Kazekage Ninja: The Rise of the Hidden Sand

"Leader, this strategy might work for now, but you need to think about a long-term plan!" Kijima sighed deeply.

"What's the problem? According to your arrangements, won't our Flying Rain Group be able to operate normally?" Yahiko asked in confusion.

"Leader, selling resources is a low-barrier business. If we can sell, so can others. Moreover, it's too dependent on the market, making this model fragile. A small disruption could lead to its collapse," Kijima explained helplessly.

"Could you elaborate?" Yahiko seemed puzzled.

"Simply put, iron ore isn't exactly a rare commodity. Not only does our Amegakure (Hidden Rain Village) have iron mines, but the Land of Wind, Land of Earth, and Land of Lightning are also rich in iron ore.

Right now, the market price of iron ore is decent, and we might make some profit. But if prices drop in the future, with so many workers and high labor costs, we could end up losing more the more we mine. At that point, we'd be in real trouble, unable to find help anywhere."

Hearing this, Yahiko finally understood, breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Then… what should we do?" Yahiko asked nervously.

Kijima shook his head. "Leader, you overestimate me. I'm no business genius or commercial tycoon. At best, I'm just an accountant who came up with the idea of mining iron ore to make money. To truly turn around the Flying Rain Group, you'll need to come up with a solution."

Yahiko was at a loss. If he had any ideas, the Akatsuki organization wouldn't have suffered from hunger before.

"Let's take it one step at a time. First, we need to set up the framework for the iron mine and logistics center. Otherwise, just feeding those twenty thousand mouths could bankrupt us."

Seeing Yahiko remain silent, Kijima didn't press further.

"There's one more thing you need to start preparing for now."

"What is it?" Yahiko asked.

"Plan the sales channels for the iron ore. Otherwise, who will we sell it to once it's mined?"

"Oh, right! Who will we sell it to?" Yahiko slapped his forehead in realization.

Kijima was speechless. This young leader was decisive and intelligent but utterly clueless when it came to business. It seemed everything depended on him!

Left with no choice, Kijima continued to offer advice.

"Leader, I believe there are three main sales channels for the iron ore from Amegakure."

"Let's hear them."

"The first is the Land of Craftsmen. It's a traditional powerhouse in ninja tool manufacturing. Although it has been overtaken by the Sand Clock Group of Sunagakure (Hidden Sand Village) in recent years, it still holds a significant market share. The country itself lacks iron mines and imports large quantities of iron ore annually. With the quality of our ore being decent, if we offer a slight discount, we could secure a considerable number of orders."

"Hmm, the Land of Craftsmen. What's the second option?" Yahiko earnestly jotted down notes like a diligent student.

"The second is Iwagakure (Hidden Stone Village)."

"Huh? Doesn't Iwagakure also have abundant iron mines?"

"Yes, but don't you have some connections with Kitsuchi from Iwagakure? He's a key figure there now. If he could give us some orders, it'd sustain us for several years."

"That might not be appropriate. We're not that close," Yahiko said awkwardly.

"What's inappropriate about it? It's about survival, Leader!"

Seeing Yahiko still looking uneasy, Kijima felt a twinge of frustration. He spoke earnestly, "Leader, now is not the time to worry about pride. When I was young, working at my distant uncle's grocery store, he would say the most humble words and drink the most bitter wine just to sell his goods. Why? To make a few coins to feed his family.

You're not just the leader of Akatsuki now; behind you are the countless hungry mouths of Amegakure. Compared to that, what does pride matter?"

After some thought, Yahiko gritted his teeth and said, "Alright! You're right. I'll personally handle this."

Seeing this, Kijima didn't dwell on the matter and continued, "The third option is Konohagakure (Hidden Leaf Village)."

"Konohagakure?"

"Yes. Recently, hasn't Danzo from Konohagakure shown interest in working with us? To put it bluntly, he wants to win us over. I think aligning with Konohagakure, finding a strong backer, and recognizing a 'big brother' is an inevitable choice for Amegakure. Since that's the case, why not negotiate some terms?"

"That… doesn't seem appropriate," Yahiko hesitated.

Amegakure had only recently shed its status as a subordinate of Sunagakure. To immediately become a subordinate of Konohagakure went against Yahiko's vision of "democratic independence."

"What's inappropriate about it? At least Konohagakure is currently the strongest ninja village in the world. Being their subordinate isn't shameful."

"It is! It's very shameful!" Yahiko exclaimed, seemingly realizing something.

"My purpose in founding Akatsuki was to follow in the footsteps of Myōbatō Tarō and fundamentally change the fate of the Land of Rain, a nation bullied by foreign villages, allowing it to stand tall and independent. Becoming the lackey or subordinate of any external force is against my principles, against Akatsuki's principles, and against Amegakure's principles! I can endure personal humiliation, but Amegakure must never bow its head again!"

"Yahiko, be realistic, will you? For a small country like ours, situated in such a precarious location, how can we not depend on a major power? They could crush us with minimal effort! Even someone as strong as Hanzō of the Salamander, what happened in the end? He had to rely on Konohagakure!"

Kijima tried to reason, his tone growing more urgent, even addressing Yahiko by name instead of "Leader."

"I am not Hanzō of the Salamander, nor do I wish to become him. If I must, I'd rather be a martyr like Myōbatō Tarō!" Yahiko declared firmly.

Kijima was furious.

"Myōbatō Tarō? Do you even know him? Do you think he was so clean? How could a street-corner speaker suddenly become the leader of a massive grassroots organization overnight? It was Iwagakure's money! Look here!"

Kijima pulled aside his black cloak, revealing his chest, crisscrossed with web-like scars.

"These scars were from the Dawn Rebellion. Back then, I was a young man full of revolutionary ideals for the village's independence. When Myōbatō was assassinated, and Tōgan, the strategist, declared rebellion, I foolishly grabbed a spiked club and fought against the Sand Clock Group and their hired guards.

Later, when Amegakure's ninjas joined the fray, I watched as our brothers and sisters fell one by one. I ran back to call for reinforcements, only to find that the so-called Iwagakure allies had already fled!"

As he spoke, tears welled up in Kijima's eyes.

For the first time, Yahiko was truly shocked. He had known that Kijima had been part of Myōbatō Tarō's "Dawn" organization but had never heard him speak of these revolutionary pasts.

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