.
Sunagakure had always been short on medical ninja. After getting injured, Sand shinobi who could still fight returned to the battlefield. Those who couldn't… rested in tents.
Thankfully, the Second Kazekage, a pragmatic soul, invented puppet techniques to address the village's manpower shortage. Without them… the sheer lack of ninja would've led to crushing defeat.
Poison and puppets… these two secret arts of Sunagakure truly held up the sky for the village!
Puppet techniques, in particular, proved surprisingly useful for gold refining.
Refining wasn't hard, with no strict requirements. Meeting the daily quota Rasa assigned was enough to complete the day's work.
Compared to war… refining was a breeze.
But Kumogakure didn't ease their attacks just because the Sand were mining gold. Every morning, both sides' ninja gathered on the battlefield, charging with a roar, no morale-boosting music or fanfare.
Ninja battles were unpredictable, guided by adaptability.
Of course, that was just the early stages. Later… it was like piloting giant mechs, charging head-on. Tactics? They barely mattered in those duels.
In the early stages, some theatrics set the mood. Later… hands clapped together, and you went all out. Fail to reach that level, and you were just cannon fodder.
Proper ninja… who still bothered with hand signs?!
But for now, in these early days, ninja without hand signs weren't proper ninja. The era still clung to seals.
Despite puppets and poison, Sunagakure wasn't instantly crushed by Kumogakure's onslaught. But fighting daily like clockwork, barely holding the border without victory or defeat… morale was low.
As Sand shinobi fell, lost limbs, or could no longer fight, Sunagakure's strength dwindled.
In the Land of Wind, fresh off the battlefield.
Exhausted, Rasa grabbed a bottle of pure water carefully stored by Kanna, gulped it down, and headed to the refining site.
Refining required fire and water, making the area hotter than the main camp.
And…
The water used daily by these refining ninja exceeded what frontline fighters consumed.
Kanna had been working hard. Halfway through her training, her teacher, Advisor Chiyo, left for a secret mission, leaving her alone in the camp. Though Chiyo seemed to be warming to Kanna as a Sunagakure member, surveillance remained.
But… Rasa was in charge here. So, while Kanna's workload grew after Chiyo's departure, she gained more personal freedom.
As Chiyo's nominal disciple, taught only basic medical knowledge, she still had to perform medical ninja duties, bandaging and treating the wounded daily.
With systematic study and plenty of patients to practice on, Kanna said her medical ninjutsu had improved significantly.
Everyone was busy!
Rasa glanced at Yashamaru, injured and resting but still determined to contribute to Sunagakure's future.
"Everyone, work hard today and refine as much as you can!"
Yashamaru, shirtless under the scorching sun, had toughened up from the intense refining work. Gone was the delicate youth who'd arrived; now, alongside rugged shinobi, he'd grown sturdy.
A real man!
Rasa nodded approvingly, smiling at Yashamaru.
*[Karura… I've turned your brother into a man!]*
After days of adjustment, Yashamaru had mastered refining processes. With his nominal brother-in-law backing him, he'd earned the respect of other Sand shinobi through his own efforts.
War truly made a man grow fast.
No longer the shy boy with a headband, he was now a shirtless… laboring shinobi!
But once his injuries healed, he'd likely leave this post for the front lines.
Sunagakure desperately needed ninja!
At that moment…
As Rasa reflected…
"Big brother Rasa!" Yashamaru, wiping sweat with a towel around his neck and shaking it from his sandy-blond hair, approached with a smile. "Is the Kumogakure fight over?"
"Good! Well done!" Rasa smiled, patting Yashamaru's shoulder, pleased at his now-robust frame. "You've been working hard!"
"Of course! After your words the other day, I realized we're not just Sunagakure's ninja."
Yashamaru looked at Rasa seriously, taking a deep breath, his face glowing with a radiance that dazzled even Rasa.
The glow of countless hardworking shinobi!
He raised a fist, eyes resolute, no longer the shy boy embarrassed by a few words.
"How can we look down on refining, thinking it's not a ninja's job? Whether refining or fighting, it's for Sunagakure's future. Even you, the future Fourth Kazekage, are mining gold. We injured ninja…"
He raised his fist, inhaling deeply.
"Why can't we refine?!"
"…"
Rasa stared silently at Yashamaru, suddenly a passionate youth.
[Is he… heatstruck? Wait, did I go too far?]
What if Karura saw her brother acting oddly? What then?
Rasa paused, sighed wistfully, shook his head, and patted Yashamaru's shoulder. "You've grown, Yashamaru!"
"It's all thanks to your guidance!" Yashamaru said earnestly. "Without your words, I wouldn't be here today!"
"No, no, no!" Rasa shook his head quickly, looking at Yashamaru sternly. "Your achievements come from your own heart. A teacher opens the door, but how far you go is up to you! Yashamaru… you earned the miners'—cough—other ninja's respect on your own. In you, I see Sunagakure's diligence and perseverance! You're… a true Sand shinobi!"
What's this nonsense? This has nothing to do with me!
"Remember, I'm just a guide. How far you go depends on you!"
As he finished…
"Big brother Rasa!"
Yashamaru gazed at Rasa with gratitude and admiration.
(End of Chapter)