Asking Sakura about Foreign Affairs

Sarutobi Hiruzen slightly frowned as he looked at the mission report handed to him by Tenzo.

"Alright, you all must be tired too. Go and get some rest," he said.

"Sakura, stay here."

Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, Tenzo and the others didn't hesitate and swiftly left the room.

Only Sakura remained in place.

Seeing them leave, Sakura immediately took off the mask she was wearing. That thing had poor ventilation, making her head feel uncomfortable.

She plopped down on the nearby sofa, poured herself a glass of water, and drank it down in one go. Ever since completing the mission, she hadn't had a sip of water.

Sarutobi Hiruzen paid no attention to Sakura's actions and continued focusing on the mission report in his hands.

Normally, he wouldn't concern himself much with smugglers and bandits like these.

However, the "Will of Fire" that Sakura had shown earlier made him realize they could suppress the opposition through resources, a so-called economic warfare.

Furthermore, now that Danzo Shimura was also aware of the "Will of Fire," Sarutobi Hiruzen could no longer remain indifferent.

Since he couldn't stop Danzo, he would need to carefully consider this matter.

"Sakura, what do you think about this?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen walked over and sat beside Sakura, handing her the mission report.

Sakura took the mission report written by Tenzo and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

She was only a Genin who had graduated less than a month ago...

The path she chose, she would walk it even on her knees...

With her emerald-green eyes, Sakura quickly scanned through the mission report in her hands.

The gang of bandits responsible for robbing and looting was backed by a fairly large merchant association from the Land of Wind, which also had ties to a merchant association within the Land of Fire.

At the same time, the domestic merchant association needed these bandits to sell goods to the Land of Wind.

They were merely middlemen.

From this mission report, it appeared that this gang of bandits was just one of many under the influence of these two merchant associations.

It was likely that many such groups existed.

The goods from the Land of Wind were brought through the forests, collected by the bandits, and then handed over to the merchant association in the Land of Fire, earning a little money as intermediaries.

"Is sensei planning for the future?"

Sakura was naturally referring to how Danzo Shimura had stolen her strategy notes.

"If we can't stop him, we can't just let Danzo run wild."

Sarutobi Hiruzen had his own considerations in this matter; a plan like this required various scenarios to be anticipated, which took time.

Since he couldn't stop Danzo for the time being, he had to maintain control over the market balance.

If he wanted the value of certain resources to increase, they would; if he wanted the value of certain resources to decrease, then they would decrease.

Sakura instantly understood Sarutobi Hiruzen's intentions.

"Then, sensei, give me two days; I'll need some time."

Sarutobi Hiruzen, naturally, had no objections. It would be strange if Sakura could present a perfect plan on the spot.

"Of course, I look forward to your good news, Sakura."

Sarutobi Hiruzen gently patted Sakura's soft hair, smiling as he spoke.

Sakura quickly returned to the Anbu base, feeling somewhat speechless about this whole situation.

She was just a Genin, yet somehow it felt like Sarutobi Hiruzen saw her as a strategist.

Handling internal matters on her own and consulting Sakura on external issues?

When Sakura arrived at the changing room, she found Yūgao Uzuki changing clothes.

Yūgao's beauty was remarkable, easily one of the few in Konoha who could rival the village's flower, Kurenai Yūhi. Sakura hadn't expected Yūgao to have such an impressive figure as well.

No wonder that guy Hayate Gekkou always seemed so exhausted.

Clinging to her. Having a girlfriend like that, wouldn't he want to stick with her every day?

Sakura couldn't help but think mischievously.

"Sakura, you're back! Remember to join us for a meal later."

"It's a welcome party for you joining our team."

Yūgao Uzuki gathered her beautiful long purple hair into a neat ponytail.

She didn't mind Sakura's somewhat appraising gaze; women were always mindful of their figures.

Yūgao was quite satisfied with her own figure, assuming Sakura's gaze was one of admiration.

After one last reluctant glance at Yūgao, Sakura finally lowered her head with a bit of regret. Naturally, she wasn't thinking what Yūgao assumed.

She was merely reminiscing about her lost "happiness."

When Yūgao Uzuki and Sakura exited the Anbu base, they found Captain Tenzo and Raido Namiashi already waiting for them.

Sakura had also changed into her casual clothes.

Yūgao made a lighthearted jab about Sakura's outfit, saying she looked too much like a boy.

Sakura simply ignored her chatter.

"Alright, everyone's here. Let's go for some barbecue."

Tenzo was dressed just as in the original story, in his full Jonin uniform with a forehead protector similar to the Second Hokage's.

Everyone wisely refrained from asking what business Sarutobi Hiruzen had with Sakura.

After all, it wasn't a secret that Sakura was Sarutobi Hiruzen's close disciple; any ninja with a bit of an information network knew this.

Even more so for them, as members of the Anbu.

---

That night...

A girl in pink pajamas with shoulder-length, cherry-pink hair sat at her desk, twirling a pencil in her hand. In front of her lay a blank sheet of paper.

On it was a bold title:

"Plan to Increase International Grain Prices"

Beside her was a stack of policy reports on current domestic and international grain prices, sent by Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Staring at the blank sheet, Sakura pondered for a while before finally picking up her pen.

The rise or fall of any resource could shake countless vested interests.

To cut off a person's money was akin to killing their parents.

That saying held true everywhere.

Moreover, grain prices were only the beginning; next would come significant actions on iron, medicine, and minerals.

At that time, there would definitely be considerable resistance.

But did any of this concern Sakura?

They were merely greedy officials and profit-driven, unscrupulous merchants.

In front of a ninja, Sakura believed that even with some challenges, the plan would soon be put into action.

However, the information Sarutobi Hiruzen had provided wasn't complete; Sakura needed more data for reference.

Not only from the Land of Fire, but also from the Land of Wind, Land of Earth, and Land of Lightning—she needed information from all of them.

At the very least, raising grain prices wouldn't be a bad thing. It would allow the lower classes, who made their living from farming, to earn a bit more.

As long as Sarutobi Hiruzen and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire kept a clear head, they certainly wouldn't allow greedy profiteers to interfere in this matter.

Since this was an economic war, the Daimyo's support was essential.