Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

Handsome Scorpion looked at the middle-aged scoundrel with a businessman's face and no awareness of a super strong person, and felt deep contempt for him. This contempt was also agreed upon by his girlfriend and Little Motor.

........

Seven days later.

"Won't Zhen Dou-kun stay a few more days?"

Mifune was as excited as he was, and after staying at Mifune's house for a few days, he kept bragging about it. Mifune almost wanted to burn joss paper and behead a chicken to worship Guan Yu. He even lowered the price they had agreed on last time to half price, and let him experience firsthand the life of a true noble in the Naruto world. It was so luxurious and decadent!

However, Shinto felt he couldn't continue down this path of decadence. If things went on like this, his unwavering willpower was on the verge of collapse. So, after a seven-day "stay," he bid farewell to Mifune. If things continued this way, he truly wouldn't be able to maintain his composure and fire his first shot in the Land of Iron...

However, Mifune was reluctant to let him go. In just seven days, this "good brother" had only managed to exaggerate him into being the number one ninja in the world, comparable to the Six Paths of Hell. If he had stayed another ten days or half a month, perhaps he could have broken out of the ninja world and gone to outer space. Even the Root of Konoha had declared their intention to unify the ninja world and reach the moon. Mifune still felt that this "good brother" was too reserved and restrained in his speech...

“…”

Seeing Mifune's reluctant expression, the three boys beside Masato looked up at the sky. These past few days, they had finally witnessed the middle-aged man's "ventriloquism," which was absolutely astounding! He had actually managed to fool the Iron Country Admiral to this extent. Considering they had been getting their hands on him for a week for free, with ninja tools practically given away, and now he was still so reluctant to part with him—it was just too much...

In particular, Handsome Scorpion openly and blatantly despised this bastard middle-aged man. This trip had allowed him to fully witness just how shameless this bastard middle-aged man was, and he had even become accustomed to this bastard middle-aged man's shameless behavior, which lacked any sense of dignity of a strong person.

He swore this was the last time. Even if this bastard middle-aged man was his team leader, he would never embarrass himself by going out with this bastard middle-aged man again. He would go home and immediately complain to his grandmother!

Anyway, he's now the hope of the whole village, and he has special privileges...

"Hey, it's not that I don't want to stay, brother. But loyalty and righteousness are hard to reconcile. The village really needs me right now. I need to keep my body so I can contribute to the village. Please don't try to persuade me anymore. Next time I come, I'll definitely stay here for a few more days!"

Masato also looked reluctant to part with her, inwardly despising Mifune. "I've been 'staying' here for a few days and my lips are practically raw from all this boasting, and you only give me a 50% discount? I've never seen anyone so stingy. If I were to praise Onoki as the greatest of all time like this, I'd give away the whole village for free!"

"In that case, True Fighting Lord, take care on your journey!"

"treasure...."

.......

"Lord Mifune, is giving him a 50% discount... too much?"

After Shinto and the other three left, Mifune's underlings came up and whispered something.

He had followed his boss for so many years and had never seen his boss so extravagant before. Moreover, this was a big deal. Even if people were flattering him, he didn't need to offer such a large discount!

Although he was quite pleased to be by his boss's side and hear him being hailed as the greatest of all time, since his boss was already the greatest of all time, then as his right-hand man, he should have no problem being selected as one of the top 50 figures in the history of the Land of Iron, right?

However, in his opinion, the leader was not the kind of person who would get arrogant because of these empty titles; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to lead the Land of Iron to stand firm in the ninja world for so many years.

"Heh, it seems the rumors weren't wrong. This Golden Lion really is broke. Just for the name Golden Lion, he's still worth that much."

Hearing his younger brother's words, Mifune chuckled and shook his head, explaining that although he was quite pleased with the Golden Lion's flattery, did he really think he was stupid? If he wasn't worried that the Golden Lion's strength was too overwhelming and he really couldn't beat him, would he have given up half the effort?

It's important to know that Shiki is a man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Just look at how he attacked the Five-Tails of Iwagakure twice and the Seven-Tails of Takigakure once. Although there's no explicit rule, over the years, even during intense wars, the major ninja villages in the ninja world have never targeted each other's tailed beasts. Firstly, they might not be strong enough, and secondly, they want to leave themselves a bottom line.

After all, each major ninja village has its own tailed beasts. If they take down one today, they have to be on guard against the next. But this Golden Lion doesn't play by the rules at all. He even took down a tailed beast three times. The last time, he shamelessly sold it to Onoki after taking it down. Although the deal was negotiated by that famous bounty hunter rogue ninja, no one in the ninja world knew that Kakuzu was a partner of the Golden Lion. Moreover, Kakuzu wasn't that powerful enough to take down a tailed beast on his own.

Furthermore, rumors circulate throughout the ninja world that this guy went bankrupt trying to woo Tsunade, one of Konoha's "Legendary Sannin." Tsunade's spending power is well-known, and as for someone like Shiki, who is obsessed with love and has no bottom line, who knows what foolish things he might do for money? If this guy were to strike them with his sword in the Land of Iron, unleashing a few lion heads, who could withstand that? Although they are both Kage-level, there is still a difference; he couldn't even defeat Hanzo the Salamander...

They're haggling with him so nicely, giving him so much face and making him feel so comfortable, so he might as well give them some pocket money. After all, Tsunade's spending habits are truly terrifying; even he gets goosebumps...

629. Spending too much time in the ninja world teaches you about human relationships and social dynamics.

"Oh? Does Your Excellency mean that the gold dust in the Land of Wind has been completely panned out?"

Mifune's underlings were surprised. He had listened to what the Golden Lion said and looked at him, and he didn't think the Golden Lion was acting. He really thought that the gold dust in the Land of Wind had been completely mined out, after all, it had been mined for hundreds of years.

"Hahaha, this kind of excuse can only be used on people like you. Although I don't know exactly how many there are in the Land of Wind, I'm sure it would take hundreds of years to find them all. There are so many coincidences in the world. This guy is just looking for an excuse to bargain with us and get a kickback. Although he is a bit despicable, he is still the Golden Lion. His name is still worth some money."

Mifune looked smugly at his underlings, as if to say, "Even you can't see through me. That's why I'm the boss, and you can only be the underling. I'm the greatest of all time, and you're just one of the top fifty..."

......

"Ah! I didn't expect Mifune, that warrior, to be such a sentimental person. ヾ(^Д^*)/"

On the way out of the Land of Iron, Shinto counted his remaining banknotes, sighing with mixed feelings. He wondered if this warrior had fought Hanzo of the Salamander in this timeline. If they had, then so be it. If not, considering how generous Mifune was, he could step in and break up the fight when Mifune was about to get beaten up. After all, they were all on the same side; fighting and killing was no good... He had almost convinced Hanzo of Mifune to become his sworn brother, so he would probably give him that face.

"Shinto-sama is so embarrassing..."

"Uh-huh...!"

Looking at his face, Karin's mother covered her forehead, looking like she didn't want to know him. Little Mada, on the other hand, nodded very honestly. The legendary Golden Lion of Sunagakure, the legendary ninja of the ninja world, would be so shameless for such a small amount of money. This was completely inconsistent with the image of the invincible and awesome Shinto that his father had told him about.

Only the handsome scorpion on one side kept his eyes filled with undisguised contempt, completely unaware that if he continued like this, he might very well become the Buddha Emperor Scorpion...

"What kind of looks are you giving me? There's no such thing as a noble or lowly profession. What's shameful about me earning money with my own skills? I can make billions just by talking. Isn't that much better than struggling to pan for gold in the desert? Besides, Mifune even provides room and board. Isn't that great? You're too young to know how much pressure life is. You'll understand when you grow up."

Ignoring the three kids' gazes, Masato patiently explained that all three kids were born into wealthy families and were Karin's future mother. Judging from her top-tier talent, she would have been at least the Uzumaki princess before the Uzumaki clan was wiped out. Even though she suffered for a few years in Kusagakure, she was protected by Chiyo after arriving in Sunagakure and was Chiyo's chosen granddaughter-in-law. Her living conditions were top-notch.

Little Motor's father and grandfather were the chief guards of the Kazekage for two generations, which was almost a hereditary system. They were considered high-ranking officials in the village and were naturally not short of money.

Needless to say, Sasori, Chiyo's darling, received such treatment that even his father was envious. Shinto even doubted whether the kid knew the concept of paying for things. Therefore, they had no concept of money, just like before Tsunade bankrupted them. They never considered whether their friends were rich or not, since none of them were as wealthy as them anyway...

But that won't work now. The allowance Chiyo gives him each month, plus his fixed salary from his senior ninja class, might be top-tier for others, but it's not enough for Tsunade to live a carefree life for even a few rounds. A gentleman loves money, but he earns it honestly. He wouldn't do something like robbing the rich to help the poor just because he's strong. And now it's peacetime, so he can't go to the Land of Water or the Land of Earth to hunt. After all, those major ninja villages are nominal allies, and if he makes too much of a show of force, he'll be targeted...

"There's no need to be so shameful, is there? The way you're praising that Admiral Mifune..."

Regardless of whether Shinto or Karin's mother offered any explanation, she still felt incredibly ashamed, especially when she recalled his blatant flattery of Mifune. She wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.

"Uh-huh....."

Handsome Scorpion and Little Motor nodded in agreement. Whenever they thought of that face back then, they thought, "You're supposed to be our Sand Village's ace, a top-tier ninja in the world. Can't you just haggle normally? Why do you have to brag like that? You have no class at all."

"You're still too naive! Today I'm going to teach you a lesson, especially you, my eldest nephew. You need to remember this well and study it carefully. When you go to sleep tonight, put your pillow up high and think about it before you go to bed. You are, after all, my eldest nephew, the Golden Lion. If you don't even understand such a basic principle, won't you be embarrassing your uncle when you go out into the world?"

"Humph!"

"Ahem, first of all, life in the ninja world isn't just about fighting and killing. After a while, you learn about human relationships and social dynamics. Fighting and killing are just the most basic operations. Do you really think Mifune doesn't know I'm bragging? To lead the Land of Iron to remain a neutral country in the ninja world for so many years, if you had that kind of intelligence, you would actually believe me just because I'm bragging. The Land of Iron was destroyed many years ago, how could it still be standing strong now? Look at the ninja villages between Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure and Konoha, which country dares to jump out and call itself a neutral country? Before I took back the Seven-Tails, Takigakure and now the Land of Rain, where Hanzo of the Salamander is in charge, didn't dare. They would attack anyone who called for it. But why is it that the Land of Iron has been calling for it for so many years and is still standing strong?"

".....(⊙_⊙)?"

The three kids shook their heads in perfect unison. Even his nephew, who usually didn't give him any face, listened attentively and shook his head in perfect unison. Although handsome Sasori was indeed a super genius, he was still just a kid in his early teens. Although his thinking was a bit more mature than his peers, he spent all his time playing with toys at home. How could he have as much life experience as Shinto, who had been in the ninja world for decades?

"That's because the Land of Iron has always been relatively strong overall, but that's not the point. The point is that the former general of the Land of Iron and the current general, Mifune, know how to conduct himself. Do you really think he was swayed by my flattery and that's why he voluntarily slashed the price to half price? If I had such amazing words, there would be no need for a savior..."

"Then why would he do this? He lost a lot of money on this deal."

Little Mada was scribbling away in his notebook while raising his hand to speak. This was his dad's awesome captain's life summary, and he absolutely had to write it down...

630. Sunagakure never haggles when buying things.

"Hmm, Xiao Mada's attitude towards learning is very good. You two should look up to him. But Xiao Mada, don't be too proud. You need to keep up the good work and continue to develop your skills, okay?"

Shinto's raised eyebrow, befitting a teacher, drew two glances from behind.

"Ahem, Mifune did that because he was afraid of my strength. He was afraid that if he didn't give me face, I would suddenly attack and kill people. I'm not bragging, but when I lose my temper, even I'm afraid of myself. The people in the Land of Iron aren't enough to kill. So when he saw me trying to bargain, he just used this as a way to back down. And do you think he would lose money? The Land of Iron is close to the Land of Fire. Although its mineral resources are not as good as the Land of Fire's, they still have a lot. So producing these ninja tools is very low-cost for them. Even if they give us a 40% discount, they won't lose money. You know, the arms industry is the most profitable industry! Sigh... It's all because I'm too awesome. I can't help it..."

While teaching the three kids, Masato shamelessly indulged in his own self-indulgence.

Handsome Scorpion's genetic mutation awakens the Reincarnation Eye: .....

"Sigh! But Lord Shinto, you don't have to haggle like that, it's so embarrassing!"

Karin's mother suddenly realized, but she still couldn't get over the psychological hurdle. What if her handsome Sasori was like that in the future...? The image of Sasori shamelessly flattering others, just like Shinto, flashed through her mind... It was too beautiful for her to bear...

"......"

Handsome Sasori looked at the multifaceted expression on Karin's mother's face as she forcibly kissed him. Although he didn't know what she was thinking, his sixth sense told him that it couldn't be anything good.

"That's just how things are. Sure, I'm powerful, but many things can't be solved with fists. That's how things are. If I just flatter him a little, he'll accept my price, he'll be happy because I flatter him, and I'll make a small profit. Since we can resolve things happily, why fight until we're all sweaty and then never see each other again? Our Wind Kingdom is resource-poor, we have nothing but gold dust. For years, we've either bought from the Crafts Kingdom or the Iron Kingdom. If we invest and destroy or offend the Iron Kingdom, we'll just lose a partner. If I flatter him, we can do business together again. Great men don't stoop to petty squabbles. Besides, I'll only waste a little breath, which I can easily recover with a few drinks. Isn't that better? Why fight when we can resolve things peacefully? It's not good! I'm a peace-loving person."

Masato ruffled Karin Mirai's mother's hair and said.

After listening to Masato's explanation, it's unclear whether the three kids grasped the meaning. Little Mada and Karin's mother seemed to have suddenly understood, while even the handsome Sasori, who never gave him any face, remained silent, as if contemplating the meaning of life...

.......

Shocking! Even the Sand Village is short of money and is haggling over prices!

The Sand Village's Golden Lion personally went to the Land of Iron to negotiate a lower price with Admiral Mifune. According to reliable sources and confirmation from unknown individuals, the Sand Village's Golden Lion has indeed gone bankrupt...!

A week later, news of the Sand Village's Golden Lion Shiki negotiating a price with the Land of Iron's Admiral Mifune spread from the Land of Iron throughout the ninja world, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

Bargaining when buying things is a normal practice and not a big deal. Even when Konoha does business with the Land of Craftsmen or the Land of Iron, they have to haggle for ten days or half a month. So generally speaking, it's not a big deal.

It's not surprising if villages like Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Konoha are haggling with others, but if the protagonist this time is Sunagakure, then it's a world wonder, a fairy tale!

It's common knowledge that Sunagakure never haggles over prices, given the endless gold dust there. In the vast desert of the Land of Wind, you can easily find dozens of grams of gold in a handful of sand. It's a paradise for adventurers and the poor. Over the years, it's common for people who survived there to become rich overnight. Every household in Sunagakure has their toilets gilded. If you don't have several gold chains on your body, you're embarrassed to call yourself a resident of Sunagakure in the Land of Wind. This shows just how wealthy Sunagakure is.

Looking back through hundreds of years of ninja history, I've never seen anyone from the Land of Wind haggle when buying things. After the establishment of the ninja villages, the Sand Village, with its integrated military power, became even more extravagant. To compete with other villages for business, it was common to ask for two or three times the price, let alone haggle. Gold was worthless in the Land of Wind, but it was valuable in other countries, especially during wartime when it was a hard currency. Anyway, although the people of the Land of Wind had a poorer standard of living, those who went out always had "I'm rich" written all over their faces. Even ninjas were embarrassed to call themselves Sand Villagers if they didn't carry a bag or two of 98K gold dust...

And now the Golden Lion of Sunagakure has actually gone to the Land of Iron to bargain? What kind of operation is this?

There were rumors in the ninja world that Shiki had been bankrupted by Tsunade, one of the "Legendary Sannin" of Konoha. However, in their minds, although it was a bit embarrassing that Shiki had spent all his money chasing girls and failed to win them over, it was not a big deal. Sunagakure was a large and powerful village, and Shiki was the ace and core of Sunagakure. Asking for money was just a matter of a word.

So people just gossip about it occasionally when they're bored, casually commenting on Shiki's flirting skills and Tsunade's astonishing extravagance. To bankrupt the Sand Village's ace core is truly an amazing talent...

However, after Golden Lion's actions, many people have different opinions.

Could it be... that the Third Kazekage is starting to become stingy?

Or has the gold dust in the Land of Wind been completely mined out?

No way! The gold rush industry in the Land of Wind has been around for so many years. How could that endless desert be mined out so easily?

But if he clearly had money, why did Golden Lion go to the Land of Iron to haggle?

There's definitely something fishy going on here... The Wind Shadow is starting to lose all sense of shame; he clearly has the money but still makes the Golden Lion haggle over the price...

Based on all these speculations, everyone thinks it's most reasonable to pin the blame on the Kazekage. If Shiki went to the Land of Iron to haggle and take a cut for a few gabones...

Isn't this ridiculous? They signed a lifetime maximum salary contract with Sunagakure, why go through all this trouble? Does Sunagakure not give in to Shiki's demands?

Sunagakure doesn't have a lot of people waving money around. Take the Land of Merchants, for example. Don't underestimate this small country. Everyone who comes out of it is a cunning and shrewd merchant. If there were a Golden Lion Shiki in charge, with money and power, and he brought back a few tailed beasts, wouldn't he take off?

Therefore, all these conclusions lead to the conclusion that Sunagakure isn't short of money, but rather that the Kazekage has become stingy!

631. Sunagawa: Do you think I'd be short of money?

"boom!"

"What on earth is that brat doing? (▼へ▼メ)"

Fengyinglou, Sunagawa slammed his hand heavily on the table in front of him, the force enough to generate a small shockwave. However, because the table's four legs were made of pure gold and the tabletop was inlaid with various gold patterns, it perfectly neutralized Sunagawa's powerful force and withstood Sunagawa's heavy slap.

At this moment, Sunagawa's eyes were filled with raging flames. He had never been this angry since he took the lead, not even when that brat had taken the blame for him all these years.

But this time it has crossed his psychological bottom line!