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

Chapter 421 A Farewell Gift

Nara Shikaku looked at the numbers on the contract and was somewhat surprised.

I originally thought it would be good enough to get a deal at the market price, but I didn't expect that the commander actually negotiated a certain premium. It seems that the commander and that Mr. Gato from the Land of Waves have a very special personal relationship. Even Kakuzu, who is so greedy, had to make some concessions.

As for selling Konoha's transport ships as well, this was part of the plan. If they weren't sold to the Land of Waves, they would only be able to sell them off to some unscrupulous merchants at a lower price after landing in the Land of Iron. It would be better to package them up now and get a better price in the end.

Soon, with the cooperation of both sides, a large number of Cloud Village warships and equipment were captured and began to be transferred to the transport ships of the Land of Waves in an orderly manner. The Land of Waves side was experienced and paid for the goods on the spot. They brought out several large boxes filled with gold notes that could be exchanged in major banks throughout the ninja world.

In front of all the Iron Wall Legion ninjas, Umino Sasuke ordered the chest to be opened. The stacks of gold notes dazzled everyone's eyes. Without any delay, the huge sum of money was distributed on the spot according to the merits and ranks determined before the battle.

Each ninja of the Iron Wall Legion received a huge bonus, equivalent to a year's worth of wages, based on their performance and rank in the battle. The entire fleet erupted in even more enthusiastic cheers.

Every ninja beamed with joy, touching the bulging money pouches in their arms. They felt all the fatigue and pain from the previous battle vanish, and their admiration for Umino Sasuke reached its peak.

"Long live the Commander!"

"Following the Commander means you'll get to eat meat!"

"I swear to serve the Commander to the death!"

When all the Iron Wall Legion troops finally landed at a designated port in the southern part of the Iron Kingdom, the transport ship officially completed the transfer of ownership, bringing in a considerable amount of extra income.

Of course, Sasuke Unno did not immediately distribute the proceeds from the sale of Konoha's inherent assets. Instead, he publicly announced that the money would be used as special funds for the Legion, and after being brought back to Konoha, it would be used for the compensation of fallen soldiers and the resettlement of the wounded.

This move won the understanding and respect of all the ninjas, who felt that the commander was fair, considered the overall situation, and cared for his subordinates.

Faced with the Iron Wall Legion, whose morale was soaring, the Land of Iron was in a state of panic, seeing enemies everywhere.

The Land of Iron, a permanently neutral country, is mainly controlled by samurai groups. After receiving diplomatic letters from Konoha and the Land of Fire requesting passage, a fierce debate broke out among the high-ranking officials of the Land of Iron.

Initially, they were reluctant to agree. After all, the Iron Wall Legion had a notorious reputation and had just conquered the Wind Kingdom, so they had a history of such a fierce army. If such a powerful army wanted to pass through their country, and if they used the pretext of passing through to carry out an attack on the country, the Iron Kingdom's small number of warriors would be powerless to resist them.

However, upon learning that the Iron Wall Legion fleet had arrived in the waters of the Land of Iron and had recently annihilated the naval fleets of the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning, Admiral Mifune of the Land of Iron was forced to agree to Konoha's request.

There's nothing we can do if they disagree. If we disagree and anger this fierce army, giving them an excuse to attack the Iron Kingdom, then we'll be in trouble. It's better to proactively open the southern passage, closely monitor it, and try our best to meet their demands to avoid giving them an excuse to attack.

Therefore, Mifune personally led the most elite samurai troops of the Land of Iron to fully defend several key passes and fortresses leading to the core area of ​​the Daimyo's residence in the Land of Iron, and the situation was extremely tense at one point.

Sasuke Umino was fully aware of this and did not want to cause any further trouble.

Upon landing, he immediately dispatched a diplomatic team led by Uchiha Shun, carrying official documents and gifts, to pay a visit to Admiral Mifune.

As a renowned Jonin of the Uchiha clan, Shun Uchiha was not only exceptionally strong, but also impeccable in appearance and demeanor.

He spoke humbly and earnestly, reiterating Konoha's position to Mifune: the Iron Wall Legion's mission was merely to pass through the sparsely populated southern region of the Land of Iron on their way back to the Land of Fire. They would never venture north into the prosperous areas or political center of the Land of Iron, nor did they intend to offend the Land of Iron's neutrality or territorial integrity. He hoped that both sides could avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

Shun Uchiha's positive attitude and clear assurances eased the tension between Mifune and the higher-ups of the Land of Iron.

And the Iron Wall Legion did indeed march swiftly along the pre-planned route, just as promised in the diplomatic letter. The troops were disciplined and did not harm any villages or towns along the way, showing no sign of deviating northward.

With the elite samurai troops of the Land of Iron escorting them throughout, the Iron Wall Legion marched at an extremely fast pace. Especially after entering the relatively flat official road, the ninjas' advantage in speed was fully utilized, and traveling hundreds of miles a day was no problem.

In just one day, the Iron Wall Legion marched all the way and was about to leave the Iron Kingdom.

Mifune stood atop a towering rock, his gaze complex as he looked down at the Iron Wall Legion marching swiftly like a long dragon. The concentrated killing intent and surging morale of the legion made even this battle-hardened warrior general feel uneasy.

He noticed that at the rear of the group, the young commander, dressed in a white divine robe, seemed to sense something after fully supporting Uchiha Shun's squad and looked up in his direction.

Sasuke Umino nodded slightly in the direction of Mifune as a greeting. He didn't say anything, but his composure and confidence were clearly conveyed.

Then, Sasuke Umino flashed forward, using the Body Flicker Technique to quickly catch up with the main force ahead.

Mifune gazed for a long time in the direction the Iron Wall Legion had gone, his heart filled with emotion. With such a legion and such a commander in Konoha, the landscape of the ninja world in the next few decades was likely to undergo a tremendous change. He hoped that the Land of Iron could maintain its detached and neutral position.

When the Iron Wall Legion finally crossed the border of the Land of Iron and officially stepped into the land of the Land of Fire, all the ninjas showed genuine smiles on their faces, because they were going home.

After entering the Land of Fire, the official roads became wider and smoother, and the supply points along the way had already received the news and prepared ample food and water. With the logistical burden lifted, the Iron Wall Legion's marching speed soared again, reaching an astonishing 800 li per day, far exceeding that of regular armies, and this was not even the limit.

At this rate, it will only take them a day and a half at most for them to see the familiar gates of Konoha Village.

The thought of returning to their long-lost hometown, seeing their family and friends, and enjoying the glory of victory and the tranquility of peace made every member of the Iron Wall Legion's steps lighter. Just as the Iron Wall Legion, eager to return home, sped along the wide official road of the Land of Fire towards Konoha Village...

Kakuzu had already led the fleet of the Land of Waves, fully loaded with spoils "packaged" and acquired from the Ironwall Legion, and successfully returned to the port of the Land of Waves.

With the addition of these captured ships, especially the two ironclad warships and a large number of Kumogakure-style warships, the naval strength of the Land of Waves has once again experienced a leap forward.

After a quick inventory and assessment by shipyard engineers, the number of ironclad ships in the Land of Waves' naval fleet that are confirmed to be ready for combat has reached four. This includes three new ironclad ships built by the Land of Waves itself, as well as two ships captured from Kirigakure and which have been repaired.

More importantly, two more Cloud Hidden Ironclads, acquired from the Ironwall Legion, have begun intensive repairs. Once repaired, the Land of Waves will have an astonishing seven ironclads.

Although the four ironclad warships captured from the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning were far inferior in performance and technology to the new ships developed and built by the Land of Waves, they were, after all, the pinnacle of naval power in this era and the flagship armaments of a major power.

The fact that the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning could use them as their flagship and symbol proves their value.

This "deal" instantly boosted the maritime power of the Land of Waves to a whole new level.

At the port dock, Kakuzu watched as the "new" warship was slowly hauled into the dry dock for detailed inspection and maintenance by a tugboat, his emerald green eyes gleaming with the light of wealth.

Then, as if remembering something, he frowned slightly and turned to walk towards a heavily guarded research base in the Land of Waves.

Deep within the research base, in a laboratory filled with various sophisticated instruments and bizarre culture tanks.

Hiruko was intently observing an experimental subject immersed in nutrient solution, whose body had turned an unnatural ice-blue color. His eyes were fervent, and he was muttering incantations as he recorded data.

"Hiruko!" Kakuzu's cold voice rang out at the laboratory door, interrupting Hiruko's immersion.

"Kakuzu, you're back. Is something the matter?"

Hiruko raised his head somewhat displeased and pushed up his glasses: "Can't you see that my experiment is in a critical stage?"

"Stop those pointless human experiments with bloodline limits! Your primary task now is to provide the shipyard with comprehensive technical guidance! More importantly, you must overcome the final technical hurdle to mass-produce chakra cannons within a month!"

Kakuzu took a few steps closer and pointed at the screen: "Look! How many ironclads do we have now? Five! Soon it will be seven! There are even more under construction, but we are seriously short of the most crucial chakra cannons for our ironclads. Even if we installed all the chakra cannons that were taken from Angkor Fortress, it would still be far from enough!"

Currently, with the help of Hiruko's technical data from the Hidden Village and the support of Hiruko, the Land of Waves' technical team has made great breakthroughs in energy storage engines and chakra shields. However, the core energy stabilization and activation device of the chakra cannon, a strategic weapon that highly compresses and launches massive amounts of chakra, is still difficult to mass-produce.

Kakuzu stared at Hiruko and threatened, "Hiruko, don't waste your energy on these messy bloodline experiments. I'm warning you, I'm not Boss Umino, I won't indulge you indefinitely! If I don't see a mature chakra cannon production line within a month, I'll cut off all your experimental funding. You'd better watch out!"

Hiruko's face flashed with anger. He was, after all, a Kage-level shinobi. Although he was a weak Kage, he was still the chief technology expert of the Land of Waves. When had he ever been threatened like this?
He instinctively wanted to retort, but feeling the undisguised oppressive aura emanating from Kakuzu and the power of the Earth Grudge Secret Technique, he ultimately swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

We're outmatched in strength and our funding is being squeezed, so we have no choice but to back down.

Hiruko took a deep breath, suppressing his frustration, and gritted his teeth, saying, "It won't take a month! Give me half a month, no, just a week! I'll not only help you overcome the final mass production problem, but I also guarantee to set up the production line for you!"

He glared at Kakuzu: "Once I finish this project, don't bother me with funding issues anymore!"

Kakuzu nodded in satisfaction. His stitched face showed no expression, but his tone softened: "Very good. Remember your promise. The stronger the Land of Waves becomes, the more money it earns, and there will be no shortage of research funding for you."

After saying that, Kakuzu turned and left the laboratory.

"Damn Kakuzu!" Hiruko cursed under her breath as she watched Kakuzu's departing figure. "Just you wait! Once I successfully fuse with the third bloodline limit and my strength increases dramatically, I'll smash all five of your hearts to pieces and see if you dare threaten me with funding again!"

After venting his frustrations, Hiruko sighed helplessly and began tidying up the bloodline research data on the lab table. He knew that Kakuzu meant what he said, and that temporary compromise was necessary for the sake of the perfect Oni-Garara Jutsu that he had been dreaming of.

Not long after Kakuzu left Hiruko's laboratory, Fuma Tetsuya, who was in charge of the intelligence department, came to greet him.

"Lord Kakuzu, the negotiation delegation from Kirigakure has arrived and is waiting in the conference room."

A glint of light flashed in Kakuzu's eyes, as if he saw yet another mountain of gold beckoning to him: "Oh? Finally couldn't withstand the pressure?"

Feng Mo Tie laughed and said, "The Water Country is, after all, an island nation with scarce resources and an extreme dependence on external inputs. We have completely blockaded it and sunk hundreds of ships of various kinds that were trying to enter or leave the Water Country. Prices in the country have skyrocketed, especially for food and medicine, which are said to have increased several times over. Public resentment is beginning to boil over. How can they not be anxious?"

Upon hearing this, Kakuzu said with a hint of heartache, "You spendthrift! Those merchant ships are all money! Pass down the order to capture them as much as possible in the future, and stop sinking them so easily! Once you bring them back, repair them, and whether you use them yourself or resell them, they'll be pure cash!"

Fuma Tetsuya spread his hands with some difficulty: "Lord Kakuzu, the brothers in the submarine force have it tough too. It's easy to launch torpedoes underwater to sink merchant ships, but to stop and capture them is too difficult and risky. It's easy to be caught in a trap by the Kirigakure..."

Kakuzu pondered for a moment and then ordered, "There's always a way. Let's change our strategy. Send all our existing warships to the waters of the Land of Water to cooperate with the submarine force in a complete blockade. If we encounter merchant ships, we should focus on intimidating and capturing them. Those merchant ships are full of money, not just piles of sunken logs!"

(End of this chapter)