Tobirama and Fumori Masaki had a detailed discussion on how to incorporate commercial taxes into the Leaf Ninja Village's financial income.
In fact, normal taxation has already begun, but due to the lack of commercial prosperity within the Leaf Ninja Village, the financial income obtained is very limited.
Fumori Masaki pointed out that to achieve substantial financial income, it is necessary to attract a large number of merchants to the Leaf Ninja Village, making them willing to develop their businesses there.
For this, the Leaf Ninja Village must demonstrate its value beyond being a military force.
Merchants are, after all, driven by profit; as long as the Leaf Ninja Village can bring benefits to their businesses, merchants will be willing to conduct business in the Leaf Ninja Village.
Nevertheless, Fumori Masaki does not intend to allow merchants to engage in free trade within the Leaf Ninja Village.
Having insights from other worlds, he is very wary of the power of capital, which can bring both benefits and drawbacks, especially for a military organization like a ninja village with extraordinary power.
If it were to be hijacked by capital, major problems could arise.
Therefore, Kazemori Masaki's idea is to leverage the Leaf Ninja Village's formidable military strength and unique ninja village resources to establish contractual cooperation with merchants, allocating rights and interests.
While expanding business for merchants, it is also essential to ensure the ninja village's influence, never allowing merchants to become the dominant party.
This plan is feasible.
The ninja world's attitude towards merchants is traditionally one of prioritizing agriculture and suppressing commerce, leaving merchants with limited rights.
They also have to worry about transportation issues during business transactions.
The Leaf Ninja Village can solve all these problems for them, guaranteeing their legitimate rights through military force and enhancing their businesses with the ninja village's resources.
Just as ninjas were once employed by nobles, even after forming ninja villages and consolidating the power of many families, possessing the strength to threaten nations, they were still willing to work tirelessly under the daimyo.
Merchants, who already hold a low status, would very likely accept such an arrangement.
This method is completely different from the original Leaf Ninja Village's commission system.
The commission system is random and uncertain; once the ninja village's strength declines, commissions decrease, leading to a reduction in financial income.
This is another reason for the joint Chunin Exams.
While the method of the Leaf Ninja Village cooperating with merchants may seem similar to the commission system, in reality, the connection established between the two parties is even more stable than the traditional commission system.
Most importantly, while bringing economic benefits to the Leaf Ninja Village, this approach also serves strategic needs, primarily the control of trade with the Land of Wind.
This resource-poor country is heavily reliant on foreign imports; if pushed too hard, the Land of Wind would be forced to wage war for survival.
Controlling the economic lifeline of the Land of Wind can significantly reduce the risk of war, which was a strategic goal set long ago.
Due to the unique nature of ninja villages, it is difficult for them to directly intervene in border trade.
If the Leaf Ninja Village cooperates with merchants, it can indirectly interfere with the Land of Wind's trade through merchant channels, ensuring it does not exceed the ninja village's control.
"Moreover, implementing such measures would also benefit the unity of the ninja families within the village," Fumori Masakisaid.
"Because deep cooperation with merchants requires the participation of ninja families, whether it's assisting their businesses or ensuring the security of commercial channels.
Ninja families can profit from this, and as long as the ninja village's influence is secured, a more stable relationship can naturally be established."
"Is this your idea of how to integrate families into the village?" Tobirama asked.
"Yes, if we are to make everyone in the village feel like one family, as Hashirama-sama wished, we must emphasize the village's presence, making everyone understand that all are one entity and under the protection of the ninja village.
I believe that future ninja villages should adopt such a policy: establishing the necessity of the ninja village, uniting ninja families, and guaranteeing their survival rights.
Combining the ideas of Hashirama-sama and sensei, I briefly summarize it as: One Ninja Village, One Will."
"One Ninja Village, One Will," Tobirama repeated twice, murmuring.
He smiled slightly and said, "That's a very concise summary, and it hits the nail on the head."
In the following days, Tobirama and Fumori Masakidiscussed many times how to achieve cooperation with merchants and to what extent ninja families should participate.
After many years of deliberation, a concrete plan has been developed, awaiting a suitable opportunity for the Leaf Ninja Village to reasonably and legitimately participate in the merchants' businesses.
And now, that opportunity has arrived.
The Leaf Ninja Village has always advocated the philosophy of Ninshu, especially with Kana's example, which is known even to people in other countries.
Therefore, no one was surprised when the Leaf Ninja Village decided to help Yuto with the printing and publishing of Ninshu classics.
Some nobles who had begun to believe in Ninshu even helped to promote it.
No one would have thought that the Leaf Ninja Village's assistance to Yuto in printing the classics was only a part of a larger plan.
The commercial investments they aimed to attract were not limited to Ninshu classics.
The purpose this time was, of course, to promote Ninshu classics, and another was to demonstrate to other merchants the benefits of doing business with the Leaf Ninja Village.
And for this message to be conveyed, Yuto needed to perform well.
Thus, Yuto, as a bookseller, was invited to the Hokage's office for a conversation with Tobirama and Kazemori Masaki.
The two did not explicitly state their intentions but analyzed the commercial ties the ninja village needed to establish from other angles, using persuasive language to entice Yuto to help.
This art of language is also prevalent within the ninja ranks.
For Yuto, he was a thorough businessman.
To say he loved the Land of Fire so much that he would gladly sacrifice his life for it was naturally impossible.
Even if he had seen through Kazemori Masaki's intentions, he wouldn't have cared.
What did it have to do with him?
Watching Yuto happily agree to their requests without any objections, Fumori Masakibreathed a slight sigh of relief, becoming even more convinced to be wary of capital, this prehistoric beast.
Patriotic merchants might exist, but for this group, one must never trust their morality.
After all, a certain philosopher has already stated the extent to which capital's pursuit of profit can go: to the point where it would even sell the rope to hang itself!
Perhaps the merchants of this era, no matter how much they develop, might not reach that level, but Fumori Masakihad to consider the future.
He did not want the ninja world to be turned upside down by these profit-driven merchants in the future.
To guarantee the rights and interests of both parties, Tobirama, representing the ninja village, signed a contract with Yuto.
Ninjas view contracts as extremely sacred; once a commission is accepted, ninjas will risk their lives to complete it for the employer.
If the employer suffers losses due to a ninja's mistake, in severe cases, the ninja must atone with death.
However, if the employer deceives the ninja, then the employer's side will pay a bloody price.
When signing the contract, Tobirama explicitly explained the stakes to Yuto.
Yuto believed he would not violate it; what reason would he have to violate it?
By faithfully adhering to the agreement with the Leaf Ninja Village, wouldn't he gain numerous benefits?
Of course, he couldn't be sure if his future thoughts would change, but at least as things stood, he absolutely dared not violate it.
After the contract was signed, all of Yuto's bookshops and the Leaf Ninja Village began to operate, collaborating with each other's channels.
Thus, step by step, Ninshu classics were printed and once again flowed to other parts of the Land of Fire.
Because Yuto had previously expanded his business to other countries, the Ninshu craze within the Land of Fire also influenced other countries.
Other countries also began to purchase Ninshu classics, and some even traveled to the Land of Demons, hoping to obtain original Ninshu classics rather than the currently printed copies.
As the bookshop business boomed, the Leaf Ninja Village's financial income also became abundant.
This single venture alone accounted for the largest proportion of the ninja village's current financial income, which delighted Tobirama.
He had not expected the benefits brought by industry and commerce to be so great.
Other ninja families also saw the profits to be made and became eager, actively participating.
Merchants, observing Yuto's business and the ninja village's role in it, coupled with Yuto's deliberate promotion, began to proactively visit the Leaf Ninja Village to discuss cooperation with Tobirama.
This plan had been established years ago, and Tobirama and Fumori Masakihad repeatedly deliberated on how to ensure the ninja village's dominance, preventing merchants and ninja families from overstepping boundaries, and striving to form a virtuous cycle.
With the rules currently in place, stability could be ensured for at least several years, and modifications would be made in the future as circumstances dictated.
Perhaps because Tobirama had designated Fumori Masakias his successor, during these commercial cooperation discussions, he had Fumori Masakiassist him.
This was one of Kazemori Masaki's busiest periods, but of course, he wasn't afraid, as his energy would not wane in the Sage Realm.
Unlike others, his Sage Realm was a constant state.
In the evenings, Fumori Masakiwould study Ninshu classics.
These days, he finally found what he needed from the Ninshu classics.
After the First Priestess came of age and married Asura, during their time together, she provided a description of Asura's realm.
It is unclear whether ancient people all used obscure language, but the First Priestess's description of Asura was very similar to the Taoist theories Fumori Masakihad read.
According to the description, after Asura achieved mastery over the chakra in his body, he could actively draw natural energy into his body, which is the manifestation of the so-called Sage Body.
In his later years, Asura created a cultivation method based on his understanding of natural energy and passed it on to Ninshu believers.
It is said that this is a cultivation method that can approach the Sage Realm.
Fumori Masakispeculated that this was the cultivation method for Sage Mode, but in Asura's era, few people seemed to have succeeded in cultivating it.
Regarding the Six Paths Senjutsu that Fumori Masakiwas so preoccupied with, the Ninshu classics also described, in obscure language, the Senjutsu that Asura learned from his father.
After interpretation, it states that when Asura faced his powerful elder brother, Indra, he sought assistance from the sacred beasts created by his father.
After combining the Sage power with the sacred beasts' chakra, Asura possessed the same power as his father, enabling him to contend with his elder brother.
If Kazemori Masaki's guess was correct, the sacred beasts mentioned in the text should refer to the Tailed Beasts.
In the Ninshu era, the Tailed Beasts should not have been as feared as they were in later generations.
The Sage of Six Paths divided the Ten-Tails into nine Tailed Beasts before his death, which suggests the reverence for Tailed Beasts in Ninshu.
And the later mention of having the same power as his father could not truly mean power comparable to the Sage of Six Paths, but something else.
The Sage of Six Paths possessed the Rinnegan, known as the Sage's Eyes, which held both creation and destruction power.
He also had the Sage Body that could resonate with natural energy, providing endless power, as well as the immense power of the Ten-Tails and Six Paths Senjutsu.
These were all of the Sage of Six Paths' abilities.
The power Asura spoke of, being the same as his father's, should refer to Six Paths Senjutsu.
In his battle with Indra, there were scenes of the Three-Headed, Six-Armed, Nine-Tails Mode and Truth-Seeking Orbs.
In other words, after obtaining the power of the Nine-Tails, Asura elevated his Senjutsu to the realm of Six Paths Senjutsu, thereby learning to use Truth-Seeking Orbs.
—Those who fully master Six Paths Senjutsu will have spheres containing the power of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements encircling them, referring to the Truth-Seeking Orbs.
"No way, is the key to Six Paths Senjutsu actually in the Tailed Beasts?" Fumori Masakicouldn't help but scratch his head.
If Fumori Masakiwanted to learn Six Paths Senjutsu, he would have to try to obtain a Tailed Beast.
He wondered if just a part of a Tailed Beast would suffice.
According to Obito Uchiha, the amount of Tailed Beast chakra required by the Gedo Mazo is not fixed; what's important is the power of that Tailed Beast.
Even if it's just a fragment, its essence won't change.
Therefore, even just partial chakra from the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails can revive the Gedo Mazo into the Ten-Tails.
Kazemori Masaki's gaze continued downwards, just looking aimlessly.
He was mainly thinking about how to obtain Tailed Beast chakra.
If he asked Mito, Mito would most likely give it, but how would she give it?
"Hmm?" Kazemori Masaki's gaze narrowed slightly, lingering on a passage.
It spoke of Asura and the First Priestess traveling together.
When they reached a certain barren land, they witnessed a strange sight: underground beneath that land was an abnormally vast chakra, flowing like natural energy.
Asura said that this was the residual power of the world-destroying demon beast after its disappearance, similar in form to the sacred beasts but without intelligence.
"Barren land… vast chakra…" Fumori Masaki looked at these words and couldn't help but think of something that had appeared in a movie.
"Wait, no way?" Fumori Masaki frowned slightly.
"If that thing is the same as what Asura said, then I really need to take a good look."