Following this, Ichiryu picked up the pen on the table and signed the contract.
Torifu, meanwhile, took out his personal seal and pressed it onto the document.
"Ichiryu-sama, the contract is now officially in effect. Our construction team will be assembled and dispatched to the Land of Iron within a few days. I also ask that the General return to the Land of Iron and begin preparations for the mineral extraction."
"The minerals for payment must be delivered before the construction team completes its work. Failure to do so will be considered a breach of contract, requiring the payment of a penalty fee."
Ichiryu nodded. Everything was written clearly in the contract, including the projected completion date.
"Don't worry, Hokage-sama. The Land of Iron is not a nation that enjoys violating covenants. The minerals will certainly be paid for within the stipulated time."
Thus, the cooperation between Konoha Village and the Land of Iron was successfully concluded. There was no bickering, no displeasure, and no animosity throughout the entire discussion. This was primarily because the General of the Land of Iron was reasonable, unassuming, and gentle.
The other Kage, while lowering their attitude when speaking to Torifu, still held the same status in the Ninja World. Torifu was only stronger in power. Once their village's interests were touched, they wouldn't concede an inch. Negotiating with them was what truly made Torifu feel exhausted.
After Ichiryu and Mifune left, the secretary came in and brought Torifu a cup of tea. Torifu wasn't particularly enthusiastic about tea, but he didn't dislike it either. A cup now was perfect to soothe his throat, which was dry from all the talking.
"Go call the Mizukage. The Tsuchikage and Kazekage will be the last to meet."
The Tsuchikage and Kazekage already had a foundation of cooperation and got along fairly well, so they could be met together.
However, the Third Mizukage, Getsuji, was a rather scheming individual. Twenty years later, Torifu didn't believe he would have changed. Character isn't something that wears down with time; Torifu's personality was the same now as it was twenty years ago. Therefore, he couldn't involve the other two Kage in this discussion, or it would become complicated. It would feel like a Five Kage Summit, and a single comment could stir up unnecessary conflict over uneven supply allocation between villages.
The secretary retreated upon hearing his instruction. The Commercial Minister did not leave but stayed beside Torifu to chat. The plan for the Land of Iron had been drafted long ago, with Torifu helping to formulate the specific details. This, however, would not do for Kirigakure. Torifu had no intention of interfering with another village's governance and didn't want to gain a bad reputation.
After about half an hour, the secretary returned with a tall man. He was about half a head taller than Torifu, with long black hair and perpetually narrowed eyes. He nodded to Torifu and then took a seat across from him.
"Hokage-sama is already working on his first day of marriage. I hope your wife doesn't resent this," Getsuji joked.
Torifu chuckled and waved his hand. "The cooperation between our two villages is more important. Only after I finish discussing cooperation with the Land of Iron and settling the various needs of each village can I relax and be with my wife."
Getsuji paid no attention to the Commercial Minister sitting beside Torifu and immediately engaged Torifu in casual conversation. They hadn't seen each other in twenty years, and they couldn't immediately jump into talking about cooperation like old acquaintances. That would appear too stiff and cold. A little small talk was needed to break the ice, usually by reminiscing or commenting on the present state of affairs.
After about five or six minutes, the two finally got down to business.
"Mizukage-sama, could you tell me about the current situation in Kirigakure and how you wish to cooperate with Konoha Village?"
By this point, Getsuji had softened, no longer appearing quite so calculating.
"Actually, Kirigakure is not entirely without appliances. We learned that the Land of Whirlpools had Konoha's technology, so we purchased a batch of devices from the Land of Whirlpools, though they were extremely expensive."
When he mentioned the Land of Whirlpools, Getsuji noticeably emphasized the words, and his expression was somewhat strained. He delivered the phrase "extremely expensive" with a forced calmness, clearly having been severely overcharged but trying to maintain the image of Kirigakure's financial strength and indifference.
Torifu didn't expose him, only offering a defense for the Land of Whirlpools. "The Land of Whirlpools suffered a great disaster some time ago. Both princes died, and the old clan head retired. Perhaps they needed the money to develop their country."
Torifu stopped there, leaving the rest unsaid. Getsuji was intelligent and would surely understand what Torifu meant, thus letting go of his annoyance at having been fleeced by the Land of Whirlpools.
Torifu then continued, "How much of your village does Kirigakure's current electrical supply cover?"
Getsuji shook his head helplessly. "The Land of Whirlpools' pricing was too high, and we weren't sure how effective the appliances would be, so we only purchased one set. It's connected to the Mizukage's Tower. Other than the Tower, no other place has electricity."
This...
How much money had the Land of Whirlpools extorted from Kirigakure for such a large village to buy only one set? Although astonished, Torifu still smiled and said, "No matter, Mizukage-sama. How do you plan to cooperate with Konoha Village? Do you intend to purchase our appliances and power generation devices with money?"
The Mizukage nodded. "I do have that intention. The appliances are truly useful; my quality of life has greatly improved, which is why I want to cooperate with Konoha Village."
The Mizukage knew that the Land of Whirlpools had charged him an exorbitant price. If Konoha could offer a price two to three tenths lower than the Land of Whirlpools, he would immediately cooperate with Konoha. Moreover, this was the original source, where repairs could be reliably performed if anything broke down.
"The Mizukage-sama is correct. The purpose of inventing appliances was fundamentally to give villagers a better quality of life, so the cost of the appliances themselves is actually not that expensive. Only the power stations are costly."
Since Kirigakure was already using appliances, the Land of Whirlpools must have sold them an old power station. Torifu didn't need to explain the basics.
"Konoha Village's selling price for the electrical devices is: two million ryō per power station. Subsequent maintenance for faults is two hundred thousand ryō per instance, though maintenance is rarely needed."
"The average price for the appliances is 5,000 to 6,000 ryō per unit. This is the price point we sell to all other villages. Does the Mizukage-sama find this acceptable?"
When Torifu finished speaking, the Mizukage fell silent.
His eyes, which hadn't opened fully in twenty years, were now wide open.
His face was etched with surprise and disbelief, but more than anything, anger.
"How much? How much did you say?!"