Most importantly, there were some gaunt figures here, their faces sallow as they wandered the streets aimlessly, swaying as though they might collapse at any moment.
"Itono, what else did you see here?"
"...Run-down streets, and... poor people."
"Yes, poor people. It was hard to imagine that such a prosperous Konoha would have poor people, wasn't it?"
"..."
These people had actually existed ever since Konoha was founded. Back then, everything had only just begun, and it was easy for them to find something to eat. But later, Hashirama built houses with Wood Release, and the ninja clans divided up all the good land.
These ordinary people had neither power nor influence, while Konoha's population kept rising. Other nobles continuously joined in as well, forcing them to retreat again and again. They were basically being driven out all the time.
And Konoha was a gathering place for ninja. Ninja were violent organizations, and ordinary people living here who had no special skills could only take basic jobs such as waitering or guarding gates.
But there were very few such jobs, because the ninja clans themselves had members with no talent for ninjutsu. Whenever there was work available, they naturally arranged it for their own people first.
Thus, these ordinary people who had lived here since the early days gradually became poorer and poorer. Frankly, they would have been better off leaving Konoha and finding an ordinary job elsewhere.
"Master, they were clearly living such miserable lives. Why didn't they leave?"
"Heh, because they were afraid, of course."
"Afraid? Afraid of what?"
"Itono, do you know how difficult it was for outsiders to enter Konoha and live here? One million ryo! A Konoha residency cost one million ryo!"
"Gasp..."
These ordinary people could remain in Konoha for so long, even for