Eight years old?
Minato gave Hanzou a very strange feeling. It was a sensation of standing before a deep, calm lake that hid a leviathan beneath its surface.
But this bit of strangeness wasn't enough to make him lower himself to assassinate a kid a few years old, let alone the fact that Minato was Konoha's envoy. Hanzou was a man of pride and iron-clad principles; he was a leader of a nation, not a common thug.
Although the two sides' positions were at odds, it hadn't deteriorated to the point of killing an envoy. Such a move would only invite a total, scorched-earth war that the Hidden Rain could not yet afford.
In the Ninja World, while the assassination of enemy geniuses was common, no one ever dared to admit they did it because some things cannot be brought into the light. There was a delicate, unspoken balance to the cruelty of their world.
Otherwise, a situation might really occur where a village's Kage would lie in wait for Ninja Academy students. If the highest powers began hunting children in the streets, the entire system of shinobi villages would collapse into absolute nihilism.
Leaving the Hidden Rain Village, Nawaki had an indignant look on his face. He kicked a loose stone, watching it splash into a muddy puddle. "Damn it, that bastard actually dared to talk about the Hokage like that!"
Minato chuckled. His laughter was light, almost melodic, revealing nothing of his true thoughts. "But he's right, isn't he? Konoha indeed has never cared about Amegakure's thoughts."
"Ugh—but Sunagakure invaded us first, didn't they?"
Nawaki curled his lip, his youthful idealism clashing with the cold reality of geopolitics. "It's all Sunagakure's fault! Why do those guys always target us?"
"Because Konoha has money and resources."
Minato said casually. He stepped over a stream of runoff, his boots barely getting wet. "The Land of Wind is all desert, with very few places suitable for farming. This has led to their lack of resources and economic poverty. Poverty means the common people can't pay taxes, and naturally, the Daimyo's Office has no money to allocate to the Ninja village."
Nawaki frowned deeply. He had never considered the ledger books behind the kunai. "Isn't that just a vicious cycle?"
"Not necessarily; it's just that the cost of solving problems through force is lower."
Looking at Nawaki's solemn expression, Minato smiled, feeling it was necessary to give him some relevant knowledge to prevent him from being fooled by some illiterate fools who think without learning in the future. He wanted to shape Nawaki's mind, to make him a tool that understood the "why" of the world.
"For example, the Land of Rain has constant rain and a harsh environment, but it borders six countries, including the three major powers of Wind, Fire, and Earth. It could completely become a transportation hub connecting the economies of multiple nations."
Las Vegas is a typical example, not to mention that casinos in the Ninja World are already a legal business. If Hanzou had the vision, he could turn this soggy graveyard into a golden goose.
"But—once a war breaks out, no matter how prosperous it is, what's the use?" Mikoto asked in confusion. She looked at the tall, grim pipes of the Rain Village receding into the mist.
"What if the investors behind this prosperity were the nobles, wealthy businessmen, or even officials and Daimyo of the surrounding countries?"
Hearing Minato's words, Mikoto suddenly realized. Her eyes widened as the concept of economic deterrence took root.
It's like two countries at war, but all the deposits of Country A's high-level officials are in Country B's banks. No one wants to burn down the building that holds their own gold.
"Hehehe—human society undergoes comprehensive development, a collective progress in multiple fields such as culture, economy, technology, systems, law, and education. As society progresses, people's ideologies will also change, and wars will only become fewer and fewer."
Orochimaru said indifferently; he had always believed in the philosophy that technology changes the world. To him, the human heart was just another variable to be calculated and eventually mastered.
Especially after getting to know Minato, in order to keep up with Minato's way of thinking—which far surpassed the current era—he had also dabbled in a lot of other knowledge. He found the boy's insights more refreshing than any ancient scroll.
Orochimaru patted Nawaki's head, his long fingers lingering for a second too long. "Although this sounds a bit cliché, Nawaki, you should read more books, and not just about Ninjutsu."
"I know—"
After traveling some distance from the Rain, sensing that there were no more Hidden Rain Village Ninjas around, Minato used the Flying Thunder God to flash the group back to the camp. In a blur of yellow light, the oppressive rain of the interior was replaced by the familiar dampness of the Konoha perimeter.
The three followed Orochimaru into the command post tent to give their mission report. The air inside was warm and smelled of map parchment and old tea.
Orochimaru placed the scroll on Homura Mitokado's desk: "Hanzou demands that we withdraw from the Land of Rain, otherwise there's nothing to talk about."
Homura Mitokado frowned. He adjusted his glasses, his expression darkening. "Could it be that he wants to ally with Sunagakure?"
"That's even less likely. At least we in Konoha are somewhat polite; Sunagakure has never cared whether Amegakure lives or dies."
Orochimaru chuckled. "In fact, the Land of Rain is also one of Sunagakure's targets for aggression. Hanzou is simply a man who hates everyone equally right now."
"Then surely he doesn't want to fight both Sunagakure and Konoha at the same time?"
Homura Mitokado was completely baffled, but seeing Orochimaru's matter-of-fact expression, he was suddenly taken aback. The realization hit him like a physical blow. "Is he crazy?"
He didn't doubt that Hanzou had Kage-level strength, but Amegakure is not Konoha! A single man, no matter how powerful, could not hold back two tide-waves of great nations forever.
Orochimaru didn't speak. If Minato and the other two weren't there, he might have even fanned the flames a bit to make this war start sooner. Conflict was the ultimate catalyst for evolution, after all.
"Forget it—let's not talk about this for now."
Homura Mitokado shook his head and said no more. The weight of leadership seemed to press heavily on his shoulders.
Actually, he had anticipated this outcome; after all, even a cornered rabbit will bite. When a nation is pushed to the brink of extinction, logic often gives way to desperate defiance.
Konoha and Sunagakure had been fighting in the Land of Rain for so long; it would be strange if Hanzou didn't have some temper.
He looked at Minato. His gaze softened, reflecting the immense value he placed on the boy. "Minato, stay in the camp during this time and don't go out randomly. We've just received intelligence that there's already a bounty on you in the black market."
"A bounty?!"
Nawaki's expression changed instantly. Fear and excitement battled on his face. "How much money?"
"One hundred million Ryo!"
Homura Mitokado said in a heavy voice. It was a staggering sum, a number that would turn every rogue ninja in the elemental nations into a hungry wolf.
"One hundred million?!"
Nawaki's eyes widened instantly. He looked at Minato as if seeing a mountain of gold.
Mikoto let out a soft cry of surprise, covering her mouth, while Minato's brow twitched slightly. He remained outwardly calm, though his mind was already calculating.
Roughly the price of three Asumas—
As a first-time bounty—no, this isn't One Piece. Minato thought with a touch of dry wit. He wondered if his head would eventually be worth more than the Hokage's.
"This price is a bit unworthy of Wood Release, and even more unworthy of Minato-kun's strength."
Orochimaru chuckled. "Needless to say, it must have been done by those paupers from Sunagakure. How stingy! They clearly don't appreciate the rarity of the specimen they are trying to buy."
Homura Mitokado: "——"
Do you think this is a good thing? The advisor stared at Orochimaru, wondering when his pupil had become so flippant about the life of a fellow villager.
He looked at Minato: "During this time, Minato, you will be responsible for the camp construction work. You can discuss the specific details with Tsunade. After that, you'll live next to the command post."
"Understood."
Minato nodded. If it was just building houses, that wasn't so bad. It was a peaceful way to pass the time while the front lines bled.
"What about us?"
Nawaki suddenly felt something was wrong and pointed at himself. He didn't want to be left out of the action. "What about me and Sister Mikoto?"
Homura Mitokado said indifferently: "You are a team, so of course you act together. Otherwise, Minato wouldn't be at ease, right? We need to keep our assets clustered."
"Nawaki can help Tsunade for now. Her medical department is always short-handed."
Orochimaru said calmly. "As for Mikoto, you stay with Minato-kun for now. We can't throw all the work onto Minato-kun alone. He needs an assistant."
"Yes, Sensei!" Mikoto nodded. A small blush crept onto her cheeks, hidden by the shadows of the tent.
Nawaki didn't speak; he looked a bit broken. He felt like a glorified gopher.
From the moment he went to the battlefield until now, he hadn't encountered a single enemy! His kunai remained unbloodied, his spirit restless.
Is this even the front line?
After handing in the mission, Orochimaru stayed at the command post to discuss deeper strategy, and Minato found Tsunade to begin his infrastructure (slacking) mission.
As the person in charge of logistics and medical care, the first building Tsunade had Minato build was the medical department. She needed a sterile, sturdy environment for the influx of wounded.
"Wood Release: Frontline Position Saving Lives and Healing Injuries Protection Hospital Jutsu!"
Under the speechless gazes of Tsunade and the other two, a field hospital capable of accommodating two hundred beds rose from the ground! The wood surged and twisted, forming rooms, corridors, and ventilation shafts with a synchronization rate of $100\%$.
"Oh! This is Wood Release, right?"
"So amazing!"
"That kid is the rumored Wood Release Genius, right? I remember his name is Minato Namikaze?"
"His Chakra volume is also quite astonishing! To build such a structure in seconds... it's monstrous."
Unlike the small wooden hut built before, this building covered a large area and required the site to be cleared in advance, so it attracted a lot of attention. The soldiers watched with a mixture of awe and hope.
Many people were quietly sizing up Minato, full of curiosity about this rumored Wood Release Genius. To them, he was a beacon of the village's glory.
"Phew—so tired!"
Seemingly from excessive Chakra consumption, Minato stumbled and fell backward. His face was pale, his breathing ragged—a perfect performance.
Behind him, Tsunade caught him, her strong arms providing a sudden, firm support. As she held him, their Chakras connected in a tacit understanding.
"Was that acting a bit too much?"
"It's fine, who would know? Everyone expects a child to have limits."
Just as Minato had to return to his room to rest due to excessive Chakra consumption.
In the Hidden Rain Village, Hanzou fell into deep thought as he looked at the intelligence sent by his subordinates. The rain drummed a frantic beat against his window.
Black market bounty: Minato Namikaze.
Konoha Village Wood Release Bloodline, age eight, blond hair and blue eyes, bounty of 100,000,000 Ryo—
Relevant intelligence: Mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, single-handedly defeated a hundred-man Sunagakure frontline force—
"This is f*cking eight years old?!"
----------------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion