I simultaneously traverse countless worlds

With the speed and agility of a standard Konoha genin, one could reach any point in this controlled area within three hours at full speed. Given Konoha's own formidable military strength, even the Land of Fire tacitly acknowledged this fact, and no one would be so reckless as to question it.

The actual area controlled by Konoha Village is very large, including vast forests, hills, rivers, and other areas. Not only do many of Konoha Village's ninja clans have established medicinal herb gardens and flower farms within it, but Konoha Village itself has set up multiple training areas. In addition, there are many villages and towns that are dependent on Konoha Village, which respectfully pay taxes to Konoha Village every year, and the grains, vegetables, and livestock they grow are also supplied to Konoha Village.

This is why Konoha Village considers these areas its own territory. When bandits emerge from other parts of the Land of Fire, Konoha Village doesn't have the time or inclination to wipe them out, waiting for someone to post a bounty before taking action. However, if bandits or other threats appear in its own territory, Konoha Village will immediately post a mission and arrange for ninja teams to clean them up, not giving those bandits a chance to live past the next day. Incidentally, this also solves the problem of materials needed for certain inhumane experiments.

In the previous ten days or so, this Konoha ninja squad would have carefully arranged for genin to conduct continuous reconnaissance and advance. However, once they entered the area actually controlled by Konoha Village, they seemed quite relaxed and at ease. The reason was that this area actually controlled by Konoha Village was very safe. Even the Third Shinobi World War and the current war with Kumogakure had not affected this area.

Therefore, the Konoha ninja team escorting the caravan relaxed and had time to chat as they looked at the Konoha village that was already in sight. They talked about the caravan they were escorting and how they should rest when they got home!

"Teacher, if we go back, will we be able to buy cheaper items?"

Looking at the caravan he was escorting, which bore the banner of the Daimyo of the Land of the Sea, a young ninja who looked no more than ten years old but carried a hint of murderous intent was somewhat pleased and asked his squad leader and instructor in a low voice.

"That's right, the caravan from the Sea Kingdom is transporting sugar and salt, which are in-demand goods!"

Hearing his subordinate's hushed question, the Konoha elite Chunin, who looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, nodded, giving his three subordinates a firm answer. He then looked at the dozens of fully loaded wagons and the twenty-odd samurai guarding them, a hint of anticipation in his eyes: "If we return to Konoha, at least the price of snacks should be much cheaper, and the price of salt should drop a bit too..."

For an elite Chunin of Konoha, his income was naturally considerable. However, the Third Shinobi World War had lasted for several years, and Konoha had fought with all its might to survive until the war ended. The Nine-Tails' rampage and the death of the Fourth Hokage led to Konoha going to war with Kumogakure.

In the past, Konoha could easily suppress Kumogakure. However, Konoha, already severely weakened, was led by the newly appointed Third Hokage. As a result, Konoha, while on guard against Iwagakure and other ninja villages, found itself unable to effectively deal with Kumogakure. The war between the two villages became a quagmire, causing both major ninja villages to suffer greatly from mutual attrition and constantly deplete their resources and training of ninjas.

Fortunately, this elite Chunin from Konoha had vaguely heard that Kumogakure was about to hold peace talks with Konoha, and the two sides should be able to end this terrible war. The shipment of goods from the Land of the Sea should bring some relief to the cash-strapped Konoha. It was thanks to this mission that he and his three subordinates were able to avoid being included in the Nth batch of reinforcements that might be sent to the front lines.

This elite Chunin from Konoha was quite cautious, speaking softly to his three subordinates and not discussing any sensitive topics. However, he was unaware that two top-tier experts, Li Mo and Ye Cang, were hidden within the caravan!

……

While the elite Konoha Chunin was chatting with his subordinates, a carriage in the middle of the convoy was clearly a different type from the surrounding heavy cargo carriages. It was more ornately decorated and had several mounted samurai following it.

Anyone with a discerning eye could immediately tell that this was the vehicle of a nobleman or a wealthy merchant. If one were familiar with the family crests of nobles from various countries and understood the trade of this year, one would recognize that this was a large merchant guild of the Land of the Sea. Only with the investment of the daimyo of the Land of the Sea and some nobles would one be qualified to fly a flag that signifies the daimyo's affiliation. Ordinary ninjas and bandits would not dare to have any designs on it.

Even though the Land of the Sea is far overseas, the daimyo and nobles of various countries are all more or less connected. In addition, the daimyo and nobles value their reputation very much. Warriors who dare to rob a daimyo's caravan will basically be given a high bounty by the furious daimyo and then hunted down by elite ninjas from various ninja villages. After many such cases, smart rogue ninjas and bandits will not provoke such a hornet's nest, unless they are desperate out of their minds and want to pull off a heist and run away.

Of course, given that the Third Shinobi World War had barely ended and two years had passed before Konoha and Kumogakure started fighting each other again, the security situation in the Land of Fire wasn't great. It was understandable that the wealthy merchant from the Land of the Sea, who had noble blood, was accompanied by a group of elite samurai retainers. As for the fact that more than twenty samurai were accompanying them on this shipment of high-end goods, such as sugar and salt, Konoha didn't seem to care much.

However, if Konoha knew that there was a top-tier expert at the level of nearly the Six Paths and a ninja with a bloodline limit reaching the top Kage level in the luxurious carriage of the Land of the Sea caravan, they probably wouldn't be so calm!

"Mo, you're awake?"

On the soft couch of the luxurious carriage, after a period of disguise and several years of experience, Yekura, who was now completely different from before, discovered that her lover, who was resting on her lap, had woken up and asked in a low voice with some surprise.

If any elite ninjas from Sunagakure were present, having witnessed the sheer violence of Pakura's Blazing Release technique on the battlefield, they would surely think they were seeing things and had mistaken her for someone else. At this moment, Pakura's vibrant, fiery golden-red hair cascaded down to her waist, and her fitted, casual black attire couldn't conceal her near-S-shaped curves. Her delicate and adorable face, along with her crystal-clear, snow-white skin and her 1.75-meter-tall, nine-headed figure, made her an absolutely stunning and captivating beauty.

Compared to when the Third Shinobi World War was almost over and he was tricked into the Kirigakure's encirclement and nearly killed, the appearance of the Scorching Release Pakura has changed drastically. Even those Sand Shinobi who were once familiar with the Scorching Release Pakura would probably not be sure if they were seeing the same Scorching Release Pakura!

"Ye Cang, I'm awake!"

Upon hearing the voice of Scorching Release: Yekura, Li Mo, who had just returned from the [White Mist Space], opened his eyes. The light emanating from his eyes brightened the carriage, and he was immediately subdued. Looking at the beautiful woman waiting for him with a radiant smile, and recalling his memories of the high school student Li Mo he had just seen in the [White Mist Space], he rose and skillfully pulled Scorching Release: Yekura into his arms, kissing her as he exclaimed, "What a wonderful dream! It makes me even more excited for this journey to Konoha Village!"

Indeed, every time Li Mo encountered a newcomer in the [White Mist Space], he absorbed their memories and power, constantly improving himself in all aspects. Even in the most ordinary urban world, the soul power, mental power, and physical power that Li Mo possessed as a transmigrator would continue to accumulate.

In particular, the accumulation of soul power has brought Li Mo great benefits in all aspects. While physical fitness has been accumulated to the point where an ordinary person's level one physical fitness can no longer be improved much, mental strength is not a level that can be improved in a short time. As for the improvement of soul power, even though there are now more than twenty Li Mos in the [White Mist Space], the ways to enhance the soul are still very few.

In this regard, even in the D&D world, which currently has the highest potential, there is no effective way to enhance one's own soul power. However, the increase in soul power that Li Mo gained from merging with each version of himself in the [White Mist Space] was immediate and significant. This is also an important reason why Li Mo mastered extraordinary powers so quickly in various worlds.

Of course, Li Mo's current exclamation stems from witnessing just how extravagant his experiences were in the world of "Comprehensive Fanservice Anime." It was an exceptionally enchanting and captivating spectacle, featuring mature women, married women, widows, twin sisters, high school girls, and a whole host of other terms. In Li Mo's pre-transmigration world, such treatment would likely only be available to those with abundant power and wealth. Yet, Li Mo, a high school student in the world of "Comprehensive Fanservice Anime," had already experienced it all, making him the envy of many.

Especially in the world of comprehensive fan service anime, the quality of the beauties is quite outstanding. It can be said that the memories of high school student Li Mo are enough to make people's hearts burn. The only Li Mo who can match or even slightly surpass him in this aspect is probably the Li Mo in the other world evaluation guide. He came out to have a lot of fun with the female magician clone. All kinds of monster girls and non-human girls are dazzling and very eye-opening.

In contrast, Li Mo in the Naruto world only has the beautiful Yagura, who uses the Scorching Release technique, by his side. Occasionally, he gets intimate with Uzumaki Kina and the two married women he saved over the years, Mizuki Yukari. Compared to the two Li Mos in the combined fan service anime world and the otherworld review guide world, the difference is really huge. Even Li Mo in the Naruto world felt a little envious.

There are quite a few beautiful female ninjas in the Naruto world, but it is also very difficult to win them over. As for those powerful female ninjas, it goes without saying that Li Mo was busy with his own training and rarely had time for such things!

"Mo? Do you want me to help you with this...?"

As someone who had shared a bed with Li Mo for several years, Ye Cang immediately felt the burning gaze of her lover. She was not afraid at all, but instead took the initiative to hug Li Mo. Her pair of breasts, which could be described as unfair, were pressed tightly against his body. The beautiful woman, whose eyes were sparkling with love, whispered.

"Ahem, we're almost at Konoha Village, let's talk about it tonight!"

Seeing the breathtaking scenery that could instantly turn a man into a beast, Li Mo couldn't help but recall the enchanting memories of the high school student Li Mo he had just merged with. He then tried his best to suppress his inner fire, coughed twice, and gave the order.

Under normal circumstances, Li Mo would naturally not mind getting intimate with the beautiful woman he was holding. However, he wasn't the kind of person who couldn't resist a woman. Even though he had just returned from the [White Mist Space] and was still somewhat influenced by the memories of another high school student, Li Mo, he was planning to have new operations in Konoha Village. Now that he was almost at Konoha Village, it was naturally not appropriate for him to get intimate with the Scorching Release: Pakura. Otherwise, he felt that his moral bottom line would completely collapse.

Fortunately, Yekura, who was skilled in the art of scorching release, also knew what was important. When she realized that her lover was preparing to do something serious, and considering that she was very cautious about Konoha Village, she quickly reverted to the demeanor of a wealthy merchant's wife to avoid revealing any flaws later!

……

Upon seeing the arrival of the caravan bearing the flag of the Land of the Sea, the ninja guards stationed at the gate of Konoha Village already knew. They were not the two legendary Chunin gatekeepers who would remain unchanged later; they were guards composed of two elite Chunin squads.

There was no other way. Konoha and Kumogakure had been fighting a bitter feud for almost two years. Although they couldn't suppress Kumogakure, the perennial runner-up in overall strength, Konoha couldn't afford to fall behind in terms of prestige. Placing only two Chunin guards in front of Konoha's gates would be nothing more than a way of showing everyone that Konoha was almost deserted.

Even though Konoha Village was indeed short of manpower, the gate guards, which served as the facade, were still two elite Chunin squads led by two special Jonin. This gave visiting clients and caravans a sense of security at first glance. Those who knew their stuff were even more cautious because Konoha Village presented itself in a very impressive manner. Even those with high standards had to admit that Konoha Village was indeed very powerful.

Don't be fooled by the fact that during the Third Shinobi World War, tens of thousands of ninjas died on the battlefield. Most of them were genin and chunin, and many were hastily armed cannon fodder with some chakra and simple killing techniques. Reaching the level of special jonin greatly increased their survival rate. Jonin and even elite jonin could serve as mid-level commanders. Unless they encountered the unfortunate situation of having multiple opponents of the same level or Kage-level powerhouses, they were unlikely to suffer losses.

Even a Special Jonin would be considered a pillar-level expert in small ninja villages like Yugakure or Kusagakure. Only the five great ninja villages would send out such experts for A-rank or even S-rank missions. The presence of two Special Jonin guarding the gates of Konoha is, in the eyes of discerning people, a testament to their formidable strength. Naturally, those who commissioned missions in Konoha would feel even more at ease.

This kind of display of strength would have been unnecessary when Konoha was at its peak. However, now that it has suffered severe losses, Konoha has no choice but to show its power in this way. Otherwise, if it is seen as a pushover, the Fourth Shinobi World War might be about to begin!

"Welcome to Konoha Village, everyone!"

Upon seeing the arrival of the caravan from the Land of the Sea, a special Jonin guarding the gate subtly gave a wink to his subordinate. Then, the hidden Hyuga branch family ninja used his Byakugan to observe the caravan, avoiding Li Mo and the Scorching Release user Ye Cang, before quietly nodding to indicate that there was no problem.

Indeed, the Byakugan, one of the three great dojutsu of the ninja world, is extremely convenient for reconnaissance. In addition, the requirement for Jonin is simply to observe whether there are any spies mixed in with the caravan, and at most observe the chakra of the caravan members. Although the Hyuga branch family ninjas do have the Byakugan, a mere elite Chunin-level ninja like Cricket is far too weak against Li Mo and Pakura's Scorching Release. They easily concealed their presence, and the Konoha ninjas did not notice anything amiss.

Knowing that the vigilance in Konoha was typical during wartime, and that the other side was carefully avoiding observing high-ranking nobles and wealthy people, Li Mo naturally wasn't angry. He followed the convoy into Konoha, and then, pulling Yekura, who possessed the Blazing Release technique, he prepared to tour the village.

"Hmm, let's take a good look at Konoha, the foremost of the Five Great Ninja Villages!"

Chapter 2 The Desolate Leaf Village

As Li Mo and Ye Cang, accompanied by several guards, began to stroll through the famous Konoha Village, they soon discovered a fact that left them quite disappointed.

That is Konoha Village, the leader of the Five Great Ninja Villages, which now looks particularly desolate!

Although Konoha Village appears to be very large, comparable in size to a modern medium-sized city, its actual scale is probably smaller than that of a fifth-tier city in China, with very few high-rise buildings.

The tallest building in Konoha is actually the building where the Hokage have worked. The Hokage Rock is at most a landmark, but that Hokage Building is only about ten stories high. The tallest other buildings in Konoha are only a dozen stories high, and that's the Konoha Hospital, which is exclusive to Konoha. Not to mention the other buildings.

Anyway, when Li Mo and Zhuo Dun Ye Cang arrived at Konoha Village's commercial street, they found that most of the buildings were two or three stories high, with the only modern features being water and electricity. Many shops were even made of wood. Even though Konoha Village is surrounded by large forests, and wood is indeed one of the cheapest building materials in Konoha Village and even the Land of Fire, looking at those old wooden shops did make people a little uneasy.

If that were all, Li Mo and Ye Cang would only be somewhat disappointed. Countries like the Rainbow Country and the Sea Country, which they had already taken control of, had already begun to popularize high-rise buildings. It was not unreasonable for Konoha Village, which had been involved in the Third Shinobi World War, the Nine-Tails' attack, and the Cloud Village War, to have a slightly lagging infrastructure.

What truly caught their attention was that, despite being the most bustling commercial street in Konoha Village, the flow of people was surprisingly ordinary, or to be more precise, the number of people on the commercial street was practically nonexistent around noon.

Under normal circumstances, if the shopping street only gets less than fifty customers every ten minutes, especially at noon, it could be declared bankrupt. Even though Konoha Village isn't just a city with high consumer demand, its resident population is estimated to be over 200,000. Add to that the migrant population and residents from surrounding villages and towns, and this situation seems rather strange.

Especially those customers who come to Konoha Village's commercial street are mostly dressed as the elderly, weak, women and children. Not only do they buy everyday consumer goods, but their faces are mostly expressionless. Occasionally, you can see ninjas wearing Konoha headbands, but most of them have a trace of blood on their bodies that they can't hide, and they look somewhat tired.

Fortunately, Li Mo quickly realized that by comparing the intelligence information Konoha Village had received with the plot of the original Naruto anime, he immediately understood why Konoha Village was so desolate.

The main reason is war!

The Third Shinobi World War ended a few years ago. Konoha fought against all four other ninja villages during the war. Although it barely managed to end the war as the victor, it did not really gain any real benefits.

The reason is that Sunagakure obtained financial assistance from Konoha on the condition of a ceasefire, Kirigakure inexplicably fought a battle and then withdrew to the Land of Water, leaving Konoha helpless and unable to pursue reparations. Iwagakure and Kumogakure are even more powerful, barely managing to reach a ceasefire with Konoha instead of actually being defeated.

If that were all, Konoha Village, which had suffered considerable losses, wouldn't be too badly affected. However, just after the Third Shinobi World War ended and they were preparing to elect the Fourth Hokage, Orochimaru, one of the two most competitive candidates, was exposed for conducting human experiments on villagers and ninjas. He directly defected and was wanted by Konoha Village as an S-rank rogue ninja. Subsequently, the other two powerful members of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya the Toad Sage, also left Konoha Village, and Tsunade had already disappeared with her disciple Shizune.

It can be said that Konoha Village's departure or defection was caused by this one incident alone. If it weren't for the outstanding skills of the newly appointed Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, who was also a rising star who emerged from the Third Shinobi World War, other ninja villages would probably have had to test Konoha Village to see if this victor of the Third Shinobi World War (who claimed to be the one) had already weakened.

Fortunately, once the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, took office, he knew that this new Hokage, who had distinguished himself in the Third Shinobi World War and was hailed as the "Yellow Flash" by other ninjas, was no ordinary person. The other ninja villages all held back to avoid being suppressed if they stood out.

Under normal circumstances, with the young and energetic Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze taking office, he should have been able to stabilize Konoha for more than twenty years. Coupled with his merits during the Third Shinobi World War and the friendly relations among the various clans in the village, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze should have been able to heal the wounds inflicted on Konoha by the previous war within ten years and further strengthen Konoha's power, once again securing its position as the top of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

This is not impossible. The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, is very strong. His wife, Kushina Uzumaki, is an outstanding Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. He also has good relations with the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Ino-Shika-Cho clans. If he were to firmly establish himself as the Fourth Hokage, the entire village of Konoha would inevitably be united. Even the legendary Sannin who had left or betrayed Konoha might be able to be found by Minato. With Konoha's resources, they could quickly recover their fighting strength.

Unfortunately, Obito Uchiha, the good disciple of the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, was brainwashed by Madara Uchiha and turned to the dark side. He took advantage of the critical moment when his master's wife, Kushina Uzumaki, was about to give birth, and launched a sneak attack, releasing the Nine-Tails and wreaking havoc on Konoha Village. This forced the Fourth Hokage to sacrifice himself to seal the Nine-Tails, and Konoha Village suffered a heavy blow.

In this Nine-Tails attack, Konoha Village suffered heavy losses, including the deaths of the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze and his wife Kushina Uzumaki. The village's newly recovered strength was severely damaged, with the number of dead ninjas and villagers exceeding four figures. Not only were there numerous buildings and people damaged and needing repair, but the situation, which had just been stabilized by the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, collapsed instantly. The Uchiha clan was also blamed for manipulating the Nine-Tails. The Uchiha clan, unfairly accused, had no way to defend themselves and became increasingly radicalized due to their ostracism from the village.

Unfortunately, in Konoha, Danzo Shimura, who aspired to become Hokage and was eyeing the position covetously, was a menace. He couldn't compete with Hiruzen Sarutobi, the former Third Hokage who had just retired but still wielded considerable power. As a result, he harbored resentment and continued to cause trouble, such as placing the blame for the Nine-Tails' attack directly on the Uchiha clan.

Leaving aside the excitement within Konoha Village at the time, the death of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, who had only been in office for less than two years, coupled with the overwhelming spectacle of the Nine-Tails' rampage, immediately attracted the attention and probing of other ninja villages.

In particular, the Hidden Cloud Village, which has always believed that fists take precedence over brains, launched a war without hesitation after confirming the death of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, who had once fought to a draw with the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. The Third Hokage, who had just regained full control of Konoha, was forced to confront the Hidden Cloud Village's ninja army. Although the battle was not a full-scale war, it was still a relatively large-scale ninja army battle.

At the very least, villages like Amegakure, Yugakure, and Kusagakure would find it difficult to field a thousand ninja troops for an extended period of time. Amegakure, which may consider itself second only to the five great ninja villages in strength, might be able to field a thousand ninja troops for a long-range surprise attack, but expecting Amegakure to sustain such a battle in the long run is nothing but wishful thinking.

Even for the five great ninja villages, mobilizing more than a thousand ninja soldiers at once is no small matter. To wage a prolonged war with such a large ninja army would consume a huge amount of money and resources that could bankrupt a small ninja village in just a few days. Konoha and Kumogakure are not deliberately suppressing the scale of the war; it's just that besides themselves, there are three other great ninja villages and several small ninja villages. If they were to go all out now and suffer heavy losses, it's hard to say whether the remaining three great ninja villages and other small ninja villages would be tempted.

In any case, neither Kumogakure nor Konoha had any intention of trusting the integrity of other ninja villages in this regard. Even Sunagakure, which had just reached an alliance agreement with Konoha, was still being secretly guarded against by Konoha, and they had no intention of trusting each other at all. As for Kumogakure, it goes without saying that the Third Raikage died in Iwagakure, so it would be a joke to say that they could trust their neighbor Iwagakure. Kumogakure even had to be wary of Kirigakure, which was located on the opposite coast.

As a result, Konoha and Kumogakure were mired in a quagmire of war. The war, which involved no more than 5,000 ninjas in total, did not seem to require the two villages to exert their full strength. However, if the war continued, the damage would still cause Konoha and Kumogakure a great headache.

In the Naruto world, the interests of ninja villages and their respective countries are generally aligned. This doesn't mean that ninja villages rule the entire country. On the contrary, it was thanks to that idiot Hashirama Senju who handed over Konoha's economic lifeline and other key resources to the Land of Fire that other ninja villages were able to establish themselves. Instead of directly integrating the resources and manpower of their respective countries, they functioned like a group of fixed mercenaries, relying on missions and annual funding from their respective countries to maintain the operation of their villages.

You mean the commercial taxes of the Ninja Village?

Sorry, but each ninja village is a semi-military, semi-fortified town. The shops in the ninja villages are run by people from the ninja villages themselves, or by powerful merchants or nobles. Besides, there are not many people in the ninja villages with business acumen. Relying on the commercial taxes collected from the ninja villages to maintain the war is a useless act of adding fuel to the fire.

After all, only those who have experienced war firsthand truly understand how much money and resources it consumes. Even before Li Mo's time travel to the First and Second World Wars, let's not even mention the fate of the defeated nations. Apart from America, which was geographically well-positioned and thus spared from the ravages of war, the countries involved in the wars, even if they barely won, had their centuries of accumulated wealth depleted.

That was a major country with over a century of industrialization. Even if it got involved in a world war, such an extremely high-intensity conflict, it still showed just how terrifying this money-devouring beast of war truly was.

In the Naruto world, wars between ninja villages are equally costly. First of all, the ninjas who are involved in the war cannot go on missions to earn money. The ninja villages must at least not shortchange the ninjas who participate in the war. Explosive tags, kunai, senbon, ninja swords and medical supplies are necessities. The logistical expenses for food, clothing and other necessities cannot be skimped on either. In addition, the dead and wounded must be compensated, which makes the cost even more staggering.

Even with the wealthiest country, the Land of Fire, Konoha was struggling to cope with the continuous warfare. After all, the losses from the Third Shinobi World War and the Nine-Tails' attack had not yet been recovered. Engaging in this blood-draining war with the Hidden Cloud Village left Konoha in a predicament of continuous blood loss, unable to decisively end the war.

In comparison, the situation of the Hidden Cloud Village might not be much better, but its advantage is that the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning is more supportive of the Hidden Cloud Village. In addition, compared to the Land of Lightning, which is located in a relatively harsh environment, even if the Hidden Cloud Village is defeated, there is only a small chance that it will be besieged. If the Hidden Leaf Village is defeated, other ninja villages will not let go of this good opportunity. The wealthy and livable Land of Fire has long been a place that they covet.

It was this understanding that led Konoha to a stalemate. On one hand, its ninja force, which had suffered heavy losses, was not yet at full strength, and several of its top ninjas had left or defected. On the other hand, Kakashi Hatake, Shisui Uchiha, and others who had emerged during the Third Shinobi World War were not yet ready to take on the main responsibility. Konoha was locked in a bitter battle with Kumogakure.

The increasingly protracted war with Kumogakure placed an immense burden on Konoha. The number of Konoha ninja killed or wounded was rising, and the money and resources consumed were astronomical. As a result, the number of Konoha ninjas available to take on missions was dwindling, and the money allocated by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was constantly being thrown into the black hole of war. The burden on Konoha was becoming heavier and heavier, and the villagers were being exploited, while their purchasing power was declining, leaving them unable to buy many goods.

You mean sugar and salt transported from the land of the sea?

Just kidding. Salt is a necessity of life. Not eating salt will result in not having the strength to work. And for ninjas, who used to train their physical skills and strength, carry out missions or participate in wars, salt was even more indispensable.

Those candies belong to the category of luxury goods, but sweetness is a taste that humans constantly pursue. Candy not only provides high calories, but the sweetness it brings can also make people feel happy. Even during the breaks when ninjas are fighting on the battlefield, a few candies can not only quickly restore their physical strength, but also make them feel comfortable and more focused on the battlefield. It is a commodity that Konoha Village and other ninja villages welcome.

As you can see, when a caravan enters Konoha, many ninjas are already prepared to spend money to buy from it. If the Third Hokage hadn't seen that the caravan belonged to the Daimyo of the Land of the Sea, he probably would have found an opportunity to persuade them to support Konoha's war effort through reason, instead of just making a profit from the caravan's trade, and even then, it would be through in-kind taxes rather than monetary ones. This is because what Konoha needs most right now is goods, not money.

Due to the ongoing war with Kumogakure, Konoha Village urgently needed various military supplies, as well as civilian supplies such as food and cloth. Relying on the wealthy Land of Fire, Konoha Village did not lack these supplies. However, salt and sugar, which are very useful supplies, were slightly different, as their prices skyrocketed and they were difficult to buy.

Well, at least if Konoha wanted to buy at the usual price, those profit-driven merchants would use all sorts of excuses, such as saying they had no stock or selling only a small quantity to Konoha, unless Konoha had to pay several times the usual price to buy the goods.

Even though Konoha is the leading of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, this is no exception. Those merchants who dare to engage in such high-profit transactions are backed by nobles and even daimyo from various countries. Even though Konoha wanted to kill these unscrupulous merchants, neither the Third Hokage nor Danzo Shimura had to swallow their anger. The reason is that this was not the first time these merchants had done this. During the previous Shinobi World Wars, those merchants hoarded and speculated on goods quite often, but they were still somewhat restrained.

Those merchants would at most sell the goods for several times the price, or even one or two times or less, which made the ninja villages that needed to buy strategic or military supplies feel uncomfortable. However, when they needed them urgently, they couldn't care less and had to grit their teeth and bear it, spending more money to buy the various supplies they urgently needed.

As for why these merchants don't exploit the ninja villages to the fullest extent, the reason is that the ninja villages really control absolute violence. Even if those nobles and daimyo are indeed not easy to mess with, besides the ninja villages, aren't there many rogue ninjas and bandits in the ninja world?

When a few overly greedy merchants attempted to purchase powerful ninja villages as their own goods, their entire families were wiped out by "traitorous ninjas" and "bandits." After that, even those merchants with nobles and daimyo backing them up acted with great restraint, daring not to go too far in order to make a profit.