"Brother Danzo: New goods have arrived. Send someone immediately."
Danzo frowned as he read the urgent message sent that morning from Sunagakure.
Though the letter was brief, the tone was unmistakably serious.
Few words. Big matter.
That usually meant the shipment was something extraordinary.
However, with winter approaching, sending someone all the way to the Land of Wind specifically to pick up cargo… If it was something bulky, transporting it back would be a logistical nightmare.
After some thought, he turned to the Root ninja standing nearby.
"Have the winter provisions we ordered for Sunagakure been delivered?"
"One moment, sir."
The Root ninja pulled out a small notebook from his robe and flipped it open with practiced efficiency.
"Three days ago, a team of shinobi was dispatched to escort the shipment. Per our agreement, the delivery will be made at the border of the Land of Wind. It should arrive at its destination in about a week."
Despite the heavy load, Root shinobi were still unmatched when it came to delivery speed.
"I see." Danzo nodded slowly. After a brief pause, he ordered, "Send someone to catch up with the delivery team. This time… have them follow the Suna shinobi to Sunagakure and bring back the new shipment on the return trip."
That way, they'd avoid making a separate trip.
"Understood!"
The Root ninja nodded, then hesitated for a moment.
"…About the orphanage's wages?"
"They haven't been paid yet?" Danzo's brow furrowed in displeasure.
"I distinctly said to pay them immediately after the job was finished."
After all, he still had many other construction sites underway. If he didn't pay his workers, why would anyone continue to work for him?
Especially those orphans...
Their wages weren't even high. There was no point in withholding it.
His eyes grew cold as he stared at the Root ninja, voice dropping dangerously:
"Any shinobi who fails to follow orders… is trash."
"No, it's not that we didn't want to pay!"
The Root ninja trembled slightly at Danzo's tone and quickly dropped to one knee.
"It's… It's just that Nonō Yakushi didn't trust that we'd actually pay. They were worried we'd do something to the children. So after the Grand Sail Hotel was completed, they took the orphans and left immediately."
"…"
Danzo fell silent for a moment, then let out a cold, contemptuous snort.
"Fools."
Did they really think he would break his word over a few ryo?
Root wasn't what it used to be. Over the past few years, his partnership with Sunagakure and the profits from grain exports to neighboring countries had made Root self-sufficient. He no longer needed Hiruzen to allocate funds. He didn't even need to dispatch assassins for income anymore.
The revenue from just a few of his industries was enough to keep Root running smoothly—and expanding.
At this point, the combined income from every other clan's businesses in the village probably didn't even compare to what he alone controlled in the Land of Fire's economy.
Lowering his head slightly, Danzo kept his cold expression as he addressed the kneeling shinobi:
"Count out the exact amount. Deliver it personally—no more, no less. What's owed is what they get. And tell that foolish woman…"
"The work's not finished yet."
This was only…
Just the beginning.
He, Shimura Danzo, would build a vast commercial empire in the Land of Fire!
If he was going to do it—he was going to do it right.
...
"Whew~"
Rasa suddenly shivered, pulling the kotatsu blanket tighter around himself. He glanced over at the three children playing nearby.
The cold faded a little, replaced by a subtle warmth in his chest.
He straightened up, putting on his serious "strict father" face.
"The temperature's dropping fast lately. Remember—wear more layers when you go out. Even though you're on break, you still need to keep up your training. If anything confuses you, ask me or your mother. You can also ask Aunt Kana, your big brother Kabuto, or go visit Granny Chiyo in the mountains."
As for Ōtsutsuki Kaguya...
Forget it. Who knows what kind of chaos she'd stir up next.
That one should just sit back and enjoy her role as the revered ancestor.
The nights had been especially cold lately. Luckily, they'd increased the wind turbine output earlier in the year. Otherwise, with the growing population, they'd have suffered blackouts just from people using space heaters.
Still…
The infrastructure wasn't up to par. Most of the electrical appliances were power-hungry, and even the lights weren't as efficient as the energy-saving bulbs from his past life.
But—
Progress was still progress.
Whether inside or outside the village, technology was advancing.
Slower than he'd like, sure. Some areas might not advance at all.
After all, this was still a world ruled by shinobi.
Seeing the three kids nod seriously, Rasa gave a satisfied smile, especially when his hand landed on Temari's head. Unlike her two younger brothers, she seemed a bit… distracted.
"Temari, next term you'll officially be starting at the Ninja Academy."
She'd just graduated from the preparatory class. The next semester, she would be a full-fledged student.
"Mm."
She gave a small nod, but her mood was clearly low.
"What's wrong? You don't look happy. Did something happen?" Rasa narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Did someone bully my precious little girl?"
Maybe he needed to ask the teachers to double the homework on those troublemakers...
"Papa…" Temari hesitated, pouting a little.
"Am I really a genius?"
"Of course you are."
She had an exceptional aptitude for Wind Release. Maybe she wouldn't make it to elite jōnin, but special jōnin was definitely within reach.
And most shinobi—
Only ever hovered between genin and chūnin.
Temari's potential was solid. And with her gold-spending father in the picture, even if her talent had been mediocre, he'd still turn her into a genius by sheer financial brute force.
Besides…
What was the point of all that fighting?
A little power, a lot of money—becoming the richest woman in the ninja world sounded a lot better, didn't it?
"So, why do you ask?"
"There are two 'geniuses' in our class. Me and Daimaru."
Temari's cheeks puffed out.
"But I think Daimaru is dumb. He's not even as good as Shira, and the teacher says Shira doesn't have any talent for ninjutsu. But for some reason, she keeps insisting Daimaru is gifted."
"…Ah."
So that was it.
He'd almost forgotten about Momu's kid. Back when he promised Momu that he'd take care of her and the child so Momu could focus on her job, Rasa had made sure Daimaru got extra attention from the teachers—more lessons, better resources.
Completely selfless. Totally not nepotism.
Rasa gave a slightly awkward laugh and patted her head again.
"Temari, you're absolutely a genius. Just focus on doing your best."
As for the other kid—Shira…
Rasa remembered him, too.
The kid had excellent taijutsu potential. Unfortunately, his ninjutsu aptitude was average at best. He couldn't become a proper shinobi.
And currently, the Academy…
Didn't offer any specialized programs.
They only trained students to become ninja. Sure, taijutsu specialists were still shinobi—but let's be real: when people in Sunagakure said "taijutsu"...
They usually meant puppeteers controlling puppets.
Not physical combat.
Technically, students wouldn't be expelled for lack of talent—but it was pointless to waste six years just to drift through the system.
Rasa rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
"Taijutsu, huh…?"