Although some of these ten people were veteran Jonin...
Even experienced ninjas who had fought in the First and Second Great Ninja Wars and served for more than forty years.
Ebizo couldn't believe these people were undercover agents.
But out of trust in Rasa and caution...
He still nodded solemnly:
"I will send people to monitor these ten people secretly."
Rasa didn't say much more. He just finished the tea in his cup. Suddenly remembering something, he asked casually:
"How are the war preparations going?"
As the default quasi-Fourth Kazekage who could take over at any time, Rasa naturally had the right to ask these questions.
Ebizo finished processing another document in his hand and lowered his voice:
"We have gathered enough supplies for two thousand ninjas to consume for thirty days. These supplies have been sent to the Land of Fire defense line and the Land of Lightning defense line."
"The daily reserve supplies in the village have also been tripled. If a war really breaks out, prices won't change much for at least a month."
"The training volume of students in the Ninja Academy has also doubled."
"We taught them the corresponding basic attack ninjutsu. Originally, they would have to find someone to learn these things on their own later."
"The ninja students who were originally prepared to be eliminated and couldn't graduate have also been kept."
The teacher-student relationship in the Sand Village Ninja Academy wasn't as selfless as in Konoha; it was basically just business.
The Sand Village Ninja Academy system was far inferior to Konoha's relatively mature and complete education system.
With the Sand Village's long-standing poverty, they could only imitate the superficial aspects.
Although called a Ninja Academy, it could actually only be called a high-end Boy Scout training camp.
The Sand Village Ninja Academy only taught basic reading and writing.
As well as explaining the principles of Chakra, teaching refinement, and then teaching basic Substitution Jutsu and ninja tool throwing techniques.
If one was lucky enough to be selected as a Genin candidate after graduation, the rest depended on their own efforts.
Although this resulted in a particularly high mortality rate for Sand Village Genin...
Those who survived to the end were relatively elite, which could be considered a different kind of "Gu" raising (survival of the fittest).
Hearing this, Rasa frowned slowly.
The Sand Village had prepared in advance, but they only prepared this much.
War supplies enough for two thousand ninjas to consume for thirty days sounded like a lot.
But if a war really broke out...
Thousands of Sand ninjas would have to risk their lives on the front lines.
Calculated based on the duration of ninja wars lasting several years...
This little bit wasn't enough to consume at all.
As for the Fourth Great Ninja War more than ten years later, which ended after only three days of fighting...
That was a special case among special cases and couldn't be used as reference information.
As for the supplies reserved in the Sand Village...
Being able to maintain price stability for only a month could only be said to be better than nothing.
Although Rasa felt strange...
He also knew that the Chiyo siblings couldn't be unaware of the cruelty of war.
It was absolutely impossible for them to prepare only this little.
Given their character and status, it was even less likely for them to play petty tricks on such matters.
So he probed:
"Logically speaking, with two days, we should have prepared more fully."
Ebizo obviously saw Rasa's displeasure. He was silent for a moment and said:
"Rasa, we also know that preparing this little isn't of much use, but the problem is, our village has run out of money!"
After saying this, the Third Kazekage played by Ebizo collapsed weakly in the chair.
His tone was indescribable—whether sad or resigned:
"Given our current financial situation in the Sand Village, being able to purchase these supplies at once is already very good."
"Now the village only has five million ryo left. Although it seems like a lot, you must know that there are still mission rewards for tens of thousands of ninjas in the village to be issued."
"Even if we prioritize issuing mission rewards for Jonin, the mission rewards for the remaining Chunin and Genin cannot be delayed for too long."
"So if we continue to purchase supplies, it will seriously affect the operation of the village."
Speaking of this, Ebizo's tone became helpless and resigned:
"You also know the Daimyo's attitude toward our village. He has been cutting funding for our Sand Village over the years."
"The missions our village can receive are fewer year by year. Many clients prefer to choose the neighboring Konoha or the farther Cloud Village."
The Sand Village only needed to be an obedient tool and risk its life blindly, while the Daimyo had many things to consider.
Rasa didn't know what the saddest thing in the world was.
But he knew that currently, the saddest thing was knowing that war was about to break out...
Yet not having enough funds to prepare war supplies in advance.
Although Rasa had long known the Sand Village was poor...
Only by experiencing it personally now could he truly understand the hardships involved.
Rasa hesitated for a moment and said:
"I'll go panning for gold later. It should alleviate the current predicament."
Immediately afterwards, Rasa spoke again:
"As for the Daimyo's situation, I will personally go to the capital of the Land of Wind in a few days."
Hearing Rasa's words, Ebizo first looked happy.
But before he could speak, hearing the latter half of Rasa's sentence, his face changed immediately.
Ebizo took a deep breath and asked tentatively:
"Rasa, what method do you plan to use to persuade the Daimyo?"
Rasa had seen the doubt and fear in the old man's heart. He waved his hand and said:
"Don't worry. That's the Daimyo. I won't use any extreme methods; I'll just have a good talk with him."
Before Ebizo could say anything, Rasa had already stood up and walked out the door.
Ebizo frowned slightly, watching Rasa's retreating figure. Finally, he shook his head slowly.
He still believed that Rasa, a child who had been well-behaved since childhood, wouldn't do anything shocking.
However, he guessed wrong.
If it were Rasa, he naturally wouldn't do such things.
But Rasa, who had transmigrated here and replaced everything of Rasa, wouldn't care about these things.
Rasa walked on the road out of the village.
While returning greetings to the ninjas and civilians who greeted him, he thought about what to do.
The natives born and bred in the ninja world...
Naturally held reverence for the so-called Daimyo and nobles.
Even if the Daimyo clearly wanted them and the village to die slowly together...
They would only endure obediently and never raise any protests.
Not only the Sand Village was like this.
The other four major ninja villages, including Konoha, were the same.
Ninjas who respected strength...
Would actually bow obediently to a Daimyo who didn't control any top-tier powerful forces but only had a so-called bloodline title.
Although Rasa didn't understand, he knew roughly what the situation was.
But now meeting him, an outsider, hehe.
Directly killing or coercing the Daimyo were irrational means.
But Rasa, without using the system's items, relying only on his own current strength...
Could completely make the important guard forces around the Daimyo die one by one in "accidents."
Then give a little suggestion to the Daimyo, who was just an ordinary person.
Or if he didn't mind the trouble...
He could first give a little suggestion to an unfavored son of the Daimyo.
Then create some accidents for the Daimyo's other sons.
Let them die due to accidents, leaving only that unfavored son.
Then let the Daimyo have an accident, making him paraplegic or lose the ability to handle affairs.
After that, it would be a matter of course.
Rasa had plenty of such methods.
People in the ninja world valued titles and bloodlines too much, so they never thought of resisting.
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire created the so-called Twelve Guardian Ninja.
Konoha didn't react either, just tacitly accepted it.
Even the Third Hokage's son, Asuma Sarutobi, joined the Twelve Guardian Ninja.
For decades, Asuma struggled between two "Kings," mentally exhausting himself.
Vacillating between the Konoha Village that gave birth to and raised him and the nominal ruler, the Daimyo.
Even the Hokage's son was like this, let alone other ordinary ninjas.
But for Rasa, he didn't care whether the Daimyo's bloodline was noble or unchanged for a hundred generations.
Anyway, if he got in the way...
Then just change to an obedient Daimyo.
Thinking about these things, Rasa soon walked out of the Sand Village.
He ran to the desert dozens of miles away from the Sand Village and began to refine the gold dust in the desert.
It wasn't until noon that Rasa walked back to the village.
And threw a dozen cloth bags densely packed with gold dust in front of Ebizo.
Ebizo widened his eyes slightly, looking at the dozen bulging cloth bags.
Before he could speak, he found that Rasa had disappeared.
Leaving only one sentence:
"Something urgent came up, leaving first."
Seeing this, Ebizo could only look at Chiyo sitting next to him and smile bitterly.
Chiyo, who had just arrived at the office not long ago, put down the teacup in her hand.
She sighed with mixed feelings:
"Sure enough, his strength has become much stronger. Before, it took half a day to pan two or three bags. Now, in less than half a day, he panned a dozen bags."
"Sister, he has resentment."
"Yes. Who makes our village so poor, and us old immortals so incapable?"
Speaking of this, Chiyo narrowed her eyes at the dozen bags of gold dust on the table and whispered:
"But with these things, at least we can purchase enough war reserve supplies for five thousand ninjas for a month."
"Before, during the First and Second Great Ninja Wars, we didn't prepare so many war reserve supplies in advance."
Rasa strolled in the Sand Village. He didn't have resentment as the Chiyo siblings thought.
Although Rasa did have a little complaint.
But he didn't have much resentment.
Being able to come to the ninja world and possess a system was already a great blessing for him.
What resentment would he have?
If the Sand Village was poor, so be it.
Anyway, he had plenty of ways to make the Sand Village rich.
It was just that those methods needed time.
Now the fastest way to get money was just gold panning.
As for the sentence left in the office just now, it wasn't an excuse; there was really something urgent.
About ten minutes later, Rasa arrived at a house with a warm exterior decoration.
Before Rasa knocked, the door opened automatically.
Behind the door appeared a youthful and beautiful girl's face.
The beautiful girl opened the door and saw Rasa standing at the door.
Her fair and beautiful face showed unconcealed surprise.
"Rasa, I suddenly had a feeling in my heart just now. Opened the door, and it really is you!"
Rasa smiled, carrying fruit bags in both hands, and walked in.
This was the urgent matter Rasa mentioned just now.
Yesterday he agreed to visit Karura's house this afternoon.
Rasa, who hadn't gotten rid of the habits of his previous life, naturally went an hour early.
Yasha Lian had been busy staring at Rasa's face just now. As Rasa entered, she noticed the things Rasa was carrying.
Yasha Lian unconsciously let out an "Eeya".
She hurriedly reached out to take the things in Rasa's hands, saying as she took them:
"You're coming, so why bring two bags of fruit? Making it so formal!"
Rasa smiled and didn't speak, just took off his shoes and walked into the house.
Although some concepts in Rasa's heart had changed greatly.
And some bottom lines had disappeared without a trace.
But these polite habits of more than twenty years couldn't be changed in a short while.
Unless the relationship with Karura was greatly guaranteed, Rasa wouldn't be so polite.
After putting away the two bags of fruit, Yasha Lian hurriedly poked her head out and shouted to a certain room:
"Sister, Rasa is here!"
Soon, a flustered gentle female voice came from that room:
"K... Knew it!"
"Rasa, wait a moment. I'll be out soon."