Kazekage Ninja: The Rise of the Hidden Sand

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"Infinite Tsukuyomi?" Tsunade and Jiraiya were visibly shocked after hearing Jinghang's explanation.

"That's what they call it. But from what I've observed, their shadows are present in almost every war that's broken out recently. It seems like many things behind the scenes are being orchestrated by them," Jinghang said firmly.

"Does this have anything to do with the Uchiha? Tell me, what do you usually call your boss?" Tsunade tightened her grip around one of the White Zetsu clones' necks. Under her immense strength, its neck twisted into an unnatural shape, sending chills down both Jinghang's and Jiraiya's spines.

"We… call him… Lord Madara…"

The entire room fell silent in shock (except for Jinghang). Everyone understood the terror associated with that name.

"Could it be some schemer falsely using Madara's name? Let's not even bring up the Battle of the Final Valley. Even if Madara were alive today, he'd be over 120 years old, wouldn't he?" Jiraiya counted on his fingers, trying to make sense of it.

"Whether it's really him or not, we can't afford to underestimate this," Jinghang said.

"Should we report this to the Hokage?" Tsunade asked.

"Report? How? By presenting these strange creatures as evidence? We don't even fully understand the situation ourselves. If one of my subordinates came to me with such a report, I'd probably kick them out," Jinghang said, shaking his head. It was true—expecting Hiruzen Sarutobi to investigate the elusive Madara amidst the chaos of war was unrealistic. With the entire ninja world embroiled in conflict, who had the time to deal with such matters?

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Jiraiya scratched his head.

After a moment of thought, Jinghang replied, "For now, only the three of us know about this. Let's keep it that way to avoid unnecessary panic. Once I return to Sunagakure, I'll assign someone to investigate this organization. As for these four, Tsunade, you can interrogate them further or use them for research. Sunagakure will provide you with whatever resources you need."

Of course, Jinghang had no intention of actually investigating. With the entire plot of the manga stored in his mind, there was no need to waste effort on such things. Occasional updates would suffice.

"Alright," Jiraiya and Tsunade agreed.

"Our thanks to Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima for their help," Jinghang said, bowing respectfully to the two sages.

"You're too kind, Lord Kazekage," Fukasaku and Shima replied, bowing in return.

"Honored sages, I wish to learn Sage Techniques. Is it possible for me to sign a contract with Mount Myōboku?" Jinghang asked. He still wanted to master Sage Techniques to ensure his own safety.

"Apologies, but we of the toad clan cannot adapt to the dry environment of Sunagakure. Furthermore, we generally do not sign contracts with shinobi outside of Konoha to avoid the tragedy of clan members fighting each other," Fukasaku explained with a hint of regret.

"That's truly unfortunate," Jinghang said, slightly disappointed.

"However, your Sunagakure has summoning clans skilled in Sage Techniques. Why travel all the way to Mount Myōboku? Didn't your predecessors tell you about this?" Shima asked.

"Not at all. I've only been Kazekage for a short time, and I've been busy with wars and diplomacy," Jinghang said, scratching his head.

"Well, you deserve a scolding for that. The Yellow Weasel Clan's Huangpizi Tomb and the Lizard Clan's Komodo Island are places on par with the Three Great Sage Regions. And you, as the Kazekage, don't even know about them? Ridiculous!" Fukasaku said, clearly displeased with Jinghang's ignorance.

Jinghang, however, felt a spark of excitement at this revelation.

Clang! Clang! Sizzle!

With a sharp hiss of quenching steel, a beautifully patterned Rambo knife emerged before everyone's eyes.

"So beautiful!" Pakura couldn't help but exclaim as she gazed at the knife.

Jinghang didn't pause. He began sharpening the blade, starting with a grinding wheel, then moving to a whetstone, and finally using a file to hone the serrations on the knife's spine. He attached a handle to the blade and even embedded a small compass at the end of the handle. The entire process was smooth and efficient, leaving the surrounding craftsmen in awe.

Ding!

Jinghang swung the knife sharply, slicing through a kunai placed on a stand. The kunai broke cleanly into two pieces, eliciting another round of gasps and applause from the crowd.

"Did everyone see that clearly? Good. Now, I'd like each of you to craft a knife of the same specifications. If you can complete it within three hours, you'll be eligible to sign this labor contract with a monthly salary of 6,000 ryō," Jinghang announced. The craftsmen immediately rushed to their workstations and began their tasks.

"The White Fang I gave you last time was broken by the Hokage. This one's to make up for it," Jinghang said, sheathing the knife and handing it to Pakura.

Pakura held the knife lovingly, her eyes brimming with joy.

Most shinobi, to some extent, knew how to forge weapons. Back in the days before the ninja villages were established, tools like kunai and shuriken were often crafted by the shinobi themselves or by their clans. This ensured the weapons suited their personal preferences and provided peace of mind.

After the villages were founded, specialized clans began producing standardized ninja tools, which were then sold in shops. Later, countries like the Land of Crafts emerged, specializing in weapon manufacturing and creating a seamless supply chain. Their products were affordable and of good quality, making them the go-to source during wartime when village weapon-smithing clans couldn't keep up with demand.

However, many traditional shinobi still maintained the habit of crafting their own tools. Jinghang was one of them, a skilled blacksmith in his own right.

Initially, Jinghang's plan was to use the factory as a cover to secure the upper reaches of the Shule River. But then he thought, since the factory was already operational, why not make it profitable? During wartime, what could be more lucrative than the arms business?

This led Jinghang to the idea of turning the ninja tool factory and the canned food factory into major enterprises.

Canned goods were simple—using techniques from Napoleon's era, Jinghang had already developed three flagship products: braised pork, black bean sardines, and canned peaches. Each was packaged in small stainless steel cans, with simple icons of a pig, fish, or peach to differentiate them, and branded with the hourglass logo.

During banquets hosted by Danzo and Hanzo of the Salamander, Jinghang proudly showcased his products. Both leaders were impressed after tasting them. Upon learning that the cans had a shelf life of two years, Danzo immediately placed an order for 6,000 cans of each type, while Hanzo placed a symbolic order for 1,000 cans of each.

The first batch of products was quickly distributed as rations to Konoha and Amegakure shinobi. After months of eating bland ration pills, the soldiers were amazed by the flavorful canned food. Upon seeing the price list—30 ryō for pork, 15 ryō for fish, and 10 ryō for peaches—they found it very affordable. The canned goods quickly became a hit.

As word spread, merchants from the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning also placed sizable orders. The canned food factory, led by Yura, was overwhelmed with work. To meet demand, they acquired five nearby pig farms, ten fish ponds, and four large peach orchards.

Ninja tools, however, were more challenging. The market for traditional tools was dominated by the Land of Crafts. To compete, Jinghang decided to take a different approach, focusing on high-quality, multifunctional tools.

The first product he introduced was the Rambo knife, crafted using the labor-intensive Damascus steel forging method.

Damascus steel, originally made from Indian Wootz steel using cold forging techniques, was known for its natural wood-like patterns and superior quality. Blades made from Damascus steel were famously sharp and resilient. Unfortunately, the original forging methods had been lost to history.

Fortunately, before his transmigration, Jinghang had been a fan of the American reality show Forged in Fire. The show featured high-quality replicas of Damascus steel, both in appearance and strength, and contestants using it often emerged as champions.

"Director Rasa, please send someone to invite Danzo and Hanzo to tomorrow night's banquet. We need to promote this knife," Jinghang said with a smile.