A special thank you to all my patrons.
The List of My "Wandering Reader":
-[ ]
-Cain
-Goha21
-Jacob Mooe
-Varun Madhu
-Mp Gaming
-Paul Panzer
-Austin Levy
-Aziz Makda
-TylerD
You can read 30 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - [email protected]/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
-------------------------------------------------------------
"You little brat!!"
Tsunade was so angry she laughed, raising her hand as if to hit him. Dodging with a grin, Kazuki picked up the scroll and said,
"Just joking, no need to get mad and resort to violence. Let me take a look. Rich iron deposits? Just organize a team to mine it, then."
Don't assume the Land of Fire only has forests—its mineral resources are actually quite abundant. The area around Konoha alone has plenty of mines, the most notable being Konoha Prison. The prison was built precisely to force convicts into free labor, mining ore. The annual output from the prison contributes significantly to Konoha's economy.
"I'd love to mine it too, but excavation requires a lot of manpower, and right now, the village's finances..."
Tsunade trailed off, too embarrassed to continue.
"Completely drained?"
Kazuki knew the village was financially strained, but he hadn't expected things to be this dire.
"It's not that bad, but close. The previous hole was just too deep."
Tsunade's face grew redder—whether from the alcohol or sheer embarrassment was unclear.
"Too bad you don't have the Third Kazekage's Magnet Release. Otherwise, you wouldn't be worrying about this."
This was one of the things Kazuki admired most about Sunagakure. Aside from the First Kazekage, every subsequent leader had been a mining prodigy—especially the Third and Fourth. They single-handedly propped up their village's economy through mining. That's how powerful Magnet Release was for excavation.
'You're really asking for a beating now, huh?' Tsunade clenched her fists, glaring at him through gritted teeth.
Mining was profitable, but the initial investment was substantial. Even sending shinobi to do the work would incur significant costs. The real issue was that the village simply had no money left.
Iron ore wasn't like gold or silver—it couldn't be melted down and turned into quick cash. It required processing first.
Seeing Tsunade's gloomy expression, Kazuki chuckled.
"Cheer up. Look at it this way—having a new iron mine near the village means we'll drastically cut down on imports once it's operational. That's an indirect way to reduce expenses."
"I know that," Tsunade shot back, rolling her eyes. "But the ore won't mine itself just because I say so. Why do you think I'm so stressed?"
I hereby declare you the most miserable Hokage in history.
Few Hokage had ever been reduced to this state. The others might have been busy, but none had to agonize over every penny like Tsunade, pulling their hair out over finances.
"Still, you're right about one thing—it would be great if we could mine just by talking."
"What do you mean by that?"
Tsunade narrowed her eyes, sensing sarcasm.
"How about outsourcing?"
Kazuki believed outsourcing was the most hassle-free solution. No need to manage anything—just assign supervisors, wait for profits, and skip the upfront investment. The only catch? Konoha had never done it before.
"You mean, like how we handled the commercial district?"
Tsunade immediately grasped the core idea. Despite the alcohol, her mind was still sharp.
Kazuki's proposal was simple: since the village couldn't fund the mining operation, why not involve the shinobi clans? They could invest, share profits based on contribution, and the village would oversee everything while collecting its cut.
No precedent? Then break the mold and set one!
Ownership would remain with the village. The clans would merely be investors, not buyers.
"Similar, but with key differences. This isn't something to rush. Let's wait until the commercial district is finished. Some things can't be forced."
Trying to do everything at once would backfire. Right now, Konoha needed steady, step-by-step progress.
"Fine. We'll revisit this later."
Tsunade agreed. Some things had to be taken slowly.
---
The day after Kazuki returned to the village with the supply unit, the Hokage's office publicly disclosed the truth about Uchiha Obito and the Nine-Tails incident.
"I can't believe Uchiha Obito was like this! How could he betray the village?"
"He should've taken revenge on Kirigakure, not us!"
"Looks like we misjudged the Uchiha..."
"At least the truth is out now. Even if they're innocent, they still share some blame—after all, Obito was one of them."
"What nonsense! Are you saying we should hold the entire Uchiha clan accountable for a rogue ninja? Then should we drag the Shimura clan out for Danzō's crimes? Or blame the Third Hokage for Orochimaru's betrayal and his involvement with the Akatsuki?"
Once the truth spread, debates erupted across Konoha. Some sympathized with the Uchiha, while others insisted they were at fault simply because Obito had been one of them.
The arguments grew so heated that some even invoked Danzō and the Third Hokage to shut down the accusers.
With the truth revealed, the villagers' hostility toward the Uchiha lessened—though not to the point of full acceptance. For that to happen, the Uchiha would have to relinquish control of the Military Police Force, which they would never do.
Kazuki understood this well. He never expected the villagers to embrace the Uchiha—only to reduce the animosity.
At the end of the day, strength was what mattered.
---
While the Uchiha's situation improved, the Sarutobi clan faced the opposite.
With the Third Hokage still absent, the clan was shrouded in gloom.
Kazuki had been right—after years of privilege, the Sarutobi were struggling to adjust to their reduced status. The loss of over a hundred elite clansmen in Amegakure had only deepened their crisis.
The clan's leaders, pressured by growing discontent, reluctantly approached Tsunade to inquire about compensation.
Already stressed, Tsunade exploded.
"What is wrong with you people? Since when does the Hokage's office need to explain village reparations to a single clan? Should I just hand this seat over to you?"