Izuna took the intelligence report as well, glanced through it, and asked a question.
"Tetsuya, you keep expanding. Aren't you afraid that if you keep this up, the people from those Shinobi Villages will get jealous and seize everything you've built?"
"Hahaha, that's where you don't get it, Izuna."
Tetsuya flashed a smug smile.
"Expanding is exactly what I want. The larger the Chiba Commerce Association gets, the less those Shinobi Villages will dare touch me. After all, they're smart people, and smart people know how important a commerce association is. If some people want to control mine, then naturally, others won't want their rivals to gain control of it.
"If any of them try to seize it by force, wouldn't they just be driving us into someone else's arms?"
Izuna nodded. That made sense.
Everyone had been getting along peacefully and making money together. That was a perfectly good arrangement.
If they drove the Chiba Commerce Association over to their rivals and it stopped doing business with them, things would stop being so pleasant.
"Besides, I'm actually hoping someone will show their ambition and make a move against my association."
As he spoke, Tetsuya rubbed his hands together and gave a wicked grin.
"That way, I'll have no choice but to visit their leader personally for an all-night talk.
"I'm sure that after a warm, friendly, and penetrating discussion, they'll understand what it means to make money in harmony."
"Warm and friendly? A penetrating discussion?"
Even Izuna struggled to keep his expression under control.
"By a penetrating discussion, you probably mean driving your Susanoo's giant blade into their body, right? Straight through to the other side."
"Oh, don't get hung up on the details. Just tell me whether it counts as penetrating."
Izuna didn't want to speak. Sometimes, he