Chapter 276: Worshipping the Ancestors & The New Situation
It had been three days since the wedding.
"Probably just over this mountain. The direction is definitely correct."
Two figures, one large and one small, trudged through the snow on a white-capped mountain.
Natsu was panting a little, but her spirits were high. She gradually found a familiar feeling as more and more memories flooded back.
Yotsuki Dana, being tall and strong, found the snow that reached an ordinary person's knees only came up to half of his calves.
The two were deep in the mountains of the northernmost part of the Land of Lightning.
They were here to visit Natsu's grandfather—not the Daimyo before the previous one, but the grandfather who taught her how to identify bear droppings and survive in the wild.
More than half a year ago, Natsu had "asked for leave" from Dana, wanting to come back and visit her grandfather.
Finally, after crossing a ridge, they could see a color different from the white snow in the distance. It seemed to be several collapsed mountain huts.
Looking at the dilapidated huts, Natsu's high spirits inevitably sank.
They walked up to the huts and found them completely ruined. Under years of heavy snow and strong winds, wooden huts without maintenance couldn't last long. Now, one couldn't even enter.
Dana looked around and asked, "Should we clean it up?"
Natsu shook her head. "Even if we clean it up, it will collapse again next year. Things in the mountains are like this; without maintenance, they gradually return to nature. Let's go to the back. Grandpa's grave is there."
Dana felt it was a pity. He was actually quite curious about what the hut looked like inside.
Not far behind the hut was a cliff. At the edge of the cliff closest to the sea stood a wooden tombstone.
Calling it a tombstone was generous; it was just a split log, already leaning and decaying.
"It is said that this is where Grandpa found Grandma floating in the sea. Both are buried here. The difference is that Grandpa buried Grandma with his own hands, while Grandpa probably prepared everything and went in himself. I was stuck in Asuka Castle back then and couldn't come out."
Dana clasped his hands together and bowed to the tombstone. Setting aside his relationship with Natsu, the story of this legendary old man was worthy of his respect.
"I once thought about whether to take Grandpa and Grandma away from here, but I always felt Grandpa wouldn't like places outside the mountains..."
After saying this, Natsu stared blankly at the tombstone, lost in thought.
Dana tightened his arm around her shoulder.
Natsu squatted down and spoke many words to the tombstone, roughly saying that she had lived well these years, mastered chakra, and married well.
Meanwhile, Dana cut a block of rock with his hand and was shaping it, preparing to make a stone tombstone.
Hours later, the two bowed again with clasped hands.
Then, Dana picked up Natsu and flew away.
The wedding between the Thunder Daimyo and the Number One Genius of the Ninja World, Yotsuki Dana, which the entire ninja world had been watching, finally came to an end.
After some time, the grandeur of that day spread throughout the ninja world, becoming a topic of eager discussion for many.
The story of the "Union between the Thunder God and the Thunder Daimyo" was deeply loved by the common people. Although they knew Dana couldn't be the Thunder God and the Land of Lightning had no specific connection to a Thunder God deity, it didn't stop this beautiful story from fitting everyone's fantasies.
Especially in the northern countries within the Cloud's sphere of influence, versions of this mythological short story were already being told to children as bedtime tales.
Correspondingly, while high-ranking officials of various countries sent congratulatory gifts on the surface, they secretly watched to see if the relationship between the Cloud Village and the Daimyo's Office would change after the wedding.
However, after a while, they found no change.
The Cloud still controlled the nominal "Daimyo's Office" and had no intention of restoring it to normal. In fact, as time passed, the Thunder Daimyo became increasingly dispensable, and the Daimyo's Office became merely a skin for the Cloud Village.
Not only did the Cloud's influence penetrate deeper into controlling the Land of Lightning, but the recognition of ninja by ordinary people also grew higher.
Commoners discovered they didn't seem to need the old Daimyo's Office. Instead, Cloud Village governance was better at maintaining order and bringing prosperity and peace.
Most importantly, even if ordinary people worked hard all their lives, they merely scraped by and had no chance of becoming nobles.
But ordinary people did have a chance to become ninja.
Even if they couldn't, their children might, or their grandchildren.
Although no one could articulate it clearly yet, something called "upward mobility" was gradually reshaping the thoughts of the people in the Land of Lightning.
This was something the noble class could never give.
The entire Land of Lightning looked prosperous, eager to make up for the losses of the past year.
Meanwhile, some people elsewhere in the ninja world were losing sleep all night.
Asuka Castle.
Dana sat behind the desk. The Third Raikage's custom-made desk had changed owners.
The Third Raikage had already led the team back to Kumogakure, as that was the fundamental base. The capital was now managed by Dana and his team. Matters concerning the capital and other cities outside the Cloud Village were mostly funneled here.
Since the Cloud took control of the Daimyo's Office, the internal situation had become increasingly stable.
"Children are gradually enrolling in the Ninja Academies... The 'Sweep Away Black and Evil' campaign and propaganda work have yielded fruitful results. The capital's 'Team Good Morning' has a good reputation and is already star-level. They even suggested promoting their uniform to anti-crime squads in other cities."
The one reporting was Dodai, the capable retainer of the Cloud who stayed behind to assist Dana, acting like a secretary. After all, Asuka Castle was now one of the Cloud's cores.
Dana didn't look up, continuing to stamp documents. "They designed a uniform? What does it look like?"
Dodai shook his head. "I'm not sure either."
Dodai was busy too and hadn't seen it personally.
"Forget it, doesn't matter. As long as it's not too outrageous, ask if squads in other cities are willing to adopt it."
"Yes, Dana-sama."
Dana looked up. "By the way, it would be best if each city had its own orphanage. It can serve as an extension of the Ninja Academy and solve some social problems. You can discuss this with Keiko Morita in the village. Funding is easy, but don't divert ninja for manpower yet. Mobilize local compassionate ordinary people. Maybe some cities already have similar institutions."
Dodai nodded. "Dana-sama, are the reply letters to the various villages and countries ready?"
Dana could guess what the Daimyos and Kages of various countries were thinking during the wedding, but they had all sent gifts and congratulations on the surface.
Etiquette demanded a reply written jointly in the names of Natsu Raihara and Yotsuki Dana.
Of course, there were nuances. For example, replies to ninja villages were mainly in Dana's name, while replies to nations were mainly in Daimyo Natsu's name.
Dana rubbed his temples, feeling a headache. "Just empty polite words. They're done, except Natsu still has a few she hasn't handwritten yet. I'll give them to you tomorrow."
After finishing, Dodai presented another report. Dana forced his sore eyes to look.
"This is the circulation volume and price statistics for weapons, medicine, food, and explosive tags in various countries. The overall trend is upward. Every country is stockpiling. Unlike before, not only are the major villages stockpiling, but the Daimyo Courts of various countries are also buying, mostly in secret. Additionally, the price of Healing Talismans on the black market has risen. Investigations show that some of the batch sold to Kirigakure has leaked into the black market."
The United Iron & Steel Company and the Special Strategy Division had tentacles all over the ninja world. When collecting intentionally, they were very sensitive to market changes, especially regarding weapons, steel, and explosive tags.
"Has the price of grain risen?"
"Not for now."
Dana couldn't help but lean back in his chair. A crackling sound came from his body. He used to mock his Old Man's special technique to prevent drowsiness during work, but now he was using it himself.
Self-electrocution to force alertness!
After a moment, Dana said, "Find someone to tell the Mist about the Healing Talisman leak. If we find it again, we will reduce their shipment volume. Also, send someone to ask Sunagakure if the Second Joint Chunin Exams we talked about are still happening."
Do everything possible to delay direct conflict.
This was the consensus reached by everyone, including the Third Raikage, Dana, and Dodai.
For every day the conflict was delayed, the Cloud Village would become stronger, and the cost of winning the next war would be smaller.
Yes, war.
The Cloud high command had reached a consensus.
The contradictions were irreconcilable. Abandoning illusions, the next war was inevitable.
The Third Great Ninja War... it seemed the Cloud would be the target of public criticism.