Speaking of the "Will of Rain," one cannot avoid mentioning the benefits of grinding missions:
1. Earning commissions.
2. Growing stronger.
3. Contributing to your village.
A single endeavor achieves three aims—naturally something worth actively promoting!
Wherever the river's flow dwindles, the rain continues unceasing.
Wherever missions lie scattered, the grinders toil endlessly.
Under Konan's guidance, Senshi made his way toward the podium near the Ninja Academy's front. Thanks to preparations over the past few days, the academy now had quite a few young faces.
As they walked, Konan gave him a quick rundown of the students' backgrounds.
"The Academy students come from three main sources," she said in her cool voice.
Senshi asked casually, "Which three?"
"One group is from Amegakure, one group is from Kusagakure, and a small number are children of refugees."
Although the ninja world wasn't presently embroiled in a major war, small-scale skirmishes never stopped. And due to the impact of previous Shinobi World Wars, many small countries and medium-sized villages had vanished entirely. Consequently, the ninja world was never short on refugees. Since Amegakure put out the call that they were sheltering displaced people, those who lived closest in the neighboring regions of the Land of Rain had already arrived.
As Senshi and Konan surveyed the children in the Ninja Academy—
The chatter of a new generation, wide-eyed and full of curiosity, was fixed upon "Angel-sama" (Konan) and their "Principal Senshi." They'd already been told that soon the Angel and Principal Senshi would come to preside over their opening ceremony.
Senshi was hugely famous in Amegakure; his appearance caused many of the kids to whisper excitedly:
"Look, it's Principal Senshi!"
"The strongest mercenary in the ninja world—the black-market legend who's completed the most missions, with a one-hundred percent success rate!"
"So that's the rumored 'Mission Terrorist' of a principal?"
Of course, Senshi and Konan heard their hushed mutterings. Seeing all the kids gazing at Senshi with such adoration, Konan mused that these youngsters lacked a realistic view of his lifestyle. Senshi's mission intensity was insane—no second shinobi in the world could endure that pace. Once they started real missions, they might not admire him quite so much.
But Senshi was pleasantly surprised! He could sense those students' nascent "Will of Rain." It was a good sign! Among them, there might be a future black-market legend.
Amid all the stares, Senshi stepped onto the podium. The Ninja Academy's students, along with the teachers, turned their eyes upon him. Senshi was unfazed; after a brief mental pause, he began his address:
"Ninja Academy teachers, students—hello, I'm Uzumaki Senshi."
With that, the crowd broke into thunderous applause. The entire Amegakure was paying attention, as was Nagato from the high tower. In the realm of missions, Senshi was truly the top ninja in the world—but could he do education, too? They would see.
After a long moment, the clapping subsided, and Senshi continued, "The ninja world is harsh. A weak person can't even ensure their basic survival here, let alone enjoy life. One major goal of founding this academy is to give you all the foundation to become strong ninjas, so you can survive in this cruel reality and strive for a better future!"
Those words resonated deeply with the kids from Amegakure and among the refugees—both groups had endured the fallout of war. Standing nearby, Konan silently agreed, as did Nagato, watching from his hidden chamber. He recalled how he, Yahiko, and Konan had only survived thanks to Jiraiya's teaching. Now, Senshi was for these children what Jiraiya had once been for them.
But Senshi wasn't done; he'd laid this groundwork for a more crucial point:
"As a ninja, strengthening yourself is the utmost priority. And the most effective way to grow stronger is by completing missions! Only by tempering yourself mission after mission can you become forged like steel, capable of excelling as a ninja!"
Konan brought a hand to her face. Up in the Rain Tower, Nagato's expression turned equally perplexed. Other Akatsuki members, observing from afar, were likewise torn. Of course he ended up talking about his beloved missions again!
A boy in the crowd raised his hand. "Principal, why do we have to do missions?"
Though young, he'd asked a question as deep as any philosophical riddle. No problem for Senshi, though. He spoke in a profound tone:
"Why do people climb mountains? Because the mountains are there."
"Why do people hunt animals? Because the prey is there."
"Why do ninjas do missions? Because the missions are there."
"Carrying out tasks and solving problems is the essence of a ninja's existence!"
Thunderous applause broke out once more. Senshi still wasn't finished, knowing this might be his only chance to instill the "Will of Rain." He recalled how in the Konoha's Ninja Academy, graduates all carried the "Will of Fire." That was a testament to Konoha's success in education. So he had to push further:
"I hope all of you will look at the endless rainfall of Amegakure and grasp the 'Will of Rain.' The rain here falls without pause, throughout the year. So it should be with your journeys as ninja, even on missions—keep that Will of Rain in your hearts."
"'Where the rivers flow lightly, the rain continues unceasing; As long as life goes on, missions never end.'
Senshi wasn't sure if that would get them to adopt his "Grind No Matter What" approach, but if it worked, it'd be worth it. From the Rain Tower, Nagato almost wanted to halt his "Rain Tiger at Will Technique" on the spot. What "Will of Rain" is this? It's basically spreading Senshi's 'task virus' to the entire next generation!
But within the academy, these brand-new students—fired up—were shouting:
"Where there is life, there must be missions!"
"Where there is life, there must be missions!"
"Where there is life, there must be missions!"
Konan thought these kids might be doomed, while Senshi felt fulfillment and joy: his "Will of Rain" had now been passed on. After finishing his exhortation, he glanced at his Mercenary Corps system page, thrilled to see that a few new "seedlings" had emerged—presumably some kids who'd fully embraced the message. They were younger than Karin, their abilities weak for now, but Senshi didn't mind. The system could help them power up in time.
With the ceremony continuing for a bit longer, Senshi and Konan afterward toured the academy. Though newly established, it had all the facilities a ninja school needed. Senshi checked some lessons, confirming that everything seemed fine. Then he prepared to leave with Karin and Hidan, presumably to go on more missions.
However, as he was getting ready, Konan arrived. "Senshi, Nagato wants to see you."
Senshi's eyes lit up—good news. Nagato might have a commission. No shortage of big jobs in Akatsuki—like capturing all the Tailed Beasts. "Sure!" He invoked his power, bringing Karin and Hidan with him in a distorted space-warp toward the Rain Tower.
There, Tendo Pain (the Deva Path) waited. Senshi figured he'd use this chance to wring a big fat mission out of Nagato. He greeted them casually: "So, what's up?"
But Nagato, speaking through Pain, dropped a bombshell:
"Orochimaru accepted the Tailed Beast capture mission and went to Kumogakure. Kumo has two perfect jinchūriki. I fear Orochimaru and Sasori won't be enough; I want you to support them."
Senshi's face darkened at once. "That damn snake—he stole the job I'd had my eyes on!" He got angrier by the second:
"Orochimaru, you ungrateful bastard! I gave you that Yamata no Orochi Fruit—was that not enough? Not only do you refuse to post more missions, you even stole the Tailed Beast missions you knew I wanted! That's intolerable!"
…
Land of Lightning, Kumogakure.
Orochimaru was currently counting his money. He might have only just begun, but already he'd earned plenty from the Fourth Raikage. Opposite him sat Sasori, hidden within his Hiruko puppet, sounding distinctly unimpressed.
"Orochimaru, how long are you going to count that money? We need to go capture the Tailed Beast. I've no time to waste."
Their partnership was frosty—they shared a desire for immortality but chose different paths: Orochimaru clung to biological immortality, Sasori made himself a puppet for eternal life. No wonder they didn't get along.
Just then, a swirl of dark red space tore open nearby. Orochimaru's eyes gleamed—Senshi's trademark portal! "So he finished my commission and came to deliver the goods?" He thought. But as Senshi emerged, Orochimaru grinned sinisterly: "Did you bring me the Byakugan and Sharingan I asked for?"
This time, Senshi was not joking around. His face was grim, saying nothing. Standing behind him, Karin wore a look of mischievous glee—something was about to happen. Orochimaru suddenly felt a lurch of unease. Though he'd just fought fiercely against the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee, that was nothing compared to how Senshi could "toy with him."
Sasori quietly stepped back to watch. He'd never met Senshi personally but had heard of his rapid rise. He was curious whether Orochimaru might get flattened, but if so, perhaps Sasori could "collect" a powerful new puppet.
Aware of the tension, Orochimaru tried placating Senshi. "What's going on? If there's a misunderstanding, we can talk."
Senshi snorted coldly and snapped, "Snake, I hear you snatched the Tailed Beast capture mission from the organization. Quite brave, huh?" If anyone else had said that, Orochimaru might've returned the sarcasm. But from Senshi? Orochimaru did not dare.
He felt this was so unfair—he never knew Senshi was eyeing that Tailed Beast mission for so long. Seeing the tension, Karin popped out and added mockingly, "He must be out of his mind! Doesn't he know Senshi's been waiting on that mission? He's messing with the big dog!"
Orochimaru's mind raced; the threat emanating from Senshi set off every alarm. He could still die (eight times, technically!). Feeling an intense crisis, he spoke hurriedly: "It's all a misunderstanding. I heard you asked Nagato for that mission, but he refused, citing fear of provoking the Great Nations. So I took it up in your stead, specifically to let you do it. I was doing you a favor!"
Senshi's expression remained skeptical: "You expect me to believe you were trying to help?"
At that moment, Karin leapt at the chance to keep poking: "Don't buy it, Senshi! Orochimaru's words can't be trusted. If he didn't want the job, why come to Kumogakure in the first place?"
Orochimaru felt singled out—Karin clearly hated him for having once tried to purchase her from Senshi. Now she was stirring the pot. In desperation, Orochimaru hastened to provide "proof." "I came here ostensibly to capture the Tailed Beast, but it's really just a cover. My main aim was…money. Look—I already made plenty from the Raikage."
He pointed to the chests full of cash not far off. Then, to seal the deal, he posted a mission: "Senshi, I'll pay you one hundred million ryō for a long-term hire. Please assist me in capturing Kumo's Tailed Beasts for Akatsuki!"
[Mission Accepted!]
[Client: Orochimaru]
[Objective: Aid Orochimaru in capturing the Tailed Beasts of Kumogakure]
[Reward: 100 million ryō]
[Mission Rank: S-Rank]
[System Bonus: 100,000 Employment Points]
At the moment that system alert rang, Senshi's frosty expression instantly melted. With a broad grin, he walked right up to Orochimaru. "Snake Bro, you shouldn't have! You quietly lined up such a big job for me—how thoughtful!"
Orochimaru was secretly relieved but also exasperated. "So to Senshi, when there's a mission, I'm 'Snake Bro.' Otherwise, I'm just a target to kill. Great."
Sasori, lurking nearby, felt disappointed—he'd expected a cataclysmic battle. Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, cowering before a younger upstart? Pathetic, he thought, and sneered from within Hiruko: "Orochimaru, you've really lost your nerve. Groveling to this newcomer… working with you is shameful!"
But Orochimaru just ignored him. Sasori had no idea how terrifying Senshi really was.
Senshi, having settled the matter with Orochimaru, barely spared Sasori a glance. He'd focused entirely on Orochimaru. After all, once he was being paid, there was nothing left to fight about.
~~~
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