"Is this the land of ghosts?"
In Tsunade's impression, the Demon Country is just a neutral country located in a secluded place in the ninja world. Its territory is less than the previous ones but more than the lower ones. Among the small countries, the territory is considered to be above average.
But because it is a neutral country, this is one of the few pure paradises in the ninja world.
In Konoha's records, it also means the same thing.
Peaceful, but didn't have much of a presence in the ninja world before.
The difference from other countries in the ninja world is that this is a country without a daimyo.
The daimyo and aristocratic system existed thousands of years ago and is still followed today.
A country like Oni Country that has no daimyo under its jurisdiction can be said to be unique in the ninja world.
And the root of all this lies in the past generations of witches in the Kingdom of Ghosts.
According to legend, every witch leader in the Kingdom of Ghosts has the mysterious power to suppress monsters and predict the future.
Monster? In Tsunade's opinion, it might be something similar to a tailed beast.
After all, tailed beasts are also called monsters by the world.
The monsters in the Demon Country must be similar to tailed beasts.
The so-called suppression of monsters by the miko of the Demon Country should be to seal the monsters in the body and become a jinchuriki-like sealing method.
However, after arriving in the land of the Demon Country, Tsunade realized that the records of the Demon Country in Konoha should be completely updated.
There are roads extending in all directions and there is an endless stream of business travelers coming and going.
Even civilians walking on the road can wear bright and clean clothes.
This is naturally nothing in Konoha, but looking at the entire Fire Country, most of the civilians are wearing coarse cloth, with sallow complexions, very heavy taxes, and most of their faces are lifeless and lifeless. And once a place becomes rich, it will be attacked by bandits. Even if people continue to come to Konoha to entrust tasks, the task of exterminating bandits can occur thirty to fifty times in Konoha every year.
The Kingdom of Ghosts is different. The towns and villages here are well planned, with numerous shops and residential and commercial areas neatly arranged, giving people a pleasing feeling.
The most important thing is that every town has security personnel, armed with sophisticated weapons, strong and energetic. They are obviously trained in a military style and are not a random security agency.
There is no shortage of important institutions that are beneficial to people's livelihood, such as schools and medical care.
It can't compare with Konoha in terms of resources, but the integrity of the organization doesn't seem to be any worse than Konoha.
But this is just a town, not a city in the Kingdom of Ghosts, let alone a capital.
This was true even in towns and villages. In those more affluent cities, Tsunade couldn't imagine what that would be like.
"Tsunade-sama, the food here is delicious. Do you want me to buy some more to take with me? It's still a long way to Aster City."
Shizune, who was following Tsunade, was eating the takoyaki she bought from the roadside.
Shizune is already a young girl with a long-lasting appearance. She has followed Tsunade to learn medical ninjutsu over the years. It can be said that she has learned the true inheritance of Tsunade. Among the many medical ninjas in Konoha, few can surpass her.
This time Tsunade went out to Konoha for 'business', and she was the only one accompanying her.
Originally, Minato wanted to send two more guards to follow him, but Tsunade refused.
"Just eat it yourself."
Tsunade's focus is not on the delicious snacks and gorgeous luxury goods of the Ghost Country.
Her original purpose was to ask the witch from the Kingdom of Ghosts about the prophecy.
In addition, I want to visit Shionhua Pharmaceutical Company in the Kingdom of Demons, hoping to verify my knowledge of medical ninjutsu, or in other words, I hope that the Kingdom of Demons can further establish a cooperative relationship with Konoha in this regard.
This desire became even stronger after coming to the Kingdom of Ghosts.
So much so that there was a serious look in his eyes.
This country is... strange and powerful.
But where exactly is the strangeness, and what is the essential difference compared to the Land of Fire, Tsunade couldn't figure it out for a while.
It can only be said that a country without a famous name is just so unique.
"Is there something on your mind, Tsunade-sama?"
Shizune slowed down her eating movements.
"No, I'm just surprised that the system here is so perfect."
"Really? Isn't this normal? Konoha is more prosperous than here."
Shizune didn't think there was anything strange.
Although this town is nice, it is still far behind compared to Konoha.
Both in terms of size and population, it was far less prosperous than Konoha.
Tsunade was slightly speechless and smiled slightly.
She has kept Shizune with her for these years, and has never gone out on several missions. She only focused on teaching her medical ninjutsu, but forgot the most important social practice.
Comparing Konoha, one of the most prosperous villages in the Fire Country, with an unknown town in the Oni Country, Konoha has already lost.
"How about comparing it with the towns of the Fire Country?"
"Well……"
Shizune was not an idiot and quickly thought of the key.
The prosperous areas of the Fire Country are limited to a few places, and Muya is just one of them.
Along the way in the Kingdom of Ghosts, no bandits were rampant in any area. Occasionally there would be chaos on the streets, but security personnel would soon come to stop it and crush the offenders away.
"Remember when we entered the Kingdom of Ghosts?"
"Remember."
Shizune nodded.
All entrances to the Kingdom of Ghosts are strictly controlled by soldiers.
Conduct extremely stringent checks on people coming and going.
If you don’t have clean identification, you will be blocked and unable to pass.
She and Tsunade also went through a series of strict checks before being allowed to enter, and were also given two short-term residence permits, which were valid for one month.
If you stay for more than a month, you will be 'asked' to leave the country.
If you want to continue to stay in the Land of Ghosts, you must go to the corresponding official agency to apply for a long-term residence permit.
If you enter illegally or refuse to leave after the expiration date, specialized personnel will come and invite you to tea.
Residence, entry and exit are strictly controlled.
This also means that there will be no unidentified people in the Kingdom of Ghosts.
A wanted renegade ninja would not be able to survive in such a country.
"Let's go."
"oh."
Not knowing what Tsunade was thinking, Shizune followed at a trot while holding a lot of snacks and snacks.
◎
It took half a day to arrive at Ziyuan City by carriage.
As the capital of the Kingdom of Demons, it is naturally more prosperous and majestic than the towns Tsunade encountered on her way.
The planning of the entire city, the buildings and greening are arranged in an orderly manner, without any clutter, and it looks clear at a glance.
Different from Tsunade's focus, Shizune was completely attracted by the food on the roadside and the tall and neat buildings, and was dazzled by them.
Tsunade took a deep breath.
I kind of underestimate this country.
No, it should be said that all countries underestimate the country of ghosts.
Tsunade has never been to the Kingdom of Demons before, and her understanding of the Kingdom of Demons is limited to what is in books and some fragmentary information obtained in recent years.
With the rise of Shionhua Pharmaceutical Company, people's impression of the Kingdom of Ghosts is no longer limited to the word witch, but also has a developed pharmaceutical industry.
But now, it's not just that.
In other aspects of development, the Kingdom of Ghosts is not far behind, as evidenced by the large businessmen coming and going.
Due to some personal reasons, Tsunade has close contacts with businessmen from various countries. Many stores in Ziyuan City are marked with the names of large international companies. Behind these companies are those well-known big businessmen who are controlling them behind the scenes.
Businessmen are only interested in profit. If they can't get any real benefits in the Kingdom of Ghosts, it will be extremely difficult for them to stay in the Kingdom of Ghosts.
Now they are gathered in the Kingdom of Ghosts for only one reason. The Kingdom of Ghosts can bring them huge benefits, which makes them have to come here to cooperate with the Chamber of Commerce of the Kingdom of Ghosts.
Therefore, Tsunade would not be surprised if the Kingdom of Demons one day surpasses the Kingdom of Fire economically.
Perhaps, the GDP of the Kingdom of Ghosts in recent years has been very close to that of the Kingdom of Fire.
With the help of the Third Ninja War, Shionka Pharmaceutical Company expanded its branches aggressively, and its brand became deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. It collected a large amount of funds from various countries in the ninja world. Even Konoha, which had a relatively complete medical structure, became I became inert and purchased a large amount of medicine from Ziyuanhua Pharmaceutical Company every year.
This is true for Konoha, which has a relatively complete medical structure, not to mention other shinobi villages. The inertia is probably even more serious than Konoha.
If one day Shionhua Pharmaceutical Company no longer supplies medicines, just thinking about the consequences made Tsunade break into a cold sweat behind her back.
Fortunately, the Kingdom of Ghosts is a neutral country and is not a member of the five major countries. It has no ambition to expand its territory, will not favor any party, and treats all countries equally.
It is better for such a country to remain neutral. Tsunade thought to herself.
From a personal standpoint, she admires the various unreasonable policies of the Kingdom of Ghosts, but she is a Konoha ninja, and the entire Fire Kingdom stands behind her.
If the Kingdom of Ghosts continues to develop at this terrifying speed, sooner or later it will affect the Kingdom of Fire, affect the GDP of the Kingdom of Fire, and then affect the development of Konoha.
Once the GDP of the Fire Country decreases, the funds supplied to Konoha will decrease, which is something Tsunade does not want to see.
However, as for how to report this matter to Konoha, Tsunade thought it would be better to report it to Minato, the new Hokage, after meeting the miko.
Tsunade found the Oni Country diplomats who received her in Shion City.
Tsunade came to the Kingdom of Demons this time with official documents from Konoha, and it was a diplomatic matter.
Otherwise, Tsunade would never be able to see the miko herself from the Kingdom of Demons.
The shrine maiden of the Demon Country is no less noble than a daimyo of a country and is the king of a country.
The process of meeting a shrine maiden is very complicated.
Tsunade is not from the country of ghosts, so she doesn't need to use this method. If she wants to see the miko herself, she can only see her mood.
Even if the other party is unwilling to meet her, Tsunade can't find a reason to refute.
But with Konoha's official documents, you don't need so much trouble.
"Tsunade-dono, I'm very sorry, but Maitreya-dono cannot see anyone at the moment."
The diplomat from the Kingdom of Oni handed back Konoha's document and answered Tsunade with an apologetic expression.
"What does this mean? Why do you say you can't see anyone for the time being?"
Tsunade was stunned.
"His Majesty Maitreya has removed the maids and guards from the shrine palace since May of last year, and issued an order that no one is allowed to approach the shrine where she is located within nineteen months."
"What happened?"
"People in the military may know that. After all, as soon as the order was issued, the army surrounded the shrine and prohibited anyone from entering. But in my opinion, it must be related to monsters. His Highness Maitreya does not want the disaster of monsters to affect ordinary people. "
The diplomat responded.
Monster? Tsunade frowned.
Are there monsters and sprites that have been passed down from generation to generation in the land of ghosts?
There is indeed a record in Konoha's classics that every few decades in the Kingdom of Demons, a disaster caused by monsters will occur. Every time a disaster occurs, it is sealed by the witch herself.
Could it be said that the country of ghosts has reached a time when monsters are causing trouble once in decades?
It seems it came at the wrong time. Tsunade sighed inwardly.
"If Tsunade-dono has anything important to discuss with Maitreya-sama, please wait a few months before Maitreya-sama lifts the ban."
"I heard that the military is now in charge of the Kingdom of Ghosts. Is this true?"
"I don't know much about this matter, but the military's actions have always been personally directed by His Highness Maitreya."
The diplomat responded in a flawless manner.
"Then can I go visit?"
"This requires the approval of His Highness Maitreya. The military's will is determined by His Highness Maitreya."
To put it simply, it means refusing Tsunade's intention to explore the Demon Country's military.
As for whether the will of the military is determined by the miko Maitreya, Tsunade is not an insider of the Kingdom of Demons, so naturally she doesn't understand.
It's just that many places in this country reveal a mysterious and weird feeling.
Tsunade wanted to collect more information about this country.
She already had a rough understanding of the prosperity and benefits system of the Ghost Country.
That leaves the most important military force to look at carefully.
But for now, people from the Kingdom of Ghosts will not let her explore the truth and falsehoods of the military in her official capacity as Konoha.
That's right, how can a country's military strength be easily known to outsiders?
For now, I don’t know much about this country, so I’ll investigate slowly in the future.
"Let's go, Shizune."
After leaving the diplomatic officer's residence, Tsunade said something to Shizune.
"Tsunade-sama, aren't you going to Aster Flower Pharmaceutical Company?"
"No."
It's no longer necessary.
The Kingdom of Ghosts strictly censors all aspects, and the technical protection of Shionhua Pharmaceutical Company is even stricter. So far, no products have been stolen, which shows the protective power there and the extent to which the Technology of Shionhua Pharmaceutical Company is taken care of by the Kingdom of Ghosts.
Otherwise, those barbarians in Yunyin Village would not have taken action until now.
It may have been tested early, but the people sent here have most likely disappeared.
"Are we going to another country next, Tsunade-sama?"
"Well, but before I go to other countries, I need to go somewhere."
A smile appeared on Tsunade's face.
"Where?"
"Headquarters of the Aster Flower Merchant Association."
"Aster Flower Merchant Guild? What are you doing there?"
Shizune looked confused.
It was a place where businessmen would go to talk about work. Tsunade had no interest in doing business, so going to the headquarters of the Shion Flower Merchant Association didn't make much sense in Shizune's opinion.
"As one of the few large chambers of commerce in the ninja world, I have already researched the Ziyuan Flower Chamber of Commerce, especially in terms of loans. The business chain is complete, the interest rates are not high, and it has an excellent reputation in the industry."
"Loan, loan!? Tsunade-sama, do you want to..."
Shizune suddenly thought of something and had a bad feeling in her heart.
"That's right!" A bright smile appeared on Tsunade's face: "Now that the official business is done, it's my turn to do my personal business. This is the top priority, Shizune, don't say anything depressing at this time, otherwise I will throw you back to Konoha."
"But why do you need a loan? Lord Minato, didn't you give us five hundred thousand taels of public funds?"
And the top priority, in Shizune's opinion, is gambling, which can easily teach bad things to children.
I really don’t know where Tsunade-sama inherited her bad habits. She should really preach about the source of all evil.
Shizune thought angrily.
"Tch, what's five hundred thousand taels enough? Throw the dice a few times and it's gone. That boy Minato is really serious, so he only gave me five hundred thousand taels of public money. I will chew some ears from Kushina's place in the future."
Tsunade complained on the street without caring about anyone.
Shizune looked dumbfounded, not knowing how to say good things to Tsunade.
Now Konoha is in dire straits and has not yet recovered from the shadow of war. How can there be so much money being squandered.
Besides, five hundred thousand taels is quite a lot. They usually live frugally, which is enough for them to travel for a long time.
◎
Tsunade left the Demon Country less than a week after arriving.
Later, Tsunade also wrote a letter, detailing what she saw and heard in the Kingdom of Ghosts, and sent it back to Konoha through secret channels.
Within a few days, Minato received a letter from Tsunade.
"The Kingdom of Ghosts..."
Although Tsunade wrote a lot of opinions about the Kingdom of Demons in the letter, Minato, who lacked sufficient knowledge, still didn't understand where Tsunade's focus was.
However, Minato could tell that Tsunade valued the Kingdom of Demons.
So, Minato sent someone to find Lu Jiu.
The other party is from the Nara clan, has a flexible and intelligent mind, and has a good grasp of the overall situation.
During the Third Ninja War, many refreshing strategies were also proposed at the meeting, which reduced Konoha's losses.
Shikaku picked up Tsunade's letter and scanned it quickly.
"How's it going, Shikaku? What do you think of Tsunade-sama's proposal?"
"Well...how to put it, although I can't imagine Tsunade-sama's specific intentions, there are some places worth learning from. For example, this kind of children's mental health hospital can help children's physical and mental health and prevent children from being overly traumatized. , will go astray in the future.”
Shikaku answered sharply.
At the same time, he also became interested in the Kingdom of Ghosts.
Children's mental health care, there are medical ninjas as powerful as Tsunade in the Ghost Country, and they see the essence of things that many people don't notice.
Those children who have not grown up are the real future of the country and the village.
It can be said that children's mental health care is very important to the profession of ninja.
"Is that so? Then I'll ask the Daimyo for instructions."
All of Konoha's development funds come from the daimyo and nobles of the Fire Country. Without their assistance, Konoha's development cannot be said to be completely stagnant, but most industries will stagnate.
For example, during the Second Ninja War, the medical reform proposed by Tsunade would not have been possible without the great help of the daimyo.
It just so happened that he also needed a sufficient performance to stabilize his position and make more ninjas in the village trust his ability to govern.
"Wait, not now."
Shikaku interrupted.
"Why?"
"Because the funds involved are too huge. Currently, a lot of Konoha's funds, due to the aftermath of the war, are invested in cultivating ninja strength and providing pensions. There is not much development funds left."
"How much do you need?"
Minato paused slightly and asked Shikaku.
"The initial investment is Konoha's total military expenditure for ten years."
Shikaku gave an almost despairing number.
Minato's hand trembled as he picked up the pen.
"so much?"
"If you want to complete the restructuring mentioned in Tsunade-sama's letter, the initial investment will only be a lot more. As for the later stage, it will be an astronomical figure. And money alone is not enough, you need appropriate systems and professionals. All of these in Konoha No, it will be another huge expense.”
Shikaku's face was heavy.
Konoha needs to cultivate and recuperate now, but now due to the impact of the war, Konoha is still in dire straits, and there is no money left to develop other industries.
"The neutral country of ghosts turns out to be so rich."
"It should be related to the previous war."
Shikaku thought about his answer.
"war?"
"Yes. In Konoha, we now have six branches of Shionhua Pharmaceutical Company. The quality of medicines is excellent and the types are complete. Whether they are medicines needed by ninjas or medicines used by ordinary people, they are all available. Take breast enlargement for example. As far as medicine and cosmetics are concerned...ahem."
Shikaku gave Minato a look.
Opening up the market with the Ninja World War, Shionhua Pharmaceutical Company has completed all layouts from military to civilian use, and has completely taken root in various countries in the Ninja World, becoming a giant in the pharmaceutical industry.
Even Konoha must be polite to Shionka Pharmaceutical Company.
Minato smiled bitterly.
Indeed, so-called breast enhancement drugs and beauty drugs are not very attractive to men. However, for women, it can be seen that even many female ninjas in Konoha have become obsessed with this medicine.
Body and face are the lifeblood of a woman.
At his home, Kushina bought several bottles of such high-end medicines to contribute to the construction and development of the Kingdom of Ghosts.
And this is just Konoha, the other four ninja villages, and important towns in other countries, I think the situation is similar.
"I understand. Let's discuss the restructuring at the jounin meeting in a few years. The daimyo also needs to get permission."
After sitting in the Hokage's seat, Minato understood how heavy the burden on the Hokage was, which was completely different from what he had imagined when he was a child.
The Hokage doesn't just do whatever he wants, especially the pressure exerted by the daimyo can make it difficult for Konoha to move forward.
Moreover, Konoha is not peaceful now.
Although he had successfully restricted the movements of Nebe and Danzo before, Minato understood that he and the Sandaime Hiruzen had already fallen out.
The recruitment of ANBU personnel has not yet yielded results.
There are still very few people who can use it.
Inogacho needs to stay by his side to guard against the counterattack of Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, and the only one he can use is Kakashi.
Now he can't even solve the problem within Konoha. The various tempting restructuring policies mentioned in Tsunade's letter may not be officially implemented even after a few years.
Because dealing with the internal affairs of Konoha and having to deal with the daimyo for a long time is more difficult than dealing with the chaos within Konoha.
Minato started to have a headache.
Seeing Minato's distress, Shikaku was about to offer words of comfort when there was a knock on the door.
"Please come in."
Minato calmed down and let the person who knocked on the door come in.
A chuunin entered and presented a scroll.
"Hokage-sama, this is an urgent letter sent from the Land of Snow."
"Snow Country? Where is the envoy?"
Minato reacted.
"He was being rescued at the hospital. He was covered in injuries when he came."
The chuunin replied.
"It seems like something happened inside the Country of Snow."
Shikaku touched his chin and made a guess.
Minato opened the scroll, and after reading the contents, he looked solemn and said to the chuunin:
"Call Kakashi Jounin who is on vacation. I have an important task for him."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
The chuunin bowed respectfully.
"It seems that Kakashi's vacation has been ruined again. He has only just recovered from his injury."
A smile appeared on Shikaku's face.
Minato sighed and looked out the window at the scenery of Konoha.
"No way, there are too many restrictions on me there, Kakashi is the only candidate."
"Indeed. However, the Country of Snow and the Country of Ghosts are adjacent. After Kakashi completes his mission, let him go to the Country of Ghosts to investigate. I am also curious about this country."
Hearing Shikaku's suggestion, Minato nodded, he thought the same thing.
