"S-rank... long-term mission?"
Hatake Sakumo's body tensed subconsciously.
As Konoha's top assassination-type ninja, S-rank missions were no stranger to him.
They usually meant infiltrating deep into enemy territory, assassinating an important figure, or stealing top-secret information.
Each time, it was accompanied by the danger of a nine-in-ten chance of death.
He was already prepared to go to the battlefield again.
However, Sarutobi Hiruzen's next words left him completely stunned.
"That's right, an S-rank mission," Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression could not be more serious. "I am appointing you as the first farm manager of the newly established Konoha Ecological Farm. You will be fully responsible for all construction, production, and security work on the farm."
"Nani?"
"Me?"
Sakumo suspected there was something wrong with his ears.
Farm... farm manager?
Raising pigs? Farming?
This is an S-rank mission?
Not just him, but everyone else in the meeting room also looked at Lord Hokage with an extremely strange expression.
This... this was even more outrageous than asking Akimichi Torifu to go on a diet.
"Lord Hokage, you... are you mistaken?"
The corner of Sakumo's mouth twitched. He felt that his ninja career might be about to take a huge turn.
"I am not mistaken, Sakumo," Sarutobi Hiruzen's tone was indisputable.
He walked over to Sakumo, patted his shoulder, his eyes becoming deep and sincere.
"Sakumo, do you think a military fortress that provides troops for the front line is important?"
"...Important," Sakumo nodded.
"Then is a farm that provides food and meat for the entire village of Konoha, for hundreds of thousands of ninja and civilians, not important?"
Sakumo was stunned.
"This farm is the future food lifeline of Konoha. Its strategic significance is even more important than any border fortress! There can be absolutely no mistakes here," Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was filled with solemnity.
"Therefore, I must entrust this position to the person I trust most and who is also the strongest, to guard it."
"And that person is you, Hatake Sakumo."
These words struck Sakumo's heart.
Food lifeline... strategic significance...
He had never looked at "agriculture" from this perspective.
"But, Lord Hokage, I... I don't know how to farm or raise pigs at all," Sakumo said, a little lacking in confidence.
"If you don't know, you can learn," Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled. "I believe that a top swordsman who can accurately sever an enemy's chakra threads can also accurately plan the spacing of each field ridge."
"A top assassin who can patiently lie in wait in the desert for three days and three nights can also patiently observe the growth cycle of each rice seedling."
"What's more, you are not fighting alone," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, pointing to the clan heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho and the Inuzuka clan beside him. "They will all be your right-hand men."
"Sakumo, I am giving you this mission not just because I trust your ability," Sarutobi Hiruzen's tone became gentle.
"I hope even more that in this mission, you can feel a kind of... strength that is completely different from killing."
"The kind of strength called 'protection,' that comes from watching seeds sprout, watching life grow, and watching your comrades show smiles of a bountiful harvest because of your efforts."
"Go, Sakumo. Go and feel the warmth of this land."
These words from Sarutobi Hiruzen, like a warm current, deeply touched Hatake Sakumo's heart.
Mission and comrades.
Killing and protecting.
Ever since he had made that difficult choice in the Land of Wind, he had been thinking about this problem.
And now, Lord Hokage seemed to have pointed out a brand-new path for him.
He looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes, which were full of trust and expectation, and all the doubts and resistance in his heart dissipated.
He took a step back, knelt on one knee, and his voice was firm.
"Yes! Lord Hokage! I, Hatake Sakumo, will not fail your expectations!"
And so, the strangest scene in the history of the ninja world was born.
A luxurious agricultural dream team, led by Konoha's strongest swordsman and with the elites of the top secret technique clans such as the Ino-Shika-Cho and the Inuzuka as its core members, was officially established on a piece of wasteland outside Konoha.
Hatake Sakumo, the White Fang who had made countless enemies tremble with fear, took off his Anbu uniform and changed into a simple farmer's short coat. What he held in his hand was no longer the short sword that had drunk countless blood, but a... brand-new hoe.
At first, everyone thought this was unreliable.
But soon, they were completely won over by the astonishing ability Sakumo displayed.
He used the precision of assassination in dividing the field ridges.
The length, width, and spacing of each field were measured with a ruler, with an error of no more than one centimeter, as neat as a military parade formation.
He used the patience of tracking in observing the growth of the crops.
He woke up before dawn every day to personally check the growth of each seedling in the field, recording the changes in temperature, humidity, and sunlight, with more care than he would give his own son.
He used the management model of the Anbu in the operation of the farm.
He formulated a work schedule and a reward and punishment system that were strict to the point of being abnormal.
"Nara clan, the efficiency of your A-zone is 3.5% slower than yesterday. Everyone works overtime tonight to catch up!"
"Akimichi clan, the depth of the land you turned over with the Multi-Size Technique is not enough, affecting the soil's permeability. Today's barbecue ration is deducted!"
"Inuzuka clan, your Wang Cai stole a carrot from the pig feed last night. As a punishment, it will patrol the pigsty a hundred times today!"
Under his iron-fisted management, the entire farm showed an astonishingly efficient construction speed.
In just one short month.
Large areas of wasteland were reclaimed into neat fields, and irrigation ditches and systems were laid.
Pigsties and deer sheds rose from the ground, and one by one, fat and strong piglets and fawns, purchased from all over, were settled in.
Sakumo even, insanely, created a detailed health file for each pig, recording their weight, food intake, and even... their bowel movements every day.
On this day, Shimura Danzo, after finishing his road paving project, took the time to inspect the farm.
He had come with a "let me see how your farm is doing" scrutinizing attitude.
As a result, when he saw the fields that were even more neatly planned than his construction site, when he saw the piglets that were "herded" by the ninja hounds into submission and were lively and active, when he saw Hatake Sakumo holding a small notebook, with a serious expression, studying a pig's rear end...
"One Hundred Postpartum Care Methods for Sows in the Village of Konoha"
Danzo fell into a long silence.
For the first time, in the field of construction that he was most proud of, he felt a strong sense of crisis and competition.
<><><><><><
Read Advanced Chapters on : patreon.com/Kaizo247
~ Every 150 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~ Push the Story forward with your [Power Stones]