"Tenzō-san, just kill him like that? Isn't that too hasty? We haven't extracted all the information from him yet," the young man said with some doubt in his voice, looking at the senior shinobi. His eyes held a silent question: hadn't they missed an important opportunity?
"Not at all," Tenzō replied calmly, his gaze firm as steel. "Everything this spy knew, his accomplice—that fake healer—knows too. Besides," the experienced shinobi added with a note of grim certainty, "even if this traitor died, there are special techniques to extract the necessary information from a dead body. However, he was just about to use a jutsu for brain self-destruction to take his secrets to the grave. If we'd hesitated even a moment, we'd really be left with nothing."
"And experience is experience after all! The old guard won't let you down!" Satoru couldn't help but admire the cool-headedness and foresight of the man known as Tenzō. This shinobi acted decisively and effectively.
In fact, upon arriving in the Daimyo's city, the young ninja had received a secret mission. Joining the Twelve Ninja Guards was only a secondary goal, a cover; the main one was to identify and neutralize the enemy spy who had infiltrated the heart of the country. In the end, using himself as bait, the young man not only successfully lured out the scout but also obtained valuable intelligence. The catch, one could say, was quite rich.
Soon after, the fake doctor was captured and sent for rigorous interrogation, while Jizo's body was taken by secret technique specialists to extract the remaining scraps of information. Satoru was immediately summoned for an audience with the Daimyo of the Land of Fire himself.
"Ha-ha! Young ninja from Konoha, did you really think I consider shinobi insignificant?" The ruler of the Land of Fire laughed good-naturedly, his eyes twinkling slyly under bushy brows. "Many of my guards, including some personal bodyguards, are actually ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village. And it wasn't your mentor who assigned them here," his lordship paused meaningfully, surveying the luxurious quarters, "I myself requested their services to bolster security. I suppose other Daimyo do the same. As the saying goes? 'Trust, but verify,' or 'God protects the cautious'—caution is never amiss, especially when it comes to a whole country's safety."
"Wars between countries are essentially wars between hidden ninja villages," the Daimyo continued in a more serious, measured tone. "If Konoha is defeated, I'll be the one responsible for territorial concessions and humiliating reparations. Naturally, I don't like that scenario at all. The relationship between the Land of Fire and the Hidden Leaf Village is like a farmer and his hoe: I need the hoe to till the land and harvest crops, and the hoe needs me to be useful and not rust away idle."
Satoru conversed with the head of state a while longer and couldn't help acknowledging that this Daimyo was an extraordinary man, with a sharp mind and deep understanding of political realities. It was no wonder he led the Land of Fire, one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations—there was definitely logic and pattern to it.
"To be honest, I didn't expect you, upon just arriving, to render me such an invaluable service," the ruler smiled broadly and sincerely. "Speak, what reward do you desire? Don't hold back," the Daimyo was known for his generosity, and he had no shortage of power and influence.
The young ninja pondered for a moment, his gaze sliding over the richly decorated walls, then answered firmly and decisively.
"Lord Daimyo, entering your city, I noticed that the common people don't live too well. Their faces were clouded with worries, exhaustion in their eyes. However, I understand that charity alone, no matter how generous, won't solve it. I want to find a way to make the commoners... richer, give them a chance to improve their lives, gain hope for a better future."
The Daimyo rubbed his chin, a mix of embarrassment and weary wisdom on his face.
"Unfortunately, young man, I'd like that too, but I have no simple solution to this age-old problem. Improving the common people's lives is no easy task, even for me with full authority. The Daimyo's city in the Land of Fire is already in a privileged position: our people don't starve and can live in relative peace and quiet. If you ever visit the other Four Great Nations, you'll see how good we have it despite all the hardships."
The ruler spoke the pure truth. The First and Second Shinobi World Wars, along with countless minor conflicts, had left ordinary populations in even great powers barely scraping by, short on food and warm clothes. As for small countries, unable to care for themselves and constantly under threat—what could be said? Against that backdrop, the Land of Fire truly looked like an island of relative prosperity.
"Lord Daimyo, I want to change that," Satoru declared with firmness in his voice, his eyes burning with youthful maximalism and faith in his abilities. "And for that, I need just one thing—certain authority."
"What authority?" the Daimyo asked with genuine curiosity, tilting his head slightly.
"The right to invest!" the young man replied. Seeing the ruler hadn't fully grasped his idea, he hurried to explain, gesturing for emphasis.
"Common people can work miracles, just like ninja. Only their miracles are completely different. I want the opportunity to invest funds, support their ventures, their talents and hard work, so they can all earn, so their labor is properly rewarded."
"Of course, that's possible," the Land of Fire's leader nodded, interest creeping into his voice. "If you're willing to invest your own money, the Land of Fire will naturally support you fully. The only question is..." his lordship paused briefly, studying the young ninja's face closely, "merchants always seek profit; it's the law of economics. And you... can you really make money from this? Won't you go bankrupt chasing pretty ideas?"
"Absolutely!" Satoru's eyes blazed even brighter, like two spotlights illuminating the path to a bright future. "Our goal is to make money! And not just I will profit! I'll make the Land of Fire profit! The Hidden Leaf Village profit! Even other countries will profit from this! And of course," the young strategist made a dramatic pause, his voice gaining special strength, "when they start getting profits from us, it'll be simply unprofitable for them to war with us. They won't need to war with us at all, because we'll become their main financial sponsor, their... 'golden daddy'!"
"Er..." The Daimyo looked intrigued but still doubtful. The idea was bold, even audacious.
"Your plan is undoubtedly good and grand. But... how much money do you have? You're just a genin; you shouldn't have large savings. Besides, as far as I know, you're an orphan and hardly inherited a huge fortune from your parents..." The ruler clearly doubted the young shinobi's financial standing, whose ambitions stretched far beyond ordinary understanding.
Satoru shook his head confidently.
"Lord Daimyo, it's not about the amount of money. The key is the ability to achieve big results with small means! The ability to give people what they truly need and get something greater in return!"
"And what do you think the commoners need?" the Daimyo inquired, growing more engaged in this unexpected conversation.
"To eat their fill, stay warm, and have a chance at a normal, peaceful life, knowing their children will be fed and clothed," the young man replied without hesitation. "At least at this stage, those are their main, most pressing needs."
"Suppose we satisfy their needs. What can they give us in return? What will their return be?" the Daimyo of the Land of Fire asked a practical, entirely reasonable question.
"Their labor!" Satoru stated confidently. "For those who have no food, we will provide three meals a day, a roof over their heads, and a certain income, modest at first, in exchange for their eight-hour workday."
"The Land of Fire has vast fertile lands that are not always used efficiently right now. They will grow grain and other crops. And when there is food—this is the foundation of the people's well-being, the cornerstone of the state's stability!" The young strategist outlined his first step: solving the hunger problem and providing people with housing.
"Hm, that's worth considering," the Daimyo nodded thoughtfully. If someone was ready to invest money in food production and, as a result, replenish the state treasury, he certainly wouldn't refuse such a profitable offer.
"But what about those commoners who already have food and a roof over their heads? What do you offer them?" the head of state continued his questions.
"Mental labor from them!" the young initiator of change replied. "They won't need to do heavy physical work; they'll have to use their minds, their organizational skills, their knowledge. For example, they can work in the financial department, distributing food and wages. Or they can handle organization and recruitment of new physical laborers, training, logistics… For that, they'll get a higher income because they can earn with their intellect."
"The Land of Fire is vast, but the capital, the Daimyo's city, is quite small," the Daimyo noted, returning to the practical side of the matter. "It simply won't be able to accommodate as many people as needed to implement your large-scale plans."
"Then we need to expand. Or build a new city," Satoru suggested without a shadow of doubt.
"Expanding the capital is not an option," the ruler shook his head. "That would require enormous expenditures of funds and human resources, which we don't have in abundance right now. Building a completely new city is even more risky. You can easily lose your investments here, as they say, and achieve nothing, left with an empty trough."
"You're right, that's true," the young man agreed. "But… we can expand the Hidden Leaf Village! Double its territory on the existing base! That will allow us to house many more people, create new jobs, new opportunities!" The eyes of the young ninja sparkled with the idea again.
"Hidden Leaf Village?" The Daimyo paused for a moment, tapping his fingers on the armrest of his carved chair. "That's not a bad idea. Konoha is not that far from the capital, and importantly, there are vast arable lands nearby." He nodded approvingly.
"Very well, let's do it this way," the Daimyo concluded, making his decision. "Things need to be done gradually, step by step. Start implementing what you've planned, but focus on one thing first and bring it to fruition, show results. The Land of Fire will support you! I don't know if you have sufficient funds, but the state treasury of the Land of Fire will allocate some to you… consider it my support for your venture." In reality, the ruler didn't take the young man's grand plans too seriously. And the treasury of the Land of Fire itself at that time wasn't particularly full.
Moreover, eloquent dreamers had appeared before the Daimyo more than once, who initially built grand plans, only for everything to fizzle out, dissolving into daily routine. In the experienced ruler's opinion, Satoru was likely one of them. "A new broom sweeps clean, but the enthusiasm usually doesn't last long," he thought. Once the first "three fires" of youthful zeal burned out, the young ninja would probably calm down and turn to more down-to-earth matters.
But Satoru was different. Having received the Daimyo's support, he had essentially secured the backing of the entire Land of Fire. The Third Hokage had also promised him full assistance. One could say the young ninja had, in a certain sense, reached the peak of influence, opening up incredible opportunities for realizing his bold ideas!
A period of relative calm ensued. Satoru immersed himself in work, using this quiet time to carefully think through and detail his ambitious transformation plan, which could change the future not only of Konoha but of the entire Land of Fire. Every evening, he hunched over maps and calculations late into the night, his mind full of ideas and strategies.