The environment in the Land of Winds is very harsh. At least 70% of the land is covered by deserts. The ninjas in Sand Shinobi Village suffer from wind and sand for half of the year, so turbans and veils are almost a necessity for them.
The attitude of the First Kazekage is already clear. They would rather not have a tailed beast but want money and land because Sand Shinobi Village is not a place where ordinary people can live comfortably.
The country's resources are scarce, so they have always welcomed businessmen from other countries.
But the welcome is futile. The environment itself drives away 80% of the ninja businessmen who think about coming here to do business. Oil has not been widely used, and iron ore is sold to other countries.
Sand Shinobi Village's poverty stands in stark contrast to the wealth of other ninja villages.
So when the Third Kazekage learned of Kain's arrival, he became more interested and even entertained him personally—unlike the Third Mizukage, who was oblivious to such matters.
"Mr. Kain, I wonder what kind of deal you plan to strike with Sand Shinobi Village?" the Third Kazekage asked.
In Kazekage's office, along with the Third Kazekage, was a young ninja with short brown hair, who appeared to be his right-hand man.
"This is a list of materials that can be traded by the Kain Chamber of Commerce. And please don't worry about the efficacy of the medicines, Sand Shinobi Village. Our medicines have already been sold in some areas of the Land of Fire, and the effects can be guaranteed." Kain said as he handed the Third Kazekage a list of potential trades, which included food, canned seafood, medicines, gauze bandages, and other medical supplies—basically what Sand Shinobi Village currently needed.
The first few items would ensure the supply of materials in the village, and the latter could be used as war reserves.
Some time ago, someone in the underground gold exchange in the Land of Wind had announced the destruction of Konoha's ninja stronghold on the river border. The Third Kazekage couldn't resist and dispatched three Anbu teams to eliminate all of Konoha's ninja strongholds.
Afterward, when Konoha came to inquire, Sand Shinobi Village denied any involvement. There was no evidence, and thanks to this incident, Sand Shinobi Village's finances were slightly richer.
However, the Third Kazekage knew that buying in large quantities would still stretch their funds.
Konoha would undoubtedly be suspicious of them. According to Sand Shinobi Anbu's investigation, Konoha had dispatched most of their ninjas to the border of the Land of Fire and River.
"The price... is reasonable, but can it be cheaper?" The Third Kazekage asked.
Having dealt with many businessmen from other countries, the Third Kazekage was quite familiar with the price of food. The price Kain had given to Sand Shinobi Village was indeed cheaper than what other businessmen offered, but the medicine was still somewhat expensive.
Sand Shinobi Village knew a little about Konoha's medicine, and while it was indeed valuable on the battlefield, the price was something they could not easily afford.
"The above price is already very low; at least I can't change it. However, Kazekage-sama, Sand Shinobi Village also has what we need. I believe the two sides can exchange what we require. The oil, iron ore, and other resources of the Land of Wind are exactly what our Chamber of Commerce needs," Kain told Third Kazekage, indicating both parties were interested in trading.
After hearing Kain's suggestion, Third Kazekage found it to be very feasible.
There was some debate about the price. He felt that the medicines were too expensive, and Sand Shinobi Village would need to process the finished products themselves. However, the oil and iron ore had almost fixed prices, so Sand Shinobi Village was still at a disadvantage.
In the end, Kain promised to assign a certain number of tasks to Sand Shinobi Village each year, which led Third Kazekage to agree to the transaction. The number of tasks completed by a Ninja Village can reflect its strength to some extent and also increase the ninjas' income and experience.
"As for the location of the transaction, it would be better to set it up near the sea in the Land of Wind. We plan to establish a base in the Land of Tea. When the time comes, the goods needed by your village will be delivered directly to this location by sea," Kain said, pointing to the map.
If transported by land, the Land of Fire would be an unavoidable obstacle. If Konoha discovered he was trading with Sand Shinobi Village, they would likely interfere.
The Land of Fire is their domain, and it would be difficult for Kain to prevent them unless he personally delivered the goods or used all the sealing scrolls, but that wasn't realistic.
Therefore, shipping by sea was the best option. It could be kept secret, and the speed was not slow. The gas-engine ship would transport goods faster than a horse-drawn carriage.
After confirming the content and timing of the transaction, Third Kazekage signed the contract with Kain.
"Rasa, go call the other high-ranking officials and prepare for a meeting," Third Kazekage instructed after Kain left.
Now that there was a larger supplier of materials and the possibility of exchanging resources within the Land of Wind, they could begin preparing a war material reserve.
During the last ninja war, Sand Shinobi Village had been hindered when their material supplies ran out, and even the poison used by the puppet master had been completely deciphered by Tsunade, leading to their defeat.
This time, Third Kazekage had already made up his mind. After stocking up on supplies, he would conquer the Land of rivers and merge it into the Land of Wind.
Only by doing so could Sand Shinobi Village acquire more land to cultivate food and escape the embarrassment of relying on external sources for food.
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