"Focus on purchasing more food, as well as clothing and tents," Uzumaki Jun said to the spiky-haired, eighteen-year-old youth standing before him.
As the year was coming to an end, the ninja world had already entered winter. Thus, warmth and food were the top priorities. As for the construction of Uzushiogakure, it would have to proceed slowly for now.
The young man in front of him was none other than Gato, who would become the wealthy shipping tycoon of the Land of Waves in the future.
However, right now, he was just a teenager, somewhat scrawny and unremarkable, not yet the obese, middle-aged, sleazy old man he would later become.
Meeting Gato had been a stroke of luck. Back then, when Gato had wandered into Uzushiogakure, Uzumaki Jun had extended a helping hand purely because of the name "Gato." After all, it wasn't much trouble, and who would have thought...
Someone named Gato really did have a talent for business!
It had been an unexpected discovery. At the time, Uzumaki Jun had no other assistants for business matters. Could he really have asked the Uzumaki Clan for help?
That would have been a disaster.
Were the Uzumaki Clan even cut out for business?
With no other options, he had decided to test this Gato out—and it had turned out to be the right call.
Now, Uzumaki Jun was certain that this Gato was the same person who would later monopolize shipping in the Land of Waves.
Well, that future might not happen now, since Uzushiogakure had not been destroyed. Would the Land of Waves even exist?
"Yes!" Gato nodded seriously. He would never treat the person before him as just a child.
"Also, remember—do not reveal Uzushiogakure's name," Uzumaki Jun said sternly, fixing his gaze on Gato.
The most important thing now was to divert attention away from Uzushiogakure and shift the focus of the major villages elsewhere.
If Uzushiogakure wanted to develop, it had to proceed quietly—especially after this recent victory in the war, which had drawn far too much attention.
To the outside world, Uzushiogakure had to appear as if it had barely won.
Without the protagonist's plot armor, it was best not to stand out too much.
As for Kirigakure, Uzumaki Jun doubted they would openly admit they had been humiliated by a small nation.
The Five Great Shinobi Villages still had their pride.
However, he himself might not be able to stay hidden. After all, a seven-year-old Kage-level shinobi was far too shocking in this era.
Even though that last jutsu had been a fluke and he wasn't actually Kage-level—just a jonin—he still needed to lay low for now and focus on building his reputation.
"Understood," Gato said with a sharp nod. He was familiar with this kind of operation.
"Make sure to stockpile enough supplies for over 400,000 people to survive the winter," Uzumaki Jun added after a moment of thought.
Currently, Uzushiogakure had nearly 300,000 people, including both shinobi and civilians. And if refugees started arriving...
It was better to be prepared.
Moreover, the post-war period was a time of rapid population growth. The entire ninja world would experience a surge in births.
If Uzushiogakure wanted to become strong, population was a necessity.
Gato frowned. This would be troublesome. The sheer volume of supplies was enormous. This time, he couldn't pose as a Kirigakure merchant. No matter what, Kirigakure was one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, they wouldn't purchase such large quantities of supplies from other nations through a middleman.
If Kirigakure really needed that many supplies, they would go through official channels, which would not only secure discounts but also ensure ninja escorts.
Not by hiring some random merchant.
If they did, Kirigakure would be doomed sooner or later.
This time, he would have to make purchases in small batches across the Five Great Nations.
And he would have to pose as a merchant from a minor country or a small hidden village.
Gato pondered for a moment. Though it would be troublesome and even risky, he would do his best to complete the task.
This...
Was his way of repaying that one meal of kindness.
War was a matter of money, manpower, and resources.
Uzushiogakure was lacking in population and resources, but money was easy to control since it was essentially a single-clan nation, with most of the leadership being from the Uzumaki Clan.
And...
He had already diverted a portion of the national treasury for his own use.
Compared to Kirigakure...
Just imagine Hōzuki Gengetsu trying to request funds from the Daimyō of the Land of Water to buy explosive tags.
The Daimyō would probably spit in his face.
What was the point of establishing a hidden village if not to save the country money on military expenses?
Shinobi were supposed to earn money through missions—they were supposed to be self-sufficient.
But now, you're asking for hundreds of millions, even billions, to buy explosive tags?
The Daimyō would probably start looking for a new Mizukage. If you can't manage finances, what use are you?
This was why Hashirama's "One Nation, One Village" policy was so flawed.
The money was controlled by the nation, while the military power lay with the hidden village...
What would happen if the nation and the village ever came into conflict?
How did Sarutobi Asuma's 35 million ryo bounty come about?
It was from his time as one of the "Twelve Guardian Ninja," when he killed the other half of the group.
So...
Who exactly placed the bounty on Asuma after the Twelve Guardian Ninja turned on each other?
Heh.
Anyone who believed the Daimyō of the Land of Fire wasn't behind it was a fool.
After wiping out the Twelve Guardian Ninja, Asuma fled—leaving the Daimyō without bodyguards. Of course he'd put a bounty on you.
Back then, Konoha probably saw that the Daimyō was growing distant and might even be influenced by the remaining Guardian Ninja, posing a threat to the village. So they eliminated the rest to show Konoha's strength and make the Daimyō think twice about opposing them.
And then...
The Daimyō caved. When he later reformed the Twelve Guardian Ninja, he had to consult Konoha first.
As for Konoha's claim that Asuma had joined the Twelve Guardian Ninja during a rebellious phase and they had no idea...
Heh.
Uzumaki Jun could only say—typical Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The Hokage's own son, and no one knew he had become a Guardian Ninja until he made a name for himself and racked up a 35 million ryo bounty?
Who would believe that?
Since when could Konoha shinobi just leave the village freely?
Did Asuma get special treatment because he was the Hokage's son?
Heh.
What a schemer.
Hashirama probably never imagined that the relationship between hidden villages and nations would devolve into...
A struggle for power.
Over time, people's hearts change—especially for a nation's leader. If you had to beg someone else's permission to wage war...
What kind of Daimyō were you?
One wrong word against Konoha, and you might drop dead of a heart attack the next day. Then the Land of Fire would need a new Daimyō.
As for whether it was really a heart attack or an assassination...
Did it matter?
Just look at how Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura were still clinging to power even in the Boruto era. If a tiny hidden village was like this, imagine an entire nation.