#7

Rasa scoffed at Mufasa's ambitious talk about economic development. He didn't believe a word of it.

All this talk about money and progress—without power, it was worthless.

He sneered, eyes filled with disdain from beneath his hat.

"Hah, no amount of wealth will protect us from the other ninja villages."

"It will," Mufasa replied without hesitation.

"With enough money, we can hire powerful ninja mercenaries, train more shinobi, expand our academy, and improve the village's infrastructure. Higher wages will attract stronger fighters, and we'll have the resources to develop new ninja tools—chakra cannons, detonating kunai launchers, advanced jutsu scrolls, automated defense systems, and more."

Rasa's face twisted in frustration. He barely understood half the things Mufasa was talking about. His patience was wearing thin. A vein pulsed on his forehead.

This was a waste of time.

He slammed his hand onto the table. "Enough!"

His voice carried an edge of suppressed anger. "If you want to play businessman, then do whatever you want—after you become Kazekage."

Mufasa's expression turned ice-cold. "There are only three things I have left to say to you."

Rasa felt a sudden chill creep up his spine.

Mufasa's tone was calm, yet it carried undeniable weight. "You're right. Only when I become Kazekage will I be able to lead Sunagakure in the right direction."

Rasa's body tensed. His scalp prickled. "What are you planning? If you kill the Kazekage, you'll become a rogue ninja."

Mufasa's voice remained steady. "I intend to take the title through proper means."

Rasa sneered. "Then you'll just have to wait until you earn the people's recognition."

He clenched his fists under the table.

Once Konoha was destroyed, he would be hailed as a hero. Sand Village would stand at the top of the ninja world.

Mufasa? He could dream of becoming Kazekage in his next life.

Mufasa rubbed his hands together, and the iron orb he had been holding crumbled into dust.

"Because of Karura and Gaara, it would be inconvenient for me to kill you," Mufasa said flatly. "But if you choose to throw yourself into Orochimaru's schemes, then I won't save you either."

If Rasa wanted to be cannon fodder, so be it.

When the time came, Mufasa would take his place and bring real change to the village.

A month. He could wait.

Without another word, Mufasa turned on his heel and walked out, leaving Rasa fuming in silence.

Rasa slammed his fist against the table. His teeth clenched in fury.

That man was arrogant, rebellious—he had no respect for his authority. A thorn in his side, a threat to his power.

After this alliance with the Hidden Sound, he would order their assassins to eliminate him.

Mufasa was now at the top of his kill list.

While Rasa stubbornly pursued military conquest, Mufasa continued working toward his own vision at his own pace.

Deep in the desert, Mufasa stood atop a massive sandworm as it burrowed forward, carving a path beneath the scorching sun.

Above him, Gaara hovered on a floating sphere of sand, scouting their route.

"Sensei, shift a little to the right," Gaara called down.

Mufasa tapped the sandworm's head, sending a small pulse of lightning through his boots. The creature veered slightly right, obediently following his direction.

As the sandworm moved, it left behind a long, thick trench in the sand.

Mufasa followed up with Earth Release jutsu, reinforcing the sides of the trench, then sealing it with another layer of earth.

This was the foundation of Sunagakure's first oil pipeline.

Infrastructure was the key to building a thriving village. Soon, oil would be pumped from the desert fields to his industrial refineries, fueling the factories and power plants that would drive his vision forward.

Meanwhile, his personnel were hard at work recruiting employees for his company.

As for repairing the Executioner's Blade using sandworm blood—that task was still too dangerous for anyone but Mufasa himself.

Once he became Kazekage, he could recruit more specialists or develop better technology for automated puppet work.

Perhaps biotechnology held the answer.

Orochimaru immediately came to mind.

If anyone in the ninja world understood genetic enhancement, it was him.

Mufasa had pushed his body to its absolute limit using bioelectricity. His progress had slowed, and he needed a new approach.

It was time to pay Orochimaru a visit.

By the end of the day, Mufasa and his team had dug over 300 miles of pipeline trenches, stretching straight across the desert.

Soon, metal pipes would be installed, transporting oil and gas directly to the industrial park.

That night, Mufasa and Gaara returned to the factory, only to find Kankuro and Temari waiting in his office with grim expressions.

"What's wrong?" Mufasa asked.

Kankuro sighed. "Boss, we didn't manage to recruit anyone."

Mufasa frowned. "Faraday Industries offers the best wages and benefits in Sunagakure. People used to beg for a job here. What changed?"

Temari crossed her arms. "The village is spreading rumors that you and the Kazekage are at odds. People are too afraid to take the risk."

Mufasa exhaled sharply. "Makes sense."

He studied the two of them carefully. "And what about you two?"

Kankuro and Temari answered without hesitation.

"We're with you, boss."

"We believe in your vision."

"Following your path is the only way to make our village strong."

They had all been influenced by the power of science.

"Gaara, what about you?" Mufasa asked.

Gaara nodded firmly. "Sensei, your path is my path."

Rasa had failed—not only as a Kazekage but also as a father. None of his three children stood by his side. While Mufasa's influence played a part, the main reason was Gaara's own coldness, his inability to show warmth to his children.

Mufasa smiled. "Good. With your support, I have no doubts."

"For the next month, Temari, Kankuro, keep focusing on your work," Mufasa instructed. "I'll take Gaara to work on essential infrastructure—roads, electricity, water supply, pipeline construction, and setting up refineries, power plants, and ninja factories."

"In a month, we'll begin large-scale recruitment."