Chapter 353: The Underground Rice Field
Dan Kato smiled at Dana across hundreds of meters.
That smile held a hidden meaning.
Only then did Dana remember that after leaving this matter to his subordinates, he hadn't paid much attention to it.
He couldn't help it; he had too many things to manage. Unless it involved someone very close, he couldn't keep an eye on one or two random ninja.
However, judging by the situation, this Dan Kato had recovered quite well and must have been obedient; otherwise, he wouldn't have been released.
Then Dana saw Tobirama Senju walk over to talk to Tsunade. They seemed to have a disagreement, but eventually, Tobirama gritted his teeth and returned to the field.
It seemed the negotiation failed.
Just as Dana was curious, he heard the Third Raikage ask, "You said earlier that crops can be ripened with chakra? Is it fast?"
As a native of the ninja world, the Third Raikage instinctively focused on war or preparation for war. Hearing Dana mention chakra ripening, he became interested. Although food wasn't the most critical supply in ninja warfare (because troop numbers weren't huge and ninja had strong survival skills), it was still very important.
Dana withdrew his gaze, no longer paying attention to Dan and Tsunade. "Very fast. Specially bred seeds are more sensitive to chakra. Under chakra infusion, they can germinate, head, and be harvested in an hour. The effect is similar to Wood Release."
But only similar. Wood Release was instant, controllable at will, could absorb enemy chakra, and had powerful combat applications. The chakra ripening Dana mentioned wasn't a special ninjutsu but a special seed, taking an hour and having no combat value. The principles were completely different.
But even so, grain harvested in an hour is impressive enough.
The Third Raikage raised an eyebrow in surprise.
If this technology were used in wartime, at least the Cloud-Thunder Federation would never worry about military rations again. A handful of seeds could feed an army.
Then he heard Dana say:
"However, the side effects are severe. It completely exhausts the soil's nutrients and moisture, killing all other plants and causing severe desertification. Without management, nothing will grow for at least a few years. And that's assuming the surrounding ecology is normal. If large-scale aftereffects completely break the balance, the soil recovery time is incalculable—decades are possible."
The Third Raikage sighed. There are always trade-offs. This technology indeed couldn't be promoted on a large scale. Squeezing farmers out was one thing; the technology itself was dangerous enough.
Now, he wasn't just the Kage of a village; he needed to think from the overall perspective and the people's livelihood.
After thinking, the Third Raikage said to Dana, "But this technology must be preserved. It might be useful in the future."
Dana nodded. "Yes. Actually, the people at the First Research Institute are more interested in this chakra ripening technology than breeding ordinary seeds. They've been researching it continuously; I didn't stop them."
In the distance, the ninja in the fields worked at a moderate pace. Often, reclaiming wasteland was just a matter of one ninjutsu, done in a few breaths, but the subsequent data recording took a long time.
Dana and the Third Raikage, father and son, rarely had such leisure time. Drinking tea and chatting was quite pleasant.
Just as they were discussing how the Princess of the Land of Rice Fields was pestering Arashi, Dana's Communication Snail rang in his mind.
After listening for a while, Dana said to the Third Raikage, "Speak of the devil. The First Research Institute says they want me to come over. There's new progress on the chakra ripening research. Old Man, want to come see?"
The Third Raikage said, "Let's go. Arashi is holding down the office anyway. I'll take today off. Let's go see together."
Dana gave some instructions on-site, greeted Tobirama, and left with his father.
The Consul Guard Squad Two and Anbu ninja who had been lurking nearby also appeared to follow.
Although no one in the ninja world could threaten the combination of Yotsuki Dana and the Third Raikage right now, the status of Grand General and Consul demanded it.
As they left, Dana noticed that Tsunade and Dan were still standing on the ridge, motionless. But this time, Dan didn't meet Dana's eyes again.
The First Research Institute was also outside Cloud City, not far from here, so Dana and the Third Raikage arrived quickly.
Approaching the institute, they saw a radiant Mamoru Anzai waiting.
Yes, radiant. Yoshitoki's modified Earth Grudge Fear had a rejuvenating effect. Although not unlimited—requiring the user to have extremely high biological knowledge and medical ninjutsu skills—Anzai clearly met all conditions.
Originally nearing 40 and showing signs of aging from long-term high-intensity work in the lab, he now looked only in his early 20s.
Anzai was surprised that both the Consul and Grand General came personally, but thinking of his research results, he felt excited again.
That result should be worth this lineup.
Anzai led the two to the underground section of the institute.
"We opened a special area underground for research related to chakra ripening."
Dana asked puzzledly, "Researching underground? Can crops grow?"
Anzai explained, "Ordinary plants naturally can't, but the energy source for chakra-ripened plants isn't sunlight, but chakra. However, we simulated the external environment to some extent. The desertification issue is solved by replacing the soil."
Dana nodded. True, with a one-hour maturation time, how much sunlight could they absorb anyway?
Also, soil desertification wasn't a big problem for small-scale lab cultivation; it just meant disposing of more sand and consuming some soil.
Researchers liked to keep a little suspense when showcasing results to enhance the surprise. Anzai introduced some basics and said no more, stating the rest was best explained on site.
Before long, Dana and the Third Raikage reached the eighth floor underground, the deepest level.
"Farming this deep... you guys are creative!"
Generally, the deeper the level in such institutes, the more important and confidential the work.
Anzai explained, "Mainly because the planting needs a certain depth. Other floors would have their ceilings pierced. We could only put it on the bottom floor. We're here."
In the dim corridor, a metal door opened slowly, revealing a sunlit rice field inside.
This gave Dana a sense of déjà vu. Walking in, he realized the high ceiling was filled with chakra energy lamps, emitting a yellowish-white light very similar to sunlight.
The unique smell of the field filled his nose. Closing his eyes, one would truly think they were in the countryside.
Stepping from a serious, oppressive underground space into a field full of natural aura was indeed amazing.
The space was considerable, filled with rice. Dana and the Third Raikage walked in, stepping on somewhat dry soil.
With a light step, clear signs of desertification appeared. For someone with abnormal weight like Dana, one step sank his foot into the sand up to the instep.
These guys really built a rice field underground.
The rice in the field looked ripe and ready for harvest, with full heads bending the stalks. The most striking thing was the size—each stalk was nearly two meters tall.
Due to desertification making the roots unstable, many leaned over. Otherwise, ordinary people entering would be completely blocked from view.
"Is this your research result? Super-sized rice?"
Anzai shook his head. "If it were just that, I wouldn't have called you here specifically. This is the 13th generation. Since the sample data hasn't been analyzed yet, we kept it here. Once analysis is complete, we will harvest everything, replace the soil, and plant the 14th generation. My lords, you can pick some at will and see if you find anything."
Curious, the Third Raikage picked a head of rice, rubbing it with his fingers to crack the hard husk, revealing the crystal-clear, plump grain inside.
"Looks nice, bigger size... doesn't seem different otherwise..."
He rubbed his fingers again, crushing the grain into powder.
The Third Raikage's expression changed.
"This rice... contains chakra?"