"And Sasori, it's been a while. In just two years, you've grown so much and even joined the Puppet Force."
The Third Kazekage patted Sasori's head, showing genuine concern.
Finally, his gaze fell upon the only unfamiliar young man in the arena.
"Lord Kazekage, his name is Qingshui. He's a newcomer who joined the Puppet Force this year after ranking first in the selection!"
Jianye subtly kicked Qingshui's calf and introduced him to the Third Kazekage.
Qingshui had no choice but to feign excitement, stammering:
"L-Lord Kazekage, my name is Qingshui, and I'm eleven years old!"
"Ah, I remember you."
The Third Kazekage extended his other hand and patted Qingshui's head, acting like a benevolent leader who cares for his people.
Only talented Puppet Masters could join the Puppet Force, and to rank first in the selection meant he was undoubtedly a prime candidate for an elite Jonin, especially given Qingshui's young age.
As the leader of the Sand Village, the Third Kazekage naturally paid attention to, befriended, and nurtured these young prodigies.
At least as a Kage, he did a commendable job. From the original story, the Sand Village was at its strongest during the Third Kazekage's era. Not only was his own strength among the top Kage-level shinobi, but his period also saw the most top-tier powerhouses in the Sand Village.
The older generation had Chiyo and Ebizo, the middle generation had Sasori's parents, and the younger generation produced Rasa, Karura, and Pakura.
The Sand Hidden's eventual decline to the weakest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages was purely due to bad luck.
Sasori's parents encountered White Fang, a formidable opponent who countered Puppet Masters, leading directly to a generational gap in their lineage. This caused Sasori to grow up emotionally stunted and eventually assassinate the Third Kazekage.
After Rasa took office, he used political maneuvering to betray Pakura, who posed a threat to his position as Kazekage. Finally, Karura passed away not long after experiencing complications during Naruto's birth.
Ultimately, Rasa himself was assassinated by Orochimaru.
If Konoha's decline during Naruto's era was due to the Fourth Hokage and his wife's deaths combined with the Third Hokage's inaction in his later years, then the Sand Village was truly unlucky. In just over a decade, only Chiyo and Ebizo were left to barely hold things together. They couldn't even find a qualified Kage, forced to push the jinchuriki into the position.
Had it not been for the White Fang incident, the Sand Village might have been the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages once Sasori's generation matured.
One could say that the Third Kazekage laid a strong foundation for the Sand Village, but unfortunately, he met Konoha's White Fang, and that single battle shattered the Sand Hidden's normal lineage.
"Lord Kazekage."
Sasori suddenly called out to the Third Kazekage.
"Sasori, what is it?"
The Third Kazekage crouched down, stroking Sasori's head.
"Is White Fang dead?"
The Third Kazekage's movements involuntarily paused, his eyes dimming, but he forced a smile onto his face.
"I'm sorry, Sasori. White Fang is very strong. I wasn't able to kill him, but with Ishido Jonin's help, I did gravely injure him. If there's a next time, I will definitely kill him!"
As if unwilling to see Sasori's disappointed gaze, the Third Kazekage turned around and smiled at everyone.
"As the Third Kazekage, I declare that the original A-rank Mission to capture Uchiha failed. However, this mission has been reclassified as part of the higher-level mission to ambush White Fang. Hatake Sakumo has now been severely wounded, and even with Tsunade there, he won't be able to appear on the battlefield for a while. Therefore, the mission is a success."
The A-rank Mission failed, but the S-rank Mission succeeded.
It could be said that Qingshui and Sasori were almost the first Genin in the history of the Sand Village to participate in and complete an S-rank Mission.
The mission rewards they received afterward would at least double.
…
…
DC Universe.
Gotham, slums, Gotham Old Industrial Zone, a certain abandoned factory.
"From today forward, the Kohl Gang belongs to me, Flash Water. Do any of you have an issue with that?"
Qingshui sat calmly in a chair, resting his chin on his left hand on the armrest, looking at the thirty-odd thugs in front of him.
The two-meter-tall Black Gold stood quietly behind him, forming a menacing tableau with a blurry mass of flesh at Qingshui's feet.
That blurry mass of flesh was the former leader of the Kohl Gang, Chidi Kohl.
The thugs exchanged chaotic glances, then began to murmur among themselves.
Just then, a bald man wearing a gold chain suddenly raised a pistol and aimed it at Qingshui.
"You're not wearing that iron lump now, Mr. Water, and I can kill you with just a pull of the trigger. It seems I'm more suited to be the leader of the Kohl Gang."
Qingshui laughed heartily.
"I admire your courage. Your name is… never mind."
Qingshui's hand, resting on the armrest, swiftly flipped, ejecting a slender steel nail that pierced the bald man's forehead.
If it were someone like Deathstroke or Ninja Master, they could have easily reacted, but this bald man was just an ordinary human with slightly above-average physique.
"I have no interest in knowing the names of the dead."
The thugs trembled, all changing their address to Qingshui:
"Greetings, Boss Water!"
"Long live Boss Water!"
"Boss Water is mighty!"
Shouts of all kinds filled the air, a cacophony that instantly revealed them to be a disorganized mob.
Qingshui smiled with satisfaction, watching his Fortune increase on the panel.
Though small, it was indeed rising.
Sure enough, becoming the boss of a faction truly could increase Fortune.
Next, it should be about continuously expanding the territory, right?
"Um... Boss Water, there's something I'd like to report to you."
A thug with green, messy hair reached out and spoke to Qingshui.
"Speak!"
Qingshui crossed his legs.
"Chidi Kohl has an older brother named Kerman Kohl, who's the leader of the Two-Face Gang. Every month, we, the Kohl Gang, have to collect our share and hand it over to the Two-Face Gang. That's how we get protection from them and avoid trouble from other gangs and the police."
"I understand getting protection from the Two-Face Gang means avoiding trouble from other gangs, but what does that have to do with the police?"
Qingshui asked the messy-haired man curiously.
"Heh, Boss, you must be new to our line of work, so you might not be very clear, but the police in Gotham, they all earn extra cash. The big gangs have connections with high-ranking police officials. They cooperate with those police and pay them off, and then the police won't actively bother them. Sometimes, they even share information."
"When the police need to show results, the big gangs will also obediently offer up scapegoats. They can also actively control and manage the smaller gangs below them to prevent things from getting too chaotic, which would make the important people lose face."
Qingshui nodded in understanding.
He was right; with such meager salaries, why would those police officers want to fight the gangs to the death?
-----------
Machine Translation by: https:// beta.randomtranslator.com/
Read 1111+ original & fanfic translations in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский at: https:// beta.randomtranslator.com/
Join our Discord: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------