Yasuzaburō Hirai was nothing like the kind and amiable old man he appeared to be. If you judged him by his looks, you'd be devoured without even a bone left behind. In the business world, his early reputation earned him the nickname "The Short-Snouted Crocodile of the Land of Wind."
Hirai's beginnings were humble. Once just a store clerk, he inherited a small general store from his late mentor and father-in-law. Through ten years of tireless effort, he grew it into a modest fortune worth millions in Dragonfly Castle. But his true rise to wealth came from two pivotal events.
The first was his insight into the tightly packed houses of Dragonfly Castle, which were highly susceptible to fires. Hirai spent his entire fortune establishing a private firefighting team. Whenever a fire broke out, he would take advantage of the homeowners' panic and buy the burning property—and often adjacent properties—for dirt-cheap prices. Only then would he put out the fire. In this way, Hirai amassed thousands of houses and residential buildings, which he later rented out at high prices, quickly becoming a billionaire.
The second event was his remarriage. After his first wife passed away, Hirai, at the age of 35, didn't choose a young and beautiful bride but instead married a widow 20 years his senior. This widow's late husband had left her a vast inheritance of gold mines. While everyone thought Hirai was merely after her wealth, he surprised everyone by drafting a will that left all his assets to her son after his death. However, ten years later, the widow passed away from illness, and her son mysteriously died soon after.
From that point on, Hirai's financial resources became virtually limitless. Over the years, his influence extended into every industry in the Land of Wind. It was even rumored that the Daimyō himself had once borrowed money from him. Hirai had become a figure whose anger could shake the entire nation—a commoner whose wrath could terrify even the nobility.
His interest in investing in the Yuesi Peninsula casino city was, at its core, a calculated move to seize control of the project. Gambling was the final piece of his commercial empire, and also its most lucrative segment.
When Hirai heard that Sunagakure was planning to build a casino city, he was thrilled. He immediately recognized it as an opportunity that could potentially double his wealth. If executed well, he might even rival the centuries-old merchant families and noble houses of the Fire and Lightning Countries.
His initial plan was to overwhelm the young Kazekage with an offer of 30 billion ryō, a figure so high it would leave him dizzy. On one hand, he intended to infiltrate every industry tied to the casino city. On the other, he would secretly buy out shares held by Sunagakure villagers at high prices. Within a few years, the Yuesi Peninsula would be entirely under his control.
What Hirai didn't expect was that the young Kazekage before him was entirely unfazed by the astronomical sum. Instead, Jinghang laid out the casino city's share structure, operational strategies, and future prospects with the confidence and expertise of a seasoned entrepreneur.
"From what I've heard, this guy's an orphan who grew up licking blood off the blade, living the life of a ninja where heads were traded for meals. How does he sound like such a business veteran?" Hirai wondered.
"Thirty percent is a number neither I nor the other village representatives can accept," Jinghang said firmly.
"Why not? My offer is more than generous," Hirai countered.
"Generous, yes. But if you hold a 30% stake, you'll become the largest shareholder of the Yuesi Peninsula project. You'll control the lifeblood of all the casino city's industries, effectively replacing me as the chairman of the board. That means you'd have control over the finances of Sunagakure's elite. Tell me, as the Kazekage, should I agree to that? Thirty billion to buy a ninja village? That's too cheap, don't you think?"
"Uh..."
Hirai was momentarily at a loss for words, his intentions laid bare. He had indeed considered the possibility of manipulating Sunagakure's power structure. If his plan to acquire shares succeeded, he could remotely control the village's upper echelons. With money and influence, replacing the leadership at the Mid-Mountain Green Palace wouldn't be out of the question.
"Do business properly if you want to make money. Cooperate honestly if you want to work together. Don't always think about swallowing or biting others. You need to understand one thing: you're a businessman, but I'm not. It's like we're playing cards—you might win money, but I... I can flip the table."
Jinghang pointed to his own nose with his thumb, exuding an air of dominance.
Hirai was startled. Years of business dealings had conditioned him to think in a certain way, but he had forgotten one crucial fact: the young man before him wasn't a businessman but the leader of the largest armed group in the Land of Wind. In the entire ninja world, his power ranked among the top five, if not the top three. If Jinghang decided to "flip the table," it wouldn't be a mere dispute or lawsuit—it would be war. War meant mountains of corpses, rivers of blood, and utter devastation.
"So... what now?" Hirai asked, his expression a mix of greed and trepidation. The risks were high, but the potential profits were astronomical. His analysts had calculated that even with a modest 30% profit share, the investment could break even within a year. From the second year onward, profits would grow exponentially.
"Good, you've got the right attitude. If you play by the rules, we ninja are sticklers for rules. I can persuade the hearing committee to sell you 20% of the public shares owned by the village. Don't worry, I won't overcharge you—just 20 billion. But don't thank me just yet..."
Jinghang raised a hand to stop Hirai from speaking.
"I'm doing this to protect you. Twenty percent is plenty. And let me be clear: this 20% only entitles you to profit-sharing. You won't have voting rights on the board. Otherwise, people might really think you're trying to seize power."
"No voting rights? That's..."
Hirai's mind raced as he calculated the pros and cons.
"If you agree, I'll return to the village and convene a hearing. I don't foresee any issues. We can sign the contract within a week. You can come in person or send someone on your behalf. If you don't agree, that's fine too. No hard feelings. It just means my casino city will take a bit longer to build."
"Deal!"
Hirai, a man who disliked dragging things out, quickly made up his mind. Once he understood the situation, he let go of his reservations. Making money sometimes required swallowing one's pride.
"Pleasure doing business with you. Rest assured, you can ask around—I have an excellent reputation. I believe that in the near future, our fortunes will rival the world's most prestigious families."
Jinghang extended his hand, and Hirai shook it without hesitation.
"Now, let's discuss the details," Hirai said.
"Of course, let's get to it..."
The two talked through the night.
The next morning, as Jinghang prepared to leave, Hirai watched him walk away and murmured to himself, "If I had a son like him, I could die without regret."
When Jinghang returned to Kyōbu Casino, Tsunade greeted him with a playful tongue-out gesture. Jinghang sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Yakura, didn't I tell you to hold on to the rest of the money? What happened? Two billion gone in one night? Did you all head back to the VIP lounge?"
"Don't worry, Lord Kazekage. It's not that bad," Yakura said sheepishly.
"How much, then?"
"Fifty million," Tsunade muttered under her breath.
"Fifty million? Phew, that's manageable. Got your fill of gambling? If so, let's head back to the village. There's still a lot to do."
Though Jinghang felt a pang of pain, he was relieved that Yakura had shown some restraint.
"But Gaojin had a lucky streak and won about sixty million," Yakura added.
"What?! Hahaha, really? Kid, you're wasted as a secretary. Keep it up, and I'll have big plans for you in the future."
Gaojin scratched his head awkwardly and pushed a large box of money toward Jinghang.
"What are you doing? Keep your own winnings. Do you expect me, the Kazekage, to carry your money for you?"
Gaojin was dumbfounded for a moment, then his eyes reddened. This is what a great leader looks like.
"Are we heading back to the village now?" Yakura asked.
"Not yet. You and Gaojin wait here. Tsunade, come with me to meet someone."
"Who?"
"An old acquaintance—Mr. Hazuki."
Jinghang's lips curled into a mischievous smile.