Man-made Disasters Are No Less Than Natural Disasters

Kazamatsuri Harume's home was large, featuring an exceptionally spacious courtyard where a massive tree stood, its canopy casting enough shade to cover half the yard.

Yamanaka Chujiu asked Kazamatsuri Harume to go call for people while he sat in the shade, unsealing scrolls to divide the money into forty-three piles, which looked like a small mountain.

Forty-three.

That was the number of families in desperate need of money to survive.

It was the number of comrades Yamanaka Chujiu had lost on the battlefield, families who could no longer sustain themselves because their breadwinners had died.

According to regulations, when Konoha ninja sacrificed themselves on the battlefield, the village would issue a generous pension.

The pension was substantial enough to support children as they grew up, entered the Ninja Academy, and graduated to become new ninja.

But the Third Shinobi World War had been raging for seven full years, and the village no longer had the funds to pay out the full amounts.

No one knew which "genius" had come up with the idea, but they had implemented a system of discriminatory treatment for fallen ninja.

If a ninja from a shinobi clan died, the pension was doubled, ensuring those clans remained loyal to the Third Hokage.

If a civilian ninja died and there were still other ninja living in the household, the pension was paid in full, ensuring those civilian ninja remained grateful to the Third Hokage.

If a civilian ninja died and there were no ninja left in the household, the pension was simply not paid; after all, they were of no further use to the Third Hokage.

When Yamanaka Chujiu first learned of this situation, he went to the Administration Department to inquire, only to be kicked around like a ball between various offices and departments.

No one denied that the pensions weren't being paid, but no one could confirm when they would be.

They were simply stalling.

Later, Yamanaka Chujiu realized why they dared to stall: in Konoha, everything cost money, and people without money would die.

And once people were dead, the pensions wouldn't need to be paid at all.

Yamanaka Chujiu was furious and caused a scene at the Administration Department, alarming even the Third Hokage.

The result was that he received a disciplinary mark, and the problem remained unresolved to this day.

With no other choice, Yamanaka Chujiu could only find ways to earn money, distributing it to the survivors of his fallen comrades in his private capacity so they could survive in Konoha.

There were forty-three families, each with children; Kazamatsuri Harume was the oldest among them and served as his assistant.

Soon, elderly people with nervous expressions or women with haggard faces arrived at the Kazamatsuri home, thanking him profusely as they took the money from Yamanaka Chujiu's hands.

Everyone knew that Yamanaka Chujiu could not support forty-three families on his own.

He was a ninja himself, destined to go to the battlefield to fight enemies, and he could die at the hands of a powerful foe at any moment.

If Yamanaka Chujiu were to die in battle, these forty-three families would collapse instantly.

Thus, the despair of the ninja survivors did not vanish, but this money allowed them to catch their breath; their sincere gratitude, mixed with longing, surged into Yamanaka Chujiu's heart like a tidal wave.

The

Heart Severing Realm

operated automatically, absorbing the surging emotions and converting them into Chujiu's spiritual energy, bit by bit solidifying the foundation of his soul.

Yamanaka Chujiu frowned slightly; there were too many negative emotions, and if this continued, his own heart would be dragged into the darkness.

No, he had to bring them hope and clear away the despair mixed into their gratitude.

To bring hope to forty-three families, he could not rely on himself alone; he had to get everyone involved in work and ensure they earned a steady stream of income through that labor.

Konoha had been established for 48 years, and the interests of the shinobi clans, nobles, and merchants had long been carved up; even the jobs for civilians were already filled, with no vacancies left.

To provide civilian work for forty-three families, he would have to establish new industries in Konoha.

Yet, new industries would inevitably compete with existing ones, affecting the interests of the shinobi clans behind them and triggering lethal conflicts.

Yamanaka Chujiu knew that the seemingly prosperous Yamanaka Clan was actually struggling.

The Third Shinobi World War had lasted seven years, and the Yamanaka Clan had lost or seen thirty-two ninja disabled, accounting for nearly forty percent of the clan's total ninja force.

Even worse, the Yamanaka Clan's candy industry had been taken over by the village due to wartime policies, cutting their income by ninety percent.

If a new candy-selling industry were to pop up now and swallow the Yamanaka Clan's last lifeline, Yamanaka Inoichi would absolutely go red-eyed and lead his clansmen to wipe out the competition.

Not even the Third Hokage standing in the way would be enough to stop them!

After distributing all the money and sending off the adults, Yamanaka Chujiu gathered the children from the forty-three families and took them to the street for snacks.

Rice dumplings, tempura, and radish balls had all gone up in price, and the children ate carefully, unwilling to let even a single crumb fall.

A small amount of snacks could trigger a sense of happiness in the children, and Yamanaka Chujiu contentedly absorbed these pure emotions to balance out the despair brought by their parents.

He had been raising these children for a year, and their trust in him had reached its limit; it would only take a catalyst to complete the transformation and help Yamanaka Chujiu ascend to a higher level of existence.

He still had to help their families find hope as quickly as possible, as that would lead to the catalyst faster.

At the same time, the children were reporting the prices they had gathered to Chujiu.

After the Fourth Hokage died, Konoha faced the pressure of reconstruction, and with it came skyrocketing prices.

The prices of luxury goods like sugar, tobacco, and alcohol had more than doubled in just a few days, while fresh meat, milk, and fruit were priced so high they were effectively unavailable—there was simply no stock on the market.

Necessities like cloth and grain had not only increased in price but were now being rationed by the village.

Yamanaka Chujiu's pupils constricted: "Rationing? Are you sure the Hokage issued the order for rationing?"

Kazamatsuri Harume, Yano Shoichi, and the other children nodded one after another, showing the stamps on their hands.

"You have to get stamped every time you buy rice, and the stamp doesn't disappear for three days."

"Five jin is the maximum per purchase, and you aren't allowed to buy for others; we've all stood in those lines."

"We can only buy rice in the civilian district; the ninja district won't sell to us."

Yamanaka Chujiu felt increasingly troubled as he listened, but this was the current state of Konoha, a reality he could not change.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him; he knew what kind of business he could start!

"What? You want land?"

Yamanaka Inoichi held his daughter as he asked in surprise, "What do you need land for?"

Yamanaka Chujiu replied, "To clear it for farming. Whether for our own consumption or to sell to the village, it will increase the clan's income."

"It will also provide the surviving families of my comrades with work to support themselves."

Yamanaka Inoichi lowered his eyes, pondering the matter carefully.

After a long while, he nodded and said, "Growing food is indeed feasible, and it won't conflict with any other ninja clans."

"The problem is that all the clan's land is used for growing flowers, keeping bees, and harvesting honey, and it's all under the direct management of the village. There isn't any wasteland suitable for crops."

Yamanaka Chujiu said, "I don't need developed land; just give me that slope on the south bank of the Konoha River."

Yamanaka Inoichi frowned, "How are you supposed to grow crops on such a steep slope?"

Yamanaka Chujiu said confidently, "I have my own methods; you just need to give it to me."

Yamanaka Inoichi curled his lip, "Fine, take it then."

"If you succeed, everything will be easy to discuss, and if you fail, I won't even charge you rent."

Yamanaka Chujiu shook his head, "That won't do. We must sign a contract, written in black and white!"

Yamanaka Inoichi laughed, "Alright, let's eat first, and then I will summon the elders to draw up the agreement for you."

"Thank you, Big Brother!"