At this very moment, the entire Hidden Rain Village was eerily quiet—
or rather, oppressively silent.
Countless Rain Village ninja wore expressions of shock, dread, or outright fear as they watched Uchiha Feng lead Nagato and the others slowly into the village, carrying themselves with the unmistakable air of a triumphant king returning.
It was plain to see that in Nagato's and Deidara's hands, Iwagakure's commander Akatsuchi and Kumogakure's commander Darui were tightly bound, completely unable to use any jutsu. Their faces were filled with pain and bitter frustration.
For some reason, the moment the villagers of the Hidden Rain saw this scene, they began to applaud. Soon, their voices rose together:
"Uchiha Feng—the great hero of the Hidden Rain!"
"That's right! If it weren't for Lord Uchiha Feng, our village would've been under the rule of the Land of Earth for who knows how long!"
"I heard Lord Uchiha Feng is one of Akatsuki's leaders! The Akatsuki we've been waiting for has finally returned!"
The Rain Village residents erupted into excited discussion, speaking over one another. Their eyes were filled with gratitude and anticipation.
After all, in the Hidden Rain, Akatsuki—an organization that sought peace through its own methods—had always enjoyed popular support.
Ever since Uchiha Feng defeated Hanzō of the Salamander and Akatsuki took control of the Hidden Rain, the villagers' lives, under Konan's guidance, had finally returned to some semblance of normalcy. They no longer had to live in constant fear of war.
What they never expected, however, was that remnants of the old regime would secretly collude with the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind, forcing Akatsuki's members to flee and scatter.
The villagers had nearly given up hope—
only for Uchiha Feng to return, leading Akatsuki back in a decisive counterattack.
"Lord Feng, without your help this time, we Akatsuki members wouldn't even know what to do!" one of them said emotionally.
"That's right, Lord Feng! Akatsuki was reborn because of you—truly brought back to life. Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to face Konan and Yahiko!"
"Lord Feng, I've never admired anyone in my life—but you're the first. You've shown me what true art really is!"
Nagato and the others spoke one after another, their voices filled with emotion. Among them, Nagato and Deidara looked especially reverent, their admiration unmistakable.
Casting a cold glance at Akatsuchi and Darui, Ning Feng flashed forward and landed atop a high platform in the village.
"People of the Hidden Rain," he said calmly, his voice carrying clearly,
"please rest assured."
"This time, Akatsuki has successfully driven off the Iwagakure forces who sought to occupy the Hidden Rain. From this day forward, under Akatsuki's protection, everyone will once again enjoy a peaceful and stable life."
A perfect opportunity to build prestige and reputation—
there was no way Ning Feng would let it slip by.
Sure enough, a series of crisp system notifications immediately rang out in his ears:
"Congratulations! You have gained the support of the Hidden Rain's civilians. Your prestige among the people of the Hidden Rain has increased. Rain Village ninja support rate +15%!"
"Congratulations! You have gained the support of the Hidden Rain's civilians. Your prestige among the people of the Hidden Rain has increased…"
…
Three consecutive notifications sounded.
Ning Feng froze for a moment—then broke into a smile.
So there was even a ninja support rate system for villages.
If it reached a certain threshold, wouldn't that mean he could officially take power and become the ruler of the Hidden Rain?
With that thought, Ning Feng opened the system interface and checked his current stats.
As expected, among the Hidden Rain's ninja support ratings, he ranked first at 65%.
Next was Yahiko at 45%, while Konan and Nagato were each at around 20%.
Naturally, this sudden surge in support was closely tied to the fact that he had repelled Iwagakure's forces and captured their commander, Akatsuchi.
Out of curiosity, Ning Feng also checked his support rate in Konoha.
5%.
…Pitifully low.
Closing the system interface, Ning Feng looked at the Rain Village residents below, a faint smile tugging at his lips, before slowly stepping down from the platform.
Soon, the villagers dispersed, smiles bright on their faces. Many Rain Village ninja were also visibly relieved and happy.
Only the player-ninja who had chosen to spawn in the Hidden Rain looked disgruntled and resentful.
After all, while they had logged in at the same time, Uchiha Feng was already on the verge of controlling an entire village—
and many of them hadn't even reached chūnin yet.
Once the villagers had dispersed, Ning Feng immediately ordered Nagato and the others to imprison Darui and Akatsuchi, to be held until Iwagakure came to ransom them.
At the same time, Akatsuki members were dispatched to contact their comrades still hiding in the corners of the Hidden Rain.
As for Konan and Yahiko—
Ning Feng decided to search for them personally.
He was confident they couldn't have gone far and were likely still hiding somewhere within the village.
After issuing his orders, Ning Feng began moving swiftly through the Hidden Rain, his Mangekyō Sharingan constantly scanning his surroundings, vigilant against any danger.
Although Iwagakure's forces had withdrawn, remnants of Rain Village factions opposed to Akatsuki still lurked in the shadows. The danger was far from over.
Even so, Ning Feng felt no fear at all.
Though his battles with Akatsuchi and Darui hadn't yielded much in terms of loot, the experience he gained from those fights had vastly sharpened his combat instincts.
Suddenly, as he was moving through the village, a slender, delicate figure inside a nearby residence caught his attention.
"Konan and Yahiko—Akatsuki's leaders—are inside! Move, now!"
At the same time, several Rain Village remnants seemed to notice as well and rushed toward the house, attempting to break in.
Whoosh!
With a Flying Thunder God, Ning Feng appeared behind them without warning. Golden light flashed—and they were instantly cut down.
He pushed open the door.
Inside, countless mutually multiplying explosive tags lay in wait.
"Feng… you finally came…"
Before the explosive tags could even detonate, their owner recognized who had entered. Relief and joy flashed across her face—then her strength gave out, and she collapsed.
Konan slowly fell forward.
In a blur of motion, Ning Feng caught her in his arms before she could hit the ground.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.
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