Chapter 229: Strength is the Foundation of Everything

Hearing this, Ryosuke looked at Tsunade's clear eyes and revealed a smile.

"Yeah, the 'fairness' that the small countries seek, haven't they already got it?"

Mizunuki Ryosuke turned his eyes to Mifune; seeing Mizunuki Ryosuke's eyes, Mifune's expression changed suddenly.

He suddenly understood what the "fairness" mentioned by Mizunuki Ryosuke was.

If everything develops according to the plan mentioned by Mizunuki Ryosuke, isn't everything fair on the surface?

Because the ninjas of the great countries killed the ninjas of the small countries, they received the punishment they deserved and thus lost the opportunity to buy weapons; isn't this "fair"?

All small countries paid double the price, but on the surface, the price of weapons bought by great countries is not much different from that of small countries; isn't this also "fair"?

Even more, according to what Mizunuki Ryosuke said, if Mifune finally sells the weapon share auctioned by the Hidden Mist to all small countries at a normal price in the name of the Land of Bug and the Land of Bird.

The benefits of these small countries on the surface even exceed Konoha, because Konoha did not get such an opportunity on the surface.

Isn't this exactly the "fairness" that these small countries pursue?

As long as Mifune, Tsunade, and Mizunuki Ryosuke do not expose the truth behind the scenes, who knows that the high price of weapons is raised by others, and the so-called quotes of Konoha and the Hidden Mist are just to raise the price?

After understanding everything, Mifune's eyes were full of complex expressions.

Yes, the so-called victory of the small countries is that they get the "fairness and justice" they want.

But on the surface, the "fairness" that the small countries want has been completely obtained; isn't this the "victory of the small countries"?

And as for whether these small countries have gained or not, won or lost.

What is important is not how Ryosuke and the three should look at it, but how these small countries view this problem themselves.

Now, in the eyes of all small countries...

This auction was a "victory" for the small nations.

From the perspective of the small nations, it was the pressure they exerted on Mifune that forced the Land of Iron to revoke the Hidden Mist's right to purchase weapons.

This move punished the arrogant Great Nations.

At the same time, by carving up the share of weapons previously held by the Hidden Mist, they gained benefits that surpassed those of the Hidden Leaf.

In terms of profit, this was the first time the small nations had gained more than the Great Nations.

Therefore, in the eyes of the small nations, this was naturally a total victory for the small nations over the Great Nations!

At this very moment, all the representatives of the small nations were likely feeling secretly delighted.

Without a doubt, the small nations had won! And they had won with complete satisfaction, a resounding victory!

No one would care about the true losers in this—those two unlucky fellows who were sacrificed right at the start.

Nor would any small nation feel guilty for encroaching upon the interests of the Land of Birds and the Land of Insects.

This was the "justice" the small nations pursued.

When all was said and done, it was still just "profit."

This was the way the small nations "won," as described by Mizunuki Ryosuke.

Whether it was Mizunuki Ryosuke or Mifune.

Both were figures standing at the pinnacle of a nation and a ninja village.

To have reached this point today, they were naturally not naive or soft-hearted people.

Even though Mifune, as the General of the samurai group, was a leader whose creed was "loyalty and righteousness," if Mifune had blindly and rigidly believed in so-called "loyalty," the Land of Iron would likely have perished long ago.

"Loyalty" was merely a creed; as for how to act specifically, everyone had their own way of measuring it.

If that argument about loyalty just now had not come from the mouth of the Fourth Mizukage, Mizunuki Ryosuke, but from the mouth of any representative of a small nation, guess how Mifune would have acted?

Without strength as a foundation, everything is just empty talk.

Just like the three of them sitting here right now—was it a coincidence?

Of course not!

It was because of the solid, tangible strength of the Hidden Mist, the Hidden Leaf, and the Land of Iron.

If your strength is insufficient, you are destined to be nothing more than a pawn on the chessboard or prey in the forest.

To be a chess player or a hunter, one must first have sufficient qualifications.

Facts proved that in succeeding as the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade was by no means a silly, sweet girl with only looks and brute strength.

She, too, saw through the implications hidden behind Ryosuke's methods at a glance.

The three exchanged a look; everything was already understood without words.

Just as Mifune had thought before, everything in the world has its give and take; when someone gains, someone else loses.

Then, who should bear the ultimate cost?

Mizunuki Ryosuke had undoubtedly given the answer—it was this group of ignorant small nations.

To put it in one sentence, this transaction was actually nothing more than a "slaughterhouse scheme" targeting the small nations.

In the end, the small nations, lacking the necessary strength, could only eat hotpot and sing songs, marching resolutely toward the butcher's knife while believing themselves to be the victors.

To summarize with another line.

The money of the wealthy gentry is returned in full.

The money of the commoners is split fifty-fifty.

At this moment, Mizunuki Ryosuke had explained the "triple win" of the Land of Iron, the Hidden Leaf, and the small nations in this plan, as well as their respective ways of winning...

But for the most crucial part, Mizunuki Ryosuke had remained silent about the Hidden Mist.

And in all of this, where exactly was the profit the Hidden Mist sought?

Tsunade and Mifune stared intensely at Mizunuki Ryosuke, urgently wanting to know what Mizunuki Ryosuke could gain for the Hidden Mist through such maneuvering.

Without dragging it out excessively, Mizunuki Ryosuke smiled and revealed the answer.

He did not rush to explain, but instead took a sealing scroll from his bosom.

"Poof!"

As a cloud of smoke rose, a pinch of iron sand appeared where the scroll had covered.

"This is..."

A flash of surprise crossed Mifune's eyes. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, and the most impossible, yet most insane idea suddenly surged into Mifune's mind.

Is there a possibility that the Hidden Mist wasn't here to "buy things" from the start, but to "sell things"?

Mizunuki Ryosuke grabbed a handful of iron sand and placed it before Mifune.

"This is the Hidden Mist's way of winning."

Afterward, Mizunuki Ryosuke said calmly, a piercing glint flashing in his eyes.

At the same time, Mifune's expression became incredibly complex.

His old face showed excitement and joy, as well as shock and awe.

It was hard to believe that such a complex expression could come from Mifune, the General of the Land of Iron, who was always known for his seriousness.

To this, Ryosuke maintained his harmless smile, as if everything was understood without words.

In the guesthouse in the Land of Iron, specifically used to host distinguished guests, Ryosuke looked at the snowy scenery outside the window, his eyes flickering.

Even though it was the middle of the night, the year-round accumulation of snow in the Land of Iron made the scene outside the window as bright as day.

Looking at the vast, desolate land, a profound look flashed in Mizunuki Ryosuke's eyes.

With this, Mizunuki Ryosuke's trip to the Land of Iron was complete.

Without a doubt, the iron sand trade between the Hidden Mist and the Land of Iron was directly concluded.

Recalling Mifune's face, which had been as black as an iron pot at the time, a hint of a smile could not help but appear in Mizunuki Ryosuke's eyes.

From start to finish, he had never come to buy weapons.

Driving up the price of finished goods was, for a "raw material supplier" like him, nothing but beneficial and harmless.

After all, it made no sense for the price of finished goods to skyrocket while his raw materials remained at the original price.

Faced with the Hidden Mist's sudden large-scale iron sand trade, Mifune could completely be described as being in pain yet happy.