Naruto: I'm really not an evil scientist!

Damn it, could Hiruko be the reincarnation of the God of Wealth?!

The Third Hokage picked up his pipe with a slight tremor and continued smoking.

Looking at everything before him, he felt for a moment like a fool. How could he not have thought of making money through business?

With this money, not only can Konoha's previous bad debts be covered, but the upcoming war can also be considered a sure thing.

After all, war is ultimately about money; it's a continuation of political art and an economic war.

Clearly, those bigwigs didn't initially realize that the salt and iron monopoly could be so profitable.

Seeing such huge profits, they were all moved and then severely reprimanded their white gloves.

The corrupt elements at all levels in the Land of Fire are far more powerful than the ninjas imagined.

According to the ninjas' initial plan to eliminate the parasites, the first batch of salt would only earn them a few tens of millions of taels at most, which would be quite good. However, they did not expect that the first batch would earn them so much.

Now that Konoha has forcibly opened up all the connections, all those who wanted to profit from the situation have disappeared without a trace.

Anyone who dared to reach out had their claws chopped off by Danzo's men; the parasites could no longer hide from each other.

The true profits of the salt industry in the Land of Fire were finally revealed.

Upon hearing this news, the Daimyo of Konoha was furious and smashed the most precious glass bottle in his house.

Those bigwigs who originally thought that only banks were the most profitable are now filled with regret.

However, the reason they can earn so much money is because Konoha's new technology produces so much salt that it can now supply so many people in the Land of Fire with cheap salt.

Previously, many ordinary people barely survived by using a cloth soaked in vinegar and a little salt. How could they possibly have the opportunity to buy such cheap salt?

On the contrary, because Konoha lowered the price of salt, everyone could barely afford it, so consumption naturally increased, and profits also increased.

There were also some merchants who hoarded goods and speculated on prices, believing that Konoha could not possibly produce such a large quantity of salt indefinitely, so they wanted to stockpile it and make a fortune.

Sales of natural salt are soaring.

Although everyone's share of the profits is much lower than before, the actual income has actually increased significantly due to the huge sales volume.

From any perspective, the important figures in the Land of Fire had no chance to turn against them.

Let these nobles try it out; see if Hiruzen Sarutobi will just pick up a big stick and poke it in your face, or personally deliver a gift to you.

We should all be nice to each other and get along well in normal times, as harmony brings wealth. But we must never tolerate someone trying to cheat us.

Because news from within the Land of Fire will soon reach the Land of Lightning, whose situation is similar to that of Konoha and the Land of Fire.

Anyone who tries to imitate this will surely be severely reprimanded by the powerful figures of the Land of Lightning.

The bigwigs knew that the Hidden Cloud Village wouldn't covet their positions and would even protect the Land of Lightning, but when faced with interests, they sometimes couldn't care less about such things.

The nobles of the Land of Fire were helpless; this time, Konoha firmly held the moral high ground, and everyone could only grit their teeth and accept it.

The Hidden Cloud Village was immediately thrown into an uproar. Konoha had received so much money, and more would continue to come in the future. Unless the Hidden Cloud Village rose to power within a year or two, it would be impossible to resist.

If the Hidden Cloud Village receives additional funding in a year or two, it might be able to put up a fight against the Leaf Village. Without money, it will surely suffer a crushing defeat.

Konoha will be able to earn more wealth in the future, and life will likely be much better.

Thinking of this, the Third Hokage's mood brightened considerably.

Danzo, however, thought much more deeply, even further ahead.

If Konoha can continuously accumulate wealth, it might actually have the potential to unify the entire ninja world.

But when he thought of Minato Namikaze's achievements and prestige, his face turned ashen, as if he had swallowed a fly. Did he still have a chance to become the next Hokage?

Seeing this, Hiruko chuckled and teased, "Danzo-san, you seem a little unhappy. Are you feeling unwell?"

Faced with Hiruko's teasing, Danzo could only give him a blank look.

The frustration that had plagued him for days vanished at this moment, and his mood truly became cheerful.

However, Hiruko did not stop there, and jokingly mentioned Danzo's sore spot.

Minato Namikaze then slapped the table excitedly, waved his hand, and loudly announced, "This is indeed exciting news!"

"Such good news should be shared with everyone! Spread the word so everyone can hear it!"

Upon hearing his teacher's words, Kakashi immediately bowed respectfully, then turned and left to deliver this exciting news.

Danzo's expression grew increasingly grim, for he knew perfectly well what Minato Namikaze was about to do.

That's splitting the money!

Distribute the money to everyone!

Although the research department had to take the biggest slice of the pie, it still raked in over 18 billion yuan in revenue in the first month.

Even if the second month doesn't generate as much as the first month, it should at least remain in the tens of billions.

It is foreseeable that this income will not be easily spent even during wartime; on the contrary, it may increase as the intensity of the war rises.

During wartime, some poor people dared not go out to buy things casually, so they would usually buy necessities such as salt for the next few months in one go.

In Konoha, whoever controls the finances has the most influence.

Needless to say, the Hokage faction will definitely receive priority in financial support.

And Hiruko and Orochimaru's research department will undoubtedly take the biggest slice of the pie.

Then Minato Namikaze would naturally bestow generous rewards upon the other families, large and small, and of course, the common people would also get a share.

As for how to allocate the resources, that depends on how Minato Namikaze operates.

Those who receive more, even if they are not the Hokage's direct subordinates, can be considered as the Hokage's people.

Danzo felt a sense of helplessness welling up inside him as he thought about this.

He had thought that since Minato Namikaze was young, if he could find a reason to push him out of the Hokage position, he could take over.

He could find absolutely no reason to stop Minato Namikaze, because this enormous fortune was something Minato had secured for Konoha.

Anyone who objects will likely be stabbed in the back and die in a stinking ditch.

Danzo was utterly helpless against Hiruko's open scheme, but he was powerless to stop it.

All 18 billion yen came from the research department's output, while Hiruko directly asked Minato Namikaze for 8 billion yen in funding.

Of these eight billion, a small portion was allocated to Orochimaru, and the remainder was entirely managed by Hiruko.

Having decided to change this tragic world, Hiruko naturally kept his word without hesitation.

If one day we can truly usher in peace, that would be wonderful.

Danzo stormed off in a rage, but no one paid him any attention.

The ninja world is no different from my previous life; the rich are the bosses, and coincidentally, Hiruko is now the god of wealth.

So the heads of the other families, big and small, then...