Konoha and the Land of Iron Are Brothers! Pay Up, Pay More!

noon

A young blonde girl was fleeing through the streets of Konoha when she was pursued by an old red-haired woman. In the end, the blonde girl was captured alive.

"Tsunade, let's go home!"

Grandma will teach you Ninjutsu!

Mito Uzumaki who preyed on the weak and feared the strong. Rather than causing trouble for Uchiha Nan, it would be easier to simply Tsunade.

"Grandma, don't pull my ear, it hurts!"

Tsunade's ear was lifted by Mito Uzumaki, though Mito Uzumaki didn't actually use much force. But the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Tsunade had understood this principle long ago; Mito Uzumaki, she had to play the victim.

"Hmph, now you know what pain is. Go... home, and don't you dare see that Uchiha Nan guy!"

Mito Uzumaki released her grip, grabbed Tsunade's arm, and planned to take Tsunade home and keep a close watch on her, while she silently went off to fool around with Uchiha Nan.

The more handsome a man is, the more likely he is to deceive people. If Tsunade stays by Uchiha Nan's side, sooner or later she will be deceived by Uchiha Nan and even count money for him.

"Grandma, no! Lord Hokage is a good person!"

Tsunade reluctantly tried to break free from Mito Uzumaki's grasp, but to no avail Mito Uzumaki pulled Tsunade home while nagging in Tsunade ear.

"Tsunade, you dare teach Yangyue to gamble!"

I haven't settled the score with you for this yet; I think you still have too much allowance!

Uchiha Nan circled around a street, and finding that Mito Uzumaki wasn't chasing him, he stopped and walked slowly. "You shouldn't do strenuous exercise after a meal; it's bad for your health."

The afternoon was Uchiha Nan's daily time to train in Sage Mode. Recently, Uchiha Nan had been so engrossed in training that he had already begun to enter Sage Mode, and yellow lines had appeared at the corners of his eyes. However, it would still take some time before he could fully master Sage Mode.

This progress is already considered fast; even Fukasaku praised Uchiha Nan's talent.

While they couldn't achieve the same godlike feat as the First Hokage, who could activate Sage Mode with a simple clap of his hand and absorb natural energy as easily as breathing, the Uchiha, being descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, still possessed a certain level of natural talent.

However, Jiraiya, who came to Myobokuzan with Uchiha Nan to learn Sage Mode, is still an ordinary person and is currently in the meditation stage, learning how to sense natural energy and absorb it into his body.

According to the original work Jiraiya spent more than ten years trying to master Sage Mode and use it in battle, but he was still considered quite talented and successfully mastered Sage Mode.

Meanwhile, two weary travelers arrived at the Hokage Building.

One was dressed in dark green armor with a sword at his waist, a standard samurai outfit; the other was dressed in standard ninja attire, wearing the emblem of Amegakure (the Hidden Amegakure).

The two men sat awkwardly on chairs in the reception room. "At the end of the ninja village, who stands at the peak? Upon seeing Konoha, dreams vanish." Having just entered Konoha, they were already speechless, overwhelmed by the Konoha's development.

Wasn't the First Shinobi World War supposed to be a meat grinder, leaving the five Ninja world shinobi villages exhausted and severely weakened?

Konoha showed no signs of decay; instead, it was vibrant and thriving, its development terrifyingly rapid. This ninja village must not be allowed to remain. (Just kidding.)

The envoy from the Land of Iron was amazed by Konoha's development, but he didn't have much time to think about it. Konoha was still the powerful Konoha, and the Land of Iron was still the Land of Iron.

In the Land of Iron, ninjas are not the mainstream; samurai dominate. The remnants of the previous era cling to their old ways, hiding in the Land of Land of Iron, unwilling to embrace the mainstream—to become ninjas, refine Chakra, and practice Ninjutsu.

A samurai who doesn't cultivate Chakra or practice Ninjutsu, no matter how arduous their training, is still just a slightly stronger ordinary person in front of a ninja. Chakra is the key to unlocking the extraordinary in this world.

Of course, recently, they've really opened their eyes to the world. Even Hanzo, the leader of Amegakure, hasn't personally taken action. Instead, he's sent small groups of his underlings into the Land of Iron to gather intelligence and maybe steal some money. Unexpectedly, the samurai of the Land of Iron are utterly incompetent and were routed.

Calls for reform and change began to circulate among the samurai class of the Land of Iron. It was clear that one was truly incapable without cultivating Chakra. Even Genin who had trained in Chakra could easily defeat the samurai of the Land of Iron, but now it was all too late; the enemy had already come knocking.

They needed to find a powerful backer to let the Land of Iron catch its breath. Coming to Konoha today was the right decision. But the envoy from Amegakure seemed uneasy. Konoha was still the powerful Konoha, but Amegakure had developed inappropriate thoughts.

The Land of Land of Rain turmoil, civil war, and division. This chaotic environment has, however, produced a powerful strategist—Hanzo. He possesses the deadly Ibuse, capable of releasing large-scale poison gas that kills anyone inhaling within seconds. On the battlefield, he's a force to be reckoned with, perfect for team battles.

With his formidable strength, lofty ambitions, and charismatic personality, Hanzo attracted a group of ninja followers and gave a speech at an izakaya (Japanese pub).

"What have the nobles of the Land of Rain been doing? They're selling a pound of grain for money."

"We must unite and build our own ninja village!"

"."

His deep, magnetic voice, rising in pitch, excited and inspired all the ninjas present, who raised their arms and shouted, "Long live Lord Hanzo!"

Amegakure was established on the spot!

Later, Hanzo carried out a series of assassinations and suppressions within the country, supported the current Daimyo of the Land of Rain, quelled the rebellion, and wiped out all the villains within the Land of Rain. He also actively expanded his living space externally, going out to rob people to support his family!

Hanzo was extremely efficient, and the situation in the Land of Land of Rain quickly stabilized. The nobles and merchants who had previously hoarded food, bought low and sold high, and even dabbled in loan sharking during the chaos all became obedient. Hanzo did kill people, and his head rolled around. But it didn't matter; the Daimyo supported him. The Daimyo needed a ninja village to help him quell the rebellion, and besides, Hanzo wasn't exactly refusing to share his profits.

The more of these scumbags who die, the better!

Grain prices were driven down to a level that Daimyo people could afford. The daimyo's political enemies and nobles were assassinated by ninja from Amegakure, their entire families wiped out. Their property was confiscated, and their land was distributed to the common people. Hanzo had been elevated to a god-like status in the Land of Rain!

Hanzo was young and ambitious, wanting to create a more prosperous living space for the Land of Rain and the Amegakure. Taking advantage of the opportunity of the First Shinobi World War, he lay low for several years and then purged the country!

The First Shinobi World War severely weakened the Five Great Shinobi Villages; it was time for Amegakure to rise to prominence!

Hanzo plans to establish a new and unified Ninja world. He'll start by attacking smaller ninja villages and countries to test the waters!

Everything went extremely smoothly until today. The envoy from Amegakure witnessed the prosperity of Konoha. The foundation of the five great ninja villages was terrifyingly strong. They were able to recover in such a short time. Was it just Konoha that was like this, or were all five great ninja villages like this?

The envoy from Amegakure was deeply worried, and he greatly admired Hanzo's foresight in targeting smaller ninja villages and countries first, without attacking larger ones. Otherwise, Amegakure Ninja world become the sixth largest ninja village might have been thwarted!

"Emissary of the Land of Iron, please come in first."

Nara Luyuan entered the reception room and had the envoy from the Land of Iron follow him to the office next door.

Upon arriving at the office next door, the envoy from the Land of Iron Nara Luyuan and then Nara Luyuan him a red envelope.

"This is my first time visiting Konoha, I'm truly sorry for being so intrusive!"

"The Land of Iron is barren and doesn't have any noteworthy specialties, except for some decent tea. Please accept this!"

Nara Luyuan weighed it in his hand, a smile spreading across his face. "So sensible!"

As the assistant to the Hokage of Konoha and a capable helper to the Lord Hokage, being treated to meals and gifts was commonplace for him.

Of course, Nara Luyuan knew very well which money he could accept and which he couldn't. The great Lord Hokage only cared about efficiency and whether things could be done. If things couldn't be done, he would send them to the Anbu for torture and mental manipulation.

"Tea is good! Drinking tea can prolong life!"

Nara Luyuan accepted the envelope and tucked it into his pocket. The two exchanged a smile.

Just take the money, just take the money!

"Lu Yuan, the Amegakure has invaded my Land of Iron without cause. Konoha, as the greatest ninja village in the Ninja world, is a model of peace. Please have mercy and save my Land of Iron from this calamity!"

The envoy from the Land of Iron finished speaking, his eyes moist, looking as if he had been bullied.

"Of course, Konoha has always pursued peace."

"However, Konoha has only recently ended a war, and its finances are under immense pressure, with significant losses in ninja numbers. I'm afraid... sigh."

"Konoha is now... a scene of desolation, a place where everything is being rebuilt... cough cough"

The envoy from the Land of Iron stared wide-eyed at Nara Luyuan in disbelief. "You call Konoha a desolate place now?"

Nara Luyuan's story started to falter, but he remained adamant: more money, more money!!

You want Konoha to do things for you when you have no money?

Even if you offer money, they might not do it!

"Of course. The Land of Iron Konoha's difficulties. The Land of Iron is willing to pay the price... Please, Konoha, lend a hand!"

The envoy from the Land of Iron gritted his teeth. He knew Konoha wouldn't help the Land of Iron for free, but couldn't Konoha at least find a better excuse? If they could utter such a thing as "a land in ruins," then what was the Land of Iron? Was it already teetering on the brink of destruction? Hmm. It seemed they were indeed on the brink of destruction.

Pay up to avoid trouble.

"Konoha needs high-quality iron ore and coal. We need sales channels for iron ore, to join Konoha's futures trading system, and to offer tax breaks for Konoha's products."

Nara Luyuan took out the agreement and read through its main contents. The envoy from the Land of Iron took the agreement, which covered a series of clauses from economic to political. Konoha was to import the Land of Iron's low-priced raw materials and then export them as industrial products.

The conditions are very demanding!

After reading the terms, the envoy from the Land of Iron looked embarrassed. Such conditions were tantamount to treason. Konoha had specifically requested some of the country's important large iron and coal mines, which were vital sources of revenue for the Land of Iron.

but.

"If there are no objections, we can sign it now. According to intelligence, Amegakure is about to amass a large force to attack the Land of Iron. If you don't sign, the Land of Iron will lose much more than just this."

Nara Luyuan saw through the hesitation of the envoy from the Land of Iron and fabricated false information. The Amegakure actually planned to raid the area and then retreat back to the village to focus on economic development. Moreover, the conditions offered by Konoha were indeed very harsh.

In any case, the intelligence network of the Land of Iron is outdated. What kind of powerful intelligence network could a group of samurai, composed of backward military forces, possibly have? They are just remnants of the old era.

"Can Konoha guarantee that Amegakure?"

The envoy from the Land of Iron felt as if a knife was held to his throat, unable to advance or retreat. Konoha only wanted money, Amegakure wanted not only money but also land and their lives. Comparing the two, it was clear that Konoha's offer was more acceptable.

But Konoha was originally a ruthless tiger that devoured people without spitting out the bones. Could Konoha really make Amegakure retreat?

"Hmph, what do you think?"

Nara Luyuan opened the window, revealing the lush and vibrant scene of Konoha.

"Oh well"

The envoy from the Land of Iron remembered the instructions given to him by the Daimyo of the Land of Iron: to obtain Konoha's aid at all costs. The ninjas from Amegakure were still raiding homes in the Land of Iron, killing entire families and taking all their wealth.

In order to protect their homeland, the Land of Iron even broke existing rules, abandoning the practice of hiring samurai and choosing to hire ninjas as guards.

The envoy from the Land of Iron finished speaking weakly. This time, he was really unlucky. After signing the document and returning home, he would become a criminal against the country. The Daimyo would definitely use him as a scapegoat, and he would have to retire and return to his hometown.

Reform and innovation are necessary. The Land of Iron cannot continue like this. Samurai are truly a thing of the past. Chakra training and Ninjutsu are essential.

"Then sign it!"

Nara Luyuan smiled with satisfaction. After watching the envoy from the Land of Iron sign the document, he cheerfully saw him out, then solemnly called in the envoy from the Amegakure.

"Does the Amegakure want to become enemies with the Konoha and start a war?"

Nara Luyuan didn't give the Amegakure a friendly look. As soon as he entered, he shouted angrily, Amegakure envoy's expression immediately changed.

The authority of those in power, and the strength and prosperity of Konoha, silenced the envoy from Amegakure.

The Amegakure envoy, who was originally ambitious, had his ambition to follow Lord Hanzo and make Amegakure the sixth greatest ninja village extinguished after witnessing the prosperity of Konoha.

A dilapidated and weakened Konoha could still give Amegakure an opportunity to take advantage of, but the current Konoha is more prosperous than they could imagine. Konoha, which can withstand the four great ninja villages on its own, shows no signs of decline. Such Konoha is not something Amegakure can contend with.

We must lie low and develop quietly; Konoha is invincible now!

"Lu Yuan, believe me. My Amegakure has absolutely no such intentions; there must be some misunderstanding."

"The Land of Iron is Konoha's neighbor, Konoha will never allow any ill-intentioned ninja village to wage war against the Land of Iron."

"According to intelligence, your Amegakure intends to wage war against the Land of Iron! This is intolerable!"

"It's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding!"

The Amegakure envoy gave a bitter smile. Just as expected, the Land of Iron had latched onto Konoha's coattails. The raiding plan would have to be temporarily halted. They hadn't originally intended to wage war against the Land of Iron; Amegakure wasn't fully developed yet, they were simply going out to rob people.

I slept