They're promoting the "Konoha threat" theory, and spouting nonsense about the Hidden

Chapter 216 The Konoha Crush Plan, Initiated! (Two-in-One)

Ever since Hozuki Shingetsu came into this world, wanting to realize his ambitions, he has been thinking about how to achieve "Hozuki Shiromizu".

The first step is definitely to go through the upper echelons.

Legal recognition is certainly essential; after all, if you want to save face, you must abide by the rules of the game.

So, in order to save face, Hozuki Shingetsu chose to abandon all pretense of respectability and adopted a cheap godfather to maintain this legal status.

Now, his plan is to use the "tyrant" Shui Du Fu as a shield, leveraging his status to implement policies that harm the nobles of the Water Kingdom, and shift all the blame onto him.

When public opinion in the country can no longer tolerate it, then, in accordance with the will of Heaven, at the "invitation" of some nobles, purge the court of corrupt officials.

Then, he helped the princess ascend to the throne, using his dual identity as "adopted son" and "son-in-law" to complete this grand drama of "Hozuki Substitutes for Water".

Besides the top-level route, there is the grassroots route.

As a ninja, it was practically impossible for him to cultivate a group of reserve talents capable of mastering the grassroots level of the Land of Water.

So he took a different approach, using the ninja academy as a pretext to secretly take control of the village under the guise of training farmers who had mastered chakra power for the nobles.

What do these farmers at the very bottom of society crave most?

Aside from having enough to eat, it's probably just a path to upward mobility.

And coincidentally, the one spot a year that the ninja academy offers to students from Kirigakure is precisely the "upward" path they have been desperately pleading for but have been denied.

With this channel in hand, it will only take a few years for the teachers of Kirigakure to train a large number of villagers in various villages who have mastered chakra power. At that point, it will be interesting to see who will be in charge of the Land of Water.

They said they wouldn't teach these villagers ninjutsu or how to throw ninja tools, but in reality... who knows?

With such a large number of people, isn't it normal for a few geniuses to have mastered ninjutsu and ninja tool throwing on their own?

What?

Why do you think every village has such a genius, and more than one at that?

There's nothing I can do but say that the Land of Water is a land of abundant resources and talented people. What does that have to do with my crippled, retired ninja teacher from Kirigakure?

"Your Highnesses, please accept my condolences."

Hozuki Shingetsu looked at the two twin princesses dressed in black mourning clothes standing prettily in front of her, and the smile on her lips was harder to suppress than AK's.

Thanks to the excellent genes of the royal family of the Water Kingdom for hundreds of years, the two princesses, who are in their prime at the age of sixteen, are naturally beautiful, and their demeanor is also very proper under the strict education and management of the royal family.

In short, it's so tender, it's almost dripping with moisture.

To understand Hozuki Shingetsu's impression of them, one only needs to look at the twitching corner of his mouth.

Mizuki had a total of three sons and three daughters in his lifetime. Due to some of his own problems, apart from the eldest princess and a prince who died young, the other two sons and two daughters were all born after he became a daimyo in his forties.

Needless to say, the two sons are well-known. The eldest daughter was born early and is now over thirty, married, and has children.

Due to her age and appearance, this princess will be omitted.

What remained were the two twin princesses, both only sixteen years old, standing before Hozuki Shingetsu.

As part of his "Hozuki Shiroizumi" plan, Hozuki Shingetsu ultimately reached the top by virtue of his status as both "son-in-law" and "adopted son".

Therefore, he had no choice but to humble himself and submit to others for the sake of his ambition.

"My adoptive father's kindness to me was as heavy as a mountain, and I am deeply saddened by his untimely passing!"

Hozuki Shingetsu subtly scrutinized the twin princesses before her, trying her best to suppress the smirk playing on her lips.

"We've already heard about it from our eldest sister and third brother. Thankfully, Lord Crescent Moon is there, otherwise perhaps even our second brother would have..."

The eldest of the twin princesses, Mizuyuko, looked at Hozuki Shingetsu with tears streaming down her face, her voice hesitant.

"Yes! Who would have thought that my second brother would actually..."

The younger sister, Mizurena, was relatively stronger. Her tone was normal and she didn't choke up, but you could still see the signs in her red eyes.

The two sixteen-year-old princesses were naturally unaware of the inside story of this matter. Under the influence of public opinion, they believed what Mizuto Fu said and actually thought that it was Mizuyahiko who had started the rebellion.

As their eldest sister, the princess in her thirties naturally guessed the inside story.

But what if you guess it?

Under the intimidation of Shui Du Fu's reputation as a "tyrant," the eldest princess naturally chose to believe him wisely. She even took the initiative to help Shui Du Fu comfort his two younger sisters for the sake of her family and future life.

"My adoptive father has treated me very well. Apart from being willing to die for my father, I really don't know how to repay his kindness."

"So I decided to sit in his seat, spend his money, and marry her daughter."

Of course, the last sentence was spoken in Hozuki Shingetsu's mind.

The two twin princesses before them had no idea what Hozuki Shingetsu was thinking. After bowing to Hozuki Shingetsu with gratitude, they left with the help of their maids.

Indeed, it was at the suggestion of the eldest princess that the two princesses came to Hozuki Shingetsu's residence in the capital to express their gratitude.

As the first prince after Mizuto Fukuyo ascended to the throne, Hozuki Shingetsu was naturally granted a mansion in the capital.

It just so happens that so many royal relatives and nobles died in this turmoil in the capital, so finding a suitable house couldn't be easier.

"The fact that these two have come to our door at this particular time suggests that the eldest princess has figured something out..."

Kusaka Masato walked out from the back hall, looking thoughtfully in the direction the two women had left.

Whether out of royal etiquette or common sense, it is somewhat improper for a princess to take the initiative to visit a man outside the family, even if he is her sworn brother.

However, the fact that the eldest princess made such a strong suggestion is truly thought-provoking.

After all, if we really take this rebellion seriously, Hozuki Shingetsu's side has quite a few flaws.

Besides the coincidence of the timing, another reason is that the Yanagisawa clan, the guardian ninja clan of the Water Clan, was replaced, and the forces protecting the Water City were all dispatched by Kirigakure.

While no one would doubt that Mizutofu is being manipulated, it is quite possible that Hozuki Shingetsu harbors ulterior motives.

Of course, the official story is that Hozuki Shingetsu was invited by Mizuto Tomioka, and the change in the guard force was due to the collusion between the Yanagisawa clan and Mizu Masahiko, which allowed Mizu Masahiko to enter the castle tower so easily.

"Not necessarily. It's also possible she's terrified by the chaos in the capital and is trying to use her two sisters to keep me tied to the royal family... But even if she sees through it, so what?"

Hozuki Shingetsu shook his head indifferently. He never underestimated anyone. After all, there were so many smart people in the world, and it was entirely possible that someone could deduce something from something amiss.

But if that person is truly intelligent, they will definitely keep quiet.

He wanted to save face, which is why he went through so much trouble. He planned a rebellion and used Shui Dufu as a shield.

But there are other ways to be shameful than just this.

When pushed to the limit, he had no choice but to unleash the Blood Pool Steed, casting an illusion spell on all the officials in the court.

As long as no one knows I'm shameless, won't I save face?

Xin is twenty years old and of commoner origin. He was born on Tuesday.

Because of the war, he wandered around with his parents from a young age, and only settled down after settling in Kirigakure.

Born into a commoner family and from out of town, his childhood experiences need no further explanation.

Fortunately, he passed the entrance exam for the Hidden Mist Village's Ninja Academy that year, became a commoner ninja, and has survived to this day.

Unfortunately, his right arm was broken.

That's why he's been able to survive until now.

Unable to perform hand seals and suffering a severe decline in his balance, he retired from active ninja duty and now lives on a pension and manual labor.

After all, he was a ninja. Even with one arm missing, his physical strength was unmatched by ordinary people, so his current life was still acceptable.

However, in his spare time, he often reminisces about his days as a ninja, the adrenaline rush of which is something his current life cannot compare to.

Of course, the most important thing is that I made a lot of money during those two years as a ninja.

"I heard that under Lord Shingetsu's direction, the Ninja Academy has undergone significant reforms, allowing even children from commoner backgrounds to learn ninjutsu. If only I had been born ten years later!"

On Tuesday, after finishing his workday, Shin sat at the door watching the ninja school students leave school, reminiscing about the past and feeling a mix of emotions.

After all, that running under the setting sun was a symbol of his lost youth!

"Is the letter due this Tuesday?"

Just then, a voice interrupted his recollection.

He turned his head and saw a person wearing a mist-covered headband and a yellow medal hanging on his chest standing next to him, holding a scroll in his hand.

On Tuesday, Shin immediately recognized the meaning of the medal—it was the yellow fourth-class medal of bravery in the four-level medal system after Hozuki Shingetsu's reform of Kirigakure.

Xin naturally didn't know why this person had come to him on Tuesday, but he knew that this kind of person was not someone a crippled retired ninja like himself could afford to offend, so he immediately stood up respectfully.

"Sir, you wanted to see me?"

The visitor looked Xin up and down on Tuesday and asked, "You should still know how to refine chakra, right?"

Shin was puzzled by the question from the visitor on Tuesday, but since he was putting in the effort, he naturally had to refine his chakra, so he honestly answered the question.

"Of course I know... I even refine chakra every day now."

The visitor nodded in satisfaction and handed him the scroll tied with a red string.

"Here, this is your appointment letter. Take a look, and if there are no problems, sign it. Then, go to the Ninja Academy for intensive training tomorrow!"

"appointment?"

On Tuesday, Xin opened the scroll in his hand with a puzzled look and began to read it word by word.

"...This letter appoints you as a teacher at the Sado Village Ninja Academy this Tuesday, responsible for instructing the villagers on chakra-related knowledge... Your compensation is..."

"At the invitation of the Daimyo, Lord Shingetsu has gathered hundreds of retired ninjas from the village and given you this opportunity to contribute to the village without having to go to the front lines."

"Your treatment is equivalent to that of a genin of the same rank, and as long as the child you recommend each year successfully advances to the ninja rank, you will also receive corresponding rewards."

The person glanced at the letter and smiled. "Ask me any questions at tomorrow's Ninja Academy training camp if you decide to go."

"Wow!"

Although he didn't know exactly what the job entailed on Tuesday, he had grasped the core of it.

Enjoy the treatment of a ninja, but without having to fight.

If that's the case, then why ask the rest?

go!--

"In recent years, too many ninjas in the village have retired due to disability. When they heard that they could enjoy the treatment of a genin without having to go to the front line, they were all very enthusiastic. So we conducted an initial screening of the candidates."

The following day, Hozuki Shingetsu arrived at the long-unseen Ninja Academy principal's office. Looking out the window at the rows of retired ninjas lined up on the training ground, he had a serious expression on his face.

"These people must be trained well, especially in terms of loyalty education and how to conduct business in the villages. They must be taught properly."

"These people are crucial to the future strategic development of our Hidden Mist Village, so we must not be ambiguous about them."

As Hozuki Shingetsu's key to controlling the grassroots of the Land of Water, the loyalty of these people is the primary guarantee.

Fortunately, after so many years of ideological propaganda within the village, and with Hozuki Shingetsu increasing the amount of compensation for these people after taking power, these people are still quite loyal to Hozuki Shingetsu and Kirigakure.

"yes!"

As Hozuki Shingetsu's trusted secretary, Akiba Masato had already guessed what was going on from Hozuki Shingetsu's request.

Although Hozuki Shingetsu ostensibly said that at the request of the daimyo, he was teaching the farmers how to refine chakra to increase food production, and that each year he would select the most talented child to send to Kirigakure to increase the number of ninjas.

But why did they secretly instruct those people to constantly gather intelligence, paying particular attention to the conflict between the farmers and the local nobles?

In order to sell secrets to the nobles?

However, being as clever as he was, he naturally didn't say much, only silently nodding in agreement.

Hozuki Shingetsu glanced at Akiba Masanobu without saying a word.

He believed that even if Akiba Masanobu guessed something, he would keep his mouth shut and do his job well.

"Judging by the time, news of what happened in the Land of Water should have spread by now..."

Hozuki Shingetsu turned his head and looked westward, towards the positions of the other four great nations.

"Although we spared Shui Dufu's life as a shield to prevent foreign intervention, just in case, let's find something else for others to do!"

Moreover, the Fire, Lightning, and Earth kingdoms have now formed an alliance and are using every means other than war to suppress the Wind and Water elements. Although this has not had a significant impact on Kirigakure, it is still somewhat troublesome.

Especially for the Land of Water, a relatively stable international situation is still needed.

Since that's the case, let's create chaos in other countries first!

After thinking for a moment, Hozuki Shingetsu finally made up his mind to pull back the net from his six-year-old plan.

He turned around and said to Akiba Masanobu:

"Tell Miroku, the Konoha Crush Plan is activated!"

(End of this chapter)