#100... Damn...

"Anyway, your weird stories are never going to be popular."

"What even is this? Robots, psychic powers, magic, and Devil Fruits all thrown together? You're not worried about it falling apart?"

"Do you even know what it feels like to read what you write?"

Mufasa raised an eyebrow. "How does it feel?"

Kurotsuchi sighed dramatically. "Like getting a kunai straight to the brain."

"Ninjutsu comes from the Sage of Six Paths, everyone knows that."

"No one's going to read your story when it completely ignores common sense."

"You should just give up on this dream," Kurotsuchi advised, shaking his head.

Mufasa let out a deep sigh. Maybe he really wasn't cut out to be a novelist.

Forcing it wouldn't make it work.

"Fine."

But he wasn't done yet. "What if I made a movie? Would anyone watch it?"

Kurotsuchi slammed a thick folder onto the desk, making Mufasa flinch.

"Lord Kazekage, can you please focus on your actual work?"

"Stop coming up with these ridiculous ideas."

Mufasa raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright."

Leaning back in his chair, he sighed. "Fine, let's get to the report, then. Go ahead, Comrade Kurotsuchi."

Kurotsuchi nodded and started the briefing. Just another routine report.

"The birth rate in the village."

"Industrial production and sales."

"The Dragon Vein Fortress has been completed."

Mufasa nodded. "Good. I'll send over some defensive equipment."

"The third-generation chakra engine and the nature engine have reached prototype stages. The research lab is requesting permission to equip some ninja squads for live testing."

"Approved," Mufasa said. "Let Gaara oversee it."

Unlike Naruto, Mufasa didn't believe in micromanaging every single thing. If something needed doing, you assigned it to someone capable. If the subordinates couldn't handle it, then the leader stepped in. Otherwise, what was the point of having a team?

"The puppet factory has completed three mobile police units. Are they ready for deployment?"

"Assign them to the special operations team," Mufasa ordered.

"Forty-six intercity roads have been completed."

Thanks to the combination of ninjas, ninjutsu, and advanced machinery, infrastructure projects were progressing at a remarkable speed.

"Would you like to attend the traffic inauguration ceremony?"

Mufasa waved a hand dismissively. "Nope. Not interested."

"Send Baki in my place."

...

Kurotsuchi flipped to the next report. "We've detected a decrease in groundwater levels. The underground river's current water volume is down to less than one-third of normal."

Mufasa sat up straight, suddenly serious.

Water was the lifeline of Sunagakure. Without it, survival would become a struggle.

"What's causing it? Have we investigated?"

Kurotsuchi nodded. "Yes. It's due to abnormal activity from the Dragon Vein. The seismic waves damaged the underground river system beneath Sunagakure, causing major collapses."

Mufasa examined the diagrams brought in by the survey teams. The situation was bad. The riverbed was riddled with cracks—some areas had completely caved in, making it nearly impossible to restore the original flow.

Kurotsuchi continued, "There are too many collapsed sections, and repair work would be incredibly difficult. Worse still, the water has seeped deeper underground. Even if we fix the river, we might never recover the full water supply. Current estimates suggest we'll be left with only one-seventh of our original volume."

Mufasa frowned. "We can't ignore this. Start repairs immediately. Any amount we restore is still a gain."

"Bring me the East-West Water Diversion blueprint."

Kurotsuchi retrieved the document from the archives. Mufasa had been considering a large-scale water project since becoming Kazekage. The red lines on the blueprint traced a connection between Sunagakure and the Moonlight River, the largest river in the Land of Rivers.

The plan involved using sandworms to tunnel through the desert, creating an underground waterway. At the Moonlight River's end, they would construct dams, pumps, and floodgates to channel water into Sunagakure.

"Send the documents to Baki. Once he's done with the ceremony, have him negotiate a water deal with Momonosuke, the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers."

The Land of Rivers had plenty of water. It was just going to waste.

Better to sell it and make a profit.

Since Sunagakure would handle the entire project, the Land of Rivers wouldn't have to do anything except collect payments once it was operational. Momonosuke would have to be an idiot to refuse.

Mufasa handed the agreement to Kurotsuchi. "This should be a generous offer."

Kurotsuchi nodded. "Understood. I'll take care of it."

He moved on to the next topic. "Konoha has completed construction on its first ironworks and ninja tool factory. Operations are expected to begin soon."

Mufasa smirked. "Good for them."

Kurotsuchi hesitated, then handed Mufasa another document.

Mufasa took it, scanning the contents. His eyes widened. "A resignation letter?"

Kurotsuchi stood firm. "I've decided to return to Iwagakure. Konoha is making changes, and I don't want Iwagakure to fall behind. I want to go home and build up my village."

"I see." Mufasa sighed."You've done well here. Why leave now?"

"Iwagakure needs progress, too. I've learned a lot during my time here. Thank you, Kazekage-sama, for everything." Kurotsuchi gave a deep bow.

Mufasa scratched his head. "It's tough to keep good people."

"Oh well." He leaned forward, curious. "So, what's your plan for Iwagakure?"

Kurotsuchi's eyes lit up. "I want to establish ironworks, power plants, ninja tool factories, automobile plants—everything!"

Mufasa shook his head. "That's a lot of upfront investment. You'll need skilled workers and engineers, and you won't see immediate profits. You might want to reconsider your approach."

The rocky terrain of Iwagakure was rich in mineral resources, something that made it a perfect trade partner for Sunagakure.

"You Rock ninjas have an abundance of minerals," said Mufasa, studying the map of trade routes. "That's something we Sand ninjas could really use."

Kurotsuchi, listening carefully, nodded. She knew how valuable the minerals were but also understood the limitations of Iwagakure's current industry.

"As long as you mine the ore, you can sell it to us," Mufasa continued. "Or, if you refine it first, you'll earn even more."

He leaned forward, tracing a possible trade route with his finger. "We can even help set up refineries and mining equipment for you. No payment upfront—just pay us back with the ore you mine later."

Kurotsuchi considered the proposal. Iwagakure's mineral wealth was undeniable, but their infrastructure wasn't as advanced as it could be. If Sunagakure provided the tools, they could refine their own ore, giving them a stronger position in the market.

Decapitating an enemy was one thing, but economic strategy? That was a whole different kind of battle.

Sand Village needed stronger metals to develop new ninja tools and weapons. Iwagakure, surrounded by mountains and minerals, could be the perfect supplier. If the two villages worked together, they could dominate the industry in the ninja world.

Kurotsuchi took notes as Mufasa spoke, occasionally glancing up to ask a question. Finally, Mufasa looked at her with a knowing smile.

"I know you want to improve your village," he said. "But if you demand a huge investment upfront without proving its value, the elders of Iwagakure will resist."

Kurotsuchi sighed. "Yeah… they'd shut it down before I even finished explaining."

Mufasa smirked. "Then start small. Trade raw ore first, build up funds, and then expand. When the profits come in, no one will argue."

Kurotsuchi's eyes lit up. "That could actually work…"

"Of course. And don't worry," Mufasa added."Sand Shinobi treat their friends well. If you need technology, equipment, or personnel, just ask for me."

Kurotsuchi felt a wave of gratitude. Mufasa wasn't just thinking about his own village—he was thinking about cooperation, about helping Iwagakure grow stronger too. She stood up and gave a deep bow.

"Thank you, Lord Kazekage. I won't forget this."

Mufasa chuckled. "No need for thanks. This deal benefits both of us."

That night, he hosted a farewell dinner for Kurotsuchi. The next morning, he personally saw her off, sending her back with supplies and resources. As she left, she felt a new determination rising within her. A shift was coming to Iwagakure.

Meanwhile, in Konoha…

Shimura Danzo stood atop his newly constructed ironworks, watching the Sand Ninja shop below with a smug grin. He had chosen the location deliberately—right where the Uchiha clan once lived.

"Perfect," he muttered. "No one left to complain."

He didn't just want to build a factory. He wanted to overshadow Sunagakure's presence in Konoha, to remind them that Konoha would always be the strongest.

On the rooftop of the Sand Ninja shop, Temari and Kaminarimon Ereki peered through binoculars, observing the factory across the way.

"That old man's really got nothing better to do," Temari scoffed.

Ereki chuckled. "Standing up there like he's some kind of warlord."

They had already investigated. Danzo's new factory was experimenting with a strange method—using the blood of sea creatures to refine iron. It was bizarre, but Danzo had his reasons.

"Konoha doesn't have a desert, so no sandworms," Ereki explained. "But they do have access to the ocean. So, he's using whale blood instead."

Temari narrowed her eyes. "That's disgusting."

Danzo believed he had outsmarted everyone. He had even set up a fishing operation to capture whales and sharks for his project.

To him, it was a brilliant plan—catch the creatures, extract the blood for refining, and sell the byproducts for extra profit.

He watched his workers move about, a satisfied grin on his face.

"Heh," he chuckled. "Enjoy your success while it lasts, Sand ninjas. Once my new weapons roll out, I'll drive you out."

He didn't care about anything beyond that. Kitchen knives? Cars? Civilian goods? Not his concern. Only ninja tools mattered.

A squad of Konoha ninjas ran toward the ironworks, carrying newly forged beheading swords. Danzo smirked and leapt down, eager to inspect the first batch of weapons.

On the Sand Ninja shop's roof, Ereki turned to Temari with a worried look.

"Young lady… should we really let Danzo do as he pleases?"

Temari smirked, arms crossed. "Let him think he's winning."

Ereki frowned."He's just copying our idea."

"He thinks he is," Temari corrected. "But he has no idea what's coming next."

They watched as Danzo examined his new weapons, barking orders to speed up production. He had no clue that the game had already been set. Everything was under control.

Temari grinned. "We'll just sit back and watch the fireworks."

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Word count: 1720

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