"Little Chen." Jiraiya put away his playful smile, and his remaining right eye became darker, "You played so beautifully at the banquet today."
Senju Chen took a sip of wine and said without changing his expression, "Lord Jiraiya Why do you say that?"
"When he mentioned Konoha's many years of support, I knew it was you." Jiraiya glanced at him, "Yahiko... No, I know that kid Nagato. He has ideals and ambitions, but he can't handle this kind of twists and turns in political tactics. That 'ten-year tax exemption' scheme is definitely a trick you pulled behind your back."
Senju Chen smiled and did not deny it.
"It's actually very simple." Senju Chen leaned against the wall of the pool and tapped the water with his fingers.
"Land of Rain wants to be neutral, but it's useless to just talk. You have to tie everyone's interests to you. Ten years of tax exemption is just an excuse. Even without this, caravans from various countries will pounce on me like sharks smelling blood. Tax exemption is only equivalent to official recognition. If it is not tax-free, won't they sneak in?"
"How did you convince Yahiko and them?" Jiraiya couldn't help but ask.
"No need to persuade, Yahiko and they are smart people, because they know that this is the only way to save Land of Rain without using force."
"It only takes ten years for Land of Rain to establish the most complete logistics transfer system. Once those caravans get used to this route and the convenience here, they will never be able to leave." Senju Chen played with the wine glass.
Senju Chen sat up straight and his tone became a little cold. "The tax exemption is only the first step. The second step is to issue unified currency exchange coupons and keep the capital pools of various countries in Land of Rain. The third step is to establish Shinobi World's largest bank."
"When the time comes, whoever wants to touch Land of Rain will be cutting off the financial resources of all countries."
Jiraiya took a deep breath.
He looked at the teenage boy in front of him, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back. This was not a Ninjutsu confrontation at all, this was a bloodless economic war!
"You kid, how do you get such a sharp mind?" Jiraiya sighed, "Sometimes I really wonder if you are Tsunade's younger brother. Tsunade's temper is straight and straight, unlike yours, which has so many twists and turns."
Senju Chen raised his eyebrows. "Read more, read more newspapers, eat less snacks and sleep more."
Jiraiya rolled his eyes and took a sip of wine angrily.
"Little Chen." Jiraiya suddenly turned his head and stared at him, "Are you planning to take over Tsunade's class in the future?"
Senju Chen was stunned for a moment. "Hokage?"
"Yes." Jiraiya nodded, his tone extremely serious, "With your brain, your strength, and your identity as Senju Clan. After Tsunade retires, this position of Hokage belongs to you. Those old guys in the village can't find any faults."
Senju Chen shook his head repeatedly, pretending to be disgusted. "No, I won't do it."
"Why?"
"I'm tired." Senju Chen sighed, "Look at my sister, Tenten approves documents until midnight, and can smash the table into pieces when she loses her temper. I don't have any big ambitions. If I am not happy in life, the red palm of the Ming Dynasty will clear the waves. I just want to be a rich man in peace, and eat well and drink spicy food every day, how nice it is."
Jiraiya laughed angrily, "What a mess of poetry! With your talent and skills, it would be a pity not to be Hokage!"
"You are not bad at talent. Your prestige in Konoha is so high, why don't you act inappropriately?" Senju Chen asked in return.
Jiraiya smiled bitterly.
He raised his head and looked at the mist on the roof.
"I can't do it. I'm used to being undisciplined." Jiraiya's voice revealed a hint of vicissitudes of life, "Politics is too dirty and complicated. I don't like it. I just like to run around outside, see the customs of various places, write books, and by the way... get information."
"Actually, the most suitable one is Hokage..." Jiraiya's voice lowered, "It's still Minato."
When Minato Namikaze is mentioned, the atmosphere instantly becomes heavy.
The only sound left in the man's soup was the gurgling sound of water.
Jiraiya's eyes became very distant, as if through the mist, he saw the blond young man from more than ten years ago.
"That kid Minato is the most perfect genius I have ever seen." Jiraiya murmured, "He is highly talented, has a good personality, is sunny and gentle. When he became Hokage, I thought Konoha had finally ushered in the best era."
"What a pity..."
Jiraiya Close your eyes to hide the sadness in your eyes.
Senju Chen didn't speak, just listened quietly. He knew that what Jiraiya needed now was not comfort, but a listener.
"You know, it took Minato a whole year to develop Rasengan." Jiraiya recalled the past with a bitter smile on his lips, "He Tenten was rubbing it with a water balloon, and his hands were covered with blood blisters. Kushina was so distressed that he shed tears and called him a fool. He always admitted his mistake with a smile and continued rubbing."
"I asked him what he wanted. He said that he wanted to leave a powerful Ninjutsu to future generations that could be unleashed without Hand Seals. In this way, Konoha ninjas would have a little more hope of survival on the battlefield."
"In his heart, he always pretends to be the village and others. He said that Hokage's responsibility is to protect everyone's smiles."
"In the end, I risked my life to protect the village."
That's because you don't know that it originally took him three years, or that it only took one year after I gave him a hint. Senju Chen resisted the urge to grin. The atmosphere has reached this point, and he must not laugh.
"Little Chen, you have Minato's mind, but you are more ruthless than him." Jiraiya said bluntly, "Minato is too gentle, so gentle that it is easy to get tripped up by those dark things. But you are different."
"You look gentle and harmless on the surface, but in fact you have evil intentions." Jiraiya stared at him and said word by word, "In order to achieve your goal, you can plot against everyone without hesitation. Including me, including other ninja villages."
Senju Chen rolled his eyes. "Lord Jiraiya, don't you sound like you are praising me?"
"Of course it's a compliment." Jiraiya said seriously, "In troubled times, gentleness is not enough. Konoha needs people like you. Only people like you can tear off a piece of flesh among those evil wolves that are watching eagerly."
The two had a drink.
The sake enters the throat with a hint of spiciness.
"Let's not talk about this anymore." Jiraiya wiped his face and changed the subject, "Naruto, that little brat, how are you doing lately?"
When Naruto was mentioned, Senju Chen's expression softened a little.
"It's pretty good. I can eat and sleep, but I'm a little skinny." Senju Chen smiled, "In the Ninja Academy, I often made Sasuke skip classes, which made the teacher's head growl. But my academic performance is pretty good, and I'm among the best."
Jiraiya laughed loudly after hearing this, "This personality is very similar to Kushina."