Konoha: Uchiha Extremists? Offering Loyalty!

Chapter 233 The Tragedy of the Common People

At the age of eleven, Minato Namikaze felt that life was full of both luck and misfortune, or at least that's how he saw it.

At the age of eight, he graduated early with excellent grades and went to support a village that was surrounded by enemies on all sides, after which the war came to a standstill.

After a safe year, he received guidance from the Jonin in charge and his training progressed extremely quickly.

He enjoyed the benefits of wartime without having to fight on the battlefield, thanks to his mastery of the Three Body Techniques, the Wind Release ninjutsu taught by a Jonin, and the 'unlimited' supply of kunai during the war.

When the war broke out again, he had already been promoted to Chunin and should have gone to the battlefield to kill enemy ninjas for the sake of the village.

Suddenly, he was taken in as a disciple by a strange white-haired Jonin.

Minato Namikaze was taken in as a disciple by the Jonin Jiraiya.

After meeting the Third Hokage, he was assigned to a post in the capital to escort supplies from the daimyo.

The area where they operate is located between the capital and Konoha Village, making it very safe.

But having been raised with the Will of Fire, he felt something was amiss, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

Performing delivery tasks is also a contribution to the village.

They seem not much different from their classmates who went to the battlefield to fight.

A great battle ended, and brutal slaughter brought death.

The foolish and incompetent command expanded the scope of the deaths.

The group of chunin and genin who left the battlefield from Sunagakure suffered heavy casualties.

Minato Namikaze clearly recognized that people are treated very differently.

They were both newly graduated genin.

He went to a safe area to carry out a simple delivery mission.

The other students went to the battlefield and gave their lives for Konoha.

Admittedly, the students graduating at the same time were two years older than Minato Namikaze, but that doesn't stop them from still being considered 'children'.

Minato Namikaze received news of the deaths of one of his comrades after another.

He was caught up in thinking about the different treatment he received.

He developed deep doubts about that familiar Will of Fire and the Konoha manga he read every day.

At first, Minato Namikaze thought that the situation of 'escaping the war' was an isolated case, and that protecting the Jonin seed and preserving the future of the village was the reason he convinced himself.

But when he was on a mission in the capital, he discovered a group of Sarutobi, Utatane, and Mitomon clansmen indulging in pleasure, and he could no longer deceive himself.

Having attended several medical association lectures, Minato Namikaze vaguely realized the problem.

Some bad things have emerged in the village.

This towering, leafy tree was polluted by dust drifting in from afar.

He was deeply confused about how to proceed.

Now, Jiraiya finally has some free time and can lead Minato Namikaze in training for a while.

An elderly person and a child walked side by side on a bustling street.

"Minato, I'm so sorry, I've been so busy with missions lately that I haven't had a chance to guide you!" Jiraiya scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed.

"Don't say that. Jiraiya-sensei was carrying out a mission for the village. Jonin Asami is very capable, and I have learned a lot from him." Minato Namikaze smiled warmly, his light blond hair like a newly lit sun.

Minato's words did not reassure Jiraiya; instead, they filled him with a sense of guilt.

After all, this child's talent is visibly outstanding!

As long as you stay active in the village for a while, there are plenty of idle elite Jonin who are willing to take you on as a disciple.

Thinking of this, a hint of worry appeared between Jiraiya's brows.

There are far too many Jonin (high-ranking ninja) lying idle in the village.

Are the missions at the mission center sufficient to maintain so many ninjas?

"Teacher, look over there!" Minato Namikaze's words interrupted Jiraiya's thoughts.

He looked up and saw a group of people gathered near the bulletin board.

Several documents were posted in the middle of the bulletin board.

They were very trendy and making a lot of noise.

As the two approached, they saw the specific materials. Konoha strongly condemned Hanzo of the Salamander's overstepping of authority. If the Land of Rain did not correct its mistakes in time, Konoha would be ready to use all means to set things right.

They also heard a great commotion.

Jiraiya sighed, his shoulders slumped, as if all his energy had been drained: "The days of peace are coming to an end again, and the war missions will increase again."

"Alas, when will the war end? When will peace finally arrive?"

Minato Namikaze stroked his chin and said, "Jiraiya-sensei, I don't think a war against the Land of Rain will break out."

"Oh?" Jiraiya glanced sideways. "What do you mean?"

Minato Namikaze pondered, "In ninja battles, intelligence and speed are paramount. How can one decide to fight and then inform the enemy beforehand?"

"This statement will mostly remain on paper."

Calm and composed, with a far-sighted vision.

A reasonable speculation arose from just a few statements.

With this keen sense of smell, Minato is well-suited to join the staff department, and may even lead a ninja force in the future to protect a battlefield.

Jiraiya suddenly realized that Minato's outstanding talent might mean he was the child of prophecy mentioned by the Great Toad Sage.

He felt a surge of energy, his fatigue vanished, and a rosy glow appeared on his face.

The decadent and quirky art style has been swept away.

Just as Jiraiya was about to properly 'train' his good disciple, a series of complaints came from the side.

"I thought the Hokage had issued an order to crack down on those departments that were charging fees arbitrarily!"

"Sigh, we condemn the Rain Country every day. We don't care about the affairs of enemy nations; we only care about the dignity of ordinary people!"

"Prices in the village have collapsed."

"Just bear with it. Once those ninja masters go out to fight, our lives will be easier."

"Business at my shop has dropped again, and we can't make ends meet."

"Hey friend, wanna grab a boat ticket? Let's sneak into Kirigakure. The living conditions there are great, the war never reached our homeland, and the Mizukage even gives the villagers money!"

"Is it really that good?"

"..."

"OI!" Jiraiya pointed angrily at a civilian: "Who sent you? What's your purpose? How dare you stand in front of the bulletin board and advocate that war is a good thing!"

"That's incredibly audacious!"

The man was about to retort when he suddenly noticed that Jiraiya was wearing Jonin armor and a Konoha headband. He immediately fell silent, apologized repeatedly, and left.

Upon seeing this, the crowd scattered.

The once bustling bulletin board was suddenly 'clean'.

“The villagers’ lives are getting harder and harder.” Minato Namikaze squatted down and picked up a tattered piece of clothing: “There are fewer and fewer ninja missions, and the rewards are getting less and less. Where has all the money gone?”

Money doesn't disappear out of thin air.

That's something fixed.

The money could only have flowed to a fixed location, where ordinary people couldn't earn money, which is why the village was in such dire straits.

Minato Namikaze frowned; he seemed to have grasped the key point, but not entirely.

What exactly is money?

...

“Money is just a piece of paper, money is not important.” Uchiha Yuuki raised the precision instruments in his hand and said to Mikoto, who was looking up, “Real goods are what matter. Tell those foreign merchants that the Uchiha do not trade with people who only have paper.”

"Only by exchanging them for Uchiha-made chips can we make a deal with the police department."