Sasori and Hidan were smoothly living out their respective research lives under Orochimaru, while Deidara had also successfully arrived on the eastern coast of the Land of Fire with the supply team.
Before long, Senya received good news from there. With Deidara's help, the quarrying speed had tripled through his efforts alone, and the overall construction progress had increased by 30% compared to before!
Clay was not only useful for explosions. Deidara's clay birds and C2 Dragon could also solve the problem of workers wasting too much time traveling by boat every day.
Although this meant the young Deidara had to pop Ration Pills from time to time to replenish his Chakra, the enthusiasm of the workers around him and the praise from the other shinobi only made the kid work even harder.
Juzo Biwa had also successfully integrated into Mei Terumi's group. He had already formed a four-man team with Zabuza, Haku, and Ao, heading to the Land of Water to avoid Genji's notice and recruit shinobi willing to join Mei Terumi's plans.
Even in the Land of Rain, Konan, in the name of Amegakure's government, brought Nagato and Kakuzu out of the shadows and into the open. They began contacting Sunagakure and laying the groundwork for the North-to-South Water Transfer Plan.
To that end, Kakuzu and Grandmother Chiyo of Sunagakure constantly haggled and negotiated. Kakuzu wanted to earn more, while Chiyo tried to pay less.
Grandmother Chiyo was nearly numb from Kakuzu's endless bargaining. This was the second time she had encountered such a difficult opponent.
As for the first, she had now become the renowned Empress Kurenai of the Shinobi World.
Seeing that all the trivial matters had more or less been arranged, Senya returned alone to the Land of the End and began cultivating Sage Chakra.