aircannonsinc Chapter 52 This day has finally come
Chapter 52 This day has finally come
Chapter 52 The Day Has Finally Arrived
With the arrival of the new year, the Ninja World War, which has captivated countless hearts throughout the ninja world, has also entered a brand new chapter.
Iwagakure declared war on Konoha, and a few days later, Konoha responded by sending the Uchiha clan, the most powerful family in terms of dojutsu, to the battlefield under the leadership of their clan leader, Fugaku.
This news touched the hearts of countless people and made the Land of Grass and the Land of Waterfalls the focus of the entire ninja world.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Rain, not far from this focal point, Shiba Kiyokawa unexpectedly faced his New Year's challenge on the same day.
This unexpected turn of events caught him somewhat off guard.
Just a few days ago, he was enjoying the beautiful fireworks with Xiao Nan and the others, but only a few days later, his subordinates came to report—
This time, it wasn't just fireworks that returned to the Land of Rain; those annoying landlords and nobles also came back!
"What do you mean? What do you mean someone came back with a land deed to collect taxes? Where did those people come from? Where did they go before?" Shiba Kiyokawa frowned, a rare hint of anger showing on his face.
The Akatsuki members who came to deliver the message were clearly also somewhat emotional, but their reactions were not as intense as Shiba Kiyokawa's yet.
"They were all nobles of the Land of Rain who were appointed by the Daimyo in the past. When the war broke out at the beginning of last year, they all fled to the Land of Earth, fearing that Konoha would invade again like in the last Shinobi World War."
But recently, Iwagakure declared war on Konoha, and the battle line successfully crossed the Land of Grass and has now advanced into the Land of Fire. These people have begun to feel that Konoha is not as threatening as before, so one by one they have followed the caravan back.
It is said that they also hired a large number of Iwagakure ninja to escort them along the way.
The disgust on Shiba Kiyokawa's face was clearly visible. "Hasn't our Land of Rain's daimyo disappeared long ago?"
He once suspected that it was done by Hanzo the Salamander, but he had no evidence.
The subordinate explained helplessly, "The daimyo is gone, but the nobles appointed by him are still alive, and they still have land deeds."
Shiba Kiyokawa immediately laughed, "So what if they have land deeds? The daimyo is gone, what can they do? We're risking our lives to protect the Land of Rain, are we just protecting our right to pay them rent?"
Seeing that his subordinates still looked puzzled, he slammed the letter on the table—a letter he had been communicating with Hanzo the Salamander—that he had been exchanging messages with recently.
"Could you prove that we are an organization recognized by Hanzo of the Salamander, and that we are the true masters of the Land of Rain?"
His subordinate nodded, looking bewildered.
Then, with a "smack," Shiba Kiyokawa snapped a picture of the gifts that the Akatsuki organization had received from nearby villagers during the New Year not long ago.
"Can this prove that we are the true organization that has protected the Land of Rain and the surrounding towns, and that we are the ones who have earned everyone's support and love?"
The subordinate nodded in agreement.
Finally, Shiba Kiyokawa put the two items together and pushed them forward, saying, "So, with this and this, can we stand up and pay this tax? And get rid of those cowardly nobles?"
Only then did the Akatsuki members gasp in surprise, exclaiming, "We're here to collect taxes? Really?"
Someone asked incredulously, "Is this something a ninja could do?"
Shiba Kiyokawa smiled, deliberately glancing in Konan's direction, then spread his hands and said, "That's why I said that ninjas have been disciplined by this world for too long, so long that they have lost the courage and ability to question the rules."
At that moment, Konan, whose gaze fell upon him, suddenly thought of the day they dealt with the merchant Ando together, and of the unconventional yet magnificent ideal that Shiba Kiyokawa had once made!
The next second, Shiba Kiyokawa slammed his fist on the table and roared at the top of his lungs, "Who decided what ninjas should and shouldn't do? Who made these rules? Was it the Sage of Six Paths? Or that god of ninjas from the past? Neither!"
Besides, even if they were, they're all gone now! So why should we imprison ourselves, belittle ourselves, and discipline ourselves?
We are the true heroes who saved the Land of Rain! We are the true saviors of this land!
Why should our organization relinquish the right to collect taxes to those fat, gruff nobles? Because they're cowards? Or because they'll run away at the mere sight of us?
This was the first time anyone had ever seen Shiba Kiyokawa so excited. They were all stunned, exchanging glances, unsure how to respond.
At first, they felt resentful and complained to each other, but the members of the organization could only think about how to help the villagers share the burden.
No one expected that when this matter reached Shiba Kiyokawa, it would lead to such a revolutionary solution!
We're going to collect taxes ourselves?!
Is this really how the problem was solved? That's incredible!
Those who still had reservations could only turn their gaze to Yahiko on the other side of the room.
If anyone in the Akatsuki could stop the rampaging Shiba Kiyokawa, they felt it would probably only be leader Yahiko.
But no one realized that when they had this idea, they had already reversed the order of the Heavenly Gang—Yahiko was clearly the leader.
After much deliberation, Yahiko could only sigh and ask weakly, "What about Iwagakure? Those nobles hired Iwagakure to escort us all the way. If we clash with them, the Iwagakure ninja will definitely intervene. And right now, the main force of Iwagakure is near the border."
This is indeed a problem, but Shiba Kiyokawa still has no intention of backing down!
He plans to take down Hanzo the Salamander in the future, which is far more treasonous than what he's doing now!
If he backs down now, how will he incite everyone to join him in overturning the sky of the Rain Kingdom in the future?
From the very first day he transmigrated, he knew that if he wanted to live, he had to overturn the original plot, the established fate and rules. There was no turning back on this path!
"A swift and decisive battle is needed. As long as all targets are dealt with quickly, the Iwagakure on the border will not have time to provide support. After that, I have a way to force them to sit down and negotiate," Shiba Kiyokawa said firmly.
Yahiko still seemed somewhat hesitant. "Do we really have to do this? Our ideal is to pursue peace."
Shiba Kiyokawa interrupted him, saying, "But peace is never achieved through compromise and concessions! When you questioned me about burning the mountain, you were full of concern for the villagers. How come now you're planning to push them into the fire for your own peace?"
Yahiko was rendered speechless by the rebuttal.
Afterwards, Shiba Kiyokawa left the spacious conference room, intending to go outside and gather more members of the organization to discuss tactics.
The moment he stepped out the door, he was greeted by a large group of nearby villagers kneeling outside.
They were all kowtowing, and when he came out, they shouted loudly, "Thank you, Akatsuki! Thank you, Chief Qinghe!"
Some members of the Akatsuki organization who came from nearby towns even joined in the chanting, their voices filled with genuine emotion.
Seeing this, Yahiko, who had stepped out of the house a step behind Shiba Kiyokawa, sighed with regret.
The day has finally come...
He had long foreseen that this day would come—the day when Shiba Kiyokawa would replace him and be called the leader!
I recommend a friend's fantasy novel: Reborn as a Lion, Starting with Self-Discipline
Recommendation: Set against the backdrop of spiritual energy revival, this story combines the elements of farming with mythical beasts and lord battles.
Run for 10 hours a day for 7 consecutive days to become the "Raging Lion," increasing your speed by 100%.
Study for 20 hours every day for 7 consecutive days to become a "Learning Lion" and greatly improve your learning speed.
Drinking 20 bottles of cola every day for a month will turn you into a "Happy Fat Otaku Lion," where drinking cola will make you extremely happy and increase your defense by 100%.
Practicing Qi for 12 hours every day for a year, one becomes a "Cultivation Lion" and attains the Golden Core cultivation level...
[Teaching Lion] [Cooking Lion] [Gluttonous Lion] [Gigolo Lion] [Demon King Lion] [Insightful Lion] [Necromancer Lion].
From a naive lion cub to the king of the grasslands, from tearing apart a dragon with his bare hands to destroying a star with his claws.
I never cheat; I rely solely on self-discipline!
(End of this chapter)