Hanzo Residence.
"Uncle, this is my report from this inspection. This one is my reform plan." Su Zheng placed the two documents before Hanzo.
Hanzo looked at Su Zheng with concern. "How was it? Tired?"
Su Zheng chuckled, took a sip of tea, and said, "It was fine. I got to see a lot."
Hanzo opened the documents. They contained detailed records of each village's situation and development prospects.
Hanzo's head began to ache. He was good at fighting on the battlefield, but when it came to economics and people's livelihoods, he was a complete layman!
He set the documents on the table and smiled. "Just tell me what you want to do and what support you need."
Su Zheng had already prepared his speech. "I want Uncle to assign those officials to me, and I'll also need some funding and personnel support."
"As for funding, 500 million ryo will do. I'll need 500 ninja."
"Of course, if Uncle is willing to give me more, that would be even better!" Su Zheng teased.
"You, honestly... Funding isn't a problem. The main issue is those 500 ninja. That's no small force!"
After eliminating the two great clans, their finances were now abundant. However, the entire Land of Rain only had a little over two thousand ninja. Taking a quarter of them at once was still quite frightening.
Su Zheng hurriedly explained, "Uncle, I don't have any ulterior motives. They'll just be used to prevent hostile forces from causing trouble and to maintain public order!"
Hanzo patted his shoulder. "I understand. But how you control those 500 people will depend on you. I can't help you with that."
Su Zheng thumped his chest confidently. "Uncle, have you forgotten my Chakra Armor? I dare say that even you're no match for me now!"
After Su Zheng mastered Chakra Armor, he had sparred with Hanzo repeatedly. Even Hanzo had been unable to break through it.
Hanzo pointed at Su Zheng and said, "Go on, then. Let me see what you can do."
"Yes!"
Conference Room.
A group of jonin had been summoned to the conference room and informed that they would be placed under the Development Department.
"Yiro, do you know what Lord Hanzo is planning this time?" a gray-haired jonin asked the ninja beside him.
"Don't you know? The Development Department is led by Lord Hanzo's nephew, Su Zheng. I heard he plans to reform the Land of Rain!"
"Oh! I heard about that, but wasn't it something from a month ago?"
"Come on! Your information is outdated. Su Zheng has already finished inspecting the villages. Now that he's back, he's going to put his plan into action!"
"No, isn't he a genius? Why would he stop being a ninja and go become an official?"
"Who knows? It seems he thinks ordinary people's lives are too miserable. I heard he adopted several war orphans!"
A domineering voice rang out. "Hmph! I don't care what he's thinking. I'm doing perfectly well as a ninja. Only a fool would follow behind him, unless he can beat me flat!"
It was Yokoyama Isamu, Lord Hanzo's most capable subordinate and the Hidden Rain ninja who had killed the most enemies in this war.
When everyone saw him looking over, they quickly avoided his gaze. Going up against him was troublesome!
A moment later, Su Zheng entered the conference room and looked at the arrogant, disdainful, and scrutinizing gazes below...
Su Zheng slowly said, "From today onward, you are my subordinates. I don't care what you were like before, but from now on, you will obey my orders."
Seeing the crowd begin to stir, Su Zheng continued, "I'll give you one chance. Beat me, and you won't be bound by anything. Do whatever you want, and I won't interfere! I'll be waiting for you at the dueling grounds."
Crack! The table before Yokoyama Isamu snapped in half.
He rose to his feet, swept his gaze across the room, and shouted, "Can you accept some little brat riding over your heads?" (Su Zheng was eleven years old at the time.)
"No!" many ninja roared.
"Then come with me and show him what we're made of!"
A large group of jonin marched grandly toward the dueling grounds.
Dueling Grounds.
Before a group of burly men, Su Zheng's 1.5-meter frame indeed looked rather frail.
Yokoyama Isamu shouted, "Attack at once! Don't hold back!"
Lightning Style: Lightning Fang!
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
Earth Style: Rock Pillar Spear!
Ninjutsu of every color came hurtling toward Su Zheng, but he remained completely calm.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions from the powerful ninjutsu erupted, and a suit of blue Chakra Armor emerged from the smoke and dust.
It was Su Zheng. He was completely unharmed!
"Haha, my turn!"
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
An enormous water dragon charged toward the crowd, followed closely by Su Zheng, whose entire body was covered in armor.
They would probably never forget that day. Su Zheng beat them mercilessly. No matter how hard they tried, they simply could not break his armor, while Su Zheng knocked them down with one punch each. No, not little friends—big friends!
The first thing Su Zheng did was divide those ninja into teams and assign them to patrol various areas, protecting the local civilians.
Of course, if any ninja dared to commit crimes, he would punish them without mercy!
The Land of Rain's land was actually fairly fertile. It could barely sustain itself through self-sufficiency, but Su Zheng wanted to turn the Land of Rain into the world's factory. Naturally, it could not remain isolated in one corner, and its geographical location would not allow it anyway.
Su Zheng had already begun changing the Land of Rain's environment. No one could stand endless rain every day. Now, he himself could control the weather of the Land of Rain.
Su Zheng had already made his plans. The Land of Rain could not compete in raw materials, nor could it compete in markets. It could only develop by keeping the most essential parts firmly in its own hands!
Development Department Office.
For work purposes, Hanzo had simply approved a separate office location for the Development Department, which was why it now had its own building.
"Endo Akira, how is the first phase progressing?"
After the department was established, Su Zheng recruited Endo Akira under his command.
First phase: improve the infrastructure by building roads and supplying water and electricity. These were prerequisites for economic development!
"A Zheng, the first phase is basically complete!"
"How is the factory construction going?"
"The food factory and cannery buildings are complete, but we don't understand how to manufacture the machinery!" Endo Akira scratched his head.
"Fine, I'll handle that." Su Zheng waved his hand.
Su Zheng had also been a university student in his previous life, but he had never worked with his hands and could not distinguish the five grains!
If it came to theory, he could discuss it with someone all day. But once it came to actual practice, he was full of holes!
Professional matters still required professional talent!
Land of Artisans.
A nation that manufactured ninja tools. The ninja tools used by ninja from every country were all made by them!
Kuroda Tadashi was an oddity in the Land of Artisans. Other craftsmen took pride in forging the finest ninja tools, but he alone was obsessed with machinery, not for war, but for peace!
Yet no one understood him. His craft had been passed down for thirteen generations, but although he had a grandson, the boy was unwilling to learn machinery because it could not make money.
"Tadashi, no customers again today?" A middle-aged man entered the shop and struck up a conversation.
He was the owner of the shop across the street, one of the few people who did not mock him.
"No. Your business seems pretty good, though!" Kuroda Tadashi said politely.
"Not bad. We make ninja tools for the great ninja villages, so we never lack business!"
Then he advised, "Tadashi, why not switch to making ninja tools too? Your craftsmanship is no worse than mine!"
Seeing Kuroda Tadashi waver, he added, "Think it over. If you change trades early, the relationship between you and your grandson can improve as well. Things can't go on like this forever!"
The middle-aged man turned and returned to his own shop.
"Excuse me, is this Kuroda Tadashi's shop?"
A voice woke the contemplative Kuroda Tadashi. He quickly stood and asked, "You want to...?"
Su Zheng asked, "Can you make machinery?"
Kuroda Tadashi blurted out, "I've been making machinery for decades. Whatever you want made, I can make it!"
Su Zheng explained the details of machinery manufacturing to him. To his surprise, Kuroda Tadashi's eyes lit up, and he immediately said that he could make it.
Thus, Su Zheng brought him and his grandson back to the Land of Rain. The second step of economic development could begin.
After Kuroda Tadashi arrived in the Land of Rain, he had finally found his mission. He successively produced agricultural and industrial machinery, greatly promoting the Land of Rain's development.
As for the goods they produced, they were sold to Kobayashi Company, which distributed them throughout the world!
Before you continue