NOVEL NEXT Chapter 72: ch71
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"Hokage, this is the war preparation plan. If everything looks good, you can approve and execute it."
In the office, Uchiha Tomita respectfully handed Uchiha Nan the plan for Konoha's war efforts. Uchiha Nan glanced through it, not particularly interested in the specifics.
The war had been ongoing for a while, and his team had become adept at drafting war plans, which were essentially standardized at this point.
Uchiha Nan was mainly concerned with the cost. War meant burning money. If you have the money, you can flex your muscles and fight as long as needed.
"Four and a half billion ryo?"
Uchiha Nan sighed. Even though he was prepared, the figure was staggering. This was just the initial preparation. The real challenge was if it reached the point of a war of attrition, which was the most grueling.
Using human lives to endure while funds continued to burn.
Fortunately, this war wasn't expected to last too long.
Uchiha Nan signed his approval, allowing Konoha's Ministry of Finance to release the funds.
He wondered how Nara Shikaon and Hinata Takuma's plan was progressing. Uchiha Nan had been anxious, waiting for good news from them.
His anxiety didn't last long, as an ANBU ninja delivered a letter from Nara Shikaon.
Everything had gone smoothly; the daimyo had agreed, and now it was just a matter of execution. Nara Shikaon requested a team of ANBU ninjas for support, anticipating there might be many people to eliminate soon.
Uchiha Nan naturally agreed. Deploying ANBU ninjas seemed like overkill for dealing with ordinary people wielding power.
What is power compared to violence?
With the daimyo's endorsement, eliminating them was justified!
For over a month, Uchiha Nan and Nara Shikaon exchanged letters, updating Uchiha Nan on the progress.
Nara Shikaon only reported positive news, omitting the difficulties. However, Uchiha Nan could infer the complexity from what was described.
The network of relationships among nobles and merchants was intricate. Anyone dealing in large-scale pig iron trade had to be quite adept.
Some nobles even invoked the Uchiha name, claiming ties with the clan and hoping to leverage this to avoid compliance.
To prevent any mishaps, Nara Shikaon sought Uchiha Nan's guidance on such matters. Uchiha Nan's stance was clear: focus on results, not the process.
Nara Shikaon understood—time to start eliminating obstacles!
Elimination was a last resort. If issues could be resolved peacefully, that was preferable. Everyone's goal was profit, and unnecessary bloodshed was undesirable.
Otherwise, Uchiha Nan wouldn't have sent Hinata Takuma. Their family was known for tolerance and effective communication, enjoying positive relations with the nobles and businessmen of the Land of Fire. Most would respect Hinata Takuma.
After all, pig iron futures weren't bad for them. They could accelerate pig iron trade, make pricing transparent, and reduce the number of merchants exploiting information gaps.
But there were always those who were obstinate. Nara Shikaon, faced with stubborn resistance, had to resort to decisive measures.
Some merchants, unafraid of death, even hired bounty hunters to attack Nara Shikaon and Hinata Takuma. For such elements, not only would they perish, but their entire families would face consequences.
After more than a month of complex negotiations and necessary eliminations, Nara Shikaon and Hinata Takuma finally integrated all channels in the Land of Fire, even leading to a trend of unified pig iron pricing, which pleasantly surprised Uchiha Nan.
But Uchiha Nan didn't stop there. He wanted to do more and pave the way for the future.
The Land of Iron was one of the largest sources of iron ore in the Ninja World, dominating nearly a third of it. Uchiha Nan aimed to extend his influence there.
However, Nara Shikaon cautioned Uchiha Nan, suggesting it was beyond their current reach.
While integrating channels in the Land of Fire was difficult, the daimyo's endorsement made it legal, allowing ninjas to enforce it.
Cross-border operations involved diplomacy, making it unrealistic for Konoha's ninjas to kill indiscriminately in the Land of Iron, and the daimyo wouldn't support it.
Uchiha Nan regretted this but didn't give up. If force wasn't feasible, then diplomacy was an option. They could invite them to join the Fire Country's channels. The Fire Country was the wealthiest in the Ninja World, and they wouldn't ignore such a vast market.
Once in the Fire Country, they'd have to abide by its rules.
Uchiha Nan sat in the Hokage's office, finally feeling relieved. Preparations were complete.
He was just waiting for an attack from Kirigakure and Iwagakure, which would take time. Wars between major ninja villages required extensive mobilization, intelligence, and resource acquisition.
Spies in the two villages delivered messages daily. The ninja world had many secret messaging techniques, the most typical using summoning beasts for the fastest delivery.
Everything was ready, just waiting for the trigger! The Land of Fire
In a bustling gold exchange, a mix of rogue ninjas, destitute samurai, and thieves gathered.
A strangely dressed middle-aged man, wearing all black, with linear stitches on his exposed arms and dark green pupils, walked in, holding a severed head.
His entrance silenced the noisy exchange, as everyone feared provoking him.
With a bang, he tossed the head onto the counter. Blood splattered on the attendant's face, but the previously sinister attendant smiled warmly.
"Kakuzu-sama, another mission completed. You're truly a renowned bounty hunter in the ninja world!"
"Give me the money."
Kakuzu ignored the attendant's praise, focusing only on getting paid.
"Of course."
The attendant quickly verified his identity and confirmed the head as the target. He promptly exchanged the bounty for Kakuzu.
Six large boxes of banknotes were placed on the counter before Kakuzu. He opened one, revealing it was packed with a hundred thousand ryo each, brimming with cash.
The mission he took wasn't difficult. The target was a minor noble, protected by a few chunin and a special jonin, making it easy for him.
"It smells so good."
Kakuzu picked up a banknote, inhaling deeply, savoring the scent with satisfaction.
In this world, only banknotes were truly beautiful and reliable!
Kakuzu collected the money, accepted another mission, and planned to continue his earnings.
After leaving the exchange, he headed to a weapons store to sell the equipment of defeated ninjas.
Looting corpses was a good habit. Rookies carried plenty of supplies, including shurikens, kunai, and even explosive tags, worth tens of thousands of ryo.
Kakuzu prided himself on his money-making and household management skills.
Weapons Shop
"Have you heard? The pig iron business in the Fire Country has been significantly impacted. The big shots have launched a futures business."
"That's great. Prices are also transparent, making future purchases convenient."
"Think bigger. The merchants who planned to hoard pig iron and speculate are now eyeing futures."
"So what? With Konoha and Kumogakure signing a peace agreement, the two strongest villages aren't fighting. Pig iron prices have dropped two or three times. I doubt it'll work."
"I disagree. Futures trading has potential. You can definitely make a lot of money."
Customers chatted with the shop owner. With Konoha and the Fire Country collaborating, pig iron futures spread in the industry, with exchanges sprouting across the Fire Country.
Kakuzu haggled with the shop attendant, trying to raise prices. Second-hand goods sellers always wanted lower prices.
What greedy merchants!
"What are pig iron futures?"
For the first time, Kakuzu heard this term. As a ninja, he dealt with weapons and knew about pig iron.
Initially, Kakuzu wasn't interested in pig iron futures. With his strength, he rarely needed weapons like kunai and shuriken, viewing their purchase as wasteful.
But when he heard "make big money," Kakuzu's eyes lit up.
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