novelhk Chapter 157 Ninjas Are Human Too
Chapter 157 Ninjas Are Human Too
Chapter 157 Ninjas Are Human Too
There are many reasons why the war bonds were raised successfully.
Some of the people of the Land of Rain are expressing their heartfelt gratitude and support for the Akatsuki organization.
They were grateful for the wonderful life that the Akatsuki had given them, and they did everything they could to repay their kindness.
Another group of businessmen acted based on absolutely rational thinking and judgment.
Many of them had recently visited Loulan and were very optimistic about the prospects of the factory that the Akatsuki had invested in there.
Now, having heard that the Akatsuki have captured two mines on the front lines and secured crucial mineral resources, they are convinced that the Land of Rain has a bright future and are therefore willing to invest heavily in war bonds at this time.
Finally, there is a small group of people who don't have many emotions or judgments; they are simply afraid of death.
This small group consisted of the surrendered nobles who had been marked as targets by Kakuzu beforehand.
They were clearly well aware of their precarious situation in the Land of Rain, where they could be exploited at any moment.
The old order and rules couldn't restrain that murderous leader of the Akatsuki at all! He might as well offer himself up and pay money to ensure his safety.
A combination of factors combined to create the miracle of six billion in two days!
However, all of this ultimately stems from the fact that Shiba Kiyokawa has never been stingy in sharing the benefits of victory with the people of the Land of Rain!
The reason why ninjas in other places are war-weary is that they simply cannot see the value in their battles; victory or defeat seems to have nothing to do with them.
Despite the many years of the Ninja World War, the overall structure of the Ninja World has never changed.
The benefits of war have nothing to do with ninjas, but they will always have to taste the pain of war.
But in the Land of Rain, the situation is completely different!
Every victory of the Akatsuki organization truly changes the lives of everyone here, allowing them to experience that their days are getting better day by day!
In addition, Shiba Kiyokawa's tireless publicity and promotion efforts have enabled him to achieve such an amazing miracle in just two days!
At that moment, Kakuzu, who remained behind, finally came to admire Shiba Kiyokawa wholeheartedly.
This money-making ability is enough for him to learn for a lifetime!
Seeing that the war bonds were being raised smoothly, Konan, who had returned temporarily, immediately gave Kakuzu a second task—to recruit more ninjas.
Although the Akatsuki won the battle and dealt a heavy blow to Konoha, they also suffered considerable losses themselves.
They need to gather more troops!
The finance director, Kakuzu, agreed very readily this time.
As long as he has money, Kakuzu is always full of energy!
Moreover, Shiba Kiyokawa had already prepared the preconditions for mobilization—a military merit reward system, a sound mechanism for the compensation of martyrs, and various positive propaganda regarding expansion. Shiba Kiyokawa had laid these foundations before he left.
On this basis, the front line achieved another brilliant victory, defeating Konoha's invincible Yellow Flash, and in a short time, there was more propaganda material than they could use!
Kakuzu believed that this task was easy and that he had no trouble completing it.
So much so that what Xiao Nan needed to urge him to do was not to complete the task, but rather: "Don't reduce the publicity efforts to save money!"
This was specifically instructed by the Qinghe leader; everyone back home must understand the significance of our battle!
Kakuzu's already dark face suddenly turned even darker.
He's not allowed to skimp on pensions and awards, nor on military merits; now he's even being forced to spend money on recruitment and publicity!
How outrageous! Don't you guys even have the concept of saving money?
You are truly the worst leadership I have ever seen!
"Ninjas should be prepared to die, so why waste so much money promoting the meaning of battle?"
Kakuzu couldn't help but choke.
Even if it means losing a bonus, he will still seriously oppose this kind of "extravagant and wasteful" behavior!
Until Xiao Nan said something simple, yet it seemed to strike his heart unexpectedly.
"Because Qinghe said that ninjas are also human beings, and human beings will always get tired and need mental support."
A strong will is an advantage for ninjas, but it is not an obligation. They should not let those fighting on the front lines bleed and weep.
They deserve understanding and support, and they must receive understanding and support!
For a fleeting moment, Kakuzu had the illusion that he was frozen in place, his whole body stiff.
He suddenly remembered the years he had spent risking his life for Takigakure Village many years ago.
In all those years, no one had ever said such a thing to him.
At that time, everyone took his strength and dedication for granted...
If only someone had said something like that to him before he left to assassinate Hashirama Senju, if only the village had understood that he was also a person, and not a pawn who was supposed to sacrifice everything for the village!
So, would he not have wandered the ninja world for so many years?
But there are no "what ifs" in life.
After a brief moment of distraction, Kakuzu turned his head away and covered up his lapse with a cold snort.
"I understand. I will handle the publicity and recruitment at the rear as well!"
Xiao Nan smiled, pretending not to see the vulnerability that the dark-faced man had shown for a moment.
"Alright, I'll also leave the supply of materials to you, Kakuzu-senpai. Kiyokawa promises to give you a bonus at the end of the year."
"Hmph! I don't care about his little bonus!"
"..."
"So, how much is the bonus approximately? I just... just wanted to ask in advance."
Xiao Nan smiled and said, "He promised that as long as you work hard, he will award you a first-class merit at the end of the year and the bonus will be at the highest standard."
Kakuzu curled his lip, feigning disdain, but his body still moved honestly, even using the Body Flicker Technique and Ninja Run to travel.
Xiao Nan's smile became even more pronounced.
Not long after, Konan returned to the front lines of the Land of Grass by air.
Shiba Kiyokawa was also surprised to receive a reward from Konan.
"So many war bonds were sold?"
He didn't expect to sell so many.
He originally thought that if he could sell a billion, he could ensure the normal distribution of pensions and war merit awards, as well as supply the front-line consumption, which would be good enough.
Although ninja warfare has low logistical dependence, it doesn't mean that war isn't expensive.
The outposts on the front lines were repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt; the ninja tools, scrolls, explosive tags, and various medical supplies and ration pills consumed during the battle all required money.
The profits from acquiring the mines need time to be realized, which is why Shiba Kiyokawa thought of using bonds to balance the short-term debt.
But to his surprise, the results far exceeded his expectations, several times better than his most optimistic forecast!
"This is truly a pleasant surprise, Sister Xiao Nan. Why don't you go back and make some arrangements—"
Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Nan had already predicted his confession.
"With this bond income, I have decided to allocate new funds to the research institute, and the development of the prototype locomotive has been restarted."
In addition, I have also arranged for people to repair the road from the capital of the Rain Kingdom to the front line;
In addition, I have also ordered increased production and allocated funds to the airship factory, and the airship production capacity will continue to increase.
Finally, I also contacted Biruhu, who is on his way to the border.
Next, he will oversee the construction of a new airship docking station on the border of the Grass Kingdom. This air route will then extend directly to Loulan, continuously transporting ore to the factories there.
After finishing her sentence in one breath, Konan looked at Shiba Kiyokawa with a half-smile and asked in a slightly playful, rising tone.
"Chief of Qinghe, is there anything else you need to explain?"
At that moment, Shiba Kiyokawa was taken aback for a moment, then a relieved and gratified smile appeared on his face.
"No, you've really grown up, Sister Xiao Nan. You're becoming more and more like a qualified logistics commander."
Xiao Nan immediately raised her eyebrows and glared at him, then leaned close to him with a jokingly angry expression and said...
"Are you implying that I was never qualified as the logistics director?"
Shiba Kiyokazu quickly raised his hand in a French military salute.
"No, I didn't! Sister Xiaonan, I'm innocent!"
The playful yet harmonious atmosphere contrasted sharply with the tense and gloomy exchange between Minato Namikaze and Hideki Hyuga not long ago.
(End of this chapter)