The Billion-Tael Project Agreement! Severing the Daimyo Court's Employment-A Dimensionality-Reducing Strike

"Now that you've finished speaking, listen to me."

Tsunade opened the first page of the agreement, her tone so calm that no one could tell whether she was angry or pleased.

"Not long ago, Konoha signed a long-term cooperation agreement with the Uchiha."

"The Uchiha will invest fifty billion taels to build railways throughout the Land of Fire. The first phase will connect the major cities of the Land of Fire, then continue northward until the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning are fully connected."

"Fifty billion taels?"

The white-haired minister suddenly sat up straight.

The ease vanished from the faces of several nobles at once.

A project of such enormous scale was enough to drive any faction mad with desire.

Building railways required carving through mountains, constructing bridges, laying tracks, and dealing with bandits, beasts, and all kinds of dangers along the route. Ordinary craftsmen would handle the basic construction, while shinobi could complete surveying, transportation, protection, obstacle removal, and countless difficult engineering tasks.

The number of missions this represented was impossible to estimate.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire stared at the agreement on the table, his voice noticeably darker.

"Where did the Uchiha get so much money?"

Tsunade raised her eyes to him.

"War reparations from the Land of Lightning."

"That money belongs to the Uchiha. They don't need the Daimyo Court's approval to use it."

The single sentence left the Daimyo with an ugly expression.

A minister in charge of finances quickly realized the implications and hurriedly asked, "Fifty billion taels for railway construction. Who will be in charge of the project?"

"Konoha."

Tsunade turned another page.

"Route surveying, road clearing, bridge construction, material transportation, protection along the route—all engineering missions requiring shinobi participation will be undertaken by Konoha."

A wave of hushed