"How are the seeds irrigated with the life potion growing?" Uzumaki Jun looked at Toto in front of him and asked, "Have the harvested crops undergone consumption trials?"
No matter the era, food is always of utmost importance. So today, Uzumaki Jun decided to inspect the major agricultural producers of Uzushiogakure.
Moreover, Uzushiogakure has too little arable land. For now, the only option is to focus on increasing yield.
However, until it is confirmed how these modified crops affect humans after consumption, he will not allow them to enter the market. Thus, he has only tasked Toto, Uzushiogakure's farming expert, to conduct trials first.
"The yield of these new crops has indeed increased by three to four times," Toto said, standing in the farmland with his pants rolled up, bending over. "And after animal testing, no harm has been observed so far."
"After consumption, the animals even grew larger, and the quality of their meat improved."
"You ate it?" Uzumaki Jun was startled upon hearing Toto's words. "Didn't I warn you that no food of unconfirmed safety should be consumed?"
Did you think you have an iron stomach or something?
Although medical technology in the shinobi world is quite advanced, who can guarantee there won't be any accidents?
"Heh, they looked so good that I tried some," Toto said sheepishly. "And I found that these grains and meat have effects similar to health supplements, though the effects are weaker."
"Oh?" Uzumaki Jun asked curiously. "Given the nature of health supplements, the effects shouldn't be noticeable immediately. How did you sense it?"
Did it cure some long-standing ailment of yours?
"After eating it last time, my cold was cured right away," Toto said seriously. "Normally, a cold would take me three or four days to recover from."
"..."
So, it can be used as a cold medicine?
Uzumaki Jun looked at Toto speechlessly and said, "I understand. I'll have the medical academy conduct tests on these crops and animals."
If it's true, perhaps...
Uzushiogakure will have another high-end product for foreign trade. The nobles will surely be delighted to hear that eating can also prolong life.
"What about hybrid rice?" Uzumaki Jun stroked his chin thoughtfully and asked, "How's the experiment going?"
"The seedlings are mostly ready," Toto nodded upon hearing Uzumaki Jun's words. "And compared to the seedlings irrigated with the life potion, the yield of hybrid rice is just as impressive."
"However..."
He sighed regretfully and said, "They cannot be reseeded."
"Hmm." Uzumaki Jun nodded upon hearing this. He already knew that hybrid rice couldn't be reseeded. Initially, he wasn't aware that the life potion could be diluted for irrigation, so he had considered other methods to increase crop yield.
For example...
Intensive farming!
As a member of a farming nation, Uzumaki Jun was quite familiar with agriculture, especially since he had a system with him...
He could transform Uzushiogakure into an agricultural powerhouse in no time!!
Long ago, he had exchanged many books on agriculture from the system, such as land improvement, irrigation...
These were now available in Uzushiogakure's library and had mostly been put to use with good results.
However...
Now that high-yield crops unique to the shinobi world had been developed, hybrid rice could instead...
"Be sold cheaply to other countries in the shinobi world."
Thinking of this...
Uzumaki Jun curled his lips into a smile and murmured, "I really am a good person!"
To reduce hunger in the shinobi world, he was selling the S-grade high-yield rice that Uzushiogakure had spent years researching and testing to other countries at a low price.
Which shinobi would be so selflessly devoted?
Probably only the God of Shinobi, that saintly figure, could compare.
It seems that Uzumaki Jun...
Aside from being an actor, a smooth talker, an arms dealer, a troublemaker, and someone who poaches talent from other villages, he was, at heart, also a saintly figure!
He truly couldn't bear to see people in the shinobi world starve to death.
"Is there enough seedlings now?" Uzumaki Jun smiled at Toto and said, "I think it's time for you to establish a company, one specializing in researching and selling high-yield seeds."
To expand, corporatization was essential. Perhaps in the future, this company could provide many job opportunities and contribute to Uzushiogakure's GDP. After all, no matter the era, food was indispensable.
"For now..." Uzumaki Jun said, "Prepare enough seeds for Uzushiogakure first."
It was already the critical time for spring planting.
"Understood." Toto nodded. "My uncle and I will make the necessary preparations."
No matter what, Uzushiogakure's needs came first. After all, he and his uncle could live such stable lives now only under Uzushiogakure's protection.
"As for the company, if you encounter any difficulties, you can consult the Kamizuru clan," Uzumaki Jun nodded and said. "They've been corporatized for many years and are more experienced."
Even more so than him, a modern person who had only read a few books.
The Kamizuru clan's enterprises had already provided many jobs for Uzushiogakure and were also major taxpayers.
So...
"Without agriculture, there is no stability. Without commerce, there is no prosperity."
Neither aspect could be neglected.
"Hire more people when the time comes, and it'll ease your workload," Uzumaki Jun said. "And in a few years, it'll surely become one of Uzushiogakure's pillar industries."
"Understood. I'll visit the Kamizuru clan leader in a few days," Toto thought for a moment and said. "By the way, what about the pigs injected with the life potion?"
"The pigs?" Uzumaki Jun stroked his chin and asked, "How stable is Uzushiogakure's meat supply recently?"
"Mostly stable," Toto nodded. "Most of the meat supply still comes from fishing. The demand for pork, beef, and chicken among Uzushiogakure's citizens isn't very high."
After all, these three types of meat were quite expensive. Though wages in Uzushiogakure were high now, those who had experienced hunger tended to be more frugal. So, apart from occasionally changing their diet, they mostly bought fish.
"Ah," Uzumaki Jun sighed in understanding upon hearing this. "There's no helping it."
The people of the shinobi world weren't lazy. They had simply suffered too much from war. Battles broke out every now and then, damaging their farmland and leaving them with no harvests to fill their stomachs. Even without war, shinobi and tycoons would still exploit them, like the shipping tycoon Gato in the anime...
But now, Gato had become the Minister of Commerce of Uzushiogakure and had no chance to cause trouble outside.
And whether a bridge would appear in the Land of Waves—who knew?
Moreover, without legal constraints in the shinobi world, individual power was too overwhelming. A powerful shinobi could single-handedly destroy a city or even a country. Some cheaters could even destroy the world.
So in the shinobi world, if one didn't become a shinobi or a strong individual, they were basically like livestock waiting to be slaughtered.
"It'll change in the future," Uzumaki Jun sighed and said. "For now, have the slaughterhouse grade the meat from pigs injected with the life potion into nine levels, M0 to M9, and export them."
At the same time, hype them up—the higher the grade, the better the nutrition, the better the taste, and naturally...
The higher the price!
However...
They still hadn't succeeded in breeding pig-type summoning animals. It seemed his goal was still a long way off!!