"Itachi…" inside the Uchiha clan leader's mansion, Kagetsu looked at Itachi with a complicated expression.
"Teacher!" Itachi, holding a baby like a caring father, quickly ran up to Kagetsu and proudly lifted the child in his arms to show his teacher.
"Sasuke?" Kagetsu whispered the name.
"Yes, Uchiha Sasuke! My younger brother." Itachi, usually calm and reserved, rarely showed his feelings so openly. But now, holding the little baby in his arms, his eyes were full of affection.
Kagetsu gently teased Sasuke, who stared back at him with curious wide eyes. His gaze grew deeper.
Sensitive to the power of souls, Kagetsu sensed Sasuke's soul carefully.
He vaguely remembered that Sasuke was the reincarnation of Indra's chakra. But with his sensitivity to souls, he did not detect another soul inside Sasuke's body.
Had it not awakened yet, so it didn't exist?
Or was the reincarnation state different from what he understood?
Or perhaps it was some unexpected change that happened later?
Kagetsu thought through these possibilities silently, unable to decide for now. But his visit was not only to see the soul that had reincarnated for thousands of years.
Since Sasuke was born, the other main character, Naruto, would soon appear in this world too.
No wonder the village's Anbu had become more active recently.
"Has anything happened recently with the Sand ninja?" Kagetsu asked, handing Sasuke back to Itachi. He watched carefully as Itachi took the baby with practiced skill, holding him comfortably in his arms.
"The Sand ninja? The Land of Wind's delegation has been stationed in the Land of Fire for a while now. Also, the Sand Hidden Village's delegation is inside the village. The team leader is the Sand ninja Jonin, Baki," Itachi replied.
Because their squad's recent missions involved the Land of Wind, Itachi knew about the Sand ninja's movements and intelligence.
Especially since their father, Fugaku, was still one of the council advisors. When Tsunade was away, he could fully represent her authority on the council.
"Baki?" Kagetsu heard the name and felt a bit speechless. This person really seemed like a cornerstone for the Sand ninja village.
Any important mission involving the Sand ninja seemed to have his involvement.
The last time was in the Land of Rivers.
Although Baki and Konoha were relatively familiar with the internal affairs, it was clear that in the current Sand Village, or rather under the command of the Kazekage Rasa, there really weren't many reliable people left to use.
The only person who could be trusted with important matters seemed to be Baki.
"What is the purpose of bringing the envoy?" Kagetsu thought for a moment. Perhaps it was related to the large-scale reform project of the Land of Wind.
Since the confirmation of this major project, the connection between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire has suddenly become closer than ever before.
Whether it was the high-ranking daimyo and nobles or the ninja villages representing military power, they all actively worked within their own fields with tacit cooperation.
In the capital of the Land of Fire, the nobles from the Land of Wind naturally kept in contact, while Konoha had to welcome a Sand ninja envoy every few months.
Near Roran, the two great ninja villages had successfully created a small oasis from nothing.
Although it was impossible for the oasis to last unchanged for decades, it at least proved that the project was feasible.
There was a big difference in trust between just drawing an empty dream and having actual proof.
At least since that small experimental oasis appeared, the nobles of the Land of Wind almost came in groups, visiting back and forth to inspect and verify with their own eyes.
Simply guarding the travel of these nobles brought a much-needed boost to the weak economy of the Sand Village.
At times, the Sand ninjas were even in short supply and had to assign some tasks to Konoha ninjas.
With things and plans reaching this stage, the whole Land of Wind had entered a kind of frenzy. Some nobles even wildly demanded that desert oasis creation be made a national policy.
Although this proposal was quickly rejected and disappeared, the nobles of the Land of Wind reached an unprecedented consensus on one thing — to invest in the Oasis Project.
In fact, to compete for early spots in the Oasis Project, the nobles first fought among themselves, and in the end, the ranking was based on the money they contributed to the daimyo and the project.
It was said that during this time, merchants involved with the Land of Wind nobles—who had been fighting fiercely for face and reputation—were more or less forced to pay a large sum of money.
Since the plan was proposed by Konoha and its implementation relied heavily on Konoha, the daimyo of the Land of Wind personally visited the Land of Fire accompanied by the Sand Village Kazekage, Rasa.
They met and discussed with the daimyo of the Land of Fire and Orochimaru, who had recently become Hokage.
At this point, unless an irreparable accident occurs, it is almost certain that the two villages will form a long-term community of shared interests.
The Land of Wind needs environmental improvement, the daimyo need more population and resources in their territories, and the nobles desire both vanity and the practical benefits of the Oasis Project.
The Sand Village can solve its military funding problems and is even tempted by the possibility of increasing ninja numbers through the project's expansion.
The Land of Fire will gain a considerable amount of wealth, as well as promises and favors among the nobles.
Konoha will benefit as well.
Under this long-term plan, the two countries have now become a solid community of shared interests.
At this moment, Rasa no longer harbors any ill thoughts toward Konoha, such as taking advantage of their situation.
With suddenly more resources and a rising workload for the village, his jealousy and hostility toward Konoha have vanished.
If any threat endangering Konoha were to appear, Rasa might be more anxious than most Konoha villagers and ninjas.
Because only Konoha can successfully carry out and implement this plan, if something happens to Konoha, the current flourishing situation will be affected or even come to an end.
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