Naruto: Rebuilding the Hidden Sand Village

Spring.

The weather in the Land of Wind had started to warm up.

As for Sunagakure, now that winter had passed, many of its planned post-war development projects were beginning to roll out.

Elder Ebizō's new medical facility and anti-desertification infrastructure were underway. Outside the village, the Gold Refinery was set to undergo a major overhaul, alongside the newly approved glassworks, cement factory, and Gold Panner Workshop—the brainchild of Baki, which was also being prepped for launch.

However, there was just one thing…

This "Gold Panner Workshop" branding… why did the silhouette look exactly like his own image when he was out in the desert extracting gold?

Rasa stared at the first set of promotional samples Baki had submitted, utterly baffled.

That striking pose… that overwhelming aura… combined with the golden hues of dusk cascading across the background—there was no question about it.

That was him.

The Fourth Kazekage—Rasa!

Even if the artwork didn't quite capture how ridiculously handsome he truly was in person (after all, he never photographed well), it was clear they'd tried their best.

A pity, though. As the Kazekage, there was no way he'd be collecting endorsement fees from Baki.

He sighed regretfully. "What a shame."

"L-Lord Kazekage, is… is there something wrong with it?" Baki asked nervously, hearing that sigh out of nowhere. "If something doesn't look right, please let me know and I'll make the changes immediately!"

"It's still not handsome enough."

"…???"

"Oh, nothing! It's great!" Rasa quickly cleared his throat, masking his disappointment. "Very well done. I didn't misjudge you at all. However… the symbol of Sunagakure must be front and center. We need people to remember who we are—to understand the Will of Sand we've inherited. Sure, making money is important, but spreading our name is just as vital right now."

Marketing had to be intense—burn the brand into people's minds until they dreamed about it. That's what successful advertising looked like.

"No need for three or four thousand, not even a thousand—just 998! For only 998 ryō, bring home a bundle of rare gold dust from Sunagakure!"

In fact, you might already have a pile of gold dust here with us—you just forgot the retrieval password! Enter the correct one, and the gold is yours! Don't rush, don't give up—if your heart's still in it, the dream is alive! Joy and sorrow, sweetness and bitterness—that's life!

This holiday season, don't give gifts. Give the "Gold Panner Gift Pack"!

A powerful blend of visuals and text was key!

As Rasa delivered his impassioned lecture on advertising theory, Baki's eyes lit up with reverence. He dropped to one knee and exclaimed, "I… I understand now!"

Rasa nodded in satisfaction. What a teachable young man!

Then, he glanced back down at the beautifully packaged "Gold Panner" box and frowned in thought.

"What about the gold panner's tools?"

Without the tools, how could one be considered a true gold panner?

Sure, he never used any tools when gold mining, but the average buyer wasn't the Fourth Kazekage! They were amateurs!

"We've inherited the Will of Sand from the First Kazekage, embodying thrift, diligence, and integrity," Rasa said, clearing his throat. "How can we deceive our customers with a fake experience? Add the gold panner's tool kit to the Gift Pack!"

"Tool kit?" Baki blinked in confusion. What the heck is that supposed to include?

"You know, a tiny shovel, a mini funnel, gloves, a cup, a little scraper knife," Rasa said matter-of-factly. "You need the whole set! How else are they supposed to gold pan properly?"

"…?"

Baki looked at the first batch of packaged products in silence.

It was literally… just sand.

What would they even do with all those tools? Pour in a little water and strain it at home, and that's it. Plus—

"Lord Kazekage, wouldn't that raise the cost a bit too much?"

"Too high? Ahem…" Rasa coughed and shifted the topic. "Well, technically we're including the tools for free, but we still need to account for labor. A price point of 998 seems fair."

"998 ryō?! Isn't that way too much?"

"Not just ryō—998 in gold ryō. That's high-end pricing."

"…"

Baki froze, eyes wide. After a moment of hesitation, he looked back at the Kazekage's solemn expression.

"Lord Kazekage… it's still just sand. Selling it for ten ryō is already pushing it. Who's going to spend over a hundred on sand?"

"Ah, Baki…" Rasa sighed and stood up, shaking his head with deep emotion. "I've always taught you the values instilled by the First Kazekage: diligence, thrift, water conservation, and moral conduct. But you must understand—no matter how righteous we are, Sunagakure can't run at a loss!"

"But still, 998… even ten ryō is kind of pushing it. There are plenty of villages across the shinobi world just as poor as us."

"Enough! It's set at 998!" Rasa clapped decisively, clearly proud of his "negotiating skills." "Explosive tags cost several hundred a sheet—why shouldn't we charge that much for gold dust and a full tool kit? We'll only be selling to the nobles and high-ranking shinobi anyway. They've got the money. As for the tools, have the gold refinery forge them from leftover scrap metal. Get it all ready—spring is here, and it's time for the Suna-nin to go out into the world again. Start small, test the market."

"Yes, sir!" Baki realized further argument was useless and saluted with a firm nod.

If Lord Kazekage said 998, then it must be 998.

After all, Suna-nin were known for being uncompromising!

What's that? You say Konoha keeps breaking their alliance terms?

Hah! They're not Suna, so why would they stick to our word?

"I'll get started on production and adjust the proposal immediately."

"Go."

Rasa smiled and waved him off, then sat back down and resumed looking through the mountain of paperwork on his desk.

A few minutes later, he rubbed his temples and sighed.

"…Still not enough people."

But before the words had even fully left his lips—

Knock knock knock!

Three crisp knocks echoed from the door.

"Lord Kazekage!" Elder Ebizō pushed the door open and strode in, visibly anxious. "The project on my end—"

"Stop." Rasa raised a hand, his tone weary. "I already know what you're about to say. But the truth is, we really don't have any extra manpower left."

With all these new industries popping up, Sunagakure—already sparsely populated—was feeling the strain. And it was showing.

Winter had already passed, and not a single shinobi had asked to be sent on a mission.

Of course… it could just be that Suna was too remote, and after suffering years of defeat, few people came here seeking out their services anymore. Even if the shinobi wanted missions, there might not be any to take.

And regardless, certain positions simply couldn't be reassigned.

Which left only one answer.

"You want to run the construction crew?" Rasa grumbled. "Then you're resourceful enough to go get the damn people yourself! Figure it out!"

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