Naruto: Rebuilding the Hidden Sand Village

It looked like today was going to be another busy one.

Rasa had barely gotten out of bed before he was dragged away by Ebizō. At first, he was irritated—understandably so—but the moment he saw the older man's dark eye bags and swollen, bruised eyelid, whatever complaints he'd wanted to voice got stuck in his throat.

Ebizō hadn't been having it easy either.

Dark circles, he could understand—he'd heard the old advisor had been burning the midnight oil lately, staying up for days on end. But the swelling?

Who in Sunagakure would have the nerve to punch a senior advisor in the face?

...Besides her, that is. No one else would dare.

So, really, Rasa's mild grumpiness about being yanked out of bed seemed pretty minor in comparison.

Still—

"Why'd you drag me out here so early?" he asked with a yawn.

Was the gold dust refinery short on materials again?

Or had Baki run into trouble with the Gold Panning Workshop?

Or maybe—again—Ebizō had stirred up some new mess?

He cast a sideways glance at the advisor, who looked way too enthusiastic for someone who'd been assaulted the night before.

"Am I smelling something weird?" Rasa thought.

It was faint, but... definitely something. A little pungent.

Before he could put a name to the scent—

"Over here! Come see for yourself!" Ebizō beamed, practically dragging him by the arm.

Not long after...

"This is it, Lord Kazekage! Look—I've done it!"

"...???"

Rasa blinked at the elder, who was standing triumphantly with arms wide open, face gleaming with pride like he'd just conquered a country.

He looked... genuinely thrilled.

Pity the huge bruise on his face kind of ruined the effect.

Rasa sighed and turned his gaze toward the direction Ebizō was pointing—then froze.

Wait a second...

Aside from the small oasis lake behind the mountains, there shouldn't be any green zones around here.

But in front of him...

A small patch of bright green growth.

"Did he really... pull it off?"

Rasa snapped fully awake, forcing himself to calm the excitement building in his chest. He stepped closer toward the sprouting area with deliberate care.

"If he really succeeded, then this could mean... a future for Sunagakure where—"

But just as quickly, the hope flickered out.

He stopped after a few steps, gaze falling on the familiar, rectangular pots nestled in the sand.

And sighed.

"Desert reclamation... it really isn't that simple, huh?"

Inside the small concrete planters—filled with desert sand—tiny green sprouts were poking out.

Basically... potted plants.

Nothing more.

He remembered correctly, the new hospital also used this method for growing herbs, only… the pots were a bit larger.

Sure, localized plots with water-retaining structures could be used for planting... but the cost in water, cement, manpower?

Massive.

And cement? With the desert wind and sand, it'd crack within days. Eventually, it would crumble right back into dust.

"So yeah," Rasa muttered, plugging his nose as the strange odor worsened, "not exactly a sustainable plan."

"At that point, might as well make bigger pots like the hospital's and call it a day."

"No, no—this is just the experimental stage," Ebizō waved his hands dismissively. "I didn't bring you here for the pots. Look at the sand itself—what's different about it?"

"The sand?"

Rasa blinked, squinted down at the planter again.

"...It's darker?"

And the smell... oh gods, the smell was getting worse.

Suddenly, it clicked.

He slowly turned to look at Ebizō, neck stiff.

"Don't tell me... you actually—"

"Exactly!" Ebizō grinned ear to ear, proudly stroking his beard. "As expected of Lord Kazekage, you figured it out! This is the composting technique you suggested! And look at these sprouts—just look how strong and healthy they are!"

"..."

Rasa stared in silence at the tiny plants and the animated old man pointing at them.

After a long pause...

"...How long has it been since you bathed?"

"A while," Ebizō admitted sheepishly. "I've been working nonstop—no time! But the sacrifice was worth it! Hard work always pays off, and now I have this beautiful, fragrant reward!"

"Fragrant," Rasa repeated dryly, trying not to gag.

He gave up and patted the man's shoulder.

"You've done well, Ebizō. Truly, you've suffered for the village."

"All for Sunagakure!" the old advisor declared, tone solemn. "You don't have to say anything else, Lord Kazekage."

"In that case," Rasa said, brow twitching, "here's a suggestion: swap the cement pots for glass containers. They'll resist erosion better. Oh, and for the love of all things sacred—take a bath before you go back. This weather, the desert heat... we don't need you accidentally incubating a disease."

March, Year 48 After Founding of Konoha.

Today marked Kabuto's first-ever graduation.

He'd finished the six-year academy program in just two years, and even picked up extra training from Elder Chiyo—stuff no other students had access to.

But today wasn't just his special day.

It was a historic moment for Sunagakure.

The end of the old academy. The end of outdated educational philosophy. The start of something new.

A new generation of students was about to step into a reformed system—fresh curriculum, new ideals. Of course, given the village's current limits in teacher quality, funding, and materials, the change wouldn't happen overnight. The first batch would probably still follow a similar syllabus, just with some new subjects added in.

Standing off to the side, Rasa watched as Kabuto was surrounded by classmates—senpai and kouhai alike.

He smiled.

"Looks like the kid's popular."

Beside him, Kana stood quietly, eyes slightly red, but smiling like a proud mother hen.

"He really is," she murmured, wiping her eyes. "I'm so happy for him."

Rasa nodded without comment.

Kabuto was good-looking, smart, polite, and dependable. There was a calmness about him—an air of maturity that made people feel at ease.

Little wonder the girls liked him.

And with that gentle personality of his, he wouldn't have made any enemies among the boys either.

A likable, well-rounded kid.

He noticed Karura shifting next to him, eyes flicking subtly toward Kana.

Rasa smiled.

"Go on," he said softly. "You're technically Kabuto's guardian. Time to give him that graduation gift you've been holding onto."

"Huh?"

"What do you mean, huh? It's the perfect moment."

He gave her a light push.

Kabuto seemed to notice something too. He left the circle of his classmates and looked, surprised, at Aunt Kana walking towards him. After a moment, he smiled and walked over to her.

Rasa and Karura exchanged glances, then smiled, quietly watching the touching scene of mother and child.

"He never had an orphanage director to pull him out of the darkness," Rasa thought, "but life hasn't treated him badly. Kana's been through pain too… so whatever warmth she gives him—it's real."

Kana… she really is… a kind soul.

PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin