Uchiha Nan interlaced his fingers and lowered his head in deep thought.
The strength of the Sky Ninja Village should not be underestimated; their damned air superiority is truly a difficult problem to overcome.
Sky Ninja don't need great strength; they only need to control Chakra and have a little bit of manipulation ability. Even Genin can soar through the sky, wielding grenades and bombarding the ground before simply walking away.
Defeating such an enemy would be no easy task for Konoha. Not only that, but they would also have to send their ninja army on a long and arduous expedition across several countries, which would put a lot of pressure on logistics alone.
Such wars are simply too expensive.
Furthermore, Konoha has to supply the entire Land of Land of Rain. If it continues as it is now, sitting back and watching the Ninja world fight like a mountain, it can still sustain itself.
But once they personally get involved in the battle, it's hard to say.
If Konoha were to participate in the war, it would inevitably cause unrest and trigger a series of chain reactions from Konoha to the Land of Fire, with ordinary people panic-buying supplies and merchants taking the opportunity to hoard goods.
Prices in the Land of Fire will also skyrocket.
If they wanted to supply the entire Land of Rain, Konoha's costs would skyrocket.
In particular, Sunagakure intensified its attacks on Amegakure, Kirigakure was also approaching the border of the Land of Rain, ready to attack Amegakure at any moment.
The Land of Rain is truly beset by internal and external troubles.
Most importantly, Amegakure cannot fall yet; its historical mission is not over.
This is really giving me a headache.
We must minimize the cost of this war and achieve a swift victory.
The Mental Sauna Room project alone is not worth such Zero-Tailed Beast huge fuss—launching a village-annihilation war against a "friendly" ninja village from several countries across the border.
For this purpose alone, the deal was somewhat unprofitable.
But the Mental Sauna Room and the technicians from the Sky Ninja Village really smell amazing.
Now we also need to help the Land of Rain share the pressure from two fronts.
We need to find a way that satisfies both the need to reduce the cost of operations and to help the Land of Rain alleviate the pressure.
A while later
Uchiha Nan suddenly opened his tightly closed eyes and pulled out a worn-out agreement from the second drawer of his desk.
The Tōmura Agreement!
The second section of Article 3 of the agreement clearly states: Those who disrupt the peace of the Ninja world shall be jointly attacked by the five great ninja villages!
Although this agreement is practically worthless, the Kage of the five great ninja villages actually signed it, making it completely legal.
"The attack by Sky Ninja Village is no ordinary evil; it has completely destroyed the peace of the Ninja world. Konoha must raise the banner of justice, assemble and lead the allied forces of the five great ninja villages to jointly punish Sky Ninja Village."
The reason is ridiculous, but that doesn't matter, as long as it works.
At that time, Konoha will have to urgently convene Five Kage Summit to form a joint ninja army and completely destroy the Sky Ninja Village.
Incidentally, it will also allow everyone in the Ninja world to clearly see the situation in the Ninja world.
In the Ninja world, the word of Konoha carries more weight than that of the Daimyo!
The Daimyo couldn't muster the full force of the Five Ninja Alliance, but Konoha could.
The Sky Ninja Village attacked the Kumogakure's home base. The Kumogakure has become a mad dog and is determined to fight the Sky Ninja Village to the death.
If Konoha were willing to lend a helping hand and assist Kumogakure in annihilating Sky Ninja Village, they would be more than willing.
In Sunagakure, Uchiha Nan was confident he could persuade Mosa to participate in this Five Kage Summit.
If Iwagakure wants to rekindle his relationship with the Third Ai Ōnoki, he must join the allied forces. It shouldn't be a problem for Konoha and Sunagakure to unite and put pressure on Iwagakure.
As for Kirigakure, the meeting resulted in a four-to-one majority, and it seems Suitō will be sensible enough to back down.
After careful consideration, Uchiha Nan concluded that there was nothing wrong with the plan.
This would reduce the cost of war, and the combined attack of the five great ninja villages on the Sky Ninja Village would also quickly eliminate the "evil" Sky Ninja Village.
While the Five Ninja Alliance was busy eliminating the Sky Ninja Village, Amegakure also had time to ease the internal conflicts.
" Otōto, I have a perfect plan."
"You continue to gather intelligence from the front lines. If there's an emergency, just have White Zetsu notify me. You've been running back and forth between the two sides; it's really too tiring for you."
Uchiha Nan sat up from his chair, walked to Black Zetsu's side, and while speaking, patted Black Zetsu's smooth head with a gentle smile on his face.
"Brother, I... I understand."
Black Zetsu nuzzled Uchiha Nan's hand, a warm feeling washing over him.
My older brother is such a gentle person!
"Be safe."
"Um."
Black Zetsu glanced longingly at Uchiha Nan, then transformed into a pool of black liquid that seeped into the floor and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Otōto, why don't you like using the front door?
After silently complaining to himself, Uchiha Nan summoned Nara Luyuan, intending to inform him of Konoha's upcoming actions in Nara Luyuan.
Despite Uchiha Nan's elaborate scheme to bring the other four major ninja villages onto the war chariot to reduce the cost of war and jointly eliminate the "evil" Sky Ninja Village.
Regardless, this is a costly war, requiring preparations for an emergency Five Kage Summit and subsequent war mobilization.
The matters involved are extremely complicated, and Uchiha Nan certainly won't bother with them; he'll only be responsible for initiating and leading the project.
All that remains naturally requires a qualified subordinate to share Uchiha Nan's burdens and solve his problems.
Nara Luyuan is the best candidate!
"Will the Sky Ninja Village attack the Kumogakure?"
"You're calling an emergency Five Kage Summit?"
"You also want to form a Five Ninja Alliance to destroy the Sky Ninja Village?"
After listening to Uchiha Nan's plan, Nara Luyuan immediately asked three questions in quick succession.
"Don't get so worked up, calm down. How about we get an iced Coke first?"
Uchiha Nan skillfully produced an iced cola, telling Nara Luyuan calm down and not make such a fuss.
" Lord Hokage, why so suddenly?"
" The Sky Ninja Village attacked the Kumogakure. What does this have to do with Konoha?"
Nara Luyuan baffled and could not understand why Uchiha Nan had done this.
"Hmm"
Uchiha Nan paused for a second or two, considering whether or not to tell Nara Luyuan the purpose of his Mental Sauna Room.
I should have known better than to let Kakuzu leave. With him, the scapegoat, not around, I can't very well be the one to bring it up first.
"It is in response to the Will of Fire of the First Lord!"
"For the peace and justice of the Ninja world!"
"For democracy and freedom!"
"Freedom!!"
Uchiha Nan skillfully used the Will of Fire as a shield, but Nara Luyuan was no child.
The Lord Hokage is always driven by self-interest; those slogans might fool the Konoha.
"Alright, I'm after the technology of the Sky Ninja Village, and a whole bunch of research scholars from the Sky Ninja Village."
Faced with Nara Luyuan's "sincere" gaze, Uchiha Nan ultimately stopped talking and began to speak the "truth" in a serious tone.
"You have all the information about the Sky Ninja Village from Konoha. Compared to Ninjutsu, they possess extremely advanced technology, such as Machine Tools and CAD, which are technologies that Konoha desperately needs."
"The Minister of Science and Technology is handling multiple research projects simultaneously, which is simply too much for him to handle. Some of these projects have a very wide scope, which has led to slow progress on some of them."
"And then Air Fortress and the Sky Ninja forces. These technologies are extremely important for Konoha's future development. If Kumogakure gets there first and masters these technologies, Konoha's future will be in danger!"
"That's all?"
That's it?
Nara Luyuan listened to Uchiha Nan's words and nodded in agreement. Indeed, they couldn't let Kumogakure destroy Sky Ninja Village -ninja Village alone and then obtain Sky Ninja Village's technology.
But Nara Luyuan always felt that Uchiha Nan was hiding something.
"Of course, there are other purposes as well, such as relieving the pressure on the Land of Rain. The Sunagakure and the Kirigakure have already amassed a large force to besiege the Land of Rain, Konoha should do its best to share the burden with the Land of Rain."
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
Nara Luyuan sensible, didn't continue asking. The Lord Hokage was farsighted and had his own considerations; for a subordinate to pry would be extremely dangerous.
" Nara Luyuan, I have made the following arrangements!"
"The Land of Land of Fire line will be reinforced by the fourth and sixth columns, plus twelve Jonin Anbu from the Land of Fire's standing army."
"Two, three, five, three columns, plus the Uchiha direct-command army to take down the Sky Ninja."
"The First Column, along with the Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and Third Columns, and the troops remaining in Konoha, will continue to guard Konoha, on standby at all times."
"Say it again for me!"
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
"I will repeat it now!"
Nara Luyuan had an excellent memory; he remembered what Uchiha Nan said only once.
" Lord Hokage, should we take this opportunity to fleece another group of people?"
Nara Luyuan suggested to Uchiha Nan that since Konoha was already planning to send troops, they might as well take advantage of this opportunity to fleece the villagers once again.
The Ninja World Finance Company has spread throughout the Land of Fire and has continued to expand over the years, opening branches in the capitals and major cities of most countries in the Ninja world.
With the business model that Konoha had cultivated for years, its overwhelming strength, and its connections in the Land of Land of Fire's court.
The types of futures contracts that futures companies deal with are no longer limited to pig iron, but dozens or even hundreds, covering all walks of life in the Land of Fire, and can even affect prices throughout the entire Ninja world.
In particular, the pig iron business in the Land of Fire was Konoha's first pot of gold.
Over the years, Konoha has continuously acquired pig iron companies from the Land of Fire and purchased large iron mines, becoming a trust in the industry and the largest player in Pig Iron Futures.
The situation in the Ninja world is currently unpredictable, and gambling is rampant, making it the perfect time to fleece the ninja!
"Great idea!"
Uchiha Nan nodded in agreement. So much time has passed; the wallets of the "leeks" (victims) must be bulging again.
If you don't cut it, you're wasting your time.
" Lord Hokage, shouldn't Hatake Sakumo still be in Konoha?"
"His reputation is so huge right now. If Hatake Sakumo were to endorse him, along with his online Water Army and new media promotion like television and radio, it would absolutely drive investors in the Ninja world crazy!"
"."
Nara Luyuan mentioned Hatake Sakumo, wanting him to return to the ninja world. Hatake Sakumo had made two consecutive moves, garnering immense attention in the Ninja world. In the investment world, his reputation was already legendary, and he held a patriarch-level status.
Both of the projects he orchestrated were enough to devastate a country.
Logically speaking, Hatake Sakumo's reputation should be utterly infamous.
However, the two major projects managed by Hatake Sakumo were so profitable that as long as you weren't greedy, you could make a fortune, garnering a lot of rewards and gaining a large following.
If Hatake Sakumo were to reappear, with Konoha's vast financial resources and Nara Luyuan's profound trading skills, he could certainly manipulate the market at will, repeatedly fleecing the villagers and exploiting the newly emerging Ninja world in the Land of Fire to the very end.
"Hiss. This isn't good."
Uchiha Nan really wanted to agree immediately.
But Hatake Sakumo had just stirred up the hatred of the Land of Lightning to its maximum, and now the Land of Fire was stirring up another wave of hatred, along with those from the Ninja world.
Can Hatake Sakumo really survive in the Ninja world?
" Lord Hokage, the Konoha Ninja are meant to dedicate themselves to Konoha."
" Konoha's direct involvement signifies an escalation of the war. Not only will prices in the Land of Fire fluctuate drastically, but prices throughout the Ninja world will also experience dramatic changes. Coupled with Hatake Sakumo's massive online following, the amount of money they'll extract from him will undoubtedly be astronomical."
"Maybe we can cover most of Konoha's military expenses this time!"
" Hatake Sakumo were to sacrifice himself, Konoha could save a lot of money. And he might not even die. As long as he doesn't leave Konoha for the rest of his life, the chances of him dying are not high. I've witnessed his swordsmanship; it's truly incredibly sharp."
Nara Luyuan tried his best to persuade Uchiha Nan, hoping that Uchiha Nan would order Hatake Sakumo to cooperate with his actions.
"Alas, what can be done... what can be done?"
"This is all for Konoha!"
"Then we'll have to trouble Hatake Sakumo. Oh, and remember to have Kakuzu deliver this order. He's very familiar with Hatake Sakumo Hatake Sakumo and has a wealth of eloquence; he should be able to persuade him."
"Let Hatake Sakumo suffer even more; he'll bear the infamy!"
"If Hatake Sakumo gets married, I'll be his witness, so the Ninja world knows Hatake Sakumo is under my protection!"
Uchiha Nan took out a handkerchief and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes (which she had been holding back). She made up her mind to bring Hatake Sakumo back out of the mountains once again. Although he had only just come down from the mountain, that didn't matter. As long as he could contribute to Konoha, that was enough.
By personally officiating at Hatake Sakumo's wedding, he might make those who were exploited a little more restrained. Perhaps.
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
Nara Luyuan's face lit up with joy, and he quickly left the Hokage's office. He had heard that Kakuzu going to the Land of Waves to discuss a big business deal and was about to leave. He couldn't let him go just like that.
Time passed slowly, the sun set, and the clouds on the horizon were dyed a magnificent fiery red. The light pierced through the gaps in the clouds, forming soft beams of light.
Kakuzu has already packed his bags and plans to immediately embark on a long journey to the Land of Waves to discuss a series of major business deals, including building a bridge and Canned Food Factory.
Nara Luyuan stopped Kakuzu in time.
" Lu Yuan, what's the matter? Tell me quickly, I need to go to the Land of Waves to discuss some big business deals."
"I've already bought a ticket for tonight's ferry. If I'm late, I'll have to get a refund, and they only give me half the money back."
You have to pay for this.
Kakuzu was getting impatient; Lu Yuan's arrival at this time would definitely cause a delay.
Forget about the Land of Waves, I have a big business deal to ask you.
What kind of business?