"You brat!"
Tsunade laughed in frustration, raising her hand as if to hit him. Yan dodged with a smile, holding the scroll:
"Just joking, no need to get mad and start hitting people."
"Let me take a look."
"Rich iron deposits?"
"Just organize a team to mine it then."
Don't think the Land of Fire is just forests. It actually has plenty of mineral resources.
Even around Konohagakure, there are quite a few mines. The most notable example is the Konohagakure prison.
The prison was built to make use of the prisoners for free mining labor.
Every year, the ore mined by the prison is a significant part of Konohagakure's economy.
"I'd like to mine too, but mining requires a lot of manpower, and the current finances..."
Tsunade couldn't even finish her sentence, feeling too embarrassed.
"Completely out of money?"
Yan knew the village was tight on funds, but he didn't expect it to be this bad.
"It's not that extreme, but it's close. The main issue is the huge deficit from before."
Tsunade's face turned even redder, whether from the alcohol or embarrassment, it was hard to tell.
"What a pity. If you were as skilled with Magnet Release as Rasa, would you still be worried about this?"
This was what Yan admired most about Sunagakure Village. Apart from the first Kazekage, the others were all mining experts.
Especially the third and fourth Kazekage, who managed to boost the village's economy through mining. It just shows how powerful Magnet Release is for mining.
"You're asking for trouble again, aren't you?"
Tsunade clenched her fists, glaring at him angrily.
Mining is profitable, but it requires a lot of upfront investment. Even sending ninjas to mine is a significant expense.
The biggest problem is that the village really has no money.
Iron ore isn't like gold or silver, where you can just dig it up, smelt it, and make a fortune.
This stuff needs to be processed after it's mined.
Seeing Tsunade's worried expression, Yan chuckled:
"Cheer up, don't look so gloomy. Think about it, there's a new iron mine near the village. Once the ore is mined, we'll need to buy much less from outside, which indirectly reduces our expenses."
"Of course, I know that."
Tsunade rolled her eyes at Yan. It sounded easy when he said it:
"But the problem is, I can't just mine by talking. Otherwise, why would I be so worried?"
I'd call you the most unfortunate Hokage in history!
Not many Hokage have reached this point. Sure, the others were busy, but at least they weren't like Tsunade, pulling her hair out every day over money.
"But you're right, it would be great if we could just talk and mine the ore."
"What do you mean?"
Tsunade felt Yan was mocking her. What did he mean by "just talking and mining the ore"?
You better explain that clearly.
"How about outsourcing?"
Yan thought outsourcing would be the easiest solution.
No need to manage anything, just send someone to supervise and wait for the profits. No upfront investment needed.
But this kind of thing has never been done in Konohagakure before.
"You mean, like how we built the commercial district?"
Tsunade immediately grasped the key point. Even though she'd been drinking, her mind was still sharp.
Yan's idea was simple. Since the village is tight on funds and can't afford the upfront investment, why not involve the ninja clans?
They can invest, share the profits based on their contribution, and the village just needs to supervise and collect the money.
If there's no precedent, then break the norm and set one!
After all, the ownership remains with the village. The participating ninja clans are just investing in the mining, which is like an indirect investment. They're not buying the mines outright.
"Something like that, but there are big differences. We can't rush this. Let's wait until the commercial district is finished. Some things can't be hurried."
Trying to do everything at once will only lead to trouble.
For now, Konohagakure should focus on steady development, taking one step at a time.
"Alright, let's leave it at that for now. We'll talk more later."
Tsunade knew that many things had to be taken step by step. You couldn't rush into big changes.
The day after Yan returned to the village with the transport unit, the Hokage's office publicly revealed the truth about Uchiha Obito and the Nine-Tails incident.
"I can't believe Uchiha Obito was like this. Why would he want to take revenge on the village?"
"He should have gone after Kirigakure Village instead."
"It seems we misunderstood the Uchiha..."
"Thankfully, the truth is out now. Even though the Uchiha are innocent, they still share some responsibility. After all, Uchiha Obito was from their clan."
"What are you talking about? Are you saying we should blame the entire Uchiha clan for what a rogue ninja did? Should we drag the Shimura clan into court for what Shimura Danzo did?"
"Orochimaru became a rogue ninja and joined the Akatsuki. Should we make the Third Hokage take responsibility for that too?"
Once the truth came out, all kinds of opinions spread throughout Konohagakure. Some people thought the Uchiha were innocent, while others believed they deserved it because Obito was one of them. The debate heated up, with some even bringing up Danzo and the Third Hokage to shut down those who insisted the Uchiha were to blame.
With the truth revealed, the villagers' negative impression of the Uchiha began to change. It might not reach full equality, but at least the hostility would lessen.
For the Uchiha to truly improve their standing with the villagers, they would have to step away from the Police Force and hand it back to the village. As long as the Uchiha controlled the Police Force, gaining the villagers' goodwill would be nearly impossible.
This was almost a given.
However, the Uchiha would never leave the Police Force. Yan understood this well, so he never dreamed of making the village treat the Uchiha better. At most, he hoped to reduce the hostility and make the Uchiha less ostracized.
As the saying goes, true strength is the foundation of everything. If you're weak, it doesn't matter how good your reputation is. Strength and legacy are what keep a ninja clan standing.
While the Uchiha's situation improved, the Sarutobi clan faced the opposite. The Third Hokage hadn't returned yet, and the entire Sarutobi clan was shrouded in gloom.
Yan was right. The Sarutobi clan, used to high benefits and privileges, were deeply unhappy with their current treatment. It just hadn't exploded into the open yet.
With the Third Hokage still in charge, things were being held together. But after losing over a hundred elite members in Amegakure Village, internal conflicts within the clan began to surface.
Losing so many elites was a heavy blow. Even though the Third Hokage hadn't returned, the joint operation of the Five Great Ninja Villages against Amegakure Village and the Akatsuki had ended.
Now that the operation was over, shouldn't the discussion about compensation and subsidies begin?
To address the growing resentment among their clan, the Sarutobi clan's representative reluctantly went to the Hokage's office to ask Tsunade for answers.
Tsunade, who already didn't want to deal with this matter, immediately lost her temper. She slammed the table and shouted:
"What do you Sarutobi people think you're doing?
You come to the Hokage's office to ask about the village's compensation payments? Should I just step aside and let you sit in this chair instead?"
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