Apologies for the lack of updates, I was busy with some family matters.
l'll do a mass release on Saturday.
———————
"How is it?"
"Raikage-sama, the injuries on the Sandaime sama's body are not deep, but judging by the marks, part of what he said was true."
The Anbu captain spoke.
The corpse had been charred black by the Sandaime Raikage's Black Lightning, making it difficult to discern much. However, the blade wounds stood out clearly. If the enemy truly had Samehada…
Then it really would have been possible.
A knew that Kyōichi did indeed possess Samehada.
So.
Had he been telling the truth? Could he really have slain his father alone?
As he pondered this, he noticed Minato forming hand seals nearby.
A wasn't well-versed in sealing techniques, but the Anbu captain was. He quietly reminded him, "This is Konoha's sealing jutsu—it can disrupt chakra."
"Fine. I believe you truly had the ability to kill my father. But do you really expect me to thank you from the bottom of my heart?"
"Of course not. I'm only saying this so you don't seek revenge on the wrong target. But if you truly wish to kill me, I'll be ready on the battlefield anytime. Just consider this carefully—not every time will there be a Raikage covering the retreat of the main force."
Kyōichi didn't back down in the slightest.
He respected the Sandaime Raikage and admired the Yondaime Raikage's decisiveness and directness. But when facing Kumogakure, if he didn't show his strength, they would only see him as weak.
Like the kidnapping of Kushina.
Or later, Hinata.
"You—!"
A's face darkened with rage, but deep down, he recalled his father's words.
Don't act rashly…
Stay calm!
He took a deep breath, suppressing his fury, and said, "Don't worry. In Kumogakure, we call a spade a spade. I know exactly who this grudge belongs to."
"Good. I hope we can cooperate in the future."
"Hah. That opportunity will never come."
A replied indifferently. But then, the Anbu captain whispered something in his ear. A's face flushed red, and he glared angrily at the Anbu captain.
Yet after a long pause—
The corner of his mouth twitched, and he forced out a painfully strained smile. "I've heard your medical ninjutsu is exceptional? Could you… help Kumogakure?"
At first, A found it humiliating.
But once he spoke those words, he realized it wasn't so hard. Compared to his pride, the lives of his subordinates mattered far more.
Dignity?
Unimportant.
Not only did his tone soften, but he even bowed to Kyōichi and Minato, as if forgetting they had been part of the group that ambushed his father.
This wasn't mere restraint—it was about separating one matter from another. And as Kyōichi had said, Ōnoki bore most of the responsibility for the Sandaime Raikage's death. Kyōichi and Minato had merely gone along with it.
"I'm just a shadow clone…"
Kyōichi was taken aback.
He had only been polite, never expecting Kumogakure to actually propose cooperation.
But then he remembered—
In the anime, when Tsunade and Shizune had traveled near the Land of Lightning, A had personally sought them out. Though the circumstances were different, this man truly would bend his pride for his people.
Minato remained silent.
Honestly, he had thought they'd be lucky to escape unharmed. Yet not only had they avoided a fight, but they'd even secured cooperation with Kumogakure.
This outcome…
He could only say it left him utterly stunned.
"Can't your real body come? If you're worried I'll do something, I'm willing to be exchanged as a hostage!"
"Raikage-sama!"
"If you have no objections, let's proceed with this arrangement. Or if you have other conditions, name them. Compensation won't be an issue."
A spoke decisively.
Kyōichi thought for a moment. "Treating the wounded isn't a problem—I don't even need my real body to come. As for conditions… I'd like the Land of Lightning to improve its roads and ensure the safety of merchants from the Land of Fire and Konoha."
"Huh? That's it?"
A was stunned.
Honestly…
He didn't get it.
Eliminating bandits and maintaining roads were things Kumogakure should do anyway. Even without Konoha's request, he would have done so.
As for merchant traffic—
Most Fire Country merchants preferred traveling to the Land of Hot Water, where goods were then transported to the Land of Lightning. Those Fire Country merchants couldn't be bothered to enter Lightning Country directly.
What was the point?
He couldn't make sense of it. After some hesitation, the straightforward Raikage felt awkward accepting such a lopsided deal and asked bluntly, "Can I ask why? You must realize this condition is…"
The Anbu captain facepalmed, speechless.
The other side had already offered such favorable terms—why question it? What if they changed their mind?
But since A had already asked, there was no stopping it now.
"Well, let's just say I don't like middlemen taking a cut. Any further questions will cost you."
Kyōichi smirked.
The Land of Lightning's environment wasn't ideal—otherwise, Kumogakure wouldn't have been built in the mountains.
It wasn't that they didn't want to settle on flat ground.
They just didn't have the option.
Of course, this meant Kumogakure shinobi trained daily by climbing, naturally boosting their physical prowess. Their hardy culture and superior taijutsu were renowned.
But—
Their specialties were scarce in the Land of Fire.
First, alcohol.
The Land of Lightning had many hot springs and mountainous terrain, with unique geography and water quality. Their liquor was far superior to Fire Country's and considered a noble's drink.
Second, beef.
Highland cattle were far more expensive, and the key was…
Even money couldn't always buy it.
And these were just the goods they could obtain from Lightning Country. The real goal was selling their own products there—which tied into one of Kyōichi's future plans.
"If you insist, then fine."
A hesitated…
But in the end, he nodded.
Though he didn't understand Kyōichi's motives, no matter how he looked at it, accepting these terms didn't seem to harm the Land of Lightning.
"I don't know medical ninjutsu. To avoid misunderstandings, I'll return and explain the situation, so they don't worry."
"That's reasonable. Thank you both for coming."
A gave a slight bow.
Minato formed a hand seal, dispelling his shadow clone.
——
At the border of the Land of Lightning, Kyōichi, Minato, and Orochimaru had just finished watching Kirigakure's spectacle and were now traveling along the coast toward the Land of Hot Water.
Midway—
Minato suddenly froze, then his expression turned strange.
"The shadow clone returned?"
Orochimaru sensed the chakra fluctuation and guessed it was the clone's feedback.
But—
Why only one?
"Yes. The body was delivered. Kumo explicitly stated they wouldn't hold Konoha responsible for the Sandaime Raikage's death. And… they asked Kyōichi to help treat their wounded."
Minato relayed the details slowly.
Kyōichi and Orochimaru listened intently. Since Kyōichi's clone hadn't returned yet, he had no idea what had transpired.
"Is there some deeper meaning to those conditions?"
Orochimaru frowned.
Even with his intellect, he wasn't omniscient. Kyōichi's terms puzzled him too—it felt like a wasted opportunity.
But Kyōichi quickly understood.
After all, it was his thought process. How could he not guess?
"Kyōichi, what's your reasoning?"
Minato asked directly.
He knew Kyōichi must have had a purpose—otherwise, he wouldn't have proposed such an odd condition.
"It's related to a technique I plan to research later. If it succeeds, Konoha will never lack medicinal herbs, food, or even vegetables again."
"You're researching Mokuton?"
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed.
Medicinal herbs, food, vegetables—
All plant-based.
His mind immediately went to his own research on Wood Release.
"You could call it Mokuton, but more accurately, it's more like… Kusaton. no need for combat power—just the ability to accelerate plant growth. Lower power means lower barriers to mastery."
Kyōichi explained.
What he wanted to develop was similar to Fū's "Green Technique."
Orochimaru fell into thought.
Mokuton chakra did have the effect of accelerating plant growth.
If successful, crops, vegetables, and medicinal herbs could be cultivated rapidly. So Kyōichi's plan was to sell ninjutsu-grown produce abroad.
He vaguely sensed deeper implications, but Orochimaru wasn't well-versed in economics. No matter how he racked his brain, he couldn't quite grasp it.
Orochimaru frowned. "By your logic, you'd grow these medicinal herbs and sell them to Lightning Country. But how does that hurt them?"
"Doing something doesn't always require harming the other side. We use ninjutsu to create value—earning money while solving food shortages at home. Plus…"
Kyōichi paused, extending his fingers to sense the surroundings with chakra.
After confirming they were alone, he continued, "The Land of Lightning is full of mountains, some valleys crackling with lightning. Arable land is scarce. If we flood them with cheap, mass-produced food, how many of their own farmers will remain after years of trade?"
"!!!"
Orochimaru's eyes widened as the final piece clicked into place.
Food!
During war, shinobi relied on soldier pills, but those were made from medicinal herbs and grain. Their high cost came from the scarcity of food.
If they mastered this technique—
They could easily dominate Lightning Country's food trade.
However, letting those bandit-like Kumo-nin eat their fill might not be wise. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Kyōichi-kun, there's more, isn't there?"
"Of course. Lightning Country's cattle are famous. Once trade routes open, we'll import their cows and beef. That means more people raising cattle, and eventually, some may even specialize in growing fodder."
Kyōichi laid out his simple plan.
It wasn't revolutionary—just repurposed ideas from his past life. But in the shinobi world, this was groundbreaking. At least, Orochimaru had never considered it.
He licked his lips and nodded. "I see now. It's a cycle. Unless Kumo realizes immediately, they'll slowly walk into the trap!"
Brutal.
This scheme—
Was deadlier than any blade.
Not war, yet more effective than war. Control the food supply, and would Kumo dare act recklessly?
"This plan only works if we can defeat Kumo in battle. Otherwise, they'll just start a war and take what they want. In the end, our own fists must be strong enough."