Naruto's civilian cannon fodder starts with the three-body technique

Chapter 410 Immense Wealth
The Iron Wall Legion ninjas originally thought it was just a long detour by sea, but they didn't expect to annihilate the main Kirigakure fleet along the way and obtain such rich spoils.

Although most of the sunken ships have not yet been salvaged, the supplies seized from the ports of the Land of the Sea, as well as the spoils distributed after the destruction of the Hidden Mist Fleet, have already made every participating ninja a fortune.

A rough estimate suggests that each person's earnings this time far exceed their total income from a whole year of hard work on missions. With such a huge material incentive, it's no wonder morale is so high!

Soon, the massive combined fleet of the Konoha Iron Wall Legion set sail again, hoisting its sails, cutting through the waves, and heading towards the northern seas.

Meanwhile, under the command of Kakuzu and Hiruko, the Land of Waves' blitzkrieg fleet had also been assembled.

Three imposing ironclad warships formed the core of the expeditionary fleet, supported by a large number of transport ships and supply ships fully loaded with Sound Ninja. With an aura of crushing everything, they headed straight for the Land of Water, whose gates were wide open.

Underwater, the massive submarine force acts like a wolf pack, providing escort and protection at the front and flanks to ensure the safety of the fleet's voyage.

In less than two hours, the Land of Waves fleet arrived at the Land of the Sea, which had recently been taken over by Konoha.

After a brief handover of defenses with the Uchiha Shun unit that remained behind, and replenishing some urgently needed supplies seized from the Kirigakure logistics warehouse, the Land of Waves fleet did not linger and immediately continued its journey, its sword pointing directly at the Land of Water.

Just as the Land of Waves fleet was heading towards the Land of Water, Ao, who had escaped with great difficulty thanks to his summoning beast and a bit of luck, finally set foot on the land of the Land of Water in a disheveled state.

He didn't even have time to rest; he immediately sent the devastating news back to Kirigakure as quickly as possible that the entire frontline fleet had been annihilated, the Third Mizukage had died in battle, and the Jinchuriki had been captured.

This news was like a bomb dropped into deep water, instantly causing unprecedented panic and chaos among the high-ranking officials of Kirigakure.

The elders convened an emergency meeting, but without a leader, the discussions were endless and they were unable to make any effective decisions in a short period of time.

However, the enemy will not give them a chance to breathe.

While Kirigakure was still paralyzed and embroiled in arguments over this devastating news.

The expeditionary fleet of the Land of Waves has arrived at the largest and most prosperous port city of the Land of Water, as if by divine intervention.

The port's defenses were more than enough to deal with ordinary pirates, but they were utterly ineffective against the elite fleet of the Land of Waves, which had just annihilated the main force of the Hidden Mist Village.

The port's defenses crumbled amidst the roar of the chakra cannons, and the few remaining Mist Ninja and samurai who attempted to resist suffered heavy casualties under the barrage of chakra rapid-fire cannons from the Sound Ninja Air Force.

The Wave Country fleet captured this crucial port with almost no effort.

After landing, the Sound Ninja Unit had a clear objective and was extremely efficient.

Their first priority was to destroy the massive shipyard next to the port, completely destroying all the docks, gantry cranes, important machine tools and equipment, thus nipping the Water Kingdom's hopes of rebuilding its navy in the bud.

Immediately following this was rampant looting.

Perhaps it was at Umino Sasuke's behest, or perhaps Kaku knew that speed was of the essence, so he didn't waste time on ordinary civilians, but instead directly targeted the noble mansions and official warehouses in the port city.

Large quantities of gold, silver, rare medicinal herbs, and military supplies were quickly loaded onto transport ships.

After completing their destruction and looting, the Sound Ninja showed no mercy, setting fires everywhere before leaving and unleashing various destructive ninjutsu to completely destroy the port's infrastructure, such as docks, warehouses, and lighthouses.

Kakuzu stood atop the flagship, coldly watching the massive port behind him engulfed in flames and thick smoke. His face was expressionless, focused solely on calculating the spoils.

He waved his hand dismissively: "Next target! Let's go!"

Upon discovering that the coastal defenses of the Land of Water were lax and the defenses so vulnerable, Kakuzu, after a brief discussion with Hiruko and the Fuma clan chief, decided to divide their forces in order to maximize efficiency and results.

The expeditionary fleet of the Land of Waves split into three, like three poisoned daggers, and sped along the winding coastline of the Land of Water toward the designated prosperous port cities.

A swift and decisive victory, sweeping across the entire coastline of the Water Kingdom!
One port city after another fell to the blitzkrieg of the Land of Waves' elite forces, followed by standard procedures of looting, arson, and targeted destruction of shipyards and port facilities.

By the time Elder Genshi of Kirigakure finally managed to coordinate the various factions, suppress the internal disputes, and urgently mobilize a 3,000-strong ninja army composed of private soldiers from various ninja clans, Kakuzu had already issued the assembly signal according to the pre-arranged plan.

The three fleets reunited in the designated sea area, and at this moment, almost all the important ports and shipyards along the coast of the Land of Water had been reduced to nothing in the thick smoke and ruins.

However, when they reached the rendezvous point, Hiruko's squadron was quite late.

Kakuzu stood on the flagship's deck, his face grim as he looked at the belated Hiruko fleet. His tone was somewhat displeased: "Hiruko, you're late again! We're on a military mission, not sightseeing! If you delay our evacuation for your own selfish reasons, because of some captured experimental subjects, don't blame me for reporting to Boss Unno and having him cut off your research funding!"

Hiruko boarded the flagship in a small boat. Facing Kakuzu's accusations, his pale face showed no panic, but rather a hint of smugness.

He adjusted his glasses and said calmly, "Mr. Kakuzu, why get so worked up? Before we discuss whether we're late or not, why don't you go to the cabin and take a look at our 'spoils' first?"

Upon hearing the words "spoils of war," Kakuzu's deep blue eyes instantly lit up, but he still forced himself to urge, "Spoils of war? Which port doesn't have spoils of war? Don't think that just because you've amassed a few hundred million taels you can..."

"You'll see when you go," Hiruko interrupted him, her tone certain. Kakuzu was skeptical, but he followed Hiruko to the lower deck of the flagship. The moment the hatch opened, even Kakuzu, who was over fifty years old and considered himself well-informed, couldn't help but gasp, his pupils suddenly contracting.

Inside the enormous lower deck, all sorts of boxes and glittering hills were piled up densely. Many of the boxes were not even covered because they were moved in a hurry. What was inside were not ordinary gold and silver, but dazzling gold bars, high-quality jewelry, antique artworks with simple and elegant designs, and a large number of sealed rare chakra metals and medicinal materials!
The entire cabin shone with a dazzling light, exuding an aura of wealth that was almost tangible!

"This..." Kakuzu's emerald green eyes reflected the golden light, his voice trembling with excitement, "How did you manage to steal so much?! The nobles of the Land of Water are wealthy, but they can't be this rich, can they?! Hiruko, you didn't lead a group to rob the treasury of the Daimyo's mansion in the Land of Water, did you?!"

No one could help but be shocked; the scale of this wealth far exceeded the total amount of wealth looted from the previous dozen or so ports!

Hiruko shook his head, his tone still calm: "The Daimyo's residence in the Land of Water is heavily fortified and its defenses are strong. It is impossible to break through it in a short time. Once we get entangled, we can easily be surrounded and annihilated by the Kirigakure army. Why would I do something so stupid?"

"Then...then how could you possibly have looted so much?!" Kakuzu pointed at the cargo hold full of wealth, incredulous.

Hiruko's lips curled into a slight smile as he countered, "Mr. Kakuzu, have you ever heard of the 'Pirate Nobles of the Land of Water'?"

Kakuzu, an ancient relic from the Warring States period, pondered for a moment and then suddenly realized: "Pirate nobles? You mean those... I understand!"

The term "pirate nobles of the Land of Water" can be traced back to the late Warring States period, especially the turbulent time when Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha ended the chaos.

At that time, the ninja world was in disarray, and pirates roamed freely, plundering coastal towns and accumulating boundless wealth.

After the First Hokage established Konoha and brought relative peace, the good days for these pirates came to an end. At that time, the three great nations of Fire, Lightning, and Water joined forces to suppress the pirates.

The Land of Fire's navy was not strong at first. The main forces for suppressing pirates were the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water. The Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire had a close relationship and were determined to crack down on and completely eradicate pirates.

The Land of Water adopted a strategy of "combining suppression and appeasement," and even after the Land of Lightning defeated the main pirate force, it stepped in to offer amnesty to the remaining pirate forces.

With the enormous wealth they had plundered over the years, these pirates bribed officials and even daimyo of the Water Kingdom. After decades of operation and development, many of them successfully laundered their money and transformed into nobles rooted in major port cities.

Due to the unique island environment of the Water Kingdom, the navy holds a prestigious position. Many of these nobles, originally pirates, have entered the coastal defense system, using their experience from their "old profession" and accumulated wealth to further consolidate their status.

Hiruko's enormous gains were not solely due to luck. He was knowledgeable and had thoroughly studied the history and aristocratic structure of the Water Kingdom before the war. This operation was also premeditated, with the mansions of wealthy "pirate nobles" who might have accumulated wealth through generations of plunder as key targets. This is how he obtained such astonishing wealth in one fell swoop!
Moreover, these assets are mostly in the form of hard currencies such as precious metals and antiques. Once the Ninja World War ends and the market stabilizes, their value can increase several times over!
Kakuzu looked at the mountain of spoils before him, and the gloom on his face vanished instantly, his attitude undergoing a complete 180-degree turn.

He patted Hiruko's shoulder hard, his face beaming with a smile that seemed to make even the stitches glow: "Hahaha! Good! Good! Good! Well done! Hiruko! I knew you were capable! If you need any funding in the future, just let me know! As long as it brings in the same kind of revenue, everything is negotiable!"

Previously, he had some complaints about the large amount of research funds that Beiruhu was spending, but now that he saw the return that far exceeded the investment, his dissatisfaction had long been forgotten.

Compared to the enormous wealth before us, that amount of funding is nothing!

Just then, the Wind Demon Clan Chief strode into the cabin with a grave expression, interrupting Kakuzu's excitement: "Lord Kakuzu, urgent military intelligence! The vanguard of the three thousand ninja troops assembled by Kirigakure is less than a hundred miles away from us!"

Upon hearing this, Kakuzu's smile vanished, replaced by his usual calm and gloomy demeanor: "It seems that under immense external pressure, Kirigakure has finally put aside its internal strife and begun to unite against external threats. They've managed to assemble three thousand ninja troops so quickly."

The Wind Demon Clan Chief added, "According to aerial reconnaissance and intelligence analysis, these three thousand ninja soldiers are not simply a mobilized force. Most of them are composed of elite private soldiers from various ninja clans in Kirigakure, and their combat strength is quite formidable. Although our Sound Ninja troops are well-equipped and can be considered elite, the difference in numbers is too great. In a head-on confrontation, we have no chance of winning."

A ruthless glint flashed in Kakuzu's eyes: "We must retreat, of course, but we can't just slink away like this. We have to teach them a lesson! Otherwise, they'll think that our Land of Waves only won by luck, and they'll inevitably take chances in the future, harassing or even plundering our merchant ships, which will seriously affect our ability to make money!"

Hiruko nodded in agreement: "Mr. Kakuzu is absolutely right. In that case, let's set the final battlefield at Whale Harbor. The waterways there are relatively narrow, which will allow us to take advantage of our naval firepower. We can use the terrain to teach them a lesson. If we can annihilate a large number of Kirigakure's forces in this battle, the success rate of our subsequent plan to impose an economic blockade on the Land of Water will greatly increase."

“Whale Harbor? What a great place!” Kakuzu immediately understood Hiruko’s intention. “Let’s do it this way! Fuma, immediately issue the order for the fleet to make a feigned retreat towards Whale Harbor! At the same time, order the air force to do everything in its power to slow down the Kirigakure Legion’s march and buy us time to adjust our deployment!”

"Yes!"

The order was quickly relayed, and the Wave Country fleet began to turn and head towards the Whale Harbor.

At the same time, a large number of Sound Ninja air units took off and continuously harassed the Kirigakure troops marching on the ground.

On the other hand, Kakuzu deliberately slowed down some of the transport ships and even sent small groups of troops along the coast to pretend to unload "spoils of war," creating the illusion that they were slowing down because they had plundered too much.

This trick really works.

On the side of the Mist Shadow Legion, Elder Yuan, seeing the continuous explosions in the sky, not only did not order a slowdown, but instead urged the troops to accelerate their advance.

"They're stalling for time, trying to escape with the looted wealth!"

A resolute look appeared on Master Yuan's aged face. "Pass down the order: the entire army must accelerate! The Ninja Hawk unit has suffered too many losses; let them retreat to the rear to rest and regroup, preserving their seed! Order the Wind Release ninja units to take turns using Wind Release techniques to drive away and disrupt the enemy air force! We must catch them before they all board the ships and escape!"

Ao agreed, "Elder Yuan is wise! The ninjas of the Land of Waves have plundered so much wealth that their ships must be heavily laden, which will definitely affect their speed. This is our best chance to recover some of their losses, or even cripple them!"

Thus, under the orders of the master, the Hidden Mist Legion, despite the harassment from the Sound Ninja Air Force, marched even faster.

(End of this chapter)