Federation Developments

Yūhi Kurenai’s Illusion Technique diverted the enemy’s attention, using sound and sight to conceal its activation. Even the Sharingan found it difficult to see through. Now that Yūhi Kurenai had not died during Nine-Tails Night, he had passed all the Illusion Technique skills he had mastered on to Kurenai.

Asuma’s Illusion Technique skills could only be called average. He had no talent in that area and had only learned methods for dispelling Illusion Techniques. He had never studied certain special Illusion Technique methods at all, so when faced with Yūhi Kurenai’s Illusion Technique, he fell under it without any resistance.

Although it was dispelled a few seconds later, if the two had been enemies, Asuma would already have died in those few seconds under the Illusion Technique.

"Kurenai, that was a little too much. Asuma is still a companion from the same village."

Kakashi stepped forward and sighed. He had no other intention; he simply felt that suddenly attacking a companion was not appropriate.

Hyuga Kiyomi stepped half a pace forward and said coldly, "I think it was not excessive at all. If he truly considered her a companion, then he should respect her instead of pestering her again and again. Especially when a weak person keeps harassing a strong one—was he relying on Konoha’s rule against attacking companions?"

Those words were exceedingly harsh, but Hyuga Kiyomi had little connection with Kakashi and the others. She had attended the Ninja Academy for just over two years, then had continuously carried out squad missions after graduation. Once the war ended, she no longer regarded Kakashi as an opponent. By now, the gap between their statuses had grown even wider.

She was the Hyuga Clan Head and Captain of the Military Police Force. Even if Kakashi had not stepped down as Anbu Squad Captain, his status would still be somewhat lower than Hyuga Kiyomi’s.

Especially since Asuma’s actions just now had indeed been rather humiliating. Even Kurenai attacking Asuma could be dismissed as an impulsive act after drinking.

As for the others, they could not say much. In private, they could support Sarutobi Asuma, but before Kurenai, they had no better choice than to remain silent.

"Forget it, Kiyomi. Let’s go."

After venting a little, Kurenai had sobered up somewhat. Still, she did not regret what she had done. She had made things clear to Asuma long ago, so she could not be blamed for tearing away all pretense now.

After hearing Kurenai, Hyuga Kiyomi glanced at Sarutobi Asuma before leaving with Kurenai. If Sarutobi Asuma insisted on causing trouble, she would use the Military Police Force’s authority to lock him up for a few days.

The Sarutobi Family was troublesome, but the Fifth Hokage was currently in power.

After Kurenai and Hyuga Kiyomi left, Kakashi, Might Guy, and the others silently departed as well. Before leaving, Namiashi Raidō patted Asuma on the shoulder to comfort him.

There would be no dessert after all. They could more or less guess whom Kurenai had been referring to, and that was precisely why they could not persuade Asuma.

After learning this from Hyuga Kiyomi, Kurenai returned home and began thinking alone. Unlike Hyuga Kiyomi, who had an entire clan supporting her, Kurenai could rely only on her own strength.

The Ninja World was gradually moving toward peace. Even A-rank Missions had become somewhat inadequate as training for Kurenai. Compared with the insignificant rewards and experience from those missions, what she needed now was to grow stronger.

Becoming a Jonin squad leader was not a sudden whim. Kurenai needed time to train, and three newly graduated Genin would save her the most time. Otherwise, an Elite Jonin like her could not remain idle in the village. After the war came the time for cleanup missions; as long as she led newly graduated Genin, Kurenai would not even need to accept B-rank Missions.

Hyuga Kiyomi already had clear plans and goals. Kurenai could not afford to fall behind!

Kurenai recalled the Illusion Technique clan her father had mentioned. Aside from the Uchiha Clan, the Kurama Clan’s Kekkei Genkai Illusion Techniques were stronger than the Yuhi Clan’s Illusion Technique skills.

"The Kurama Clan… I remember they have a child of suitable age who has not enrolled in school."

Kurenai bit her red lip. She could only chase after them with sweat and effort.

Aside from Tsunade, Ōnoki, Terumi Mei, and A of Kumogakure had all received summons from their respective Daimyo. Ōnoki in particular had gone to the Land of Earth Daimyo’s Palace several times to request funding, only for the Daimyo to avoid meeting him. Yet now, because of the Saudi Federation, the Daimyo had taken the initiative to summon him.

After learning the Daimyo’s intentions, Ōnoki did not refuse outright. He planned to secure the funds first, though he had little desire to start a war.

The Four Nations Alliance sounded easy enough to form, but the hatred between Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin ran far deeper than their hostility toward the Saudi Federation. Iwa-nin and Konoha had also developed some friction, while the Second Tsuchikage and the Second Mizukage had perished together. How could they join forces with the other three Ninja Villages under such circumstances?

Iwa-nin had only a little over six thousand registered Ninja in total, most of them Genin. More than half needed to guard the borders or fulfill missions within the village, while a thousand had been lost at once on the Rain Country battlefield. They simply lacked the strength to launch another war anytime soon.

The first attempt by the Daimyo of the Four Nations to pressure the Ninja Villages had failed completely. Every major Ninja Village had its own difficulties. Getting them to overcome those difficulties and unite in such a short time was already extremely difficult, let alone uniting them against the Saudi Federation.

In the eyes of Kumo-nin and Kirigakure, the Saudi Federation was merely Sunagakure occupying the Land of Wind, at most gathering some ordinary people, nobles, and small Ninja Villages. Even if its strength had improved, it was only around the lower ranks among the Five Great Ninja Villages. It was not worth making such a huge commotion over.

The Fifth Kazekage had personally led a Ninja troop and still failed to take Kikyo Castle. That incident had given the other Ninja Villages a rough understanding of the Saudi Federation’s strength. It still had the same old Sunagakure flavor. Nothing had changed.

Among the Four Great Ninja Villages, Kumo-nin wanted to use this opportunity to probe Konoha’s intelligence, while Kirigakure wanted to demand additional funding. Konoha and Iwa-nin had no interest whatsoever in this joint operation.

After learning of it, Hyuga Mirai did not care in the slightest. He also refused Tsunade’s request to use the opportunity to demand more specially supplied shochu. Intelligence was not valuable enough to justify increasing the supply.

The cooperation between the Saudi Federation and the Rain Country had entered its final stages. The rain clouds had been successfully transferred, and forty percent of the desert near the border between the two nations had already been watered by rain. With proper control, it would soon spread across the entire desert.

Konan had also clearly noticed that rainfall in the Rain Country was decreasing. Aside from Amegakure, which remained shrouded by Nagato’s Rain Tiger at Will Technique, rainfall elsewhere had become controllable.

Moreover, the new grain varieties promised by the Yasunori Trading Company had arrived, along with twenty instructors.

If Amegakure’s people followed behind those twenty instructors and learned for two or three rounds, they would be able to master the promotion and cultivation of the new grain varieties. The Yasunori Trading Company had also surveyed the Rain Country’s various environments and provided seeds for several kinds of fruits and vegetables free of charge, as a gift beyond the scope of their cooperation.

The Yasunori Trading Company had also promised to establish purchasing stations in the Rain Country. If the harvested grain, fruits, and vegetables were not to be transported to other nations, they could be sold directly to the Yasunori Trading Company locally. The company would purchase all of them at prices ten percent above market value.

"This concerns the follow-up cooperation, Konan. If there are no issues, the people sent by the Yasunori Trading Company will strictly carry it out according to the cooperation agreement. If your side has any opinions, you may also raise them. I will report them to the Federation higher-ups."

Yasunori Shin spoke to Konan in a rigid, formal manner, then handed over the cooperation agreement in his hand.

Konan accepted it and read through it once. She could only feel that the Yasunori Trading Company had handled everything perfectly. From planting to purchasing, they provided guidance and took care of nearly everything. It could be said that as long as the Civilians of the Rain Country were not lazy, they could live free from worries over food and clothing through the Yasunori Trading Company.

Out of a Ninja’s caution, Konan carefully read every word in the agreement several more times. Yet no matter how she examined it, the agreement was extremely beneficial to the Civilians of the Rain Country. It was something even Amegakure could not accomplish.

Seeing Konan frown as she read it repeatedly, Yasunori Shin could not help asking, "Konan, is there anything your side is dissatisfied with in the agreement?"

At his words, Konan looked away from the agreement in her hand, shook her head, and said to Yasunori Shin, "No. Let’s proceed as written."

According to the agreement, the Civilians of the Rain Country only needed to work diligently for five years before they could move toward prosperous lives. That was enough. Konan felt that the dreams she, Yahiko, and Nagato once held were about to come true.

Akatsuki’s goals would continue, but that did not prevent Konan from taking time to care about the lives of the Rain Country’s Civilians.

After confirming the agreement with Konan, Yasunori Shin set off back to the Saudi Federation. Aside from road construction, the Rain Country no longer required his personal supervision. Meanwhile, many matters within the Saudi Federation awaited his handling—or rather, awaited Android 18’s control over him to handle them.

The Rain Country and the Saudi Federation began promoting the new grain varieties at almost the same time. However, the Saudi Federation still needed to build oases to improve the desert environment, so its progress was slightly slower than the Rain Country’s.

The current Saudi Federation generally presented two extremes.

The Federation’s central towns were exceedingly prosperous, but remote areas were much the same as the Rain Country, with some even worse off. The Federation’s grassroots officials planned next to transform impoverished regions. Anyone willing to work hard could rise from merely scraping by to living in prosperity.

Those who were lazy or abused their power and committed evil did not deserve to be people of the Saudi Federation. Once discovered, they could only be sent to mine or build roads.

Uzumaki Naruto and Second Pillar had also started school. The moment they enrolled, the two began openly and secretly competing for first place. However, there was someone even stronger than both of them in the fourth grade: Gaara. Gaara ranked first in practical combat, even surpassing Naruto, and he also ranked first in academic classes. In terms of overall grades, Gaara was the undisputed top student.

With the strength of those three, they had long met the standards for Genin. But the Federation Ninja Academy did not merely teach students the skills to kill. Ninja World history, geography, the Federation system, and even literature as an elective were all part of the graduation assessment.

Even if Ninja Academy students were not good at such subjects, they still had to understand some of them. The Saudi Federation’s methods of warfare would change in the future, and the demand for Ninja would gradually decline.

Aside from students who graduated from the Ninja Academy with outstanding grades and would be specially cultivated as future high-end combat power, the rest would gradually be taught the rules and objectives of the Federation’s various departments during their final year. After graduation, they would be assigned to different departments. Following two years of internship assessment, those who passed would become official Federation personnel. Those who failed would still be given another path by the Federation: joining the Ninja troop.

After exploration and discussion, Pakura had finalized this system for promotion and implementation throughout the Saudi Federation. Furthermore, the Federation Ninja Academy’s enrollment scale would increase year after year. In ten years, branch schools would be established elsewhere.

As long as the Saudi Federation developed according to its planned regulations, its strength would only grow day by day. After Pakura and the Federation higher-ups witnessed the new puppet combat methods developed by Sasori, they had already decided to completely replace the old puppets. Even Grandma Chiyo and Ebizo, who had already retired, had emerged from retirement.

They would serve as the first group of students learning the new puppet combat methods. Once they had mastered them, they would teach the others.

As for Hyuga Mirai’s main body, after obtaining the Tailed Beast Chakra of the Six-Tails and Seven-Tails, he had begun the second stage of cultivating the God Tree.

Once the God Tree absorbed the Tailed Beast Chakra from the Four-Tails through the Seven-Tails, it would grow into a small God Tree one hundred meters tall. It was expected to take over a month. The final step would be to transfer the Chakra of the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails, allowing the God Tree to fully grow into a Ten-Tails. However, the Ten-Tails cultivated by Hyuga Mirai would only possess one-third of a normal Ten-Tails’ power.

"Almost done…"

After confirming the God Tree’s growth process once more, Hyuga Mirai prepared to head out.

After Uzumaki Ayaka learned of this, she shyly moved close to Hyuga Mirai and asked, "Lord Mirai, let me go with you."

"You will stay and train in Perfect Jinchuriki Mode. You are not allowed to go out until you succeed." Hyuga Mirai pushed away Uzumaki Ayaka’s head with one hand as she leaned closer, then continued.

"I am going to Kumogakure to get some Eight-Tails Chakra. I will be back soon. Stay home obediently. When I return, I will take all of you to accept a mission."

"Oh, right. Go directly to the Saudi Federation. I will go straight to the Federation home to find you then."

Hyuga Mirai gave her these instructions. He also needed to notify Naruto, Sasuke, Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari. He would take these future members of the younger generation out to broaden their horizons and let them experience war in advance.

Though they would only be hunting Toads, those Toads that leaped and scampered everywhere were far harder to deal with than Ninja.