Sunagakure's Hero: I Am the Sea God!
After finalizing the investment in the Capital of the Land of Wind, Ebizo led the Sunagakure delegation back to Sunagakure, weary from their journey.
As the year draws to a close, the north wind howls across the desert, and yellow sand swirls over the stone walls of villages.
In previous years, at this time of year, the entire Sunagakure was shrouded in gloom. The treasury was stretched thin, and every expenditure, from military supplies and water transport to relief for the people, had to be carefully considered.
But this year, everything is different.
Not long after, the Angel Fund's first year-end dividend was delivered to Sunagakure by Hatake Sakumo on time.
Fifty million taels of silver, not a penny less, came into the account steadily.
When the accounts were laid out on the Shamon of the Second Kazekage, Shamon, a brief silence fell over all the high-ranking officials in the council chamber, followed by an uproar.
"Lord Kazekage, is all of this true?"
"Is money really that easy to get?"
"Is Sunagakure really going to get better?"
Two hundred million taels of principal yielded a profit of fifty million taels in a short period of time. Such a return was something that countless Sunagakure ninjas could hardly achieve even by mining and panning for gold in the mountains.
The news quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys of Sunagakure.
Training grounds, puppet workshops, and bustling streets—everywhere people were talking about Ebizo.
"Ebizo was truly prescient!"
"I heard that Lord Kazekage originally only asked him to test the waters with a small amount, but he dared to go all in on the entire treasury!"
"Finally, we won't have to suffer day and night mining anymore! We, the Sunagakure, are finally going to see the light at the end of the tunnel!"
Whether they were ordinary civilians or ninjas from Sunagakure, everyone looked at Ebizo with admiration and respect. Originally just an ordinary Elder, his reputation had now soared.
Inside his office in the Kazekage Building, Shamon looked down and repeatedly flipped through the ledgers. The fatigue that had accumulated between his brows over the past few days vanished, and his face showed undisguised admiration.
"Ebizo, you have done a great service this time."
The Shamon stood up from his seat, his tone unusually light.
"At first, I had some concerns, fearing that I might be being scammed by unscrupulous merchants. I never expected that you would have such a keen eye and bring such a huge profit to the village."
"This fifty million taels is enough to cover all expenses at the end of this year. Everyone will no longer have to tighten their belts. Sunagakure can have a good New Year this year, hahaha!"
Ebizo stood bowing below the hall, feeling immensely pleased, yet still feigning humility.
"Lord Kazekage, you flatter me. It was merely a matter of chance, seeking a way out for the village."
I heard that recently some people have been calling him the Sea God?
Hahaha, in all these years, besides Shinobi World Hashirama Senju being called the God of Shinobi, today we have another one called the Sea God. How satisfying!
Chiyo stood to the side, looking at the actual silver figures in the ledger, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
She had previously harbored doubts about this overseas investment, but with the real money in front of her, she couldn't find a single fault with it.
It seems my younger brother is truly intelligent and a great contributor to Sunagakure!
Then, the Shamon waved his hand and made the decision on the spot.
"From now on, all matters related to the Angel Fund will be handled by you, Ebizo. Subsequent additional investments and dividend payments will all be your responsibility."
In short, this gave Ebizo complete control over Sunagakure's external finances.
As he walked out of the main hall, many Sand Ninja bowed to him in greeting.
For a time, everyone in the entire Sunagakure was praising his talent.
Even the reputation of Jiushi Luren, the senior director of the Angel Fund who is far away in the Capital of the Land of Wind, has risen with the tide in Sunagakure.
As night fell, Chiyo and her brother Ebizo returned home. The house was dimly lit by candlelight and quiet.
Chiyo gazed at the silent night outside the window, a lingering worry still etched on her brow. She spoke first, softly offering her advice:
"Little brother, I'm still a little worried."
"Is this Angel Fund really reliable? The so-called senior board members have mysterious backgrounds; no one has been able to figure them out from the beginning. Where did these people come from?"
She frowned slightly, her tone extremely solemn:
"You need to understand, we in Sunagakure are too poor."
"The village's annual funding from the Daimyo, plus all the income accumulated by Lord Kazekage through his personal efforts of mining and panning for gold day and night, totals no more than a billion taels a year."
"This sum of over a billion yuan almost covers all the expenses for the village's military equipment repair, puppet forging, water transportation, and so on."
"Two hundred million treasury silver is no small sum, not to mention the additional investment to be made later. You must not be careless and must act with caution."
Despite his sister Chiyo's repeated admonitions, Ebizo was completely carried away by his own desires.
He remained completely unconcerned, exuding composure and smugness, and directly Teuchi Chiyo.
"Oh, sister!"
"I've lived most of my life, weathered decades of storms in the Shinobi World, what storms can't I see through? Don't worry about it."
"The nobles, wealthy merchants, and gentry of the Capital of the Land of Wind are all vying to get involved, flocking to it like moths to a flame. I've even heard that Daimyo have secretly invested their own money!"
"So many big shots dare to invest, what's wrong with us Sunagakure getting a little something in return? It's a sure thing!"
Ebizo waved his hand impatiently, his mind filled with the glory of being the center of attention and praise from the entire village today.
The villagers' enthusiastic praise still seemed to echo in my ears.
--Sea God! Ebizo!
He secretly gloated to himself: Sea God... tsk tsk, what a nice title!
Seeing that her younger brother wouldn't listen to any advice, Chiyo looked at his smug expression and could only sigh inwardly, filled with worry but unable to say anything.
--
The secret chamber of the Angel Fund's headquarters in the Capital of the Land of Wind.
Inside, the candlelight flickered. Kakuzu leaned back in a large chair, his fingertips twirling a cool gold coin, gently stroking its edge.
Hatake Sakumo stood to the side, having just finished recounting the news that Sunagakure had received its share of the profits and that the whole country was jubilant.
Upon hearing the news, Kakuzu let out a low, hoarse laugh. Beneath his sunglasses, his dark green eyes gleamed, and a cold smile curled at the corners of his lips.
"Fifty million taels... that's just a small fraction of what they got from their own principal."
"Look at them, they actually have to thank us for this!"
The gold coin clicked as he pinched it between his fingers, leaving a shallow dent.
"Shamon, Ebizo, and the entire Sunagakure are overjoyed. They're so happy to be receiving their own money as a reward."
"The more triumphant you are now, the harder you'll fall when the day comes to reap the rewards."
I really look forward to seeing their expressions then.
Sakumo, his expression calm beneath the mask, said, "Konoha has received news that the Lord Hokage's orders are to continue stabilizing them as planned and wait until the middle of next year."
He pondered to himself.
That old fox, even though he's stopped fighting and killing after changing professions, these new methods are probably even more lethal...
Teacher, is this the person you've chosen?
I always have this feeling that he has a rebellious streak.
Forget it. If he really had ulterior motives, the teacher, with his sharp eyes, would have noticed long ago and would never have entrusted him with such an important task.
Even if things go wrong, I'm here to guard the place. If anything does happen, it'll just be a matter of one stab.
Having worked with Hatake Sakumo for so long, Kakuzu could tell at a glance that the White-Hair guy was definitely secretly criticizing him again.
This kid is good in every way, except he always mutters to himself and isn't open and honest enough. Ugh.
Kakuzu revealing his thoughts, Jiao looked out the window at the lights of the Capital, where countless people were still enthusiastically supporting the Angel Plan.
"Then let's play along and see this play through to the end."
"Let Sunagakure continue to dream of getting rich. Once they pour in all their remaining military funds, I'll swallow it all up with interest."
"By then, that old codger Shamon will probably be obediently continuing to lead the mining team."