Chapter 379

In the desert of the Region of Wind, night had already fallen. Hui finally came to a stop, descending from the sky.

After an entire day of exertion, the energy within him had been greatly depleted. Moreover, there was no need to continue working through the night. Building this river, even with breaks to rest at night, would only take him a few more days. There was no reason to rush.

Besides… though he wasn't tired, the same couldn't be said for those who had been following him.

"Fugaku, let the people in the distance come closer," Hui said to Fugaku.

Though Hui rarely mingled with ordinary people, giving the impression that he was distant, there were reasons for that.

First, he was incredibly busy. Back when he was in Konoha, he barely had any free time to wander the streets.

Secondly, the people were too enthusiastic about him. Ever since he had become Hokage, any outing in Konoha would cause a complete disruption of the streets.

It was impossible to enjoy any kind of leisure stroll.

Now that he was the First Sage and the Master of the World, it was even less feasible for him to wander around casually.

It wasn't out of vanity, but Hui knew that if he were to appear on the streets of the Hidden Sage Village, the entire village would be thrown into chaos.

These two reasons combined made it difficult for most people to see him in person.

But now, in this desert far from the Hidden Sage Village, Hui believed he could interact more freely with ordinary people.

...

As he looked at the crowd of people kneeling before him, Hui sensed their inner faith through his spiritual perception and sighed inwardly.

He wanted to live as a regular person, but his strength simply wouldn't allow it.

Being a god wasn't always a bad thing.

At the very least, becoming the faith of all people was a powerful way to unite hearts and minds.

If that was the case, then let him become the faith of this world.

Hui thought this to himself, finally coming to terms with it.

The night passed quickly, and a new day dawned.

The god did not stop. His miracles continued.

More people arrived from all directions, coming to worship their god and witness divine miracles.

Not just ordinary people, but even shinobi couldn't hold back their curiosity.

With their greater strength compared to civilians, witnessing Hui's immense power left an even deeper impact on their hearts.

Even shinobi who bore hatred toward Hui found their desire for revenge gradually shattering under the weight of his divine power, like a glass cup dropped to the ground, breaking instantly.

And so, in another ten hours, Hui advanced another sixty kilometers.

By this point, the river he was creating already stretched 120 kilometers.

What other word besides "miracle" could describe this speed?

Another day passed. By then, he had covered 600 kilometers.

In three days, the river had reached 180 kilometers in length.

Now, there were just over 100 kilometers left to reach the coastline. If Hui pushed himself, he could finish it within a single day.

If he didn't care about the river's perfection, he could complete it in under an hour.

Creating this river was far simpler than most people could imagine.

To Hui, digging a river was as easy as swinging his sword with all his might.

But he didn't choose that approach.

The shock and awe he inspired by working this way far exceeded what he would achieve by completing the task instantly.

As he had thought before, if he wanted to change the mindset of the people in this world quickly, he would need certain methods.

Performing miracles in front of everyone was an effective shortcut.

After three days, more than half of the population in the Region of Wind had become Hui's devout followers.

Ninety-five percent of the shinobi in the Region of Wind had completely accepted Mochizuki Hui, the Hidden Sage Village, and their identity as members of the Hidden Sage World!.

Expectations.

The people's hearts were now filled with hope.

They recalled the images and videos they had seen of the Hidden Sage Village, the beauty of that place.

They also remembered the words Hui had spoken during the grand ceremony:

He had expressed his wish for every corner of the world to one day resemble the Hidden Sage Village.

At the time, many doubted him, unable to believe or even imagine it.

But now, having witnessed their Sage and his divine power, hope began to take root in their hearts.

Many couldn't help but think that, under Hui's leadership, the world might truly become a better place.

And this shift in their beliefs was precisely Hui's goal.

Clearly, his efforts this time had achieved their purpose.

Another night passed.

Hui continued toward the sea. Beneath his feet, the river's path followed.

Three days later, the coastline was packed with people who had gathered to witness the completion of a miracle.

The crowd was immense, most of them ordinary people, though there were also a considerable number of shinobi.

[A/n:The distinction between ordinary people and shinobi existed because Uchiha Fugaku had only been in office for two months, and the Eight Gates Sage Ascension Technique had yet to be fully disseminated across the world.]

Together, they numbered over ten thousand.

They knew this was the end point of the river, a divine miracle. Soon, their god would bring this miracle here.

"He's coming!!!"

At a certain moment, someone couldn't help but shout excitedly.

Everyone turned to look and saw, in the distance, a slowly approaching crowd. At the forefront, they saw a figure floating in the air, their god!

Three days had passed, and finally, the construction of the river had reached its endpoint.

In just six days, a river ten meters wide, three meters deep, and stretching 360 kilometers had been carved through the desert of the Region of Wind!

Hui advanced at a steady pace, neither speeding up nor showing any excitement despite being near the end.

For the people, this was the conclusion of a divine miracle.

For Hui, however, it was merely a trial of what a miracle could be.

When the last few steps were taken, the river was complete, its waters flowing into the sea.

At that moment, an earth-shaking cheer erupted from the crowd.

Everyone was elated, dancing and shouting with joy.

Even figures like Rasa couldn't help but join in the cheers.

Chiyo, meanwhile, had a complex expression on her face. Yet, despite herself, a smile broke through, and tears streamed freely down her cheeks.

She wasn't alone. Many of the older generation couldn't hold back their emotions, their eyes brimming with tears.

This river wasn't just a miracle; it was a symbol of hope.

It was the realization of a dream and a longing that had persisted in their hearts for generations.

And now, that dream had finally come true.

"The majority of the Region of Wind is desert," Hui began, his voice carrying effortlessly to the ears of all present. "The harsh environment here has made resources scarce, and life incredibly difficult for those who live here."

His words quieted the crowd, drawing their full attention.

"But it is precisely because of this harsh environment that the people of the Region of Wind have developed a spirit, a spirit of resilience, one that does not fear hardship and refuses to give up.

"It is this very spirit that allowed your ancestors to survive here, to build villages amidst the sands of this desert.

"However…" Hui's voice grew more solemn, and the crowd froze, hanging on his every word. "At some point, that spirit seems to have weakened."

A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd, but Hui continued.

"To build a river that traverses the entire Region of Wind, this has likely been the dream of many people here.

"But because of the sheer difficulty, no one had ever been able to achieve it.

"Some tried, but they gave up in the end.

"Eventually, even those who were willing to try disappeared.

"The people here began to abandon the belief that their ancestors once held, to conquer nature. Instead, they turned their eyes elsewhere, attempting to seize a better life through plunder."

Hui's words struck deeply, and many in the crowd lowered their heads in shame.

Though they had their reasons, nothing could deny the truth of what he said.

But Hui was not finished.

"Today, I have completed this river. And this proves something: Some things are not impossible. Humanity can defy the heavens! Humanity can conquer nature!

"I know many of you think of me as a god. But I want to tell you something, gods are born from humans who cultivate themselves!

"The path from human to god is arduous. It requires talent and effort.

"But more importantly, it requires an unyielding will and an indomitable spirit!

"My hope is that, as I have built this river across the Region of Wind, I can also build a spiritual river within the hearts of the people who live here, a river of resilience, a river of perseverance that fears no hardship and never gives up!

"I hope that the spirit of the people of the Region of Wind will continue to flow, eternally, just like this river, never drying up!"

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