Cherreads

Chapter 110 - Rebuilding the Hidden Sand Village [109]

March, Konoha Year 49.

The cold weather in Sunagakure was gradually warming again. Of course, by nighttime, the temperature still dropped quite low.

Kabuto frowned slightly as he watched Tobi sitting on a rooftop, swinging his legs.

In all this time, Tobi hadn't engaged in any spy activities whatsoever. He hadn't attempted to gather intel on Sunagakure, nor had he tried to sneak into any restricted departments. He hadn't even approached the Kazekage's office.

In his spare time, he was either staring at feces, drawing feces, or… sitting alone on rooftops, swinging his legs with a foolish grin on his face. He didn't behave like a spy at all.

In fact, the poop illustrations he'd produced could now be stacked half as tall as he was, meticulously documenting each stage, the function of each type of feces, and how they changed over time. Even Advisor Ebizō, upon reviewing them, was full of praise, claiming Tobi had laid the foundation for the study of compost and future agricultural development!

It was practically a richly illustrated textbook on composting. One could even say… a contribution of immeasurable value~

After several days of investigation, Kabuto could only conclude that, aside from being dirt poor, Tobi didn't exhibit any signs of being a spy. He had nothing of value on him; the most precious item he owned was probably the work uniform issued by Advisor Ebizō. His room held nothing unusual, and during this time, he hadn't been seen having any covert contact with strangers.

But if the Kazekage said he was suspicious… then that meant this guy—

must be hiding something.

That said, over this whole stretch of time…

And regarding the "no going out at night" rule, Tobi didn't seem inclined to step outside after dark at all. He stayed in his room drawing. He even refused the late-night snacks Kabuto brought over to test him. It seemed…

He was actually quite disciplined.

Kabuto pushed up his glasses, brow furrowed.

"So, is he hiding his true self that well… or was the intel completely off?"

At this point, even he was confused.

Elsewhere at the same time—

"Huh~ huh~"

Tobi sat on a rooftop, swinging his legs, humming a strange tune no one could make sense of. Gazing at the quiet streets below, he muttered,

"So weird~"

A shinobi village that collects poop? Could it be that the Kazekage… is also into poop like me?

Otherwise, why would they collect it, store it, observe how it changes, and even gather different types for study?

Hmm~ what a bizarre ninja village.

But still…

"Agreeing to White Zetsu's request to come to Sunagakure was totally the right call. This place is practically a paradise for creating art~"

He hummed cheerfully, legs swinging with joy.

Moments later…

He frowned slightly, tilting his head with a puzzled look in his eyes.

"White Zetsu... what did he send me to Sunagakure to do again? Huh~ I feel like I forgot something important!"

But after a moment of troubled thinking—

"Whatever, art is more important. Gathering intel… Oh, right, intel. I'll deal with that later!"

...

Summer, Konoha Year 49.

Sunagakure's electrical grid had been fully installed. The next step was the major milestone: bringing electricity to every household. It was expected that before long, every home would be able to use light bulbs.

Meanwhile, technological development outside the shinobi villages was advancing rapidly. Although electricity hadn't yet reached every region, some places had already begun using black-and-white cameras for photography, and bulky TVs that could only display grayscale images had emerged.

It was said that people were already researching color photography and televisions capable of displaying color video.

However, the entertainment industry was still underdeveloped. Those large, clunky televisions were more like overpriced decorations than functional appliances. The few available programs were all old, silent pantomimes. As a result, nobles still preferred going to live theaters rather than staying home to watch dull black-and-white footage.

Of course, it was believed that with the steady march of technology, TV entertainment would eventually replace traditional stage plays and become the most common form of leisure.

Rasa sighed with a hint of emotion as he walked toward the back mountain.

To keep pace with the times, he had been closely monitoring technological developments beyond the shinobi world. Although the major ninja villages possessed technologies that the outside world couldn't yet surpass, their development was almost entirely focused on serving shinobi—supporting missions, warfare, and victory.

Which is why… shinobi tech often ended up feeling bizarre.

Despite being technically advanced, their lifestyle remained… not much different from the ancient times?!

Ninja villages tended to selectively adopt only the technologies that strengthened their military edge—rejecting those that might soften their discipline or challenge the social position of shinobi.

But for Sunagakure, that mindset was no longer sufficient.

The limitations of the ninja worldview led many to believe that only strength could protect them from being oppressed and allow them to complete missions.

Thus, they focused obsessively on increasing their fighting power, unaware that technological and economic infiltration could be just as dangerous as brute force—if not more.

Which was why...

"We're not trying to build televisions. Or rather, now isn't the time to build televisions."

Upon arriving at the back mountain, Rasa turned to face Chiyo-sensei, his tone serious.

"The advancement of technology is essential to Sunagakure's long-term development—and to achieving true peace in the shinobi world. I hope you'll take this seriously, Chiyo-sensei."

"This…" Chiyo looked at the Kazekage's serious expression and pondered for a moment before raising her head. "A game console? This old woman has never made such a thing, and I wouldn't even know where to begin. As for Sasori… he probably hasn't either. So in response to your request… this old woman really doesn't know what to say."

"Just remember—it's called the [Famicom] game console. Brand and patent recognition are extremely important; you must clearly mark them at all times."

Rasa smiled at Chiyo and continued,

"As for gaming, I believe everyone is pretty much at the same starting point. Maybe some people outside the ninja world have started researching it, but at this stage, the gap shouldn't be too wide. And when it comes to tech, Sunagakure has every reason to be confident."

"So try it out. During this period, the village will fully support your research."

He believed that with Sasori there, these shouldn't be a problem. That guy even managed to create a regeneration core; coding… was a piece of cake~

As for whether Sasori would agree to help with the research?

With his grandmother standing over him with a cane, and considering his status as a Sunagakure criminal, even if he didn't want to—he'd still have to do the research.

All Rasa had to do was give the order. The rest… wasn't the Kazekage's problem anymore.

...

A little earlier—

Jiraiya, disguised with a simple cloak and hood to cover his spiky silver hair, furrowed his brow as he looked at the rising smoke and bustling crowd ahead.

"This doesn't look like Sunagakure yet…" he muttered.

Why are there so many people here… and why are so many of them wearing shinobi vests?

More Chapters