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"Hmm... It seems that there is really no human habitation in this place." Zhixue stood on a hillside, looking at the seemingly endless desert in all directions. He took out the compass and opened it at the same time. Perception, familiar with the situation within a few miles around in the mind.
"Very good, there are no signs of Bai Zetsu or Obito here." Zhixue stretched out, used his hands to perform seals, and poured chakra down his feet into the sea of sand.
"Wood Release!" Zhixue's chakra flowed in the desert and gradually gathered together. Green light lit up from the dark night. The miracle of life seemed to burst out at this moment. The delicate sinking sand There seemed to be rows of tender green sprouts emerging from them.
"Looks like there's something going on?" Looking at the sprouts, Zhixue increased the output of chakra, and the sprouts that instantly grew on the ground began to grow vigorously. Within three seconds, they glowed with emerald green light. Trees appeared in neat rows in this desert area.
However, Zhixue discovered a big problem after circling the pile of trees a few times.
Water cannot be stored effectively in the desert. It is all sandy and rarely rains. Even if the trees are deeply rooted here, it is estimated that after too long, the trees here will wither and cannot be preserved for a long time.
"You can try the Earth Release Ninjutsu to see if it works." Zhixue knelt on the sand, quickly formed seals with his hands, and then slapped his hands to the ground, sinking deeply into the fine sand.
"Earth Release: Lifting Rock!" Zhixue penetrated the thick sand layer into the sand on the ground, and a large amount of soil was lifted up little by little, covering the roots of the trees while leaving some parts behind. gap for easy breathing.
The earth was trembling, and the desert seemed to be emitting waves of mournful screams. After Zhixue lifted up the deep soil, he launched Wood Escape again, and thick trees grew out of the soil.
Half an hour later, an irregular-shaped forest stretching nearly a hundred meters suddenly appeared in the desert. Even at night, it seemed very abrupt.
"It seems that even if you have Wood Release, there are still many issues that require long-term consideration when it comes to desert afforestation." Zhixue looked at the appearance of this small forest and exhaled a filthy breath.
Looking at the experimental field in front of him, Zhixue walked around in it for several times, then stretched out, felt a little sleepy, and lay down on a tree and fell asleep slowly.
When Zhixue woke up again, it was already past 8 o'clock in the morning the next day. Since the Xiao organization had no tasks for the time being, Zhixue was happy to have some leisure time.
Half an hour later, Zhixue, who was slightly disguised, came to a small town on the edge of the desert. It seemed to be on the south side of the Kingdom of Wind, bordering the desert. Because of the environment and the difficulty of clearing the roads, the people here seemed It wasn't a very good life.
Everywhere you can see civilians wearing mud-covered rags walking here. Zhixue, neatly dressed and with fair and tender skin, has become a unique scenery here.
Walking along what should be the street, Zhixue looked at the confused and dull-eyed civilians around him and continued to go deeper. Through his perception, he came to a place surrounded by stone fences. This seemed to be where the mayor was. The place.
"It seems that this is the place." Zhixue looked at the door with half a wooden door left, and stepped in.
At this time, the old mayor, who was still sitting on the cloth and smoking a dry cigarette, was startled when he heard the footsteps outside the door.
This step doesn't seem like the usual straw sandals, does it? It doesn't look like clogs. Could it be that someone is coming from above?
As soon as Zhixue walked into the mayor's yard, he saw a rickety old man holding a cigarette pole walking out of the house, and he looked very surprised at his appearance.
"Girl, are you the only one here?"
Ten minutes later, Zhixue came inside the house and sat on the tatami opposite the village chief. There was a table in the middle, with a few dry pancakes and small pieces made of cactus placed on it.
"I thought you were lost in the desert. If you want to do business, you should go to the northwest. It's close to the trade route. Although the area is not prosperous, it is also the place where most people enter the Wind Country. But I still have to tell you in advance that the caravans there are very cunning. If you want to transport goods here from the outside world, I'm afraid it will be difficult to do so, and you may lose your life."
Looking at the old man with a frown in front of him, Zhixue also said: "Is that so? Thank you for your reminder, but I must do business. However, the caravan you mentioned may not be difficult for me. Even if I don't follow them, I can easily cross this desert."
"Girl, you just lucked out and didn't encounter them on the road. There are a lot of active sandworms in this desert. Do you know how powerful the monsters hiding in the sand are?" The old village chief looked very surprised. The confident Zhixue said with a smile.
"How awesome is it?" Zhixue asked curiously, his eyes widening as he looked at the old mayor who was being laughed at, pretending to be innocent.
"That monster is as tall as the sentry tower in the village. It opens its bloody mouth and can swallow several people in one bite. Even the ninjas in the village have a headache to deal with it. A little girl like you can't even do it. If you don't have enough to fill your teeth, don't think about doing business, just follow the caravans traveling north and return home to live a good life."
Looking at the old mayor who didn't seem to understand very well, Zhixue chuckled, then took out a piece of Yuyin Village's forehead protector from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"Don't worry, old man. Although I'm not very strong, I can walk here from the other side of the desert. I still have a little bit of self-preservation. I came here just to ask about the reason for the land."
Chapter 152, Clearing the Road
After Zhixue took out the ninja forehead protector, the old mayor was also shocked.
Although ninjas are the mainstream fighting force in this world, they do not exist everywhere. In their place, not only is the climate harsh, there is a shortage of water, food and even minerals.
I don’t know how many years it would take for Sunagakure Village to send ninjas over to take a look, but basically they wouldn’t do anything after seeing the appearance of this place. After all, the two taels of money they had in hand were enough for themselves, let alone Help others.
But fortunately, because this place is poor, almost no one will focus on it, and it can be protected from the impact of the war.
Half an hour later, Zhixue and the old mayor arrived at the outskirts of the town. They walked around and saw dry tributaries, villagers who had no food and clothing, and many deep caves of abandoned mines.
"Girl, even if you are a ninja, you cannot interfere with the choices of nature. Just like the continuous mountains behind and the endless desert in front, it blocks the outside world from connecting here."
"Unless you can kill all the giant beasts and poisonous insects in the desert or split a road through the mountains stretching for hundreds of miles, the cost of transportation alone will probably make you unable to even afford clothes." The old man said. The village chief felt the cold wind blowing around him and pointed to the faintly visible mountains in the distance and the desert on one side and said lightly.
"Except for ninjas, it is extremely difficult for ordinary people to travel freely between these two places. What's more, this is a barren land with no resources at all. You'd better go to the north. Maybe there was some value here a few decades ago, but Now it’s obviously not a good place to be.”
Listening to the old mayor's remarks, Zhixue stood on the slope and thought for a moment.
Are there actually mountains in the distance? If it's blocking the road, you can cut a way out, but don't rush yet, just take your time step by step.
Next, Zhixue asked the old mayor about the sale and use of water and timber resources here.
"Water, because this is the edge of the desert, is basically distributed evenly by everyone in the wild springs in the mountains. Although it is precious, it has not been sold. As for wood, are you going to do the wood business? ?" The old village chief looked at Zhixue and asked.
"Well, what's the problem?"
"Wood is not commonly used here, but in the belly of the Kingdom of Wind, there are many wealthy businessmen or nobles who have purchased it. Judging from the most common poplar wood, it is estimated to cost ten to twenty thousand square."
"So expensive!?" When he heard so much money, Zhixue's eyes lit up. Good guy, I feel like I'm going to make a fortune.
Seeing Zhixue's money-obsessed look in his eyes, the old mayor also sighed with a wry smile.
"Sigh, the climate of the desert and Gobi is not as good as other places, and there are very few trees that can be planted alive. And because transportation from the outside world takes a long time and is risky, it is normal for it to be expensive."
"But this thing has always been monopolized by the traveling caravans, so as I told you before, it's just a waste of time here. Go home early so that your family won't worry." The old mayor laughed twice and walked down the slope. I drew it down carefully.
He already regards Zhixue as the eldest lady of some family in the outside world or the apple of some famous figure's eye. He just likes to go to places he has never been to and play around. Although the intention is good, it is obviously unrealistic.
Watching the old mayor leave, Zhixue also jumped down from the slope, and then sorted out the dust on his clothes.
"It seems that the market potential of the Kingdom of Wind here is very huge. I'd better go and see the price with my own eyes first." Zhixue made up his mind, and after bidding farewell to the old mayor for the time being, he was already heading north in the afternoon. I went to the timber market and collected some wood from the experimental field.
after one day…
Zhixue, disguised by the transformation technique, came to the timber wholesale market and talked with a boss.
"You have so much wood in your hand? Why didn't you come with the caravan today?"
"Ah? Are there still caravans now?" Zhixue was a little confused when he heard this, and then realized that it was not just that caravan in the west, there must be other merchants who saw the vacant positions and filled them.
After figuring out the price and market of lumber and getting acquainted with the boss, Zhixue spent nearly a month except occasionally answering Payne's slide phone calls to complete a few tasks. In the land of wind, ask about land ownership and timber.
Yuyin Village—
"What has Xiaoxue been doing recently?" Obito asked Bai Zetsu, who was in charge of intelligence.
"I don't know. She hid her chakra. Once we entered the desert, we couldn't detect her traces at all." Bai Jue shook his head, and Obito also raised his eyebrows.
"Those shabby places in the Kingdom of Wind are some of the worst in the ninja world. Why are Zhixue going there?"
While Obito was still confused, the shadow clone of Zhixue in the Land of Wind had already pulled the old mayor to the area near the desert side of the village.
"Girl, why did you knock on my door so early in the morning and drag me out as an old man?" The old mayor in linen clothes looked at the stars faintly visible in the sky and said with a yawn. .
"Of course I want to discuss something important with you."
"How can a place with this dollar be so important? Hey! I* (expletive from the Kingdom of Wind)"
The old mayor's eyes widened when he looked at the piles of wood piled in the distance that were taller than a two-story building.
How did this thing come here? Didn't he just do this in the month he disappeared? Fortunately, he thought that this girl understood his painstaking persuasion and had gone home to live a good life.
"Girl, how much did it cost you to transport it here?"
"Ah, does this thing cost money? Shouldn't it come out as soon as you clap your hands?"
"Do you think wood can take root in the sand? And it takes several years for a tree to grow, right? I haven't reached the stage of Alzheimer's disease yet." The old mayor ran around the wood and touched it with his hands.
Huh? Why is it still a little moist?
"Oh, this is true. I am your whole village, ah no, the hope of the whole town. Old mayor, I am doing good things. In order for you to have unimpeded access to the outside, I am even preparing to open the road today. It's over." Zhixue spread her hands helplessly.
She wants to engage in the timber sales and planting industry while keeping her secret identity. She can do the planting by herself. With a few seals and earth escape, it won't be a problem to cover a forest in 2 hours, but for transportation, she will definitely need help from others. , she can be considered to be using the Chamber of Commerce's black money to give back some feedback.
"Access? There is no way through the desert." The old mayor said. There are too many dangers in the desert, and it is too unsafe to walk there.
"It's not the desert, but the other side of the mountain." Zhixue said, pointing to the mountains in the distance, and saw a star-like bright light falling from the clouds, followed by a dazzling light like Covered in the whole world, the surrounding earth also began to tremble violently. After several seconds of brain idle period, Zhixue and the old village chief heard a dull explosion and roar.
In a world of pure white, Zhixue looked at the old mayor who didn't know what he was saying, as if his soul was about to be frightened, and patted him on the shoulder.
"Calm down, calm down. This is just the first one. When we are done fighting today, we will use Earth Escape to clear it out. It will be much easier to walk next time."
Chapter 153, Afforestation
In the Country of Wind, Sand Hidden Village is a village that is covered by wind and sand all year round. However, due to its geographical location, it is also an important strategic point in the Country of Wind. It is also used to transport goods to other more prosperous areas such as Daming City. One of the crossroads, although the land is still very barren, it is also a place with a pretty good environment in the Wind Country.
"Gaara must be six years old now, right?"
"Master Kazekage! Gaara is still too young, and many things need to be taught until he grows up. If things go as planned, I'm afraid..."
Seeing the worried look on Yashamaru's face, Luo Sha's expression also became serious.
"Don't have any worries. I use the shadow of a village to implement policies. As a ninja of Sunagakure Village, you naturally have to put the village first. If Gaara can't control Ichibi by suppressing his emotions, how can he become a villager? The most powerful weapon?"
Seeing the decisive Luosha in front of him without any emotion at all, Yashamaru felt extremely bitter in his heart.
Gaara himself has been disgusted and rejected by everyone in the village and his heart is full of darkness. If he continues to follow the plan formulated by Rasa, I am afraid Gaara's mood will be distorted to an unknown extent in the future.
While Rasa was still chatting with Yashamaru about the Tailed Beast Jinchūriki, an urgent secret message was brought to him by Anbu.
"Lord Kazekage, urgent information has been sent from the southern mountainous area. Please make a decision, Lord Kazekage."
"The southern mountainous area? It's so poor there. Is there any urgent information? Even if there is, it's managed by the financial department. You should go to the daimyo." Luo Sha used his hand seal to unlock the seal with doubts, and then took out After observing the envelope for two lines, he frowned.
"Master Kazekage, has something happened?" Yashamaru asked in confusion as he looked at Rasa, who was frowning.
"A large-scale explosion of detonating talisman formations occurred in the southern mountainous area, causing panic among the nearby people. If the mountain can be blasted away, I am afraid it is not the work of ordinary forces. Could it be that they want to pounce through the opening in the south and carry out an attack... No, the Country of Wind is so poor, I’m afraid I can’t even earn back the money for the detonating talisman, right? Are you here just because you’re looking at the minerals?”
After thinking for a while, Luo Sha waved his hand and ordered the Sand Hidden Village to enter the first level of war alert. At the same time, he summoned a rapid support force of 100 people and headed south under his own leadership.
"Yashamaru, the matter is urgent. Gaara's plan has been postponed. When I am no longer in Sunagakure Village, you must stabilize Gaara's mood and don't let Ichibi go berserk in the village. Do you understand? "
"understand!"
……
The southern part of the mountainous area of the Land of Winds…
It was approaching 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and the sun was already setting slightly, but the door of the old mayor's home was already blocked by many panicked villagers.
The old mayor who had just returned from outside also hurried over when he saw this place.
"Look, the mayor is back!"
"What, the mayor is back!?"