Plans for the Future

Plans for the Future

"Let the elderly and women go first. Children, stay close to your parents and don't get separated."

"Everyone, move in an orderly manner. Keep to the right and go one at a time."

"Don't rush. There's plenty of room, so please don't rush. Sunagakure will arrange everything."

Once the ship docked, teams of Sand Shinobi stood by the gangplanks, methodically guiding people off the ship.

"Mom, where are we?"

A little red-haired girl clutched her mother's hand and looked timidly at the Sunagakure shinobi around them.

"Be good. This is the Land of Wind. We'll be living here from now on."

The girl's mother said this while forcing herself to remain strong.

Women were weak by nature, but mothers became strong.

The girl's mother knew that her husband was staying behind to cover their retreat. She had to hold this family together.

"Beautiful lady and lovely little girl, please come with me. I'll take you to where you'll be staying."

A handsome young Sand Shinobi spoke to the lost and confused mother and daughter with a gentle smile.

Both mother and daughter watched the handsome Sand Shinobi warily. Having just suffered the destruction of their home and the loss of their loved ones, they were wary of everything around them.

Seeing this, the handsome Sand Shinobi did not grow impatient. He continued gently reassuring them, occasionally telling a joke. Under his comfort, the two gradually lowered their guard.

Elsewhere.

"Adults with children, please come this way. I'll take you somewhere to rest."

A young, handsome Sand Shinobi called out loudly. A number of people had already gathered beside him.

With the Sand Shinobi's advance preparations, Aizawa Uzumaki and En Uzumaki's cooperation, and the Uzumaki Clan refugees already utterly exhausted in body and mind, they had no energy left to resist.

Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion, without any mishaps.

"How strange. Is everyone in Sunagakure this good-looking?

Why is every one of them either a handsome young man or a beautiful girl?"

En Uzumaki looked at the gorgeous girl receiving them in confusion and asked Aizawa Uzumaki.

"I don't know. Living in a desert environment, their skin should be rough, shouldn't it?"

Aizawa Uzumaki was equally puzzled. What was the reason for this?

En Uzumaki's face darkened as he looked at Aizawa Uzumaki. It was the first time he had discovered that this fellow clansman was so blunt.

"Um, could you two please keep your voices down?

Also, is it my fault that living in the desert hasn't made my skin rough, and that I'm pretty?"

A vein throbbed on the young Sand Shinobi girl's forehead as she spoke with a smile.

As for the killing intent radiating from her body, it had already made the people nearby keep their distance.

"My apologies, miss. We were being rude. Could you please tell us why all the Sand Shinobi sent to receive us are young, handsome, and beautiful?"

En Uzumaki stopped Aizawa Uzumaki before he could say anything more and hurriedly apologized with a smile.

After shooting Aizawa Uzumaki a glare, the young Sand Shinobi girl looked at En Uzumaki with satisfaction and said, "My name is Ye Nan. I'm from Sunagakure's Ye Clan. As for the young, beautiful, and handsome people you mentioned, that was Lord Kazekage's decision.

Lord Kazekage said that people were all drawn to good looks. When they saw someone handsome or beautiful, their first impression would naturally be favorable.

It helps foster harmony and unity between both sides."

"Uh..."

Aizawa Uzumaki and En Uzumaki exchanged a look, each seeing helplessness in the other's eyes.

That explanation was remarkably compelling—and also entirely correct.

They looked at the well-trained young men and women of Sunagakure, who constantly smiled and explained things to the Uzumaki Clan in soft, gentle voices.

Especially the children, who had already begun smiling under their explanations and reassurance.

The two had to admit that using young, beautiful, and handsome people as reception staff was the most correct and suitable decision.

"Miss Ye Nan, could you tell us some stories about Lord Kazekage?"

With the mindset of knowing oneself and knowing one's enemy, Aizawa Uzumaki quickly asked.

Considering that the two were newcomers, good-looking, and that there was still some distance to go, Ye Nan began telling them about Yunqing's deeds.

"I have to say, Lord Kazekage is a wise man. He sees things clearly."

En Uzumaki said with a hint of admiration.

In that short span of time, the two had already imagined Yunqing as a young and handsome man who had shouldered the great responsibility of Sunagakure in its time of crisis, strategizing from afar and securing victory a thousand miles away—the perfect figure.

One could not necessarily see through a person from the small details, but one could see their ability to conduct themselves and handle affairs. That was what the two believed.

"He's all right. Lord Kazekage always says that he's a looks person himself, so everyone else must be looks people too.

He also says that reading more books, reading more newspapers, eating fewer snacks, and sleeping more helps improve intelligence."

Watching the two of them spin one fantasy after another, Ye Nan shrugged and said speechlessly.

Her clanswoman was Pakura. After being brainwashed for so long, Yunqing's image in her mind had already become quite fixed.

So she felt nothing about all the things the two of them had imagined.

Led by Ye Nan, Aizawa Uzumaki and En Uzumaki met Ebizo, Suke, Bunpuku, and the others, who had disappeared after getting off the ship.

"Mr. Aizawa, Mr. En, what we need to discuss now is your arrangements.

If you have any plans for what comes next, you can tell us. I was looking into Sunagakure's recent development just now and didn't have time to receive you.

As compensation, I can offer you some ideas."

After the two sat down, Ebizo briefly explained his earlier disappearance.

"We've learned about some of Sunagakure's circumstances. We intend to pursue Medical Ninjutsu.

We plan to make Medical Ninjutsu accessible to ordinary people."

Aizawa Uzumaki glanced at En Uzumaki and spoke the words they had prepared long ago.

He also wanted to see what Ebizo meant.

"Medical Ninjutsu?" Ebizo tapped on the table, deep in thought.

"A very good path. Lord Kazekage has always said that healthcare is infrastructure, a necessity for the development of any power.

If you can promote Sunagakure's medical development, Lord Kazekage will be very 'happy.'"

Ebizo bit down on the word "happy," then added, "Can you tell me why you chose to develop Medical Ninjutsu? For most powers, this should still be an untouched field."

Ebizo was very puzzled. He was not joking—many Ninja Villages had yet to develop Medical Ninjutsu even now. Only Sunagakure and Konoha had begun investing in it.

"Is that so? Thank you for your guidance, Elder. We only thought of this after observing Sunagakure's development.

As for our foundation, we once copied the research of the First Hokage and Mito. Though it is incomplete, we can still fill in the gaps."

Aizawa Uzumaki said with a smile.

Ebizo was quite decent—or rather, Sunagakure truly wanted to accept them.

Ebizo's considerations were more about which piece of the pie they wanted and whether it would be easy to give them.

Since Ebizo had not openly refused, it meant that he and En Uzumaki had made the right bet.

"An enviable foundation of resources."

Ebizo did not hide his envy in the slightest.