Naruto: Starting from Eating the Gold Fruit

Chapter 189 Sunagakure Village's Konoha Ninja Exchange Team

The status of Konoha Village in the current ninja world is similar to that of a certain beacon nation in Yua's previous life.

However, this beacon later abandoned industrialization to pursue finance, causing its industrial share to plummet from over half of the world's total to just 15%. Meanwhile, a certain rabbit on the other side of the strait started from scratch and soared to 30%.

Putting aside the various factors between the two countries, this fact tells us a truth.

That means those who are good at playing the financial game are swindlers, and those who are bad at it are either fools or idiots.

Finance serves the real economy. Finance detached from the real economy is just a bunch of bubbles. If someone tells you that these bubbles are valuable and wants to get you to make money together, they are either stupid or malicious. Don't pay any attention to them.

Finance has only one unique characteristic...

That means it's too easy for a country as a unit.

Using the money they print themselves to harvest resources from other countries—it seems like they're making a killing.

Yuya won't let Konoha go down the path of detaching itself from the real world and playing the virtual economy, at least not now. The technology isn't up to par, so it's impossible to play that game right now.

The problem is...

You can choose not to participate, but many half-baked individuals fail to see the risks involved, or perhaps they understand them but are blinded by immediate gains.

Take the Third Kazekage, for example.

The story begins three years ago in Sunagakure.

The value of the canal in Sunagakure after its construction was to bring a river to the village, turning it into an oasis in the desert, and even providing transportation services.

But that's the crux of the problem.

The source of this canal in Sunagakure is the overflowing waters of the rivers in the Land of Rain.

The source is in other people's hands. Others in Sunagakure may not care, but the Third Kazekage cannot help but worry about this.

After all, if the Land of Rain cuts off the water source, their Sand Village will be in big trouble if they can't get water.

So the Third Kazekage began to try to persuade the village's ninja clans to help him find other waterways, waterways not controlled by the Land of Rain, to flow into this canal.

Apart from the Sandstorm Clan, who had a grudge against the Third Kazekage, the other clans in Sunagakure didn't actually think the Third Kazekage was that bad.

Although the Sandstorm Clan is the largest clan in the entire Sand Village, it is precisely because of this that it seems natural for the Third Kazekage to suppress you.

In fact, even the Sandstorm Clan themselves could understand why the Third Kazekage was suppressing them.

But while I understand, I still have to resist.

Therefore, the Sandstorm Clan immediately opposed the proposal put forward by the Third Kazekage, slamming their fists on the table.

In reality, the Sandstorm Clan didn't see the risks in this plan at all; they even thought the plan itself was fine.

It's actually not bad, since it allows Sunagakure to break free from its dependence on the rain source from the Land of Rain.

Even though I think that way, this proposal was put forward by you, the Third Kazekage, so it's no good, I don't agree!

And then, of course, nothing more happened. Although the Sandstorm Family opposed it, they only made empty threats and did not take any actual obstructive actions.

Of course, they didn't dare, after all, this concerned the entire village's drinking water, and the Sandstorm Clan still had some sense of shame.

However, it was precisely because they shouted that they appeared to be very prescient.

Three years ago, the Third Kazekage used this pretext to ask the Sunagakure clans to donate money and supplies, ostensibly to use these resources to send people out to search, or simply to buy information directly from information brokers.

However, as we all know, things often turn out completely differently from what we expect.

For the first month or two, the Third Kazekage remained true to himself.

But in the third month, seeing that other families were still sending him money, he started to have wicked thoughts.

Does this approach of soliciting donations of money and goods under a seemingly lucrative pretext sound familiar?

That's right, this is the typical beginning of a Ponzi scheme.

And what followed naturally unfolded as expected.

It's impossible to hide these families' three generations of Fengying (a high-ranking official in the martial arts world) from the truth; the people working under him are all from these families.

So he secretly approached the heads of several clans besides the Sandstorm Clan and said, "I'll take the lead and organize a project. We'll share the profits."

Strictly speaking, there's nothing wrong with that, since the Third Kazekage used the money to improve the environment of Sunagakure.

In fact, the most important achievement of the Third Kazekage was the canal, which had already begun construction during the Second Kazekage's time. He was the one who reaped the benefits, as he did not participate in the construction, planning, organization of manpower, or transportation of materials for the canal.

But that doesn't stop him from considering it his achievement.

No one dislikes benefits, and no one dislikes achievements.

So, the Third Kazekage pulled off a rather unorthodox move.

He started fundraising.

To be honest, the earliest form of fundraising was invented by You Ya.

At that time, Yua was only a teenager. Konoha and Kumogakure were fighting on the front lines. Yua mobilized the villagers to send supplies and letters home to the front lines, which greatly boosted the morale of the ninjas on the front lines.

After Yua became Hokage and developed Konoha into a beacon village in the ninja world, everything Yua had done before was scrutinized by other villages again and again.

Undoubtedly, the idea that fundraising could bring huge profits simply by raising one's arms and shouting was something that other villages also wanted to try.

And the Third Kazekage succeeded.

He gained a great deal of profit.

However, it was at this moment that the foreshadowing was laid.

It's not that the Third Kazekage doesn't know how to manage an economy; in fact, aside from Yua, no village leader in this world knows how to manage an economy.

Of course, this can't be said to be related to finance; it's just that the Third Kazekage mastered a typical financial scam without any formal training.

Once a Ponzi scheme develops from the top down, it's destined to be irreversible. The profits and the implications are simply too enormous. Even a small contribution from a single family in Sunagakure could be worth billions.

And it's given away for free, without any expectation of return.

At this point, the Third Kazekage had no idea how to find other water sources. He thought the money could be used to develop factories and build power towers like Konoha had done.

The idea is sound, but unfortunately the money isn't mine.

A year has passed, and the people feel there are no problems. But they want money again the following year?

Go ahead and give it to us. Anyway, life is better now, and we have some spare money. The Third Kazekage is doing this for our own good.

Then, in the third year, which is this year, Sunagakure was in an uproar.

In fact, the Third Kazekage's approach could be further developed by submitting the proposal to the Daimyo of the Land of Wind and then exploiting the wealth of other people in the Land of Wind to support the villagers of Sunagakure.

Is it excessive? Yes, it is.

Shameless? Yes, shameless.

Is it despicable? It is indeed extremely despicable.

Whether the Third Kazekage thought of this move, whether he thought of it but didn't because of his moral bottom line, or whether he didn't think of it and therefore didn't do it, no one knows anymore.

In short, the current fact is that the Third Kazekage is being asked to step down by the villagers of Sunagakure.

Then the Sandstorm Clan, who had previously slammed their fists on the table and challenged the Third Kazekage, gained immense popular support.

Happiness came so suddenly that I was a little overwhelmed.

The Third Kazekage would naturally not agree to step down.

As a result, the two sides engaged in open and covert struggles within Sunagakure, plunging the village into chaos and disorder.

Against this backdrop, both the Sandstorm Clan and the Third Kazekage agreed on one thing.

That is to deepen the promotion of studying abroad in Konoha.

The earliest group of students to study in Konoha consisted only of medical students.

The second batch of students who went to Konoha for further studies studied a wider variety of subjects, including those who worked as mortals, those who worked in design, and those who observed how Konoha maintained its political system and how orders were relayed down through the ranks.

Some of these people are still studying in Konoha, while others have already returned to their village.

And without a doubt, they demonstrated the skills they had learned in Konoha after returning to the village.

So, regarding this third batch, I don't know how it went in other villages, but Sunagakure was the first to decide to send the first batch of elite ninja children who graduated from the Ninja Academy to Konoha.

This is indeed a gamble. If these children don't come back, the village of Sunagakure will suffer a great loss.

But in reality, they really had no way to solve it.

The relationship between the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure and the Sandstorm Clan is becoming increasingly tense. Given the current situation, if the two sides were to actually fight...

It would be better to send them to Konoha.

……

You Ya often thinks that the wings she flaps like a butterfly are already quite large.

After all, the Second Shinobi World War didn't happen, and judging by the time, the Third Shinobi World War is about to begin. However, thanks to my changes, although there are constant minor conflicts in the shinobi world, there is no sign of war between major powers.

What? You're talking about big countries and small countries?

That's not called war, that's called a local conflict, understand?

Yuya often doesn't realize just how much he has changed the world, since he can't leave Konoha, and the people of Konoha wouldn't allow him to leave.

Therefore, he personally does not have a clear sense of reality.

Until he stood at the inner gate of the village and saw the person leading the Sunagakure team...

Her red, tousled hair fluttered in the wind, and she wore the classic Sunagakure robe, hood, and slippers, emphasizing a combination of a tight-fitting body and cool feet.

A boy who was about 1.6 meters tall stepped forward and bowed slightly to Yuya: "Greetings, esteemed Hokage. I am the captain of the special ninja exchange team dispatched by Sunagakure. My name is Akaza."

The man was not very old, and after he finished speaking, he stepped back and gave his seat to a child who was a little over 1.2 or 1.3 meters tall.

This person is very famous.

Sasori of the Red Sand, the Sasori in Yua's memory, should be someone who turned his parents into puppets...

Oh, I forgot, his parents were killed by Sakumo Hatake during World War II.

Tsk tsk, since World War II didn't break out, and his parents didn't nag him, this little guy doesn't seem so withdrawn anymore.

Although it's small, that's precisely why it's so much more fun to play with.

It's clear that Akashi, who's leading the team, is a Jonin, but the one in the dominant position is still this kid named Sasori.

The other villagers of Sunagakure had no objections to this.

Yuya laughed heartily twice, then walked over and patted Sasori on the shoulder, saying with a smile, "I know you, I know you. You're the grandson of Chiyo, the director of the First Hospital of Sunagakure. Chiyo was a very good friend of a doctor in Konoha named Tsunade, and she has also made a lot of contributions to the development of medicine."

Youya smiled and said some platitudes, but in reality he was sensing Scorpion's physical abilities.

Hmm, that's really true...

The human body...

Why do I feel a little disappointed?

While turning oneself into a puppet is perverted, perversion is what makes it attractive, right?

Clearing his throat, Yuya snapped out of his thoughts and whispered to Sasori, "Chiyo, that old woman from Sunagakure, worked as a saleswoman at one of our Konoha shops for a few years. Would you like to go take a look?"

Scorpion was completely dumbfounded.

He used to think that the Third Hokage should be a very serious, hardworking, mature, stable, and reliable man...

But this...

This doesn't seem like it at all...

Did I mistake someone for someone else...?

Scorpion looked at Youya with a constipated expression.

You Ya coughed. It seemed this kid didn't want to watch. Hmph, fine, if he doesn't want to watch, then he's the one who's losing out.

So Yuya turned around and led the group of kid ninjas into the inner city of Konoha.

Sunagakure naturally had Jonin leading the team.

Yes, that's a scorpion.

In any case, Scorpion's talent is undeniable.

Moreover, his strength is indeed not weak.

Especially when fighting humans, who are made of flesh and blood, the young Sasori, who is a disciple of Chiyo, can use his venom to make you feel like you are dying of pleasure.

As Sasori led his team into Konoha's inner city, Yuya subtly turned to look at Sasori, only to find that the latter showed no surprise at the suddenly towering buildings, wide roads, green plants on both sides of the roads, smooth cement, colorful and dazzling road signs, and so on.

You Ya curled his lip. "You brat, if that's how it is, don't blame me for using my ultimate move."

Afterwards, Yuya led the group of kids on a tour of Konoha's streets, working as their guide.

In reality, he originally planned to come here today to put on a show, to receive the people from Sunagakure, and then say that he had other things to do and go for a walk.

When they arrived, they discovered that the person leading the team was actually Scorpion's elder. Well, the actual leader should be Scorpion himself.

The people of Sunagakure are really trustworthy.

However... a seven-year-old scorpion with the build of a boy and looking perfectly normal?

This piqued You Ya's interest, and his previous idea of ​​just going through the motions vanished instantly.

He has to show a look of shock on that brat's face today.

Hmm... or something else is fine too.

Then, when Yuya led the group to the bustling commercial street, Scorpion did show surprise in his eyes, but that was all.

It was far from the level of shock.

Youya was annoyed. "You're such a strange kid. Didn't you see your companions were all shocked? Why are you so calm?"

Trying to act all grown up, huh?!

You Ya grinned and told the group of kids that everyone could go into the shopping street and choose an item within ten minutes. After ten minutes, they should bring it back here, and he would pay for it.

The kids from Sunagakure immediately became happy.

However, they didn't do anything until Scorpion turned his head and nodded to them, adding, "Choose the most expensive one."

These brats scattered in a flash.

Youya stroked his beard and immediately laughed.

This scorpion...

Although he's different from Sasori in the Naruto manga, it seems...

That's quite interesting, isn't it?

So, Yuya looked at Scorpion in a coaxing tone and asked, "Don't you want anything?"

Scorpion pursed his lips, then turned to look at Yua seriously: "I would like to ask you to tell me..."

How can we make Sunagakure... have a street like this too...?

The seriousness and earnestness in his eyes made him look nothing like a 17-year-old boy.

When Youya saw the scorpion, he couldn't help but grin.

That's it...

The change he wanted...

He certainly doesn't like tragedies, but...

If everything were truly perfect...

Then where does the story come from?

"Oh? You mean you also want Sunagakure to become as wealthy as Konoha?" Yua grinned at Sasori, then his smile widened as he laughed loudly.

"Then you'd better work hard in the days to come, you brat!"

……

Night, going home:

Tsunade held a feather duster in her hand and looked at Yuya, her eyes filled with murderous intent.

Yuya shrank back and gave an awkward laugh, "Well... I can explain. The children from Sunagakure came from afar, so it's not too much for me to buy them some gifts... is it..."

Tsunade sneered, then looked at Yuki and Yuru, who were trembling to the side, and said coldly, "You two will sleep at your grandparents' house tonight."

The siblings felt like they'd been granted a pardon. Before leaving, You Lu shouted, "I love my grandparents the most!"

Then she dashed off with her brother, losing her shoes in the process. Just then, she heard Youji's voice: "Let's go, let's go! We'll put them back on outside, otherwise we won't be able to leave today!"

After the two children ran off, Tsunade put away the feather duster, turned around, and gave Yua a voluptuous back view: "Elbow, come inside with me."

You Ya: "..."

You Ya looked grief-stricken.

You little bastards!

You guys were given a choice, and you actually chose the most expensive one!

Couldn't you have chosen some toys or dolls?!

(End of this chapter)