Traveling through three generations: Making Konoha great again!

These past few days.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Gen Kujo, the daimyo of the Land of Fire, established the detailed rules and regulations.

The two sides had a very pleasant conversation.

As he envisioned Konoha establishing its technological hegemony and then turning its scythe towards the major powers, Kujo Gen's nose twitched with excitement...

Compared to sitting idly in the capital like an incompetent puppet, wasting time.

A meaningful life is about working with your older brother, Hiruzen Sarutobi, to research how to achieve unparalleled feats…

Indeed, people's dreams never end...

Opportunities sometimes just fall from the sky!

Furthermore, the two became in-laws.

Under the combined pressure of Kujou Moto's pleas and the allure of a lavish dowry, Sarutobi Hiruzen agreed to the engagement between his eldest son Shinnosuke and his eldest daughter Kujou Rei.

Interestingly, as soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, Gen Kujo began discussing the names of his grandchildren with great interest.

"Brother, since we became sworn brothers and in-laws because of the 'Holy Land Pill,' how about we name our future generations after it?"

"The girl will be named Sarutobi Konohamaru, and the boy will be named Sarutobi Konohamaru!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was very satisfied with this.

His younger brother is quite shrewd, whether it's naming his grandchildren after Konoha, or paying for goods in advance, giving generous dowries, or engaging in a pleading marriage...

All of this shows that he can be a very good spokesperson.

After returning to the accommodation arranged by Kujo Gen.

Danzo brought new information:

"Hiruzen, we have news from the Anbu. Our men and Kakuzu have arranged to meet tomorrow at an old pavilion in the southwest of the capital."

"Alright!" Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded with satisfaction. "Then I'll talk to him tomorrow."

Progress has been relatively smooth...

The deal was settled with the Daimyo, and Kakuzu also took the bait.

"Hiruzen, what do you plan to do with this money?" Only recently had Shimura Danzo begun to realize the enormous deal Hiruzen Sarutobi had been up to…

Leaving aside labor and material costs, production team salaries, and the personal relationships within the three sacred sites…

The actual funds Konoha received amounted to 3 billion ryo.

"What do you mean, how do you use it? Use it sparingly..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled and said, "You don't actually think this is a lot of money, do you?"

"Not many?" Shimura Danzo asked in confusion.

He had assumed that Hiruzen Sarutobi's earlier promise—that Konoha would have no shortage of money in five years—had already been fulfilled ahead of schedule…

"Roughly calculated, it amounts to less than 300,000 taels per person."

Hiruzen Sarutobi held up a finger: "A half-B-rank mission..."

"This amount of money is barely enough to establish a ninja protection system."

"But what about the investment needed for expanded production? Funds for purchasing large quantities of materials and equipment for scientific research, special support for the Ninja Academy, upgrading and strengthening the security around the village, and the necessary expenses for recruiting new ninja clans..."

"Do you think our teacher figured out those forbidden techniques all by himself in a dark room?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi remarked with a sigh, "That was all built with money! Back then, half of the money from selling the Tailed Beasts was probably burned through on research by our teacher..."

"However, we did manage to burn quite a few good things, although the word 'good' is somewhat controversial."

Scientific research is a real money-devouring beast.

Large investment, long cycle, high risk, high consumption of materials…

If Hiruzen Sarutobi wants to shorten the cycle, then the investment will naturally increase.

Fortunately, Konoha has many talented people in this field.

Orochimaru, Hiruko, and Tsunade are all outstanding figures, and Tobirama Senju is no exception.

Perhaps we could also add Mito Uzumaki.

"Once the 'Holy Land Pill' project stabilizes in two to three years, it should be able to independently support the ideal ninja protection system in my mind."

"Once the brand becomes well-known, the Holy Land series of cosmetics can follow suit, and the profits from overseas exports can be used for scientific research."

Danzo Shimura asked with some doubt, "Cosmetics? Can this stuff even work...?"

"It's useful..." Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled.

"A beautiful appearance is like a luxurious procession for nobles, a symbol of status."

"As long as it's effective, the premium means nothing to them; they'll still fight for it, even female ninjas will."

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued:

"As for high-end tobacco, it will be used for routine military preparedness and subsidies. If there is a surplus, it will be used to increase investment in scientific research or to block the industrial development of major countries."

"We could also release a few co-branded products, such as the wooden dragon logo symbolizing the original..."

Danzo Shimura did not offer any rebuttal on this point.

Hiruzen Sarutobi is a long-time smoker, so he certainly knows a thing or two about this.

"If you're interested, we can release two themed around you and me..." Hiruzen Sarutobi joked, "and see which one is more popular."

Shimura Danzo initially wanted to refuse, as he considered himself the shadow of the ninja world and had no reason to show his face in public.

But then I thought, how could Hiruzen possibly harm him...?

"Is this a subtle way to increase our visibility?" Shimura Danzo asked uncertainly.

"You could say that." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded.

"There's also the issue of Konoha's population. We suffered heavy losses in the last Shinobi World War, so we need to find a way to increase it..."

"Even small and beautiful industries need to keep up with the population, and we should try our best not to reduce the combat population."

Danzo Shimura's expression gradually became numb.

Hiruzen, just how far have your eyes seen?

No, he has to keep up with Hiruzen's pace!

But when he thought about the vision of this plan coming to fruition, Danzo Shimura couldn't help but feel a little excited.

That kind of Konoha would definitely be very powerful.

"Hiruzen, that was a scene I really looked forward to..." Shimura Danzo said with a rare touch of emotion.

"Let's take it one step at a time. Even the best products and plans need time to develop."

"After returning to the village, we will first prepare to build a basic platform, and then improve it after the funds come in."

Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled. "Go get some cash with you..."

"If you don't bring any money, don't let him think we're going to run a debt."

"Buy two more straw hats and casual clothes, so that Kakuzu won't be scared away from a distance."

Danzo Shimura nodded.

The next day.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the clothes that Danzo Shimura had bought, his expression somewhat complicated.

A plain black robe, interspersed with patterns of fiery clouds.

The conical hat is made of wood and has a beaded mesh curtain.

The original meaning of Hiruzen Sarutobi was a type of clothing such as a haori...

"What kind of expression is that, Hiruzen?"

Danzo Shimura said unhappily, "At a meeting, the clothing should be based on black, with flame patterns representing Konoha and cloud patterns being a favorite of nobles..."

"Doesn't this perfectly suit the image of a noble from the Land of Fire? I've been looking for this for ages!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, draped his robe over his shoulders, and put on his straw hat.

"What you said makes sense..."

"But look at our outfits, we look more like some kind of underground organization than nobles..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi pointed to the mirror in front of him.

In the mirror, the two of them, accentuated by their clothes, exuded a mysterious yet fierce aura.

"Should I go buy some more?" Shimura Danzo was starting to realize what was going on.

"Well, this is fine too." Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered for a moment, then said with a smile:

"At least it won't seem like we have any connection with the ninjas of the Five Great Hidden Villages, and that's enough. It even looks like Kakuzu's colleague..."

Danzo Shimura nodded, a thought flashing through his mind.

Even a man like him felt like laughing...

He was really looking forward to Kakuzu's expression...

Even if he were a living fossil of the ninja world who had seen all the storms, he probably wouldn't be able to see through it.