In Naruto, build the strongest Hidden Mist Village.

Chapter 99: Revitalizing the Economy – The Plan is About to Be Launched
"Naoki, you're finally back."

Mei Terumi waved the roster in her hand, looking at Naoki Kaguya who had returned weary from his journey, and said with great pleasure.

"None of the invited merchants refused and they arrived quickly. Most of the merchants from outside the Water Kingdom have already come."

"so."

Mei Terumi suppressed her smile, pushed away Naoki Kaguya's hand that was on her shoulder, and said very seriously.

"You should review their materials again now; they'll be here soon."

"That's it."

Naoki Kaguya shook his head, picked up the list in his hand, and only memorized a few of the richest names who needed special care.

"Wait, Tianyi?"

Naoki Kaguya frowned.

"I remember there wasn't such a person before?"

Mei Terumi turned away without looking at him, clearly already understanding the man, and simply sighed.

"Tianyi's name was indeed not previously known."

Because he only recently inherited his father's business, we only learned about it after accepting the invitation, and haven't had a chance to tell you yet.

"If I remember correctly, Tianyi's father is the richest of the people we invited this time."

Kaguya Naoki sorted out the intelligence and quickly recognized which name was missing.

Upon hearing this, Mei Terumi nodded slightly, a hint of anxiety barely perceptible hidden in her flowing, fiery red hair.

"Yes, they had already prepared a plan to deal with his father, but now everything has been disrupted."

Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is hard to say; young people are always impulsive, and perhaps they'll react even more aggressively towards us.

Naoki Kaguya smiled and offered a few words of comfort, but his heart remained completely unmoved.

Whether you're young or mature.

It's true that Wuyin controls the path to wealth, and it's also true that he embezzles a portion of the merchants' profits.

Tianyi will be his target, after all, he is the one whose share has been encroached upon the most.

"Wait a minute."

Naoki Kaguya placed the scroll on the table.

"In a few days, we won't be short of money."

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

At this moment, the merchants who controlled almost half of the wealth of the Land of Water gathered in the hall prepared by Kirigakure.

Quiet and still, with no communication, yet each harboring their own secrets.

They had no choice but to accept the invitation from Kirigakure, the most powerful military force in the Land of Water.

However, prior speculation and discussion are unavoidable.

Naturally, once you arrive here, there is no need for further communication.

Everyone has their own internal scale.

What does Kirigakure lack most?

Without a doubt, it's money.

The money, naturally, must be taken from their pockets.

reject?

Having come all this way, how could we possibly refuse Kirigakure?
But how much they could gain, and how to avoid being taken advantage of even more, were things that these businessmen had already considered and made proper arrangements for.

Of course, after making a fortune this time, it was also part of the plan to quickly transfer the wealth and drag other ninja villages into the fray.

As for the fact that Kirigakure was superior to Konoha, it certainly stirred up restlessness and fear in their hearts.

But under the guise of money, they preferred to believe that this was a joint attack by the four great ninja villages, and that Konoha, unable to withstand it, had taken the initiative to propose peace talks.

Click.

The resounding sound of the gate jolted everyone awake, and they all turned to look at the entrance.

The fourth generation, the third generation, and the master walked in together, immediately causing a stir in the venue.

They were by no means ignorant fools. The fact that these three had come together meant, to some extent, that the highest military force in Kirigakure now had a unified leadership.

This is not a good thing for them.

Tap. Naoki Kaguya walked to the seat in the very center and gently tapped the table.

"It is an honor for our Wuyin to have you all take the time to attend this meeting."

"Lord Mizukage, what are you saying? It is our honor to be able to discuss the future with Kirigakure!"

The businessmen present immediately joined in the agreement.

珰!
A metallic clang instantly silenced the noise in the hall, drawing all eyes to the source of the sound.

"Lord Mizukage, just tell me how much you need. I, Tenichi, will pay half, and the rest can be divided among you all."

Mei Terumi, who had already prepared to deal with this person, was startled and swallowed the tea that was rising in her throat.

Was it an unexpected surprise? Or just a feigned relaxation?

Naoki Kaguya remained calm and unconcerned.

In contrast, the other merchants all gritted their teeth in resentment.

This cowardly boy has not inherited even a fraction of his father's courage.

Kirigakure is a ninja village after all, so they can't be too uncouth. How are they supposed to do business if you raise the price like this right from the start?

"That's not the case."

Naoki Kaguya looked at the crowd who showed genuine appreciation for Tenichi's generosity and shook his head with a smile.

"I'm here today simply to offer you a new perspective so that you can earn more money in the future."

The room fell silent, everyone turning to look at Kaguya Naoki, waiting for what was to come.

"Sir, please speak."

It was Tianyi who responded again, and Kaguya Naoki nodded approvingly.

"As everyone knows, our land of water is in utter chaos, teeming with bandits. How to transport goods smoothly and how to deliver them safely abroad has always been a problem."

The merchants remained outwardly calm, but inwardly they nodded in agreement.

This is also the significance of the ninja village's existence; as long as there is no peace within the Land of Water, there will be a constant stream of requests delivered to the ninja village's desk.

The ninja village used this to make money, while the merchants suffered losses for no reason.

But so what?
Faced with this largest military force, they had to offer some benefits to keep them from bothering them.

Why bring this up again now?

The businessmen fell silent, exchanging glances, their minds racing.

Even so, they were still taken aback by what Naoki Kaguya said next.

"I am deeply worried about this matter, as I long to make the Land of Water great again."

"After all, only by ensuring a certain level of stable transportation environment can economic vitality be revitalized."

"Therefore, Kirigakure, which has always been committed to creating a peaceful environment, has decided to bring a bright future to everyone."

Naoki Kaguya began to narrate slowly.

"I want to designate more than a dozen trade routes that run through the entire Land of Water, and have our Hidden Mist Village maintain them."

"We will bring complete peace to these dozen or so trade routes, eliminating all bandits, enemy village ninjas, and local road bullies!"

"What you all need to do is to circulate your goods throughout the entire Water Kingdom."

"I'll join!"

Tianyi has already raised his hand and made his stance clear on the spot.

More and more businessmen are pondering the matter carefully and are eager to make a move.

However, apart from Tianyi, the truly powerful businessmen all wore strange expressions.

Admittedly, this will provide them with a peaceful and stable transportation environment.

But wouldn't that mean that one of the biggest assets of these big businessmen would be gone?

You should know that they are able to firmly control the wealth of the Water Kingdom precisely because of their influence in both the legitimate and criminal worlds.

It's fine if they just want money.

Today, Hidden Mist Village, do you dare to sever our roots?

At this moment, Tianyi, who was clearly aware of the big businessmen's plans and had resolutely refused to join them, once again stepped forward decisively.

(End of this chapter)