"I wish I could believe in the existence of gods and Buddha, but in a person's most difficult moments, no matter how much they pray, the gods remain seated high above, looking down on all beings..."
"The miracles are hidden, watching as vibrant lives fade away, leaving the survivors to fall into the abyss of pain," Sōmi said, his gaze distant as if recalling something from long ago.
"How can such gods and Buddha inspire my faith?"
"Master, I think you're far more incredible than those gods. After all, if you hadn't taken me in back then, I might have been carried off by some wild wolf!" Sōmi suddenly shifted the conversation, playfully flattering.
"You, at such a young age, see things so clearly. In this regard, I can't compare to you..."
"But you're so fixated on strength. You must know that even the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, couldn't prevent wars," the old monk said, sounding as if he had witnessed Hashirama's power firsthand in his youth.
"That's because his approach was wrong..." Sōmi replied. "While strength can't solve everything, it is the foundation of everything."
"If we don't have enough power, we can't even protect our village, let alone save the villagers from the ravages of war. How can we talk about safeguarding all beings?"
"Would moving a Buddha statue to the battlefield stop the enemy from invading our country's territory?"
"One should do as much as their ability allows!"
"At least I can protect you, Master, without any problem!" Sōmi said with a grin.
"You... I feared you might stray from the path, but it seems you've already recognized your true self and have a firm belief. That's rare..." the old monk sighed.
"Don't worry, Master. I would never stray from the path. I wouldn't dare do anything against the rules!" Sōmi said with a righteous expression.
"The barbecue sauce you made is almost used up. Find some time to prepare another batch..." the old monk said, squinting, his white eyebrows nestled above.
"Alright, no problem! Have Uncle Enkōka and the others take it easy. Monks shouldn't eat such heavy flavors..."
The next morning, Sōmi slung a sealed gold sand rod over his shoulder and began running along the river, engaging in his routine exercise.
Unlike those red-haired people with their "Chakra-ton" physique, his own "Chakra" required long-term, arduous training to see noticeable growth.
Fortunately, the potential of this body hadn't been fully tapped. After each workout, when his cells were active, meditating to refine Chakra proved much more effective.
The gold rod on his back now weighed over two hundred pounds. It's not that the condensed and sealed gold sand could only weigh this much, but rather that anything heavier would be too much for his body to handle...
After all, Sunagakure didn't have any taijutsu experts, nor did it possess methods for training taijutsu or nin-taijutsu...
So Sōmi could only train like Rock Lee, using weights to continually exercise and further develop his body's potential.
Over the years, Sōmi had realized that while this method was effective, it was far from reaching the level Rock Lee achieved during the Chūnin Exams.
The key reason was that Sōmi lacked the training method for the Eight Gates...
If he wanted to enhance his physical capabilities, training in Lightning Release was another option.
But the awkward reality was that, due to Sunagakure's limited knowledge of ninjutsu, he couldn't even find a decent scroll on Lightning Release nature transformation.
Using Lightning Chakra to stimulate his cells required professional guidance. Transforming Chakra into lightning within one's body wasn't something to be taken lightly. If anything went wrong, it could lead to lifelong regret.
"Huh! Huh!"
Sōmi struggled up and down along the riverbank, sweat dripping from his chin like raindrops, moistening the ground.
His arm movements grew more pronounced, yet he persisted, maintaining his form as he slowly lowered and raised his body.
"Ha!"
With a low shout, Sōmi suddenly lifted his drooping body. It felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck his mind, causing his body to freeze. A strong sense of weakness crept into his arms, and his hands went limp, causing him to collapse onto the ground.
The sun was obscured by clouds, and the previously blinding sunlight became gentle.
"Ha! Ha!"
Sōmi greedily inhaled the air, feeling a sense of joy seep into his mind, his body light and buoyant, as if he'd engaged in a more exhilarating exercise.
"This might be the opportunity to open the first gate of the Eight Gates... It's a shame I lack the training method for the Eight Gates," Sōmi lamented once more.
The Eight Gates was a technique that involved intense training to push one's potential to the limit and then releasing that power by opening the body's self-imposed "gates."
Sōmi felt that his training had brought him to the threshold of the first gate, but without the "key" to open it, he couldn't access that power.
After resting for a while and feeling his strength return, Sōmi began training another part of his body.
A shinobi's physical strength needed to be well-rounded. It wasn't enough to only train the arms; leg strength was also crucial, especially for dodging attacks and running during critical moments.
Time passed peacefully for a while. After occupying the Land of Rivers and the Land of Birds, Sunagakure dispatched a large number of shinobi to fortify the two countries.
They constructed various defensive structures and surveyed resources, clearly treating the area as part of the Land of Wind's territory.
"Sōmi, there's news from Ryukawa District (Land of Rivers). It seems the civilians there have some complaints about our rule. Go investigate and resolve the issue directly!" the Third Kazekage said, seated behind his desk, a hint of anger flashing across his face.
He was evidently frustrated that he hadn't managed to capture the Land of Stone despite personally intervening.
Unfortunately, the Third Tsuchikage's Kekkei Tōta Dust Release was far superior to the Third Kazekage's Kekkei Genkai Magnet Release. If it weren't for the other motives of the Iwagakure shinobi, retreating from the Land of Stone would have been even more difficult for the Sunagakure shinobi.
In Sunagakure's future development plans, Ryukawa District and Asuka District were strategic locations that couldn't be lost.
Aside from preventing invasions by other countries, maintaining local stability was also crucial.
"Master, have the river surveys in Ryukawa and Asuka Districts (Land of Birds) been completed? How's the canal planning going?" Sōmi asked. With only the two of them in the office, he naturally addressed him as Master.
Mentioning this brought a slight smile to the Third Kazekage's face.
"It's completely feasible! Both Ryukawa District and Asuka District have large rivers flowing from the Land of Rain, with an abundant and year-round supply of water. Diverting them will surely create vast oases!"
"This is truly beneficial for our country!" The Kazekage's tone was noticeably excited.