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Was that the logic?
Mei Terumi looked at Kazuki with a complex expression. She certainly would never dare to do such a thing.
And she believed Rasa wouldn't either. Among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, perhaps only Kazuki possessed such audacity. First Hoshigaki Kisame, then Mabui. Wasn't he afraid of something bad happening to the Leaf Village as a result?
Like betrayal, for instance. Unfortunately, Kazuki had no intention of explaining anything. No matter how many questions swirled in the minds of Mei Terumi and Rasa, they could only keep them bottled up.
"Don't we need the Anbu to clear the road ahead?" Ordinarily, when individuals of high status departed the village on secret missions, several Anbu squads would rush out ahead of the group. They had a crucial task: to scout the road ahead as thoroughly as possible. If there were people in the vicinity, they would report back, and the group would detour around them. But after leaving the Leaf Village, Mei Terumi discovered that no Anbu had been dispatched to handle these issues.
"No need for such trouble," Kazuki said, shaking his head slightly. The route to the meeting point had been planned in advance, consisting entirely of minor, secluded paths. Rather than relying on Anbu to clear the way, Kazuki preferred to trust his own sensory abilities. If he sensed someone nearby, he would simply detour. There was no need to dispatch several Anbu squads to fuss about.
Fine. You're the boss. Whatever you say. Mei Terumi wore a helpless expression, glancing sidelong at the silent Rasa, who was keeping pace beside them. She couldn't help but curl her lip slightly.
It didn't take long for Mei Terumi to understand why Kazuki hadn't sent anyone to clear the road. He was, quite frankly, a walking radar. What surprised Mei Terumi even more was that Kazuki maintained this level of perception for nearly the entire journey, meaning he had to constantly observe and monitor everything around him. Could his chakra and mental energy really sustain such a drain?
In the past, Kazuki certainly wouldn't have dared to push himself like this. But with the massive Nine-Tails chakra at his disposal, this level of consumption was nothing more than a light drizzle. However, while chakra could be replenished from the Nine-Tails, mental energy could not. Therefore, Kazuki's rest periods during the journey were somewhat longer.
Due to their Bloodline Limit, the Uchiha possessed mental fortitude far surpassing ordinary ninja. Strong mental energy was evidence of the Sharingan's power. But when that strength exceeded all reasonable bounds, it became deeply unsettling. At this point, it wasn't just Mei Terumi – even Rasa was looking at Kazuki with a strange expression. Itachi ignore them all. Kisame occasionally stole a glance at Kazuki from the corner of his eye, noting his seemingly unbothered demeanor, and buried his questions deep within his heart.
Throughout the journey, neither Mei Terumi nor Rasa questioned why Kazuki was leading them toward the Land of Rivers. It seemed they would cross through the Land of Rivers and enter the Land of Wind's territory.
"Lord Hokage, can the commercial cooperation plan between our village and the Leaf Village be restarted?" During a rest stop, Mei Terumi sat by the campfire, holding a stick with a scallion-scented flatbread skewered on the end. Rasa couldn't help but glance over. The Mist Village's post-war economy was fragile. Assistance and support from the Leaf would greatly aid its recovery. The same held true for the Sand Village. Whether they could benefit depended on the Leaf's willingness to bring them along – more precisely, on Kazuki's willingness.
Previous cooperative ventures had been severed due to the war. Now that the war had ended, picking them back up would be difficult. This was especially true for the Mist Village, given the unpleasantness between the two villages before the war broke out.
"That depends on your sincerity," Kazuki replied, accepting a cup of water from Mabui and taking a sip. "Whether it's the Sand Village or the Mist Village, to cooperate with the Leaf Village, you need to demonstrate sufficient sincerity. I won't deliberately target you because of certain incidents that occurred before the war. But in matters of cooperation between villages, the benefits you gain far outweigh those of the Leaf. Therefore, your sincerity must be ample."
Even without cooperating with the Sand and Mist Villages, the Leaf Village could continue to develop steadily. On the other hand, it was the Sand and Mist Villages that were seeking cooperation with the Leaf. Once cooperation commenced, their gains would absolutely exceed the Leaf's.
"Naturally. However, there are limited areas where the Leaf and Sand Villages can cooperate," Rasa said, his brow furrowing as he spoke. He was reminded of the enormous debt the Sand Village owed the Leaf, and the barrenness of the Land of Wind. Such was the current state of the Land of Wind. Even if the Leaf Village was willing to cooperate, they needed viable projects. Ultimately, it came down to poverty.
The country was nothing but desert and Gobi wasteland. Finding unique local specialties was a struggle. With nothing to offer, how could anyone cooperate with you? Furthermore, once everything settled, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind would most likely reclaim the commissions previously handed to the Leaf and transfer them back to the Sand Village. This alone would be a significant loss for the Leaf Village. Although the Sand Village hadn't achieved victory in this war against the Mist, they hadn't lost either, nor had they lost face.
For the first time in many years, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind could hold his head high, with a bit of luster on his face. When traveling and socializing with his peers, he could finally straighten his back. Naturally, he needed to grant the Sand Village some benefits. Transferring the commissions back would accelerate the Sand Village's development and restore the previously suspended funding. With such income, the Sand Village's development could enter the fast lane. Unfortunately, the commissions and funding from the Daimyo wouldn't be enough to propel the Sand Village to meteoric heights. To develop further, the Sand Village needed to find additional avenues.
"Once you repay your debts, I can point you toward a path. It might help alleviate the awkward predicament of the Sand Village and the Land of Wind. However, the price you'll have to pay will be substantial."
It was time for Yamato to step out of the shadows. People said Hashirama Senju's Wood Style could create forests, while Yamato's Wood Style could only manage landscaping. It seemed useless. But a man like Yamato, if utilized well, was absolutely a valuable asset. Kazuki had no intention of letting Yamato become a public figure, lest the Akatsuki target him.
Besides, Yamato's strength... at his absolute peak, he was elite jonin level. At that level, the Leaf Village didn't particularly need him – one more or one less made no difference. Better to have him do something more meaningful, like afforestation. The Leaf Village, and even the Land of Fire, had no need for such efforts. But the Land of Wind did. Yamato's Wood Style might be weak, but even managing green belts was a good thing.
As long as oases could be expanded, the Sand Village would absolutely worship Yamato like an ancestor. Asking him to create a forest or oasis in the middle of the desert would be too much. He'd likely work himself to death before succeeding. But expanding the range of existing oases was entirely feasible.