In a spacious courtyard within Sunagakure, Sasori was crouched on the ground, tinkering with a human-shaped puppet. Unlike his usual demeanor, where his eyes were as lifeless as stagnant water, devoid of any emotion or ripple, today his gaze was alight with brilliance, and his serious expression carried a resolute determination.
If Sasori had previously approached puppet-making like a soulless machine, today he had transformed into a craftsman pouring his very spirit into his creations.
The reason for this change was simple: earlier that day, he had gone to the back mountain to seek out Granny Chiyo and had confirmed a piece of information from her—a forbidden technique capable of reviving the dead truly existed.
Granny Chiyo had been quite taken aback, as it was the first time Sasori had ever sought her out of his own volition.
When Sasori eagerly posed his question, Granny Chiyo froze momentarily. She immediately realized that her long-standing practice of deceiving Sasori had likely been a mistake, for the boy had already uncovered the truth on his own.
Previously, she had believed that the best way to protect Sasori was through concealment, hoping to divert his attention by teaching him puppet techniques. She had assumed that, as he grew older and his heart grew stronger, he would be able to accept the reality of his parents' deaths.
After careful consideration, Granny Chiyo revealed the information Sasori most wanted to hear: not only did such a resurrection technique exist, but she herself had been researching and developing it—and had made some progress.
However, Granny Chiyo omitted the fact that her resurrection technique would consume the user's own life force.
After all, seeing her beloved grandson finally smile with excitement was something she would protect at any cost, even if that cost was her own life.
"Father! Mother! Don't worry—I will bring you back to life!" Sasori's hands moved faster as he worked on his puppet.
If his previous puppet-making had been purely driven by talent, now it was fueled by hope and fervent passion.
The puppets were no longer mere artistic pursuits; they had become symbols of hope and the purpose of his life.
The greatest pain one can endure is living without purpose, without goals—a hollow existence akin to a wandering ghost. In such circumstances, a person's character can twist into extremes.
Fortunately, after Sasori lost his original target of vengeance, Sōmi had immediately injected him with a dose of motivation, reigniting his vitality.
In the Kazekage's office, the Third Kazekage sat upright, his expression solemn as he addressed the young man standing before him. "Sōmi, the Lands of Lightning and Earth have been stirring again recently. What do you think we should do?"
"Master, there's no need to concern ourselves with them," Sōmi replied, his tone calm and composed.
"Oh? But sometimes, the tree desires stillness, yet the wind refuses to cease..." the Third Kazekage said worriedly.
"Master, even if other nations wage war against us, it's likely just posturing or an attempt to weaken our forces. They fear we'll reap the benefits after the war ends," Sōmi began analyzing.
"After all, the Land of Wind has barren soil and scarce resources. Minerals, which require long-term occupation to yield profits, are not something they'd want to expend their true military strength on us for."
"Hmm... So should we simply endure their provocations?" The Kazekage shook his head. The Land of Wind had been the weakest among the Five Great Nations for decades, a situation rooted in its harsh environment.
The Land of Fire, by contrast, boasted fertile soil, abundant resources in agriculture, minerals, and population, and was indisputably the strongest. Moreover, its ninja talent was unparalleled, with figures like the God of Shinobi and Uchiha Madara capable of dominating the entire ninja world single-handedly.
"Of course, retaliating out of pride and sending young ninjas to the battlefield to die would do nothing to benefit our village's development."
"What we need are tangible gains in territory and resources."
"But with our current strength, we don't have guaranteed victory against any nation. Therefore, we must consolidate our forces and allow the other nations to deplete their resources on the battlefield."
"Only when they're worn down can we seize the opportunity to obtain what we desire," Sōmi said, his gaze fixed on the map of the ninja world hanging behind the Kazekage.
"But if another nation launches a full-scale attack on us, we won't be able to fend them off," the Kazekage said, his concern deepening.
After all, Sunagakure currently had only a handful of Kage-level ninjas. Besides himself and the elder Granny Chiyo, the village's only other notable figure was Rasa, a newcomer who had mastered Magnet Release.
As for Sunagakure's "nuclear weapon," Bunpuku... That option would only be considered in the direst of circumstances.
As for the younger generation, Sōmi and Sasori—while their talent was evident to the Kazekage—geniuses need time to grow.
"Therefore, what we need to do now is strengthen our defensive infrastructure. Additionally, we should learn from Konohagakure's system of medical ninjas. Select talented individuals from the ninja academy for specialized training as medical ninjas to reduce casualties among our forces."
"Furthermore, we should increase grain purchases and stockpile enough food to sustain the country for several years, ensuring food supply during wartime."
"We should also have domestic workshops produce more ninja tools. Even if we don't use them ourselves, we can sell them during prolonged conflicts to generate funds."
"As for the initial funding, we may need to trouble Brother Rasa to work a bit harder," Sōmi concluded, laying out his ideas.
Although Rasa had received some guidance from the Kazekage, he wasn't formally a disciple. Still, there was a bond of mentorship between them, so Sōmi's address of "Brother" wasn't inappropriate.
The Kazekage fell into silence, his heroic features clouded with a furrowed brow.
Sōmi's suggestions were indeed urgent matters for Sunagakure. While difficult to implement, the benefits would be undeniable if war broke out in full force.
After a long pause, the Kazekage's tightly knit brow finally relaxed.
From the day he assumed the role of Kazekage, he had resolved to lead Sunagakure toward prosperity and strength, breaking free from its long-standing status as the weakest of the great nations.
In past discussions with Sōmi, the Kazekage had discovered his disciple's rare strategic thinking.
Most ninjas are trained to obey orders and complete missions, but for a village to thrive, it requires broader planning and vision.
Since then, the Kazekage had intentionally involved Sōmi in various discussions, and his insights often hit the mark. Though his ideas were somewhat rudimentary, their core direction was undeniably correct.
The Kazekage decided then and there to convene a high-level meeting to outline Sunagakure's next steps for reform.