https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-322-Hari-It-s-Back-Everything-s-Back-/12932676/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-324-The-Prelude-to-the-Bird-Droppings-War-/12932689/
Chapter 323: Sand Ninja Delegation!
Chapter 323: Sand Ninja Delegation!
River Country!
Dong Ping stood atop a hundred-meter-high stone mountain, gazing down at the commoners below, who looked like ants from this height.
Among them were 'Wooden Oxen' scattered throughout.
These contraptions had numerous uses, from transportation to farming and harvesting, making them indispensable.
In essence, they were like the agricultural machinery Dong Ping knew from his previous life, but even more versatile.
Although primarily made of wood, the Wooden Oxen, enhanced by Puppetry Techniques, excelled in various aspects and were less prone to damage.
It was these Wooden Oxen that enabled the commoners to practice intensive farming, ensuring a stable food supply instead of relying solely on the whims of nature.
The River Country of today was vastly different from before.
Even with a population surpassing a million, the country continued to absorb more people.
After all, here, one could eat their fill, live comfortably, and stay warm—things that couldn't be faked.
Even if it meant working tirelessly every day, it was a life the commoners yearned for.
Dong Ping himself was a bit apprehensive about the rapid development.
The only factors restraining this expansion were the insufficient training of management personnel and the need to tread carefully.
The territory they currently occupied, spanning several hundred thousand square kilometers, was already considerable.
If they dared to annex the entire River Country, the neighboring Land of Fire and Land of Wind would surely intervene to teach them a lesson.
Hence, while the population surged, the territory remained unchanged, at least for now.
"The Sand Ninja have arrived!"
Hyuga Cangyue approached to inform him.
This massive stone mountain, exposed due to the diversion of the river, was the designated negotiation site.
Just a few dozen kilometers to the west lay the Land of Wind.
Upon hearing this, Dong Ping withdrew his gaze and headed towards the fortress.
The fortress, a crude structure built from stacked stones, served as a surveillance point for the Land of Wind.
Ninja squads took turns manning it.
The border was sealed with traps and alert barriers, preventing Sand Ninja from freely entering River Country.
Of course, today was an exception.
With the arrival of the Sand Ninja delegation, two ninja squads were reassigned.
As for the commoners?
There was no need to relocate them; their abilities wouldn't allow them to detect the Sand Ninja delegation anyway.
This delegation consisted of only three Sand Ninja: Eizo, Ye Cang, and Makki.
Eizo, the elder of the Sand Ninja, naturally led the group, given his role as the intelligence officer and his authority over diplomacy and intelligence.
As for Ye Cang and Makki?
They naturally served as bodyguards and added to the delegation's prestige.
Dong Ping stepped into the crude stone fortress and got a clear view of its occupants.
In addition to the three Sand Ninja delegates, there were several others from the Heavenly Fortress, including Uchiha Hachida, Asahagami Seifu, and Honda Taka, all of whom were involved in domestic affairs.
"Your Excellency Dong Ping!" x3
"Your Excellency!" x3
Both sides rose to greet Dong Ping as he entered.
Even Ye Cang followed suit, for today she represented the Sand Ninja, not herself, and couldn't afford to be as carefree as usual.
"It seems the Sand Ninja have finally come to their senses," Dong Ping remarked, taking a seat and looking at Eizo across the stone table with interest.
Cooperation with the Sand Ninja was something they had proposed long ago, but the Sand Ninja had scorned the idea, considering themselves one of the Five Great Hidden Villages and questioning the worthiness of the Heavenly Fortress as a partner.
Their agreement to cooperate now implied that the Sand Ninja acknowledged the Heavenly Fortress as an equal.
"No one goes against their interests, right?" Eizo replied.
Indeed, he lived up to his reputation as the intelligence officer of the Sand Ninja, demonstrating his quick wit.
The cooperation between the two sides involved the Sand Ninja providing Puppetry, minerals, venom, and other resources, while the Heavenly Fortress offered its products, particularly cloth, timber, salt, ironware, and more, in need of a larger market.
Both parties had mutual needs.
However, this was a deal that couldn't be openly discussed.
These domains had always been monopolized by the nobility of the Land of Wind.
The Sand Ninja hadn't had the opportunity to engage in these trades before, relying on mission commissions for survival. It was the loss of mission shares that drove them to invade Konoha, staking everything on a desperate gamble.
Due to the Tenjuu Tower's smuggling of supplies to the Land of Wind through secret channels, the Sand Ninja discovered a huge profit opportunity, which is why Lo Sha coveted it. He planned to use the mining area to pressure Tenjuu Tower, making them understand that if they wanted to do business in the Land of Wind, they would have to give up some of their profits to the Sand Ninja.
However, this pressure tactic failed.
This doesn't mean that both sides won't cooperate; it will only affect the distribution of benefits in the cooperation.
If the Sand Ninja win, then Tenjuu Tower will proactively come to negotiate a partnership, instead of sending a delegation to discuss cooperation.
"You're right, but there's one thing I'm very curious about!"
Dong Ping agreed with Eizo's words and expressed his own curiosity.
"What is it?"
Eizo assumed a posture of knowing everything.
"How dare those nobles oppress the Hidden Sand Village, and how can you Sand Ninja endure it?"
Dong Ping's question hit straight to the heart.
Everyone in the Shinobi World knows the hardships the Sand Ninja endure.
They are completely backstabbed by the Land of Wind nobles, even having to share the mission quotas that sustain the village with Konoha.
It's as if they're not considered human.
Sure enough, a hint of anger flashed across Ye Cang's brows.
She has the most resentment towards those nobles, but under the village's suppression, she can only choose to be the vanguard of the invasion of Konoha, daring not to blame the nobles.
There's no other way; the Hidden Sand Village relies on the Land of Wind for finances, food, resources, and more.
Otherwise, do they really think a village of over ten thousand people can survive alone in the desert?
As soon as they show dissatisfaction with the Land of Wind nobles, the nobles will cut off all supplies, leaving them to fend for themselves.
Such a realistic threat, coupled with the deeply ingrained noble status of the nobles in the hearts of the ninja, has forced the Sand Ninja to endure.
"The nobles have always been supportive of the Hidden Sand Village, and the information you heard, Lord Dong Ping, may be inaccurate!"
In response to Dong Ping's heart-piercing question, Eizo directly labeled it as 'fake news'.
Even if the Hidden Sand Village resents the Land of Wind nobles, they can't openly express it.
No matter how others view them, they cannot speak for themselves.
"Alright, let's talk about our cooperation then!"
Dong Ping turned to the main topic.
The previous chatter was to suppress the other party's morale and assert his dominance in the cooperation.
Even if he's not good at negotiations, he naturally understands this small trick.
"The Hidden Sand Village can provide you with low-cost puppets, parts, and even sell minerals... venom, and you can pay with salt, food, cloth, and weapons."
As the intelligence leader of the Sand Ninja, Eizo understood Dong Ping's intentions and calmly proposed the cooperation.
A barter system!
The Land of Wind lacks everything that Tenjuu Tower has, so if they cooperate, they can gain significant benefits.
Previously, it was just small-scale, but once formal cooperation begins, even a tiny profit represents a huge interest, and it may even allow the Sand Ninja to break free from the control of the Land of Wind nobles.
Such a significant interest means that even if they lose personnel in local wars or if all the ninja die, it won't affect their cooperation.
"We can cooperate, but we want 90% of the profits!"
Dong Ping was aggressive, not mentioning a 50-50 split but directly asking for a 90-10 split.
"You..."
Just as Ye Cang was about to explode, Eizo stopped her.
If it were anyone else, even the newly appointed Wind Shadow, Ye Cang wouldn't listen, but she barely restrained her anger at Eizo's words.
"We, the Hidden Sand Village, have to exert a lot of effort to protect the caravans and provide the market. I think it's reasonable for us to take half!"
Eizo pacified Ye Cang and directly stated the terms.
As long as they can control this supply route, the Hidden Sand Village won't be firmly controlled by the nobles and various powers.
This is the most critical point! In comparison, the interests, though important, are not as crucial.
However, what he doesn't know is that Dong Ping's thoughts are similar to his.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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