God-Tier Kazekage: Building the Ultimate Hidden Sand Village

Sōmi and Sasori sat cross-legged atop the golden cloud, drifting leisurely along the river.

In the fields below, some wild grasses had grown unusually tall and robust, their thick stems nearly rivaling the size of reed stalks. The grasses clustered together densely, claiming every inch of open space as their territory.

Meanwhile, Sasori was using a small fire-breathing mechanism to roast a piece of horse sausage.

As the complex aroma—a mix of gamy, greasy, and faintly roasted meat—began to waft through the air, Sōmi quietly shifted to a position upwind of Sasori.

Moments later, Sōmi's eyes suddenly sharpened as he spoke, "We're here!"

Below them was a clear river several meters wide. Within its waters, a few brightly colored fish could be seen swimming happily, creating ripples as they darted about.

Some fish even curiously surfaced, as if it were their first time seeing humans.

On both sides of the river lay ruins, scattered with the remnants of buildings made of wood and stone. These broken structures were randomly collapsed, strewn haphazardly across the ground.

It was as if a massive earthquake had once struck this place, shattering the buildings and leaving their remains piled on top of one another. Occasionally, thick stone pillars jutted out at sharp angles from the collapsed ruins, standing tall like defiant fists raised against a cruel and hopeless fate.

The surfaces of these stone pillars bore whirlpool-shaped engravings, while the collapsed buildings were covered in damp, green moss—a testament to the area's surprisingly good air quality.

As Sasori chewed on his roasted horse sausage and looked around, Sōmi guided the golden cloud forward at a slow pace.

This place felt like a forgotten land, abandoned for over a decade. Seeing the branches and leaves sprouting from cracks in the ruins, and the thick vines climbing over the rubble, Sōmi sighed inwardly.

A thought crossed his mind: An unarmed man with a treasure is guilty of his wealth.

Possessing something highly coveted by others without the strength to protect it was a perilous thing indeed.

"Sasori! Do you see any remains?"

As they left the scene of the crumbling ruins, Sōmi broke the silence with his question.

Sasori, finishing the last piece of his horse sausage with a loud chew, turned to glance back at the ruins of Uzushiogakure before shaking his head.

"Let's keep looking!"

"They should have a public cemetery or something similar!"

With a wave of Sōmi's hands, the golden cloud rose sharply into the air.

The entire village had been thoroughly ransacked. After circling the area meticulously, Sōmi and Sasori found nothing of value aside from the collapsed buildings.

Sōmi could only sigh in frustration. The major nations had been too thorough in their looting, leaving nothing behind—not even scraps for those who came after.

"Don't they understand the principle of 'open doors and equal opportunities'?" Sōmi muttered sarcastically.

Fortunately, Sōmi's goal was simple: as long as they could find some remains of the Uzumaki Clan, it would be a worthwhile trip!

Surely even those looters wouldn't have gone so far as to take the dead with them, right?

"Seek the dragon vein and locate the burial ground; where the mountains coil, there lies the treasure. If the gate is guarded by eight layers of peril, the Yin-Yang formation will surely appear..."

Under Sasori's puzzled gaze, Sōmi murmured what sounded like an incantation.

Of course, Sōmi didn't actually know any tomb-raiding techniques. He was merely reciting a phrase buried deep in his memory.

Still, with the aerial vantage provided by the golden cloud and the relatively manageable size of the island where the Land of Whirlpools was located, there was hope of finding something.

A burial ground's main vein would typically be surrounded by other mountains, known as "coiling mountains," which served to shield it from the wind.

From above, one could identify sunny slopes with forked formations—the more forks, the tighter the "coiling."

"Hmm!"

Sure enough, after gaining some altitude and scanning the area, Sōmi quickly made a discovery.

He guided the golden cloud toward a particular hillside, which stood out even from low altitude.

The upper ridge of the hill extended outward on both sides, resembling the protective wings of a bird shielding its young. These ridges enveloped the inner slope.

The hill featured three prominent ridges, arranged in a crescent shape and layered one after another.

Sōmi focused his gaze along the central line of the ridges, tracing it downward. If his instincts were correct, the burial site would be at the end of this line.

And indeed, it was!

Sōmi maneuvered the golden cloud closer, and they soon spotted a burial site.

Standing before the burial ground was a Shinto-style torii gate, its eaves and corners elegantly curved. Though made of ordinary white stone, the gate exuded an imposing presence.

Atop the gate was a whirlpool emblem, and its surface was carved with eerie depictions of gods and demons, interspersed with strange symbols. These carvings would inspire awe and reverence in most people.

But Sōmi and Sasori were not "most people." Ignoring the gate, they continued toward the burial site.

When Sōmi read the name inscribed on the gravestone, his heartbeat quickened.

The name on the gravestone read: Uzumaki Ashina!

This was none other than the leader of the Uzumaki Clan who had once stood alongside Hashirama Senju—a testament to his extraordinary power!

"Could we have really hit the jackpot this time?!"

Sōmi's eyes lit up with excitement.

Fortunately, the Uzumaki Clan seemed to have followed a principle of simple burials. Instead of an elaborate tomb, there was merely a mound of bricks and stones behind the gravestone.

This made things much easier...

Without hesitation, Sōmi got to work.

Forming several hand seals, he summoned a sharp, invisible wind blade that sliced into the burial mound.

"Sasori, summon a puppet to help move these stones!"

Out of caution, Sōmi decided it was best to let Sasori's puppet take the lead. If the Uzumaki Clan had set up any anti-tomb-raiding measures, such as powerful sealing techniques, it would be safer to test them with a puppet.

After all, if the tomb really belonged to this "ancestor of Konoha's sealing techniques," even Sōmi and Sasori together might not be able to withstand the seals.

For instance, triggering a technique like the Four Symbols Seal could be devastating.

Sōmi had no intention of falling victim to such a trap. This was precisely why he had brought Sasori along—his puppets could handle many unpredictable dangers.

Without hesitation, Sasori pulled out a small scroll, pressing one hand against it. A puff of smoke later, a Black Ant puppet appeared on the ground.

Under Sasori's control, the puppet silently approached the burial mound. Its large, spacious abdomen opened up, and with its six arms, it quickly began loading the cut stones into its body. Once full, the puppet carried the stones away and dumped them nearby.

Sasori, however, seemed displeased with the task. He likely felt that using his artistic creations to move bricks was an insult to their craftsmanship.

~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~

Explore More Amazing Fanfiction on My Patreon!

Unlock 30+ Advance Chapters and Enjoy Exclusive Stories Early!

��� patreon.com/GoldenLong