Naruto: The Ninja World's Life Buyer

Chapter 252 The Hidden Mist's Path to Survival: Protecting Me

Sosuke pulled over a wooden chair and sat down in front of the commander.

"Go pour me a cup of hot tea."

Sousuke ordered.

"Add some salt. He's severely dehydrated."

One of the sailors paused for a moment, but didn't ask any further questions and turned to go to the cabin.

"What do you want to do?"

The commander's voice was hoarse.

"If you're thinking of using me to threaten the Mizukage, I advise you to give up on that idea. In Kirigakure, there are no prisoners who surrender."

"I know."

Sosuke looked at him, his tone indifferent.

"The Blood Mist Village, huh. They kill their own comrades without batting an eye, so why would they care about a captured commander?"

"I didn't intend to take you hostage."

Soon, the sailor came over with a steaming cup of salt tea.

"Have some tea. It'll warm your stomach."

Sosuke pushed the teacup in front of him.

The commander hesitated for a moment.

But he was indeed very cold. The sea breeze, blowing on his soaked clothes, took away a lot of his body heat.

He picked up the teacup with trembling hands and drank it all in one gulp.

The warm salt water restored some of his strength.

"Alright, now let's get down to business."

Sosuke leaned back in his chair.

"Your Hidden Mist Village have come all the way to the waters of the Land of Tea, going to great lengths to cut off my shipping lanes. Why?"

The commander sneered.

"This is war. Do you need a reason to cut off an enemy's supply lines?"

"Don't try to fool me with those high-sounding words."

Sosuke shook his head.

"If it's for war, you should gather your forces, go deep into the Land of Fire, destroy our arms factories, and assassinate our Hokage. Instead, you're out here on the vast ocean, fighting to the death with a few merchant ships."

Sosuke seemed to have seen right through the Land of Water's true nature.

"You've come to hijack the ship because your finances are on the verge of collapse."

The commander's expression suddenly changed.

Sosuke ignored his reaction and continued speaking.

"The land of water, isolated overseas, is shrouded in thick fog year-round."

"Your terrain is fragmented, and arable land is extremely scarce. Your food, medicine, and even iron ore for forging ninja tools are mostly imported from the Land of Fire and the Land of Tea."

"However, the significant appreciation of the Fire Country's currency has led to severe inflation in the Water Country. The money you have can't even buy half the food you used to have."

"Therefore, the Third Mizukage panicked."

"His declaration of war wasn't to help Iwagakure and Kumogakure win the war. He wanted to plunder. He wanted to seize the shipping routes I controlled to fill the financial gap and plunder more resources."

The commander couldn't refute it. He hadn't expected the Takaya Trading Company's intelligence network to be so powerful.

"Since you know everything—"

"Then what are you still talking about? Kill me. The Mizukage will send a second and a third fleet!"

"The sea is ours. Even if you win today, you can't keep your forces on the ships forever!"

He's right.

This is also a helpless move by Sosuke at present.

Today's victory is not replicable.

He mobilized Yekura, Mikoto, Hyuga Katsumi, and a hundred heavily armed prosthetic soldiers.

This is all that he has.

He couldn't possibly go to sea personally every time and send all these monsters on board as security guards.

The ocean is too vast. The depths of the mist are too profound.

If Kirigakure is truly determined to seize his shipping route, even if Takaya Trading Company is incredibly wealthy, it won't be able to protect him.

"You're right. I can't outlast you."

Sosuke readily admitted his shortcomings.

"So, I don't intend to kill you. I intend to do business with Kirigakure."

"What kind of business?"

The commander was stunned.

Sousuke pulled out a pre-prepared scroll and threw it in front of the commander.

"Take a look at this."

The commander picked up the scroll with suspicion and unrolled it.

This is a trade agreement.

The Takaya Trading Company has pledged to provide the Land of Water with a fixed amount of food, medicine, and high-purity steel annually.

The transaction prices are locked at pre-war levels. In fact, for some scarce resources, prices are even 20% lower than current market prices.

"you----"

The commander looked up in shock.

"Are you crazy? 20% below market price? If the higher-ups in Konoha found out, they'd execute you for treason!"

Selling strategic materials to enemy countries at below-market prices during wartime is aiding the enemy!

Zongjie remained unfazed.

"The higher-ups in Konoha have no control over my private shipping routes. Moreover, the 20% of profits I'm giving up is to compensate you for the losses caused by the appreciation of the Land of Fire's currency."

"In this way, your Water Kingdom will be able to have enough to eat."

The commander's breathing became rapid.

If this treaty is real.

The crisis facing the Land of Water will be resolved instantly. They will no longer need to hijack ships or risk lives in a deadly battle with Sosuke.

"What do you want?"

The commander isn't stupid.

The other party is giving up such a large benefit; they must have much more to gain.

"That's right. In business, it's all about equal exchange."

Sosuke held up two fingers.

"In exchange."

"First, the Land of Water must open its designated deep-water ports to the Takaya Trading Company's merchant ships and acknowledge the absolute legitimacy of my shipping route."

"Secondly, the naval forces of Kirigakure are prohibited from attacking Takaya Trading Company's ships in any form."

"Not only can't we attack."

Sosuke's eyes were sharp.

"When necessary, such as when encountering pirates, or when being raided by other ninja villages."

"The Mist Shadow Fleet must escort my merchant ships."

"this----"

The commander remained silent.

He was a Jonin from Kirigakure and knew all too well how much his hometown longed for these supplies.

If we can obtain this agreement, the crisis in the Land of Water will be resolved.

The price they paid was merely to abandon their attack on a chamber of commerce and provide some escort services.

This deal is incredibly worthwhile.

Like Iwagakure and Kumogakure, Kirigakure saw that Konoha was gradually becoming the dominant power, and if it was not curbed, no one in the ninja world would be able to control it in the future.

Sosuke looked down at him.

"I know you have other ideas. Go back and tell your Third Mizukage."

"If this war continues, you'll lose everything, even your underwear. Even if you blow up one of my ships today, I can build ten more tomorrow."

"However, if one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist dies, or a hundred elite assassins, it won't be so easy to make up for it."

"If we sign this treaty, everyone will have food to eat and money to earn."

Sosuke waved his hand.

"Get him a lifeboat."

"Yes." The sailor immediately went to prepare the lifeboats.

The commander, holding the scroll, stood up with a complicated expression.

He gave Sosuke a deep look.

"I will convey your words to Lord Mizukage verbatim."

"If Lord Mizukage agrees, we will send someone to the Imperial Palace Port to negotiate with you."