Over ti, the ninjas of Agakure began to feel increasingly dissatisfied. When they compared their earnings to those of their counterparts from Sunagakure, the disparity was glaring—one group's inco was like the heavens, while the other's was like the earth.
Why was this? The issue stemd from the outdated inco system for ninjas. During the first "Village Representative Conference" hosted by Jinghang, the topic of ninja inco was thoroughly discussed, and it was concluded that reforms were necessary.
Traditionally, a ninja's primary source of inco ca 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 inco, 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 implented sweeping reforms to address these issues. After all, with the industrialization brought by the Hourglass Corporation and the developnt of the Moon Lake New District, the village's finances were no longer reliant on the ager earnings from mission commissions. Taking advantage of the ongoing tactical reforms (shifting from three-man squads to four-man squads), Jinghang overhauled the inco 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 monuntal 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 managent. These ninjas focused on daily training to improve tactical and combat skills, with salaries provided by the village treasury at warti standards.
Creation of a Rotating Instructor Corps: Over 100 elite jōnin (exceptionally skilled fighters) were organized into a corps of rotating instructors. During peaceti, they provided training to combat units; in warti, 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 incos 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 Agakure were less than pleased. "We're doing the sa 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 resentnt among the Agakure 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 ca 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 sothing called a "political review." Once accepted, they would enjoy the sa benefits as native Sunagakure ninjas. After a five-year probationary period, they could even join the standing military.
In these turbulent tis, 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 Agakure. Thus, more and more genin and chūnin from Agakure began sneaking off to the immigration office in the Moon Lake New District to apply. Eventually, even so jōnin followed suit.
anwhile, Hanzō of the Salamander had grown deeply indulgent in wine and won, completely oblivious to Sunagakure's poaching of his ninjas. By the ti 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 ca 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 imdiate. The ninja exodus slowed, and so wandering ninjas even ca to pledge allegiance to Agakure. Pleased with the outco, Nōshin Kongō followed Sunagakure's example and introduced a "political review" process, accepting all who passed.
However, the population loss was not sothing that could be quickly redied. 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 Agakure 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 so 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 Agakure, leaving Nōshin Kongō with a pounding headache.
"Why are you targeting ? If you want revenge, go after Konohagakure or Sunagakure! Why co 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 Agakure. "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 ointnt is applied."
His "ointnt" ca 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 sothing this small?" Jinghang sneered as he read the report Rasa handed him.
"Well, to be fair, we've weakened Agakure quite a bit," Rasa replied with a shrug.
After a mont 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 regints from the standing military to eliminate this nuisance for Nōshin Kongō."
He tapped the map lightly.
"Yes, I'll make the arrangents imdiately," Rasa replied.
"Wait," Jinghang stopped him. "After the operation, the three regints 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 ss, the fees must be paid in full. Not a single ryō less."
Jinghang spoke with unwavering seriousness.
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