CH - 82 Deal with Sunagakure
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The transactions between the Grass Shinobi Village and the Hidden Sand Village proceeded without any major issues. Despite being considered somewhat stingy, the future Fourth Kazekage led his ninjas in aggressive negotiations, hoping to secure an even lower price for the ninja vests. He emphasized the importance of respecting the hardworking miners and their laborious job, given that the Hidden Sand Village's financial situation heavily relied on the work of one miner. He subtly hinted at the possibility of extending credit.
However, the Grass Shinobi Village's negotiating team was equally determined. While Akihiko expressed his dream of making ninja vests affordable for all ninjas in the Shinobi World, offering a half-price purchase was their firm bottom line. They were willing to be more accommodating if the future Fourth Kazekage paid attention to the final part of their promotion. However, extending credit was out of the question.
Nevertheless, considering his position as the future Fourth Kazekage, the Grass Shinobi Village did offer a generous fifty percent discount on intelligence business. They even provided enticing incentives, such as buying ten pieces of information and getting one for free, along with the option to upgrade to VIP status for free with an eight-million Ryo information purchase, gaining access to real-time intelligence services.
Moreover, the Grass Shinobi Village extended the proposal of forming an alliance between the two nations, highlighting their reputation for generosity towards allies. However, the Hidden Sand Village ninjas appeared speechless and unable to respond for undisclosed reasons.
Nonetheless, Both parties completed the transaction with satisfaction. However, when it came to cooperation, the Hidden Sand Village politely declined. Despite parting on good terms, the Grass Shinobi were promptly asked to leave after delivering the goods.
The idea of forming an alliance was utterly rejected. It was baffling to witness such an attitude from the Hidden Sand Village. They seemed to have no understanding of how to conduct business, dismissing even the offer of free VIP service.
With Rasa, the hero of the Hidden Sand Village, observing, the Grass Shinobi prepared to depart.
"Thank you for your hospitality! There's no need to send us off," Akihiko expressed before he prepare to depart.
"Oh, by the way, let me share a secret with you," Akihiko whispered, deciding to disclose their policy to Rasa.
"If you ever find it difficult to thrive in the Hidden Sand Village, know that you are always welcome to join us," Akihiko continued, revealing their invitation.
"Should you choose to make the move, we will immediately assign you a new position in the Grass Shinobi Village. We take care of our talents; you'll receive comprehensive benefits, including five insurances, a housing fund, and a residence. Any lifelong issues you have will be addressed as well," Akihiko elaborated with a professional smile, presenting their enticing offer.
"This is our Grass Shinobi Village's talent introduction plan. Have a look!" He handed over a pamphlet boldly labeled 'Talent Introduction,' detailing all the perks.
"Feel free to consider it! Welcome to join us!" Akihiko concluded before turning to leave.
As the Grass Shinobi group departed, Rasa remained speechless, his expression reflecting surprise and disbelief. He had heard rumors about the Grass Shinobi not adhering to the principles of ninja ethics, but witnessing it firsthand truly opened his eyes. How audacious of them to attempt to poach him right at the entrance of the Hidden Sand Village! Did they have no regard for consequences?
However, Rasa didn't take their attempt seriously. After all, the Grass Shinobi were not respected or recognized by any of the Five Great Ninja Villages. If it were ninjas from one of the other four major villages, such a brazen act would have resulted in immediate capture.
Examining the absurd "Talent Introduction" plan in his hand, Rasa shook his head with a mix of disappointment and amusement. He casually glanced at it, then tore it to pieces and discarded it. Why would he even consider leaving when he was flourishing in the Hidden Sand Village? Despite its current financial struggles, the Hidden Sand Village remained one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, and Rasa had no reason to abandon it.
…
After successfully concluding the major business deal, the group heading back to the Land of Grass couldn't help but break into smiles, feeling relieved and triumphant. Yahiko and Konan, in particular, were relieved that their bold poaching attempt hadn't resulted in a fight breaking out.
Even though Yahiko and the others had successfully poached ninjas from the Rain Shinobi Village, doing the same in front of the Hidden Sand Village, one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, was an entirely different level of audacity. Akihiko-sensei had truly lived up to his reputation as a bold and daring leader.
"It's alright! I have a feeling he might resign from the Hidden Sand Village and join us sooner or later!" Akihiko patted Yahiko on the shoulder, wearing a confident smile. "Trust me!"
Yahiko sarcastically retorted, "How could he leave when he's doing so well in the Hidden Sand Village?"
Yahiko had also discovered that Pakura, a Jonin from the Hidden Sand Village, had a strong reputation there. If it weren't for Rasa's unique abilities and significant contributions during the war, Pakura might have had a chance at becoming the next Kazekage.
Though Yahiko was a recent graduate, he was a skilled Grass Shinobi with professional intelligence-gathering abilities. Yet, even after all this time, he hadn't uncovered the truth behind the mysterious events at the academy, which sometimes made him doubt his abilities.
Now was not the time to worry about such matters. With a smile, Yahiko turned to Akihiko and inquired, "Akihiko-sensei, where should we head next? The Mist Shinobi Village or the Cloud Shinobi Village?"
"Why bother going there?" Akihiko questioned with doubt, seeing no practical reason to visit those villages, especially at this particular time.
"Then, should we just head back like this? We still have a large pile of goods in the village waiting to be sold! While we might find buyers in Konoha or the Cloud Village, it's doubtful that the Hidden Sand Village can take on so much." Yahiko explained his reasoning.
However, Akihiko reassured him, "Don't worry, the advertisement has been well-received! Those who need to buy will come on their own, and those who don't need it won't come back, no matter what. We just need to go back and wait!"
Akihiko yawned, looking at the seemingly calm ninja world in front of him. "We've been out for so long, I wonder how Mubuki and the others are doing with their missions?" he added with a hint of curiosity.
…
Amidst the ongoing war, the Cloud Shinobi Village gradually slowed down their invasion of the Hidden Sand Village, possibly realizing that the impoverished village had little to offer. Instead, they redirected their focus to the Rock Shinobi Village and launched a war against them.
The Hidden Sand Village felt relieved with the reduced aggression from the Cloud Shinobi Village and was preparing to launch a full-scale assault on Konoha. However, their plans took an unexpected turn when the Mist Shinobi Village also joined the war and declared war on both the Hidden Sand Village and Konoha.
As the Five Great Ninja Villages joined the conflict one after another, the war escalated further, forcing numerous small clans and villages to get involved in the conflict involuntarily.
In the midst of all the chaos, in a serene forest in the ninja world, Kakuzu, accustomed to the war era, found himself in an unexpectedly good mood. Why? Because he stumbled upon money!
Seeing a 100 ryo bill on the ground, Kakuzu hesitated for a moment, then quickly stepped on it firmly, his eyes sparkling with delight. However, soon, his expression turned wary and suspicious, and he looked around as if anticipating someone might come to claim the money.
Though they were in the wilderness, 100 ryo was a considerable amount, and the original owner might return to look for it. Kakuzu became convinced that someone planned to rob him of the money he found.
Determined to keep it, Kakuzu decided that any money he found on the ground belonged to him, and no one else. Picking up the 100 ryo, he was about to break into a sincere smile when he noticed something peculiar. The bill felt thicker than it should be.
With his vast experience in handling money, Kakuzu could usually tell its value by just squeezing it. This 100 ryo note seemed off. His suspicion grew, and he speculated it might not be a single bill but rather a stack of 100 ryo bills.
Intrigued, Kakuzu tried to check the stack, but somehow it got unfolded, revealing colorful paper beneath, and there was a message written on top of that:
"Do you want to know the meaning of life? Do you want to truly live?"
The message was accompanied by an image of three figures wearing peculiar clothes, holding shovels, and gazing ahead confidently.
He stared silently at the colorful paper in his hand, and the image of the 100 ryo he saw earlier was also on it. But... it was at the very bottom.
Kakuzu's excitement turned to frustration and anger as he realized it was a 100 ryo discount coupon. His once happy expression transformed into a gloomy one. He couldn't contain his rage and demanded, "Who the hell dares to trick me with a discount coupon? Return the 100... no, 100,000 ryo to me!"
As Kakuzu's rage echoed through the forest, he couldn't believe that someone would dare to trick him with a mere discount coupon. He crumpled the colorful paper in his hand and looked around, scanning the area with his bean-like eyes, trying to find any sign of the person responsible for this prank.
However, the forest remained quiet, and there was no one in sight. Whoever left the coupon had seemingly vanished without a trace. This only fueled Kakuzu's anger further.
"I'll find you, and when I do, you'll pay for this!" Kakuzu growled, clenching his fists tightly. He wasn't one to take deception lightly, especially when it came to money.
Although the coupon had no actual monetary value, the fact that someone dared to play a trick on him infuriated Kakuzu. He was known for his ruthless and violent nature, and anyone who dared to cross him would face dire consequences.
…
"Achoo! Achoo!" Mubuki suddenly sneezed.
"Why are you following me, Mubuki-sama? Wasn't a task assigned to you by the leader?" Yoshinori questioned, curious about Mubuki's sudden appearance.
"I've already completed it. The leader just asked me to throw the bait down, and the person we're interested in will make their way to the Land of Grass on their own," Mubuki responded casually, waving his hand dismissively. "But honestly, only a hundred ryo, moreover a fake one? I mean, who would fall for such a low amount? Besides, this person supposedly fought against the First Hokage, someone of immense power. It's unlikely that they'd be tempted by a hundred Ryo."
As Mubuki finished speaking, Uzumaki Yoshinori, who was standing nearby, seemed to be deeply moved. His cloudy eyes held memories of the past. "The First Hokage... What an incredibly formidable opponent to have fought against. But enough about that. By the way, have you truly found the Yuki clan here?"
"Don't underestimate the intelligence capabilities of the Grass Shinobi Village. During the Great War, we sold intelligence to all five great ninja villages, including Konoha! Investigating a fallen clan like the Yuki clan is a piece of cake for us," Mubuki replied proudly. He then turned to Yoshinori and asked, "Now that the Mist Shinobi Village has joined the battlefield, they won't be paying much attention to us. It's the perfect time to execute the 'Talent Acquisition' plan. But are you sure you know the Yuki clan well?"
"Of course, our connection goes way back to the Warring States period!" Yoshinori confidently assured Mubuki.
"Really? The Uzumaki clan had ties with the Yuki clan back then?" Mubuki asked, genuinely surprised, as he had never heard of anyone allied with the Uzumaki clan other than the Senju Clan.
"Not exactly. During the Warring States period, we almost wiped out the Yuki clan!" Yoshinori replied nonchalantly.
Upon hearing this, Mubuki fell silent. His expression clearly conveyed his thoughts, which seemed to be saying 'This guy is truly insane!' After all, calling it a friendship seemed a bit far-fetched considering the history between the two clans.
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