My Journey as Fourth Kazekage

On the streets of Sunagakure.

Not long after Sunagakure's successful raid on the Land of Fire and the reforms led by Rasa, both the village's ninjas and its civilians found their pockets significantly heavier. With the expansion of the ninja academy, the construction of hospitals, and the establishment of orphanages, Sunagakure started to show signs of flourishing development.

The shops that lined the streets showcased an array of exquisite items—valuable jewelry, beautiful fabrics, and finely crafted clothing.

These goods had been looted from the nobles of the Land of Fire during Sunagakure's raid. For a ninja village, such items had little practical use, so Rasa gave the task of managing them to Maki.

Once Maki received the order, he wasted no time getting to work.

Most of the items were meant to be sold to the nobles of the Wind Country, though a small portion was set aside for the village's merchants, who would handle the selling of those goods.

At one of the clothing stores along the street, Karura, the wife of Sunagakure's Kazekage, and Sēramu, the Queen of Rōran, were trying on stunning dresses.

It had been three days since Sēramu's arrival in Sunagakure. In fact, she had already received word from Rasa that Sunagakure had agreed to Rōran's integration on the very morning she arrived, but she had chosen not to return immediately. Instead, she wanted to spend some time familiarizing herself with the village, observing how it planned to settle her people.

Sēramu was a sharp and insightful woman. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to rise to power as the ruler of Rōran. She understood that building a solid relationship with Karura, the Kazekage's wife, would be key in ensuring the villagers of Sunagakure accepted her people in the future.

Sēramu was clever, but so was Karura.

Although Karura appeared gentle and innocent, like a young girl who hadn't seen much of the world, it was important to remember that she was, in fact, a jōnin of Sunagakure. At a young age, she had been involved in the Second Kazekage's experiments with sand control techniques. There was no way she could be as naive as she seemed.

Understanding Sēramu's intentions, Karura didn't push her away but welcomed her approach.

Already married to Rasa, Karura also hoped to support her husband's plans.

Before long, the two of them emerged from the store, both wearing long, flowing dresses in Sunagakure's signature style—simple yet graceful. Scarves draped around their necks shielded them from the sand.

In the three days Sēramu had spent in Sunagakure, she had gained a general sense of the village.

How should she describe it?

It was quite different from the menacing ninjas she had initially encountered.

The villagers of Sunagakure came across as humble and unpretentious. Perhaps because of the village's scarcity of resources, the people didn't indulge in extravagant fashions. The entire village lived modestly, from their simple clothing to their basic meals.

Even Karura, the wife of the Kazekage, dressed in a way that reflected the practicality of the village—her clothes were few and simple, much like the rest of the villagers.

Yet, despite their modesty, there was a noticeable sense of contentment. The smiles on the faces of the women and children made it clear that the villagers were happy with their lives.

"It seems like the people of Sunagakure are really happy with their lives."

Sēramu remarked as she strolled alongside Karura, her gaze following the smiles on the villagers' faces. Karura's expression softened into a proud smile as she responded,

"It's because of Rasa-kun. Thanks to him, everyone can live such a happy life."

Over the past three days, Sēramu had heard various stories about the recent events between Sunagakure and Konoha. Though, from her own perspective, the idea of plundering other countries seemed somewhat immoral, it appeared to be a common practice among ninja villages.

At that moment, three adorable children came running over, excitedly calling out to Karura.

"Karura-sama!"

"Oh, it's Mori, Anji, and Ro, you three?"

Karura greeted, a warm smile on her face. Sēramu was a little surprised to see Karura recognizing and greeting the children by name.

The children, thrilled that Karura remembered them, became even more excited. One bold little girl grabbed onto Karura's skirt with a smile.

"Karura-sama, we want to show you something! Is that okay?"

"Of course, little Anji!"

Karura replied, gently ruffling the girl's hair. She glanced at Sēramu and gave a slight gesture for her to follow. Sēramu nodded and fell in line behind the children.

After a short walk, the group arrived at a small building.

Karura knew this was one of the village's wells, strategically placed around the village so that the villagers could easily access water.

As Karura and Sēramu wondered what had brought the children to this spot, Anji, the little girl, excitedly pointed toward the side of the well house and exclaimed,

"Karura-sama, hurry and look! It's grass! So much grass!"

"Grass!?"

Karura blinked in confusion, her eyes following Anji's outstretched finger. Her surprise grew as she saw what the girl was pointing at.

Beside the well, in the cracks between the stone floor, a small patch of grass had sprouted, its vibrant green standing out starkly against the surrounding yellowish sand.

"What is this?"

Karura murmured in disbelief, walking forward a few steps to crouch down. She gently touched the grass, her fingers trembling slightly as if she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing.

The three children eagerly explained,

"Karura-sama, this grass grew yesterday!"

"And it's not just here! We checked, and other wells in the village have small patches of grass growing too."

"The villagers say this is Kazekage-sama's miracle!"

"A miracle!?"

Karura was momentarily stunned by the word, her eyes widening in surprise. But she quickly regained her composure, standing up with a soft smile as she gently patted the children's heads.

"Well, you must protect this grass well, alright?"

"Hai!"

The children eagerly responded.

After comforting the children, Karura and Sēramu left the good house together.

Sēramu, clearly deep in thought after what she had just witnessed, glanced at Karura's gentle expression and tentatively asked,

"Does Rasa often stay away from home for long periods like this?"

Karura shot her a curious look, instantly picking up on the fact that Sēramu was thinking about something but didn't want to directly voice her concern. Could it have something to do with the grass they had just seen?

With a knowing smile, Karura sighed.

"Rasa-kun is the Kazekage of the village; he bears all the responsibility for the village's well-being."

Although Karura didn't elaborate further, Sēramu understood the implication and sighed, her voice carrying a tinge of melancholy.

"I see. When I was in Rōran, I was often too caught up in matters of state and neglected little Sara. I never really got to experience the life of an ordinary woman like this."

Hearing this, Karura smiled warmly, her eyes softening.

"Well, then I'll be sure to give you a proper tour, Sēramu-sama!"

Just as the two women were about to continue their walk, Karura suddenly stopped and looked up, sensing something.

Sēramu, intrigued, followed Karura's gaze but saw nothing. However, the frown on Karura's face gave her a strange sense of unease that she couldn't quite explain.

Before Sēramu could speak, an ANBU ninja appeared in front of them in a blur.

"Karura-sama, Sēramu-sama, Kazekage-sama requests your presence."