Naruto: Konoha Spring of the Uchiha Prodigies

"This rule was established a hundred years ago, and it is naturally no longer suitable for the country's development. The relocation of the capital of the Land of Fire to Konoha is precisely the opportunity to carry out reforms with great ambition," Miura Kazuo said with a smile.

Chapter 130 The First Namka River Diving Competition

"Since everyone has said so, let's settle on the new tax law. Also, don't say I'm not giving those big businessmen a way to make a living. As long as they are willing to invest and build factories around Konoha and provide jobs for the people, we can also offer tax reduction policies. In this way, the people will have jobs, they will earn money, and we will have tax revenue. It's a win-win-win situation," Uchiha Touko said calmly.

“We admire the Grand Minister’s well-thought-out decision,” said Kazuo Miura.

"Also, you all need to take the issue of prices I mentioned before seriously." Uchiha Touko glanced at the ministers in the court. "I'm only giving you one month. The prices of all kinds of daily necessities must be restored to normal levels. I don't want reports of ninjas in the village almost not being able to afford food to appear on my Hokage's desk again. Anyone who dares to make trouble over food, I'll take their head. Do you understand?"

"Understood," the ministers nodded hurriedly.

"Don't take this lightly," Uchiha Touko coldly reminded him. "Commoners might just leave their homes if they can't afford to eat, but ninjas will kill if they can't afford to eat."

Uchiha Touko's words sent chills down the spines of the court officials.

"Furthermore, I don't care what you've done before, now that you're in Konoha, you'd better keep a low profile. Don't think you're being secretive; your tricks are nothing compared to those of a true ninja," Uchiha Touko said.

Upon hearing Uchiha Toko's words, the court officials, especially those from Miura Kazuo's faction, lowered their heads deeply, not daring to attract Uchiha Toko's attention in the slightest. The fact that Uchiha Toko had casually presented evidence of Murayama Takumi's embezzlement made them realize that Uchiha Toko was not lying.

Their money-making methods were fine in the Land of Fire before, but now, Konoha is full of ninjas doing intelligence work. It can be said that their every move is completely under Uchiha Tokō's watchful eye.

After giving a dressing-down to his ministers at court, Uchiha Touko returned to his Hokage office.

Soon, news of what happened in the court that morning spread throughout the entire village.

Even the most unruly villagers couldn't reason with Uchiha Touko's policies, since they were genuinely policies to improve people's lives. Even some villagers who had just been released from the Sanqing Education Team and suffered greatly could only bury their resentment towards Uchiha Touko deep in their hearts. In this matter, they could only grit their teeth and say that Uchiha Touko had finally done something decent.

Under Uchiha Tokō's iron-fisted policies, the soaring prices in the village were quickly curbed, especially the price of grain, which returned to normal levels. The grain merchants who wanted to hoard and speculate initially tried to unite to resist, since most of the food in Konoha was in their hands. If they didn't sell, the village would have no food at all.

However, less than half an hour after the major grain stores in the village put up signs announcing their closure, Kakashi arrived at their doors with the ninja guards.

Not long after, the grain merchants who had gathered the night before to plan a united front against the price reduction policy reunited on the banks of the Namga River.

Along the banks of the Namaka River, these grain merchants, who were once incredibly wealthy in the Fire City, were now bound hand and foot and kneeling neatly beside the river.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Kakashi Hatake, the captain of the Konoha Police Force. You guys are pretty bold, daring to defy the orders of the Grand Minister of State. You dared to band together and close down when asked to lower prices." Kakashi said, looking at the row of grain merchants with a forced smile.

"Lord Kakashi, we're innocent!" one of the grain merchants hurriedly said. "We really don't have enough grain in our reserves."

"Insufficient food reserves?" Kakashi calmly took out a small booklet, flipped through it, and finally found the information on the person who had just spoken. "Kawakami Naoto, right? That granary in the northeast of Konoha should be yours, right? The grain inside is piled up like mountains. If this is called insufficient food reserves, then what about the people of Konoha who can't afford your expensive grain?"

"Lord Kakashi, the prices of the grain we sell are all normal. There's no such thing as overpriced grain," another grain merchant said.

“You call nearly 40 taels of grain a normal price? In the past, the price of grain in the village has never exceeded 6 taels per jin,” Kakashi said.

“Now that Konoha is the capital of my Land of Fire, prices can’t be calculated like that,” another grain merchant said, talking to Kakashi about economic theories such as the large influx of people into Konoha, where supply is less than demand, which would naturally cause prices to rise, and the invisible hand of the market would naturally adjust prices to a suitable level.

Kakashi nodded repeatedly as he listened, and the grain merchant, seeing that there was a chance, spoke even more enthusiastically.

"Therefore, the current grain prices are the result of the natural development of the market. You cannot wrong us."

"Yes, yes," the others quickly echoed.

"So this is a normal economic choice?" Kakashi said. "What you all said has enlightened me. It's clear that you all understand economics very well."

“Yes, yes, in my opinion, it’s all a misunderstanding. We didn’t explain things clearly to Lord Kakashi beforehand. We will definitely come to apologize in person in a few days.” Kawakami Naoto said at this moment.

"I may not be as knowledgeable about economics as you all, but as a ninja, I do know some things that you may not. As a way of repaying you for helping me, I'll share some information with you," Kakashi said with a cold smile. "Zaidou."

Uchiha Zaito arrived at Kakashi's side.

“These wealthy people gave us a lesson on economic principles, so in return, let’s let them know about our ninja interrogation techniques,” Kakashi said.

"Yes!" Uchiha Zaito nodded, then waved his hand.

At this moment, several guards from the rear walked up to the men who had worked the hardest, picked them up one by one, and threw them into the Nanga River.

The Naga River, Konoha's mother river, is not very deep or fast-flowing. You could say that if you know a little swimming, you wouldn't be in any serious trouble if you fell in. But at this moment, the people who entered the water had their hands and feet tied and were thrown into the river unexpectedly, so they struggled violently as soon as they entered the water.

"What... what are you trying to do? Let me warn you, we all have nobles from the Land of Fire behind us. Don't go too far!" At this moment, a man on the shore shouted sternly.

"Really? So there's something to do with nobles. Can you tell me which noble family is behind you?" Kakashi said with a smile.

"You..." The man who had just spoken paused. They did indeed have nobles backing them, and most of the money they earned went into the pockets of those nobles. However, at this moment, he dared not reveal the noble identities behind them.

"Let me see." Kakashi slowly flipped through another booklet. "Your name is Shimizu Rensuke, right? Your parents are the older sister of the previous daimyo of the Land of Fire. You were servants in Princess China's household. Because you have some talent in business, you were sent by the princess's household to manage the household's businesses."

"You know that much," Shimizu Rensuke said. "Even the daimyo has to give the princess some face. If you do this, you absolutely cannot withstand her wrath if she gets angry!"

"Is that so?" Kakashi put away the information and said, "Someone, this guy seems a bit out of his mind. Let him have his brain cleaned up in Nakagawa."

As soon as Kakashi finished speaking, a member of the security force stepped forward and kicked him into the Naka River.

The remaining people on the shore were also kicked into the Namga River one after another.

The once peaceful Nanhe River was thrown into chaos by the arrival of these people, who struggled violently, splashing up large sprays of water.

Kakashi, meanwhile, sat in his chair and leisurely took out his favorite "Make-Out Paradise" magazine, starting to read it at a leisurely pace.

After a while, the first group of people who had been thrown into the river also figured out the trick, struggling to stick their heads out of the water and breathing in the hard-won fresh air.

However, at this moment, Kakashi put down his book and turned to look at the guards behind him.

"How's your training with the ninjutsu that the security force recently issued going?" Kakashi asked.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief! We have mastered the ninjutsu issued by the Security Force!" a member of the Security Force stepped forward and reported.

"Is that so?" Kakashi laughed. "Then, you guys give a demonstration here. Although our security force doesn't face powerful enemies as often as the Anbu, our own strength can't be neglected. You go first."

"Yes!" The person whose name was called arrived at the riverbank, quickly formed hand seals, and puffed out his cheeks.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

The man suddenly spat out a huge fireball, which flew across the Nanhe River to the opposite bank and then exploded in the center of the river.

The intense heat emanating from above startled the grain merchants who had poked their heads out of the river to breathe.

"Very good, do it a few more times." Kakashi clapped his hands, then said to the other members of the guard team, "You guys do the same, let these friends who just worked so hard to answer everyone's economic problems also see the strength of us Konoha ninjas!"

Soon, the dozens of guards stepped forward one by one and used all sorts of ninjutsu on the riverbank.

In an instant, various Five Elements Escape Techniques exploded one after another along the surface of the Nanhe River like colorful fireworks, making the scene on the Nanhe River even more lively and extraordinary. However, this was a hardship for the swimming champions who were still struggling in the Nanhe River.

At this moment, every time they peeked out of the water to breathe, they faced the danger of losing their lives.

Half an hour later, Kakashi finally ordered his team to stop the ninjutsu practice and to pull the people out of the Naka River.

After getting back ashore, these wealthy merchants were all on the verge of death, and some of them who were not good swimmers were even close to dying.

At this moment, the medical ninjas from the garrison stepped forward. If they had been teaching the ninjas interrogation techniques before, they were now demonstrating the medical rescue methods of the military.

The medical ninjas stepped forward one by one and used their feet to stomp on the fat bellies of these people to induce vomiting. As for the few who were about to die, they didn't care whether forcibly stimulating their cellular energy would shorten their lifespans and directly used the Palm Healing Technique. Before long, these people regained consciousness.

"Now, what level do you all think the price of grain in the village should be set at?" Kakashi sat in a chair, a kunai flying up and down in his hand like a butterfly flitting among flowers.

By this point, the merchants no longer dared to try to fool Kakashi with the "invisible hand" theory. After all, the "invisible hand" they spoke of was unseen, but the tangible kunai in Kakashi's hand could truly kill them!

"Ten taels! Including transportation costs, we can reduce the price of grain to at least ten taels per catty," the grain merchant's representative hurriedly said.

"You don't really think we ninjas don't understand economics, do you?" Kakashi said coldly. "Someone, take this one away and let him calm down."

"Eight taels! Eight taels! This is really the lowest price." As the guards approached again, the man said, tears streaming down his face.

“That’s more like it,” Kakashi said, then turned to look at the other merchants selling meat and other necessities.

Soon, all of them offered a reasonable price.

Kakashi recorded the prices they each offered before letting them go. After dealing with these matters, Kakashi went to the Hokage Building again.

"So, have those guys behaved themselves?" Uchiha Touko asked after pouring Kakashi a cup of tea upon his arrival.

"Those guys have become much more obedient, but their high profits are probably all going into the hands of those nobles. Among the nobles behind them, the most powerful is Princess Chika, whose fief is in the northeast of the Land of Fire," Kakashi said.

“Princess China? The Daimyo’s aunt?” Uchiha Touko took Kakashi’s report, read it through, and then raised an eyebrow. “Then I’ll trouble you to make the trip and tell that old woman that the Minamoto clan doesn’t have the final say in the Land of Fire now.”

"Hey, I feel like I'm busier following you than when I was in the Anbu," Kakashi remarked casually after finishing his tea.

"Thank you for your hard work," Uchiha Touko said. "I don't trust anyone else to handle this."

"Alright," Kakashi said. "By the way, you still have one spot left for your personal disciple, right? How about I have Naruto become your apprentice?"

"Of course, I was just about to tell you about this," Uchiha Touko nodded.

Chapter 131 Did he know who he was talking to?

Two weeks after Kakashi went on a business trip, Uchiha Touko heard the news of Princess China's death in the imperial court.

Uchiha Tokō, in his capacity as Grand Minister of State, offered his deepest condolences.

Then, back in the Hokage's office, he divided the money with Kakashi, who had returned to the village overnight.

According to Kakashi, Princess Chinatsu was a ruthless and cruel ruler who oppressed the people in her territory. Compared to her, even Danzo could be considered a righteous ally. He couldn't help himself and killed the princess, taking all the illicit wealth from her treasury.

Uchiha Toko didn't say anything about this. After reading the mission report that Kakashi brought back, Uchiha Toko realized that he seemed to have overestimated the moral standards of these feudal nobles.

"In future development plans, let's pay special attention to this region and give them some policy support," Uchiha Touhuan said. The report Kakashi brought back showed that the people living in this princess's fiefdom were in such a miserable state that he couldn't bear to look at them.

When the princess's death reached Konoha, the grain merchants were terrified. They had just found out who was behind the princess's death, and now, less than two weeks later, the princess was dead. This was something they couldn't afford to think about too much. For the sake of their lives, they had no choice but to lower the grain prices, which were already barely profitable.

These grain merchants were obedient, but some businessmen from other industries were not so sensible.

With the Land of Fire relocating its capital to Konoha, everything was in need of rebuilding. Many wealthy merchants sensed the business opportunities and spread across various industries. Some of them owned businesses the size of Gato's. Compared to them, the grain merchants who relied on nobles to make their fortunes were just small fry. After all, these grain merchants didn't even have a decent ninja. Instead, they mostly supported high-ranking ninjas from small ninja villages. With their strength, they could easily influence the rise and fall of some small countries.

At this moment, they also gathered together, intending to pool their strength to fight against the new tax law promoted by Uchiha Touko.

"A 70% tax? I've been doing business in the ninja world for so many years, and I've never paid such a high tax! Uchiha Touko is clearly robbing us!"

"Exactly! If he had told us earlier that we would have to pay such a high tax, we wouldn't have come to Konoha. Now that everyone's properties are all settled, he suddenly changes the tax rate. Isn't this blatant robbery?"

"That's right, we need to unite and show him that we're not to be trifled with!"

Some of the remarks made at the party scared Kado half to death. Kado took a few steps back without saying a word. These people may be courting death, but as long as their blood doesn't splatter on him, that's all that matters.

His residence was near the security force. He had personally witnessed the power of Susanoo, which resembled the descent of the Thunder God, on the night of the Konoha coup. He knew clearly that no matter how rich they were, and how easily they could get some Jonin-level experts from small ninja villages to fight for them, even if all of them were combined, they probably wouldn't be able to break through the giant martial god's defenses against Uchiha Touko.

However, things didn't go as planned. Kado had hoped to slip through this gathering of colleagues, but someone on stage suddenly called out his name: "Mr. Kado, you were the first among us to arrive in Konoha. Why don't you come up on stage and say a few words to everyone?"

Kado's scalp tightened, and he glanced at the door out of the corner of his eye. He knew that his bodyguard, Uchiha Tobishima, a Jonin from the Uchiha clan, was keeping a close eye on the situation inside the gathering. If he said the slightest wrong word, he would be shot six times in the back with kunai and forced to commit suicide tonight.

But at that moment, all eyes were on him, and he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go on stage.

"Well, everyone, I'm very optimistic about the future of Konoha Village. I'm sure you'll all be able to make a lot of money here," Kado said.

“Hey, Gato, you don’t need to tell me that! Everyone knows Konoha is profitable these days,” a wealthy merchant originally from the Land of Lightning said. “We wanted you to talk about the tax issue!”