Chapter 67: Black Robes and Crimson Clouds; Danzo's Peculiar Taste
Over the past few days, Hiruzen and Gen Kujo—the Daimyo of the Land of Fire—finalized the finer points of their partnership.
The negotiations were smooth, fueled by mutual ambition. As Gen envisioned Konoha's technological dominance and the way they would eventually "harvest" the treasuries of the other Great Nations, he found himself sweating with excitement.
Compared to sitting like a hollow puppet in the capital, wasting his life away, working with his "Big Brother" Hiruzen to establish a legacy that would last for centuries felt like a life worth living.
A man's dream truly never ends... the Daimyo mused. Opportunities really do fall from the heavens!
The alliance was further cemented by blood. Under Gen's persistent urging—backed by a staggering dowry proposal—Hiruzen agreed to a betrothal between his eldest son, Shinnosuke, and the Daimyo's daughter, Reika Kujo.
The moment Hiruzen nodded his approval, Gen was already eagerly discussing the names of their future grandchildren.
"Big Brother, since we've bonded over these Sovereign Sage Pills, why don't we name our descendants in their honor?"
"If it's a girl, we'll call her Konoha-tan. If it's a boy, we'll name him Konohamaru!"
Hiruzen gave a satisfied chuckle. His "Little Brother" was quite the politician. Whether it was naming the grandchildren after the village to show loyalty, paying the product invoices in advance, or securing the marriage alliance, Gen Kujo was proving to be an excellent frontman for the Hokage's office.
Returning to the guest quarters provided by the Daimyo, Danzo arrived with fresh intelligence.
"Hiruzen, the Anbu have established contact. The target, Kakuzu, has agreed to meet tomorrow. The location is an ancient pavilion in the southwest outskirts of the capital."
"Good!" Hiruzen nodded. "We'll talk to him tomorrow then."
The pieces were moving exactly as planned. The Daimyo was on board, and the "Accountant" was taking the bait.
"Hiruzen, about this money..." Danzo began, his tone thoughtful. Over the last few days, it had finally sunk in just how much wealth Hiruzen was moving.
After accounting for labor, raw materials, the production squad's wages, and the "kickbacks" to the Three Sage Regions to keep the contracts active, Konoha's net profit from the first batch was a staggering three billion Ryo.
"How are you going to spend it? Surely we don't need this much gold sitting in a vault?"
"Spend it? Danzo, we're going to save it," Hiruzen replied with a smirk. "You don't actually think this is a lot of money, do you?"
Danzo blinked. "It isn't?" He had assumed Hiruzen's promise that "Konoha will never lack for gold" had been achieved in a single week.
"Do the math. Divided among our active roster, it's less than three hundred thousand Ryo per ninja." Hiruzen held up a finger. "That's the payout for one and a half B-rank missions."
"This money is barely enough to kickstart the Shinobi Social Security System. We still have to fund the expansion of production, the purchase of massive amounts of specialized lab equipment for R&D, the 'Fast-Track' Academy subsidies, the border security upgrades, and the recruitment fees for the minor clans we're absorbing."
"Do you think our Master (Tobirama) invented those S-rank forbidden jutsus just by sitting in a dark room and thinking hard?"
Hiruzen let out a long sigh. "Research is a bottomless pit. Half the money the First Hokage made from selling the Tailed Beasts was likely burned in Tobirama's labs. But it burned bright enough to give us the 'God of Shinobi' era. Though," Hiruzen added with a wry smile, "some of those results were... questionable."
In the world of Kingdom Building, science was a "Gold-Sink." High investment, long cycles, and massive resource consumption. If Hiruzen wanted to accelerate Konoha's development, he needed an ocean of cash.
"Once the 'Sage Pills' stabilize in two or three years, the revenue will fund the basic social safety net. Once the brand is global, the Sage Cosmetics line will launch. We'll use those profits and the export taxes to fund the really expensive stuff: Hashirama Cell Stabilization."
Danzo frowned. "Cosmetics? Does anyone actually care about face cream?"
"Beauty is a status symbol for the elite, Danzo. It's their equivalent of a master-crafted katana. As long as it works, they'll trample each other to pay the premium. Even our own kunoichi will want in."
Hiruzen continued, "Then there's the high-end tobacco. We'll use that for standard military subsidies. If there's a surplus, we'll reinvest it into R&D or use it to manipulate the industrial markets of the other Great Nations."
"We can even do 'Limited Edition' branded releases. The 'Azure Wood Dragon' brand for the First Hokage, for example."
Danzo didn't argue that point. Hiruzen was a lifelong smoker; he knew the tobacco market better than anyone.
"If you're interested, we can do a 'Kage and Shadow' dual-pack," Hiruzen joked. "We'll see which one the provincial Lords prefer."
Danzo wanted to refuse. He was the "Darkness of the Shinobi"—he didn't do "celebrity endorsements." But a part of him wondered... Would people actually buy my brand?
"Is this your way of subconsciously increasing our global prestige?" Danzo asked tentatively.
"That's one way to look at it," Hiruzen nodded.
"Then there's the population problem. We lost too many good people in the last war. We need to boost the numbers. Even a 'lean' industrial economy needs a labor force that can double as a combat unit."
Danzo stared at Hiruzen, his expression turning slightly numb. Hiruzen... just how far ahead are you looking?
The vision Hiruzen was painting was intoxicating. A Konoha that was wealthy, modern, and unified. A village that controlled the world's health, beauty, and economy without firing a single shot.
"It's an incredible picture, Hiruzen," Danzo admitted, a rare note of genuine respect in his voice.
"We take it one step at a time. A plan is only as good as its foundation. Once we return to the village, we'll set up the basic administrative framework. Then, we let the gold flow in."
Hiruzen stood up and stretched. "Go get some cash for tomorrow. I don't want Kakuzu thinking we're looking for a line of credit."
"And buy us some traveling gear. Two sets of straw hats and some generic cloaks. I don't want him spotting the Hokage from a mile away and bolting."
Danzo nodded and exited.
The Next Day.
Hiruzen stared at the outfits Danzo had returned with. His expression was... complicated.
They were heavy, high-quality robes of solid black, accented with stylized crimson clouds that looked like fire. The headgear was traditional wood-woven straw hats, complete with beaded mesh veils to obscure the face.
Hiruzen had been expecting something subtle—maybe a simple traveling haori.
"What is that look for, Hiruzen?" Danzo asked, clearly annoyed.
"We're meeting a contact. The attire should be dark to blend into the shadows. The flame pattern represents the Leaf, and the cloud motif is a favorite among the high nobility. I spent hours finding the perfect 'Noble yet Mysterious' aesthetic!"
Hiruzen put the robe on and donned the hat. He looked at himself in the mirror.
Between the black-and-red robes and the veiled hats, they looked less like "Nobles" and more like an elite underground terrorist organization. The vibe was purely sinister.
"Danzo... do you really not see it?" Hiruzen asked, gesturing to the mirror.
"See what? It's professional. It's intimidating. It screams 'Underground Power.'"
Hiruzen sighed, but a small smile played on his lips. I guess some things are just destined to happen. If Danzo is the one who designs the 'Akatsuki' look in this timeline, I suppose it's a fitting bit of irony.
"Fine. It works," Hiruzen decided. "At least Kakuzu won't associate this look with the 'Peace-Loving' Five Great Nations. We look like his peers. We look like professionals."
Danzo nodded, satisfied. He was actually quite proud of his fashion sense.
He was looking forward to seeing Kakuzu's face. Even an "Immortal Relic" like the man from the Waterfall would have trouble seeing through a disguise this... distinct.
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