Chapter 388: Food Crisis!
Chapter 388: Food Crisis!
Konoha Village!
The entire place was shrouded in gloom and despair.
The reason was evident just by looking at the fields outside the village.
The golden rice fields were indeed a sight to behold, but countless villagers were crying in despair within them.
The degeneration of genetically modified seeds was well-known, and after a few harvests, only the heavens knew what monstrous forms they would take.
In any case, Konoha was facing a tragic situation.
The seeds distributed by the village to the villagers occupied nearly eighty percent of the rice fields.
The remaining twenty percent wasn't due to the villagers' disobedience but rather the lack of seeds.
Now, even if the crops grew, they didn't produce many ears, leaving the villagers in despair.
This food production might not even reach half of the normal yield.
It should be known that while Konoha's annual food production couldn't meet all consumption needs, it could satisfy most demands, and with additional procurement, they never faced food shortages.
But now, with this situation, the required procurement of food was no small amount.
Even if food was rotting in the nobles' warehouses, it didn't mean Konoha could easily procure it.
First, it was about connections!
The nobles didn't need their money; if the relationship wasn't established, they simply wouldn't sell to them.
Then, it was troublesome!
Because food couldn't be centralized, and it was stored in various warehouses, making transportation even more challenging.
In short, food procurement was unlike other businesses.
Large quantities, low prices, and difficult transportation!
Except during wartime, merchant caravans generally didn't focus on this aspect of the business, and Konoha's previous food shortages were specifically addressed through procurement.
Now, to procure an additional large quantity of food, it wasn't just a matter of money but an issue of efficiency.
And the expenses would be even higher.
Currently, food prices, while not as exaggerated as during the Shinobi World War, still hovered around fifty thousand ryo per ton.
Procuring several tens of thousands of tons would require spending...billions of ryo.
It was ruthless!
In any case, Dong Ping was prepared to slash Konoha's budget.
Currently, the only place that could meet Konoha's demands and facilitate procurement was the Skyguard Fortress.
Of course, if Konoha preferred to be ruthlessly exploited by those greedy nobles and purchase high-priced food, he had nothing more to say.
"Let's go!"
Dong Ping's lips curved into a smile as he released his transformation jutsu and headed towards the Konoha gates.
This time, returning openly, he naturally didn't need to hide his identity, and as for the merchant caravan they were protecting?
It was still several dozen kilometers behind!
As for the reward, they naturally didn't want it.
"Dong Ping-sama!"
The guards at the gate had changed.
It was now Steel Iron and Moon God Izumo, the two 'Gate Guardians,' whose formidable reputation had led to the creation of the joke about the Six Paths being unable to face them directly and instead choosing to attack from the sky.
Dong Ping's gaze discreetly swept over them, feeling his shallowness as he couldn't discern their true strength.
"Hmm!"
After nodding in greeting, he led Hyuga Cangyue and Honglian into Konoha.
Konoha's prosperity remained unchanged.
However, upon closer observation, one would notice a slight loss of confidence in their eyes.
The Nine-Tails Rebellion!
The blow was too significant.
Before this, no one would have believed that Konoha would be attacked.
Previously, when the Shadow Rock was destroyed by the explosive tags, it could still be considered a conspiracy.
But the Nine-Tails had caused extensive destruction despite the resistance of countless ninjas, and to this day, they still deeply feared that massive Nine-Tails Demon Fox.
At the same time, the commercial aspect was also not as prosperous as before.
It wasn't due to environmental factors but the emergence of the Skyguard Fortress as a new commercial center, diverting business from Konoha Village.
Whoosh!
A masked figure suddenly appeared before the trio.
It was a member of the Shadow Division!
"Dong Ping-sama, the Third Hokage summons you!"
The Shadow Division member directly stated his purpose.
If it were anyone else, it wouldn't be a 'summons' but a direct 'call.'
Additionally, the title 'sama' after his name indicated Dong Ping's current status.
Even elite jounin like Kakashi were addressed by their names without the 'sama' suffix.
"Tell the Third Hokage that I'll make my move after the Cloud Village Embassy arrives!"
Dong Ping waved his hand, signaling the Shadow Division member to retreat.
What a joke!
He's here to discuss how to deal with the Cloud Ninja, but does he really think I'm unaware?
He's not going to waste time on this; let the Foursome Elite discuss it themselves.
He's already given them face by showing up, but if they expect him to obey their every word, they must be dreaming.
In the past, he complied because his wings were not yet fully grown.
But now, with his strength at this level, if he still obeys, wouldn't his power and influence be in vain?
Even if he doesn't rebel, he still uses Konoha's identity to suck the village's blood, but that doesn't mean he has no temper.
And this isn't his first time.
Just like Tsunade, she never gives those old geezers any face, and only makes things worse.
So, what's wrong with enjoying the same treatment as Tsunade?
In terms of background, he may not be as good as Tsunade, but in terms of strength and influence, he's stronger, right?
With this confidence, it's no wonder Dong Ping would respond to the Shadow Division like this.
"But..."
This Shadow Division member wanted to say something more, but was interrupted.
A powerful aura prevented him from finishing his sentence.
Before, Orochimaru could use his killing intent to suppress Kakashi, so it's not unreasonable for Dong Ping to use his aura to suppress this Shadow Division member.
Finally, this Shadow Division member could only return to report.
Hokage's Office!
The Foursome Elite, gathered for a meeting, fell silent after hearing the Shadow Division's report.
"You can leave now!"
Sarutobi Kazumi let the Shadow Division member leave.
After the person left, Tsukuyomi Kokoro spoke up.
"That little punk dares to ignore your summons, Kazumi!"
She was the one who suggested calling him.
After all, the Cloud Village Embassy is about to arrive, and they need to discuss internally how to respond when the time comes.
Originally, they thought this was an opportunity for him to participate in Konoha's high-level affairs, but they didn't expect him to be so ungrateful.
Tsukuyomi Kokoro was actually quite dissatisfied with Uchiha Dong Ping.
After all, there had been conflicts before, and his subsequent actions had left a growing impression on her. Now, with this direct slap in the face, she was feeling less and less inclined to tolerate him.
However, even if she didn't want to tolerate him, she had to.
Just because she could tolerate it didn't mean others could.
"Kazumi, have the Shadow Division arrest this guy who dares to disobey the Hokage's orders!"
Danzo spoke with a delighted tone.
Good!
Great!
He was just worrying about how to deal with Dong Ping, and he didn't expect the guy to hand him the excuse himself.
"Danzo, this isn't the village's order!"
Sarutobi Kazumi refused Danzo's suggestion with a headache.
If it were an official village order, the guy could indeed be punished for disobedience.
But an official order must have a mission scroll, and a casual summons like this doesn't really warrant punishment.
They're ninjas, not samurai; they're not that rigid.
Tsunade, for example, has never given him, the Hokage, any face, and she ignores orders, kicks the office whenever she wants. If they were to strictly enforce punishment, the first one to be punished would be her.
"But Kazumi, he completely ignored you, the Hokage!"
Danzo secretly poked Dong Ping in the eye.
"Let's discuss how to solve this food crisis first!"
Mizuhara Monen spoke up to defuse the situation, while giving Danzo a stern look.
As a childhood friend, how could he not see that Danzo was stirring up trouble?
Food Crisis!
This was a huge problem for Konoha during this time.
And when Danzo heard this, he immediately quieted down.
Because this mess was largely due to his Root Division.
After all, several people strongly opposed starting large-scale planting of Skyguard Seed One, but Danzo thought they were too conservative, so he replaced the rice seeds.
If the villagers could achieve a bountiful harvest, it would bring him a lot of prestige and help him accumulate enough capital to become the next Hokage.
Unfortunately, it backfired.
It led to Konoha's rice production this year being less than half of the previous year, and they needed to find a way to procure a large amount of food.
(End of Chapter)
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