You Have No Choice

The bitter winter brought soaring prices, rampant inflation, frequent crime, and food shortages. Many people fell forever during that winter.

Because of its geography and climate, the Rain Country did not have to endure such a harsh winter.

But along the streets and roadsides, corpses of people who had starved to death could still be seen everywhere.

Many people below the poverty line could not afford the skyrocketing food prices. In the numerous factories, working day and night was only enough for the laborers to barely fill their stomachs, and under such intense labor, sudden deaths were not uncommon.

Konoha refused to accept waste paper, but the money continued to be printed, with no sign of stopping.

The Allied Shinobi Forces had effectively defaulted on their debts. Tsunade was furious, but there was nothing she could do. Should she send troops to teach them a lesson? They had only just settled down.

For a time, the atmosphere was strangely calm.

Seeing this, the Allied Shinobi Forces felt completely at ease and began exploiting their people even more recklessly.

Centered around the Rain Country and including the surrounding minor nations, as well as the Demon Country and parts of the Earth and Wind Countries that were outside Konoha's control, the region remained in dire straits.

In stark contrast was the territory of the Land of Fire.

This created a strange spectacle: people from the upper classes were fleeing toward the Allied Shinobi Forces, while people from the lower classes tried to enter the Land of Fire from Allied territory.

To prevent the loss of population, the Allied Shinobi Forces even built walls along the borders that were difficult to climb over.

As the famine spread, Mimi suggested that Tsunade provide food aid and sell life-saving grain to the Allied Shinobi Forces