#46

Mufasa looked at the first car rolling off the production line at the Sand Village's new automobile factory.

He smiled, watching like a proud father.

The artisans of Sand Village had finally reached a point where they could mass-produce complex machinery using their own tools and skills.

This was just the beginning.

In time, the progress would be so great that he might even surprise himself.

He nodded approvingly.

After giving words of encouragement to the workers and handing out medals of achievement, Mufasa left with Sasuke, who had also been present for the honorary ceremony.

As they walked, Mufasa turned to Sasuke and asked, "So, what do you think of the car?"

Sasuke, always the skeptic, frowned. "It's not great. Running is still faster."

Mufasa chuckled. Typical.

The experimental vehicles weren't on the level of the high-performance machines he had personally developed, but they were still impressive for first-generation models.

"Right now, they might not seem like much, but one day, everyone will want one," Mufasa said confidently.

Sasuke folded his arms. "I won't."

Mufasa smirked. "What, don't you want a car to pick up girls?"

Sasuke's expression remained indifferent. "Women will only slow me down."

Mufasa shook his head with a laugh. "One day, you'll understand. Driving is way more fun than running around the woods like a fool."

The sun blazed overhead, the desert heat relentless.

The sand shimmered like the surface of a scorching iron plate.

A massive sandworm slithered across the dunes.

Mufasa lay back on a beach chair under a large umbrella, dressed in sunglasses, a short-sleeve shirt, beach shorts, and sandals. He had created a localized magnetic field around himself, blocking out the heat.

In one hand, he held a book titled Massacre in Heaven, while his feet discharged small bursts of energy to power both his portable fridge and air conditioner.

A cool breeze blew over him. Pure bliss.

Reaching into the fridge, he pulled out an ice cream bar, took a bite, and sighed contentedly. "Man, I miss having a steady supply of these."

He shook his head. All this advanced technology, yet still no proper ice cream production.

He grabbed another one and turned to Gaara, who stood nearby, his arms crossed, ever the serious one. "Want one?"

Gaara shook his head, still wrapped up tightly in his Sand Village attire despite the heat.

Mufasa turned to the other side. "Sasuke?"

Sasuke didn't even glance at him. "We're approaching Station 1—Green Water Lake City. Shouldn't you be more focused?"

Mufasa tossed the ice cream away. "Kabuto, keep going."

Kabuto, sitting at the front as the worm's handler, caught the ice cream mid-air and took a bite.

Mufasa stretched and leaned back into his chair. "Relax. Why are you two so tense?"

Gaara, always tactical, replied, "We're about to engage the enemy. According to intelligence, their forces include mercenary ninja of unknown numbers."

Mufasa gestured lazily. "And we have, what, a thousand people?"

Both Sasuke and Gaara followed his finger.

Behind the sandworm, an army of a thousand shinobis followed in formation.

Sasuke and Gaara exchanged glances. That wasn't a real army. They were Mufasa's electromagnetic clones—projections created with his unique abilities.

Gaara sighed. "Didn't you say we needed to strike fear into their hearts? Then why not bring the real army?"

Everything had been prepared for a large-scale assault, yet Mufasa had only brought himself, Gaara, Sasuke, and Kabuto.

"Everyone else has jobs to do—protecting the village, securing trade routes, keeping civilians safe. No need to waste their time," Mufasa explained.

Sasuke frowned. "If we're only sending a small force, shouldn't we execute a swift raid and eliminate their leaders before they react?"

Mufasa grinned. "But where's the fun in that?"

Thirty-two cities had conspired to manipulate food prices against Sand Village, all under the influence of a powerful merchant from the capital. This mission wasn't just about retaliation—it was about sending a message.

Gaara, exasperated, said, "Even if that's your goal, at least take this seriously. Sitting on a sandworm like this—dressed like that—it's embarrassing."

The sandworm beneath them felt Gaara's irritation and began to move faster.

Mufasa burst into laughter. "This is all part of the plan."

Sasuke and Gaara exchanged another confused look.

"What plan?"

Mufasa smirked. "Let me put it this way: If you play a game of eleven versus eleven, the losing team can make excuses. Maybe the field was bad, maybe the weather was off, maybe they weren't in sync."

He continued, "If it's eleven against eight, they can say they were outnumbered. If it's five-on-five in a game, people blame their teammates—the top laner was useless, the jungler was greedy, the support was bad."

"But," he said, leaning forward, "what if one person loses against an entire team? What if someone loses against a person whom they thought as a loser?"

Gaara and Sasuke remained silent.

Mufasa grinned. "No excuses. No way out. That's when true despair kicks in."

Thirty-two cities recently made a shocking discovery—every shop in the Village Hidden in the Sand had been completely evacuated overnight, leaving behind nothing but empty storefronts.

A single sign remained on each abandoned shop's door:

"Destroy even a single brick, and you will pay tenfold."

The unscrupulous merchants of the thirty-two cities awoke to find a declaration of war waiting for them, placed ominously beside their beds.

It was simple, yet terrifying.

A declaration of war.

"Since you have bled me dry, I will destroy you, your family, and take everything you own."

Signed and sealed by the Kazekage, Mufasa.

(Attached is my plan of action. Pay attention. If you underestimate me and die, you have only yourselves to blame.)

┐(￣ー￣)┌

On the back of the document, they found an even more unsettling sight.

The departure time of the Sand Village forces was clearly outlined. As if that weren't enough, they had meticulously compiled a route, listing each of the thirty-two cities in order, starting from Sabakuto Town, the capital.

Note: We will visit each of you, one by one, in order. Please be prepared to resist.

Special reminder: People tend to die when they are killed.

The audacity of the message left the merchants in an uproar.

"This is just..."

"Insanity."

"A complete madman."

Some, however, were visibly shaken.

"The Sand Village is still strong..."

"Maybe we should negotiate peace?"

Of course, peace meant returning all the money they had taken.

And even then, it might not be enough.

"No! We cannot bow down to them! Sand Ninja are nothing to fear."

"I've dealt with them before. Half of their forces have abandoned combat to become merchants. They only have around two thousand active ninjas left."

"What's two thousand ninjas? We can easily hire more than that."

"Yes! That's the plan! We'll spend money and hire ninjas to fight for us."

"Haha, that fool Mufasa has even given us time. Let's start hiring now!"

Mufasa, in his generosity, had granted them half a month to prepare.

"It's not a trick, is it?"

"Relax. We'll send scouts to observe."

But they underestimated Mufasa's resolve.

He moved exactly on schedule.

Charging across the desert, he arrived aboard an enormous sandworm bus.

Outside Kazehara Town, merchant leader Takiichi questioned a returning scout.

"Sand Ninja only sent four people?"

The ninja hesitated.

"Yes, but... we couldn't get close enough to identify them."

"They also brought a massive sandworm."

"Bigger than anything we've ever seen. Extremely dangerous."

"I suspect they intend to use it in battle."

Takiichi's fists clenched.

"Hmph, Mufasa is truly ruthless."

He turned to a hired Rock Ninja, Jonin Yakio.

"So, Jonin, what do you propose?"

Throughout the thirty-two cities, countless mercenaries and rogue ninja had been hired, numbering close to four thousand. Strength varied, but the numbers were undeniably in their favor.

Yukio smirked.

"No need to panic over a mere sandworm. I brought ten elite ninjas. We'll handle it."

Ten ninja versus four... plus one giant worm.

Takiichi exhaled in relief.

"That's reassuring. Please take charge of the forces outside the city."

Aside from ninja, he had also hired wandering samurai, bandits, and mercenaries.

Yukio nodded and led his forces ten miles outside the city to set up defenses.

Then, the sandworm arrived.

Taller than the city walls. A monster of terrifying proportions.

Takiichi, watching through binoculars, trembled.

"This... this is insane. When did the Sand Village create something so monstrous?"

Even Yukio, a seasoned warrior, felt his breath hitch.

"It's just a worm. Nothing to fear."

Then he saw the figures standing atop the beast.

Nani?!

@_@a

"W-what?! Didn't the reports say there were only four ninja?!"

The scouts paled.

"We... we don't know where they came from! They must have used Earth Style to hide underground!"

Yukio cursed.

"Clever bastards."

He turned to his men.

"Don't lose hope! We have the entire town behind us! We can still win!"

Across the battlefield, Mufasa shaded his eyes with a hand, surveying the enemy defenses.

"Who wants to handle this?"

Gaara said nothing. He simply stepped forward, then floated into the air atop a wave of sand.

He had been suppressing himself for too long.

The moment he was close enough, his eyes locked onto the enemy, and he raised a single hand.

"Sand Waterfall Funeral."

Boom.

A tsunami of sand surged forward, rising more than thirty meters high, crashing down on the battlefield.

Yukio barely had time to process what was happening before the sky itself was swallowed by sand.

╭(⊙o⊙)╮

This man... was far more terrifying than any monster.

___________________

Word count: 1587

I posted a new translation. "Vector Control in Marvel". It's a Marvel fanfic. Read it for those interested.