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After becoming the leader of the Rain Country, Hayato didn't really do much. He just kept things under control and made sure no uprisings broke out. If it were only up to him to run the nation, honestly, he'd be a terrible leader. His mind wasn't on policies or politics—he didn't bother with any of that. All he cared about was training and getting stronger.
Luckily, he had Konan at his side. Even though it was her first time dealing with such responsibilities, she turned out to have a knack for leadership. She was still a little green, sure, but she took the work seriously. And since she was close to Hayato, no one under her dared to disobey her orders.
Hayato didn't pay much attention to governing, leaving it all to Konan. But sometimes she hit a wall, and when she came to him to vent, Hayato would casually throw out an idea or two. Even the simplest suggestion from him lit up her eyes like she'd found a treasure.
He might not have hands-on experience running a country, but thanks to all the things he'd seen online in his previous life, he could still point her in the right direction.
And so it went: Hayato held power with sheer strength, while Konan handled the day-to-day management. Before long, the Rain Country—small as it was—began to change completely. Ordinary people's lives grew brighter, the streets more lively, and the nation finally started to flourish.
"Hayato! You're already the leader of the Rain Country. Everyone follows us now, so why are you still pushing yourself so hard with training?" Konan, though used to his relentless regime, still couldn't help but ache inside whenever she saw him come back battered and bruised.
She blinked back tears as she dabbed ointment onto his cuts and scrapes.
"No need, Konan. You know how it is—these wounds heal overnight. By tomorrow, I'll be fine." Hayato shook his head. But words weren't going to stop her. Konan stubbornly kept applying the medicine, her eyes shimmering red, and Hayato had no choice but to let her.
"Konan, yeah, I'm the leader now, but my strength still isn't enough. Not even close. Without transforming into the Hulk, I'm only at the level of a regular jōnin. Compared to the kage of the other villages, I'm far too weak. Not to mention Hanzo, the previous leader of the Rain Country. Even he, with all his skill, couldn't stand against villages like Konoha—he was forced into retreat. And I'm nowhere near his level yet."
Konan pouted. "But Hayato, your kekkei genkai is insanely powerful. Just use that. It's your strength—Hanzo couldn't beat you even with it."
"Konan, you know as well as I do… once I transform, I lose all control. I destroy everything in sight. Sure, I'd have incredible power—but I wouldn't be able to protect you. I promised I'd keep you safe, no matter what." His voice was firm, eyes steady as he looked at her.
"Hayato…" Her chest tightened with warmth at his words. She threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.
Hayato gently stroked her head, a tender smile softening his face, though his gaze burned with determination. He would protect Konan no matter what. Having someone you'd fight to protect with your life… it wasn't a burden at all. It was a blessing. That feeling of warmth and attachment was something only people with someone precious could ever understand.
The next day, just as Hayato was about to head out for more training, Konan appeared with a group of ninja behind her.
"Put all of this in Hayato's study. Careful, don't damage anything!" she ordered briskly.
Hayato blinked. "Konan, what's all this?"
"Hayato, since you're working so hard to get stronger, I want to do everything I can to help. You always say you've never had proper, systematic training. That there are tons of jutsu and secret techniques you've never even heard of. So today, I had every ninja in the Rain Country bring their training scrolls for you to study. And I ordered them all to write down their insights and experiences so you can use them as reference." She beamed proudly, eyes sparkling.
"…Oh?" Hayato froze for a second, caught off guard. For so long, he'd been training alone, stumbling forward in the dark. He had almost forgotten—he wasn't just some stray ninja anymore. He was the leader of the Rain Country, with access to resources he never could've dreamed of before. It had never even crossed his mind to rely on the knowledge of his subordinates. Konan's idea snapped him awake.
"Hayato… will this really help you?" she asked hopefully.
"Of course it will. More than I could've imagined. Thank you, Konan." Hayato smiled and ruffled her hair.
Konan's lips curved into a bright smile, her cheeks faintly pink. "As long as I can help you, I'm happy."
Looking at the mountain of scrolls filling the room, Hayato couldn't hold back a grin.
His training so far had been crude and inefficient. The only reason he'd climbed to elite jōnin level in such a short time was because of his insane healing factor, squeezing out every bit of progress through sheer endurance. But now, reaching any higher was becoming incredibly difficult. These scrolls might not completely rewrite his training path, but they could supplement it—expand it, make it broader and sturdier. With this knowledge, he could go much further.
From then on, aside from keeping up his daily regimen, Hayato spent every spare moment buried in the study, poring over scrolls.
"....."