The restructured architecture of the village was less a village and more a living monument, an extension of Kimimaro. Following the realization that Hidden Leaf had compromised their layout, the self-appointed Otokage, Kimimaro, had destroyed the whole village and rebuilt with calcified pillars of bone rising far into the sky were where even eye can't see its end.
Kimimaro had spent months meticulously remolding the heart of the Sound into an impenetrable fortress. Taking inspiration from the versatility of Yamato's Wood Release, he had pushed his Shikotsumyaku past its limits. Every home to corridor, corridor to structural archway was woven from his own chakra-infused bone, effectively turning a one-kilometer radius into his domain. Within this perimeter, he could feel everything as it was a part of his immune system and merged with it to instantaneously reappear wherever he wanted.
Passing through a rib-arched corridor, Kimimaro walked alongside him was Kabuto, his now right hand man.
"Do you know the full extent of Lord Orochimaru's original dealings with the Sound Daimyo?" Kimimaro asked his gaze fixed on the white corridor ahead.
Kabuto adjusted his glasses as he recalled the oldest of his memories. "It was mostly pragmatic. Lord Orochimaru needed hidden sites for experimentation and to assemble forces capable of crushing Konoha. Given Lord Orochimaru's standing as one of the legendary Sannin, the Daimyo was practically thrilled to hand over military authority in exchange for prestige and protection."
Kimimaro fell silent for a moment. "It has been a full year since Lord Orochimaru's capture," he continued softly. "We have scoured the black market, expended vast resources for any trace of Akatsuki's movements, yet we remain empty-handed. Where do you believe they are holding him? Surely he confided a contingency plan to you."
Kabuto sighed, shaking his head. "Even I was left in the dark regarding that but consider the timeline, Kimimaro. It has been nearly three years since Lord Orochimaru took Gen'yūmaru as his host. The body's reject was already very high a year ago. By all accounts, it is time for him to claim a new vessel... wherever he may be."
The bone corridor gradually tapered off, opening into the refined wooden architecture of the Sound Daimyo's residence. Given the small size of the Land of Sound, the journey from the fortress to the civil quarters was brief.
A nervous palace guard bowed hastily as he pushed the quarter doors. "Right this way, my lords. We were expecting your arrival."
~~
Inside sat the Daimyo of Sound, he was remarkably young for his position, he appeared to be in his early thirties with vibrant purple hair and inverted snake-like eyes, and a silk folding fan held over his lower face. The moment Kabuto and Kimimaro entered.
"Kabuto!" the Daimyo demanded, snapping his fan shut. "Where is Orochimaru? It has been nearly three years since we last spoke face-to-face! He guaranteed me that the Hidden Leaf would fall, yet Konoha stands today as mighty and dominant as ever! I have all the money from treasury from this cause, why has it failed?"
Kimimaro stepped forward instantly drawing the room's focus away from Kabuto. "Lord Orochimaru has embarked on an extended journey," he stated flatly. "I have appointed myself as the Otokage. I came here today merely to inform you of the transition as I will be the one you will be dealing with and you should be grateful I prioritized this meeting during such critical times."
The Daimyo's face turned red in anger. "Preposterous!" he barked, slamming his hand onto his desk. "Who are you to simply declare yourself the Otokage? The military leadership of this land is appointed by *my* authority!"
Kimimaro calmly said as his footsteps echoed. "It seems your head is all over the place after not seeing the difference in power for four long years. You speak as though you hold leverage. If I were the man I was, your head would already be rolling on the floor before your guards could draw a blade."
The Daimyo flinched, instinctively leaning back into his cushion, though he tried to mask his fear beneath a sneer. "You... you cannot intimidate me. You still rely on the Land of Sound's treasury and infrastructure. Without our revenue, your search for Orochimaru gets indefinitely."
"Precisely," Kimimaro replied. "Which brings me to the primary purpose of my visit. The military requires an immediate allocation of at least 200 million ryo."
"Absurd! That is an annual revenue of Land of Sound" the Daimyo shouted abandoning all pretense of royal decorum. "I was already planning to slash the defense budget! We do not have that kind of capital sitting in a vault! Where do you think our revenue comes from? It is tax money paid by the peasantry... and do you have any idea how many civilians have already packed their lives into carts and fled south to the Land of Fire? They want security! They want stability! If you demand 200 million ryo from a dying state, you might as well execute me right now!"
Kabuto quietly shook his head. The Daimyo's outburst, while emotional, laid bare an unpleasant truth that Kimimaro was only beginning to see.
For all its quality of strength, Otogakure was fundamentally different from Konohagakure. The Hidden Leaf provided a self-sustaining ecosystem where civilians could raise families, trade goods, and live under the assurance of protection.
The Sound, by contrast, had been built to fight a war at moments notice... stuck between the three hidden villages. When given the choice between an experimental military encampment and a prosperous ninja village, any sane civilian would migrate toward safety.
Kimimaro looked at the fuming Daimyo, he was re-evaluating their strategic posture. Force alone would not prevent the total economic collapse of the realm; they needed to control the psychology of general populace.
"Then I will change their perception," Kimimaro declared. "If the people flee because they feel unsafe and always at threat, we will give them a physical absolute to rely on. I will construct a massive,fortified perimeter wall encompassing the entire central district. A barrier of that scale will project security, reversing the exodus and stabilizing your tax base. With time more people will consider themself from leaving."
~~
A/N: In an attempt to search for Orochimaru, Kimimaro will be on a self discovery without even knowing he will do some good.