"Kazekage-sama, it's complete!"
Ebizo came before Rasa, his face filled with excitement.
The two of them stood at a high vantage point.
Looking toward the southeast, one could see enormous spheres hovering one after another in midair.
The giant golden spheres gave off a luster that resembled metal, yet was not quite metal. The sight was magnificent.
They were none other than the Sun Disks.
Twenty-four Sun Disks in total.
They stretched from Sunagakure itself all the way to the artificial bay Rasa had created.
A vast amount of seawater had already poured in.
Around it were stretches of pure white beach.
Beneath the ground, a huge metal water pipeline had been built using Rasa's Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai, connecting directly to Sunagakure.
Deep within the bay stood an entire row of seawater desalination facilities.
Using the energy provided by the Sun Disks, those facilities maintained their operation.
"The efficiency is still somewhat low, but for Sunagakure, this is already a tremendous step forward."
"With these freshwater resources, Sunagakure is bound to undergo earth-shaking changes."
Following Rasa's order—
"Open the gates!"
Immediately, a vast current of water entered the pipeline.
Afterward, it flowed continuously along the underground channel.
Drip.
A single drop of water fell from the pipe and entered the artificial lake Rasa had already prepared within Sunagakure.
Then, in the next instant, a torrent of water burst violently from the pipeline.
Ebizo desperately wanted to share this news with every villager in Sunagakure.
He wanted everyone to know that a new era had arrived.
But Sunagakure's current situation still forced Ebizo to restrain himself.
Sunagakure was already powerful enough now.
Even if Konoha and the Akatsuki had become targets of universal condemnation because of their attacks on jinchuriki and Tailed Beasts, there were still many who feared Sunagakure.
If someone targeted Sunagakure's freshwater project right now, it would bring the village enormous trouble.
"The Akatsuki's actions have drawn away the shinobi world's attention."
"That is why Sunagakure obtained such an excellent opportunity. We absolutely cannot ruin it ourselves."
"We will use this freshwater to expand Sunagakure's oasis."
"Once it has expanded to a sufficient scale, even if the news is exposed, it will no longer be a serious problem."
Rasa's figure appeared beneath the first Sun Disk.
Sunlight shone directly down, but the energy was absorbed by the Sun Disk, leaving no scorching heat beneath it.
Freshwater had already been irrigating this desert land for quite some time.
Rasa took out some seeds from his pocket and scattered them across the ground before him.
The next moment—
"Inari!"
Those seeds sprouted and rooted at astonishing speed. In an extremely short period, they grew into towering trees, forming a forest around the Sun Disk.
Afterward, Rasa arrived beneath the second Sun Disk.
"Inari!"
Using Inari's ability, he accelerated the growth of plants. Even if not every plant could survive completely, once they decayed, they would still become nutrients for the soil.
Together with the Sun Disks' effects and abundant freshwater, this forest belt—roughly ten kilometers wide and more than one hundred kilometers long—would soon take shape.
It would become a windbreak belt, blocking the sandstorms blowing in from the west.
Sunagakure could then expand along this protective belt.
Rasa calculated silently.
"With this windbreak forest as a foundation, Sunagakure no longer needs to envy the resources of other shinobi villages. We can develop independently and rely on ourselves entirely."
"And the seafood resources obtained from the Land of Water can also be transported directly to the bay."
When Rasa returned home—
"I'm back."
Temari and Kankuro immediately ran over to welcome him.
…
…
"We've found the Three-Tails!"
A White Zetsu appeared before Nagato.
Even though Uchiha Obito had already fallen and been imprisoned beneath the Sun Disk, the Akatsuki's plan continued to move forward.
With Nagato taking action personally, the Three-Tails barely put up any meaningful resistance before being brought back to the Akatsuki base.
"Only the One-Tail, Four-Tails, and Six-Tails remain."
Nagato looked at the phantom of the Gedo Statue before him, a faint smile appearing on his face.
"The man calling himself Uchiha Madara has already been killed. No matter what schemes he had, they are useless against us now."
"This power will be used according to our own will."
"Let the shinobi world feel pain."
"And let the world know peace."
Konoha.
Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a deep sigh.
After Rasa clarified that the one who attacked Sunagakure had not been Uchiha Fugaku, Hiruzen's announcement immediately suffered backlash. His reputation fell even further.
More and more ninja defected from Konoha.
With the support of the daimyo of the Land of Fire, a new shinobi village had been built.
Its name was Kagakure.
Tsunade held the position of Kage.
Jiraiya served as the Kage's assistant.
With the Senju clan as its core, and the Hyuga and Inuzuka clans as supporting forces, Kagakure's strength had already reached a level comparable to Konoha.
The policy of one nation, two villages had officially been implemented.
Hiruzen Sarutobi could only comfort himself by saying this was not the worst possible outcome.
And this also meant that Konoha had completely fallen from the ranks of the great shinobi villages.
Now, only Sunagakure and Iwagakure remained among the great shinobi villages.
"Otsutsuki bloodline concentration: 94%!"
Rasa's figure appeared high in the sky.
At this moment, Rasa's skin had grown even paler. Some protrusions had appeared on his forehead, and the amount of chakra within his body had reached an extremely terrifying level. He no longer needed Gold Dust in order to float in the air.
He could perfectly control multiple chakra natures.
Fire, lightning, wind, water, earth, yin, and yang.
With a single thought—
A pitch-black sphere appeared beside Rasa.
"Truth-Seeking Ball!"
"A product of Yin-Yang Release, capable of unleashing power beyond ordinary Kekkei Genkai and even Kekkei Tota."
"It should be about time for Nagato and the others to move against the jinchuriki base."
"After all, Bunpuku does not have much time left."
Bunpuku could roughly be considered the longest-living jinchuriki up to this point.
He was already extremely old.
"In the original story, Bunpuku had long since passed away, and the Tailed Beast was sealed into the child of me, the Kazekage—Gaara. But in this world, Gaara never appeared."
"Because Sunagakure's situation improved, Bunpuku lived a few more years."
"But he has already reached his limit."
The Akatsuki knew this as well.
Once Bunpuku died naturally, the Akatsuki would inevitably have to wait another three years.
Rasa believed Nagato could not afford to wait those three years.
"They're here."
Through Situational Awareness, Rasa had already detected Nagato's approach.
Thirty kilometers away.
And it was not only Nagato.
The Akatsuki members had all mobilized.
A look of worry appeared on Konan's face.
"Nagato, this is a trap!"