The snow was getting heavier, and it was getting closer to the end of the year.
But this has nothing to do with the people on Paradise Island. They are still in the midst of construction - Paradise Island, which is the name given by Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki organization, to the island where they are currently located.
It was a bit rustic, but no one really cared.
"In that case... should be about right, right?"
Muttering so, Kazehana Doto in his white lab coat walked out of the lab.
For many years, the Chakra Armor had been his secret weapon. And it did help him many times in actual combat.
It was just that as the enemies that appeared in front of him became stronger and stronger, the Chakra Armor gradually became insufficient... especially when he knew that the Konoha ninja that came to defeat him that day was only the new generation of Konoha, not even one of the older generation of Konoha ninja.
Kazehana Doto hated his brother, but the current him also had to admit one thing - Konoha was really too strong, beyond the limits of his imagination.
But doesn't matter.
Because his chakra armor, too, was getting stronger.
In a way he had never imagined - for some reason, he had been having nightmares lately, in which strange old ninja appeared from time to time. He would often argue with these old ninjas about technical issues, but after waking up from his dreams, he always realized that the old ninjas in those dreams were actually quite something...
The slow progress of the Chakra Armor over the years, apart from the fact that there were indeed technical difficulties, another important reason was because Kazehana Doto was unwilling to share his technology with others.
It was already difficult, and when it was made even more difficult behind closed doors... But all of that is in the past!
The brand new version of the Chakra Armor was now complete!
"It just so happens that boss is not lacking money at all right now, I just need to convince him..."
Kazehana Doto thought so happily, just at this time, a familiar female voice came from behind him.
"Kazehana-san, still busy this late? Do you want to go and have a late night meal together?"
Kazehana Doto turned back and realized that the one who spoke was the woman, Namikaze.
Among the current senior members of the Akatsuki organization, there are two social terrorists.
One was Namikaze and the other was Tobi.
These two guys seemed to be acquainted with everyone, always easily sticking up for each other, really annoying individuals to death.
Especially Tobi, simply like a funny character, also do not know how this kind of frivolous weak chicken mixed into Akatsuki organization members.
But...
She is stronger than him.
Kazehana Doto thought, and barely managed to show a hint of a smile on his icy face.
"Alright."
He didn't want to pay attention to Namikaze as a social terrorist, but Namikaze's social skills were just too strong, and she quickly became friendly with Orochimaru, Kakuzu, and others, and it was rumored that her relationship with Konan was also very good...
Against such a troublesome guy, Kazehana was rather more respectful.
So the two together side by side, came to the Akatsuki organization's cafeteria - the outskirts of the island of extreme happiness has appeared four countries allied forces, although the greedy big merchants are still through a variety of ways, in the continuous transport of all kinds of necessities in, but in order to save, at present, the Akatsuki organization is not a small stove, even if it is a senior member, can only be in the place to dine.
Kazehana Doto is extremely dissatisfied with this, but there is no way, the person in charge of the cafeteria is Kakuzu that bastard... also don't know what Pain really thinks, following the accounting department and investment department, Pain boss even handed over the cafeteria to Kakuzu... as well.
You say other things are also even so, you give all the cafeteria to that miser, is really want to let the brothers die...
But this kind of words, Kazehana Doto also only in the heart to think about it.
Kakuzu is very cold most of the time, even if you stand in front of him, he is too lazy to talk to you, like a stone.
But as long as you mention money to him, he will instantly become passionate as fire...
Blocking him to make money, moreover, the sky will immediately be covered in a fire mess...
Endure it.
Kazehana Doto thought, gritted his teeth and ate the food in front of him that was shabby to the extreme for him.
Namikaze, on the other hand, seemed to not care about this at all and ate very happily.
"You seem to be very happy?"
"Well, it's not much, I just can't help but remember what happened before." Namikaze propped her chin up and crossed her legs, and even through her mask, Kazehana Doto could feel her happiness.
"That day my brother finally got a holiday from the devil daddy, so he decided to make a love breakfast for me. But this guy was clumsy. Even with his eyes, he failed more than ten times in a row and failed to make a perfect poached egg. -
"The guy won't admit it, but he's a kitchen destroyer come to that."
"And what's even more unlucky is that my boyfriend happened to come to my door that day to propose... hahahahahahah, and my brother's face was green. He chased after Naru... hoo hoo, and the two of them just chased each other all the way to the poles..."
Namikaze seemed to remember something happy and couldn't stop laughing.
This made Kazehana Doto embarrassed.
After all, for him, females were just male appendages.
As a prince, there was never a shortage of females around him, and he was even more scornful of the so-called love.
But now that Namikaze was laughing... happily, it was okay, and Namikaze apparently realized that the things she said seemed to be incomprehensible to outsiders.
So she quickly talked to Kazehana Doto about Chakra Armor.
This poked at Kazehana's itch.
He had never been a man of brocade, and after he had some results, he couldn't help but proclaim them.
As soon as Kazehana's side brought it up, he immediately talked about the benefits of the Chakra Armor.
"Compared to version 1.0, all the stats of the current Chakra Armor have been increased by more than 30%. -
"It only needs to go through another period of real-world testing before it can be mass-produced!"
Regardless of what kind of ninjutsu, all of them were improved little by little. No matter how good the theoretical data was, it was always difficult to put one's mind at ease without going through actual combat.
The Chakra Armor was the same.
In fact, if they wanted the Chakra Armor to reach its theoretical limits, they would still need some of Konoha's techniques... but it was clear that Konoha wouldn't help them.
The level of Konoha's ninjutsu had already begun to gradually override the world's level of technology, just like the Land of Fire's level of technology.
There's no special reason for this, it's just a lot of money and a lot of experts.
Other ninja villages open a program, Konoha can open dozens of them in one breath, and can also hire the best researchers and use the most materials... can not be compared.
This is certainly regrettable, but this is not Kazehana's own problem, he think that the Pain leader can understand.
"Well, Kazehana-san is indeed a prudent person it... Then you think, where is the better place to choose for the test site?"
"That goes without saying? Anyway, before long, the Four Great Hidden Villages will be fighting us, so of course it would be better to test it directly here."
The siege of the Four Great Hidden Villages did sound impressive.
However, Kazehana Doto knew that the Four Great Hidden Villages didn't really want to fight.
Kazehana Doto was both a prince and a ninja, and he could understand the feelings of both sides at the same time.
Eliminating the Akatsuki organization did not benefit them in a practical sense, but they had to take a huge risk, it would be strange that they would be willing to do so.
For them, the best scenario was to have the Akatsuki organization based on the Paradise Island, killing each other and the Land of Water every day while they cheated on their funding nearby - the best places in the Land of Water were within the attack range of the Akatsuki organization, and they would never feel at ease until they had evicted the Akatsuki organization from the area.
And even if they really fight... the big deal is to detonate those countless detonation charms under the island of extreme happiness is.
No matter how many of them come, under those countless detonation charms, they will definitely die.
Konan has been hand rubbing explosive talismans since a long time ago. Now, while the ninjas were working on the construction, these explosive talismans were buried under the ground.
If the Four Great Hidden Villages dared to come, they dared to bury them - Pain Boss being bad was really bad, he knew that he was the strongest without a real base, so he deliberately made such a break, just waiting for the Four Great Hidden Villages to take the bait...
"But I think that the Land of Water is also a good choice then."
Namikaze began to say what she came for.
"That pair of brothers in the Land of Water who can't stop fighting? There's no need for that, is there?"
Namikaze shook her head back and forth.
"Trying it on at the headquarters? Who wants to wear those unstable things? What if something goes wrong at a critical moment?"
"It's also true if you say so..."
Seeing that Kazehana Doto never refused to change his mind, Namikaze could only reveal the true reason for his visit.
"In fact, Kakuzu-san and I, we are prepared to short the Land of Water... Now the gap between the two princes is quite a bit larger than we expected, I'm afraid that we will be able to distinguish the winner in a short period of time, we have to help that seventh prince... "
I see.
In that case, Namikaze secretly looking for him makes sense.
Rouge ninja well, as long as the money to get, what can not... If it is not Pain leader is really too able to fight, it is estimated that the bottom of a lot of upper ninja want to borrow Pain leader head a use.
Now Namikaze want to short Land of Water...
For Kazehana Doto, this matter is in between two options.
Although the Pain leader was ruthless, he still gave the various subordinates more than enough room to play. Just for example, Kazehana Doto, he didn't have to go into battle as a member of the technical department.
Even if he always did not kill a single person, the effect he played out in the lab was far greater than if he had rushed to the front lines.
Since he didn't have to go into the line of fire, it naturally didn't matter who was experimenting.
However...
It was fine if Wave Wind didn't open her mouth, but as soon as she did, Kazehana Doto couldn't help but think of that little brother Seventh Prince.
The two had never really met, let alone had any friendship. But there is one thing that is extremely similar between the two... Both of them have been taunted by fate, and both of them have encountered a great crisis in terms of inheritance...
Don't know how, the Kazehana Doto to him just have so a little good feeling.
This little bit of good feeling is very insignificant, but anyway, both options are the same for him...
"Then let's give the Seventh Prince of the Land of Water a try, let them fight a little longer, more deaths would be good."
... ...
The snow was getting heavier and the end of the year was getting closer.
The Seventh Prince looked at the slowly falling snowflakes, and his mind was filled with thoughts.
Just last year, the Seventh Prince was able to be a happy-go-lucky scrappy prince, either gorging himself on food and drink or playing hide-and-seek with his lovely maids every day.
That kind of life, in the past, seemed plain and boring, but nowadays, when I think about it, it is like a paradise...
The seventh prince gazed at the snowflakes for a long time, and finally lowered his head, grabbing down a handful of his own hair - in that green silk, there were already some gray hairs.
He wasn't even twenty years old.
Previously, when reading ancient books, the Seventh Prince had never believed in the so-called overnight gray head. But now, under great pressure, even he, a teenager, couldn't help but feel a bit of old age confusion in his heart.
Wasn't it, better to just give up?
These days, the pressure he needed to face was just too much.
There was no need to mention the aggressive stance of his own second brother, but even the tempo of the city was never-ending, wave after wave.
After entering the royal capital with Kiri, the first thing he did was to send people to protect the big and small nobles - although many of them had already been succeeded by Kiri.
But for those noble families above, he really didn't move a single one.
Kiri also did not move.
He had wanted to soften the other side and get them on his side through this method.
But the truth is, not only are these old guys not thankful, but they have also joined forces to force the Seventh Prince to find out the thugs who invaded their homes during the Pain's rampage...
Not to mention the fact that in that situation at the time and with no cameras, how on earth was the Seventh Prince going to find out who the murderer was in the midst of a chaotic situation.
Even if he did find it, he couldn't hand it over.
-He had clearly said before that he wanted to protect the people.
It wasn't that how he really valued the people, it was really that he had too few cards at hand, and he wanted to grasp even such a few straws.
He hoped that the great nobles would look forward to everything, and blocked the mouths of the great nobles with the reward in the future.
However...it doesn't seem to be very successful...
They don t care about the situation in front of them, just repeatedly let the seventh prince give them an explanation.
How... to give an explanation? There is no way to explain.
Really forced, come to a killing head roll, the people are not unable to offer the city.
Since ancient times, the number of strong cities that have been sold by the people and the great nobles is countless.
Unlike the initial low morale and the urgent need to burn and kill to boost morale, now that the second prince has been camping for a long time, his morale has recovered quite a bit.
What he wanted most now was the head of the seventh prince. As long as it is ensured that the seventh prince is dead, it is not impossible for the second prince to stop...
Regardless of the nobles and the people, anyone can fish out of water.
Only he can't.
Truly a rat in a bellows, suffering at both ends.
But he was powerless, who let him have no roots at all.
"But I can't just stalemate forever, I will eventually have to make a choice..."
Before he left, Makoto came up with an idea for him, which was to increase the water bill by one or two ryo.
The Seventh Prince didn't quite get it at first, but after he actually started to implement it, he realized the beauty of doing so.
One ryo, even for the poor people, was not a completely unacceptable price.
However, the people in the city are more than a million... people can go without food, but they can never go without water. This tiny one ryo was equivalent to more than a million extra taxes once every few days.
For the huge Land of Water, this money is really a drop in the bucket... but a drop in the bucket is also better than nothing!
Thanks to the TV, now everyone knows that the treasury of Land of Water was robbed clean by that group of rebels, and now everyone is on edge.
Especially those who survived the garrison, but also do not know to whom the allegiance is better.
However, with this emergency money, the machine of the royal capital, which was close to stopping, slowly began to run.
It should be known that the royal capital, as the first good place, its own blood production ability is also very strong. Not to mention the first quarter of next year's expenditures, if you do a good job of picking up the slack, you can still survive the winter.
To this day, the second prince has not completely sealed the king's foreign trade... is not his mercy, really can be in the king's business people, a lot of background is very hard, which has the background of the important ministers in the minority...
In the beginning maybe a little bit less, but the accumulation of less into more, this is also a not small amount of money.
With money, then everything has something to look forward to.
No wonder the Godaime Hokage called it the best policy!
But damn, damn... also do not know who made it, obviously the seventh prince only said to increase one or two, but the following people are talking to themselves, increased several times, and even more...
The royal capital is not a place where you can drink water by just drilling a well, the water here is hard, and it has always been transported from next door.
The price increase of one or two, the people of the royal capital can afford, but several times... these guys will really revolt!
Seventh prince immediately let Terumi Mei went to investigate and deal with, Kiri ninjas are also very forceful, and soon arrested the bastard who increased the price, and today thing today killed.
However, only the seventh prince know, these were killed, in fact, are just some small roles just... the real black hand behind the scenes, is those big nobles and even the Shinhua family...
People have been in this city for I don't know how many years, and their influence on the city far exceeds that of him, a prince with no roots.
Although this matter has barely subsided, the seventh prince knows that this is just the beginning...
If he doesn't hand them over, this isn't going to end.
But he really can't hand over people.
He is aware of his brother s tactics, the moment he hands over the people on his side, his brother s spies will immediately attack in the city and cause panic...
At this time he was difficult to enter and difficult to retreat.
He has a lot of revenge in his heart, but he can't exert it at all.
Just as the Seventh Prince was worried, Terumi Mei walked up to the temple with a Kiri messenger, and an obese merchant.
"Mizukage-sama, did you find where my brother is and lorded him over?"
That was the news that the seventh prince wanted to hear the most right now.
But sadly, it wasn't.
"Your Highness, I'm sorry, but we have not been able to locate the Second Highness so far... just as they have not been able to locate you either."
Both sides wanted to directly use assassination to solve the problem at hand, but it was precisely because they thought of it together that it was difficult to execute.
Ninjas ultimately prefer to act stealthily, not as berserkers generally... are taught by a master, can not break the move.
"But the messenger I sent earlier to contact that person came back and brought back this... gentleman."
The chubby looking merchant immediately stepped forward and saluted.
"Not being able to deliver the post, and not being introduced by anyone, it is really presumptuous... but having heard of your highness's difficulties, we may be able to do some favor..."
"You are selling water?"
The seventh prince came to be interested.
"No, we sell cola... Hearing that Your Highness is troubled by the skyrocketing cost of water, I think that if you are thirsty, drinking cola is really no different from drinking water..."
"But coke is so expensive..."
"Regarding this, please rest assured, Your Highness, our cola, is guaranteed to be cheaper than the same volume of water."
"Cheaper than water? How is this possible?"
"Wouldn't Your Highness know if you try it? Even if we offend you, we won't offend the Godaime Hokage-sama."
...Sometimes it pays to have a bad reputation.
It sounded quite outrageous, but it might not be unfeasible.
After all, it was now midwinter, and the residents' various water needs were minimized. And the people themselves will have some water saving tricks, and then let Kiri use ninjutsu to come a few times to emergency precipitation if... the light drinking water, it seems that Coke will also work...
The seventh prince does not understand medicine, he only wants to solve the immediate trouble.
"If it's really as you say... the market or whatever, it's all good."
"Many thanks, Your Highness!"
The Seventh Prince knew that he had probably sold all the local beverage brands in the Land of Water.
But he didn't care.
If he ended up becoming a Daimyo, then he would be rich in the four seas and have supreme power, and there were ways to deal with these powerful merchants.
If he ends up dead... dead all the time, what else can...
"Well, that's it."
The Seventh Prince said so and looked up again at the flurry of snowflakes in the courtyard.
Even if he used cola, it would only suppress the problem temporarily. He knew very well that as long as he didn't give an explanation, those guys who really had a lot of people missing from their genealogy would never let up - if anyone could touch the Shinhua family, would the Shinhua family still have its current supreme status?
Even if they knew that they might suffer a huge backlash if they went toe-to-toe with the Seven Princes now, they had to.
Only by killing their enemies to the point of fear would they be able to gain a transcendent position!
The Seventh Prince had already agreed to the merchant's request, sort of giving face to the Fifth Naruto. He was still worried about his future plans, he didn't have the heart to listen to the flattering words of a merchant.
However Terumi Mei did not take the merchant down.
The merchant had the cheek to thwart his hands and asked in a sweet voice.
"I know it's presumptuous to say this, but if Your Highness has a need... one or two hundred billion ryos, we can still take it out..."
The Seventh Prince turned his head and took a deep look at the seemingly harmless merchant.
In the past, the magnificent merchants of the Land of Fire really couldn't do it.
But now then...
"So, what do you want?"
Perhaps the seventh prince's eyes were too fierce, the merchant waved his hand in a hurry.
"No no no, it's not what you think. We just think that... the market in the Land of Water would be good if it could be the same as in several small countries, without being regulated by those obnoxious nobles..."
Konoha's cola companies are really not interfered with by the nobles of any of the smaller countries in which they are located.
That's because they usually have a contract with the lord of the country.
And now then...
Impossible.
The big and small aristocratic forces in the Land of Water are like leeches, you can't make any of these things happen without squaring some of them up and spitting out some blood.
It's been like that since ancient times.
-In fact, even a fringe figure like the Seventh Prince is paid a yearly filial tribute.
It was impossible for a great merchant to think of not enduring the bloodsucking of nobles.
"This matter, I cannot promise you."
The Seventh Prince plotted again and again, but still could only say.
"Ah, so..."
The merchant's expression instantly became despondent.
"Would you rather push away the people who want to help you, but also embrace those who keep hurting you? ...Business isn't done this way. -
"Even the stupidest descendants knows that you should stay closer to friendly people and stay away from evil people, so that you can get what you want more safely."
"You say so?"
"We... are just merchants."
These words above were simple, but they really poked the seventh prince's sore spot.
He thought about it for a day and a night.
When Terumi Mei saw him again, she found that the originally young prince now had all white hair.
"Mizukage-sama..."
"Your Highness, what are your orders?"
"You attach your ear and come up..."
It was night, and glass shattered in the middle of the royal capital.