Chapter 140: The Daimyō Makes an Appearance

Land of Wind, Sunagakure.

As the first light of dawn broke, the villagers of Sunagakure woke from their slumber and opened their doors and windows to begin a new day. However, the sight that greeted them made them rub their eyes in disbelief, wondering if they were still dreaming.

Overnight, the massive, barren rock walls that surrounded Sunagakure had transformed. Countless patches of green now dotted the once lifeless cliffs, with lush trees sprouting from the rocks and green vines draping over the steep walls, turning the desolate village into a vibrant oasis.

When the villagers stepped outside and saw the green plants and colorful flowers blooming in every corner of the village, they were utterly speechless.

"Is this still our village?"

The once sandstorm-ravaged Sunagakure was slowly transforming into a thriving, green world.

Everyone—whether villagers or visiting merchants—stepped out of their homes, marveling at the miraculous changes as if witnessing a divine act.

The villagers of Sunagakure were somewhat accustomed to this, as they had already witnessed the "Green Miracle" over the past six months. However, outsiders, especially spies from other villages, were completely stunned. They had long suspected that Sunagakure's Green Miracle was unusual, but this display of power, which could only be described as divine, left them in awe. They quickly relayed all the information back to their respective villages.

Meanwhile, the changes in the Dragon Oasis were even more astonishing.

In just one night, the forested area of the Dragon Oasis had doubled in size.

The high-ranking officials of Sunagakure who were training there witnessed this miraculous event firsthand.

The previous night, Rasa had arrived at the Dragon Oasis.

At first, no one thought much of it and continued their attempts to sense the natural energy in the area. However, shortly after Rasa entered the Dragon Oasis, they witnessed something that left them utterly dumbfounded.

From the edge of the Dragon Oasis, they watched as the desert beneath their feet transformed. Plants sprouted and spread rapidly, growing from seedlings to the thickness of a tree trunk in just one night. The forest expanded before their eyes, stretching as far as they could see.

"This... this..."

If it weren't for Baki, who had seen this before and reassured everyone, they might have rushed to investigate immediately.

By the next morning, when Rasa reappeared, everyone looked at him as if he were a god. They wanted to ask what had happened, but in the end, they held their tongues.

However, at that moment, they became convinced.

Perhaps the power Rasa wielded was not the Wood Release of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

Rasa, however, had no intention of explaining. After encouraging everyone to continue their training, he left with Baki.

---

Back in the Kazekage's office in Sunagakure, Rasa had just returned when Sēramu eagerly reported the day's changes in the village and the enthusiastic reactions of the villagers.

After roughly understanding the situation, Rasa instructed,

"No need to panic. Just let them know that our village is getting better and better."

Sēramu, of course, knew not to ask too many questions and nodded in agreement.

Rasa then thought for a moment and added,

"By the way, issue an order in the name of the Kazekage: starting today, villagers are prohibited from intentionally damaging the green plants that have appeared in the village.

Since those three children were able to gain the power of natural energy by protecting plants, perhaps others can too."

"Understood."

Sēramu nodded, noting it down, and then began to discuss another matter.

"We've received word from the Land of Demons. The shrine maiden of the Land of Demons, Miroku-sama, plans to visit Sunagakure in five days."

"Five days? That's fine. Handle the arrangements carefully. Receive her with the same protocol as we would for a daimyō."

This wasn't Rasa playing favorites. Although Sēramu was also the queen of Ryūtan, Ryūtan's land area and population were far smaller compared to the Land of Demons. Rasa couldn't afford to be discourteous.

"Is there anything else?"

"Yes."

Sēramu nodded, her expression slightly peculiar.

"The daimyō has sent an envoy."

"The daimyo?"

At these words, Rasa was momentarily stunned before he realized what was being said.

The daimyō—for him, it was indeed a somewhat unfamiliar term.

Since they were specifically referring to the daimyō, it had to be the daimyō of the Land of Wind. Since arriving in this world, Rasa had never had any contact with this daimyō.

Even in his memories, Rasa had only met the daimyō of the Land of Wind once, when he became the Kazekage.

After all, with Rasa's previous personality, he wasn't the type suited for political maneuvering.

In the past, such matters had been handled by Ebizō. Later, after the successful raid on the Land of Fire, which secured enough military funds for Sunagakure and temporarily freed the village from the daimyō's control, contact between the two had become even rarer.

"What does the daimyō want?"

Sēramu shook her head.

"I'm not sure. The envoy said he must speak to you personally to convey the daimyō's orders."

"Orders?"

Although Rasa was somewhat displeased, he still had Sēramu bring the envoy in.

The man who entered was a samurai dressed in black and red armor, with a stern expression and a long sword at his waist. Upon seeing Rasa, he showed no signs of disrespect and knelt respectfully, holding up a scroll with both hands.

"I am Oda, a retainer of the daimyō. I have come to deliver a personal letter from the daimyō to the Kazekage-sama."

A retainer, or samurai-taishō, was a high-ranking samurai tasked with protecting the daimyō.

Rasa could sense that the man before him possessed considerable chakra, at least at the level of a jōnin. It seemed the daimyō had quite a few skilled samurai in his service.

Rasa had Sēramu take the scroll and open it. Upon reading it, he was surprised.

The contents of the scroll were simple: the Land of Wind had received a joint letter from the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning. The two nations, on behalf of their respective villages, expressed a desire to form an alliance with Sunagakure to jointly attack the Land of Fire. The daimyō of the Land of Wind had sent an envoy to consult Rasa and seek his opinion.

This was somewhat unexpected for Rasa. Based on the daimyō's previous behavior, he would have simply issued a direct order.

It seemed that Sunagakure's successful campaigns against Konoha over the past six months had significantly raised the village's standing in the daimyō's eyes.

After Rasa finished reading the scroll, the samurai named Oda spoke again.

"Reporting to the Kazekage-sama, the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning have shown great sincerity. They have even expressed a willingness to send ninja from their villages to Sunagakure to discuss the alliance. The daimyō's opinion is that, if possible, the Kazekage-sama should not refuse. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If the three great nations join forces, the Land of Fire will surely fall. The fertile lands of the Land of Fire will then be divided among the three nations. With the Kazekage-sama's leadership, the Land of Wind is certain to claim the largest share."