Nobles with Their Jaws Wide Open, Naruto Arrives in the Capital City

Time passed slowly, Ino scribbled on a piece of paper, still without any clue. Even if she were to meet Daimyo, she would most likely be turned away at the door.

The Yamanaka Clan's power is only effective in Konohagakure. Even if his own father came, he still couldn't do anything about these unruly nobles from the Land of Fire.

After all, these nobles control the vast majority of the Land of Fire's wealth and don't take Konohagakure seriously at all. They even have the right to participate in decision-making on some important matters.

Ino was certain that the Chakra Communication Project would not harm the health of the nobles of the Land of Fire; this was utter nonsense. What harm could Chakra Communication Tower possibly cause?

If they could have fewer sex parties and gotten rid of the STI, they might have lived two more years.

With a bang, Ino her fist on the table, her anger completely uncontrollable. Her teeth chattered with rage, and she wanted nothing more than to go up to them and kick them a couple of times.

"Those hypocritical bastards!"

Ultimately, he was still furious, but after calming down, he still had to resolve the matter. After all, the Intelligence Department had invested countless funds and energy, and if they were stuck in the Capital City of the Land of Fire, their morale would be severely damaged.

The next day.

Three oxcarts departed from the Konohagakure Intelligence Department's construction team camp and headed along the Capital City's main road towards the noble residential area of Land of Fire. Ino sat inside the cart with her eyes closed, resting.

After careful consideration, Ino decided to speak with those nobles whose brains were practically in the sewers, in the name of Konohagakure's Intelligence Department, and discuss the matter further.

Upon entering the Capital City, present your visiting card.

The courtyards of the Land of Fire's nobles were indeed magnificent; despite it being the dry season of summer, the sound of flowing water could be heard within. The Capital City, unlike Konohagakure, was situated on a plain, which also meant an arid climate.

The servant accepted the visiting card but didn't rush inside. Instead, he first glanced at Ino and her group, his face expressionless, his gaze sweeping downwards as he spoke with a sidelong look.

"Just wait here!"

"What kind of attitude is this?!" Yamato, a male ninja from the Intelligence Department, couldn't hold back any longer. He was so angry that he almost wanted to fight, but was stopped by his colleague.

Only after the servant entered the courtyard did the Intelligence Department personnel offer some advice.

"Calm down, Yamato. It's not worth offending those nobles. All the scoundrels in this Capital City listen to those nobles, and we can't hurt the common people."

"Yes, even if a fight breaks out, we won't gain anything. If we Teuchi a civilian, the project might have to be suspended."

"That's too much of a bullying." Yamato was somewhat unwilling but there was nothing he could do. After being stopped, he was actually a little scared.

Ninjas are best advised to avoid associating with nobles and are better suited to living in ninja villages. The Land of Fire is still ruled by nobles, with a small number of nobles retaining a system of slavery.

The Daimyo is the true ruler of the Land of Fire, while the ninja villages are merely the main force within the Land of Fire's violent apparatus. The term "army" here refers generally to ninja armies, with very few civilian armies.

The nobles controlled most of the land and production tools outside of the ninja village, so even though they were licentious, they could still live a life of luxury and debauchery.

These nobles are essentially similar to the chaebols of the peninsula; they are basically fearless because they have money.

"Wait a little longer," Ino said patiently.

She was wearing a short kimono today, giving her a slightly dignified appearance. Her hair was styled in a bun and secured with hairpins, revealing her fair and graceful neck, which looked like a painting in the Nikko.

After a while, the servant hurriedly came out, walked up to the Intelligence Department members, bowed and said.

"My master requests a word with Ino. Please come with me."

This statement effectively left the Intelligence Department members feeling awkward, and their expressions changed upon hearing it. Ino frowned slightly, but there was nothing she could do.

He took a deep breath, nodded, and said calmly.

"Lead the way."

The servant turned and walked into the courtyard. Ino glanced at the Intelligence Department she had brought, gave them a reassuring look, and then followed.

Watching Ino's departing figure, everyone looked slightly worried.

Will this work?

"I don't know. Nobles are always arrogant; even Ino probably wouldn't be."

Ino walked into the courtyard, the sound of her wooden clogs crisp and clear. She passed an arched bridge made of bluestone, beneath which a stream flowed gently, and a cool breeze and mist wafted by.

Under the scorching sun, Ino finally entered the council chamber.

Several men dressed in noble attire knelt on the seat of honor, raising their heads to sized up the successor of Konohagakure's Intelligence Department. She appeared to be a young girl with a gentle personality.

"Son Kazu Sono." Ino walked to the center and bowed, then turned to bow to the remaining nobles, her movements unhurried.

Several nobles scrutinized Ino with keen interest, their faces pale and sullen. Nobles were known for their open-mindedness, and it was fashionable for them to wear makeup to project an air of solemnity.

They had a lot of fun in private, not only exchanging maids but also frequently organizing group calisthenics. The scene was as if their genes had been awakened.

"The weather is nice today, so what brings Miss Ino here?" Son Kazu spoke in a pretentious manner, often spouting classical Chinese to appear sophisticated.

"The Intelligence Department is preparing to lay out Chakra communication network in the Capital City, but I've heard that you gentlemen seem to have some misunderstandings about this technology, so I've come to explain," Ino said, neither humble nor arrogant.

"We don't understand those things very well, so just don't build them," a nobleman said. "Anyway, the Land of Fire has other places besides the Capital City, so you can build them there."

Upon hearing this, Ino lowered her head even further. Not out of fear, but simply because she didn't want others to see her unusual expression. She quietly exhaled, then looked up and smiled.

"The Capital City is the core of the Land of Fire, with a large population and thriving commerce. The Communications Project will only benefit the people of the Capital City, and will not cause any harm or danger."

"I can assure you all of this that Chakra communication technology is mature and will not cause any harm to your health."

"On the contrary, communication networks can make life more convenient and improve business efficiency."

"Alright!"

"No need to say anything!"

One of the nobles kneeling on either side impatiently interrupted Ino's question. The man looked bloated, with a large face and a thick waist, and he had been kneeling for a long time with sweat on his forehead.

He had dark circles under his eyes, making him look like he was close to the King of King of Hell. He glanced at Ino and asked in an unfriendly tone.

"You've said a lot, but what good is it to us?"

"Life is more convenient," Ino replied, bowing her head.

"Our lives are convenient enough as they are now, is there any need to change?" the obese nobleman said, spreading his hands. "To be honest, it's still uncertain whether this technology is safe or not."

"You're a little girl from the Yamanaka Clan. Your word doesn't count as whether she's safe or not. I think you don't understand at all. How about this, you ask your father to come here."

"If the Intelligence Department is willing to make concessions, we are still willing to talk."

The preceding words are all nonsense and can be ignored. The last sentence is the key point. The nobles of the Land of Fire are driven by self-interest; without self-interest, who cares about this?

If it's a collaborative development, then it's negotiable. But these nobles clearly want to take it all for free, and probably even take the lion's share, which is no different from robbery.

Moreover, the Intelligence Department's funding comes from Tsunade. Even if the Communications Project is slow to generate profits in the early stages, it still needs to recoup its losses. No one is willing to have a piece of their money taken away by the nobles of the Land of Fire out of thin air.

Ino had been mentally prepared before coming, and after a moment of silence, she raised her head and spoke.

"A section of the Capital City's Communications Project can be designated for joint development, as long as..."

"It's not just the Capital City!" the fat nobleman interrupted again, pointing his carrot-like finger at Ino. "We want a share of the entire Land of Fire project."

Upon hearing this, Ino.

"How much do you need? And what about the funding?"

"Investment? What kind of investment?" The fat nobleman looked puzzled, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. "Our participation is the biggest investment, and the project will definitely go very smoothly."

"We can discuss the share; we want 70%."

Upon hearing this, Yuan He, seated at the head of the table Son Kazu, smiled. He remained silent, leaving the rest of the conversation to his subordinates, who then refrained from making definitive statements.

"This is a project funded by Lord Tsunade, seventy percent of it?" Ino bit her lower lip, her gaze sweeping over the group of nobles. "If that's the case, this project simply can't make a profit."

"Didn't we say before that this project was to make people's lives more convenient?" another nobleman retorted. "What, you're not going to do it if it's not profitable?"

Crack! Ino clenched her fist, forcing herself to remain calm. She knew these nobles weren't deliberately making things difficult for her; it was their usual practice.

The conversation did not go smoothly. On the contrary, the nobles led by Son Kazu seemed to be willing to talk. Even if they agreed, there would definitely be a lot of wrangling later.

Seventy percent? Even if they offered a one percent discount, it would still be a huge loss. These people are trying to get something for nothing; they're clearly just taking advantage of Ino's youth and deliberately setting an impossible condition.

They probably wanted to seize the total quota and then distribute it among the nobles of the other three factions, thus gaining the upper hand.

The nobles of the Land of Fire are not a single faction. Apart from the nobles led by Son Kazu, there are three other noble groups in the Land of Fire. If one were to visit them all, it might even cost money.

Even if each of the four noble factions each offered 10%, all that would be left for the Intelligence Department would be a mess destined to lose money. Even with its vast wealth, it couldn't withstand such exploitation.

Leaving the nobleman's mansion, Ino looked at her subordinates and slowly shook her head.

"Seventy percent? Have these nobles gone mad?" Yamato exclaimed in shock. "Why don't they just rob them? Nobles are truly despicable!"

"Yes, Ino, we absolutely cannot agree to this!"

"That's true, but the Capital City is an unavoidable part of the project. Are we really going to give up on the Capital City?"

"Giving up is better than losing everything, right? Even if the Capital City is controlled by those nobles, other places can't possibly be controlled by them."

"That's possible. Those nobles own too much land, and their influence is so deeply entrenched that it's impossible to count them all. In terms of power, we can't possibly win."

"Yes, after all, they have Daimyo backing them up. Even though the Sixth Hokage supports the Communications Project, with such immense resistance, we're afraid..."

The members of the Intelligence Department discussed amongst themselves, but Ino remained silent. She sat quietly in her office chair, her brow furrowed in deep thought.

Giving up is out of the question. As the core Capital City of the Land of Fire, the Konohagakure Intelligence Department must take it down. The cost of giving up is too high; it's simply impossible.

Those nobles would never allow the Intelligence Department to establish communication systems in other cities of the Land of Fire; they would definitely try to obstruct it, and there was no way to circumvent it.

Just as everyone was struggling with their problems, Ino suddenly spoke up and made a suggestion.

Let's go have a meal together!

Everyone paused for a moment, exchanging bewildered glances, wanting to say something but realizing that this seemed to be the only option left. Looking at Ino's innocent smile, they could only nod in agreement.

After all, not every boss is a rich woman who can pay for meals. This move was clearly intended to boost the morale of the Intelligence Department, and everyone tactfully changed the subject.

Ino was the last to leave the camp. She locked her office door and turned to look for her lovely subordinates. Suddenly, someone blocked her view, and she was momentarily stunned.

Seeing the figure that suddenly appeared, she subconsciously looked up at the face, and then froze for a moment.

Naruto looked travel-worn, his face ashen, and his clothes dirty. Fortunately, his height of over 1.8 meters prevented him from looking disheveled; he resembled a poplar tree battered by wind and sand.

"Why are you back?" Ino's lips moved, her blank expression changed, and when she saw Naruto, she couldn't help but want to cry, the grievances of the past few days welling up in her heart.

She held back; in the past, she would have definitely shed tears. But Ino was now one of the heads of the Intelligence Department, bearing the responsibility of leading a group of adorable members.

Since the start of the Communicator Project, she has faced immense pressure, but she has overcome it all.

In just a few months, she was no longer that carefree girl, but the Ino, capable of standing on her own and admired by all. Thinking of this, she forced a smile onto her face.

"I missed you, so I came back as soon as I had some time." Naruto rarely spoke the truth; he had come back to Konohagakure for business, and he was just being his usual smooth talker.

"Really?" Ino looked up at him and smiled sweetly, as if she had become that bright Natsuhi girl again, showing her coquettishness in front of her lover.

"Then how could I lie?" Naruto, disregarding his dirty clothes, hugged Ino tightly. "By the way, I just heard someone say something about a departmental dinner?"

"Yeah, you want to go?" Ino smiled.

"Can't I go? Of course I want to go, it's free food!" Naruto blurted out, then quickly coughed to cover it up. "Ahem, what I meant was, I actually prefer to have dinner with you alone."

"Tch, I don't believe you." Ino pouted and kissed him when no one was around. "Let's go, let's go, we won't be able to find them if we're any later."

"Okay, but your subordinates seem a bit down." After he finished speaking, he noticed that Ino's mood was off and couldn't help but ask, "Ino, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

"Okay." She nodded and forced a smile. "Let's follow them first. Things are a bit complicated. I'll tell you more on the way."

Upon hearing this, Naruto raised an eyebrow.

Something really happened?