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My Journey as Fourth Kazekage Chapter 31
🕑 Added 2025-01-19 10:39:57 +0000 UTCChapter 31: Aftermath
In the vast desert, The Land of Wind, Sunagakure.
Seven days could be seen as neither long nor short, but for the villagers of Sunagakure, it had been the most extraordinary seven days of their lives.
Seven days ago, as they watched the ninjas depart from the village and witnessed the lockdown being implemented, an unsettling feeling began to grow among the villagers.
Was war about to break out?
No one welcomed war, for it was followed by death.
This death could be that of a wife’s husband, a child’s parent, or the elder’s son.
But three days ago, something unexpected and miraculous began to unfold.
There was no news of death. No reports of husbands, parents, or children being lost. Instead, an unbroken procession of carts, laden with goods, began to pour into Sunagakure.
Though the lockdown prevented them from verifying the exact contents of the carts, rumors had already begun to spread throughout the village.
According to eyewitness accounts,
The carts were filled with all manner of goods. Among them were money, food, cloth, salt, iron, sugar, medicine, silver, gold, and jewels in unimaginable quantities. It was even said that the village warehouses had accumulated a stockpile high as mountains.
For the past three days, the influx of carts had been unceasing.
This left the villagers confused.
Weren’t the ninjas supposed to be engaged in war? Why did it seem as though they were involved in a massive trade operation instead?
So, after seven days had passed, when the first group of genin returned safely to the village, the villagers, overjoyed to see their loved ones safe and sound, began to piece together the story behind the goods.
Incredible—this was the villagers’ first reaction!
Then came the exhilaration!
As citizens of Sunagakure, they understood all too well the significance of these goods.
This meant that their loved ones would no longer need to risk their lives merely to survive.
The scarcity of resources that had plagued them for so long would no longer stifle the growth of Sunagakure.
And the growth of Sunagakure would usher in endless prosperity.
Who wouldn’t desire wealth?
Certainly, no one!
When the ninjas who returned later explained that this entire operation had been orchestrated by the Fourth Kazekage, the villagers were left even more astounded.
Though some ninjas had perished during the mission, no one questioned whether it had been worth the cost, considering the immense wealth gained with so little loss.
Nearly two days later, all the ninjas returned to the village.
Among them were Rasa, Pakura, and Michikawa.
Rasa did not rush to assemble everyone for a debriefing of the mission’s outcome.
Instead, he granted everyone a day of rest.
This decision filled the entire village with a sense of jubilation.
Especially the ninjas who had participated in the operation.
They eagerly awaited their rewards, knowing the operation’s success would bring significant personal gain.
---
The following day, once again at the Kazekage Building.
All the high-ranking ninjas of the village had gathered.
However, unlike the previous time when Rasa arrived to hear numerous complaints, this time, no one voiced any grievances or displayed discontent. Instead, their tone was filled with nothing but joy and deep acknowledgment of Rasa’s role as the Kazekage.
It could be said that, with this daring raid on Konoha, Rasa had firmly cemented an unshakable authority in the hearts of every ninja in Sunagakure.
Rasa, too, was punctual this time.
As soon as the sun rose, after gathering everyone, he arrived at the Kazekage Tower with Baki by his side.
“Kazekage-sama!”
At once, all the jōnin, with the exception of Chiyo, Ebizō, Pakura, and Michikawa, instinctively knelt halfway to the ground, bowing in reverence. The four high-ranking officials observed, fully aware that Rasa had solidified his position as the Kazekage without question.
Amid the crowd, Rasa took his seat as Kazekage and spoke calmly.
“Please rise. Everyone worked hard during this mission.”
“It was no hardship, Kazekage-sama! You are the one who worked tirelessly!”
“That’s right! Without your plan, Kazekage-sama, how could we have achieved such outstanding results?”
The ninjas below spoke one after another, their words a stark contrast to the rebellious attitude they had once displayed.
Rasa knew exactly what they were expecting, so he wasted no time with pleasantries.
“Baki!”
“Yes, Kazekage-sama!”
“From this point forward, I will issue the rewards for everyone in the village, in the name of the Kazekage.”
“Understood!”
At this, every ninja’s eyes turned eagerly to Rasa.
“First, for all the ninjas who participated in this mission: genin will be rewarded in line with C-ranked mission standards, chunin with B-ranked, jōnin with A-ranked, and the two elders, as well as Pakura and Michikawa, will receive S-ranked mission rewards. All rewards will be given at the highest standards!”
“Understood!”
The room immediately erupted in cheers of joy.
They all knew these rewards would be nothing short of substantial.
According to Rasa’s announcement, genin would receive 100,000 ryo, chunin 200,000 ryo, jōnin 1 million ryo, and the elite members would receive 5 million ryo each.
Such rewards were almost unheard of in the past, especially in times of war when resources were scarce.
But the surprises weren’t over.
“Second, starting today, all ninjas in the village will have their salaries increased by 50%!”
This was yet another point of distinction between Sunagakure and Konoha.
Konoha ninjas didn’t receive salaries because they were able to sustain themselves through missions. Unfortunately, this was not the case for Sunagakure’s ninjas.
This was largely due to the prosperity of the Land of Fire, where most of the wealthy individuals who could issue missions resided. Thanks to Konoha’s fame, people from other nations generally sought to post missions there, except for specialized tasks. As a result, Konoha controlled over 80% of the shinobi world’s market.
Sunagakure, in contrast, faced a more difficult situation. Its geographical location made it nearly impossible for others to send missions, as the desert stood between them and other regions.
Without missions to sustain them, Sunagakure’s ninjas had no choice but to rely on salaries.
When Rasa finished speaking, everyone was grinning with satisfaction. Although these ninjas were jōnin, the highest rank among ninjas, and typically wouldn’t be troubled by financial concerns, who could resist the allure of more wealth?
“So, what do you think? Are you satisfied with these rewards?”
When the jōnin heard this, they understood that the rewards for them had now concluded.
Though their share was just a small fraction of the overall gains, they were already thoroughly content.
“Thank you, Kazekage-sama!” they all exclaimed in unison.
“Hmm!”
Rasa nodded with approval, then turned his gaze toward Chiyo, Ebizō, Pakura, and Michikawa.
Through Sasori, Rasa had already secured leverage over both Chiyo and Ebizō. Thanks to the success of this mission, he had managed to shift Pakura and Michikawa’s perceptions of him.
As a result, none of the four held any objections this time.
“Alright, now for the third matter. You all witnessed the great battle outside. The power of Konoha is far beyond what Sunagakure can currently match.”
Rasa paused, letting his words settle in.
“So, I’ve decided that, from now on, we will take full advantage of this period of chaos to strengthen and expand Sunagakure.”
