Chapter 138: Are You Sure This Isn't a Joke?
These two were showing real sincerity.
Naturally, Uchiha Dali wasn't going to refuse them.
Of course, even if they hadn't come to ask for his help, Uchiha Dali would've lent them a hand anyway.
At this moment, Uchiha Dali was in an excellent mood.
The behavior of Rasa and Yagura proved that his plan was effective.
If everyone could live peacefully and enjoy a good life, why would they bring suffering upon themselves and choose to live in frustration?
Looking back at the previous Shinobi World Wars, at the root of it all, they were ultimately conflicts over interests.
Poverty, underdevelopment, and lack of resources had left many small nations with no way out. Even a so-called great nation like the Land of Wind sometimes had no choice but to resort to force to solve problems.
But if everyone could have enough to eat, those worries would disappear.
This was the first step toward achieving lasting peace.
And now, things were off to a good start.
Uchiha Dali nodded slightly to Rasa and Yagura.
"You don't have to worry."
"I won't ignore the Land of Water and the Land of Wind."
"But—what was that you said just now?"
Uchiha Dali looked toward Yagura.
The latter glanced at Akimichi Choza before replying, "It's like this, Lord Fourth. As you know, our Land of Water has long existed overseas."
"In such a remote environment, far from the mainland, developing the economy is extremely difficult. That's why I thought of coming to you, Lord Fourth Hokage."
"I've already heard…"
He turned to glance at Rasa as he spoke.
At that moment, both Rasa and Uchiha Dali had already more or less guessed what Yagura was going to say.
Sure enough.
As the two of them made eye contact, Yagura immediately continued, "I've already heard about how the Fourth Hokage helped transform the Land of Wind's geographical environment."
"It was truly a miracle…"
His praise was heartfelt.
The other shinobi present in the conference room were visibly moved as well.
All of them turned to look at Uchiha Dali with expressions full of reverence.
Uchiha Dali had used the power of Wood Release to alter the environment of the Land of Wind.
He had single-handedly fought back against the forces of nature, transforming what had once been a desert kingdom into a forest.
To this day, everyone still found it utterly unbelievable.
Now that Yagura had brought it up, whispers quickly spread among those present.
"He already finished the transformation? I thought the Fourth Hokage hadn't even started yet…"
"Yeah, I only heard about it from some envoys from the Land of Wind who were chatting in the village. They said the country had really changed from desert to primeval forest—absolutely true."
"So the Fourth Hokage really pulled it off. That power is just unbelievable!"
"No doubt about it, it's on par with the First Hokage!"
"He transformed an entire country all by himself—that's just incredible!"
"…"
The elite Konoha shinobi in the room were all murmuring in awe.
Rasa also stood up and personally confirmed it.
"That's right. With the Fourth Hokage's help, the Land of Wind's environment has seen massive improvements—calling it a complete transformation would be no exaggeration."
"What used to be barren land can now produce its own food and crops."
As he said this, Rasa couldn't help but speak with pride—and overwhelming gratitude.
He looked at Uchiha Dali with deep respect.
Yagura, on the other hand, was overjoyed and seized the opportunity to continue, "Exactly, Lord Fourth Hokage. When we heard about this, we immediately thought of asking for your help."
"If you were able to completely transform the Land of Wind's desert environment, then this task probably wouldn't be too difficult for you either…"
"You want me to help transform the Land of Water as well?"
Uchiha Dali looked at him with a faint smile.
Though interrupted, Yagura wasn't offended in the slightest and nodded eagerly.
He looked at Uchiha Dali with anticipation. "Exactly."
"Lord Fourth Hokage, if you could help us construct a land route between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire, we could connect both regions into one whole."
"That would make everything much more convenient…"
Upon hearing Yagura's words, Uchiha Dali himself showed no particular reaction.
This was well within his expectations.
But the other shinobi couldn't stay calm.
When they heard what Yagura said, their jaws dropped.
Some couldn't help blurting out in disbelief:
"Connecting the Land of Water and the Land of Fire with land?? Isn't that just delusional? That's completely impossible!"
"Yeah, doing that would be like a massive land reclamation project! The distance between the two is enormous—and don't forget there's an entire sea in between!"
"This idea is insane. If you really wanted to do that, even for Lord Fourth…"
"To be honest, I know the Fourth Hokage's power is terrifying—he used Wood Release to reshape the Land of Wind's desert. But that's his own power, easy to wield. If we're talking about reclaiming land from the sea, even Wood Release wouldn't be enough…"
"…"
The entire conference room was buzzing with disbelief.
Everyone was talking at once, all voices filled with doubt.
It wasn't that they didn't believe in Uchiha Dali's strength.
It was just that Yagura's proposal was far too outrageous.
No one could understand it—and based on their limited knowledge, none of them thought it was even remotely possible.
"Lord Fourth Mizukage, do you have any idea what you're saying?"
"Reclaiming land from the sea requires an immense amount of earth. You don't seriously think that's something easily done, do you?"
"This is just too absurd. It's completely impossible!"
"…"
More and more people began speaking on Uchiha Dali's behalf.
It was clear they weren't just doubting Yagura's idea—they were also genuinely concerned for Uchiha Dali.
If he agreed, it would end up creating a huge burden for Konoha.
"I understand this might be a very presumptuous request."
"If it's possible, we're willing to cooperate in any way necessary, unconditionally, Lord Fourth Hokage."
Yagura looked nervously at Uchiha Dali and tried to explain.
Seeing this, the other shinobi also turned to look at Uchiha Dali.
Just when everyone thought he would reject the request, Uchiha Dali merely smiled faintly and said:
"That's not hard at all. I'll do it."
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