400 PS
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Arashi stretched and sat up from the soft couch.
After dealing with miscellaneous matters, it was finally time to tally the gains.
He dismissed all the maids.
With a thought, a light blue screen unfolded before his eyes.
The System's cold, mechanical voice rang out.
[Ding!]
[Main Mission: Dominator of the Land of Fire, Stage Two, has been completed!]
[Quest Evaluation: Perfect, with lightning speed, in the spotlight of all, cleared internal and external enemies, established the Daimyo's supreme authority, and deterred petty schemers from all directions.]
[Quest rewards are being distributed...]
[Congratulations to the Host. You have received the reward: Economic Policy Sandbox!]
The screen refreshed, and a new mission prompt appeared.
[Ding!]
[Current Mission: Might of Lightning, Stage Three!]
[Mission Description: The Land of Lightning has yet to sign a peace treaty with the Land of Fire, and the Hidden Cloud grows restless. As supreme ruler of the Land of Fire, you must make the northern power understand who holds the balance of power, teach the Land of Lightning a lesson it cannot ignore and force it to sign the treaty.]
[Mission Reward: National Luck +1000 points.]
Immediately after, another prompt surfaced.
[Ding!]
[Detected that the Host's foundation is established, but the legacy is unstable. Triggering a side mission.]
[Side Mission: Eternal Foundation—Expand the Lineage, Strengthen the Fire's Future]
[Mission Description: The stability of a nation rests on its foundation. As the founder of a new era, only a lasting bloodline can secure the throne and prevent future unrest. Expand your household, raise heirs, and strengthen the roots of the Land of Fire, build the legacy that will endure for generations.]
[Mission Reward: For each excellent bloodline born, the Host will receive random rewards such as extended lifespan and enhanced physique, and unlock the (Imperial Education) template.]
The previous mission was quite normal.
Hegemony, after all.
The System was the Daimyo System.
Such a mission was expected.
The latter mission, however, was less conventional.
But bloodline legacy did remind him that an empire of one person is ultimately lonely and fragile.
To establish a truly enduring dynasty, a rock-solid foundation was needed.
This mission came at the right time.
His gaze then fell on the newly acquired reward, the (Economic Policy Sandbox).
With a thought, the screen before his eyes transformed.
A three-dimensional sandbox model floated into view.
Mountains and rivers.
Cities and villages.
The entire geography of the ninja world was displayed upon it.
He could even see faint glows representing population flows between cities.
This was not just a model, but a living microcosm.
[Function Description:]
[1. Macro Simulation: The Host can test any economic policy, such as tax rate adjustments, infrastructure investment, and trade agreements, on the sandbox. The System will use existing data to simulate chain reactions, economic growth or recession curves, and changes in social stability over the next 3 years.]
[2. Precise Strike: Target specific countries, families, trade guilds, or individuals, and simulate operations such as economic blockade, asset sniping, and supply chain disruption.]
[3. Opportunity Insight: The System will analyze economic data of various countries in real time, automatically identifying high-return investment opportunities, potential trade partners, or exploitable economic loopholes.]
Looking at these descriptions, Arashi's breathing paused.
If [Talent Scan] allowed him to control people's hearts, then this [Economic Policy Sandbox] was his sharp sword for conquering the ninja world.
Setting aside the god-tier battles that marked the end of the Hokage era, every Great Ninja War before it was, at its core, a contest of wealth, resources, and national strength.
With this sandbox, he possessed a god's-eye view.
He could cripple a nation economically before a war even began.
Compared to the long-term plan of expanding the lineage, which required time, striking at the defiant Land of Lightning mattered more now.
Might of Lightning. Perfect. He would use this new tool to weigh the Land of Lightning.
To see how hard their bones were.
Arashi's finger traced the sandbox.
He pointed to the northeastern corner of the map, at the nation ringed by mountains and thunderclouds.
"Activate the Economic Policy Sandbox. Simulate a comprehensive economic blockade against the Land of Lightning, and deduce all possible countermeasures."
[Ding!]
[Command confirmed. Initiating game-theory deduction mode. Loading Land of Lightning high-level decision-making model, core: Fourth Raikage, A...]
[Deduction begins.]
Buzz.
Above the sandbox, red lines representing the Land of Fire spread, weaving into a vast net that tightly enveloped the Land of Lightning.
Several blue arrows shot out from within the Land of Lightning, striking the red net and creating ripples.
New data streams and text rapidly refreshed to the side.
[Game-Theory Deduction Results:]
[Phase One, 0 to 3 months, Economic Impact and Military Deterrence]
[Our actions: The Land of Fire, allied with the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth, imposes a trade embargo on the Land of Lightning.]
[Enemy response, economic: The Land of Lightning's economy is hit. Pillar industries like iron ore stagnate. Domestic prices may rise by 200 percent within 3 months.]
[Enemy response, military: The Fourth Raikage may gather Hidden Cloud's main forces at the border to conduct high-intensity military deterrence and force negotiations through the threat of war.]
[Phase Two, 4 to 6 months, Internal Unrest and External Harassment]
[Our actions: Maintain the blockade and dump goods via the black market to worsen inflation inside the Land of Lightning.]
[Enemy response, economic: Large-scale unemployment erupts and social conflict intensifies. Hidden Cloud may dispatch elite squads to attack the Land of Fire's trade routes to neutral small countries through looting and sabotage, attempting to damage the Land of Fire's commercial credibility.]
[Enemy response, stability: The Fourth Raikage uses iron-fisted methods to suppress nobles advocating peace, further stimulating war potential under centralized control in the short term.]
[Phase Three, 7 to 9 months, Political Division and Diplomatic Breakthrough]
[Our actions: Continue pressure and secretly fund opposition nobles inside the Land of Lightning.]
[Enemy response, political: Peace-favoring nobles may clash fiercely with the war faction, splitting the Land of Lightning's high command.]
[Enemy response, diplomatic: The Land of Lightning may secretly approach the Land of Wind, promising to supply specialized metal ores long-term at 30 percent below market price, attempting to break the Fire-Wind-Earth economic alliance.]
[Phase Four, 10 to 12 months, Full Stalemate and Multi-Party Involvement]
[Our actions: Increase military and financial aid to the opposition in the Land of Lightning and instigate internal rebellion. Simultaneously maintain a high-intensity border confrontation to deplete national power.]
[Enemy response, war: The Fourth Raikage shows overwhelming control, forcibly integrating domestic resources and forming a brutal confrontation with rebel forces. The war enters full stalemate. Hidden Cloud elites and rebellious noble armies clash in multiple regions, rapidly draining national power.]
[Other nations' reactions:]
[Land of Wind: As an ally of the Land of Fire, it likely maintains the blockade and receives significant technical and material assistance, steadily increasing national strength. It is content to see Fire and Lightning confront each other.]
[Land of Earth: Publicly stays neutral and honors the blockade, but may secretly dispatch shinobi disguised as rogues to contact both sides in the Land of Lightning, selling arms for profit and keeping an ambiguous stance.]
[Land of Water: Long isolated, after Kirigakure detects continental tension, it may frequently dispatch reconnaissance units to infiltrate the Land of Fire's coasts, gathering intelligence and waiting for an opportunity.]
[Disclaimer: This deduction is based on the target's predetermined high-level personality and decision-making model. The System is not responsible for deviations caused by sudden changes in personality or unknown variables.]
Arashi noticed the frequent use of the word may in the deduction.
No wonder the System included a disclaimer.
However, this was sufficient.
He did not need the disclaimer.
He would use the deduction as a reference, not adopt it wholesale.
With five nations and countless people involved, the variables were too great.
Looking over the detailed report, Arashi's smile deepened.
(To be continued.)