In the summer of Konoha's 20th year, Senju Tobirama returned to the battlefield's front lines.
Kumogakure had expressed interest in purchasing 100,000 explosive tags. After careful consideration, Senju Tobirama decided to sell them. Though there was a possibility that Kumogakure might use these explosive tags against Konoha, it seemed unlikely.
Besides, selling 100,000 tags wouldn't be a critical threat when Konoha already had a stockpile of over a million.
Yuya, overseeing logistics, had always operated on one principle: stockpile everything. Regardless of immediate need, his approach ensured that items like kunai, shuriken, and ninja swords were always in abundant supply.
Since Tobirama had been stationed on the Konoha-Kumogakure front lines for over a year without major conflict, Konoha had accumulated a massive stock of explosive tags and other equipment. Thankfully, the ongoing conflicts between the Lands of Earth, Water, and Wind provided an opportunity to offload some of this surplus.
However, Konoha remained cautious. Even with their abundance, Tobirama knew explosive tags could cause significant damage. Therefore, he decided to visit the front lines personally.
More than a month later, news arrived from Kumogakure. The Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers, while attempting a sneak attack, were ambushed by a team led by Kumogakure's current Eight-Tails Jinchūriki—a close ally of the late Second Raikage, whom the brothers had killed. Thousands of explosive tags were deployed, with over 10,000 detonating in the span of a minute. The explosions continued for ten minutes, leaving the brothers seriously injured.
(Xiao Nan could learn from this—why detonate a billion tags in ten minutes when an hour-long detonation could be far more effective?)
Senju Tobirama was satisfied with the outcome.
"Well done," he remarked. Regardless of who ultimately won the clash, Konoha stood to benefit from the internal strife.
Upon receiving the news, Yuya frowned. A Kumogakure embroiled in civil war wasn't an ideal trade partner.
After some thought, he instructed Uchiha Kagami to contact the representative from Kumogakure who had facilitated the earlier trade. Yuya was prepared to discreetly support one faction over the other if it would lead to a resolution.
The civil war in Kumogakure had already dragged on for a year. For Konoha, this was problematic. Their beef and mutton supplies had been heavily consumed, with much of it coming from their cold storage. Stocks were now running low.
Konoha had even begun rationing cattle and sheep meat. If the war continued for another year, they would have to rely solely on their local pastures. The northern pastures of Konoha only housed around 10,000 livestock, forcing the village to turn to poultry and other alternatives.
Interestingly, camel meat from Sunagakure had become a staple, though Yuya much preferred camel milk for its sustainability. Unfortunately, Konoha didn't have the land or resources to raise camels full-time.
If Kumogakure's conflict persisted, Yuya considered negotiating a long-term camel meat supply agreement with Sunagakure. After all, the villagers of Konoha couldn't be deprived of meat entirely.
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By late summer and early autumn of Konoha's 20th year, peace returned to the village itself. Following Yuya's economic and political maneuvers, the Sarutobi clan faced significant setbacks. This prompted other clans, like the Hyūga and Shimura, to conduct internal audits to avoid a similar fate.
Yuya's strategy had been clear: cut off Sarutobi's access to trade resources, forcing them to buy essentials like food themselves. This made the clan vulnerable, as their stockpiled supplies dwindled without replenishment.
Other clans quickly realized that they, too, were dependent on external merchants for necessities like rice, oil, and other daily goods. This discovery prompted them to sever potential ties with Konoha's merchants and avoid conflicts with Yuya's administration.
Meanwhile, the Uchiha clan largely operated outside Konoha's internal trade network. Their dealings were with merchants in the "gray area" outside the village, making them less affected by Yuya's maneuvers.
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By autumn, Senju Tobirama began noticing a peculiar trend. Explosions echoed regularly from Kumogakure.
"Do they have that many explosive tags?" he wondered.
At the same time, the Land of Rivers sent an envoy to Konoha requesting assistance in their conflict against Sunagakure. After deliberation, Yuya agreed to provide aid.
Yuya also extended an invitation to the Second Kazekage for peace talks, intending to discuss post-war development in detail.
The Second Kazekage's decision to attend personally turned what seemed like a routine negotiation into a historic moment for Konoha.
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