Chapter 279: Now You Have Our Attention
"Dana-sama, do you think they will agree?"
On the sandy beach, Yotsuki Dana exposed his perfect muscles to the sun, enjoying a sunbath. Sunglasses covered his eyes, so it was unclear if he was awake or asleep—but he certainly wasn't peeking at beauties, because there was nothing on the beach except sand and seawater.
Dana picked up a coconut with a straw and took a sip.
"At the very least, they won't refuse. We aren't here to demand anything; we're here offering cooperation. Kirigakure only needs to provide some manpower to gain substantial profits. Why would they refuse? Even if the Cloud stands to gain more."
After taking two sips, the straw made a slurping sound. Dana shook the empty coconut shell and called out to a figure nearby.
"Little girl! Any more coconuts?"
Ameyuri Ringo pouted, revealing a mouthful of shark teeth, but she obediently fetched a new coconut and started peeling it with a kunai.
Dana reminded her, "It would be faster with your Lightning Blades (Kiba), you know?"
Ameyuri snapped fiercely, "Shut up! As if I'd use my Lightning Blades for something like this!"
Seeing that he had successfully sent the short-tempered girl away, Dana continued, "Ultimately, wealth moves people's hearts. A major problem with the Mist's development is that their mission volume won't go up. Except for their own nationals, no one crosses the ocean to give them missions. Mission volume growth basically depends on domestic population growth, so their development speed can't pick up. They can only progress slowly, step by step. A small problem could set them back years. Trade with the Land of Lightning is a rare growth opportunity for them. I'm not worried they'll refuse."
Dodai felt relieved. Although the high command had long reached a consensus that the Cloud would be the target of public criticism in the next war, he wasn't as calm as Dana. He was so anxious he couldn't sleep at night.
"But doing this... won't it cause the Mist Village to develop as well?"
Dana shook his head. "Even looking at this trade route alone, the Land of Lightning gains more. We provide industrial products like Healing Talismans, steel, and weapons. Even for light industrial goods, the Land of Lightning's are more exquisite. What they provide are raw materials. Clearly, more value stays in the Land of Lightning. Uncle Dodai, your mindset hasn't shifted yet. We can't act solely with 'ninja village thinking' anymore."
Dodai nodded. Recently, some Cloud veterans, including himself, increasingly felt that the Cloud's development was gradually exceeding their wildest imaginations.
They also started to feel their thinking couldn't keep up. Fortunately, at such times, Young Master Dana could always point the way.
Thinking of this, Dodai couldn't help but recall the little boy who wasn't even as tall as a stool but was already planning the future of the Cloud's orphanage.
The corners of his mouth turned up unconsciously.
"Once the Land of Water is stabilized, they will work hard to maintain the security of the entire coastline themselves. Plus, with the previous cooperation between the United Iron & Steel Company and various Mist clans, the eastern front is basically secure. The Cloud won't need to worry about the eastern coastline anymore. Instead, Konoha will have to be careful. The Mist has a history of launching surprise attacks on Konoha from the sea."
"Opening a new trade route injects vitality into the Land of Lightning, prevents harassment of the coastline, bypasses the Water Daimyo's Office, and creates a rift between the Water Daimyo and the Mist Village. Three birds with one stone. It's an open plot."
At this point, Ameyuri Ringo returned with the prepared coconut, and Dana shut his mouth timely.
After handing the coconut to Dana, the shark-toothed girl said viciously, "When will you return Samehada to us?"
Dana didn't even blink. "Samehada? What Samehada? Never heard of it. If you have doubts, you can ask the Mizukage-dono to write a letter to our village. I'm not familiar with fighting and killing; I never use ninja swords, barely even use ninja tools."
Ameyuri gritted her teeth in anger but couldn't explode. She stomped away furiously, grabbed a coconut, and started biting through the husk layer by layer with her shark teeth to vent.
Honestly, her efficiency was quite high.
A voice spoke up. "Is that so... If I write a letter, will your village return Samehada?"
Turning his head, Yagura Karatachi had arrived unnoticed.
Hearing his tone, Dana knew the deal was done. But he didn't forget to tease, "That depends on how the Raikage judges it. After all, it's an important war trophy."
He emphasized the words "war trophy," causing Yagura's face to fall.
"Yotsuki-dono is in good spirits. You don't seem anxious at all."
"The climate in the Land of Water is pleasant. It's nice to enjoy the scenery here a bit more."
actually, Dana cared deeply about this trip to the Land of Water; it was crucial to the Cloud's next grand plan. But he had to appear relaxed to steer the outcome in a more favorable direction.
Negotiating cooperation was like boiling a kettle—even if your butt was on fire, you had to whistle nonchalantly on the surface. Besides, the Cloud wasn't in that much trouble yet.
Yagura sighed helplessly. "You seem to think we will definitely accept?"
"There's no such thing as 'definitely.' I'm just confident in the conditions I proposed. Mizukage-dono, I heard you've always wanted to break the Mist's isolation. This is a great opportunity. Maritime trade led by our two villages will also drive a massive amount of civilian trade. Isn't this exactly the chance for the Mist to connect with the ninja world?"
Yagura took a deep breath. He really felt like this big guy had calculated everything perfectly, not even giving him a chance to keep him in suspense.
"Elder Genji and I discussed it. We think your proposal is very good."
Dana and Dodai exchanged a glance. Then Dana lifted one side of his sunglasses and said, "That's wonderful."
Yagura continued, "Since it's a cooperation, I can't call this a demand. Rather, I have a request. I hope your village and you can agree to it."
"Please speak, Mizukage-dono."
Yagura sighed again. "The situation in the ninja world is becoming increasingly unstable. You know the general circumstances, and you know what choosing to cooperate with your village at this time means. Therefore, the Mist wants to stockpile some supplies for emergencies. We might need to trouble your village to help introduce us to sources on the continent to purchase a batch of kunai, explosive tags, soldier pills, and other supplies... including Healing Talismans."
The Land of Water couldn't produce all types of supplies on its own. To stockpile in bulk, they still needed to purchase from the continent. With the Cloud's help, it should be cheaper.
Dana and Dodai looked at each other again.
What is this? Three birds with one stone, and the falling stone also kills a rabbit?
Now you have our attention!
Dana took off his sunglasses completely, staring at Yagura with sincere eyes. "Leave this to me. I happen to know a wealthy merchant in the ninja world. The quality of his kunai, explosive tags, and soldier pills is top-notch. If I step in, getting you a ten percent discount won't be a problem."
Yagura clearly sensed a change in Dana's demeanor but couldn't pinpoint it. He could only say, "Then, many thanks."