It's normal to get a kaleidoscope as a first deposit of six yuan, right?

"Hmm...it seems this place really is devoid of any human habitation." Zhi Xue stood on a hillside, looking at the seemingly endless desert in all directions. She took out her compass and activated her senses, familiarizing herself with the situation within several miles around her.

“Very good, there is no sign of White Zetsu or Obito here.” Zhi Xue stretched and formed hand seals, channeling chakra into the sea of ​​sand from beneath her feet.

"Wood Release!" Zhixue's chakra flowed through the desert and gradually gathered together. Wisps of green light shone from the darkness, and the miracle of life seemed to burst forth at this moment. Rows of tender green shoots seemed to emerge from the fine sand.

"Looks like there's hope?" Seeing the sprouting buds, Zhixue increased her chakra output, and the buds growing on the ground instantly began to grow vigorously. In less than three seconds, trees shimmering with emerald green light appeared neatly in this desert area.

However, after circling the pile of trees a few times, Zhixue discovered a big problem.

The desert cannot effectively store water. It is all sandy land and rarely rains. Even if a tree takes deep root here, it will probably wither after a long time and cannot be preserved for long.

"We can try using Earth Release ninjutsu to see how effective it is." Zhi Xue knelt on the sand, quickly formed hand seals, and then slammed her hands into the ground, sinking them deep into the fine sand.

"Earth Release: Lifting Rock!" Shiki channeled her chakra through the thick layer of sand into the ground, gradually lifting up a large amount of soil to cover the tree roots while leaving gaps for breathing.

The earth trembled, and the desert seemed to be emitting mournful cries. After raising the soil from the depths, Zhixue once again activated Wood Release, and thick trees grew from the soil.

Half an hour later, a patch of irregularly shaped trees, stretching nearly a hundred meters long, suddenly appeared in the desert, looking quite out of place even in the night.

"It seems that even with Wood Release, there are still many long-term issues to consider regarding afforestation in the desert." Zhi Xue looked at the small forest and exhaled a breath of stale air.

Looking at the experimental field in front of her, Zhi Xue wandered around it several times before stretching and feeling sleepy. She then lay down on a tree and slowly fell asleep.

When Zhixue woke up again, it was already past 8 a.m. the next day. Since the Akatsuki organization had no missions for the time being, Zhixue was happy to have some free time.

Half an hour later, Zhi Xue, slightly disguised, arrived alone in a small town on the edge of the desert. It seemed to be located on the southern side of the Wind Kingdom, bordering the desert. Due to the environment and the difficulty in dredging roads, the people here did not seem to be living very well.

Everywhere you look, you can see ordinary people walking around in tattered clothes covered in mud and sand, while Zhixue, dressed in neat clothes and with fair and delicate skin, has become a unique sight here.

Walking along what appeared to be a street, Zhi Xue looked around at the dazed and lifeless civilians and continued deeper in. Through her senses, she arrived at a place surrounded by stone fences, which seemed to be where the town mayor was located.

"It seems this must be the place." Zhi Xue looked at the doorway, which still had half a wooden door remaining, and stepped inside.

The old town mayor, who was sitting on a cloth and smoking a pipe, was startled when he heard footsteps outside the door.

These steps don't seem like the usual straw sandals, nor do they look like wooden clogs. Could it be that someone from above has come?

As soon as Zhi Xue entered the town mayor's courtyard, she saw a hunched old man with a pipe coming out of the house, looking quite surprised at her appearance.

"Girl, did you come alone?"

Ten minutes later, Zhixue entered the house and sat down on the tatami mat opposite the village chief. There was a table between them, on which were placed several dry flatbreads and small pieces of cactus.

"I thought you got lost in the desert. If you want to do business, you should head northwest. It's close to the trade route. Although it's not exactly prosperous, it's where most people enter the Wind Kingdom. But I have to tell you beforehand that the caravans there are very cunning. If you want to transport goods from the outside world here, it's probably not going to be easy, and you could easily lose your life."

Looking at the old man with his brows furrowed, Zhi Xue said, "Is that so? Thank you for the reminder, old man. But I will definitely continue doing business. However, the caravan you mentioned is probably no problem for me. I can easily cross this desert even without going with them."

“Girl, you were just lucky not to encounter any on the way. There are plenty of sandworms active in this desert. Do you know how powerful those monsters hidden in the sand are?” The old village chief said with a smile, looking at Zhixue who seemed very confident.

"How amazing is he?" Zhi Xue stared wide-eyed at the old town mayor, who was pretending to be innocent despite being laughed at, and asked curiously.

"That monster is as tall as the village's watchtower. When it opens its blood-red maw, it can swallow several people in one gulp. Even the village's ninjas have a headache dealing with it. A little girl like you wouldn't even be enough to fill its teeth. Don't even think about doing business. You should just obediently go home with the caravan traveling north and live a good life."

Looking at the old town mayor who seemed not to quite understand, Zhi Xue chuckled and then took out a headband from Amegakure Village from her pocket and placed it on the table.

"Don't worry, old man. Although I'm not very strong, I'm still capable of protecting myself if I can get here from the other side of the desert. I'm just here to inquire about the reason for the occupation of the land."

Chapter 152, Clearing the Road

The old town mayor was also quite astonished when Zhixue took out the ninja headband.

Although ninjas are the main fighting force in this world, they are not found everywhere. In their small area, the climate is harsh, water and food are scarce, and mineral resources are extremely rare.

It's unknown how many years it will take for the Sand Village to send ninjas to check on things, but they basically won't do anything once they see the state of the place. After all, the little money they have is only enough for their own use, let alone helping others.

Fortunately, because the area is poor, it is largely untouched by war and thus spared from its impact.

Half an hour later, Zhi Xue and the old mayor arrived at the outskirts of the town. They walked around and saw the dried-up tributaries, the villagers who were starving and cold, and the many abandoned mine pits.

“Girl, even if you are a ninja, you cannot interfere with the choices of nature. Just like the continuous mountain range behind us and the endless desert in front of us, they block the outside world from contacting this place.”

"Unless you can wipe out all the giant beasts and poisonous insects in the desert or carve a road through these mountains stretching for hundreds of miles, the cost of transporting them alone will probably leave you unable to afford clothes," the old village chief said calmly, pointing to the distant, faintly visible mountains and the desert on one side, feeling the cold wind whistling around him.

“Aside from ninjas, it is extremely difficult for ordinary people to travel freely between these two places, not to mention that this is a barren land with no resources at all. You should go to the north. Maybe this place had some value a few decades ago, but it is obviously not a good place to go now.”

Listening to the old town mayor's words, Zhi Xue stood on the earthen slope and thought for a moment.

So there are mountains in the distance? If they're blocking the way, we can cut a path through them, but there's no rush. We'll take it one step at a time.

Next, Zhixue inquired with the old town mayor about the sale and use of local water and timber resources.

"Water is something that everyone in this area, being on the edge of the desert, usually gets shared equally from the mountain springs. It's precious, but it hasn't been sold yet. As for timber, are you going to do timber business?" the old village chief asked Zhixue.

"Hmm, is there a problem with that?"

"Wood is not commonly used here, but in the heart of the Wind Kingdom, many wealthy merchants or nobles buy it. Even the most common poplar wood would probably cost ten or twenty thousand per cubic meter."

"So expensive!?" Hearing that it cost so much, Zhi Xue's eyes lit up. Wow, she felt like she was about to strike it rich.

Seeing Zhi Xue's greedy look, with her eyes gleaming with the desire for money, the old town mayor could only sigh with a wry smile.

"Alas, the climate of the desert and Gobi is different from other places, and very few trees can survive there. Also, because the transportation from outside takes a long time and is risky, it is normal for them to be expensive."

"However, this stuff has always been monopolized by traveling caravans, so as I told you before, it's just a waste of time here. Go home early so your family won't worry." The old town mayor chuckled twice and carefully slid down the earthen slope.

He already regarded Zhixue as the beloved daughter of some wealthy family or a famous person, someone who enjoyed traveling to places she had never been before. Although his intentions were good, it was clearly unrealistic.

Watching the departing old mayor, Zhi Xue also jumped down from the earthen slope, then tidied up the dust and sand that had settled on her clothes.

"It seems the market potential of the Wind Kingdom here is enormous. I should go and see the prices for myself first." Zhi Xue made up her mind and, after saying goodbye to the old mayor, headed to the northern timber market in the afternoon, also collecting some wood from the experimental field.

after one day…

After disguising herself with a transformation spell, Zhi Xue arrived at the timber wholesale market and began talking to a shop owner.

"You have so much timber? Why didn't you come with the caravan today?"

"Huh? Are there still caravans?" Zhi Xue was a little confused when she heard this, but then she realized that there was more than one caravan in the west, and there must be other merchants who would fill the vacancies.

After figuring out the price and market of timber and getting to know the boss, Zhi Xue spent almost the entire month in the Land of Wind, except for occasionally answering Payne's teleportation calls to complete a few tasks, inquiring about land ownership and timber matters.

Amegakure Village—

"What has Xiaoxue been doing lately?" Obito asked White Zetsu, who was in charge of intelligence.

"I don't know. She hid her chakra. Once we entered the desert, we couldn't sense her at all." White Zetsu shook his head, while Obito raised an eyebrow.

"Those few awful places in the Land of Wind are among the worst in the ninja world. What is Shiki going there for?"

While Obito was still wondering, Shizuka's shadow clone from the Land of Wind had already led the old mayor to the area near the desert border of the village.

"Girl, what do you want, knocking on my door so early in the morning and dragging this old man out?" The old town mayor, dressed in burlap clothes, looked at the few stars faintly visible in the sky and yawned as he spoke.

"Of course, I need to discuss something important with you."

"What important place could possibly be here? Ugh! I * (a vulgar expression from the Land of Wind)"

The old town mayor's eyes widened instantly when he saw several piles of timber in the distance, each taller than a two-story building.

How did this thing get here? Did he spend the whole month he was gone doing this? He thought she had understood his good advice and gone home to live a good life.

"Girl, how much did it cost to ship it over?"

"Huh, this thing costs money? Shouldn't it just come out with a clap of your hands?"

"Do you think wood can take root in sand? Besides, a tree takes several years to grow, right? I'm not old enough to have dementia yet." The old mayor ran around the wood and touched it with his hands.

Huh? Why does it look a little moist?

"Sigh, it's true. I'm the hope of your whole village, no, the whole town! Old Mayor, I'm doing a good deed. I'm even planning to open the road today so you can have unimpeded access to the outside world." Zhi Xue spread her hands helplessly.

She wanted to maintain her mysterious identity while running a timber sales and planting business. She could manage the planting all by herself; with a few hand seals and earth magic, she could clear a forest in two hours. However, she would definitely need other people's help with transportation. She could also consider this a way of giving back some of the guild's dirty money.

“A passage? It’s impassable on the other side of the desert,” the old town mayor said. There are too many dangers in the desert; it’s too unsafe to go there.

"We're not going through the desert, but over there on the other side of the mountains," Zhi Xue said, pointing to the distant mountain range. A bright light, like a star, fell from the clouds, followed by a blinding glare that seemed to engulf the entire world. The surrounding earth began to tremble violently. After a few seconds of mental blankness, Zhi Xue and the old village chief heard a muffled explosion and a booming sound.

In a world where everything was a pure white and crimson, Zhi Xue looked at the old town mayor beside her, who seemed to be terrified and was saying something unintelligible. She reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

"Calm down, calm down, this is just the first one. We'll clear it out with Earth Release after we finish fighting it today. Walking will be much easier from now on."

Chapter 153, Afforestation

The Sand Village in the Land of Wind is a village that is covered by sandstorms all year round. However, due to its geographical location, it is also an important strategic point in the Land of Wind. It is also one of the gateways for transporting goods to other more prosperous areas such as daimyo castles. Although the land is still very barren, it is one of the better places in the Land of Wind.

"Gaara should be six years old by now, right?"

"Lord Kazekage! Gaara is still too young. There are many things that need to be taught him when he's older. If we proceed according to the plan, I'm afraid..."

Seeing the worry on Yashamaru's face, Rasa's expression also turned serious.

"Don't have any concerns. I'm using the Kage of a village to implement this policy. As a ninja from Sunagakure, you naturally have to prioritize the village. If Gaara can't control the One-Tailed Beast by suppressing his emotions, how can he become the village's strongest weapon?"

Looking at the resolute Rasa before him, devoid of any emotion, Yashamaru felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

Gaara was already hated and ostracized by everyone in the village, and his heart was filled with darkness. If he were to follow the plan devised by Rasa, Gaara's mind would probably become twisted to an unknown degree in the future.

Just as Rasa was talking to Yashamaru about the Jinchuriki of the Tailed Beasts, an urgent secret letter was brought to him by the Anbu.

"Lord Kazekage, urgent intelligence has arrived from the southern mountain region. Please make your decision."

"The southern mountain area? It's dirt poor there. What urgent information could it possibly have? Even if it did, it would be managed by the finance department. We should be going to the daimyo." With a puzzled look, Luo Sha used hand seals to break the seal, then took out the envelope and examined two lines before his brows furrowed.

"Lord Kazekage, has something happened?" Yashamaru asked, puzzled, looking at Rasa's furrowed brows.

"A large-scale explosion of detonating runes has occurred in the southern mountains, causing panic among the nearby people. And if it can blast open a mountain, it is probably not the work of an ordinary force. Could it be that they are trying to launch a surprise attack from the gap in the south... Wait a minute, the Land of Wind is such a poor place, they probably can't even make back the money for detonating runes, right? Could they be eyeing the mineral resources?"

After thinking for a while, Rasa waved his hand and ordered Sunagakure to enter a state of high alert. At the same time, he gathered a 100-man rapid support force and personally led it south.

"Yashimaru, the situation has suddenly become urgent. Gaara's plans will be postponed. While I'm not in Sunagakure, you must keep Gaara calm and prevent the One-Tail from running rampant in the village, understand?"

"understand!"

……

Southern mountainous region of the Land of Wind…

It was around 4 p.m., and the sun was already beginning to set, but the area in front of the old town mayor's house was completely blocked by a large number of panicked villagers.

The old town mayor, who had just returned from outside, rushed over when he saw this.

"Look, the mayor is back!"

"What?! The mayor's back?!"