Shinra paced around his home, closely examining his latest creation.
Kannazuki had a metallic skeleton, which allowed for incredibly precise movements.
Earlier, Shinra had equipped her left arm with a missile and her right arm with a poisoned ninja blade. He had also installed retractable poisoned blades in her joints and various mechanisms that could release jutsu from stored scrolls.
The puppet's chest cavity was filled with poisoned kunai, ready to be deployed at a moment's notice.
Moreover, he had packed Kannazuki's body with iron sand. This iron sand was infused with his chakra, allowing him to control the puppet with an unparalleled level of finesse.
What Shinra was most proud of, however, was the skin-like material he had developed, which made Kannazuki's appearance almost indistinguishable from a real human.
However, upon closer inspection, there were still differences. Human skin has pores, while artificial materials do not.
Using the limited knowledge he had gained from Sunagakure combined with his own insights, Shinra also developed a drive system, control system, and power supply, all of which were installed inside Kannazuki. In other words, as long as she was fully charged, Kannazuki could move on her own.
But this system still had many flaws. She could only execute simple commands and wasn't capable of fully autonomous action beyond his control. Not to mention the issue of taking ten hours to charge for just three minutes of operation, along with various other problems.
This was the limit of what Shinra could achieve under his current circumstances. The research environment in Sunagakure was far too harsh, leaving him unable to make significant improvements.
But Shinra wasn't satisfied with just this.
He envisioned developing scientific ninja tools that wouldn't appear for decades to come. Devices that could store chakra and release pre-programmed jutsus at will, surpassing the limitations of traditional jutsu scrolls.
If he could pull this off, it would significantly enhance Kannazuki's capabilities, turning it into a truly formidable weapon.
But what troubled Shinra was his lack of relevant knowledge or resources. Even if he had the information, Sunagakure was too poor to support such research. Sunagakure's poverty was a constant obstacle.
Then there was Sasori. Sasori was renowned for his human puppets, creations that contained chakra cores, allowing them to retain the abilities of the ninja they once were, including any kekkei genkai. Shinra couldn't help but be fascinated by the concept, especially the chakra core, which was the key to Sasori's human puppets.
But in his eyes, Sasori's human puppets were only noteworthy because of their chakra cores. These cores, connected to the puppet's original body, allowed it to use the jutsu and kekkei genkai it had in life. Other than that, they couldn't compare to his Kannazuki.
Sasori's focus was on the former strength of the human puppet, while Shinra prioritized the puppet's intrinsic capabilities.
Shinra didn't dare approach Sasori to discuss this, though. Sasori's human puppet technique was a closely guarded secret, and if he foolishly approached him, Sasori would likely kill him.
Besides... the process of creating a human puppet was undoubtedly gruesome and brutal, which made Shinra uneasy.
Sigh.
Though Shinra had never felt lonely before, he now found himself feeling an inexplicable loneliness, wishing for someone who shared his passion to talk to.
Feeling a bit tired, Shinra took a few bites of bread and sipped some water before lying down to sleep.
Meanwhile, in the Kazekage's office, a tense meeting was underway.
The Third Kazekage sat at the head of the table, his face etched with concern. Around him were the village elders, Chiyo and Ebizō, along with other high-ranking officials of Sunagakure.
Ebizō's gravelly voice broke the silence. "Based on reports from our informants across the major nations, the entire ninja world is simmering with unrest. It's been some years since the last war, and the great nations have recovered their strength. It seems they are preparing for another conflict."
The Third Kazekage's brow furrowed deeply. "Another war? So, these local skirmishes could soon escalate into a full-scale war?"
Ebizō nodded grimly. "Exactly. All that's missing is a spark, and we could see a full-blown war igniting across the continent."
"It hasn't been long since the Second Shinobi World War, and now we're on the brink of another one," Chiyo chimed in, letting out a weary sigh. "The Land of Wind isn't like the other great nations. We face harsh conditions and scarce resources. We haven't even fully recovered from the last war. How are we supposed to fight this one?"
The Third Kazekage's expression grew even darker.
Although the Land of Wind was one of the Five Great Nations, it was the weakest among them, with a smaller population, weaker military power, a struggling economy, and fewer resources compared to the other countries.
To make matters worse, in the aftermath of the Second Shinobi World War, the daimyo of the Land of Wind had pushed for military downsizing. The Kazekage had fought tooth and nail against this decision, but his success was limited.
The daimyo had agreed to maintain the shinobi forces, but only provided the bare minimum in funding. The burden of finding additional resources fell squarely on his shoulders.
The Kazekage knew all too well that skimping on ninja training and resources would only weaken Sunagakure further. A strong ninja force was the village's only means of survival.
The memory of countless sleepless nights spent strategizing ways to raise funds flashed through his mind. He had taken on missions that were far beneath the dignity of his office, all for the sake of keeping Sunagakure's military strength intact.
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, the Third Kazekage suddenly slammed his hand on the table, cursing in anger, "That short-sighted fool! He's going to be the death of us!"
The sudden outburst startled the council members, who exchanged uneasy glances. Chiyo, her brow furrowed in concern, asked, "Kazekage-sama, what's wrong?"
"If it weren't for the daimyo only giving us the bare minimum in military funds, we could have already trained a new generation of shinobi ready for battle! This war could have been our chance!" the Kazekage replied, grinding his teeth in frustration.
"The other four great nations won't dare to attack us. If we participate in this war, everyone will want to ally with us. Besides the rewards, we could make a huge profit, a chance to rise! But now?" He slumped back in his chair, deflated. "Now, that chance slips through our fingers like sand."
Chiyo and Ebizō exchanged knowing glances, finally understanding the source of the Kazekage's anger.
The Land of Wind's barren landscape made it an unattractive target for invasion, as there was little to gain. However, this very fact made Sunagakure a potentially valuable ally. The other nations would have been eager to secure their cooperation, if only to prevent Suna's shinobi from joining the opposing side. After all, those with nothing to lose are often the most dangerous, as even gaining something small would be a victory for them.
But reality was cruel. The village had not yet recovered its strength, and with insufficient funds, their current shinobi force was in no position to effectively participate in the coming conflict.
The Kazekage's anger was palpable. A rare opportunity for Sunagakure to profit and grow stronger had slipped away, all because of a lack of foresight and resources.