The State of an Ordinary Village

Morning.

"A Zheng, why did you deal with him like that yesterday?" Endo Akira asked, confused.

He had noticed Ishida Sho's wicked nature yesterday too, but as an ordinary person with no strength, he couldn't change the situation.

Seeing Su Zheng happily eating, Endo Akira thought he wouldn't intervene, and his disdain for Su Zheng grew even stronger!

Who knew that as soon as they finished eating, he flipped the table!

This should be called "smashing the pot after eating"!

He thought Su Zheng would kill him directly and eliminate the village chief's family, but unexpectedly, he let the village chief live and only hypnotized them.

Su Zheng smiled, "What, you think I should have killed Ishida Sho?"

Endo Akira nodded.

Su Zheng smiled and didn't explain.

Although the villagers had feared Ishida Sho because of the backing of ninjas before, after the Gray Rain Clan was destroyed, the Hizume Clan also lost its authority.

They should have resisted Ishida Sho and taken back what was theirs, but they still didn't. Whether due to concerns or something else, they had to bear the consequences of not resisting!

Su Zheng couldn't always help them overcome difficulties, so from the beginning, Su Zheng wouldn't help them get their things back!

Pain can only be changed by oneself!

Because you can't beg for that sole "luck" to fall upon you; only by doing so can you confront this cruel reality!

Next, Su Zheng and the others traveled through more than half of the Land of Rain. Some villages were deserted due to war, while others were severely damaged. The development status of the Land of Rain was indeed grim!

Leaf Village, Root Organization Base.

"Ah..." A miserable scream echoed in the room.

Danzō walked over and asked, "How is the experiment going?"

A researcher turned around and reported, "Lord Danzō, the First Hokage's cells are too powerful. Many experimental subjects cannot withstand this power, and the cells' erosion speed is very fast!"

Danzō asked, "Can we find a way to modify these cells and reduce their activity..."

"Sir, theoretically, it's possible, but we don't have much data and dare not make rash changes. Besides, there aren't many experimental subjects left!"

"Then go capture them. We are still in a small-scale war, and people are the most abundant resource!" Danzō said fiercely.

"Yes!"

Ever since the attack on the Third Kazekage, Danzō seemed to have become a different person, exuding a dark and eerie aura.

However, the benefit was that Hiruzen relied on him more, assigning him many unsavory tasks and tacitly allowing him to develop the Root Organization!

Looking at his empty right sleeve, Danzō felt a surge of anger.

"That damned woman!"

Danzō had intended to ask Tsunade to assist his research, but she had flatly refused, "Don't dream, you can't control my grandfather's power!"

Tsunade was famous, and he couldn't use any coercive means. Having no other choice, he had to mobilize some people himself and conduct research slowly!

After losing his arm, Danzō began to frantically pursue power, especially the power of the Senju and Uchiha!

His own talent was not high. Unlike the Third Hokage, who was a "Professor of Ninjutsu," he only knew Wind Style and some sealing jutsu. To be precise, his combat power was not strong, only at the Jonin level, which was worlds away from the top powerhouses!

He could only increase his strength through these means.

Deep in his heart, he harbored a deep fear of the Third Kazekage and Magnet Release ninjutsu!

"A Zheng, how many more villages are there! I really can't take it anymore!" Endo Akira's wail could be heard.

In the past month, they had traveled all over the Land of Rain and witnessed what life was truly like in the ninja world.

The glamorous lives of ninjas in the sunlight were ultimately a minority. Most ordinary people could only struggle and sink locally their entire lives...

The productivity in the Naruto world was indeed very low. Agriculture was entirely manual, and industry was almost nonexistent. The prosperous scene of ninja villages was entirely due to the "ninjas," a special group of people, obscuring the lives of ordinary people.

Using advanced "ninjas" to cover up this corrupt system—what a twisted world!

Su Zheng looked at the small mountain village in the distance and said, "There are only a dozen or so villages left, all nearby!"

"Ouch!" Endo Akira wailed, and could only follow along.

On the road, Su Zheng dealt with many bandits and rogue ninjas, which greatly changed Endo Akira's perception of him, and their relationship grew closer.

Maple Mountain Village.

A village as beautiful and picturesque as a painting.

Su Zheng walked along the small path. A gentle breeze blew, causing the surrounding Maple Grass to sway, and a faint fragrance filled the air. "This kind of thing should only be found in a large village like the Leaf Village!" Su Zheng thought silently.

Walking through the village, the scene completely changed. Dilapidated houses and tightly shut doors all indicated the village's decline.

At this moment, a frail old man with several young people walked over.

"Sir, have you come to collect this month's tribute? We are a bit short this month, could you let us defer it for a few days?" the elder asked in a negotiating tone.

A young man beside him couldn't help but say, "This is the third time they've come to collect this month. Still collecting, it's really..."

His words were cut short as a companion grabbed him.

The elder bowed apologetically and said, "They are young and foolish, sir. Please do not mind them!"

Su Zheng waved his hand and looked back at Endo Akira.

Every time this happened, he felt awkward. The monthly payments were the "security deposit" managed by the Daimyo for the village's protection.

They had encountered this situation many times on the road and were mentally prepared.

They arrived at the village chief's house, a relatively spacious dwelling. However, like the other villagers, the house was simple, with few decent pieces of furniture.

After they sat down, the village chief asked, "May I ask why you have come, sir...?"

Su Zheng, having seen many such situations, got straight to the point. "We are here to get a clear understanding of your village's situation, the real situation!" Su Zheng emphasized.

The elder looked at the two of them, remained silent for a long time, and finally made up his mind, speaking slowly:

It turned out that because the village was good at cultivating Maple Grass, and Maple Grass was the main ingredient for healing medicine, they had quite a bit of surplus funds.

However, after the war began, their Maple Grass was violently seized, and their property was looted. The Land of Rain was in the midst of war and couldn't attend to them, which led to their current predicament.

The village chief took out a document and said, "This is the Maple Grass purchase contract signed between the Stone Village ninjas and us."

After Su Zheng read it, he was furious!

The contract clearly stated: The Sand Village would purchase Maple Grass at 0.5 taels per jin, and the Maple Grass could only be sold to the Stone Village. Any breach of contract would be at their own risk!

Wasn't this a complete monopoly clause! The original price for Maple Grass was 50 taels, and this had completely destroyed the price! This was too outrageous!

And because the Land of Rain had just ended its war, they turned a blind eye to this matter!

Su Zheng looked at the elder and said sincerely, "Believe me, leave this matter to me to handle."

The elder gazed at Su Zheng for a long time before smiling and saying, "Alright!"

As he watched the two of them leave, the young man looked at the supplies they had left behind and asked, "Village chief, why do you trust them so much?"

The village chief patted his shoulder and said, "I saw sympathy in his eyes."

"Alright, distribute these things!"

"Yes!"

The young man happily carried the supplies away. Regardless, leaving these things was a good thing!

The remaining border villages were in a similar situation to Maple Mountain Village, all being oppressed by ninjas from other countries.

It seemed that reforms in the Land of Rain were urgent!