The daimyo's annual appropriations and mission commissions were the two primary economic pillars supporting the ninja villages. However, this economic model didn't apply equally to all the Five Great Ninja Villages or the specialized minor ones like Yugakure.
Each of these villages possessed unique commercial advantages.
Kumogakure's livestock industry had always been favored by the nobility, particularly their high-quality beef, which was a staple at high-end banquets across the continent.
Although Iwagakure was surrounded by barren rock, it sat atop vast underground mineral deposits. They made a fortune exporting rare earth metals and iron ore. Especially now, with war driving up demand, the price of iron had multiplied several times over, filling the Stone Village's coffers.
Kirigakure was an island nation surrounded by the sea; its economy thrived on fisheries, pearl harvesting, and maritime trade that no landlocked nation could replicate.
As for Konoha, there was no need to elaborate. Situated in the most fertile lands with the richest resources, it was naturally the commercial hub of the ninja world.
And then there was Yugakure. Their hot springs tourism alone generated enough revenue to support the entire village annually. They had long stopped taking dangerous missions because their ninjas were simply too wealthy to bother risking their lives. It was known as the "Village That Forgot War."
In stark contrast, what about Sunagakure?
Located in the heart of a merciless desert, they couldn't even grow enough food to be self-sufficient.
The surrounding area was a desolate wilderness of shifting dunes. Sometimes even their own seasoned shinobi could get lost in the sandstorms, let alone foreign merchant caravans.
Apart from the Wind Daimyo's official supply convoys, no private merchants dared to venture here.
The few large oases and coastal areas were under the direct jurisdiction of the Daimyo, while only the smaller, inland oases closer to the borders of Fire and Earth fell under Sunagakure's control.
However, these oases were shrinking.
During the Second Kazekage's tenure, Sunagakure's military strength had improved significantly, leading to a population boom. This put immense strain on the fragile desert ecosystem. Wells in the smaller oases began to run dry, accelerating the desertification of the few habitable zones left.
This was one of the primary reasons why Sunagakure had initiated the war.
With their living environment deteriorating rapidly, if Sunagakure didn't want to die a slow, thirsty death, they had to seize arable land while they still had the strength to fight.
Now, Shiro had succeeded as the Third Kazekage.
Naturally, he couldn't let Sunagakure continue to wither away in the sand.
So, he decided to build a road.
He planned to construct a massive highway connecting Sunagakure to the Land of Rain and the Land of Rivers, completely opening up trade routes to other nations—especially Konoha.
After all, Konoha was a "fat sheep" overflowing with cash. As long as Shiro catered to their vices and preferences, he could definitely make a fortune off them.
The road would pass through three medium-sized oases, which would be transformed into luxury service areas.
Among them, the oasis closest to the Land of Fire border would feature a grand casino!
Don't ask why. Lord Shiro was simply kind-hearted. He couldn't bear to see the legendary "Thunder Maiden" (Tsunade) addicted to a single boring die game; he just wanted her to experience the joy of slots, poker, and roulette.
As for what products to sell once the trade route was open, Shiro had already planned it out.
**Blind Boxes!**
He would sell "Gold Dust Blind Boxes." Each set would contain 100 boxes filled with sand. Mixed into a few of these boxes would be actual nuggets of gold.
If a lucky merchant opened a box of sand and found a chunk of solid gold, the rumors would spread like wildfire. The gambling addiction of the masses would do the rest.
Of course, all of this depended on the road actually being built.
Since the terrain was entirely shifting sand with an average depth of twenty to forty meters, building a traditional road directly on the surface was impossible. The dunes would swallow it within a week.
Therefore, Shiro proposed an elevated highway. It would be constructed on massive cylindrical pillars—3 meters wide and 80 meters long—made of reinforced steel and concrete.
These pillars would be driven deep through the sand layer to anchor firmly into the bedrock below. Then, the road surface would be laid on top of these pillars, creating a bridge across the desert. This way, there would be no need to worry about quicksand or shifting dunes burying the trade route.
When Shiro presented this plan to the high-ranking officials of Sunagakure, it was met with near-unanimous opposition.
The plan was deemed too fantastical, and the projected cost was astronomical.
Some officials, who had not yet witnessed Shiro's true power, even accused him of being unfit for the title of Kazekage. They argued that spending the village's entire treasury on a road that could be destroyed in wartime was putting the cart before the horse.
And 80-meter pillars? Who was going to install those?
"At this critical juncture, with the war just settled, you summoned us here. We thought it was to hear sage advice on stabilizing the village," one elder spat, standing up in indignation. "Yet you presumptuously propose to expend the entire strength of Sunagakure to build a bridge to nowhere! Are you trying to bring about our ruin?"
The room fell silent, the tension palpable.
Shiro looked at the elder calmly. "The affairs of Sunagakure are my responsibility. I am the Kazekage. If I wish it done, who dares to disobey?"
The elder snorted, his face red. "Hmph! The affairs of Sunagakure belong to the Sand Shinobi, to the collective wisdom of the council! You, a mere child who has just put on the hat, do not understand the hardships of governance. What can a fledgling like you possibly accomplish?"
Moments later, that elder—who clearly hadn't read the memo on Shiro's combat prowess—was pinned to the wall by Shiro's Magnet Release and carried out of the room unconscious.
And so, the proposal was passed via "unanimous" silent agreement.
Of course, the elders' concerns weren't entirely baseless.
Indeed, driving 80-meter pillars into the bedrock was a task that required immense power. Unless Shiro did it himself using Magnet Release, no conventional construction crew could accomplish it.
However, as the Kazekage, Shiro couldn't spend his days acting as a glorious pile driver.
This was the practical reason for the opposition. Sunagakure's officials weren't fools; they knew the village needed an economy, but they couldn't sacrifice their leader's dignity and time for manual labor. Sunagakure cared about its reputation as a Great Nation; having the Kazekage working construction in the desert would be a laughingstock.
That's right, currently, only Shiro had the power to complete the task.
But they had all forgotten one thing. Sunagakure wasn't just made up of people.
Wasn't there also a giant tanuki?
Wasn't there a Tailed Beast—the One-Tail, Shukaku—residing in the village? A creature whose power over sand was absolute?
They could simply let Shukaku manifest fully, grab a pillar with its massive tail, stab it into the ground, and tap it a few times to set it.
On average, it could probably install one every three minutes.
If they kept Shukaku happy during construction, the beast might even apply some natural sealing jutsu to reinforce the road structure.
Thinking of this, Shiro couldn't help but drool slightly.
*Delicious... so delicious.*
This wasn't just a Tailed Beast; this was clearly Sunagakure's greatest heavy machinery asset!
So, Shiro went to visit Lord Bunpuku.
The first day was... difficult.
Upon seeing Shiro, Shukaku retreated into the depths of Bunpuku's psyche, avoiding him like the plague. The beast was absolutely unwilling to meet him.
This left Shiro quite helpless; he had been too aggressive with his "cat-sucking" (chakra draining) activities in the past, and now the giant tanuki was traumatized.
Finally, after Shiro's repeated assurances and Lord Bunpuku's gentle persuasion, Shukaku agreed to negotiate.
It took three days of persistent coaxing, nagging, and psychological maneuvering.
Shukaku only agreed to the labor contract after Shiro promised to rename the highway the "Shukaku Grand Road" and erect golden statues of the One-Tail at every service area and the village entrance.
Of course, to seal the deal, Shiro also spent an entire day loudly cursing a certain Nine-Tailed Fox, promising to double his harassment of the Kyuubi in the future to prove that Shukaku was the superior beast.
And thus, the great construction project began.