Chapter 95

Chapter 95

""A different approach?""

Yahiko looked at Haneda with a puzzled expression.

Jiu also glanced over, curious to see what brilliant idea Haneda might have.

"In Konoha, a bowl of ramen costs about 60 or 70 ryō, but here in the Land of Rain, a loaf of bread costs 140 ryō."

"It's normal for ramen to be more expensive than bread, but here bread is twice the price of ramen. What do you think the problem is?"

Haneda merely pointed out the price difference between Konoha (the Land of Fire) and the Land of Rain, then posed a question. He preferred guiding people to think for themselves rather than just handing them the answers. This way, they remembered the lesson more deeply.

"What do you mean by that, Konoha guy?"

"Are you trying to say that everyone in the Land of Fire is rich enough to eat ramen while we're stuck with overpriced bread?!" Jiu retorted.

Haneda ignored him. He didn't expect battle-hardened shinobi like them to grasp these concepts easily. Otherwise, the world's politics and economy wouldn't be run by daimyos but by ninjas who held real power.

After thinking for a moment, Yahiko said, "Is it because of the trade routes? Konoha restricted the export of essential goods, causing bread prices to rise?"

"That's part of it," Haneda responded.

"Is it about the roads?" Nagato suddenly chimed in from behind Yahiko.

"That's also part of it, but you're getting close to the answer," Haneda said, glancing at Nagato. He had to admit, Nagato was perceptive, often catching on to things Haneda casually mentioned earlier.

Haneda continued, "Do you remember what the roads were like when we came here?"

"Full of mud, dirty and rough terrain, or no roads at all—just paths made by people walking through," Haneda described. "Transporting food on such roads isn't easy. Merchants incur huge costs to bring goods from the Land of Fire."

"But why do merchants still bother making the trip to sell grain under these conditions?"

Haneda posed another question as he wrapped up his explanation.

Jiu, who had been paying attention to Haneda, found his serious attitude and reasoning quite convincing, but he still didn't fully understand it. It felt confusing, like being lost in a fog.

Konan also seemed to understand parts of it but couldn't grasp the whole picture, looking somewhat perplexed.

As for Nagato... He preferred not to speak until Yahiko or Konan had their say.

After a short pause, Yahiko finally said, "It's because they can earn more money, right? Otherwise, bread wouldn't be so expensive and wouldn't keep getting more expensive."

Haneda nodded in agreement. "Exactly. They make more money, so they're willing to come sell the grain."

"Think about it: ramen in Konoha costs 60 or 70 ryō, but bread here is 140 ryō. That's a huge profit margin."

"But with such high profits, why are there still so few merchants willing to bring food to the Land of Rain?"

When Haneda asked this, Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato immediately grasped the key issue: ""transportation costs"".

As they thought about the price fluctuations of bread over the years—sometimes rising, sometimes falling—they realized that it was highly unstable.

"Is this why you asked about building bridges and roads earlier?" Yahiko asked, understanding dawning on him. "So, Haneda, your plan was to tackle the problem from its source!"

"Haneda, you're a genius! Why is your brain so sharp?!" Yahiko exclaimed, grabbing Haneda's shoulders and excitedly shaking him.

Konan noticed Haneda's expression and lowered her head, hiding a smile.

Nagato, standing silently behind Yahiko, just smiled a little more than usual.

"Why are you all so excited?" Jiu asked, still confused.

"It's the transportation costs! If we lower those, the price of bread will naturally go down, and more people will be able to afford food and not starve."

"If we fix the roads and lower transport costs, bread prices will drop!" Yahiko explained, smiling.

Haneda's solution was simple, practical, efficient, and sustainable. A properly built road could last for decades, benefiting everyone who used it. It would help more people in the long run.

But then a troubling thought hit Yahiko: the looming war between nations. Conflicts like that couldn't be solved just by fixing roads. However, he quickly regained his resolve.

Bringing peace to the ninja world had always been his dream, and achieving that dream would ultimately solve these issues.

"Alright then! Let's get to it—Konan, Nagato, Jiu, we're going to build some roads!" Yahiko declared with determination.

Turning to Haneda, Yahiko smiled and asked, "Haneda, would you like to join us?"

"Sure. I happen to know some earth-style jutsu, so I can help," Haneda replied.

"Huh? I almost forgot that I specialize in water-style jutsu..." Yahiko muttered, suddenly looking downcast.

"No worries. I can teach you some simple earth-style techniques, like how to make cement and dry it quickly," Haneda said with a smile.

"I can help too, Yahiko," Nagato added. With his natural proficiency in all chakra natures, earth-style jutsu wouldn't be a problem for him.

"Then let's get to it!" Yahiko regained his confidence. He knew a bit about chakra nature transformation, so if he focused, he was sure he could learn.

What mattered most was taking action, not overthinking.

Just then, Jiu approached Haneda and quietly apologized, "Haneda-san, I apologize for my earlier rude behavior."

But before Haneda could respond, he instinctively pushed Jiu aside.

"Watch out, we're under attack!" Haneda shouted.

A kunai embedded with an explosive tag detonated with a loud bang.

Seeing this, Jiu felt even more ashamed. He pulled out his weapon and ordered the nearby Amegakure ninjas, "Protect Haneda-san!"

Yahiko recognized the attackers immediately—they were the same four Suna ninjas from the previous day!

"Yahiko, if you let them go again without fighting back, we're going to end up dead," Konan warned. She knew Yahiko's pacifist nature all too well—he always hesitated to hurt others in these situations.

Suddenly, a flash of red light swept through the air, and the four Suna ninjas collapsed into a genjutsu-induced trance.

Yahiko, Konan, Nagato, and Jiu turned and saw Haneda's three-tomoe Sharingan spinning.

In an instant, they realized Haneda had subdued the enemies with his genjutsu.

"That was incredible, Haneda! I didn't know you were an Uchiha!" Yahiko said, astonished.

"Haneda, you..." Jiu's emotions were complicated. He was the one who had doubted, mocked, and questioned Haneda's loyalty. Yet here he was, saved by the very person he had looked down on.

Jiu didn't know how to face Haneda now.

"Let's save the talk for later. We don't want to scare the kids," Haneda said as he stood on a rock, looking down at the unconscious Suna ninjas.

"Who sent you, and what's your objective?" Haneda asked.

"We are..."

Before the Suna ninja could finish, explosions echoed one after another as they self-destructed.

At that moment, Haneda realized this was another of Madara and Black Zetsu's schemes.

"Let's go. Someone placed seals on them to prevent any information from getting out," Haneda said calmly.

After the explosions subsided, Haneda heard the children's panicked cries, so he cast a genjutsu to soothe them.

Raising a finger to his lips, Haneda smiled and said softly, "Don't worry, kids, those loud booms were just some pretty fireworks."

...

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