"Mr. Tazuna, could I have a word with you?"
"What is it, Kiki?"
"Actually, I've been thinking a lot lately, could I withdraw from this bridge-building project?"
On the bridge in the Land of Waves, Li Chuan watched as one bridge worker after another resigned to Mr. Tazuna, a subtle smile gradually appearing at the corner of his mouth.
After resting for a day yesterday, Mr. Tazuna gathered the workers who had been building the bridge with him to start work today. Kakashi was still recovering and resting at Mr. Tazuna's house.
Naruto and Sasuke also began their Chakra control training by climbing trees.
Sakura, who had extremely high Chakra control, and the idle Li Chuan were jointly responsible for protecting Mr. Tazuna's safety.
However, not long after work began, workers successively resigned to Mr. Tazuna because they had all been threatened by Gato during Mr. Tazuna's absence.
If they dared to build the bridge with Mr. Tazuna, they would all face Gato's retribution, and even their families would be killed.
Though Mr. Tazuna was helpless and angry, he still let them all leave. In the end, only he remained, determined to continue building the bridge.
"How can these people be like this? If they give up building the bridge, they will always be ruled by Gato."
Seeing the workers leave one by one, Sakura couldn't help but feel angry for Mr. Tazuna.
Li Chuan smiled:
"Actually, it's understandable. From their perspective, once the bridge in the Land of Waves is completed, it will indeed free the Land of Waves from Gato's rule and allow them to live better lives.
However, if they and their families are killed before that, then no matter how good their future lives are, it will have nothing to do with them.
It's already commendable that they had the courage to step forward and build the bridge before."
"Yes, but even if I'm alone, I will definitely finish the bridge. I won't let Gato's scheme succeed!"
Mr. Tazuna, hearing Li Chuan's words from over there, said with resolute eyes.
He understood the workers who resigned. They were helping to build the bridge without a single penny, entirely out of their own volition, so he didn't preach to them but let them all leave.
"Mr. Tazuna, if you don't mind, this humble monk might be able to help."
Li Chuan walked directly up to Mr. Tazuna.
Mr. Tazuna quickly waved his hand upon hearing this:
"No need, I'm already very grateful for your protection. To ask you to help me with work too would be too much."
He thought Li Chuan was offering to replace the workers and help him build the bridge, so he immediately refused.
Using the kindness of Li Chuan, this young monk, to get him to protect him for free already filled him with guilt. To then ask him to help with the hard labor of building the bridge for free would truly be something his conscience couldn't bear.
"No, Mr. Tazuna, you've misunderstood. The help this humble monk mentioned is that I have a friend, and he has quite a few bridge workers under him. If needed, this humble monk can ask him to bring people over to help."
Li Chuan explained with a smile.
Mr. Tazuna's face first showed surprise upon hearing this, then he sighed:
"Still, no. I can't afford to pay them for building the bridge."
All his savings had been used to post the escort mission in Konoha, so even if the young monk's friend wasn't afraid of Gato and dared to come, he couldn't afford to pay now.
Li Chuan thought for a moment and said:
"The problem shouldn't be big. My friend is a businessman. Once the bridge is built, if you let his merchant fleet have priority in trading here in the Land of Waves, he should agree."
If Mr. Tazuna built the great bridge and freed the Land of Waves from Gato's rule, then he would be the hero of the Land of Waves, the person with the highest prestige in the hearts of its people.
With his help, Li Chuan's merchant fleet would be able to rapidly develop throughout the entire Land of Waves.
Don't look at how poor the Land of Waves is now, with the streets full of cheap laborers holding signs wanting to work and earn money.
But in reality, if Gato hadn't restricted trade in the Land of Waves, even forbidding them from fishing, with the resources of the Land of Waves as an island nation, it would certainly not be a poor country.
Entering a country that is in ruins and full of cheap labor, his merchant fleet would definitely make a fortune.
Then, by taking over Gato's shipping company, if handled well, he could eventually become the true ruler behind the scenes of the Land of Waves, transforming this island nation into his stronghold in this World.
The geographical location of the Land of Waves, besides being close to the Land of Fire, is completely unrelated to the three countries of Lightning, Wind, and Earth, and is separated by a sea from the Land of Water, also quite far.
It is a very suitable place to serve as a Base. If Ninja from other countries want to deal with him, they would have to first get past the Land of Fire.
And if the Land of Fire wanted to deal with him, he is a prince of the Land of Fire, of noble status. As long as he doesn't betray the country or attack Konoha Village, this problem simply wouldn't arise.
"If that's the case, then that's truly wonderful!"
Mr. Tazuna stepped forward and grasped Li Chuan's hand, excitedly, with tears in his eyes.
He was worried that even if the bridge was truly built, no merchant fleet would be willing to offend Gato and come to their poor country. If no merchant fleet was willing to come and trade, it would take a very long time for them to recover.
He hadn't expected the young monk's friend to not only be willing to help them build the bridge but also to come and trade to boost their economy. What a good person.
"Since Mr. Tazuna you think it's acceptable, then I'll write him a letter."
Saying that, Li Chuan took out a pen and paper from a Sealing Jutsu scroll, quickly wrote a letter, then bit his finger to summon a small bird and handed the letter to it.
"Go deliver this letter to Matsukawa."
The summoning beasts of the Fire Temple are scout birds. They have no offensive capabilities but are incredibly fast and excel at delivering messages.
Before his travels, Chiriku had Li Chuan sign a contract with this type of summoning beast, saying that if anything happened, he should use the scout bird to notify him. However, Li Chuan mostly used them to communicate with Kinoe and Matsukawa.
Matsukawa was the servant with business acumen whom he initially had Kinoe select from among the servants, and he was also the ostensible owner of the Kawaki store.
Approaching noon, Li Chuan and Sakura escorted Mr. Tazuna to the town by the shore to buy groceries.
Seven or eight out of ten shops in the entire town were already closed, with only a few scattered stores selling basic necessities still open, and the variety and quantity of goods inside were very scarce.
Adults with signs hanging on their chests and orphans in ragged clothes, emaciated from hunger, were visible everywhere on the streets.
"Perhaps, I could also open an orphanage!"
During Gato's rule of the Land of Waves over the years, a large number of people starved to death or were killed for resisting, leaving behind a large number of orphans. Adopting these children and nurturing them well would create a loyal group of subordinates.
He didn't need to experiment on these children like Orochimaru, nor did he need them to grow into powerful Ninja.
He only needed to assign them to various towns to protect the safety of shops and merchant fleets once they reached a certain level of strength.
At the same time, they could also be used to relay information obtained by various shops later on.
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