The domineering Uchiha drove the Third Hokage mad!

Chapter 330 The major ninja villages arrive in the Land of Water

With three days to go before the Joint Chunin Exams, the ports of the Land of Water are already bustling with activity.

The first to arrive was the Iwagakure (Hidden Stone Village) team. The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, hovered in the air, with Akatsuchi and Yotsuchi flanking him on either side.

Behind him followed more than a hundred Iwagakure ninja, all dressed in uniform khaki ninja uniforms, their steps precise and firm.

Among the group, Shinsuke Suzume and others had sharp eyes, constantly observing the buildings and pedestrians at the Land of Water's port, clearly gathering intelligence in secret.

"Hmph, the Land of Water has developed quite well these past few years."

Onoki squinted at the towering buildings beside the port, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible surprise: "When I first came here, this place was all wooden houses. Now there are so many strange and wonderful buildings."

Akatsuchi responded in a low voice: "Lord Tsuchikage, according to the intelligence we have gathered, the Land of Water has made rapid progress in technology in recent years. They even have 'cell phones' that can transmit information over long distances, and 'computers' that can store large amounts of data. The 'cars' and 'motorcycles' on the streets don't need to be powered by chakra."

Onoki raised an eyebrow, said nothing more, but the scrutiny in his eyes intensified.

Following closely behind was the Cloud Village's group. The Fourth Raikage, A, wore a dark blue Raikage robe, his muscle lines faintly visible beneath the clothing, and he was surrounded by a faint aura of Lightning Release chakra, exuding an imposing presence.

Atsui, Nurui, and other young ninjas followed behind him, while the Kayui and Yurui sisters walked side by side, their eyes curiously taking in their surroundings. It was their first time in the Land of Water, and everything here was new and exciting to them.

"Lord Darui, look over there!"

Atsui suddenly pointed to a huge electronic screen not far away, which was displaying GG merchandise from the Land of Water. The screen flashed by the latest mobile phones, computers, and roaring cars, with price tags clearly visible. "What's that? Are the numbers below the prices?"

Darui looked in the direction he was pointing, his brows furrowing slightly: "It should be the new technology of the Water Kingdom. It seems the rumors are true; their technology is indeed far ahead of ours."

He raised his hand to signal the team to speed up, his voice low and deep: "Everyone, stay alert. During the exam, you must not only demonstrate the strength of Kumogakure, but also pay close attention to the situation in the Land of Water. We can't let them steal our thunder."

The Sand Village team, on the other hand, carried a strong desert aura.

The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, wore a sand-colored robe and had a slightly indifferent expression on his face.

Gaara stood beside him, still with that cold expression, but his eyes were a little softer than they had been three years ago.

Kankuro, carrying his puppet, was drawn to a black car driving by on the street. The metal shell gleamed, and the four black tires turned smoothly and quickly, moving even more nimbly than his chakra-powered puppet. A red motorcycle roared past, its engine sound making him clench his fist.

Violet, Koma, and the others followed behind, while the two little girls, Sari and Sana, discussed the shops along the roadside in hushed tones, their eyes full of curiosity.

"Father, the people of the Water Kingdom seem to be very wealthy."

Gaara looked at the pedestrians on the roadside, the exquisitely packaged bags in their hands, and said softly, "Their clothes and demeanor are different from those of the common people of Sunagakure."

Rasa looked at the Sand Village ninja behind him, his tone grave: "The intelligence we received earlier said that an ordinary person in the Land of Water earns over 20 ryo a month, which is no small sum. Remember, don't spend money in the Land of Water lightly; find out the details first."

As soon as they reached the shopping street, Kankuro tugged at Rasa's sleeve.

His eyes shone brightly as he excitedly exclaimed, "Father, look at those cars and motorcycles over there! That black car looks like it can carry a lot of stuff, and the motorcycle is fast too. If we buy them, it will definitely be more convenient for missions in the future!"

He pointed to the car dealership not far away, where various vehicles were displayed in the glass windows, with price tags that read "Cars 30-200 taels...Motorcycles 3-15 taels," which made him very tempted.

Luo Sha glanced in the direction he was pointing, and his face instantly darkened: "You want to buy these?"

Kankuro, thinking his father was interested, quickly added, "That's right! Look at that motorcycle, it's much faster than our sandboards, and the car can shield us from the wind and rain. We won't have to worry about sandstorms when taking the puppets on missions!"

"Nonsense!"

Luo Sha rebuked in a low voice, his tone stern and leaving no room for argument: "The Land of Wind is covered in sand. Wheels will get stuck and won't move, and motorcycle engines will get clogged with sand. What's the point of buying these things? It's just a waste of money!"

He glanced at the prices at the car dealership and frowned even more: "That motorcycle you've got your eye on costs 12 taels of silver. Do you think money grows on trees?"

Kankuro lowered his head after being scolded, his fingers digging into the hem of his ninja uniform, his heart filled with grievance.

He genuinely thought these vehicles were very practical, but his father was right; the sandy terrain of the Land of Wind was indeed unsuitable for these vehicles.

Gaara glanced at him and said softly, "Don't even think about it. The environment of the Land of Wind really doesn't require these things."

Kankuro gave a muffled "hmm," but couldn't help turning back to look at the car dealership, his envy barely concealed.

On the other side, Shana couldn't help but tug at Sari's sleeve: "Sari-neechan, look at that little box that lights up, it looks really fun..."

Shali quickly pulled her back and whispered, "Don't look around. Lord Kazekage said that prices here are definitely very high, and we don't have enough money."

As soon as they finished speaking, they heard two commoners from the Land of Water talking nearby: "We got paid today, 25 taels. That's just enough to buy a top-of-the-line computer for 15 taels and we'll still have some money left over. We'll also pick out a cell phone for 3 taels."

"Yes, I just bought a new phone last week for 2.6 yuan, and it's much easier to use than my old one!"

These words caused the Sand Village ninjas to widen their eyes in surprise.

A monthly salary of 25 taels? ...A mobile phone costs 3 taels...A top-of-the-line computer costs 15 taels...?

Keep in mind that in Sunagakure, a genin's monthly income is less than 10 ryo, and a chunin's is only around 20 ryo. The common people of the Land of Water can not only easily buy a mobile phone, but also freely buy a computer. Their purchasing power is truly astonishing!

The commoners in Sunagakure earn at most 2000-3000 ryo a month, which isn't even enough to buy the cheapest mobile phone.

Komaza couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, "This...this difference is just too big! A genin from Sunagakure can only afford two basic cell phones with a month's salary..."

Luo Sha's expression darkened further. He hadn't expected the wealth of the Water Kingdom to exceed the intelligence reports, especially the prevalence of electronic devices and transportation, which had become implicit proof of its strength. This made him more wary.

The last to arrive was the Akatsuki village team. Pain, the Deva Path, hovered in the air, dressed in a black Akatsuki robe, his face bearing the cold indifference characteristic of the Rinnegan. Konan followed beside him, origami dancing lightly between her fingertips.

Following behind were members of the Akatsuki organization such as Shigure, Sudden Rain, and Plum Rain, as well as Oboro, Kagari, and Yumehi.

Shigure respectfully said, "Lord Pain, the technological level of the Land of Water far exceeds our expectations. Their electronic devices, vehicles, and infrastructure are unmatched by other ninja villages. Just now, we observed that even ordinary merchants are using computers to record their accounts, and everyone has a mobile phone."

Payne nodded slightly, his Rinnegan sweeping across the street below: "Konan, these technologies might be useful to our plans. Purchase some. Also, have your people gather more relevant intelligence, especially information about computers, cell phones, and vehicles."

"I understand," Xiao Nan replied, the origami at her fingertips quietly unfolding, transforming into tiny paper butterflies that flew to every corner.

Ninjas from various countries walked through the streets of the Land of Water, their shock coming in waves.

They saw ordinary people from the Water Kingdom driving around in cars, riding motorcycles, and casually making phone calls.

Seeing shop assistants quickly processing orders on computers and children playing with mobile phones that can play cartoons, these were scenes they had never seen in their own village.