Konoha: Rebuild the glory of the Uchiha

Chapter 76 Kakuzu: You're all just韭菜 (a metaphor for being exploited)!! (6k views, please subscribe)

Futures Hall

"It's doubled in price?"

"Is a war about to break out?"

"Make way! If you're not buying, don't crowd around here. I'm going all in, ten thousand taels!"

"."

Overnight, the futures trading hall became like a bustling market, not only incredibly noisy but also packed with people.

Uchiha Nan and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire joined forces to manipulate the market, doubling the price of pig iron in one night, igniting enthusiasm in the futures market overnight.

In the past, only nobles and wealthy merchants with large sums of money were qualified to participate in the hoarding of pig iron for profit.

But things are different now. Because of Uchiha Nan's appearance, the barrier to entry for speculating on pig iron has been drastically reduced. Even roadside vendors with a little savings can make a living by speculating on pig iron for a month or two.

The first group of people to take the plunge have already doubled their assets. As word spread, people from all walks of life have developed a strong interest in pig iron futures.

"How could this be? They're growing so fast!"

Kakuzu watched as the price of pig iron skyrocketed, the red rising portion making him insanely envious.

White Fang's assets have grown from over ten million to over twenty million taels, but unfortunately, Mr. White Fang has hidden his account, so we can't witness his profit growth firsthand.

However, just by imagining it, Kakuzu could already picture how lucrative Master White Fang's profits must have been.

The money he earned in one night could have kept Kakuzu busy with ordinary bounty missions for several months.

Should we make a move?

Kakuzu's hands trembled slightly, and his heart pounded. He had only studied the manual that White Fang had given him for a short time, and had not yet mastered it to the point where he could put it into practice.

What if we lose money by making such a rash move?

This old-school ninja, whose lineage dates back to the time of Hashirama Senju, was deeply conflicted. Traditional thinking still bound him, and he remained skeptical and distrustful of this new phenomenon.

The price of pig iron is slowly rising every second. People around me haven't even figured out what futures are yet, but they've already rushed in and thrown their money in, and they're already making a profit.

Kakuzu despised such people. Master White Fang described this type of person in detail in his book, using a vivid and descriptive word to describe them.

Chinese chives!

They are like leeks, constantly being harvested and replanted.

Kakuzu watched as more and more people around him rushed into the futures market with red eyes, and the newbies who entered the market yesterday had already doubled their money.

Now all these retail investors are making money, and you're still hesitating here!

It's time to make a move! Buy a small amount first, and test the waters!

"I want to buy 100,000 taels!"

Kakuzu left his seat, pushed aside the people still in line, and chose to cut in line!

queue?

Every second you wait, the cost of buying futures increases. What's the point of queuing? The person who was cut in line was about to yell at Kakuzu when he was scared off by a single look from Kakuzu.

"Yes, sir."

The formalities were completed in a minute or two, and a beautiful card was handed to Kakuzu.

Touching the card with my fingers, I felt a peculiar sensation, a strangely comfortable feeling.

The moment Kakuzu received the card, his heart inexplicably raced, as if he had returned to the day he first became a ninja, and a strange sense of fear suddenly arose.

It's unlikely that the price will drop as soon as I enter the market.

Kakuzu subconsciously looked up at the price of pig iron, which was still slowly rising.

call.

Kakuzu relaxed a little and returned to his original seat. He had originally planned to continue carrying out the bounty mission, but now he was no longer in the mood to work.

I was constantly worried about the price of pig iron.

For the entire afternoon, Kakuzu did nothing but stare intently at the slowly rising prices with his dark green eyes.

After an afternoon, the price of pig iron had risen by another 30%. Even Uchiha Nan would be astonished by this price, as the rate of price increase had exceeded Uchiha Nan's control.

Uchiha Nan originally only wanted to swindle money from the nobles and merchants, but now even ordinary people have gotten involved, which has exceeded Uchiha Nan's expectations.

Half a day passed

"Coo coo coo"

Kakuzu's stomach began to protest. Although Kakuzu's body had been modified by the Earth Grudge Feast and was no longer human, he still needed to eat on time every day.

The setting sun shone on Kakuzu's face, and he couldn't help but marvel at how quickly time had passed. He recalled the price he had bought it at, and it had already increased by 30%!

Thirty thousand taels?

You made money so easily!

So that's what Master White Tooth meant when he said making money was as easy as breathing!

I was too naive. I didn't take this sentence seriously when I first saw it, but now that I understand the feeling, I realize its profound meaning.

This is so satisfying!

Hey!

Why didn't I buy more?

A wave of regret washed over Kakuzu, and he silently calculated that if he had bought one million, his current profit would be three hundred thousand.

If it's ten million, the profit is three million; if it's one hundred million, the profit is thirty million; and if it's one billion, the profit is three hundred million!

Kakuzu has been a bounty hunter for over ten years. Working day and night, he can earn close to 50 million taels a year. If he's lucky, he can take down those big bounties on the bounty list that are worth tens of millions of taels. It's not impossible for him to earn 100 million taels a year.

A mere billion yen is something Kakuzu can manage if he grits his teeth, but it's practically all of Kakuzu's wealth.

If he had gone all in just now, he would have made 300 million! Kakuzu's heart pounded. 300 million in one afternoon?

What an incredible speed at which they make money!

However, this is just Kakuzu's fantasy. He can't possibly throw all his wealth into trying something new. If he makes a profit, everyone will be happy.

If he loses out, Kakuzu is so angry that he might self-destruct and lose one of his lives.

Kakuzu shook his head, dismissing these unrealistic fantasies, and decided to go out for a meal. Earning 30,000 taels so easily was already something to celebrate.

Being a bounty hunter requires a lot of hard work and gathering intelligence. It's not an easy job, not to mention the danger it poses to your life.

We need an extra meal! We absolutely must have an extra meal!

Kakuzu decided to treat himself. He usually just ate a dozen or so rice balls for a meal, since they were all for replenishing energy, and he didn't care about the taste at all.

Moreover, rice balls already tasted quite good. When fighting or traveling, we ate soldier rations, and those tasted indescribable—dry and a bit bitter.

"I can make an exception and order myself a bowl of miso soup today," Kakuzu thought as he stepped out of the trading hall.

Not long after Kakuzu left the trading hall, the price of pig iron began to rise again at an incredible speed!

Although the information channels of those nobles and merchants were not as extensive as those of the ninja villages, they still reacted quickly.

The inexplicable rise in pig iron prices already puzzled them greatly, but they were a group of people who wouldn't act without seeing the benefits first, so they didn't make any rash moves.

When the news of the Uzumaki clan, Konoha's subordinates, launching a surprise attack on Kirigakure reached them, they hurriedly took action.

The relationship between Konoha and the Uzumaki clan is so close that they're practically inseparable. In the eyes of the nobles, the Uzumaki clan's raid on Kirigakure and Konoha's raid on Kirigakure are essentially the same.

It seems Konoha, having received the funding, is getting restless and is preparing to target Kirigakure!

This is going to be another fierce battle!

The nobles of the Land of Fire, who dealt in pig iron, were truly delighted at the mention of war. After all, they didn't have to go to the battlefield; it was those annoying ninjas who were dying. They were overjoyed!

This ninja war will be another big profit.

It's just a bit of a pity.

The timing for buying pig iron at the bottom was too late; prices had already been inflated, resulting in a significant loss of profits for the wealthy.

Considering the recent series of measures taken in the Land of Fire regarding pig iron, someone must be pulling the strings behind all of this!

The answer is obvious: that bastard Daming was eating all the food behind their backs!

As for Konoha, they didn't even consider that possibility. How could these ninjas, who only knew how to carry out missions and earn bounties, have any interest in getting involved in the pig iron business?

Konoha was merely a front man for the Daimyo, but considering Konoha's extraordinary martial prowess, these nobles didn't dare to settle scores with Konoha.

The nobles, having long been immersed in the business of hype, knew all too well what the secret to hype was: the fastest and most accurate information!

In this respect, they are far inferior to the Daimyo. The Daimyo has access to Konoha's intelligence network, and those ninjas can dig up information in virtually any way they want, while they are just a group of ordinary people.

Go find Daimyo!

The nobles who had a good relationship with him persuaded a very important figure in the Land of Fire to help him—the Minister of Finance who had been spat on by Uchiha Nan.

Although the Minister of Finance is nothing in front of Uchiha Nan, he carries considerable weight in the power struggles of the Land of Fire!

Every penny these insects amassed had to be paid as tribute to the higher-ups. The Minister of Finance, who had received many benefits in the past, naturally had the duty to represent the insects' interests and negotiate with the daimyo.

Daming, your eating manners are absolutely disgusting!

Fire Country Royal Palace

After the Minister of Finance handed a thick red envelope to his attendant, the attendant, who had previously been indifferent, immediately became all smiles and eagerly went to relay the Minister of Finance's message.

Before half a cup of tea had been brewed, the servant came out of the daimyo's room.

"My lord, the lord is unwell and cannot come to see you."

"I have something urgent to attend to."

"Please leave!"

Before the Minister of Finance could finish speaking, his attendant interrupted him.

The daimyo's attitude was very firm. He was not the one who initiated this deal; it was Konoha that was in charge. He was just profiting from it, and this time he was the one who was taking advantage of these insects.

They all complain about being poor in front of me all the time, yet their land holdings keep increasing day by day, and they don't pay taxes at all. That's not all.

It was common practice for nobles not to pay taxes on their land, but they even dared to tamper with the national treasury accounts. This was simply crossing the line for the daimyo. However, these scoundrels were in cahoots and kept deceiving their superiors and subordinates, trying every possible way to keep it from them.

Now you're thinking of asking yourself for help?

late!

"How is the situation?"

"What's your full name?"

"."

As soon as the Minister of Finance returned home, the insects eagerly surrounded him, trying to gather information.

They've all come to us of their own accord; surely the magistrate wouldn't refuse to even give them a chance to talk.

The pig iron business is such a big deal, you can't just eat all the meat and leave them with only scraps, bones, and a little soup at the end.

We can all work together to manage this, since it's all going to be the ninjas' money anyway. This time, we can let the daimyo get a bigger share.

All eyes were fixed on the Minister of Finance, who could only shake his head with a wry smile. The daimyo was determined to monopolize the spoils this time, and was really going to let them have the scraps.

They are at the mercy of others, like fish on a chopping board. The distribution channels have been monopolized, and now they have no room for resistance.

"."

"It's all your fault. You shouldn't have listened to those ninjas. All that talk about accelerating the circulation of pig iron and making prices transparent was just nonsense."

"The daimyo is waiting for us right here!"

"You're blaming me now? I only nodded in agreement because you all agreed."

"Why didn't you say anything in protest?"

"Tch, why don't you fight back? Aren't you afraid a sword will be stuck in your head in the middle of the night?"

"."

The insects immediately erupted in impotent rage, attacking each other. Their high positions didn't mean they were more talented than ordinary people; rather, it meant...

After attacking each other for a while, they started condemning the daimyo for being inhuman, for letting ninjas interfere in a matter that was clearly within the Land of Fire!

Political affairs are political affairs, and military affairs are military affairs.

In the ninja world, the military and government are completely separated, existing as two separate systems. This is why these insects can deceive their superiors and subordinates with impunity.

The daimyo dared not let ninjas interfere in government affairs. What if one of them was a genius and discovered how interesting it was to handle government affairs? They could make a lot of money just by passing it around. It was much faster than making money by doing missions, and that would be a lot of fun.

The rules that have been passed down for thousands of years are likely to be broken. How much money and effort did our ancestors spend to manage this group of ninjas?

Allowing ninjas to interfere in government affairs is like inviting wolves into the house. If Uchiha Nan were to offer his opinion to the daimyo, complaining that the court is full of incompetent officials, he could help the daimyo replace them with a group of capable ministers.

He wouldn't have to worry about being accused of killing his subjects without authorization.

Konoha will handle the evidence perfectly. With a single genjutsu, they'll confess everything clearly, exposing all the dirty deeds they've committed over three lifetimes.

Then the daimyo would immediately swear on his chest that all his ministers were incorruptible and without a trace of corruption, so the Hokage wouldn't need to worry.

However, this time it was a borderline case. Uchiha Nan only wanted to do some small business and make some money. He also understood the current rules of the ninja world and even consulted the daimyo before doing this.

The lord naturally agreed wholeheartedly to making money off these insects.

The insects argued for a long time, only to find that there were fewer and fewer people. The cleverest one in the middle had already sneaked out.

Since things are beyond repair, let's accept the facts. Quickly send someone to the futures trading hall to buy. Although this price isn't the absolute bottom, the profit is still quite considerable.

If you stay here and make a scene, you'll only end up eating scraps of meat.

"Miso soup is so delicious!"

Kakuzu smacked his lips, savoring the taste of the miso soup.

The last time I drank miso soup was probably a few months ago. I even ordered a bowl of miso soup at a restaurant and drank it for a long time in order to get closer to my mission target before I finally met him.

I was so focused on completing the task that I didn't even have time to savor the miso soup properly; it's such a pity now.

Kakuzu pushed open the door to the trading hall. Even though it was night, the lights were still on, and the atmosphere was even more lively than when he left in the afternoon, with more people than in the afternoon.

Kakuzu used to be able to find a seat in the trading hall, but now it's packed with people, with long queues at every trading window.

The shouts and curses of those waiting in line were incessant.

Kakuzu struggled to push aside the people who had been squeezed to the door, still not understanding the situation—why were there suddenly so many people in the trading hall?

The first thing he did upon entering was to check the price of pig iron. The moment he saw the price, Kakuzu's breathing became rapid, his dark green pupils constricted, and he could hardly believe his eyes.

Kakuzu's mouth opened involuntarily, and his hands trembled slightly involuntarily.

Did I read the price correctly?

Kakuzu rubbed his eyes in disbelief, thinking he was seeing things. He hadn't had miso soup in a long time, so was there mushroom in this one that was making him hallucinate?

You read that right.

The price of pig iron has gone up again!

It wasn't just a one- or two-layer increase; it doubled again.

Now Master White Fang's account must have reached over forty million taels!

In the short time it took to eat a meal, Master White Tooth earned another twenty million taels of silver.

Making money is as easy as breathing!

The phrase popped into Kakuzu's mind again. He had thought he had grasped its meaning before, but now he realized how shallow he was.

My perspective is too narrow; my vision is far too limited.

Endless regret welled up in my heart. I clearly wanted to add to my position before dinner. Why did I hesitate? Why did I think I should wait and see?

I've missed another chance to make a fortune!

The price of pig iron has doubled again, so should I still buy some now?

The same question was once again placed before Kakuzu.

Leeks are always like this: hesitantly watching prices climb little by little, afraid to make a decisive move, they just stand by and watch.

For the miserly Jiao Du, every penny is his life's work. He is like a Pixiu, only taking in and never giving out. The mentality of being exploited is perfectly embodied in him.

"Excuse me."

The man on top of him pushed aside Kakuzu, grabbed a large wad of cash, and rushed to the end of the line, eager to buy in.

Kakuzu recognizes this person; isn't he the former owner of the weapon shop? Even he's started trading futures now?

"It's gone up again!"

"Haha, I knew this futures trading could be profitable! Luckily I added to my position this afternoon!"

"."

Prices continued to rise, accompanied by cheers from those who had entered the market that afternoon. They had just caught the wave of the large-scale buying by the "insects" that had driven up pig iron prices, and now they were cheering enthusiastically.

This was the first time they had ever experienced making money so easily, and they kept celebrating the right decision they had made that afternoon.

However, these celebratory cheers sounded incredibly grating to Kakuzu's ears.

I was here first, whether it was discovering futures or obtaining the White Fang manual. I was so much ahead of them, so why did they make money faster and more than me?

That's not fair.

Kakuzu, who had originally planned to consult the secret manual to calm himself down before making a decision, began to have his inner defenses crumble.

As ninjas, calmness and caution are their keys to survival on the battlefield. The slightest mistake can be fatal for a ninja and could cost them their lives.

Kakuzu was well aware of this principle. For Kakuzu, making money was the same; he could only make decisions when he was clear-headed.

Kakuzu was in a state of unease. The cheers and celebrations around him, along with the ever-increasing price of pig iron, made it impossible for him to calm down.

Every minute and every second is agonizing. Should I add to my position? What if the price drops as soon as I buy in? There's no war right now, so it's illogical for pig iron prices to rise so high.

Kakuzu's ninja instincts made him suppress the urge to buy more.

Kakuzu left the trading hall and took a breath of fresh air. The hall was filled with materialism and shouts. Only by eliminating these external factors could Kakuzu calm his mind.

Think calmly.

Kakuzu recalled the contents of Master White Fang's secret manual. What was that saying again? "Take what others discard, and vice versa!"

Everyone else is dead, but I'm the only one who survived!

Kakuzu suddenly felt as if he had unlocked his full potential, realizing that he should do the opposite of what was expected, that the price of pig iron was bound to fall, and that this was the time to sell!

Someone must be manipulating the market behind the scenes, trying to drive up the price of pig iron and fleece these retail investors!

I, Kakuzu, have received the true teachings of Master White Fang's secret manual; there's no way I would be fooled at this time.

Sell!

We must sell them in advance!

By the time the price drops, it will be too late!

Kakuzu suddenly became anxious. He couldn't afford to waste a single moment; he had to go back and sell all of his more than 200,000 futures contracts!

On a whim, Kakuzu immediately returned to the entrance of the futures trading hall and eagerly pushed open the door.

The crowds, the shouts of celebration, and the impatient curses of those waiting in line continued to fill the air.

Hmph, these leeks!

Kakuzu coldly observed the revelry of the leeks (victims of exploitation), pushed aside the crowd still in line, strode forward to the service window, and still found himself in no queue.

queue?

I'll never queue up in my entire life!

Time is money. What if the price suddenly drops while you're in line?

However, Kakuzu's actions immediately aroused public outrage. Everyone else was queuing up, so why were you cutting in line?

However, when Kakuzu once again revealed his terrifying killing intent, all his anger vanished.

Kakuzu's fists are huge!

"I want to sell!"

"Um?"

Are you sure you want to sell?

The staff member doubted his ears. The price of pig iron had risen so much in just one afternoon and was still rising. Why was it being sold at this time?

"Yes, I want to sell!"

Kakuzu's resolute voice made those around him chuckle, but everyone covered their mouths, not daring to make a sound.

Kakuzu clearly noticed the suspicious glances from those around him.

"What are you looking at? You bunch of suckers! Wait until the market drops, then we'll fleece you!"

Kakuzu took the money, shouted confidently at the people around him, and then walked out of the trading hall.

These retail investors know absolutely nothing about futures!

(End of this chapter)