The country closest to the Land of Wind was naturally the Land of Earth.
The distance between them wasn't vast—only a few small countries lay in between, such as Bird Country, Rain Country, and Bear Country.
These small nations were neither large nor powerful, their narrow territories existing in a fragile balance between the Five Great Nations.
The daimyos of these nations weren't even worth the effort of being controlled by Satori Hyūga.
They were simply too insignificant—without real military strength or even a proper ninja village to call their own.
When such countries had missions to offer, they usually turned to the ninja villages of the Five Great Nations for help.
With no protective forces of their own, they were as vulnerable as lambs awaiting slaughter.
There was no need for him to personally intervene; The Umbrella Corporation's overwhelming financial resources and superior technology left them no choice but to comply.
Crossing from Bird Country into the Land of Earth felt like entering an entirely different world.
The Land of Wind was filled with endless yellow sands swirling in the air, with violent gusts occasionally raging across the land.
The Land of Earth, on the other hand, was filled with towering boulders and endless rocky outcrops, mountain ranges stretching as far as the eye could see.
Though the land seemed vast, nearly half of it was barren rock, devoid of even a single blade of grass.
It wasn't particularly prosperous, but neither was it especially poor—in comparison to the Land of Wind, the environment was significantly better.
Walking through the streets, Satori saw buildings resembling medieval European castles, with arched rooftops and ornamental designs.
Overall, the scenery was dominated by a monotonous yellow hue, offering little visual variety.
Suddenly, a tall, muscular figure appeared before Satori Hyūga, kneeling on one knee.
"Master, welcome to Iwagakure," Kitsuchi said with deep reverence.
Satori nodded, signaling him to rise.
As soon as he entered the Land of Earth, he used a secret technique to contact Kitsuchi and asked him to come meet him.
As the son of Third Tsuchikage Onoki, Kitsuchi's status and position spoke for themselves—he would help eliminate most of the potential troubles.
Guided by Kitsuchi, Satori confidently wandered through Iwagakure openly as a tourist, taking in the sights.
He showed no concern about others discovering his origins in Konoha.
After taking in the foreign sights and sampling local delicacies, Satori came to understand the Land of Earth better.
In his eyes, the greatest asset of this nation was undoubtedly Iwagakure's ninja.
Under Onoki's leadership, the number of ninja in Iwagakure had grown explosively, making them the largest among all five nations.
These were true ninja—masters of ninjutsu, each one an elite among humans.
If he could bring them into the Umbrella Corporation, the speed of infrastructure development would multiply exponentially.
Having resolved on this course, Satori decided to subdue Onoki and transform Iwagakure into a recruitment base for the Umbrella Corporation.
Guided by Kitsuchi, Satori entered the Tsuchikage's administrative building without facing any resistance.
As they walked down the corridor, they spotted a young boy with long blonde hair running out of the Tsuchikage's office.
An angry voice echoed from inside the office—Onoki's:
"Deidara! Stop fooling around with your clay already! That's childish nonsense fit for children!"
"Don't keep heading down the wrong path. With your talent, learning my [Dust Release] is clearly the right choice."
Deidara folded his arms and angrily stamped his foot before stomping toward the door. "Old man, you just don't understand me at all. Explosion is true art!"
After saying that, he spun around and ran into someone.
Frowning, Deidara looked up and instantly recognized Satori Hyūga.
"Hey, watch where you're going," he muttered.
Satori looked at the younger version of Deidara and smiled. "Your view of art intrigues me. We should discuss it sometime when we have the chance."
Hearing his art actually appreciated, Deidara's eyes lit up. His gaze toward Satori softened somewhat.
He felt like he'd finally found someone who truly understood him.
"Great! I always knew there'd be someone who'd recognize the value of my art!"
"Wait, haven't I seen you somewhere before? Are you a guest in Iwagakure?"
Satori nodded with a smile. "I'll help persuade the Third Tsuchikage to recognize the value of your art, and make proper use of this jutsu."
In Satori's eyes, Deidara the Explosive Artist was truly a rare talent.
Whether it's for clearing land or developing infrastructure, he would prove to be an invaluable asset.
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