027 Reborn as the Third Kazekage

Kentarō looked up at the sun, wiped the sweat from his neck, and then glanced at the wheat seedlings in the field, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

"I still don't get it. You're always smiling. In the Land of Rivers, you farmed. In the Land of Wind, you're still farming," Kentarō's younger brother, Ryūsai, muttered distractedly as he pulled weeds from the field.

"What do you know? Our lives were saved by Lord Kazekage. What more could we ask for? Besides, who did we farm for back then? The landowners! And now, whose land are we farming? Our own! We've got the land deeds signed by Lord Karuke and Lord Hokuto. How is that the same? There are so many immigrants. Most of them go to the construction area to build houses or to the tree-planting section. None of them get land this big right off the bat. This is Lord Kazekage's blessing, understand?" Kentarō said, clearly frustrated with his brother.

"Maybe Lord Kazekage just liked our Crystal Release," Ryūsai responded, clearly in a playful mood. He was at that age where he'd argue about anything. You could tell him salt was salty, and he'd insist it was sour. Tell him the sun was round, and he'd squint and try to find an angle to make it look angular.

"You ungrateful little brat! You must be itching for a fight!" Kentarō growled, grabbing his hoe and preparing to discipline his younger brother. Ryūsai, seeing his elder brother getting serious, quickly scampered up the ridge and ran. The two of them soon turned the fields into a playground for a spirited chase.

As they were in the middle of it, a clear child's voice suddenly rang out from the field.

"Papa! Uncle! Stop fooling around! It's time to eat!"

Kentarō stopped in his tracks, following the sound to see his precious daughter, sitting happily on a tall man's shoulders, holding a lunch box and beaming with joy.

"Kazekage... Lord Kazekage." When he recognized the visitor's face, Kentarō immediately knelt in the field with a thud.

"Ah, there's no need for such formalities. Please, get up, get up. Help me take the child," Kazekage said, then hurried to help Kentarō to his feet, brushing the dust off him.

"Actually, I overheard your conversation with your brother just now," Kazekage added.

"Huh? Lord Kazekage, I—"

"Don't worry, don't worry. I think your brother's point is correct," Arashi said, smiling.

"Eh?"

"The truth is, when we brought you all out, I had a little selfish motive. That motive was your family's Crystal Release."

"Huh?!" Kentarō was confused, unable to comprehend the situation.

"Don't worry, don't worry. Let's eat first. Hmm, the food looks good! There's flatbread, vegetables, and fish from Lake Tsuki! Honglian, would it be okay if I joined you for a meal here?" Arashi said, opening the lunch box without hesitation.

"No problem, Uncle. I brought a lot, enough for three people," Honglian said with a sweet smile.

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The administrative residence of the Lake Tsuki government was located in a corner to the west of the lake. Although it was called a residence, it was really just a small two-story building. At first glance, one might think it was the home of a middle-class family. However, this small two-story building housed two of the most important institutions of the Lake Tsuki base. Both the commander of the construction military corps, Karuke, and the director of the immigration bureau, Hokuto, came from military backgrounds and were known for their efficient and simple working style. The residence had no unnecessary rooms or furniture. Even after Hokuto received a one billion loan from Konoha, he didn't spend a penny of it on the residence.

As Hokuto put it, "This one billion was painstakingly secured by Lord Arashi from Konoha, and it was meant for the development of the Lake Tsuki base, not to be squandered on building luxury residences. When we have the funds, we can build whatever kind of luxurious residence we want."

With such a leader, it's no surprise that the administrative staff of Lake Tsuki had developed a "three-simplicity" style: simple language, concise communication, and efficient work. This style led to high efficiency and a streamlined process, earning them the admiration of the immigrants. Many were eager to build their homes near the government residence, even though the location wasn't the best.

...

Currently,

Hokuto and Karuke were in the second-floor conference room holding a meeting. The room wasn't large, and there weren't many people attending. The discussions were straightforward and direct, with little to no elaboration. The efficiency was high.

"About the plan to procure sea buckthorn bushes from the Land of Forest?" Karuke asked.

"I've read the proposal. It's feasible," Hokuto responded.

"We plan to procure 50,000 plants, with an estimated cost of two million ryo."

A few of Hokuto's aides chattered briefly among themselves before passing him a note. Hokuto read it, thought for a moment, and then nodded.

"Allocate one and a half million ryo. One million for the bushes, and fifty thousand to send at least two forestry experts to the Land of Forest. Another fifty thousand will go towards establishing a specialized plant greenhouse on the east side of Lake Tsuki, where the sunlight is plentiful. In the future, we won't have to import trees from other countries."

Karuke's aides discussed the feasibility of the plan before giving the green light. The two leaders nodded, and the secretary quickly organized the minutes of the meeting into an official document. The document, bearing two official stamps, was handed to the leaders for review. One copy was archived, while the other was given to the executor. The entire proposal was resolved in under six minutes!

"Next, the issue of food imports?"

"I think we should stop importing rice from the Land of Rivers and instead turn to the Land of Grain. Their rice and wheat prices are nearly 10% lower," Hokuto suggested.

"If the quality of grain from the Land of Grain is acceptable, we can proceed with the plan. However, we should still keep the Land of Rivers's suppliers in mind and use this as leverage to negotiate prices. With the current demand for food at Lake Tsuki, relying on a single supplier is risky. Until the newly cultivated land begins to produce crops, our supply chain cannot afford any disruptions," Hokuto added, his tone stern.

"Understood! The construction corps will ensure food security!"

"And the resettlement of refugees from the Land of Rain?" Hokuto continued.

"We'll proceed with the usual plan: send some food first, and the construction corps will assist with building housing. All individuals will be screened. I'd like to remind our Anbu colleagues that Lady Chiyo is now overseeing the insect prevention efforts. If there are any issues in this area, she's not someone you want to cross," one of the aides said.

"Yes," came the unified response.

"Now, the issue of building chicken and pig farms?"

Just as they were about to move on to the next topic, the door was suddenly opened. The bright sunlight blinded the room's occupants for a moment, and four figures stood in the doorway.

Hokuto was about to scold the intruder for interrupting the high-level meeting at Lake Tsuki, but then he realized the figures seemed familiar.

"Apologies for the interruption, but I have an urgent proposal," a voice said.

"Lord Kazekage!" Hokuto stood up, overjoyed to see him. Karuke, even more excited, immediately embraced Arashi.

"Alright, alright, I know it's not easy for you," Arashi said. "Let's talk business first. We'll discuss the rest at dinner. Daiki, give them the proposal."

"Yes, Lord Kazekage." A proposal was handed to Hokuto.

"The Desert Highway Proposal?"