Food and War

Uchiha Yu told Miwa Masayo about coming into a huge sum of money.

The Tabby Cat was Uchiha Yu's chosen partner. There was enough trust between them, and Miwa Masayo was strong enough to protect her own memories.

It was not that the Cat Sage was exceptionally powerful, but that she had mastered Flame Sage Art: Flame Leap, allowing her to spatially jump between any flames.

After confirming the effects of this senjutsu, Uchiha Yu dug a secret chamber deep beneath his home. He placed a large water vat inside, filled it with oil, and lit an Everlasting Lamp. Another was lit in Cat Castle as well.

No matter where Miwa Masayo was, she could flick out a ball of flame with her paw, dive into it, and return to Uchiha Yu's home or Cat Castle. No one in the current Ninja World could catch her.

As for genjutsu, the ocular power lodged within her litter-scooper could naturally resist it. So long as it was not Mangekyō-level genjutsu, it could never break through Uchiha Yu's ocular power protection. Even if genjutsu was cast through the Mangekyō Sharingan, he was confident he could protect Miwa Masayo long enough to complete Flame Leap.

It was precisely because he had sufficient strength backing him that Uchiha Yu was confident enough to share his secret with his partner.

"So, we're rich now, meow!"

"Yes, we were thinking exactly the same thing!"

"Unfortunately, most of it can't be spent."

"No way! How could that be, meow?"

"Because once money reaches a certain amount, it is no longer money in the way ordinary people understand it. The markets and channels ordinary people can access simply do not have goods that can match that fortune."

"If the two of us dared to use such a huge sum, it would be the same as displaying it directly to the Third Hokage."

"Meow... That won't do. The Sarutobi Clan is so domineering. Cat Castle's business has suffered plenty of losses to them over the past ten years. If the Sarutobi Clan found out, they would shamelessly come seize it."

"Huh? I really didn't know the Sarutobi Clan was that overbearing. I've never heard of it."

"Meow, they wouldn't rob people from Konoha. Besides, the Sarutobis always use Konoha's official decrees to levy or buy things cheaply. It's legal robbery, meow. There's nothing we can do."

"Ha. In the end, Cat Castle just isn't powerful enough. Once three or five Cat Sages emerge among you Ninja Cats, Cat Castle can ascend directly into the Fourth Sacred Land. Then see whether the Sarutobi Clan's attitude changes."

"Even if the Sarutobis are blinded by greed, those monkeys will teach them how to behave."

"Mm, that day will come eventually. But it still hurts my heart that so much money can't be spent!"

"Give part of it to Cat Granny and let her operate it for us. The two of us will only take half the returns."

"With Cat Castle's channels, taking in three percent should not be a problem. That will be enough for us."

"So how much is that, exactly, meow?"

"About 1.2 billion ryo in capital. That is equivalent to a quarter of Cat Castle's total business capital. It can't be any more than that, or even Cat Granny won't be able to cover it."

"Meow!!!"

"I want to eat well! I want delicious food!"

"Fine, fine, but everything has to be bought through Cat Granny. We also need to buy a batch of medicinal herbs from her, so we don't cause fluctuations in Konoha's prices."

"I don't want medicine... It's bitter, tastes bad, and is disgusting."

"You have to take it. Otherwise, your nutrition won't keep up, which will be bad for your upcoming training. Besides, would I make you eat the herbs directly?"

"Can medicine be made delicious?"

"It can. Why couldn't it?"

"The problem is that I have never made it before. I'll need time, ingredients, and medicinal herbs to experiment. Anyway, we have money now, so wasting a little does not matter."

Time quickly entered September. The autumn harvest had ended, and the autumn wind grew increasingly bleak and cold.

The morning dew grew heavier and heavier. People had to put on thicker undershirts to ward off the cold and began preparing for winter's arrival.

Because of the autumn harvest that had just passed, the situation in the Ninja World seemed to have stabilized. Even grain prices had fallen by thirty percent.

The Uchiha clan held a small clan meeting to discuss this year's changing situation. The clan head and elders believed that war probably would not break out this winter.

Guided by this conclusion, the Uchiha clan made quite a few adjustments. They sold off part of their old grain and replaced it with this year's new harvest, while selling some outdated weapons and equipment at high prices to clear warehouse space for new weapons forged during winter.

As the owner of a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Uchiha Nobutada attended the meeting. He did not say a single word throughout, and no one asked for his opinion.

No one knew what good fortune this old man had encountered in late summer, but he had suddenly become active. He found fault with Uchiha Fugaku and the six elders over every little thing, calling them trash whenever he opened his mouth and adding idiot whenever he closed it.

The Uchiha clan's authorities were cursed miserably and could only deliberately avoid the old man, trying their best not to give him a chance to speak.

Fortunately, after a few months, the old man lost steam on his own. After cursing "rotten timber" a few times, he shut his mouth and never spoke again. Everyone felt relieved.

"They actually failed to realize that grain prices might have dropped because the Five Great Nations had completed their war preparations and were no longer buying grain like mad. I called Fugaku trash, and he was still unhappy about it."

"Where's his shame?"

"Shisui, look. Your Brother Yu guessed it right away, but those idiots simply could not think of it."

"Even if they could not think of it, couldn't they investigate Konoha's reserves? Heh! They actually said the Third Hokage had ordered it kept secret, and that the Uchiha probing into such information could easily cause conflict and deepen mutual distrust."

"I'll fucking—"

Shisui hurriedly poured Old Xin Yin half a cup of golden ginseng wine and said, "Even I know about that prohibition. The clan head's concerns are reasonable. Our Uchiha's current position is very sensitive. We really cannot be too obvious about it. That would not be good."

"Shisui, you're too honest, child."

The old man took a sip of wine and sighed. "We Uchiha are a ninja clan. Guarding against intelligence leaks is right, but if a ninja clan knows nothing at all, its members can easily be put in danger. That is not right either."

Uchiha Shisui was caught in the middle and asked, "Then what should we do?"

The old man's hand holding the wine cup froze. He thought for a long time without finding a clue, then simply asked, "Kid, stop focusing on eating meat. Your mind is sharp. Tell us, what should we do?"

Uchiha Yu noisily devoured the braised chicken in his hand, smacked his lips, swallowed, and answered, "The relationship between the Uchiha clan and the Third Hokage is indeed sensitive right now. It is not suitable to directly send people to inquire about military intelligence. We need to avoid giving those with ulterior motives a chance to make trouble, or even spread rumors that we are suspected of colluding with the enemy."

"Not directly means we can ask indirectly?"

"Mm. Actually, the secrecy level of this intelligence is not high. The people handling it are all low-ranking ninja, and several of the clans in power should know it perfectly well."

"But our relationship with them is not good either. Asking them directly will not work. They will have their own concerns."

Uchiha Shisui asked anxiously, "Then what should we do?"

"I already said it: ask indirectly." Uchiha Yu smiled. "The Uchiha fully manage the Military Police Force, right?"

"Wouldn't the Military Police Force have records and data on military grain warehouses? I remember that the construction of grain warehouses has to be registered with the Military Police Force."

"There should be records of grain shipments coming in and out, right? And village population records?"

"Grain will not be stored for more than three years. Compare the incoming and outgoing data from the past three years, and you can calculate Konoha's total grain reserves."

"People generally consume two jin of grain per day. Multiply that by the population to get a rough estimate of consumption."

"Subtract the consumption from the total grain reserves, then compare it with the grain warehouses' total capacity. That will tell you whether Konoha's granaries are full."

Uchiha Shisui's face was filled with amazement.

Uchiha Nobutada laughed heartily and praised him. "See? I knew it. You really are impressive, kid!"

Monday had arrived, so to draw everyone in and keep them reading.

An extra chapter was added.