Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

Masato, who was walking ahead, was unaware of the anger of the handsome Sasori on the back of the little motor. As he walked, he thought that Sasori and Karin's mother had already consummated their relationship. Although there was no sign of life yet, as the saying goes, "a night of marriage is worth a hundred days of kindness." Given that Sasori now had both parents and had been with a girl, his pursuit of art must have faded a bit.

Handsome Scorpion has been researching human puppets for some years now. Although it's unknown how well he's done, given his talent, which is even more terrifying than Chiyo's, the progress bar is probably almost full. He's not sure if Handsome Scorpion will still kill Sunagawa for the sake of perfect art, but after this morning's "it's so good" scene, maybe, probably, perhaps he won't turn himself into a wooden puppet. This thing is just like manual labor, which is very addictive. Otherwise, the business in the Red Bronze Zone wouldn't have been so good for ten years.

After all, if you turn someone into a wooden doll, you won't experience the feeling of "it's so good!" anymore...ヾ(^Д^*)/.

625. Handsome Scorpio: There will be plenty of opportunities in the future.

"Today is a good day, and tomorrow will be a good day too... Hey, nephew, cheer up! You're the first person in our village to complete the transition from boy to man since the village's laws were enacted. The process was tough, but the result is good. You should be happy. Don't always look like your father has died. Your father is still alive and well..."

After exiting the narrow pass and walking across the vast desert of the Land of Wind, Shindou strode along with a cheerful pace, humming a tuneless song. He then teased Sasori, who was riding on the back of Little Motor looking as if he had lost his father.

Anyway, he'd already achieved his goal. Handsome Scorpion had already experienced the pleasures of manhood. If Karin's mother continued her efforts, he really didn't believe Handsome Scorpion would transform himself into a lifeless, emotionless wooden puppet. As long as his nephew didn't turn him into a wooden puppet, who cared whether he lived or died!

I just don't know if Karin from the original story will come back. If she does, she won't just be a lone ninja from the Grass Village anymore. She'll be the little princess of the Sand Village! The second male lead, a brat from a fallen clan, is definitely not good enough for their Sand Village princess. If anyone's good enough, it should be his short-lived older brother. He's a brat who has no real strength and only shows off because he's the second male lead and his halo prevents him from being cheated on. He really doesn't think much of Shinto.

However, on another note, the second male lead's short-lived older brother, who is Kishimoto's youngest son, also died young, just like his eldest son. If he were to be forced into a relationship, wouldn't Karin be destined to live a life of widowhood in the future...?

That doesn't seem to work. But by that generation, the only one he really liked was his short-lived older brother, the second male lead. He didn't really care about the others. Originally, the lazy Nara clan or the Azabu clan would have been good choices to improve the village's average intelligence level. However, by that generation, the Azabu clan didn't seem to have produced any outstanding young people, while the Nara clan did have a legendary Nara Shikamaru with an intelligence level of 99, almost breaking 100.

But it seems that Nara Shikamaru and Rasa's daughter are destined to be together. I wonder if it's okay for him to interfere...

"snort...!"

The handsome scorpion, being teased on the back of the little motor, glared at the middle-aged bastard who seemed lost in thought but was definitely up to no good and was about to trick him. His eyes were practically spitting fire. Finally, all his resentment turned into a cold snort. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He couldn't rush things; he couldn't beat him now. He was still young, and there would be plenty of opportunities in the future...

......

The Land of Iron is a nation founded by samurai families from the pre-ninja era. It is one of the few neutral nations in the ninja world. Although it is now the ninja era ruled by the Six Paths Sage, the samurai are still quite powerful. Almost every generation of generals is at the Kage level. The current strongest warrior in the Land of Iron, Admiral Mifune, is also at the Kage level. Otherwise, it would be almost impossible to maintain neutrality in this chaotic world. Unless, like the Land of Craftsmen, which has almost no ninjas and honestly accepts orders and does business, those with slightly weaker strength would be doomed to annihilation.

Although the Land of Iron's overall strength cannot compare to the Five Great Ninja Villages, it is much stronger than the Land of Rain, which is currently known as the Sixth Great Ninja Village. This is why the major Ninja Villages can tolerate such a neutral country. If a single village were to fight the Land of Iron, even if it won, it would be a Pyrrhic victory, which would give other surrounding villages an opportunity. Moreover, there is also Konoha, which claims to be the international police force maintaining peace in the ninja world.

The Land of Iron is located near the Land of Fire, and annihilating it would not be as simple as it was with the Land of Whirlpools. The Land of Whirlpools was a small country established by the Uzumaki clan and located on the coast. A few villages could be easily taken over with a blitzkrieg. However, the Land of Iron, in terms of both geographical location and overall strength, would be a large-scale war to annihilate it. The hypocritical Leaf Village would not allow such a thing to happen.

It is precisely because of this that the Land of Iron has remained a neutral country in the ninja world for many years, and has even preserved many customs from the samurai era.

For example, the most popular profession in the Land of Iron is that of a geisha.

The terms "geisha" and "geisha" differ by only one character, but their professions are entirely different. While geisha in other countries are said to sell their art but not their bodies, most of these artists come from impoverished backgrounds. For the right price, they'll sell anything. Take, for example, Sunagawa's first love. Forced by circumstances, she succumbed to the financial pressures of the previous daimyo and abandoned their pure love, thus condemning Sunagawa to a life of celibacy...

In the Land of Iron, the courtesans truly sell their art, not their bodies. It is a noble profession and an important aspect of the Land of Iron's reception of foreign guests. Almost all of them are children of noble families and would never compromise their integrity for a mere pittance. Whenever you come to the Land of Iron, you can see courtesans everywhere along the roadside. There are both men and women among them, but because of the admiration for warriors and the popularity of masculine beauty, there are not many male courtesans.

"Haha, it seems that Shinto-kun isn't very interested in geisha performances."

However, Shinto, having grown up in Sunagakure's influence, couldn't appreciate this kind of shamanistic art. The title of the Golden Lion of Sunagakure carried some weight in the ninja world. When they arrived in the Land of Iron, Mifune, the current commander of the Land of Iron's highest fighting force, had already led a group out of the city to greet them. Shinto had met Mifune several times before, but they weren't very close. Despite wanting to maintain its neutrality in the ninja world, Mifune seemed to be quite familiar with the leaders of several major ninja villages…

So when he brought the handsome Sasori to the Land of Iron, he was invited to the General Mifune's mansion. The first thing he did was to enjoy the local specialties of the Land of Iron, such as song and dance. Masato was so tired that he almost fell asleep. But since he was a guest, he couldn't refuse to give them face, especially since he would have to bargain later. So he forced himself to stay awake.

"Haha, Third Brother, you know I'm just a roughneck who's spent my life on the battlefield, killing people for the past few decades. This kind of literary stuff... bah! I really can't appreciate the kind of refined and cultured people like. Our Kazekage, on the other hand, is quite knowledgeable about it. If you ever come to our Sunagakure, you could have a long talk with him by candlelight..."

Masato, resting his chin on his hand, took a listless sip of his drink and waved it off. Meanwhile, his neighbor, Little Mada, and Karin's mother watched with great interest, probably having been influenced by Sunagawa's effeminate, hip-swaying antics since childhood—enough to have seen too many free concerts. Handsome Sasori, on the other hand, looked indifferent, probably because this kind of performance art didn't suit his art...

626. Is this guy trying to bargain?

"Oh? I'd like to have a good chat with the Kazekage if I get the chance. Everyone says Konoha is the cradle of geniuses, but I think your village is no less impressive. These three must be the disciples of the True Fighting King, right?"

Mifune looked at the three kids sitting opposite him. The most conspicuous ones were the red-haired boy and girl. He could sense the powerful chakra in the red-haired girl's body. She should be a little girl from the Uzumaki clan. The other red-haired boy, on the other hand, impressed him with his stunning appearance. There were actually children in the world who were so beautiful. Without a doubt, he must be the legendary super genius whose puppetry talent surpassed Chiyo's.

Rumor has it that Sasori, the Sand Village's super genius, perfectly inherited the looks of Chiyo, the Sand Village's super advisor. He used to think it was just bragging, after all, he had seen how beautiful Chiyo was when she was young. He had also met Chiyo's son, who was just good-looking, but not nearly as beautiful as Chiyo in her youth. So he had reservations about the rumor that Chiyo's grandson had perfectly inherited her looks. After all, she was once the flower of the ninja world, the woman for whom Madara Uchiha even fought with the First Kazekage. Now that she's old, all sorts of random people have appeared. How good-looking could Chiyo's good-looking son possibly have?

Seeing it today, I can see that what you said is true. His talent is yet to be determined, but that face that could easily tempt women to commit crimes is certainly real.

The last one is a kid who always has a serious expression. Looking at his cool demeanor, although he's not exactly handsome—not exactly the face of a genius—kids who are usually this cool and pretentious are often little geniuses. Maybe this kid looks like his dad...

"Hahaha! Brother Mifune, you flatter me too much. But what you said makes sense. It's not that I'm just bragging, but my nephew's talent is comparable to Tobirama Senju, which might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it's definitely better than White Fang's son. It's just that he's too low-key and doesn't want to show his face, otherwise White Fang's son wouldn't have a chance..."

Hearing Mifune boast like that, Masato seemed to know nothing of modesty. He ruffled his nephew's hair and started praising him. He finally understood why the Third Raikage was so happy to hear him praising his son. It was like the feeling of "my son has grown up." It sounded really damn satisfying.

"..."

Handsome Scorpion glared angrily at the middle-aged man who had ruffled several strands of his hair. If there hadn't been outsiders, he would have already plucked out hundreds or thousands of strands. He looked at this shameless middle-aged man as if his success was thanks to him.

"Hahaha... Is that so? Shinto-kun is too modest. Who in the ninja world doesn't know that the Sand Village's super genius puppeteer, Sasori, has a talent that surpasses even Advisor Chiyo's? I just never expected to have the chance to witness it today. It is truly amazing. Shinto-kun, are you here to pick up some goods?"

The entire ninja world knows that Golden Lion has no bottom line and no shame, so Mifune wasn't bothered by his smug face. He simply didn't want to continue this boasting contest and quickly changed the subject. If they really continued, it would probably go on for three days and three nights, and he didn't have that many words to spare...

"Ah, isn't this my nephew who just graduated? I brought him out to train. You know how many people love me and how many hate me in the ninja world. I'm worried that this kid will be targeted if he goes out into the world. You also know how ruthless Hiruzen Sarutobi and Onoki are."

After speaking in a serious tone, Shinto couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark about Hiruzen Sarutobi and the short, red-nosed Onoki.

"...Haha, what Shindou-kun said is..."

This conversation was going nowhere. Mifune realized that chatting with this guy was really exhausting; it was easy to kill the conversation. In such a short time, he had already badmouthed both the Hokage and the Tsuchikage in front of him. This mouth of his was really... Didn't he know that I was from a neutral country?

If this guy weren't so powerful, he would have already blasted him to smithereens. However, the sword strike at the border between the Uzumaki clan and the Land of Wind was still vivid in his mind, especially the sword mark on Uzumaki Village, which had now become a small river. As the pinnacle of samurai combat power, and having studied swordsmanship for decades, he still couldn't imagine how that sword mark was even made...

"I feel an instant connection with you, Brother Mifune. We both love swords, it's like we've known each other for ages. I'm sure you know about the situation in Sunagakure. I wonder if you could lower the price for this batch of goods? We've been partners for decades, it's good to do business together!"

Shinto's eyes darted around, and he spoke to Mifune in a tone that suggested they were good buddies.

He used to not care about money; after all, few in the ninja world were richer than him. But after spending a year with Tsunade in the Land of Fire, he finally understood that while money isn't everything, you can't do anything without it. He's currently burdened with debts to the Hatake clan, and Chiyo controls the family finances, so making money won't be easy. Someone of his stature can't just go out of his way to make a living; Onoki would laugh at him. Ever since he sold two sets of Iwagakure's tailed beasts, every village has been guarding their tailed beasts extremely closely. It's said that even the Third Raikage practically lives and sleeps with their Two-Tails...

Business is tough these days. He took this job and brought Handsome Scorpion along because he planned to see if he could negotiate a lower price when settling the bill and secretly pocket some kickbacks. He thought he could make a quick buck.

As for the S-rank missions in the village, although they start at 100 million and have no upper limit, they're only worth 200 to 300 million at most. Moreover, there aren't many S-rank missions each year. After all, to qualify for an S-rank mission, not only do you need the mission fee, but the mission level also needs to be right. There aren't that many missions in the world that meet this level. One or two a year is already pretty good. So, trying to farm S-rank missions is simply unrealistic. Besides, 100 to 200 million isn't even enough for Tsunade to live a carefree life. Therefore, considering all the above reasons, Shindou thinks that it's easier and more lucrative to make money this way by bargaining and taking a kickback.

The village's business with the Land of Iron is worth a total of 6.5 billion. If it's reduced to 6 billion, wouldn't he get 500 million? If it's even lower, wouldn't he get even more?

He still felt that this way of making a quick buck just by talking was best for him...

"puff!"

"What is Shindou-kun doing....(⊙_⊙)?"

Mifune sprayed a mouthful of sake all over his neighbor's face and stared at him in bewilderment. Even the people around them, including handsome Sasori, were completely dumbfounded.

Is this guy trying to haggle?

627. Handsome Scorpion: This bastard is taking kickbacks to pick up girls.

No way!?

Mifune, who had been in the ninja world for decades, was bewildered. Since the Warring States period, they had been doing business with various countries in the ninja world. He would haggle over prices when other countries did business with them, and this was no exception, even with Konoha. Konoha was indeed rich, but their richness referred to various resources, not money. Otherwise, when Hashirama Senju founded Konoha, he wouldn't have been so poor that he had to sell tailed beasts.

As everyone in the ninja world knows, when it comes to wealth, the Land of Wind, where gold is everywhere, is naturally the place. Although it might be an exaggeration to say that you can grab a handful of sand and find gold dust in the Land of Wind, it's no exaggeration to say that 80% of the gold circulating in the ninja world comes from the Land of Wind. Before Hashirama Senju planted trees during the Warring States period, the Land of Wind was always the richest country. There was nothing that money couldn't buy; if you couldn't buy something, it was just that the price wasn't right.

Why were the daimyo of the Land of Wind so arrogant throughout history? Wasn't it just because they were damn rich?

Everyone knows that when doing business with Sunagakure, they never haggle.

Now, hearing what the Golden Lion is saying, isn't he trying to bargain?

"hiss!"

Mifune twisted his thigh 180 degrees, and the sharp pain told him that this was not a dream, and this guy really wanted to bargain with him.

Could it be... that something happened to the Kingdom of Wind and it went bankrupt, or that the endless desert was completely wiped out?

No way...!

“It’s so embarrassing....(▼へ▼メ)”

At this moment, Handsome Scorpion really wanted to find a hole to crawl into. If he had known that this bastard middle-aged man was so shameless, he would never have come out with him. Although he had been a top student since childhood and did not care about village affairs, as the heir of the number one wealthy family, he still had a general understanding of the village's finances. Even if the entire ninja world tried their best to pan for gold dust in their Land of Wind, it would take at least several hundred years. In short, they were not short of money.

And then this damn middle-aged man actually came and tried to bargain with them... This bastard is definitely trying to get a kickback to pick up girls!

He'd heard his grandma say that this bastard went on a girl-chasing spree, spent all his money, and still didn't get a girl...

"Hey! Brother Mifune, you might not know this, but although our Land of Wind is said to be paved with gold, it's still finite. Over the years, countless people have come to our Land of Wind to pan for gold, and over the years, even mountains of gold and silver have been mined up to almost nothing. And now it's not wartime, the price of gold has been plummeting and is almost gone. In addition, our Land of Wind lacks resources, tourism is not developing, and the entertainment industry is stagnant. The girls in the Red District are still the same ones from ten years ago. If we don't cut back on spending, in another ten years or so, our Sand Village won't even be able to catch up with Iwagakure. At least Iwagakure has an inexhaustible supply of jade..."

When it comes to testing acting skills, Shinto is absolutely uncompromising. Although Mifune is a general of the Land of Iron, his political acumen is clearly inferior to that of old schemers like Hiruzen Sarutobi and Onoki. Although he has never won an award for Best Actor, Mifune, as a junior judge, still has no problem.

The next second, Masato immediately shook his head and sighed, looking like his family was about to fall into ruin and that even a hero couldn't be saved by a single penny. He said with a bitter expression.

"This... I never imagined your village had become so depleted."

Mifune thought he wasn't lying, and upon closer reflection, Shiki's words seemed to make some sense. Although the Land of Wind had abundant gold dust, historical records showed that gold panning in the Land of Wind had started hundreds of years ago and had been a thriving industry for centuries. Almost everyone who went there to pan for gold was a desperate criminal. In the past few hundred years, the Land of Wind had only been panning for gold and not producing any, so it was quite possible that, as Shiki said, the resources... had been depleted...

"......"

Mifune and some of the Iron Country's underlings believed his nonsense, while Little Mada and Karin's mother stared dumbfounded at their nominally powerful teacher. They knew the situation in their own village well—the rumors about the depletion of gold sand and the decline in gold prices. It seemed the rumors were true; Master Shindou really was broke because he was chasing girls.

You'd even betray your village for money! I never imagined you were such a ruthless scoundrel... I despise you! -_-||

"Brother Mifune, we've been in business for decades, and our regular customers all enjoy a 30% discount. So, although Sunagakure's gold production has decreased recently, we still have some reserves. We can't let you suffer a loss, so forget the 30% discount, just give us a 20% discount instead. Let's keep doing business together...ヾ(^?^)?"

Ignoring the disdainful looks from the three people around him, Masato saw that Mifune and his underlings seemed to have actually believed him and patted his chest, counting out money with an air of smug confidence.

Sixty-five billion minus sixty-five billion multiplied by 0.8... There are too many zeros for him to calculate, but he should be able to make a considerable amount...

"Ah! Since your village is already in such a difficult situation, and since you, Shindou-kun, have already spoken, let's go with your price. Our Land of Iron has indeed made quite a bit of money over the years of cooperation..."

After thinking for a long time, Mifune nodded. The other party was, after all, a legend in the ninja world. Just those two swords he used at the border of Uzushio Village and the Land of Wind were enough to rival figures like Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. Although the other party's words were a little bit of a bluff, he was still willing to give face since the other party was so shameless and willing to bargain. Moreover, even if they gave him a 20% discount, they wouldn't lose money on this deal; they would just not earn as much as before.

"Haha! I always said there are three people I admire most in the ninja world. The first is my idol, Uchiha Madara, who dared to love and hate, and whose aura of dominance was unmatched. The second is Uzumaki Mito, wife of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, a woman who was no less capable than any man. The third is you, Mifune, who single-handedly kept the Land of Iron standing in the ninja world for many years. Your achievements are arguably the greatest in the history of the Land of Iron!"

Since they're being so kind, Zhen Dou naturally won't hesitate to praise them a bit. It's free anyway, and if they like what they hear, they might give them a 30% discount next time.

Even with a couple more trips back and forth, his money will be back in less than six months! ヾ(^Д^*)/

"what!"

"Hahaha! Shinto-kun, you flatter me! How can I compare to those two? It's truly a rare opportunity for Shinto to come to the Land of Iron after our discussion. Please stay here for a few days so I can show you my hospitality...ヾ(^Д^*)/"

Mifune felt so comfortable that he couldn't help but let out a cry. He felt as if his soul had been elevated. Although many people had praised him over the years, none had ever made him feel this comfortable. It was so comfortable that every pore on his body felt amazing, and his attitude became even more enthusiastic...

628. The rumors were true, this guy is really poor.

Listen to what they're saying: the number one person in the history of the Land of Iron!

Since he became the commander of the Iron Country's highest combat force, he has worked diligently for decades. What was he doing all this for? Wasn't it so that he could be praised by the descendants of the Iron Country in the future?

Hearing these words from the mouth of the top ninja figure, Golden Lion Shiki, carries far more credibility than his later self-praise. Every great ninja publishes an autobiography in their later years, partly to boast about their achievements during their reign, and partly to ensure they are remembered. However, most autobiographies throughout history are largely self-aggrandizing and lack credibility, containing elements of boasting, since few top ninja figures have provided corroboration.

But things were different when it came to him. In the past few decades, only the Sand Village's Golden Lion had truly stood out, hailed as a legendary ninja. Later, in his direct lineage, the Sand Village's Golden Lion even declared Mifune to be the greatest ninja in the history of the Land of Iron...

My God, Mifune was so excited at the thought of being remembered and celebrated by future generations!

"...That's so damn embarrassing. ヽ(ー_ー)ノ".

"Uh-huh....!"