Hokage Office
Haru sat in his chair, feeling a little worn out. The thinking of Konoha's ninja was still far too rigid.
Missions, missions, missions. How much money could missions really make?
Even an S-rank mission only brought in a few million ryo at most, and some only paid a little over one million. Was that really work worthy of Kage-level fighters?
"Sit down. Why are you still standing there like underlings?"
Haru looked at Tomita and Nara Shikaru standing before him so stiffly. Only after Haru spoke did the two of them finally sit down with ease.
Compared to Shikaru, Tomita looked noticeably more uneasy. His stance just now had been a little dangerous.
Hesitating at a critical moment.
Anything less than absolute loyalty was absolute disloyalty.
Still, Haru did not hold it against him too much. He still trusted Tomita. His own ideas really were too far ahead of their time, so it was normal that ninja who only understood fighting and killing would not get it.
Haru had already told Tomita to prepare the war mobilization plan. As for himself, he wanted to discuss the futures plan properly with Shikaru.
Haru intended to focus his energy on the futures scheme. The man before him was smart. With his help, there should not be any major problem.
"Shikaru, what do you think of my pig iron futures plan?"
Shikaru thought for a moment. He did not know why Haru trusted this so-called futures concept so much, but once he accepted the position of Hokage assistant, he had already boarded Haru's pirate ship. All he could do now was do his best to advise him.
"Hokage-sama, I more or less understand the concept of futures you described. Right now, one key issue is the platform itself."
"The major merchants and great nobles all have their own channels for selling pig iron. It won't be easy to integrate all those channels and move them onto the futures platform you're proposing."
"There are too many interests entangled in this. Konoha alone probably won't be enough. We need the help of the Daimyo."
"I see..."
Haru nodded. The platform really was a major problem. Even if facilitating futures trading would definitely be profitable, that alone did not solve everything.
The big merchants and nobles were not idiots. The moment a platform that allowed them to drive up pig iron prices without even holding physical stock appeared, it would represent enormous profit. Why would they hand something like that over to Konoha?
The guarantee contracts could just as easily be outsourced to a ninja village. Once those bastards understood the key point, they would one hundred percent kick Konoha aside and do it themselves, then ruthlessly harvest the ninja world.
"Then we'll go talk to the Daimyo. I'll leave this matter to you and Hyuga Takuma. I only want the result. I won't ask about the process."
"Leave immediately."
A fierce light appeared in Haru's eyes.
Anyone who tried to stop him from making money had to die.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
Shikaru swallowed. He was clearly shaken by the determination in Haru's voice. Unifying those channels sounded simple, but the interests involved were tangled beyond belief. Who knew how many people would be dragged into it.
With a nervous heart, Shikaru went to find Takuma, and the two of them set out overnight for the capital of the Land of Fire to meet the Daimyo.
Capital of the Land of Fire
Reception Hall
Shikaru and Takuma soon met the Daimyo. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Shikaru explained their purpose.
Futures?
That really was an interesting idea.
The Daimyo was a little surprised that Haru also had a head for business. He did not care in the slightest about the fact that another ninja war was about to break out. He was not a ninja himself, so war did not matter all that much to him.
What he cared about was whether this futures business could really make money. To be honest, he was rather short on money himself. His ministers and nobles were all dishonest, constantly finding ways to evade taxes and falsify accounts.
Every bit of money they made should have been his money.
"Daimyo-sama, Konoha is likely about to face another large war. The funds you allocated before will probably all be burned up again, and in the end Your Lordship would still have to provide more."
Seeing that the Daimyo was wavering, Takuma stepped forward and said this.
More money again?
The Daimyo immediately became less calm. He had only just paid out a huge sum, and Konoha had not even fully recovered yet. The next round of funding would probably have to be even bigger.
That stabbed right into the Daimyo's sore spot.
"The Land of Fire isn't exactly wealthy either, you know that yourselves. The people under me are getting more and more unruly. One or two after another refuse to pay taxes, and the books are a complete mess. It's as if they don't even take me, the Daimyo, seriously at all..."
..."
The Fire Daimyo immediately slipped into complaining out of habit. He really did not have the money. He had already paid this year's funding once, and then, to calm Konoha and help them rebuild, he had added another huge sum. If he had to pay out again, he truly could not bear it.
"That is exactly why Konoha wants to open up a new source of revenue and ease Your Lordship's burden."
"The most important things in futures trading are insider information and guarantees. On that front, you should trust Konoha's capabilities. In the future, this will absolutely become one of the most profitable businesses in the ninja world, and Konoha can share information with Your Lordship."
"I'm sure you also understand how greedy those merchants and nobles are when it comes to pig iron. In terms of information, they'll always lag behind us. That way, we can..."
The Daimyo's eyes lit up.
He had long been disgusted with those greedy merchants and nobles. Backed by powerful patrons, they sometimes even dared to fool him. He had already killed quite a few people, yet still could not stop their greed.
Shikaru noticed that the Daimyo was moved, and immediately stepped forward.
"Daimyo-sama, Hokage-sama places great importance on this matter. Before we left, he specifically reminded me that he only wants the result, not the process."
Before leaving, Shikaru and Takuma had already agreed on their roles. One would play the white face, the other the black face. This was the moment to force the Daimyo into making up his mind.
"I see..."
The Daimyo felt a chill in his heart. Haru's overwhelming might from the arena surfaced in his mind again. The greed of the people under him angered him deeply, and on top of that, this business truly looked profitable.
Damn it, let's do it!
"Since Hokage-sama values this business so highly, I should at least give him face. My subordinates also do need to be disciplined. I'll agree to it."
"It's just that the relationships involved here are extremely complicated. Even with my support, it will still be very troublesome..."
The Daimyo was telling the truth. This was still an agricultural nation with all sorts of unique ninja-world complications layered on top. There were countless rotten affairs in a country this large. Some things were simply beyond what he could handle directly.
"I understand, Daimyo-sama. You only need to make your position clear. Leave the rest to Konoha."
Takuma spoke respectfully, though inwardly he could hardly contain his excitement. Once the Daimyo nodded, the matter was already half done. As for the rest, Konoha was more than skilled enough.
Invite them to dinner.
Then cut off their heads.
Then take in the survivors as dogs.
If they were obedient, they could still be given a bite to eat.
If they refused, then they could just die.
With the Daimyo's name as a banner, they could send people off to meet the Sage of Six Paths in an entirely legitimate way.
(End of Chapter)
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