Chapter 380: What Did She Bring?
Dana and his team returned from the Land of Iron to the Land of Rice Fields, then used the local Heavenly Transfer base to travel back to Cloud City.
Hanzo the Salamander and Yagura Karatachi had originally intended to return to their respective villages, but the Third Raikage wouldn't hear of it. He cordially invited them both to a grand victory celebration, and neither could refuse such hospitality.
After all, they had traveled far to lend their strength to the Cloud; the Federation needed to show its gratitude. Furthermore, the Hidden Rain and Hidden Mist were the next powers slated to officially join the Federation.
Upon arriving in Cloud City, putting aside Hanzo and Yagura's awe at the city's sheer magnificence and the Third Raikage's boisterous party planning, Dana was whisked away the moment his feet touched the ground.
Destination: Federation First Research Institute.
The backlash from forcing open the Seventh Gate was no joke. The end of the battle didn't mean the pain vanished; Dana was currently in a state where even a light breeze felt like a knife against his skin. He only managed to keep from screaming through sheer force of will.
To prevent any permanent damage, he was forced into a regime of comprehensive rest and specialized treatment under Old Man Yoshitoki's orders.
Once again, he found himself pickled in a glass tank.
Unlike the last time, however, he was conscious. He wasn't in a coma.
Which made it infinitely more boring.
Inside the glowing green liquid, bubbles rose around him as the muscular frame of Yotsuki Dana remained suspended like a legendary specimen.
Yoshitoki looked at the frustrated Dana through the glass. "Be patient. After a full diagnostic scan, I'll perform an evaluation. If there are no severe complications, you can leave the tank and transfer to a standard hospital bed."
Dana could only nod. He couldn't exactly speak underwater.
By noon the next day, the results were in. Yoshitoki held a briefing with several researchers, then returned to the tank.
"We've discussed your case," Yoshitoki said. "We feel you can leave the recovery pod for now, but we're adding a secondary auxiliary treatment."
Dana waited for the explanation.
"It's the Chakra-infused rice—the 'Spirit Rice' you named. Your internal chakra pathways and vascular system suffered widespread, though minor, trauma. According to our latest findings, 'Spirit Rice' from the seventeenth generation onward has developed the ability to regulate the body and repair hidden injuries. We've already run successful human trials. From now on, Spirit Rice will be your primary staple diet."
Only then did Dana realize that the Spirit Rice was already safe for human consumption and had reached its seventeenth generation.
The last time I saw it, it was only the seventh...
That evening, he broke out of the tank. He still had to stay in the hospital, but he was no longer a "pickled specimen."
A researcher brought him a bowl of freshly cooked Spirit Rice. The moment it entered the room, a sweet, mouth-watering aroma filled the ward.
Having been on a liquid diet for days, Dana's appetite was raging. He took a large bite immediately.
The taste was incredible—a deep, natural sweetness that made even plain white rice taste like a delicacy. Every mouthful felt better than the last.
More importantly, with every bite, a tiny amount of chakra replenished his stomach, radiating a gentle heat that began to soothe his internal aches.
Unlike the brute-force surge of a Soldier Pill, this was a gentle, harmonizing treatment.
If one had external wounds or acute symptoms, Spirit Rice wouldn't be a primary cure—eating rice to fix a broken bone is just stupid. But for long-term nourishment and recovery, it was the only supernatural food in the ninja world.
Dana suddenly remembered that Natsu had been pregnant for several months now. He decided to eat this for a few more days to ensure there were no side effects; if it stayed safe, he would add it to Natsu's diet. It would nourish her and potentially benefit the child as well.
When Dana inquired about the yield, the report was mixed: the costs were high, but as long as the Federation was willing to pay, supplying a small, elite group of people was perfectly feasible.
The fact that it caused soil desertification meant it couldn't be grown everywhere, but for the elite of the Cloud, it was perfect.
Under the nourishment of the Spirit Rice, Dana recovered at a lightning pace. By the third day, the chronic pain was gone. A week later, he was back to 100% capacity with no lingering side effects.
Having verified the results, Dana ordered an increase in production, primarily for Natsu, his mother Satomi, and his Old Man.
Natsu needed it for the pregnancy, and his mother was over fifty; despite her beauty, her health could use the boost.
As for his father, the Third Raikage was a Taijutsu specialist who had passed his physical prime. Years of high-intensity training and administrative stress had left him with accumulated wear and tear.
As for Dana himself? Now that he was healed, eating more Spirit Rice was just an indulgence for his taste buds.
In the wake of the battle, Iwagakure and Sunagakure both initiated a voluntary ceasefire. The long, bloody skirmishes at the borders finally gave way to peace. Both villages dispatched envoys to the Federation to negotiate terms.
Iwagakure sent their "perennial tool" Elder, Grey Earth. Sunagakure, however, sent someone far more significant: their new Fourth Kazekage—Sasori.
Following his successful assassination of the "mad" Third Kazekage, Sasori—backed by Elders Chiyo and Ebizo and the village's vast population of puppet masters—was hailed as a hero who ended a reign of terror. At only fifteen years old, he became the youngest Kage in history.
This record was originally expected to be broken by Yotsuki Dana, but the "Brightest Star" had taken a different path, jumping from Elder to Prince Thunder, then to Daimyo, and finally Consul.
Sasori's first act as Kazekage was to terminate his predecessor's disastrous policies, stop the fighting, and signal his intent to join the Cloud-Thunder Federation.
On the surface, Sasori's throne looked precarious—a product of extreme circumstances. But a deeper look revealed it was rock solid. With the Third Kazekage dead, Chiyo (his grandmother) and Ebizo (his grand-uncle) were the highest authorities in Suna. Furthermore, Sasori was already a legendary genius among puppet masters, giving him the support of the village's strongest faction.
By the time the Third Kazekage died, he had become the focus of the entire village's resentment. That hatred served as the fuel for Sasori's rise; the average Suna ninja viewed him as their savior.
In a sense, the Third Kazekage got exactly what he wanted.
Top Floor of the Cloud Spire.
Dana, back at his desk, received Sasori in his official capacity as Fourth Kazekage.
Looking at the exceptionally young boy wearing the Kazekage hat, Dana felt a moment of temporal vertigo.
Who would have thought? Sasori is the Kazekage!
After dismissing their attendants, Sasori followed the Third Kazekage's dying wish and informed Dana of the Genjutsu manipulation. Though Dana had suspected it, hearing the details still made him sigh.
Even the Shadow of a village was nothing more than a disposable tool in the hands of Madara Uchiha.
Dana agreed to Sasori's request to keep the truth of the Third Kazekage's manipulation a secret from the public. Sunagakure was already moving toward the Federation in high spirits; revealing that their previous leader was a puppet would only cause unnecessary drama that benefited no one.
Compared to Suna's proactive stance, Onoki seemed to be struggling to maintain his pride, only sending an Elder to negotiate.
Since a general peace was the new reality, Dana didn't plan to press Iwa too hard. The old man was just stubborn.
However, the "Anti-Cloud Alliance" didn't consist of only two ninja villages. There were still ten Daimyos, various noble factions, and villages like Kusagakure and Takigakure, not to mention countless mercenaries.
The war wasn't "over" just because the two main villages stopped fighting. There was a massive amount of cleanup to do.
As the negotiations proceeded, an unexpected visitor arrived at Cloud City.
"Consul-sama, there is a woman at the main gate requesting an audience..."
In the bustling Administrative Headquarters, Dana looked up from his paperwork, puzzled.
"A woman?"
For a message to reach his desk, there had to be something noteworthy about the situation. His subordinates didn't report every random person who wanted to see him.
Sure enough, his subordinate continued:
"She... she calls herself Yotsuki Teru. She says... she has brought a dowry to find you."
Dana first searched his memory for the name. The masked woman... one of Madara's subordinates...
Then, he froze.
"She brought what?"
"A dowry, my lord..."