Orochimaru had no idea what the Kamen Rider Project was.
Orochimaru, as usual, didn't bother explaining. Instead, he simply took the selected individuals back to the Village Hidden in the Sand, where they would be handed over to Dr. Shotaro Iwamori for "enhancements."
Several individuals had already undergone the process, joining the so-called Kamen Rider Project.
Orochimaru, however, remained unimpressed.
"You humans and your emotions… such a nuisance," he muttered. "Don't worry, the Kazekage-sama will take good care of your families."
He sighed, growing impatient.
His mouth stretched unnaturally wide, revealing sharp fangs—his usual way of ending conversations.
The unsettling sight was enough to silence any further questions.
Orochimaru glanced at Jin, who had been brave—or foolish—enough to question the process.
"I don't see what Kazekage-sama finds so fascinating about you," he said, his golden eyes narrowing. "You're nothing special—just another mediocre civilian."
Jin tensed at the insult.
It wasn't entirely false.
Coming from a minor nation, and not belonging to a shinobi bloodline, he had never received formal ninja training.
Unlike the elite clans of the Great Nations, people like him barely had a chance to wield chakra.
Not that Orochimaru cared.
Mufasa had made his decision.
That was all that mattered.
Still, curiosity gnawed at Jin.
Summoning his courage, he asked, "What exactly does a Kamen Rider do?"
Orochimaru's lips curled into a cold smirk. "Hmm… they protect the roads, in a sense. But you should be more concerned about surviving the transformation."
His voice dropped to a whisper. "Try not to die on the operating table."
Jin swallowed hard.
What the hell had he gotten himself into?
With that, Orochimaru took his new subjects and disappeared, leaving Mufasa behind to oversee the rest of the operation.
The remaining prisoners, knowing they had no other choice, settled into their new roles.
With Mufasa promising them wages and the safety of their families, they complied.
Construction teams were assigned, tools were distributed, and the prisoners were put to work along the designated routes.
Each work crew had their own assigned sector.
Merchants aligned with the Hidden Sand had already positioned supply stations at key points along the border.
They would move with the advancing work zones, providing tools, machinery, and essential supplies.
Under the guidance of specialists, the prisoners received basic training before beginning their labor.
Everything was proceeding according to plan.
Mufasa, however, had more important matters to attend to—such as organizing payments and ensuring the financial flow for the entire project.
The management of wages, the funding of road construction, and the welfare of prisoners' families had to be delegated.
That responsibility fell to the newly established River Development Company.
After a series of elections in various towns and villages, the company's general manager was chosen.
Her name was Yamato Nadeko.
Once a renowned courtesan, she had reinvented herself as a savvy businesswoman.
With extensive connections and a sharp understanding of politics, she had positioned herself at the center of this grand project.
Determined to secure her place, she had personally lobbied local officials and village leaders, using every tool at her disposal—from charm to calculated persuasion.
With Mufasa eliminating rival elites in the capital, Nadeko had seized the moment.
She took to the streets, addressing the public, dancing, and winning their support.
The people may not have fully understood what the River Development Company did, but Nadeko had given them a vision to believe in.
Of course, not everyone was convinced.
Some suspected she was merely a puppet, installed by the Kazekage for his own interests.
Regardless, the company was formed.
As its representative, Nadeko met with Mufasa to negotiate the project's terms.
If it could even be called a negotiation.
"I'm giving you 60,000 workers," Mufasa stated bluntly.
"They'll build roads and infrastructure for your company. You'll cover the wages."
He continued, "Once the work is complete, the roads will prevent future flooding, and your company will gain valuable land for development. That alone should be worth the investment."
Nadeko smiled playfully. "Of course, my lord. Whatever you say."
She leaned forward, adding, "We can provide the necessary tools and equipment on credit. If you lack funds, we'll accept road tolls and river taxes as collateral. When the revenue covers the cost, we'll transfer ownership of the infrastructure to you."
Mufasa raised an eyebrow. "Five ryo per cubic meter of river water."
Nadeko's expression remained unchanged. "Whatever you decide, my lord."
Something about her unwavering compliance made Mufasa pause. He pushed her away slightly, narrowing his eyes.
"Hey."
She tilted her head. "Yes, my lord?"
"Why aren't you bargaining with me?"
She blinked. "Why should I?"
Mufasa frowned. "This is a negotiation. We're discussing matters that affect two nations. Show some resistance—make this interesting. At least pretend we're playing a game of strategy here."
Nadeko stretched lazily, flashing him a knowing smile. "Ah, men… you want obedience, but you also crave defiance. So demanding."
Mufasa chuckled, shaking his head. "That reminds me of a poem."
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what song is that?"
Mufasa smirked and recited:
"You want me to shine, yet remain unchanged.
You dream of freedom, yet demand my chains.
You long for warmth, yet fear the flame.
You love the thrill, yet hate the game."
Nadeko's eyes sparkled with amusement. "How poetic. I didn't expect the Kazekage to be so well-versed in matters of the heart."
Mufasa waved a hand dismissively. "I just stole it from somewhere."
Nadeko let out a soft laugh but then grew serious. "A company, after all, is just a dream. And dreams fade. What if I wake up to reality?"
Mufasa caught the unspoken meaning in her words.
She was worried about external interference—specifically, from the Land of Fire.
He met her gaze and smirked confidently. "Leave that to me."
The biggest problem for a small country isn't survival.
Rather, it's that some countries shouldn't exist at all.
Nations like the Land of Rivers struggle to maintain sovereignty.
Many exist only as buffers between greater powers, relics of old treaties and compromises.
The Land of Rivers itself was created as a peacekeeping measure between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind—a neutral ground neither side truly valued.
Once, the Kazekage demanded land and resources in exchange for hosting a Tailed Beast.
He had his eyes set on the Land of Rivers, but Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi, refused to yield.
He was too strong to challenge, too stubborn to negotiate with.
So, in the end, both sides agreed to leave the land as a no-man's-land, an unimportant strip caught between giants.
But now, Mufasa had arrived with his Electromagnetic Release. In one decisive move, he took the Land of Rivers—not just its officials, but its entire system.
His influence spread like wildfire, rewriting the very structure of power between the two great nations.
The Fire Daimyo, Yoshimitsu, raged upon hearing the news.
He stormed through his palace, cursing Mufasa's name.
All the resources he had poured into keeping the Land of Rivers under his thumb—wasted.
His political allies turned to dust. His influence in the region, gone.
Even his own brother had been displaced.
Now, the Land of Wind's forces stood on the very border of the Land of Fire, an insult too great to ignore.
Unacceptable.
Yoshimitsu mobilized an army.
He would personally lead the charge to reclaim what was his.
But before swords were drawn and jutsu were cast, he had one more move to make—espionage.
His spies flooded into the Land of Rivers, seeking allies within Mufasa's territory, searching for cracks in his foundation.
Yamato Nadeko was well aware of this.
"The Fire Daimyo is making his move," she reported to Mufasa.
"His spies are already within our borders. He's looking for traitors, for anyone willing to turn against you."
She leaned back with a smirk. "That means all these deals and contracts I've signed with you? They're worthless if you fall. If the Daimyo wins, all of this turns to dust."
It was a simple truth.
Power dictated legality.
If Mufasa lost, his grand vision would be reduced to nothing more than wasted ink on paper.
Yamato Nadeko didn't seem too concerned, though.
She had options.
If Mufasa crumbled, she could easily switch sides, offer her services to Yoshimitsu, and perhaps even rise higher than she had under Mufasa.
She didn't say it outright, but Mufasa wasn't an idiot.
He studied her for a moment before speaking.
"A nation moves like a cart," he said.
"Once it starts rolling forward, there's no turning back."
She covered her mouth, laughing lightly. "Oh? And what's ahead, then? What's waiting at the end of this road?"
Mufasa fell silent for a long moment.
Finally, he sighed. "To be honest… I don't know. Maybe chaos."
When you break an old system, you don't create stability—you create a void.
People scramble, fight, claw their way toward power, trying to find their place in the new world.
Some fall, some rise, but no one remains unchanged.
"Maybe a lot of people will leave their homes, searching for work," he continued.
"With new roads, railways, and rivers, new towns will grow. Old villages will be left behind. The people there will be forced to adapt or be forgotten."
"Some will succeed," he admitted. "Some will fail."
Yamato Nadeko's amusement faded slightly.
She listened quietly, watching Mufasa's expression.
"I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing," he said finally.
"But they'll find their own way. The world isn't kind enough to let people live as they always have. Change comes whether they want it or not."
He looked up at the sky. "Before the greatest crisis in history comes, I hope the world can produce real heroes."
Yamato Nadeko tilted her head. "Not you?"
Mufasa chuckled. "I'm just a lazy man, really."
"If things were different… I'd rather be lying in bed, playing with a phone, reading novels, watching movies, drinking, and messing around with friends."
'Phone?' Nadeko questioned in her thoughts,
"But reality doesn't care about what I want."
He shook his head, a bitter smile forming.
"In truth… I raise heroes so I can be lazy."
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Word count: 1698
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