In just two short years, Shirakawa Town had transformed into the economic hub of the southern Fire Country.
Even the other three trade centers in the south had been greatly affected, with a noticeable drop in trade volume. The town boasted stable tax revenues and a far better security record than any other commercial city in the Fire Country. No aristocrats or other factions dared to impose taxes or exploit merchants, creating a genuinely fair and just trade environment.
With the boom in commerce, establishments such as inns, bars, hot springs, and casinos sprang up like mushrooms after a rainstorm. Various new services were introduced, offering luxury experiences without regard to one's background—so long as they had money. Shirakawa Town became a famous destination for indulgence in the Fire Country.
The town's resident population had already surpassed 60,000, and monthly foot traffic exceeded 400,000. Few cities in the Fire Country could rival Shirakawa Town's prosperity, and its ability to attract wealth was undeniable. Even forces outside the Fire Country coveted it.
Each year, over a billion ryō was spent on protection measures. On the surface, Shirakawa Town had established long-term partnerships with Konohagakure and the Land of Iron. This year alone, it had contributed 1.5 billion in taxes to the Fire Country. Yet even that was not enough to satisfy some.
Throughout this period, officials had been appointed multiple times, and nobles had repeatedly tried to interfere. This was followed by attempts to block trade routes and embargo goods. However, under the sheer force of Konoha's protection, those appointed officials and soldiers enforcing the blockades fell to the blades of wandering Fire Country shinobi.
Namikaze Minato even received several letters of condemnation from the Fire Country daimyo for this.
As for the previous tactic of cutting Konoha's funding, the Fire Country had ceased all financial support a year ago. The power struggle between the two parties had almost moved entirely into the open.
Despite the tension, Konoha's development remained unaffected. Using the excuse of safeguarding the surrounding area, Konoha announced unilaterally,
"To prevent similar situations from arising near Konoha, we are expanding our territory by an additional 30 kilometers."
Konoha's jurisdiction grew from 16 towns and villages to 41, adding over 30,000 civilians who could provide the village with fresh blood at any time. At Danzō's suggestion, village leaders and administrators were now often retired or disabled Konoha shinobi.
At this point, Konoha had evolved from being merely the Fire Country's military force into something resembling a nation within a nation.
...
Inside the Hokage's office,
Namikaze Minato and Danzō sat across from each other. With Minato's increasing prestige, Danzō was perhaps the only one who still had a seat in the Hokage's office.
"…"
"The daimyo of the Grass Country has been acting a little restless, and his stance is unclear."
Konoha had previously helped the Grass Country drive away Iwagakure shinobi through diplomatic means, under the agreement that Konoha could station troops at their border. However, the Grass Country daimyo had since stalled on the promise.
Recently, the Fire Country daimyo had been quiet, but Minato felt this unusual calm was cause for concern.
"They can't exert control over Konoha internally, so they're likely turning to external forces. The Grass Country probably won't be reliable… and Iwagakure's movements have been strange."
Danzō understood that the daimyo overturning the table outright was unlikely, but it was entirely possible they would use outside forces to suppress Konoha.
"It's best to strike first. Konoha has both money and manpower now—we should station troops at the Grass Country border immediately."
Minato pondered for a moment.
"Yes, that seems necessary… but we still need a pretext."
Konoha had to make the Grass Country pay a price, and they also needed to protect their standing in the shinobi world. Thankfully, Konoha now had the confidence to take such steps.
"I'll handle it. A caravan from Shirakawa Town is heading to the Grass Country soon. We can use that as an excuse to reinforce the border."
Minato glanced at Danzō, who remained impassive, and a complicated expression flashed in his eyes.
Konoha's current development owed much to Danzō's philosophy and actions. At times, Minato even wondered if Danzō would have done a better job as Hokage.
"Alright, I'll leave this matter in your hands."
Danzō felt Konoha was already on the right path—one unique in the shinobi world. Even without him, Minato wouldn't allow Konoha to fall back under the Fire Country's control.
The daimyo's past suppression efforts were largely the result of ingrained class ideologies, with few daring to break free from that mindset. But now, the daimyo's feeble attempts to test and suppress Konoha clearly demonstrated one truth: once freed from economic shackles, superior military force dictated the world's order.
Though their relationship had deteriorated badly, the daimyo still didn't dare to make an overt move.
Over the past year, Danzō had gradually reduced his interference in Konoha's internal affairs, allowing Minato—the rightful Fourth Hokage—to take full leadership and avoid unnecessary friction.
Instead, Danzō focused on developing Root and improving his own strength. However, the stronger he became, the harder it was to achieve any meaningful breakthroughs.
Fortunately, the laboratory had recently made a significant breakthrough: they could now stabilize the cells of both the Senju and Uchiha clans.
The only issue was the lack of a suitable host to fuse the two powers. This immediately made Danzō think of White Zetsu's cells…
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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