Since everyone was so caught up marveling at the Sanbi, they didn't notice Sanada Kazama, the one who actually brought it to the village.
As the crowd gushed over the Sanbi, they all assumed it was Orochimaru who'd captured it.
They kept showering him with praise, which left Orochimaru feeling pretty awkward.
"Kazama-sama, everyone's got it wrong—they think I'm the one who nabbed the Sanbi. I'll clear things up and let them know you're the real leader of Otogakure."
"No need!"
Kazama shook his head with a smile.
"I don't have the energy to run the village right now, so you're still the leader of Otogakure. Don't tell anyone about my real role either. And make sure nobody leaks that our village has the Sanbi—we don't need any unnecessary trouble."
"Got it!"
Orochimaru had no objections to Kazama's orders.
Kazama had his reasons for keeping his true position as Otogakure's leader under wraps.
For one, he wasn't around the village much. If the villagers saw him as the boss, they might stop listening to Orochimaru.
Secondly, Kazama preferred to stay low-key rather than flaunt his status as the village's head.
Playing the pig to eat the tiger—that was always Kazama's style.
Sure, with his current strength, he could probably steamroll the Five Great Nations, but there's always someone stronger out there. Better to stay cautious.
"Oh, and one more thing—Guren and Yukimaru will be living in Otogakure from now on. Look after them."
"No problem, Kazama-sama. I'll take care of it!"
Orochimaru nodded, flashing Guren and Yukimaru a friendly smile.
"Orochimaru-sama!"
Hearing Guren and Yukimaru address him so formally, Orochimaru quickly waved his hands.
"No, no, just call me Orochimaru! I may have caused you some trouble before, so please forgive me!"
Orochimaru knew Guren and Yukimaru had helped Kazama subdue the Sanbi.
They were clearly Kazama's trusted allies now, so he wasn't about to slack off in treating them well.
For Guren and Yukimaru, this was their first time seeing Orochimaru act like this.
In their minds, Orochimaru was always this sinister, ruthless guy.
But in front of Kazama, he seemed like a completely different person.
They couldn't help but admire Kazama's leadership skills.
"Are the villas I built before still around? Set aside a couple for Guren and Yukimaru to live in."
"I'm really sorry, Kazama-sama, but Otogakure's population has grown so much that all the houses have been taken. So…"
Orochimaru wasn't lying. With the village's population boom, the houses Kazama had built with Mokuton (Wood Release) weren't enough anymore.
Some ninja and civilians were even sleeping on the streets, waiting for craftsmen to build more homes.
"Kazama-sama, don't worry about it! We're already grateful just to live in Otogakure. We wouldn't dream of asking for a villa!"
"Yeah, and building houses takes time. We're fine waiting."
"Building a house? That's a matter of minutes. Why wait?"
Kazama strolled over to an open plot of land.
"Kazama-sama, you're not about to build houses right now, are you?"
Guren and Yukimaru were puzzled by his actions.
"Just watch. Kazama-sama's house-building skills are top-tier in the ninja world!"
"Really? Kazama-sama can build houses too?"
Orochimaru's words piqued Guren and Yukimaru's curiosity.
"Mokuton: Renju Ie (Wood Release: Linked Pillar Houses)!"
With Kazama's Mokuton ninjutsu, hundreds of wooden houses sprang up in an instant.
Hundreds of homes appeared before everyone's eyes, sparking gasps of amazement.
The crowd started buzzing about who this Kazama guy was to pull off something so incredible.
Guren and Yukimaru, seeing Kazama whip up hundreds of houses in seconds, were so stunned they collapsed to the ground, dizzy with shock.
"Not bad, kid! You've got some skills. Pick out ten houses for me—I'm taking them!"
Suddenly, a few pot-bellied, arrogant ninja strutted over.
"Pick twenty for me! I've got a big family!"
In no time, these guys claimed all the hundreds of houses, acting like it was their right.
Kazama's face darkened instantly.
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