As Sunagakure underwent its reforms, its borders continued to shift. However, due to the village's limited manpower, the established borders of the former Land of Wind were still used as the main defensive perimeter. Any newly acquired territories required further negotiation and discussion.
The Daimyō of the Land of Rivers, unwilling to relinquish his authority, was naturally reluctant to see his noble retainers defect to Sunagakure. Compared to the benefits promised by the Keikou Trade Association, he found the pleasure of wielding power far more satisfying. He even refused an offer to extend his lifespan—truly a foolish man.
However, feudal lords held little actual control over their nobility. Their relationship was one of hierarchy, not servitude. When four noble families from the Land of Rivers defected to Sunagakure, the Daimyō was powerless to stop them.
Small nations had weak military forces, and any attempt to develop their own armies was not tolerated by the great nations. Even Hanzo, after earning the title of "Demi-God," had gone largely unnoticed. But the moment he sought to strengthen Amegakure's military, the five great shinobi villages swiftly crushed his ambitions.
Konoha and Sunagakure had tacitly agreed to wage war within the Land of Rain, dragging Hanzo and his forces into the conflict and ultimately crippling Amegakure's military might.
For the smaller nations surrounding the great ones, developing their own armed forces was never an option. Instead, they were expected to turn to the larger nations for protection, much like how the Daimyō of the Land of Rivers was now seeking Konoha's help.
Internally, Sunagakure debated whether to accept the four defecting nobles. The village had no issue accommodating more people, especially since it was in the process of expanding into a massive city designed to house 800,000 residents.
However, two of these noble families controlled territories bordering the Land of Fire. Accepting them would mean Sunagakure and Konoha would share a direct border, removing any buffer zone between them.
Some of Sunagakure's senior officials, having retained their cautious mindset from Rasa's era, argued against it. They believed Sunagakure lacked the strength to provoke Konoha. If their expansion led to an aggressive response, it could jeopardize the village's growth.
Despite this, they couldn't deny the village's transformation. It was expanding daily, with greenery increasing and new residents joining after careful screening. Even though their influence had been diluted by these changes, the village's rapid growth filled them with pride. What past Kazekage had failed to achieve was now becoming a reality.
They were determined to protect Sunagakure's progress and feared that accepting the defecting nobles might prompt Konoha to intervene.
But Pakura was not one to be easily swayed by caution. To her, refusing an alliance out of fear of provoking Konoha was unacceptable.
Sunagakure could lose, but it could never cower.
Both the Keikou Trade Association and Sasori's faction supported Pakura's stance. However, given Sunagakure's current situation, the Keikou patriarch proposed a compromise.
The newly acquired territories could be managed by civilian administrators rather than stationed shinobi. As long as Sunagakure's forces weren't visibly patrolling the borders, Konoha was less likely to react aggressively. Besides, Sunagakure was already suffering from a severe manpower shortage.
The village needed not only more shinobi but professionals from all walks of life. To address this, Pakura and the Keikou Trade Association recruited civilians skilled in administration. Many required training before they could assume their roles, but over time, they would help stabilize governance.
As Sunagakure's reforms took shape, the role of shinobi in administration began to shrink. While they remained better suited for combat and security, the initial lack of personnel forced many experienced shinobi to temporarily take on government roles. Once the first batch of trained officials was ready, these shinobi would gradually step back from administrative duties.
For those who wished to transition away from combat, applications were open for reassignment. There were many shinobi who despised bloodshed, but for now, they had to endure until the system was fully operational.
Following Hyuga Mirai's orders, Unit 18 had steadily placed loyal personnel in key positions across Sunagakure. Some were from Roran, others had been transferred from the Land of Tea. With these regions serving as Hyuga Mirai's strongholds, it was easy to find competent and trustworthy individuals for the job.
Pakura held the Keikou patriarch in high regard, even relying on him more than Chiyo. Of course, Chiyo's complete retirement from political affairs played a role in this shift.
More importantly, Pakura had developed a deep respect for the KeikouTrade Association. This trust had been built over numerous missions, where their contributions had proven invaluable.
Unlike Sunagakure's old guard, who constantly opposed her decisions without offering solutions, the Keikou patriarch took a different approach. Instead of simply rejecting her proposals, he outlined potential consequences and provided alternative strategies.
His insight had greatly improved Pakura's decision-making. If not for the fact that Unit 18's synthetic double resembled an old man, she might have even found herself admiring him in a different way.
At the Kazekage's office, Pakura was buried under a mountain of paperwork. No matter how quickly she worked, the moment she finished one task, three more documents would be placed on her desk.
With Sunagakure's current pace of development, she would likely have to maintain a grueling work schedule for at least another year or two before getting any real rest.
"Kazekage-sama, Elder Keikou requests an audience."
A Sunagakure ANBU appeared in her office, reporting the visitor's arrival.
"Is Elder Kaikan here? Let him in immediately," Pakura said, relaxing slightly before instructing the ANBU, "From now on, there's no need to stop or report Elder Keikou's visits."
"Understood, Kazekage-sama."
The ANBU acknowledged the order and quickly escorted Elder Keikou inside.
Pakura stood up to greet him. "Elder Keikou, what brings you here today?"
"I have something to report to the Fifth Kazekage," Kaikan replied with a smile. "But first, I must say—seeing you handle so many matters personally, you should take care of your health."
Pakura sighed, visibly frustrated. If she had known being Kazekage meant drowning in endless paperwork, she would have refused the position, even if it meant fighting to the death.
"I have no choice. As Kazekage, I have a responsibility to my people. By the way, Elder Keikou, is Sanmoku still busy? If he's free, I'd like to invite him to be my assistant."
Pakura had considered many candidates, but she believed Keikou Sanmoku was the most suitable—he was capable and familiar with her way of working.
"Sanmoku? I'm not entirely sure," Elder Kaikan replied. "But you can ask him directly. I doubt he would refuse."
With that, he retrieved a small box from his robes and opened it in front of Pakura.
"I came here today because of this."
Pakura took the box, her brows furrowing slightly as she examined its contents. "Is this… wheat?"
She wasn't just a warrior; she had a solid understanding of agricultural and economic matters.
"This is an improved strain of wheat that the Keikou Trade Association recently acquired. When cultivated with the right fertilizers, its yield is four to five times that of standard crops. If we can introduce this to the lands of the Suna Federation, hunger will no longer be an issue."
"Is… is this real, Elder Keikou?" Pakura's voice wavered with excitement. Having served as Kazekage for some time, she deeply understood how dependent Sunagakure was on food supplies. Even with the Keikou family now integrated into Sunagakure, the village still had to purchase large quantities of food from the trade association every month.
She had never expected Elder Kaikan to willingly offer something so valuable. This was an incredible boon for Sunagakure.
"Elder Keikou, I will make sure the entire village knows of your contributions. Everyone in Sunagakure should thank you."
Elder Keikou chuckled and waved off the praise. "No need to rush, Kazekage-sama. Implementing this will take time. Every village has different conditions, and the federation still needs to train more local officials to guide farmers in adopting these crops."
"Besides, we are short on manpower. It will take at least six months before we can start large-scale implementation. For now, we should focus on gathering data and laying the groundwork."
Pakura nodded seriously. "You're right, Elder Keikou. I'll call a meeting to plan how we can roll this out as soon as possible."
"Speaking of which," she continued, "since you're here, there are a few things I'd like to discuss with you. This report mentions—"
"Oh, that matter? Kazekage-sama, you can handle it by—"
Meanwhile, the border roads between the Land of Wind and the Suna Federation had undergone significant changes. While the two territories were still officially part of the same nation, a checkpoint had been established at the border. Anyone entering the Suna Federation from the Land of Wind now had to register before passing through.
In recent weeks, a steady flow of people had been making their way from the Land of Wind to the federation. The checkpoint's shinobi and clerks worked tirelessly, often continuing into the night, yet every morning, a new wave of travelers arrived.
"Next!"
A checkpoint officer, stretching his sore arms, called out loudly.
A man with long white hair, carrying a travel pack and wearing a straw hat, stepped forward.
"Name, purpose of entry. Speak while facing the camera." The officer pointed to a surveillance device nearby.
"Ah, hello there! My name is Jiraiya. I've traveled here from the capital. I'm a rather well-known wandering writer, you see, always seeking new landscapes to inspire my work. I've been to—"
"Alright, enough. Move along. Next!"
The officer, already fed up, waved him off impatiently.
(End of Chapter)
===================================
DROP THEM POWER STONES PLEASE
SUPPORT ME ON P@TREON IF YOU'D LIKE ACCESS ON ADVANCED CHAPTERS
PAT REON . COM / TurdTranslations (Just remove the space).