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"You mean becoming mercenaries?"
A row of black lines seemed to appear on Tsunade's smooth forehead.
Konoha was indeed short on funds, but resorting to mercenary work felt somewhat inappropriate.
Even if the village's reputation had taken a hit, they shouldn't just wallow in the mud.
"..."
Shizune looked shocked, clearly not expecting Kazuki to propose such an idea.
"Come here."
Kazuki waved at Tsunade, signaling her to move closer.
"What?"
Confused, Tsunade leaned in.
"THWACK!!!"
A loud flick landed squarely on Tsunade's head.
An ordinary person would've clutched their head, hissing in pain while yelling.
But Tsunade was no ordinary person. After being flicked, she froze for a few seconds.
Then, a murderous glare locked onto Kazuki.
Oh my god!
This is insane!
Kazuki actually dared to flick the Hokage—no, a full-on knuckle rap!
Seeing Kazuki's indifferent expression, Tsunade gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.
If you don't give me a damn good explanation today, I swear I'll fight you to the death!!!
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
Noticing Tsunade's death glare, Kazuki tapped the table and said.
"I flicked you to see what's inside that head of yours. 'Mercenaries'? Seriously? This is called "war initiation funding" got it? Konoha's finances are tight. Even if we want to wage war externally, we don't have the funds to support it. So if Kumogakure or other villages want our help, they'll have to pay up first. No financial backing means no war—what are we supposed to fight with?"
"And you call it 'mercenary work'? Give me a break."
Isn't it basically the same thing?!
And you DARE flick me?!
Tsunade smirked coldly and raised her hand.
"Anything else to add? If not..."
I'm about to throw hands.
Since the death of her grandfather, the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, Kazuki was the first person bold enough to flick her head like that!
Tsunade wasn't about to let this slide.
You dare flick me? Prepare to face the consequences.
"Open up trade routes. We should learn from Kumogakure in this regard. Sure, some of Konoha's local products can't compare to theirs, but our land is fertile! Sitting on such rich resources yet doing nothing, just watching others make money—doesn't that hurt your heart?"
At the very least, Kazuki felt his heart aching.
Damn it, how much money is Konoha losing every year because of this?!
"What's our village's most attractive commodity for merchants?"
Kazuki posed the question.
Glaring at him irritably, Tsunade rubbed the spot he'd flicked and answered.
"Medicinal herbs, obviously."
"The Land of Fire is fertile, with better climate and environment than other nations, making herb cultivation far more profitable. But you know medicinal herbs are crucial wartime resources—we can't just sell them freely."
Herbs were practically strategic materials, heavily regulated by every village.
Even though Konoha produced them in abundance, sales had always been tightly restricted.
Every Hokage had maintained this policy, and Tsunade wasn't keen on lifting the restrictions either.
If other villages improved their medical supplies, it would indirectly weaken Konoha's advantage.
"Why can't we sell them?"
Kazuki spread his hands, looking exasperated.
"Many herbs can be grown in other villages—they just have lower yields due to environmental factors. This is our advantage—why strangle it? If we classify critical herbs as non-exportable and focus on mass-producing common ones, it could become the village's most profitable industry!"
"Wake up, oh mighty Hokage. Economic growth isn't achieved by empty talk—it takes action. Selling widely cultivable herbs and building an industry around it would only benefit us, not harm us."
"But have you considered that if other villages stockpile enough medical supplies, it won't end well for us?"
Tsunade's tone turned serious—this was an issue she felt needed careful consideration.
"Nonsense."
Kazuki laughed outright.
"If the Land of Fire stopped exporting grain, would other nations starve? If Konoha stopped selling herbs, would people in other villages just stop treating illnesses? Our herbs are better, our yields higher—that's our strength. If we lift restrictions, we could crush other villages' herb industries! So what if they have enough medicine? It's a consumable resource. I'd love for them to abandon their own herb farms and keep buying from us. Then one day, if Konoha suddenly stops selling... guess what happens?"
"Tch—!"
That's downright ruthless.
Because if it ever came to that, Konoha could simply embargo herb exports—and villages reliant on them would be screwed.
They'd be left with no medical supplies at all.
"Like with food supplies?"
Tsunade wasn't well-versed in economics, but she did know about supply strangleholds—especially how Sunagakure suffered the most.
Most of the Land of Wind was desert, with few oases and even fewer areas suitable for farming.
To feed its population, Suna had to import food—and the Land of Fire was its biggest supplier.
Other nations and villages could produce grain, but none dared compete with Konoha.
The Land of Fire took the lion's share, leaving only scraps for others.
Not because they lacked food to sell, but because they couldn't sell too much—unless they wanted Konoha to come down on them hard.
"Exactly."
Kazuki nodded, then gave an example.
"Take our dear neighbors and longtime rivals, Sunagakure. They've tried everything to grow their own herbs, but the results are pitiful.
They import a lot every year, even though they know it's unsustainable—because domestic production is too costly."
"If Suna could buy large quantities of affordable herbs from us, how long do you think their own herb cultivation subsidies would last?"
Konoha is poor? Suna is even poorer!
Even if they suspected Konoha's ulterior motives, nothing would change in the short term.
They'd keep buying while maintaining some local production—but over time?
Even if their leadership wanted to keep funding it, they'd face massive opposition from those tired of "wasting money" on it.
Just cracking the door open slightly would force Suna into an impossible dilemma.
Abandoning a long-supported industry would be catastrophic.
"And even if they refuse to give up, so what? Konoha needs development and money. By restricting only the most critical herbs, we could turn herb exports into a financial pillar, fueling further growth. Of course, this is just my suggestion. Whether you act on it is up to you. But we've strayed from the main point. About the finances—if Kumogakure wants our help, they pay first. Otherwise, they can deal with Amegakure and the Akatsuki on their own."