Mist Village.
Just as Araki was engrossed in remotely watching a blockbuster from the Land of Demons at home, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.
"Lord Araki."
"Hm?"
Araki paused slightly, pulled his gaze away, and looked toward the door. "Come in... En?"
The visitor was Oyashiro En.
"What is it? Did Lord Mizukage send for me?"
As Araki spoke, he rose to change out of his pajamas.
It could not be helped. The Land of Demons blockbuster was rather exciting, and it played around the clock. He had gotten so absorbed that he had not changed clothes since getting up that morning!
"No, I need your help with something."
Oyashiro En stepped forward and sat beside the low table.
"Your problem?"
Araki stopped and turned back with some confusion.
Oyashiro En was now Yagura's Shadow Guard captain. While the position was not especially high-ranking, as the Mizukage's confidant, he held considerable real power. On top of that, he still had the people from Wedge Real Estate, whom he had cultivated in the past, under his command. What could he possibly need Araki's help with?
"It's like this," Oyashiro En said with a troubled smile. "As you know, the village is currently carrying out three major initiatives. I am responsible for implementing one of them."
"Yes, I know."
Araki nodded.
The so-called three major initiatives were the development plans for Mist Village that he and Karatachi Yagura had discussed last time.
The first was under Hozuki Sengetsu's charge: establishing forward bases for Mist Village near the mainland, focusing on the Land of Rivers, the Land of Tea, and the Land of Waves, especially the extraction of mineral resources in the Land of Rivers.
The second was the great voyage under Araki's responsibility, divided into two parts: discovering undersea mineral