"Achoo—!"
Rasa rubbed his nose, a faint irritation lingering in his chest. It felt like someone was cursing him behind his back.
But then again… that was impossible.
Aside from Kirigakure, which had locked itself away from the rest of the world, Sunagakure was cooperating nicely with every other Hidden Village. They were partners in making big money—why would anyone be cursing him?
And within the village?
Even less likely. After all, he was the Fourth Kazekage—the one who had pulled Sunagakure back from the edge of collapse and turned it into a thriving, wealthy powerhouse. Who in the village didn't speak well of him?
If anyone was cursing him…
It was probably those two annoying black-and-white freaks.
His gaze drifted over the meeting room and settled on the grinning idiot seated across from him—Tobi.
Could it be this brat?
Was he silently resenting Rasa for forcing him to draw characters he didn't want to?
Since Elder Ebizō had returned to the Land of Rain to oversee a major infrastructure project, Tobi had been temporarily assigned to head the Research department—meaning he now had the rank to attend these high-level meetings.
It has to be him. Look at that stupid grin. Who else could it be?
Rasa made a note to keep him behind after the meeting. Just to check in on his work, of course.
Absolutely not because he held grudges or wanted payback or anything like that.
Hands folded under his chin, Rasa's expression turned serious as he addressed the room full of whispering shinobi.
"Does anyone else have anything to add? Don't be afraid to speak your mind—say whatever you need to. Even if it's wrong, it's fine."
He looked around the room.
"The September schedule will be intense. It includes not only the Second Shino World Mini 4WD Grand Prix,, but also the First Shinobi World Beyblade Tournament, and the First Shinobi World 'Shinobi King 52' Tournament. We expect attendance to far exceed that of last year's race. The duration will also be longer. So every department needs to be prepared."
That's why he called everyone here—to gather ideas, patch any gaps, and make sure everything was airtight before launch. He didn't want a crisis blowing up in front of the whole shinobi world.
"And the tech division should be ready to roll. We've already collected feedback from the other villages. If there are any bugs in Shinobi King, patch them immediately. We cannot have this game crashing during a live international event."
That would be unforgivable.
After a moment of silence, a hand hesitantly went up.
"Uh… Kazekage-sama…"
It was one of the shinobi from the arcade operations team. He spoke carefully:
"After compiling feedback, the main complaint… is that the characters are too ugly."
Yep. That was the prevailing opinion.
Everyone knew the game was made in Sunagakure. So why was Rasa's character designed so dashingly, while theirs looked like sleazy creeps? It was like comparing two completely different art styles.
Of course, being from Sunagakure himself, he couldn't just come out and say: "Kazekage-sama, you beautified yourself and made everyone else hideous, and now the others are pissed."
Even though Rasa was upright, handsome, strong, energetic, and—uh—generous, it was still important to know what not to say.
"Should we revise the character models?" someone asked.
"Would we even have time to do that?" another replied.
"Probably… not," the tech-nin admitted.
After all, aside from Rasa and Danzo, everyone else's models would need major overhauls. Even Danzo might need a few tweaks.
"In that case, let's hold off for now," Rasa said after thinking it over. "I'll bring it up directly with the other village leaders and figure out what adjustments are appropriate. Honestly… the whole point of the exaggerated designs was to protect our shinobi's identities. Why don't they get that?"
"Understood. What about the custom character for the tournament winner?"
"We'll handle that after the winner is decided. Let them submit a request and we'll design it then."
He swept his gaze across the room again, letting his words carry weight.
"The tech is in your hands now. Don't let anything go wrong."
The game's foundational code came from Sasori and Chiyo. The current researchers in the Arcade Development Department had all been trained in their techniques.
Everyone knew there was a secret research lab deep in the back mountains of Sunagakure, dedicated to cutting-edge tech. Ordinary folks weren't allowed near it. Officially, the lab's chief was Chiyo.
As for Sasori?
He was dead.
"And with that… dismissed."
...
"The first Shinobi King 52 Tournament, huh?"
Jiraiya had just wrapped up a morning's work and stepped outside to breathe some fresh air. He rolled his shoulders, stretched his back, then looked down at the flyer in his hand—courtesy of the local arcade owner.
"Grand Prize: 100 million ryo
Winner will receive a custom character design in the game!"
He rubbed his chin, eyes narrowing in thought.
"Now that's a hell of a prize…"
His mind flashed to the image on the arcade screen—some creepy, pervy, white-haired old man labeled "Toad Sage."
Absolutely slanderous.
Was he really that sleazy-looking? That old?
He, Jiraiya, was the dream of women across the shinobi world. He'd always been confident in his looks. How many men in the entire world could claim to be better looking than him?
Barely any.
But the in-game "Toad Sage"…
Let's just say the name fit—his ultimate jutsu transformed him into a bipedal, green-skinned toad. It completely butchered his reputation as the Dream of Thousands of Kunoichi.
Jiraiya sighed deeply and tucked the flyer away. There was still time before the tournament started. He had full confidence in his skills. One night's delay wouldn't hurt.
As for tonight…
Tonight was research time. No way he was going to give that up just for a game.
He was still the great Toad Sage in pursuit of his dream!
Determined, he put on a pervy little grin, rubbed his hands together, and glanced toward the glowing red lights across the street.
After clearing his throat, he put on a serious expression and said solemnly:
"…It's time for research."
...
Danzo crouched beside a patch of what looked like dried-up, blackened soil. Reaching down, he rubbed a bit between his fingers, then lifted it to his nose.
"Smells neutral. Can't tell much by scent."
After muttering to himself, he looked toward a nearby Root operative.
"Is it useful for agriculture?"
"Extremely useful," the operative nodded with a rare earnest expression. "Compared to regular farmland, plots treated with this 'Sakra Fertilizer' grow faster, stronger, and healthier. It retains moisture, prevents evaporation, and resists erosion. One bag does the work of two."
"…Say again?"
"Marketing slogan," the operative admitted.
"…"
"The results speak for themselves, sir." Realizing his boss was losing patience, the Root agent quickly added, "We've already dispatched a research team to reverse-engineer the formula. If we succeed, it could massively improve Fire Country's agricultural output."
Danzo finally nodded, satisfied. Though his face remained stoic, he sniffed his fingers again and murmured:
"So that Fourth Kazekage hasn't given up on Wind Country's agriculture after all…"
Then he looked back at the Root operative.
"By the way, regarding the September tournament… assist Sunagakure's marketing campaign as best you can."
This event was crucial for Fire Country's economy. Trade was booming right now.
And besides…
He hadn't forgotten the envelope Sarutobi Hiruzen had slipped him this morning.
It contained a single photo.
A picture of Hiruzen… in his youth.
Danzo's lips curled into a thin smirk, a gleam of mockery flashing in his eyes.
"You childish old fool, Hiruzen."