Over time, the ninjas of
Amegakure
began to feel increasingly dissatisfied. When they compared their earnings to those of their counterparts from
Sunagakure
, the disparity was glaring—one group's income was like the heavens, while the other's was like the earth.
Why was this? The issue stemmed from the outdated income system for ninjas. During the first "Village Representative Conference" hosted by
Jinghang
, the topic of ninja income was thoroughly discussed, and it was concluded that reforms were necessary.
Traditionally, a ninja's primary source of income came from completing missions commissioned through their village, with a portion of the earnings going back to the village. This system wasn't much different from a food delivery gig—unstable income, limited security, and a negative impact on the village's defensive capabilities. Moreover, it often led to resource imbalances, as clients naturally favored ninjas with better reputations, leaving others with fewer opportunities.
Jinghang
implemented sweeping reforms to address these issues. After all, with the industrialization brought by the
Hourglass Corporation
and the development of the
Moon Lake New District
, the village's finances were no longer reliant on the meager earnings from mission commissions. Taking advantage of the ongoing tactical reforms (shifting from three-man squads to four-man squads),
Jinghang
overhauled the income system, gradually moving towards a quasi-military structure for ninjas.
Thanks to the relentless efforts of
Ebizō
,
Maki
, and others,
Sunagakure
now boasted a registered ninja force of over 12,000—surpassing the peak numbers under the Second Kazekage,
Shamon
. This reform was a monumental shift.
Key Reforms in Sunagakure
Formation of a Standing Military Force
: Nearly 2,000 new combat units were established, comprising over 8,000 ninjas under semi-militarized management. These ninjas focused on daily training to improve tactical and combat skills, with salaries provided by the village treasury at wartime standards.
Creation of a Rotating Instructor Corps
: Over 100 elite jōnin (exceptionally skilled fighters) were organized into a corps of rotating instructors. During peacetime, they provided training to combat units; in wartime, they served as mid-level commanders, each overseeing approximately ten combat units.
Task Diversification and Rotation
: The standing military adopted a rotation system. An additional 4,000 ninjas were assigned to other duties, such as fortress garrisoning, caravan escorting, and traditional mission commissions. While large-scale commissions remained a priority, smaller tasks were not neglected either.
Improved Commission Rates
: Ninjas retained nearly all their mission earnings, with only a small 10% tax deducted for the village. This was a stark contrast to the previous system, where villages took a much larger cut.
These policies not only significantly increased individual ninja incomes but also strengthened the village's military capabilities. The reforms were widely supported by both the ninjas and the village leadership.
Naturally, the ninjas of
Amegakure
were less than pleased. "We're doing the same missions, yet I'm earning 5 ryō while you're earning 9 ryō. How is that fair?" they complained. But the clients were indifferent. "I'm paying 10 ryō in total—how your villages split it is none of my concern," they would say.
This disparity led to growing resentment among the
Amegakure
ninjas. "That damned Salamander is too greedy! We risk our lives on the frontlines while he enjoys himself in the rear. He even takes half of our hard-earned money. I'm done with this!"
Then came the news of a new policy in
Sunagakure
. According to rumors, any ninja from any country could switch allegiance and join
Sunagakure
—provided they passed something called a "political review." Once accepted, they would enjoy the same benefits as native
Sunagakure
ninjas. After a five-year probationary period, they could even join the standing military.
In these turbulent times, where allegiances shifted as often as the winds, changing the symbol on one's forehead protector was hardly a big deal—especially for smaller villages like
Amegakure
. Thus, more and more genin and chūnin from
Amegakure
began sneaking off to the immigration office in the
Moon Lake New District
to apply. Eventually, even some jōnin followed suit.
Meanwhile,
Hanzō of the Salamander
had grown deeply indulgent in wine and women, completely oblivious to
Sunagakure's
poaching of his ninjas. By the time he noticed, he was assassinated by
Kakuzu
.
"What now?"
Nōshin Kongō
broke out in a cold sweat. He was well aware of the
Hourglass Corporation's
power. If they decided to put a bounty on his head, assassins from all over the world could line up from one end of the village to the other.
Direct confrontation was out of the question. He neither had
Hanzō's
strength nor his charisma.
Locking himself in his office,
Nōshin
went without food or water for two whole days, desperately brainstorming solutions. Finally, he came up with two ideas:
Establish a Relief Fund
: This would help pacify the village's civilian population.
Adjust the Commission Split
: The 50-50 split of mission earnings would be changed to 10-90, aligning with
Sunagakure's
system. (After all, with ample funds in hand, there was no need to be stingy.)
If he couldn't reverse the damage, he could at least minimize his losses.
The results were immediate. The ninja exodus slowed, and some wandering ninjas even came to pledge allegiance to
Amegakure
. Pleased with the outcome,
Nōshin Kongō
followed
Sunagakure's
example and introduced a "political review" process, accepting all who passed.
However, the population loss was not something that could be quickly remedied. With the wars over, there were no longer waves of refugees to replenish the village's numbers. (The
Wind-Fire Campaign
had just concluded.)
What
Nōshin Kongō
didn't realize was that if the
Moon Lake New District
hadn't reached its population capacity,
Maki
could have emptied
Amegakure
entirely.
Satisfied with his temporary success,
Nōshin Kongō
decided to lie low. "I'll take a nap first. I'm exhausted."
But he hadn't slept for long before trouble found him again.
At some point, a small group of
Kirigakure
ninjas infiltrated the
Land of Rain
, claiming to seek revenge for their leader. They launched a series of terrorist attacks in
Amegakure
, leaving
Nōshin Kongō
with a pounding headache.
"Why are you targeting me? If you want revenge, go after
Konohagakure
or
Sunagakure
! Why come all the way out here to cause trouble? I've barely had a few days of peace!"
What
Nōshin
didn't realize was that from
Kirigakure's
perspective, attacking
Konohagakure
or
Sunagakure
was akin to lighting a candle in the toilet—suicidal. (
Konohagakure
and
Sunagakure
were at their peak strength after the
Wind-Fire Campaign
.) Instead, they turned their sights on
Amegakure
. "You were part of the campaign too, weren't you? If we can't hit the big players, we'll hit the small ones!"
And so...
Despite his frustration,
Nōshin Kongō
never took these raiders seriously. "A few rogue ninjas setting fires and ambushing outposts? They're like the psoriasis on my skin—easily dealt with once the right ointment is applied."
His "ointment" came in the form of his most capable subordinate—
Matsumoto
.
A rising star from the
Hanzō
era,
Matsumoto
was a trusted confidant of
Nōshin Kongō
. His mastery of
Water Release
was unparalleled, and his skill with dual kunai was equally impressive. Sending him to deal with these raiders was overkill.
But just as
Nōshin
was preparing to summon
Matsumoto
to discuss the operation, what arrived instead was
Matsumoto's
bloodied head, with the words "Blood for Blood" carved into his forehead.
"He can't even handle something this small?"
Jinghang
sneered as he read the report
Rasa
handed him.
"Well, to be fair, we've weakened
Amegakure
quite a bit,"
Rasa
replied with a shrug.
After a moment of thought,
Jinghang
said, "To his credit,
Nōshin Kongō
has been cooperative. If he wants to lie low, let him. But we can't let the
Hourglass Corporation
be threatened—this is a critical period for
Yura's
transition. We can't afford any setbacks. Here's what we'll do..."
Walking over to the map,
Jinghang
pointed to the
Land of Rain
.
"Deploy three regiments from the standing military to eliminate this nuisance for
Nōshin Kongō
."
He tapped the map lightly.
"Yes, I'll make the arrangements immediately,"
Rasa
replied.
"Wait,"
Jinghang
stopped him. "After the operation, the three regiments won't return. They'll be reassigned as factory security teams, rotating every six months. Command will be handed over to
Yura
, and their salaries will remain unchanged."
"Hmm, that's a wise move. It'll prevent
Nōshin Kongō
from confusing the big boss with the little boss, like his predecessor did,"
Rasa
said with a grin.
"Exactly. One more thing—make sure the commanding officer knows this: while we're helping to clean up the mess, the fees must be paid in full. Not a single ryō less."
Jinghang
spoke with unwavering seriousness.