After Sunaen asked Elder Yuan Yi to sit down, he continued.
"If we reveal the news at this time.
We should say that the Demigod of Amegakure, in order to prevent casualties among his subordinates, is willing to spend vast sums of money to purchase flak jackets, simply to give all his ninja a better chance of survival. Even a small nation like the Land of Rain is willing to go this far.
What do you all think will happen to Konoha and Iwagakure once this news spreads?"
Without waiting for the elders to speak, Sunaen continued.
"At that point, all they have to do is collect a few flak jackets from the battlefield, and the truth of the matter will be proven.
When the time is right, we will reveal that our flak jackets cost only half the price of a Jōnin flak jacket. I can't guarantee anything about Ōnoki, but Hiruzen Sarutobi, who possesses the Will of Fire, will definitely buy them.
Previously, he could argue that the flak jackets were too expensive to equip all the ninja, and the ninja would understand. But when half-price flak jackets become available, if Hiruzen Sarutobi still refuses to buy them, it will be a severe blow to his reputation.
If he still doesn't buy them, then we will continue to spread rumors."
Upon hearing Sunaen's explanation, everyone's eyes widened.
It was as if something dark and insidious had infiltrated their minds, which had previously only known simple concepts of fighting and killing.
Finally, the long silence was broken by the weeping of one of the older elders.
"Wuwuwu, in this Sunagakure full of yellow sand, we finally have a black-hearted Kage! Lord First, our Sunagakure has finally welcomed its own Senju Tobirama! The hope of the Sand has arrived!"
Sunaen: "..."
That comparison is slightly inappropriate.
In the end, the meeting concluded successfully amidst a strange atmosphere.
---
Not long after, various rumors began circulating throughout the ninja world.
[The reason the Land of Rain is so strong is that Hanzō the Salamander loves his people like his own children.]
[In order to allow his subordinates to survive the war better, he is willing to spare no effort in purchasing Jōnin flak jackets.]
[The reason Konoha and Iwa's lower and mid-level ninja cannot compete with the Land of Rain is that the two major villages refuse to buy flak jackets for their own ninja.]
...Innumerable messages poured in from all directions, reaching the Konoha and Iwagakure ninja on the battlefield, as well as the civilians back in the villages.
This caused noticeable unrest among the people of the two great villages.
Inside the Hokage's office.
It was the same familiar environment, with the same four familiar people.
And the familiar smoke.
Just then, an ANBU ninja entered the room.
"Have you investigated everything? Where did the news come from, and is the content true?"
"Reporting, Hokage-sama. The news appeared suddenly, and the sources are numerous. It will be impossible to determine which faction is responsible in the short term.
However, the content is true: the Amegakure ninja are indeed all wearing armor."
The ANBU ninja stood up, pulled out a flak jacket, and carefully placed it on the desk. "This flak jacket was sent back from the front lines. According to our tests, the forging process is highly refined. There are virtually no impurities in the iron plates inside the vest. The quality... is even better than our Jōnin flak jackets."
"..."
"Understood. You are dismissed."
After the ANBU left, all four people leaned forward to examine the flak jacket.
They looked at the flak jacket, then at each other.
Eight... no, seven eyes stared blankly at one another, utterly bewildered.
"Impossible! Even Genin have one each?" Koharu Utatane, who was in charge of Konoha's finances, immediately shook her head in denial. "What kind of place is Amegakure? It's a small country! It's sparsely populated, and they even buy their food from us every year. Where would they get the money to buy flak jackets for Genin? And the quality is actually better than Konoha's Jōnin flak jackets! Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Of course the quality was good; Sunasuke had a lot to say about that. That was pure iron pulled up using Magnet Release! Pure! If it weren't for the poor environment of the Land of Rain and the fact that the forging was done by ordinary Rain Country civilians, Sunasuke claimed he could have turned all those iron plates into steel plates!
"Calm down, Koharu! The ninja on the front lines would not send back false intelligence!" Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted the currently distraught Koharu.
He deeply understood Koharu's feelings right now. If this matter were true and the reason couldn't be determined, it would mean that even the Rain Ninja could acquire better quality flak jackets while Konoha's ninja were stuck with inferior ones. This would certainly lead people to suspect that someone in the Finance Department was embezzling public funds—no, people would definitely think that. Furthermore, those who could afford flak jackets were either Jōnin or members of ninja clans, and these people would demand a thorough investigation of the Finance Department.
The main problem was, they were indeed embezzling! They couldn't withstand an audit!
Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the head of the 'F4', deeply understood Koharu's current distress.
"Since the front line sent the flak jacket back, it means there is crucial information on the vest itself. Otherwise, the front line would only need to confirm the incident."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's words snapped Koharu Utatane out of her stupor.
"Right, right, Hiruzen, you're correct. There must be an important clue on the flak jacket."
Having calmed her thoughts, she began examining the flak jacket again.
Due to the war, the flak jacket had multiple scratches and looked somewhat damaged.
But the rest of it looked very new, suggesting... it must have been purchased recently.
But that's not how things work for ninja.
Although the Land of Rain is rich in iron ore, extraction is very difficult, and the constant soaking by rain means the iron ore is full of impurities. The Land of Rain simply doesn't have the capability to manufacture flak jackets of this quality.
Did Hanzō the Salamander sell off his assets!
Is he sacrificing everything just to win!
The group couldn't find any clues on the surface of the flak jacket.
So, Hiruzen Sarutobi flipped the flak jacket over to the inside.
Immediately, everyone noticed something unusual.
The pattern and the characters were very small, but since they had all once possessed Jōnin-level strength, they still had the necessary eyesight.
However, the answer was completely unexpected.
[Produced by Sunagakure Ninja Tool Manufacturing Plant. Quality Guaranteed, Competitive Prices!]
[Bulk purchases receive an additional discount!]
...Above these two small lines of text, the Sunagakure emblem glittered brightly.
And it was sewn on with golden thread!
Sunagakure?!
Since when did they have this capability?
Soon.
News of an emergency meeting spread from the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the main seat, took a deep drag from his pipe, and said with a troubled expression, "That's the situation. Everyone is aware of the news spreading outside. So, what are your thoughts on this matter?"
As soon as he finished speaking.
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, then lowered their heads, passing around the flak jacket sent from the front lines.
For a moment.
No one knew what to say.
To be honest, everyone was still in a state of shock.
They were still absorbed by the advertisement printed on the inside of the flak jacket.
They couldn't understand: how could it be Sunagakure? How dare it be Sunagakure!
What were they? They were famously poor!
How could they produce flak jackets of this quality!
Moreover, the price was actually cheaper than Konoha's, and not just by a little!
And they offered discounts for bulk purchases!
What happened? Did our poor neighbors strike gold and get rich?