Chapter 87: Reopening the Abyss
Kenji Uegusa signed the last stroke on the document, carefully placing the brush back onto the pen rack. Removing his reading glasses, he pinched the bridge of his nose, which now bore clear marks from prolonged use. Letting out a long sigh, he leaned back in his chair.
As the Head of the Human Resources Department of Sunagakure (Hidden Sand Village), Kenji's workload was overwhelming. Every day, he had to handle a mountain of paperwork: appointments and dismissals of newly promoted officials, performance evaluations of various ranks, ninja rank file creation, talent pool database management... The list went on and on. It was a seemingly endless stream of tasks that all fell on the shoulders of this nearly sixty-year-old man.
To make matters worse, his responsibilities now extended beyond Sunagakure. They included overseeing the Moon Lake New District, the Hourglass Group in the Land of Rain, and soon, the development of the Yuexi Peninsula. Kenji often felt drained, as if his energy could no longer keep up with the demands.
"Knock! Knock! Knock!"
A series of knocks came at the door.
"Come in."
Kenji put his reading glasses back on.
"Oh! Minister Rasa, what a rare guest. How do you find the time to visit me today?"
Kenji greeted the "Number Two" figure of Sunagakure with a warm smile.
"I heard you have some fresh tea this year. Unlike you, I don't have such wide connections. So, I had to shamelessly come and beg for a cup," Rasa replied.
After spending nearly two years stationed in Amegakure (Hidden Rain Village), Rasa was no longer the brash young man he once was. His tone was polished, and his words carried the weight of someone well-versed in the art of diplomacy.