At Sunagakure's east gate, the railway laying ceremony site was bustling with activity, packed with people in a grand and spectacular scene.
Hokage the Third stood on stage, looking down at the massive crowd of thirty to forty thousand spectators, feeling nostalgic. "It's been a long time since we've had such a lively event. That kid Shen actually did something worthwhile for once."
Behind him stood Danzo, the mastermind behind countless schemes. With his recent failed negotiations with the Third Kazekage still fresh, he wore a gloomy expression.
"That Kazekage clearly has eyes but fails to recognize talent. Uchiha's stuff is overpriced nonsense! Nothing compares to the value and quality of Shimura products!"
Indeed, the scheming Danzo had already reverse-engineered many of Shen's creations. While their practicality and safety remained highly questionable, he firmly believed these items possessed great market potential at just one-third the price.
In only two short years, he'd managed to crack multiple layers of encryption protecting those core scrolls – truly impressive work for a ruthless man like Danzo.
Even more shocking? These devices lacked any safety guarantees whatsoever. You never knew when they might suddenly explode after purchase.
A transmigrator who once ran a global conglomerate would've smirked and said, "That's how we roll back in the corporate world!" upon seeing those questionable goods.
With no quality control or safety measures in place, it would take complete insanity for the Third Kazekage to buy from Danzo. One accidental explosion killing even one or two Suna villagers could spark massive consequences – potentially escalating into what might become known as the Second Great Ninja War.
Let's call it the "War of Fake Fakes – now that's a name to remember," where Danzo's name would be forever etched in history books alongside a stain on history so deep not even time could erase it.
But what choice did the master schemer have? After investing enormous amounts of money and effort over two years, not recovering some funds would make maintaining the Shimura household practically impossible.
His behavior treating the Kazekage like a fool had clearly been seen through by the other party.
Without mentioning how Uchiha products came with three-year warranties, genuine products simply outclassed these cheap imitations by several streets.
Danzo felt genuinely miserable – if he couldn't recoup investments soon, within years the entire Shimura family might starve while literally eating dirt.
The more he thought about it, the more depressed he became. "Tch! The Uchiha clan really is despicable! All my hard work turned out for nothing!"
Kazushi watched the old schemer frowning deeply in contemplation and smiled smugly. "Seeing this old conspiracy fox get crushed feels pretty satisfying. These counterfeit junk can't possibly beat authentic products, can they? That kid was right – core technology remains most important."
Meanwhile aboard Hagoromo's Ship, just 300 kilometers from Sunagakure village, Shen had listened to music for over half an hour before rummaging through sealing scrolls searching for something.
"I clearly remember putting it inside... why can't I find it now?"
After several minutes of searching through numerous scrolls, he finally retrieved his prepared surprise.
"This Russian doll operation method is incredibly inconvenient. I should really develop something more user-friendly." Looking at the huge pile before him, he decided to prioritize research and development immediately upon returning to the village.
Storage rings and seamless expandable bags had to be prepared as well. Tenten had been keeping track of all the scroll numbers and types — lately she felt like her brain had slowed down.
"You've got Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, Tobirama Senju? Then I, Shen Uchiha, can't even have unlimited firepower?"
Shen held a huge scroll in his hand with a bright smile on his face while slightly lifting the control lever in front of him.
With the magnifying function enhanced by his eyes, he could vaguely see Sunagakure village down below now.
As Hagoromo's Ship descended in altitude, both Third Hokage and Third Kazekage stepped forward to deliver speeches.
"Today is an exciting and memorable day. Welcome all to Sunagakure village," said Third Kazekage as he grabbed the microphone and gave the first statement.
A few minutes later, still smiling with satisfaction, he handed over the microphone to Third Hokage beside him.
"Firstly, thank you all for coming. Today marks a historic moment!" At this point, Third Hokage straightened his posture proudly.
He gripped the mic, ready to continue, when suddenly — as if pulled by some strange force — his eyes shot up toward the sky.
That distant little black dot immediately startled him so much that his hand holding the microphone began shaking uncontrollably.
"That brat! He actually brought a plane here?!" Holding onto the mic, Third Hokage muttered aloud the thoughts in his mind.
"???"
Instantly, more than thirty thousand people in the crowd were filled with confusion, all sharing the same question mark above their heads.
Only one old man, drawn by some magical call, turned around and stared wide-eyed at the distant black dot.
"What is that?"
"Huh? How come something is flying so high up in the sky?"
"Is that the airplane mentioned by the Hokage just now?"
"Airplane? Could it really be a machine that flies in the air?"
All more than thirty thousand spectators noticed the small black dot in the sky, and they began discussing noisily.
Standing on stage, Third Hokage instantly became energetic again. Judging from the current atmosphere among the audience, this move by Konoha surely would make quite an impression.
Although it seemed someone else's show might steal the spotlight, it didn't prevent him from enthusiastically promoting Konoha's strength to the crowd: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Konoha's latest developed aerial vehicle — the prototype aircraft capable of reaching speeds up to 900 kilometers per hour!"
Hearing this, Third Kazekage standing next to him began doing calculations in his head: "At 900 km/h, it would take no more than four hours maximum to travel from Konoha to Sunagakure, and circling around the entire shinobi world wouldn't even take a full day. However, flying in the sky definitely isn't as safe as walking on land."
After weighing pros against cons, he felt acquiring three or five units for unforeseen emergencies was necessary indeed.
Therefore, he looked toward his side, directing his gaze at a certain headache-inducing individual who was passionately explaining every specific detail about Hagoromo's Ship.
"That's roughly everything. This achievement represents Konoha's painstaking efforts through numerous difficulties," Third Hokage finished speaking and then put down the microphone.
Right now, he was feeling great — he could already picture how Konoha's reputation as the strongest ninja village would only get a huge boost from today onward.
"Now we can also form alliances with countries willing to cooperate. Once this railway line is completed, we'll continue building others. At that time, Konoha will become the center of the shinobi world." The Third Hokage imagined an ideal future.
"Hokage, what's the price for this airplane?"
The Third Hokage turned toward the man beside him, flashing a smile just like the transmigrator's. "Not expensive at all. Buy five at once and get a free Maintenance Kit."
So, Sunagakure, under the glaring eyes of the Third Kazekage, placed an order for five airplanes from Konoha.
The Third Hokage immediately responded with a cheerful expression that all five planes could be delivered within the year, including a 7-year warranty against non-human-caused damages.
Although paying for five planes was tough, Sunagakure gritted their teeth and accepted it anyway. They naturally recognized the first-mover advantage in trying something new.
The Third Hokage and his administration were also very pleased. After deducting costs and payments to Uchiha, this order equaled nearly half a year's revenue.
However, that sarcastic joker really dared to speak. Assembling five airplanes within more than half a year? Did he really think Konoha Troublemaker would do nothing?
The Third Hokage immediately replied, "When there's a will, there's a way."
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