020 Reborn as the Third Kazekage

"Good afternoon, Elder Ebizō."

"Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon, Elder Ebizō."

"Good afternoon."

Ever since Ebizō took up the role of Minister of Education, he developed a new hobby: standing at the school gates during dismissal to watch the children as they left. Over time, many of the kids grew fond of this kind old man and greeted him warmly, and he always responded with a cheerful smile. To him, the children of Sunagakure were seeds of hope, destined to grow into mighty trees in the future.

Glancing to the side, Ebizō saw the new Academy building under construction. It was no small project, and soon it would be connected to the existing Academy facilities. After receiving a 200 million ryō loan from Konohagakure, Arashi had allocated 100 million ryō directly to the Ministry of Education. This massive influx of funds bolstered Ebizō's confidence, assuring him that the grand vision Arashi once painted for him could truly become a reality.

"Ebizō-sama, here's the latest message from the Kazekage."

A shinobi interrupted Ebizō's thoughts, handing him a note. Ebizō glanced at it without much concern and said, "The teaching shinobi from Konoha's outreach program will be arriving soon. Are the accommodations at both the main village and the Lake Tsuki branch ready?"

"They've been prepared. Everything is of the highest standard."

"Good. Their treatment should also reflect the highest respect. Say what you will, those Konoha shinobi are quite skilled in teaching. Let the village know that no one is to stir up trouble. We're allies now, and they're here to help. Treat them well."

"Understood."

"By the way, where is the Kazekage now?"

"According to the latest information, he's reached the Land of Rain."

...

"Building a factory?"

Hanzō of the Salamander looked at the document in his hands, a mixture of confusion and suspicion etched on his face. The title read, Sunagakure's Rain Country Aid Plan.

"Take a closer look, Lord Hanzō. The total investment for this plan is 200 million ryō. It involves purchasing Rain Country's iron ore and hiring local workers, creating nearly 2,000 jobs. This," Arashi said with a snap of his fingers, "is the deposit: 20 million ryō worth of refined gold sand."

Rasa reluctantly manipulated a heap of gold sand onto the table, his expression one of resignation.

"Today's internationally recognized price for gold is 402 ryō per gram. Our gold sand has a purity of at least 60%. This heap weighs 83 kilograms. Accounting for processing losses, its value certainly exceeds 20 million ryō. If Lord Hanzō agrees and signs here, this gold sand will serve as our first payment. Of course, if you have any doubts about its quality or value, feel free to have it inspected."

Hanzō paid no attention to Rasa's monotone delivery. Instead, he carefully scrutinized the proposal. A Rain shinobi with a magnifying glass stepped forward to examine the gold sand.

Hanzō remained silent as he flipped through the document. His sharp gaze remained fixed on Arashi, who maintained a polite smile, as if trying to uncover some hidden conspiracy.

Hanzō was no fool. He didn't believe in free lunches, but the pile of gold sand before him was undeniably real.

Hanzō had always been a proud man with the strength to back it up. In his prime, he had treated the legendary Sannin as if they were mere children. Against formidable opponents like the Second Kazekage or Danzō Shimura, he held his ground. He had prepared countless scenarios for this meeting, assuming the new Kazekage would either demand territory or political concessions. He was ready to reject them outright, even if it meant war.

Yet, this Kazekage didn't follow the script. Instead, he brought a mountain of gold and talked about building factories.

"What's the catch?" Hanzō finally asked, his voice cold and measured.

"There's no catch," Arashi replied with the same polite smile.

"Then why?" Hanzō's question was direct, his expression a mixture of skepticism and confusion.

"The factory will be built in the Land of Rain. The money will be invested here. Even the workers will be your people. What's there to worry about?"

Hanzō's expression softened slightly. This was one of the reasons he hadn't outright rejected the proposal.

"You can ask around," Arashi continued. "I'm not like my predecessors. I've always opposed this war."

Hanzō nodded slightly. High-ranking shinobi like Arashi were well-documented in every major village. His words rang true.

"But Sunagakure's environment is harsh, and its economy underdeveloped. We need growth. My approach has always been to develop industrial production, strengthen trade, and establish multinational enterprises," Arashi said, tapping the proposal.

"Then why did you invade our country before?" Hanzō's tone grew sharper.

"At that time, I was just a bodyguard, not the Kazekage. My words carried no weight."

"And how can you guarantee you won't invade again?"

"I believe mutual economic interests create wonderful bonds. If we can profit together, why resort to violence? Besides, both our villages are allies of Konoha. Strictly speaking, Sunagakure and Amegakure are allies too, aren't we?"

Hanzō mulled over the words. He couldn't find any glaring flaws in the logic.

"But Konoha and Iwagakure are still at war."

"That will end eventually," Arashi said confidently. "In the meantime, we can start laying the groundwork. When I arrived, I noticed a lot of refugees here. We could hire some of them to work in the factory. As for others, our Lake Tsuki base is expanding and needs manpower."

"How many workers do you need?" Hanzō asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.

"That depends on how many people your nation can provide."

"Haha! Well said!"

Laughter echoed in the room. The Rain shinobi inspecting the gold sand nodded slightly at Hanzō, confirming its quality. Hanzō's laughter grew even heartier, while Arashi chuckled quietly to himself.

Economic exploitation isn't really exploitation, right? What a fool. By the time I'm done, Rain Country will be an empty shell.

"Where do you plan to build the factory?" Hanzō asked, spreading a map on the table.

"Here." Arashi circled an area with a pencil.

"The Shule River? What kind of factory?"

"For Phase One, a ninja tool factory and a canning factory. It's close to the Sada Iron Mine and has easy access to water. It's an ideal location. Though I noticed the river's flow seems weaker than it used to be—what's causing that?"

"Oh, it's the war. Iwagakure built a dam upstream, either to cut off the flow or to release water suddenly and flood Konoha's camps," Hanzō explained. "By the way, what's a canning factory?"

"You can't be serious! A dam will ruin everything—both factories rely on water. This has to be addressed!" Arashi exclaimed, visibly irritated.

"Relax. The Shule River has multiple sources. It won't dry up. Konoha has already relocated their camps anyway. Once we drive out Ōnoki, we'll blow up the dam. Simple as that. Now, about that canning factory—what is it?"

"Forget the explanation for now. This is urgent. Let's go talk to Danzō immediately!" Arashi grabbed Hanzō's arm, dragging him out of the conference room.