manynovel Chapter 157 Let's make some money!
Chapter 157 Let's make some money!
Chapter 157 Let's make some money!
The next day, the entire group successfully entered the land of rivers.
Although the Land of Rivers is chaotic, it is not under the control of any major ninja village, so there shouldn't be any major trouble.
In addition, with the shadow clones sent out by Makoto Gojibana scouting ahead and detouring around any suspicious targets, the journey went quite smoothly.
Five days later, the group arrived at a small fishing village on the eastern coast of the land of rivers.
Gouju Cheng hired a large enough fishing boat here, carrying more than fifty Loulan survivors, and sailed towards the vast sea.
Not bad.
Unlike when he came, Gouju Cheng chose to travel by water on his way back.
Starting from the port of the Land of Rivers, following the border of the Land of Fire, passing through the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Waves, and finally arriving at the Land of Water!
With Iwagakure and Konoha locked in a fierce battle, he had no interest in getting involved. Traveling by water would not only be shorter but also avoid all sorts of trouble, so why not?
Life at sea was much easier than traveling through the desert.
Although the ship was small and the accommodations were cramped, for those who had hidden in the desert for four years, being able to feel the sea breeze—
Looking at the azure sea is already a great pleasure.
"Lord Mizukage, how much longer until we reach the Land of Water?"
A young man leaned over the gunwale and asked curiously.
Gouju Cheng looked at the nautical chart and then gazed into the distance.
"At the current speed, it will take about three days."
"Three days?"
"Yes, in three days, we will be able to see the land of the Land of Water."
The young man's eyes lit up, and he turned to the other tribesmen, shouting, "Three more days! Hang in there for three more days!"
A cheer erupted from the ship.
Gouju Cheng leaned against the ship's railing, watching the jubilant Loulan survivors, and a smile couldn't help but appear on his lips.
Three days later, at dusk.
The ship finally arrived at a port in the eastern part of the Land of Water.
This is a small port town, which is quite lively due to its proximity to the border and the frequent passage of merchant ships.
As the ship slowly approached the shore, people were already waiting on the dock.
"team leader!"
A familiar shout rang out.
Makoto looked up and saw Mangetsu Hozuki standing on the dock, waving excitedly at him. Standing beside him were Ao, Kisame Hoshigaki, Ameyuri Ringo, and Yuki Minazuki.
The entire Fogblade squad has arrived.
"Why are you here?" Makoto Kujira jumped off the boat, somewhat surprised.
"Lord Yagura received your message and sent us to meet you," Ao explained. "And we heard you brought a group of people back, so we helped with the arrangements."
Gouju Cheng nodded and looked at Sarah and the others.
"These are the Loulan survivors I mentioned in my letter. They want to settle in the Water Kingdom and need a place to stay temporarily."
Qing glanced at the ragged, emaciated people on the boat and nodded.
"Understood. There used to be a temporary shelter outside the village, originally prepared for war refugees, but it wasn't used. Let's tidy it up a bit and settle them in first."
"Okay, let's go there."
Gouju Cheng patted Qing on the shoulder, "Thank you for your hard work."
"What are you saying, Captain?"
The group left the port and headed towards Kirigakure.
Gouju Makoto arranged for several Chunin to take the Loulan survivors to temporary accommodations, while he led the Mist Blade Squad back to the village first.
Along the way, Hozuki Mangetsu kept asking questions, and Makoto Karatachi simply told them some of the things he could talk about, such as encountering Sasori and stealing Shukaku.
"Captain, you even stole Shukaku?"
Hozuki Mangetsu's eyes widened. "That's a tailed beast from Sunagakure!"
"Is there a problem?" Makoto Karatachi said casually, "Sunagakure isn't our ally, so what if they robbed us?"
That's what they say—
Hozuki Mangetsu scratched his head: "But this is too exciting! We have to come along!"
As evening fell, the group finally arrived at Kirigakure.
Instead of returning to his own residence, Makoto Goji went directly to the Mizukage Building.
"Acheng!"
Yagura was reviewing documents in the Mizukage's office when he saw Makoto Karatachi push the door open and enter. He immediately put down his pen and stood up.
"You little rascal, you finally decided to come back!"
He quickly walked up to Gouju Cheng, looked him up and down, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that he was not injured.
"I heard you've caused quite a stir in the Land of Wind again?"
"It was just a minor incident." Makoto Karatachi smiled and sat down opposite Yagura.
Yagura waved his hand, signaling the Anbu to leave, and then personally poured a cup of tea for Makoto Karatachi.
"Tell me, what exactly happened?"
Gouju Cheng didn't hide anything and briefly recounted his experiences along the way.
In Loulan, they encountered Centipede and Sara, broke the seal on the dragon vein, and absorbed the dragon vein's chakra.
They then revealed how they encountered Sasori in the desert, stole Shukaku, and even planned to cooperate with Sasori of the Red Sand.
"Dragon vein?"
Yagura frowned slightly after hearing this.
He had certainly heard of the legend of the Loulan Dragon Vein, a colossal power capable of altering the fate of a nation and shaking the ninja world. But this legendary entity actually existed, and his cousin had absorbed it?
"You mean, you currently have all the Dragon Vein's chakra sealed within you?"
"Pretty much," Makoto Karatachi shrugged. "Although the sealing technique was a bit crude, the effect was alright. Now I'm a walking, talking chakra reservoir, and I won't even need to worry about rations when I go out anymore."
Yagura's lips twitched.
This kid always manages to describe the most shocking things as casually as if he went out to buy a steamed bun.
"What about Shukaku?"
"It's lying in the sealed vessel," Makoto Karatachi said casually. "But I promised Sasori I'd give it to him to research. He'll be coming to the Land of Waves in half a month, and I'll send someone to pick him up then."
"After all, this is a tailed beast from Sunagakure. It's not very realistic for us to turn it into a Jinchūriki, right?"
"Sasori of the Red Sand—the S-rank rogue ninja who assassinated the Third Kazekage?"
Yagura's brow furrowed even more.
As a high-ranking member of Kirigakure, he naturally had some knowledge of the dangerous individuals from the various ninja villages. Sasori's name was marked with the words "extremely dangerous" in the intelligence department's files.
"Acheng, are you sure you want to cooperate with this kind of person? He's a rogue ninja, he even betrayed his own village, what if—"
"Don't worry, cousin, I know what I'm doing."
Makoto Koji waved his hand, interrupting Yagura's worries.
"A person like Scorpion never pursues worldly things like power or money. What he wants is eternal art, the possibility that allows him to reach a higher realm."
"And white zeolite cells can give him that kind of future."
"As long as I can continue to provide him with materials and research opportunities that interest him, he won't betray me. Besides—"
"With my abilities, even if he really wanted to pull some tricks, it wouldn't matter."
Yagura looked at Makoto Karatachi's confident expression, remained silent for a moment, and finally nodded.
"Since you're so confident, I won't say any more. But we still need to be on guard. I'll send my secret agents to keep watch in the shadows, just in case."
"Sure, but you might need to keep an eye on Sunagakure, cousin."
Makoto Goji chuckled and said, "They don't know yet, but secrets don't stay hidden forever. If Sunagakure finds out anything in the future, you'll have to cover for me, cousin."
"You little rascal—"
Yagura shook his head helplessly, but what could he say now that things had come to this? Besides, even Shukaku had been brought back.
Just tough it out!
"Thanks, cousin."
Goji Makoto stood up, preparing to leave.
"By the way, Acheng."
Yagura suddenly called out to him.
"Um?
'
What are your plans for the future?
Gouju Cheng thought for a moment, then grinned.
"First, study the power of the dragon vein, and then wait for Scorpion to arrive. Study the White Zetsu cells with Scorpion. Minister Ice should have already submitted a report to you about the White Zetsu cells, right?"
"I already know about the white leukocytes. If we can actually research something from them, it will definitely be a good thing for the country and its people."
Yagura paused, then coughed slightly, somewhat awkwardly: "But, Makoto, there's something I need to tell you—"
"What is it?"
"That village doesn't have much money left now."
Gouju Cheng was taken aback.
"What?"
"The cost of war is too high."
Yagura sighed, walked to the window, looked at the brightly lit village outside, and spoke with a heavy tone.
"The village suffered heavy losses. Even if we eventually win the war and sign those reparations with Konoha, we will still need money for all sorts of things after the war."
Gouju Cheng was stunned for a moment, then understood.
War is all about money and supplies; it's all about attrition.
Despite the interference of Makoto Karatachi, Kirigakure ultimately won the war against Konoha and forced Hiruzen Sarutobi to sign a humiliating ceasefire agreement, while also obtaining a large amount of war reparations.
But compensation is compensation; it's an amount to be paid in installments over the next few years, which is not a solution to an immediate problem.
The current reality is that the war has consumed too many resources.
Compensation for fallen ninjas, medical expenses for the wounded, costs of post-war reconstruction, and rewards for meritorious service —
All of this is real money, and not a single penny less!
"How much is missing?"
Gouju asked sincerely.
Yagura paused for a moment, then gave a number.
That was an astronomical figure that would leave ordinary ninjas speechless.
"So many?"
Makoto Goji was also somewhat surprised.
Although he gained a lot of benefits during the war, whether it was the supplies seized from the Cangnan supply station or the resources plundered from Fengming Valley, the total value was only around one or two hundred million taels.
The number Yagura mentioned far exceeds his current wealth.
"There's nothing we can do; the war has been going on for too long."
Yagura rubbed his temples, looking somewhat tired.
"The Third Hokage is also very interested in your research project. He has read the report submitted by Minister Ice and believes that the research on White Zetsu cells is of extremely high value. If it can be successfully applied, it will greatly help improve the medical technology and combat power of Kirigakure in the future."
"but----"
"But research requires money, and a lot of money."
Yagura picked up the conversation, giving a wry smile.
"What the Third Generation means is that you will lead this project, and the village will fully support you. But as you know, the village's finances are limited right now. So—you'll probably have to figure out the rest yourself."
Gouju Cheng was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.
"Cousin, are you telling me that if I want to do research, I have to pay for it myself?"
"You can't say that—"
Yagura rubbed his hands together somewhat awkwardly. "What the Third Hokage meant was that you have priority access to the research results, and the village will give you maximum support in terms of authority and policies. As for funding—the village will definitely help where it can, but if it really can't, you'll have to rely on yourself."
Gouju nodded without saying anything more.
He understood what Yagura meant.
If successful, research on leukemia cells would be of immeasurable value.
But if it fails—the village is willing to support, but it's impossible to stake everything on an uncertain project.
Moreover, Makoto Karatachi is no longer an unknown figure; he is the Mizukage's assistant and a hero who led Kirigakure to victory.
Given his status and strength, he is fully capable of raising research funds on his own.
"Okay, I understand."
Makoto Karatachi stood up and patted Yagura on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, cousin, I'll figure out the money myself."
"Acheng————"
Yagura looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
Although he spoke casually, he knew in his heart that tens of millions of taels of research funding was no small sum.
Moreover, this is only the initial investment; if the research goes deeper, more funding will be needed in the future.
"Don't make that face."
Gouju Cheng grinned.
"Have you forgotten who I am? I'm the man who can squeeze billions of taels of war reparations out of the Hokage. A mere tens of millions of taels for research funding is nothing to me."
Yagura was infected by his smile and couldn't help but smile too.
"Alright, since you're confident, I won't worry about it anymore. If you need any help, just let me know. Also, regarding the Loulan survivors, I'll meet with them tomorrow and then deal with them. Do you have any thoughts on that?"
"It's nothing, just handle it as a normal immigration case, no special treatment is needed."
"OK."
"Okay, I'll be going now. You should get some rest too, cousin."
Makoto Koji waved his hand, turned around, and left the Mizukage's office.
As I stepped out of the Water Shadow Building, it was already late at night.
Moonlight spilled onto the scattered buildings of Kirigakure, draping the village shrouded in mist in a silver veil.
Instead of going straight back to his lodgings, Gouju Cheng stopped in a quiet alley in the village, leaned against a wooden pillar, and gazed at the faint lights in the distance, lost in thought.
He has tens of millions of taels of silver.
Most of the supplies that were taken from the Cangnan supply station and Fengming Valley have already been converted into cash. Adding in the previous savings and the miscellaneous profits that Zhao Meiming helped to handle, the total amount is still around two or three hundred million taels.
But if we want to push leukocyte research deeper, beyond just medical applications, we also need to address those things that can't be discussed openly—
That might not be enough.
Researching this kind of thing is often the most expensive.
However, this is actually a good thing.
If Makoto Karatachi handles the finances himself, the research on White Zetsu will essentially be completely under his control. This would make it easier for him to conduct some behind-the-scenes operations, in addition to the overt development of White Zetsu.
"Tsk, you only realize how little money you have when you need it most—"
"We need to come up with a legitimate way to make money."
Gouju Cheng rubbed his temples and walked slowly down the street, his mind racing through various possibilities.
Developing industry?
It's too late.
Doing business?
The cycle is too long.
Black market trading?
Boss Jin can help, but the black market has limited capacity, and it will take time for him to convert the remaining supplies into cash; it's a long-term solution that can't address his immediate needs.
"How about we take on a few S-rank missions?"
Gouju Cheng shook his head, rejecting the idea himself.
While S-rank missions offer high rewards, that's only for ordinary ninjas. An S-rank mission only yields a few million ryo, and even if you take them every day, you'd only make tens of millions a month, and you'd have to travel all over the ninja world, working yourself to the bone.
He's now the Mizukage's assistant, not an ordinary ninja, so he doesn't have time to do this.
"Looks like we'll have to resort to some unconventional methods —"
Gouju Cheng stopped in his tracks, looked up at the bright moon in the night sky, and a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes.
Robbery is a last resort.
But what if it's a legal robbery?
Who is the richest person in the ninja world?
A famous name? A nobleman? A wealthy merchant?
Correct!
Those noble lords who lie on mountains of gold and silver, enjoying the protection of ninjas, but never treat ninjas as human beings!
A thought flashed through Gouju Cheng's mind.
He remembered very clearly that those nobles and magnates were all incredibly wealthy, living in luxurious palaces, wearing fine silks and satins, eating delicacies, and being surrounded by entourages when they went out, their pomp and circumstance were frightening.
What sustains their extravagant lifestyle is the blood and sweat of the lower classes, and also the sacrifice of the ninjas!
In every war, the nobles and daimyo of the five great nations only need to sit at home and talk to countless ninjas who are fighting desperately on the front lines.
If they win, they will reap the benefits and acquire more land and resources.
If they lose, they only lose face; the real bloodshed and sacrifice are by the ninjas.
On what grounds?
Why do those nobles enjoy all of this?
What contributions did they make to the ninja world?
What gives them the right to be so high and mighty, ordering the ninjas around?
Gouju Cheng's lips curled into a cold smile.
"Since you're so rich, it's not too much to ask me to lend you some money, is it?"