After exchanging a few corpses for bounties, Kakuzu wandered aimlessly along a forest trail, flipping through his bounty book in search of his next target.
It must be said, Kakuzu was quite unlucky. Once an elite shinobi of Takigakure, he had been living a comfortable life. Thanks to his immense strength, he managed to protect himself even during the chaos of the ninja world.
But everything changed when he accepted the task of assassinating the First Hokage, a mission assigned by Takigakure's higher-ups.
Years ago, Kakuzu infiltrated the Land of Fire to battle Senju Hashirama. He was ultimately defeated by Hashirama's Wood Release and narrowly escaped with his life.
When Kakuzu returned to his village, instead of being welcomed as a hero who gamble his life for the village, he was condemned for his failure and faced severe punishment.
Fueled by rage over the cruel treatment, Kakuzu broke out of prison, taking with him the village's treasured forbidden jutsu.
Using this jutsu, Kakuzu took the hearts of Takigakure's leaders. This forbidden technique, now infamous as Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear, allowed him to use his gruesome tendril-like threads to extend his life and wield multiple chakra natures.
After defecting from Takigakure, Kakuzu began wandering the ninja world, gradually developing a fondness for money. To him, wealth was paramount.
Therefore, even though he knew he wasn't a match for Mochizuki Hui, Kakuzu couldn't help but repeatedly flip to Hui's bounty in his book. Staring at the overwhelming number listed there made his heart race, his eyes practically glowing with greed.
Alas, reason prevailed. Heading to Konoha to claim Hui's bounty was tantamount to suicide. That place was untouchable.
After looking at Hui's bounty, though, every other bounty seemed insignificant in comparison. Listlessly skimming the pages, Kakuzu suddenly stopped.
"Who's there?"
He sensed someone watching him but couldn't pinpoint the source.
"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that I have a business proposition for you."
A voice echoed, prompting Kakuzu to turn around and see a figure not far behind him.
The individual was clad in a black coat, their face obscured in shadows, leaving their features indistinguishable.
This person was none other than Black Zetsu, who had approached Kakuzu deliberately.
"A business proposition... What kind of business?" Kakuzu asked with interest. It wasn't every day someone sought him out for a deal.
"I need you to kill someone," Black Zetsu said, a sinister smirk playing on his concealed lips.
"Killing someone? My services don't come cheap," Kakuzu replied. He had taken on assassination jobs before, but only for the right price.
"Don't worry about money. Whatever amount you demand, I can pay it," Black Zetsu responded confidently. After all his years existing in the shinobi world, wealth was hardly an issue for him.
Kakuzu studied Black Zetsu, realizing this person might indeed be very rich. The question was; should he kill this guy and take his money instead?
…
Far away in Konoha, Hui was unaware of the events transpiring in the forest. At the moment, he was attending yet another meeting.
The familiar conference room was filled with Konoha's high-ranking officials and elite shinobi.
Since becoming the Head of Administration, Hui found himself attending more and more meetings. After all, every policy he proposed carried significant weight.
Today's meeting was about defining Konoha's future direction. With the village at peace under Hui's watch, concerns about war had become a thing of the past.
Now, it was time for strategic development.
"First, let's address population growth," Hui began. "The village's population is still too small. Despite possessing the most fertile land in the ninja world, our resident population remains insufficient. It's a waste of resources."
The others nodded in agreement. Population was indeed crucial for a village's prosperity.
"My proposal is to encourage childbirth while implementing population planning," Hui continued. Drawing from his memories of a past life, he understood how to boost population growth effectively while preventing uncontrolled expansion.
"Encourage childbirth? Population planning?" The terms were new to those present, and they looked at Hui with confusion, awaiting his explanation.
"Encouraging childbirth means offering incentives to families who have children—financial rewards, housing, and so on. Population planning involves regulated growth, ensuring births align with our development goals. My initial target is to double Konoha's population within five years."
Hui paused, giving the room time to absorb his words.
"Double the population in five years? Isn't that too ambitious?" one person asked hesitantly.
"Too slow, if anything," another countered. "So each family is expected to have a child every year?"
The room erupted in murmurs, many feeling the policy seemed overly ambitious or unrealistic.
Hui, however, merely smiled. "Doubling the population is the goal, but childbirth isn't the only method. We can also attract people from other places to settle in Konoha. Wouldn't that increase our population as well?"
The room brightened with realization, but a concern was quickly raised.
"What if the newcomers are spies from other villages? It's impossible for the ANBU to investigate everyone's background thoroughly," Danzo Shimura, head of the Interrogation Division, interjected.
"Spies infiltrating Konoha is inevitable," Hui replied calmly. "Even without this policy, other villages would still send spies. But as long as they don't gain access to sensitive secrets or forbidden techniques, what harm could they cause?
"As long as no shinobi of Hashirama's caliber appears, these spies are nothing more than paper tigers against Konoha's might.
"Don't forget our agreement with the Four Great Shinobi Villages—they've pledged not to provoke us for fifteen years. If any of them dares to send spies and we catch them, their villages will face annihilation. The same applies to smaller villages that dare challenge Konoha."
Hui's confident declaration silenced Danzo, who nodded in agreement. With Hui's overwhelming strength, no village would dare provoke Konoha lightly. They had fought hard for these fifteen years of peace.
"Now, back to the original topic. As the population grows, the village's layout will need to be reorganized. I'll have the Administration Department draft a new plan, which may involve relocating clan compounds. Please prepare for changes."
With Konoha's inevitable expansion, urban planning was essential.
Thanks to Hui's leadership, this expansion would be a continuous process, necessitating well-thought-out preparation to avoid future complications.
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