1.7 million ryō is what Arthur currently had in his possession. This was not accounting for his funds as the shadow feudal lord.
One would be awestruck to understand just how much money he technically owned in the position.
The country's gross domestic product (or GDP) was a staggering 1.1 trillion ryō. This number wasn't the amount of money in his country's possession, but the number measured from the total value of all goods and services produced within his borders.
While it was high, it was only third in the world's economy—the first two being the Fire Country and Lightning Country, respectively.
If given enough time, Arthur's Water Country would surpass those rival countries. That was assuming he didn't face any setbacks, such as a war breaking out too early.
Regardless, his country's GDP was growing at about twenty-five percent the annual rate. A number like that was insane for any country's economy.
This was mainly due to his sound fiscal policy and his sustainable development in both his country and in the land that was recently acquired by his neighbours.
By handling his government's approach to managing its spending and revenue, he maintained a balanced budget to reduce the country's debt.
By eliminating central banks, he put the money supply back into the country, which helped reduce interest rates and prevented inflation.
By emphasizing the citizen's needs for their future generations.
By spreading investments across various assets, he helped reduce saving risks.
By introducing new ideas and services that were behind times, he improved production efficiency.
And lastly, by reducing barriers to international trade, such as tariffs and quotas, he lowered the competition for goods and services.
All of this indicated a positive outlook for his country's economic health and growth.
While the money he personally owned acted as financial liquidity, he'd already spent a lot of it on tools like kunai or shuriken to ensure that he'd always prepared for battle.
Yes, he could always obtain them for free, but they all came from within his borders, enabling the acquisition of credit, resource production, and allies as needed in days to come—most of which were sent to the Mist Village.
Regarding what happened to the rest of his wealth, it had been invested in his laboratory, which was in the guise of a plaza. There were still a few months until its completion, and it would most certainly be his greatest prize in terms of potential.
While in his hotel room, a thought struck him.
If he could gather the right assistance, he could expedite the process of many things. By assistance, he meant servants, those who were skilled in things like genetics or combat to help him reach his goals far faster.
Arthur paused at the thought because this endeavour needed to be like a crusade—a gathering of the greatest minds capable of unlocking the doors set before him.
So he sat down against a wall and closed his eyes to think.
He had built a network; perhaps it was time to extend his reach further.
'No… not yet.'
Right now there were a lot of resources and techniques he had to have in his possession. Obtaining them first was crucial before making bigger moves.
By the time he opened his eyes, he found that he had fallen asleep for several hours. This hadn't disturbed him in the slightest since he had been thinking cautiously even while resting.
One of those thoughts regarded where to venture next.
'Flying raijin…'
Where he arrived to was none other than the Uzumaki clan's temple.
Why he came here was to acquire some sort of Uzumaki skillset that could be of use.
The others who knew of this world were undoubtedly still gathering all the best things it had to offer. Even if he was technically ahead of them, the last thing he wanted to do was give them any more advantage than they already had.
For instance, he fell behind by not knowing of Jasper and Alice's venture to the Gelel mines. Now that meant he couldn't acquire that power anymore.
Now that he was here, it was the best time for him to at least try and gain the abilities of the Uzumaki clan.
But as he gazed upon the architecture, something about it felt off.
'Crimson gaze…' There was nothing substantial that appeared within his parameters, but inside was a different matter. 'The devil's mask is…. missing?'
Missing or taken by someone? Arthur's mind raced as he tried to think who might have been behind the theft.
Knowledge of such artifacts offered too much power. Like an ongoing power struggle between everyone.
Jasper, while easily the most power-hungry of the bunch, was the biggest suspect. But there was no need to accuse him yet. All of the others knew of this mask, meaning all of them were suspects.
Whoever had taken it was undoubtedly trying to whip up trouble. But why would they attempt such a thing when Arthur was already reported dead?
'No use considering it now,' he thought.
Arthur had learned that patience would pay off before making an arbitrary decision. But this wasn't the end for him, so he expanded his search parameters by feeling out the contours of the land.
Everything else seemed untouched. He found remnants of Uzumaki spiraling symbols, but nothing that would aid him. This meant he was at a loss.
At least here.
There were more ways to discover information about the Uzumaki clan. For instance, they had their own village, to which he could venture to. But he had a much more direct approach, one that involved actually seeing an Uzumaki who wasn't dead.
✟
It took Arthur only a few hours to travel from the Land of Waves to his new destination: a remote island across the ocean. The place had an almost foreboding quality. There were jagged cliffs looming like sentinels against the sky.
'So this is Orochimaru's Southern Hideout,' he thought.
How Arthur knew where this hideout was thanks to having read Jirōbō's memories. Orochimaru himself wasn't much of an interest to Arthur due to how morbid that snake was. But there was someone here who Arthur believed could provide what he was craving for: Karin Uzumaki.
Arthur turned into smoke as his body descended to an underground prison within the bowels of the earth. There, he sensed cells, wardens, and even experimental subjects hidden from the light of day.
The atmosphere there reeked of desperation. Nonetheless, just like Orochimaru's main hideout, he knew of this hideout's layout.
As he navigated the corridors, not a single scientist or guard was of interest. But there, in the midst of it all, was the unmistakable signature of someone's large chakra. Undoubtedly, this was Karin.
Through his Crimson Gaze, she looked younger than he remembered. This was understandable since he had mainly known about her part-two counterpart, who was three years older.
This younger Karin had a distinct appearance, characterized by her short, red hair that reached her chin. She was also wearing a dark purple short-sleeved shirt with a brown collar, paired with light brown pants and brown sandals.
Arthur liked the idea of knowing that her age presented an opportunity—the element of surprise would be on his side.
As he crept closer, the sensation of her chakra grew stronger by guiding him until he reached the entrance to her room. The door, merely a thin barrier, creaked slightly as he slid in.
Karin was seated at a desk and engrossed in paperwork while jotting down observations on a clipboard. Her brow was knitted in concentration. He could tell she was deep in thought with each stroke of the pen.
Now was the time to make his move.
'Smoke style: body oxidation jutsu...'
A second later, she slumped unconscious over her clipboard.
'Eye mind reading jutsu…'
A moment passed after successfully reading her memories. He didn't find anything useful. Most of her techniques were lower-ranked ones, hardly worth his time.
He therefore exited her body to carve out a portion of her cells. Then he did the same thing he did with Kimimaro: Arthur healed her before sparing a brief moment to ensure there were no traces of his presence left behind.
'Transformation jutsu…'
Now disguised as one of Orochimaru's medical staff, Arthur stirred her awake.
"Who—what?" she blurted with impatience.
"You shouldn't sleep on the job, Karin…"
"Excuse you?" she responded as her lips curled in irritation. "You think you can just waltz in here and—" A hint of red washed over her cheeks once she understood she had fallen asleep. "Right. Right, I'm sorry. I just—"
"Just be more alert next time…"
"I… I will. Again, sorry…"
Arthur's sternness softened as he turned toward the door, knowing he didn't need to stay longer. That was simply too easy. And why was that? Because she was just a girl, a frail child who was still being taught the ordinances of government.
Arthur liked this way since now he had acquired what he originally sought: Uzumaki cells.