Hoshino sat at the table and pushed the three artifacts on it toward the three people in front of him.
He pushed the bead necklace toward Kankuro, handed the Three-Star Fan to Temari, and gave the dark gold cube to Gaara.
He also explained what the three artifacts did.
The beads were called the Three Treasure Orbs, the same name as Ma Xianhong's, but their effects were different.
The bead on the left combined sealing formulas with artifact-refining methods and could hold a considerable number of items, making it perfect for storing Spirit Puppets.
The middle bead was a defensive artifact.
The bead on the right stored several kinds of speed-enhancing Ninjutsu.
Together, the three beads greatly improved Kankuro's ability to protect himself, allowing him to fight or flee.
The fan was still the "Three-Star Fan," but its abilities had been upgraded, making Temari's Wind Release Ninjutsu more powerful and allowing it to automatically absorb Chakra released during battle to build up power.
As for the dark gold cube, Hoshino had named it the "Sand Core."
Gaara had an absolute defense, and with his ability to control sand, both his offense and defense were extremely strong, not to mention that he also had Shukaku as a trump card.
At first, Hoshino really hadn't known what kind of artifact to make.
After thinking it over for a long time, he had finally settled on this one, which also had the most abilities of the three artifacts.
Sand Resonance: Through the Sand Core, Gaara could form a deeper connection with the sand around him and further enhance its properties, greatly increasing its hardness, speed, and flexibility.
Chakra Storage: The Sand Core contained a vast Chakra storage space capable of holding a large amount of Chakra, ensuring that he would not be put on the back foot by running out of Chakra during a prolonged battle.
Sand Resonance: When the Sand Core sensed that Gaara's life was under serious threat, it would automatically release all the Chakra it had stored, forming a kind of domain.
Of course, they would have to experiment for themselves to determine the precise effects of the three artifacts.
Hoshino wouldn't be accompanying them.
With his current cultivation, refining three specialized artifacts at the same time had still been a bit of a stretch.
Three whole days without sleep or rest-it was exhausting!
"All right, I've done what I promised." Hoshino waved a hand. "Next, we need to talk business."
Hearing this, Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara immediately suppressed their excitement, and their expressions turned serious.
"The destruction of the three clans has given us a lot of resources, but if those resources are simply scattered among us, we won't be able to make the most of them," Hoshino said.
"We need to consolidate these resources and form a real power."
Hoshino picked up a scroll from the table. It contained a detailed list of the resources they currently held.
The two mineral veins were located in the north and south of the Land of Wind respectively, and both had abundant reserves.
The ore from the southern vein in particular was of exceptionally high quality, making it an excellent material for crafting puppets and ninja tools.
The three clans' businesses included puppet factories, medicinal herb plantations, caravans, and a number of scattered shops.
Although these businesses had suffered a certain amount of disruption after the three clans were destroyed, their foundations remained intact, and with a little reorganization, they could be up and running again.
"As it happens, we've caused quite a stir lately, so we'll put the Anbu missions aside for now and consolidate these resources into a unified system first."
Pointing to the list on the scroll, Hoshino said, "The puppet factories and mineral veins are our core resources. We have to keep a firm grip on them."
"Temari, you're in charge of reorganizing the plantations, caravans, and shops. You can recruit your own people."
"Kankuro, you're in charge of consolidating the puppet factories and developing the mineral veins. I've already prepared the manpower. When the time comes, go straight to Arashi."
"Okay!"
Temari and Kankuro nodded very seriously.
Hoshino continued, "Besides that, we also need a dedicated research department to develop new technologies and Ninjutsu. I'll take care of that."
Hoshino then turned his gaze to Gaara and saw him looking back with a hopeful expression, his eyes shining with anticipation.
Clearly, Gaara was also waiting to be assigned a task.
But Hoshino found it a little tricky to decide what to assign him.
Gaara was only five years old. Although he was powerful, both his age and his status restricted where he could go and what he could do.
Moreover, as the Jinchūriki of Shukaku, the One-Tail, his very existence was a sensitive and dangerous matter.
Leaving the village on missions was clearly out of the question, and it would also be inappropriate to have him deal with the nobles and merchants in the village.
After all, Gaara was a loner by nature, and with his status as a Jinchūriki, most people in the village feared and shunned him.
Hoshino pondered for a moment, quickly considering what task would suit Gaara.
He couldn't let Gaara feel overlooked, but he couldn't give him responsibilities beyond his abilities either.
At last, Hoshino said, "Gaara, your task is a little special."
Gaara's eyes lit up slightly, full of anticipation for what would come next.
"The combination of your sand control and the Sand Core gives you an unparalleled advantage in combat and defense," Hoshino said slowly. "So I'm planning to put you in charge of security for the Sunagakure Reform Society."
"Oh! 'Sunagakure Reform Society' is the name of our faction. I just came up with it!"
Gaara paused slightly, seeming a little surprised by the assignment.
But since Hoshino had assigned it to him, he would do his best to carry it out and protect the interests of the Sunagakure Reform Society from anyone who might encroach on them.
Seeing that Gaara showed no resistance, Hoshino breathed a sigh of relief.
This so-called security job was really just a sinecure. To put it bluntly, Gaara would be a security guard with nothing to do.
After all, fights were rare in the village, much less anyone daring to openly attack the Sunagakure Reform Society's base.
Did they really think he was Anbu Captain for nothing?!
"Of course, security work isn't just about patrols and defense," Hoshino continued. "You'll also need to use the Sand Core's abilities to help the research department with some special experiments."
"For example, finding ways to further enhance the properties of sand, or using sand to develop more complex Ninjutsu."
"Your ability to control sand will play a crucial role in this research."
Hearing this, a trace of excitement flashed through Gaara's eyes.
He had thought he would only be doing some simple defensive work, but he hadn't expected to be able to take part in research as well.
It made him feel that he had more value in the team.
Hoshino saw Gaara's anticipation and smiled. "But you'll have to wait a while. I need to find some research talent first."
Gaara nodded and said with a determined expression, "I'll do my utmost to complete the task, President."
Hoshino nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Temari and Kankuro.
"All right, the tasks have been assigned. Next, we need to put these plans into action, one step at a time."
"Remember, the Sunagakure Reform Society is more than just an organization. It will be our starting point for changing Sunagakure."