The route to the farm was already familiar to Chomei.
These days, he had practically become Konoha's personal aircraft. Whenever there was a trip to another country or a field survey, any mission involving a long journey—
he was sure to be there.
His six wings beat furiously, sending a gale roaring through the trees around the farm. The wind shook the green leaves from the branches, sweeping them into a rain of foliage.
"Someone from the village is here!"
The roar of the wind and the high-frequency buzz of beating wings alerted Sarutobi Saku's squad, stationed in the treehouse. They hurriedly called to one another to put down their cards.
After three years of taking turns on the job, they were used to the giant flying beetle blotting out the sky. They waited for his arrival with bucket after bucket of the fruit juice Chomei loved.
The six insect legs, each as thick as a tree, landed with a boom on the specially built plaza. The howling winds overhead died down.
Standing on the beetle's shell, Rikusei gazed out over the seemingly endless waves of golden wheat. This was the hard-won harvest of the shinobi and Tailed Beasts working together, and its abundance had spared the Land of Fire from famine.
With grain to spare, the Land of Fire, under Konoha's leadership, had built granaries in several locations to support the nations in the Shinobi World suffering from food shortages.
"Mmm." Chomei gulped contentedly, then set down the large wooden barrel. Looking at the juice clinging to his legs, he sighed. "Juice processed by shinobi has a hint of sediment in it after being stored. Pretty good!"
As Sarutobi Saku tidied away the barrel, he explained with a grin, "We used a little of the ape clan's brewing method."