At the dinner table, Shimura Danzō spoke endlessly, passionately boasting about the "experience" he had accumulated in the tulip market over this period.
One specialized term followed another.
Although Sarutobi Hiruzen only half understood most of it, he was thoroughly shaken—and, as a result, naturally accepted Danzō's advice.
"Danzō… will this really work?"
"That's seventy million ryō!"
"Enough already," Danzō snapped.
At first, after investing seventy million ryō in one go, Hiruzen was so anxious he couldn't sleep at night. But a few days later, when he saw the terrifying profits, all of his original fear vanished completely.
He even began to regret—just like Danzō—that he hadn't invested more from the start.
Fire Country Palace
"Kazuma, judging by the price movement, the timing is right," Uchiha Makoto said calmly.
"After all this promotion, more than half the shinobi world's nobles and major merchants have already poured massive amounts of capital into the tulip market."
"Now… let the feast truly begin."
Makoto sat back in his chair, studying the price charts, capital flow records, and the analytical reports prepared by specialists sent by the Fire Daimyō.
It was time to introduce contract trading.
"Yes, Makoto-sama," Kazuma replied, nodding.
At this point, the name "tulips" echoed throughout noble circles, and prices were rising in lockstep with the influx of funds.
What came next would be the most frenzied stage.
Physical tulip stock was already beginning to dry up. Soon, there would be nothing left to trade.
Introducing contract trading now was perfect.
Just physical trading alone had already driven people mad. Once contracts replaced actual goods, turnover would skyrocket.
Not only merchants—even the aloof, high-ranking nobles would be unable to resist the profits and rush in without hesitation.
According to current intelligence, even some ninja—normally focused only on missions—had joined in.
Though they were a minority.
Most of these were rogue ninja, desperate individuals living on the edge. Established ninja clans—especially the great ones—had not participated at all.
They weren't good at commerce, nor did they trust it.
To them, taking missions and earning pay was the natural order. Thinking about anything else was practically a sin.
Especially at this moment.
Across the shinobi world, almost every notable ninja clan was focused on far more important matters: founding villages, choosing alliances, securing their future.
This was what made Kazuma feel fortunate.
His superior, though ruthless and thick-skinned, still had a bottom line.
He had not dragged the ninja clans into this.
Because once the feast ended, the aftermath would be devastation.
With this scythe coming down, who knew how many nobles and merchants would lose everything—how many would leap from high places once ruined?
These people had wealth and status, but before true power, money meant nothing.
If ninja clans were dragged into ruin—
That would turn the shinobi world into a powder keg.
Stripped of everything, ninja clans were capable of anything.
Especially given the nature of the profession.
Shinobi lived short lives. Those who reached forty and still enjoyed peaceful old age were rarer than giant pandas.
And within every clan, the most abundant resource was fearless, reckless young fighters.
Called "passionate" and "energetic" when spoken kindly.
Called "hotheaded and brainless" when spoken honestly.
Soon, under Makoto's direction, as tulip prices soared to new heights, contract trading quietly appeared in tulip exchanges throughout the Land of Fire.
And instantly—
Everyone was stunned.
So tulips could be traded like this?
Without question, this new model pushed the market into even greater madness.
Before, one needed actual tulips to speculate.
Now?
A single contract was enough.
It was easier to manage, easier to track prices, and vastly superior to physical trading.
With sky-high turnover rates and absurd profits, more and more nobles and merchants flooded in.
And of course—
So did Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō.
The two had completely lost their rationality, drowning in the decadent atmosphere of the tulip exchanges, having long since forgotten the original procurement mission.
"Hiruzen, this market is insane!"
"I just did the math—we've already made over three hundred million ryō!"
"There probably isn't anyone in our clans richer than us now!"
"Yes… you're right, Danzō."
The two celebrated wildly.
Now they were considering whether to throw all remaining procurement funds into tulip contracts.
With a market like this—
Not going all in felt unreasonable.
"Hiruzen, let's do it," Danzō urged.
"Let's go all in."
"Going all in is a kind of wisdom. I think the time has come."
Danzō wasn't satisfied yet.
If they could make one more massive score, then when they returned, they could simply bury Lord Tobirama in money—until he was dizzy enough to beg them both to become his disciples.
"Well… this might be a bit much…" Hiruzen hesitated.
"What's wrong with it?" Danzō shot back.
"Even the people selling rice balls in the Fire Country know tulips make money now."
"With a market like this, what are you still afraid of?"
Danzō spoke with absolute confidence.
Hiruzen—already blinded by profit—was quickly persuaded.
With a decisive wave of their hands, the two dumped every last coin they had into the tulip contract market, dreaming of another windfall.
But in truth—
Tulip prices were already at extreme highs.
Contract trading was nothing more than pouring oil onto a blazing fire—
A final flare, brilliant but fleeting.
Behind the scenes, Uchiha Makoto and the Fire Daimyō had already begun dumping their holdings at full speed.
Danzō and Hiruzen, first-time "leeks," didn't understand what veterans already knew:
If even the street vendors selling rice balls know which investment makes money—
That's when you run.
The madness didn't last long.
Three days after Danzō and Hiruzen went all in, an incident occurred.
A small-time ninja from the countryside—someone who had never seen the world—publicly ate a valuable tulip, mistaking it for an onion.
The flower's owner went berserk, demanding compensation.
The ninja shrugged.
"It's just a flower. What's so valuable about it?"
And just like that—
It was as if the tulip market had been struck by a heavy blow.
(Or rather… prices had already stopped rising. This was simply the breaking point.)
Overnight—
Tulip prices plunged three times in succession.
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