha is willing to help, we can pay extra!"

(End of Chapter)