Muzan the Arms Dealer

"I suggest we teach the Sand Ninja a lesson, to let them know that Konoha remains the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages! We must not allow them to commit such blasphemy!"

Danzo was a typical hardliner. The Hidden Sand Village currently lacked a Kazekage and was in a state of chaos. Invading them now was the perfect opportunity; removing a potential rival would greatly reduce the pressure on Konoha. If he could secure a total victory, he would be the Fourth Hokage!

"I do not support this decision. The risk is too great; we cannot afford to gamble."

Koharu Utatane rarely opposed Danzo's decisions. Although the Hidden Sand Village lacked a Kazekage, they still possessed many powerful fighters, not to mention the existence of the One-Tail Jinchuriki. While the current Konoha had the strength to take the Hidden Sand Village, it would consume too much of their vital strength, leaving them exhausted should other villages target Konoha.

Crucially, the Hidden Sand Village was mostly desert and wasteland. The harsh conditions would not create wealth for Konoha, and the overextended supply lines would only become a burden.

"Koharu is right. I also do not support this decision."

The Third Hokage's words determined whether Konoha would attack the Hidden Sand Village. Konoha had always prioritized peaceful coexistence; if they were to provoke a war, it would be one against four. With Tsunade and Jiraiya absent, the pressure would be immense.

"You will regret today's decision! The ambition of the Sand Ninja can never be sated."

Having his proposal rejected by the group, Danzo snorted coldly and retreated back into the shadows.

Sunlight filtered into the Hokage's office, creating a sharp divide between light and shadow. Danzo remained a rat hiding in the dark.

"Let Orochimaru be responsible for the Sand border. Sakumo will deal with the Hidden Cloud Village. Minato has also grown up; his Flying Raijin can provide high mobility on the battlefield. Once the war falls into a stalemate, he can support all fronts."

The Third Hokage considered many factors. If Sakumo were stationed at the Sand border, it might draw out Chiyo. During the last great war, Sakumo Hatake had personally killed Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law.

Although ninjas prioritized missions, Konoha dared not gamble on whether Chiyo would seek personal revenge. Letting Orochimaru handle the Sand was the best choice.

Slightly different from the original story, this time Sakumo had not committed suicide. A top-tier powerhouse was enough to anchor a front. The experts brought out by the Hidden Cloud Village could not focus solely on Konoha, and Onoki nearby was no pushover either.

As the Hokage's orders were issued, Konoha's ninjas began to mobilize in an orderly fashion.

Upon receiving the order, Sakumo did not refuse. Currently, only a few individuals could deal with the Hidden Cloud Village, and clearly, Sakumo was the most suitable. His Hatake Sword Technique excelled in technical application, which was highly lethal against those Cloud Ninja who only knew how to charge straight ahead.

"I am afraid I will be away for a long time. Kakashi has not returned yet. If you go on missions, try your best to avoid the battlefield."

Sakumo was most worried about his two children. The coming war would likely involve even Genin.

"Father, don't worry about me. With my current strength, I can handle the average Elite Chunin. As for Kakashi, don't forget who his team leader is."

Konoha's Yellow Flash possessed a Flying Raijin that was nothing short of miraculous; he was hailed as the ninja with the greatest mobility.

Moreover, Kakashi was part of the protagonist's team; he wouldn't die so easily.

Sakumo's departure meant a Kage Level powerhouse was anchoring the front. Once war broke out, Konoha would not fall into a disadvantageous position. Of course, there would be no more buffer period; it would be a direct confrontation between Kage Level fighters.

"Time to handle our business. Anko, Mari! Are you ready?"

"Ready!"

Before the great war arrived, the profits from arms dealing were astronomical. Explosive Tags were increasing in price every day. Muzan had used all the money he had scraped together during this period to buy them.

He was going to sell them in bulk and prepare for a big score!

"Can we really make money?"

Anko was only eight or nine years old this year and did not yet know of Muzan's talent for business. Once these supplies were converted into cash, they could proudly say: I, Anko! One hundred million at eight years old!

"There are so many Explosive Tags. Will they be stolen? My mom loves to steal my New Year's money."

Mari clutched the Explosive Tags on the ground tightly. Unlike Anko, although he had no interest in money, he was a little genius at the Ninja Academy and understood the value of the tags before him.

Therefore, he was very worried that once these Explosive Tags were discovered, someone would rob them.

"Rob?"

Muzan could beat Chunin to a pulp. As for Jōnin coming to rob his goods, they would have to weigh Muzan's background and consider whether they could leave Konoha alive after the robbery!

"Don't worry, we will sell the Explosive Tags as soon as possible."

Only money in hand was real money. Muzan needed a massive amount of capital for his research. Currently, aside from theoretical knowledge and a small portion of experiments, he could not proceed with his next steps!

Everything is difficult at the start. If there is no money, the beginning will be strangled in the cradle.

Using a Sealing Scroll to carry the Explosive Tags, Muzan was also doing arms business for the first time. To purchase such a large quantity, he had specifically borrowed a huge sum from his father and had even secretly ransacked the place where Kakashi kept his private stash.

Far away at the border, Kakashi suddenly sneezed.

"Did you catch a cold?"

Rin looked at Kakashi's complexion, concerned, and reached out to touch his forehead, only to be interrupted by Obito on the side.

"I think it's just kidney deficiency. You couldn't even handle a few days of this."

"Damn you, Obito. It's probably someone talking about me. But why do I have a bad feeling, like I've lost something?"

Muzan arrived at the weapon shop, which had "Konoha Ninja Tool Shop" written on it. His arrival immediately caused quite a stir.

Because he was carrying so many Explosive Tags on him, if they all exploded at once, this entire area would be leveled.

"Two crates of Explosive Tags? Does his family make them?"

"Idiot! That's Hatake Muzan! The child of Lord Sakumo's family. But the Hatake family is famous for their sword techniques. Could they have started a new business?"

"Forget it, let's just buy more Explosive Tags. Who knows when we'll be sent to the battlefield."

Only the shopkeeper knew that the two crates of Explosive Tags before him were the ones Muzan had bought from him just a few days ago. He never expected the boy to be selling them again.

"It's a pity Muzan is a ninja. If he were a merchant, he would surely become a titan of the business world, feared by all, if he dared to deal in arms."

In the end, these Explosive Tags were sold for fifty percent more than the original price. Only a few days had passed; if the war truly broke out, who knew how much a single Explosive Tag would sell for!

But Muzan could not afford to gamble. The thrill of going all-in could drive people mad. If Konoha started regulating arms, the ninja shops wouldn't suffer any losses, but Muzan, with his small operation, would be declared bankrupt immediately.

It was better to quit while he was ahead. Being able to secure half the profit was already very optimistic.

Brothers, are you ready for the shonen action? The great war has begun!