"Who would've thought the Grass leader would personally welcome us," Chiyo remarked, composed despite her surprise, her gaze fixed on the black-haired young man before her. Considering the strained history between the Sand and Grass Village, especially after the previous War. In fact, her purpose was to gather intelligence this time, not to seek collaboration, considering the relationship between the villages. Yet, here was the Grass Village leader offering them a warm welcome.
"It's a genuine honor," she replied, slightly taken aback.
"In the Grass Village, everyone's a welcome guest," Akihiko replied with a smile. "As long as they're friends."
With a discreet glance, he signaled to Mubuki, checking if everything was arranged. Mubuki, in turn, confirmed subtly with a nod.
Without a moment's delay, Mubuki gestured, directing the Grass Ninjas to encircle the guests. Today, not a single guest would slip through their grasp.
Mubuki grinned at the puzzled Sand Ninjas and warmly invited, "Who would've expected so many distinguished guests today? It's getting late; please, everyone, come inside."
Chiyo, taken aback by the reference to distinguished guests, inquired further, "Who are these distinguished guests, if I may ask?"
Mubuki, with an air of casualness, replied, "Oh, they're just from the neighboring Rock Village."
The Sand Ninjas were visibly surprised. "Rock Village? They're here too?" Chiyo echoed their surprise.
"They arrived this morning, promptly received their ten harvesters order, and even placed an order worth 100 million ryo," Mubuki explained with a sigh of admiration, "And all of this without any hesitation. Their boldness is truly commendable!"
"Ten harvesters?" Although Chiyo didn't comprehend the term "harvesters," she recognized the substantial value associated with 100 million ryo.
She never expected the Rock Village to genuinely cooperate with the Grass Village, especially in such a generous manner, placing an order worth 100 million Ryo. Considering the recent war, every bit of funding was crucial for the recovery of ninja villages. Why would the Rock Village display such generosity at this time?
It seemed the Rock Village felt a bit uneasy after witnessing the collaboration between Konoha and the Grass Village. However, it didn't directly concern the Sand Village unless the Rain Village aligned itself with Konoha and the Rock Village, lifting their blockade. The Sand Village's visit was solely for gathering intelligence and investigating a specific matter, no one could take a single coin from their pockets.
However, when they saw the words in front of them, silence fell. The banners, especially those at the top, read, 'Follow Grass Village today, become the richest man tomorrow' and 'As long as you cooperate with us, you will be a rich man sooner or later.'
…
The peculiar banners hanging up perplexed the Sand Ninjas. While they had heard about the Grass Ninjas' penchant for displaying banners, witnessing it firsthand left them bewildered. The meaning behind these banners eluded them, particularly a large poster nearby that seized their attention: "Congratulations to Konoha's Homura Mitokado for earning 100 million!"
Mitokado Homura, the high-level advisor from Konoha and renowned genius strategist, was familiar to them. They were aware of the collaboration between Konoha and the Grass Village, but the swift accumulation of 100 million by Mitokado took them by surprise.
Yet, that wasn't the only shock. Another nearby banner featured a portly figure with a headband, proclaiming, "Congratulations to Mr. Kitsuchi for receiving ten harvesters!"
Silence enveloped the group. Even the nearby Rock Ninjas, who had been covertly observing, were left speechless. They had barely left, and the Grass Ninjas had already prepared banners?
Various tales of unexpected success filled the minds of the Sand Ninjas as they stared blankly at the unfolding scene. Mubuki, witnessing their reactions, felt a sense of satisfaction. Compared to the resistant Rock Ninjas, these poor Sand Ninjas appeared more susceptible to deception.
"Come one, come all! Have a look! The Grass Village welcomes collaborators from all walks of life, whether noble or destitute, whether you possess vast fortunes or just a pittance. Big money has its grand avenues, and small money has its modest methods. The Grass Village aspires to lead everyone in cooperation, providing diverse ways to earn. There's always a method that suits every individual!" Mubuki energetically waved his hand, instructing the Grass Ninjas behind him, "Quickly distribute our guide to making money. We can't afford to delay anyone's opportunity to earn!"
Turning his attention to the Sand Ninjas before him, he assumed a self-assured expression, "Handing out money is the most basic form of assistance; investing in people's abilities is an investment; imparting ideas is the most selfless act. After all, wealth can't purchase good ideas, but good ideas can yield billions in wealth. The greatest market in the world resides in people's minds, and the Grass Village is here to provide you with lucrative money-making methods."
As Mubuki concluded his speech, Chiyo felt a momentary flutter in her heart. This Grass Ninja possessed quite the eloquence. However, as she surveyed the squad of Sand Ninjas she had brought, an unexplained sense of impending trouble gripped her.
…
Meanwhile, observing this scene, Akihiko nodded in satisfaction. It appeared that deceiving the Sand Ninjas was proving to be easier compared to the Rock Ninjas.
However, his contentment faltered as he glanced at Hanzo, whose widened eyes and agitated breaths puzzled him. A sudden twitch of his mouth preceded a sharp slap on Hanzo's face. "What on earth are you doing?"
Recovering from the slap, Hanzo regained his composure, his expression sour. He gestured ahead, his tone somewhat accusing, "Why didn't you inform me about such a fantastic money-making opportunity? I don't need billions, even a few million would suffice!"
Akihiko sighed deeply, a dark crease forming on his forehead as he regarded Hanzo. Clearly, Mubuki's persuasive skills exceeded his expectations – he had even fooled someone from his own side. "Don't be foolish. Can't you see I've only displayed these things in this area, not everywhere, so they can't be seen by everyone?"
Hanzo, initially puzzled, hesitated before voicing his concern, "Are you... engaging in deceit?"
"What kind of deceit is this? Can doing business be labeled a scam? Look, we're engaged in genuine industry, backed by actual factories," Akihiko whispered, scanning the surroundings before lowering her voice. "But the Grass and Rain countries are unique. These products are inexpensive and of higher quality in our countries, making them unviable here."
While the prospect of deceiving people loomed, establishing a supply chain independently to other countries posed risks. Hence, they required a proxy to mislead. "For other nations, we're opening up the market, so it's a necessary step."
"Oh, I see," Hanzo, comprehending the situation, sighed, albeit reluctantly. He shifted his focus from the tales of unexpected prosperity and turned to Akihiko. "I understand now. I won't interfere. But it's a shame, really!"
"The Rain Country is stabilizing, isn't it? If you need funds or anything, just let me know. What's there to lament about?" Akihiko asked courteously.
"I..." Hanzo raised his head, gazing at the azure sky of the Grass Village. "It's just that I've been poor for far too long!"
Akihiko was left momentarily speechless by Hanzo's response.
…
Once satisfied that Mubuki's side was managing well, Akihiko departed with Hanzo. They still had matters to attend to. Regarding the Sand Ninjas, Mubuki would organize their temporary accommodations beside the Rock Ninjas. In case this plan didn't yield the expected results, an alternative strategy would need to be devised.
Considering the effort the Sand Ninjas had invested in coming this far, leaving them empty-handed was not an option.
…
As time crawled by, dusk settled over the Grass Village. Mubuki, feeling a bit of pity, bid farewell to the Sand Ninjas, "Feel free to ask if you have any questions. Remember, if you can't believe in me, how do you expect to succeed? Do you want to stay at the bottom? Do you not desire to be at the pinnacle? Don't you want the respect of everyone around you? If you do, then join us. I'll be here, waiting for you!"
His words lingered in the air, and a heavy silence enveloped the surroundings. Chiyo's legs quivered slightly as she hastily signaled the other emotionally stirred Sand Ninjas, exclaiming, "Let's go, let's go quickly!"
The past few hours had left her head spinning and her entire body in a state of agitation. This guy... was just too convincing. Although she couldn't recall most of what he said, certain phrases echoed in her mind – "Those who endure hardship for a while will succeed; those who can't will suffer for a lifetime," "If you believe you can, you can; if you believe you can't, you can't," and "Follow a beggar to beg, follow the Grass Village..."
Mubuki's impassioned speech had a way of kindling everyone's enthusiasm, even managing to stir Chiyo's emotions. If not for the shortage of funds and her intervention, some might have already given in. Whatever was happening with this Grass Village seemed a bit unnerving, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
It wasn't until they distanced themselves from that spot and reached the streets that Chiyo finally let out a sigh of relief. Coming to a halt, she turned around, surveying the elated Sand Ninjas behind her. Then, shaking her head as if dispelling a foggy haze, she mumbled to herself, "Looks like we need to tread carefully this time."
Pausing her steps, she turned her gaze toward the bustling street, muttering under her breath, "Is she truly still alive?"