Economic Lifeline

Just as Nangō Kumoi was studying the "ideological guidance" sketch in thought, there came a light knock at the office door.

"Come in."

A clerical ninja from the Finance Department entered respectfully and presented a scroll bearing the crest of the Land of Fire's daimyo estate.

"Lord Hokage, the first installment of the daimyo's special postwar reconstruction funds has been released, totaling 500 million ryo. The procurement channels for related supplies have also been opened."

"Understood. You've worked hard." Nangō Kumoi accepted the scroll and dismissed the visitor with an unchanged expression.

After the door closed, he held the weighty funding approval scroll without immediately checking its details. Instead, he frowned slightly.

"The funds are here... I nearly forgot about this 'financial backer.'" he muttered, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the cool silk along the scroll's edge.

Konoha's continued operation, the ninja's wages, the launch of reconstruction, and even the timely distribution of pensions all depended heavily on financial appropriations from the Land of Fire's daimyo.

The relationship between a ninja village and a nation was, in essence, a contract of employer and employee, protection and taxation. The daimyo provided funds and legitimacy; the ninja village provided military force and completed commissions.

In the past, this had seemed perfectly natural.

But to Nangō Kumoi—a transmigrator whose soul was imprinted with concepts like "independence and self-reliance," "control over the economic lifeline," and "industry strengthens the nation"—such dependence was no different from handing the reins around his neck to someone else.

"A regime—or rather, a truly independent community—must keep the most critical things, especially its finances and productive capacity, firmly in its own hands."

He rose and walked to the map of the ninja world on the wall, his gaze settling on the marker representing Konoha.

"Relying on appropriations and mission rewards? At its core, Konoha is nothing more than a larger, more formal mercenary organization, or... a high-end security company. The economic base determines the superstructure. Without financial independence, how can there be true independence and self-reliance? We'll always be at someone else's mercy."

He recalled how, in the original timeline, Konoha had been forced to apply to the daimyo for funds after several great wars. He recalled how certain missions might be influenced by politics. When you lived off someone else, you could never stand tall.

"We must forge a path where we can flourish without relying on the daimyo's funding." His eyes sharpened.

"Taking missions and working as hired muscle alone will never make a truly powerful 'village,' much less a 'nation.' Konoha must have its own industries! It must have the ability to generate its own blood!"

Just as Nangō Kumoi was fired up over "economic independence" and ready to make sweeping changes, an important fact he had nearly overlooked suddenly surfaced in his mind. Like a bucket of cold water over his head, it instantly calmed him down.

Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, had shared deep personal friendship and a political alliance with the forebears—and even the current daimyo—of the Land of Fire.

Konoha's founding had not merely been the gathering of ninja clans. It had also been the establishment of a "legitimate armed group" formally recognized and supported by the Land of Fire's government.

That recognition had been won by the First Hokage through his personal prestige, the persuasiveness of his ideals, and mutual interests. It was one of the crucial foundations of Konoha's legitimacy. What the daimyo provided was not merely money, but also a banner of "orthodoxy" and a stable rear base.

"I nearly made the mistake of historical nihilism and radicalism..." Nangō Kumoi tapped his forehead and smiled mockingly.

"The bond and agreement between Teacher Hashirama and the daimyo's generation were one of Konoha's starting points. Now that I've taken office, if I immediately start plotting how to 'become independent' and break away, that would be forgetting our roots. It would also be politically shortsighted, and it would chill the hearts of every elder who knows this history."

He sat back down, his gaze becoming deep and distant.

"We can't discard the ladder after climbing it, much less openly confront them. We must control the economic lifeline, and the political relationship of subordination must change as well—but the method must be more... hm, more distinctly Konoha in character, and more in line with the course of history."

Examples of famous, peaceful transitions of power from the history of that great nation flashed through his mind.

"Perhaps... in the future, we can take the path of a gradual evolution through a 'cup of wine to relinquish military power'?

"Or... farther down the road, promote a dual structure in the form of a 'Land of Fire–Hidden Leaf Village Special Union'?

"Or even... guide a slow transition toward 'constitutional monarchy,' or 'a symbolic head of state, with real authority in an elected or representative assembly'?" He considered the various possibilities.

"The key is," he said, sorting out the central idea.

"We cannot bind Konoha's future to the daimyo's personal preferences or the fluctuations of a single nation's finances.

"But the way we change things must be a win-win model that the daimyo class will 'willingly' or 'have no choice but to' accept, while feeling that its own interests—at the very least, its dignity and long-term security—are better protected."

Having thought it through, Nangō Kumoi let out a long breath, and his eyes became bright and resolute once more.

"Therefore, developing industry and attaining economic independence are fundamental. But this isn't to oppose the daimyo. It is to give ourselves greater confidence, so that in the future, we can join the daimyo as equals in a mutually beneficial partnership and reshape a healthier, more sustainable relationship.

"It is so Konoha can grow from 'a sharp sword under protection' into 'a towering tree supporting the nation.'"

He took out the industrial development draft again and solemnly added a sentence at the beginning:

[Basic Principle: While respecting the historical alliance and the spirit of the First Hokage, strengthen ourselves through development, pursue reform through mutual benefit, and gradually advance the relationship between Konoha and the Land of Fire toward a direction that is more equal, mutually beneficial, and suited to the needs of the times.]

"We have to take the road one step at a time." He put away the scroll and looked out the window.

"The first step is to make good use of these 500 million ryo. We need to handle pensions and resettlement beautifully, so everyone—including the daimyo—can see the vitality and efficiency Konoha has gained under its new Hokage. Once we have that record to show, the rest will be easier to discuss."

After clarifying his long-term approach toward the daimyo, Nangō Kumoi did not feel relieved. Instead, the burden on his shoulders became more tangible. Many matters could not be rushed, but some had to be done immediately.