Naruto: Starting from Eating the Gold Fruit

Chapter 168 The Relationship Between Two Villages X Kakuzu! That's right! It's definitely him again!

You Ya came with the intention of finding a wife for her brother-in-law.

The students from Sunagakure who were sent abroad for study this time naturally lived together so that they could look after each other.

There are many empty rooms in Konoha Village, but there are very few rooms that can accommodate two or three hundred people at a time. After all, even if five or six people live in one room, a building with six rooms per floor would need ten floors.

And among landlords of Konoha's caliber... only Yua is one of them.

These houses were originally intended for future residents of Konoha's inner city. Since they're just sitting empty anyway, renting them out would generate some income.

Of course, Yuya didn't care about such a small amount of money at all, and directly used the money she received to give out benefits to the people in the Hokage's office.

Unlike the wealthy and powerful Kumogakure, the students from Sunagakure lived in a rented house with ten people sharing a single room in bunk beds, naturally to save on rent.

In places like Kumogakure, two people share a room. If it weren't for the need to look out for each other, the Third Raikage, that idiot, wouldn't mind having a room to himself.

It's not that Kumogakure is particularly wealthy... Well, since Yua helped resolve the internal economic crisis in Kumogakure, the village's economy has indeed been getting better and better. In any case, it's definitely better than Iwagakure and Sunagakure. The Third Raikage naturally wanted to give these people who were sent abroad on government scholarships better conditions so that they would remember the good things about Kumogakure.

When Yuya brought Nawaki to visit in person, the girls' dormitory in Sunagakure was having a group discussion. With so many people and such a strong desire to learn, the learning atmosphere was indeed excellent.

The Sand Village Jonin, who were looking after the students who had come to Konoha Ninja Academy to learn the ropes, received Yua. They were truly flattered that the Third Hokage would personally come to their door.

Then You Ya didn't mince words and went straight to the point, saying that his brother-in-law liked a girl, and that they should talk about it today. If they reached an agreement, he would take the lead and finalize the deal. What did that sound like?

The female Jonin from Sunagakure who was in charge of looking after these children was completely dumbfounded.

What's going on here? Isn't the atmosphere in your Konoha village that open-minded?!

They took a liking to someone and immediately went to propose marriage?!

However, being the Third Hokage after all, Nawaki eventually met the girl he liked.

After meeting, Nawaki was very excited and said that he studied mathematics so hard so that he could grow up with you. He said that if you could stay in Konoha, he would definitely treat you well.

Then the girl hesitated for a while, blushing and shyly saying that she had someone she liked, and that her family had already arranged their engagement, and they would get married in a few years.

It also indicates that you are a good person, and the two of you can be friends, but dating is out of the question.

Rope Tree froze, while Yuya felt a little embarrassed; it turned out that the girl was already taken...

After receiving this "good guy" card, Rope Tree immediately turned gray.

Yuya left with Rope Tree, thinking that was the end of the matter.

The next day, the female Jonin from Sunagakure requested an audience with Yua.

The female Jonin who was received in the Hokage's office this time was in a more formal setting, and the conversation between the two was more frank.

The female Sand Village Jonin told Yuya that the girl and the man she was engaged to from Sand Village had only met a few times. It was just that he was from the Sand Explosion Clan, the number one clan in Sand Village, which was why the girl's parents arranged the engagement when their child was so young.

She definitely wouldn't believe there was any affection between them.

You Ya understood; this was the script from the most second-rate romance novels!

The female lead is engaged to a young master from a wealthy family, but her true love is actually someone else?!

So, does that mean Rope Tree has a chance?

The female Sand Village Jonin asked Yua one last question: Would Konoha mind if someone from Sand Village married into the village?

Yuya thought the female ninja was asking about Nawaki and that girl, so he immediately slapped his thigh and said of course there was no problem!

Not only now, but also in the future, people from Sunagakure who want to marry into our village or marry people from Konoha are welcome to do so, as long as both parties are willing.

After all, if Yua doesn't agree, then Shikamaru will be without a wife in the future.

Yuya happily shared the news with Nawaki, and Nawaki, as expected, regained his radiance.

Then Nawaki directly stated that he would strive to improve himself, and that he would stand with his true love against all the bullshit Sandstorm Clan!

Then I started studying diligently.

Well, although it's not good to spoil the plot in advance, since I've already written this far, it would be even worse to leave it unsaid, so I'll just tell you the ending for these two characters.

Ultimately, due to family pressure, the woman married a member of the Sandstorm Clan.

It could also be that they don't want to be too far from home.

In short, the two eventually broke up, and Nawaki was heartbroken and depressed for several months. He was eventually beaten up by Tsunade many times before he recovered...

What? You mean if that's the case, why would this female Jonin ask such a misleading question?

Oh, she asked that for herself.

After Yuya confidently assured everyone that there would be no obstacles to marriage between the two villages, he received news a few days later that a man from Konoha was getting married to a woman from Sunagakure.

The woman in question is, of course, this female Sand Village Jonin.

She brought exchange students from Sunagakure to Konoha. During the six months or so that the children studied there, she and a teacher from Konoha's Ninja Academy fell in love. After confirming that Yua wouldn't object, and with Nawaki setting a precedent of proposing marriage directly after falling in love, the two got married right away...

You Ya: "..."

Ah this...

The rope tree is so pitiful.

Of course, Yuya didn't think much of it. Even Nawaki's family, his older sister Tsunade, was stunned for a long time after hearing about it, and finally managed to say, "Poor Nawaki," before falling silent.

As the first marriage between Konoha and Sunagakure, Yuya was keen to promote it.

After all, Konoha can no longer take in war refugees as it used to (in fact, there aren't many wars happening in places anymore, they're mostly local conflicts), so Yuya has been trying to find ways to increase the population of the inner city.

And without a doubt, marrying someone from another village not only allows you to plunder their sheep, but also lets those sheep breed and produce new ones—that's incredibly convenient.

As for whether the merger between the two villages would lead to an outflow of population from Konoha...

Ok……

In my past life, I had read news reports about girls marrying men from Africa.

If someone is willing to marry into one of the world's top three countries and move to one of the world's least developed regions, then it seems quite normal for someone to move from Konoha to another village, and Yua can't stop it.

Of course, talking about isolated cases without discussing the numbers is just being dishonest.

The reason why news becomes news is naturally because it is rare and scarce.

Why don't you see many reports about people from other border countries coming here to work?

Isn't this normal? A salary of three thousand is indeed a lot for people in some neighboring countries.

There will definitely be people who leave Konoha for other villages, but most of them will definitely come to Konoha from other villages.

It's like how people from the outer city are scrambling to settle in the inner city, but I've never seen an inner city resident who doesn't want an inner city residency permit and wants to move out.

To put it bluntly, even if you go bankrupt in the inner city, you still have two apartments that were given away as a bonus during the previous urban renewal project. You can sell one of them and you won't have a particularly difficult time. So why would you leave the inner city?

So the next day, Yua had Hiruzen Sarutobi lead a group to interview and take photos, and then put the newlyweds on television.

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi has some experience as a station manager, he is definitely not as good as Yua in this regard.

After all, Yuya knew the so-called typical function.

Hiruzen Sarutobi has been in a good mood lately because of the birth of Asuma Sarutobi.

Not to mention that Yua gave him a gold lock weighing several kilograms, which made Hiruzen Sarutobi even happier.

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi was actually quite wealthy, what he valued most was that this item could serve as a token of love between his future son and daughter-in-law, or even be passed down through generations.

No problem, having a son makes you want a grandson.

Actually, Youya also really wants his silly son Youji to grow up quickly and go off to find some cabbage. Of course, Youlu is definitely out of the question. Youlu has to be his little cotton-padded jacket. If anyone tries to steal this cabbage in the future, Youya will expose their underwear!

Nothing major has happened in Konoha for 36 years, or rather, nothing major should happen in the entire ninja world in the next few years. Everyone is developing, and you want to cause trouble? Do you see Kirigakure across the sea?

Once upon a time, Kirigakure was much wealthier than Sunagakure and Iwagakure.

As a result, an internal civil war broke out, and Kirigakure was completely destroyed.

They even gave 70% of the resources from three mines to Konoha, only taking 30% for themselves, and also having to be responsible for transportation...

However, given the substantial post-war aid, the Third Mizukage had no choice but to tolerate it.

After all, Konoha sent people to repair roads and build bridges—things that would definitely be the first to be destroyed in a civil war—which solved the immediate problem.

However, this does not mean that Kirigakure was unharmed.

The annual GDP of Iwagakure is currently around 50 billion ryo, that of Sunagakure is around 40 billion ryo, and that of Kumogakure is around 60 to 70 billion ryo.

As for Kirigakure... ten years ago, before the civil war, it was worth about 20 to 30 billion, similar to Kumogakure. But after the civil war, if it weren't for the trade with Konoha supporting exports and consumption and stabilizing the internal situation, Kirigakure would have fallen below 20 billion long ago.

The reality is that Kirigakure is now the worst-off village in terms of economy.

With such a clear example, who would bother to cause trouble?

Even if you cause trouble, someone will beat you to death.

Everyone is focused on rapid development, prioritizing improving the village's infrastructure before considering anything else.

Even the most hawkish village leaders agreed to remain silent for the time being.

After all, only when the village becomes wealthy can they possess greater military strength to wage war against other countries.

……

Of course, the villages themselves certainly don't want to cause trouble.

But this greatly worried Black Zetsu, who was secretly observing.

If you guys keep developing peacefully like this, when will I ever be able to complete my role as a tool for Uchiha Madara?

It's not that I care too much about Madara Uchiha, but if I want to revive Kaguya, the Ten-Tails is indispensable. Of course, the Ten-Tails is just a tool to gather all the chakra in the entire ninja world.

But to get the Ten-Tails moving, you need nine tailed beasts...

That damned Hagoromo split the Ten-Tails' chakra into nine tailed beasts, making it incredibly difficult to reunite them.

That damned Hashirama Senju! Other tailed beasts are living freely and comfortably in the outside world, and you had nothing better to do than capture them?!

Black Zetsu was confident he could gather all, or at least most, ninjas in the entire ninja world onto one battlefield.

It's nothing more than starting a war that will sweep across the entire ninja world.

The countless White Zetsu that Princess Kaguya prepared were undoubtedly a group of perfect cannon fodder in the war.

However, as the saying goes, quantitative change leads to qualitative change.

If these countless White Zetsu are deployed, all the ninja villages in the entire ninja world will have to unite.

Otherwise, we'll just have to wait to be picked off one by one.

Therefore, this is actually not difficult.

The difficulty lies in collecting the tailed beasts.

After all, White Zetsu isn't very strong, and it's unrealistic to think that using these cannon fodder to deal with the ninjas from various villages is just wishful thinking.

You've managed to gather these ninjas together, but how do you absorb the nine tailed beasts to summon the Ten-Tails?

The so-called Gedo Mazo is nothing but an empty shell; without the nine tailed beasts filling it in, it's just a decorative facade.

and so……

It all boils down to one point...

Yu Yi, you're such a good boy!

No, if I don't take the initiative, my plan will be completely ruined.

Madara Uchiha sent Black Zetsu out only to gather intelligence.

However, if Black Zetsu doesn't do something, given the current trajectory of this world...

It is entirely possible that various villages could come together due to a combination of interests!

There has never been a case before of someone from one village marrying into another village!

Black Zetsu deeply understood that if the two villages began to trade and intermarry, the possibility of further conflict between them would be virtually nonexistent.

Moreover, this trade and marriage were not the humiliating forced marriages that Yua had read about in his previous life's history books. Not only were both parties willing, but Yua, as the Hokage of Konoha, was the stronger party. He even promoted the woman in newspapers and television news media, saying that the woman, as an elite Jonin from Sunagakure (after all, the team she led consisted of various new generation talents who were studying abroad, so it was impossible for her to be weak), had actually married an ordinary teacher from Konoha's Ninja Academy. This was already considered a marriage of convenience.

They certainly gave me plenty of face.

Don't underestimate what You Ya did. Although it may seem like just a routine publicity campaign, ordinary people don't have much enthusiasm for political attention at all!

Using a typical example from among ordinary people to establish a model is far more effective for publicity than mindlessly promoting friendship between the two villages in newspapers and on television.

Especially if the woman is willing to settle in Konoha.

Konoha's inner city is only so big; even if the news spreads by word of mouth for a year, everyone will know that a female ninja from Sunagakure married into the village.

Where can you find this kind of promotional effect?

All Youya needs to do is yell a couple of times.

Of course, the Third Kazekage was also happy to see this happen.

Don't assume that this female ninja abandoned Sunagakure after marrying into the village; she still goes back occasionally.

Putting aside everything else, sending money home occasionally is also a contribution to Sunagakure.

Although it's a bit shameless to say this, the Third Kazekage would like to continue promoting it if possible.

However, as the head of a village, he couldn't possibly accept the consequences of selling the women of his own village to Konoha.

Therefore, the Third Kazekage ultimately gave up and decided to let nature take its course.

The actions of Konoha and Sunagakure stunned the other villages.

They never expected to play like this.

After all, they used to do business with each other, and now they've actually become in-laws...

Of course, the relationship between the two villages is not that simple, nor is it possible to make the relationship between them so close so easily.

However, at least in the short term, the relationship between the two villages will become very good, which is entirely foreseeable.

It's a pity that this kind of thing can't be promoted; we can only let it happen naturally.

Moreover, one of them would absolutely never agree to a marriage alliance with Konoha.

Hidden Cloud Village.

They fought to the death before, and now it's impossible for the wind to suddenly change direction.

In fact, the focus of Kumogakure has not been on trade at all recently.

Well, it's not that it's unimportant, but the village's development doesn't rely entirely on commerce.

Military force also needs to be guaranteed.

The only military force that the Hidden Cloud Village could think of was...

Tailed beasts.

The Hidden Cloud Village had already been researching the issue of tailed beast rampages.

I stopped a few years ago because I was broke due to financial difficulties.

Now that life in Kumogakure is better, the Third Raikage immediately picked up this experiment again.

Unfortunately, conducting experiments requires various trials and errors, which also impacts costs.

but……

It's not that there's no way to take a shortcut...

Isn't there a perfect example in Konoha Village?

Yes, just like the original historical course, after Kushina Uzumaki enrolled in the Konoha Ninja Academy, the Hidden Cloud Village set its sights on her.

However, unlike the original history...

After careful consideration and weighing the pros and cons, the Third Raikage abandoned the plan.

Yua, that madman, destroyed the Land of Grass because of one person from the Hyuga branch family. Although it was most likely to be for testing new weapons, it is undeniable that he is just like Tobirama Senju, both of them are madmen.

The Third Raikage remembered his predecessor. The Second Raikage organized several other villages to attack Konoha, but Tobirama Senju ignored everything else and directly led his men to fight against Kumogakure.

Although Yuya may seem harmless, the Third Raikage doesn't think he has a good temper.

Forget it, I'd better not tease them.

Then the Third Raikage received intelligence that the Uchiha clan of Konoha had been attacked by ninjas from Kumogakure.

The Third Raikage: "..."

Would you believe me if I said I didn't do it?

Helpless, the Third Raikage could only explain to Yua.

Of course, Youya didn't really believe it, but given the various interests involved, Youya wasn't going to pursue it too much.

The reason is quite simple...

This time, all the ninjas from Kumogakure were wiped out by the Uchiha clan.

Youya thought about it for three days but still couldn't figure out what these people were thinking.

Until Uchiha Kagami sent a message.

These are the ninja from Kumogakure stationed in Konoha...

There are obvious signs of manipulation...

You Ya immediately narrowed his eyes.

This news...

How can this not be surprising?

Yuya knew, of course, that Madara Uchiha was not dead at this time, and that Black Zetsu was secretly plotting to revive Kaguya.

However, Yuya didn't know where Uchiha Madara was, and it was impossible for him to capture Black Zetsu.

However, this also confirms that Yuya is definitely up to something in the dark.

But this makes things difficult...

People have indeed died in Kumogakure, and if things go wrong, it could really escalate into a diplomatic conflict.

Although Yua certainly won't back down to Kumogakure like Hiruzen Sarutobi, a fight would still be a troublesome affair.

It wasn't until the Third Raikage sent the Hidden Cloud Village's Anbu to Konoha to make contact with Yua that Yua suddenly understood.

What conflict between the Uchiha clan and Kumogakure?

These dead Cloud Village ninjas were all wanted on the black market!

What else is there to say?

Kakuzu! You're a complete scoundrel! You attacked Konoha before! And now you've gone so far as to attack Kumogakure?!

Yuya immediately announced that he would join forces with Kumogakure to place a bounty on Kakuzu, and Yuya, being wealthy, directly offered a bounty of 100 million ryo.

(Addendum: In the original history, Asma had a bounty of 3500 million taels.)

This left Kakuzu, who was in the black market, completely bewildered.

He didn't do anything!

After this incident, Yuya prepared to hold a Five Kage Summit in Konoha in the 37th year.

The topic of the meeting, without a doubt, was that bastard Black Zetsu.

But before that...

Let's gather as much intelligence as we can; something is better than nothing.

So, Yuya called over Hatake Sakumo and Might Guy, and the two of them each led an elite squad to conduct a mission investigation, and then returned when the deadline arrived.

This mission was extremely important, and neither of them could refuse.

Sakumo Hatake and Might Guy both nodded with very serious expressions.

Might Guy's wife is about to give birth, and if it weren't for the fact that these two combatants are S-rank and completely obedient to him, Yua really wouldn't want Might Guy to leave.

After all, doing so would make one seem too cold-hearted.

One can only hope that Might Guy's wife gives birth to him later in life, and not this year.

Fortunately, a month later, in December of Konoha Year 36, after Might Guy and Hatake Sakumo had investigated for a month and handed over the intelligence they had gathered to Yua, Might Guy's wife had not yet given birth.

You Ya breathed a sigh of relief and immediately sent people to deliver various tonics and gifts to the hospital.

Although Might Guy and Little Lee are both perverts in tight-fitting suits, they are still men who almost ended the series with a single kick.

Moreover, since his father worked so hard for him, it was only right that he received some special treatment.

Just as Yuya was preparing to conduct the year-end audit and take the opportunity to fleece corrupt officials and unscrupulous businessmen, Mitomon Homura sent someone from the Uzumaki clan with a piece of intelligence.

Mitokado Homura discovered a girl among the Uzumaki clan members...

Members of the Uzumaki clan have a chance to awaken a special constitution that allows them to heal others.

However, this kind of physique is very rare. It is said that Mito Uzumaki had this kind of physique and healed Hashirama Senju's injuries many times.

However, Yu Ya would certainly not allow anyone to investigate the veracity of this rumor.

And now...

The information relayed by Mitokado Homura indicates that this child from the Uzumaki clan has undoubtedly awakened this type of physique.

Mitokado Yan bluntly stated that a talent with this physique should not be under the closed management of a clan like the Uzumaki Clan.

He wants to send this child to Konoha.

Yuya blinked. This information... it looked so familiar...

Isn't this Karin's mother?

Hmm... Will altering Karin's mother's historical trajectory without permission prevent Karin from being born?

Yuya thought about Karin's mother's original ending, then picked up her pen and wrote a reply on the information sent by Mitokado Homura:

Deliver it right away!

Rather than following the tragic course of history, Yuya felt it was better to take good care of the child.

Putting aside other things...

Konoha Hospital needs this kind of "tool person"!

Uh, okay, it is a bit mercenary, but Youya assures you, he has absolutely no good intentions! He wants to change this child's tragic future!

At least...at least there's some truth to it, it's definitely not because she's seen as a tool...

(End of this chapter)