The disparity between the rich and the poor is an inevitable and natural phenomenon.
Even in the former Land of Waves, there was a gap between the wealthy and the impoverished. However, it was rare to see a situation where even the relatively well-off struggled to have enough to eat.
The Land of Rain, as a nation with a Ninja Village, was no exception. Although the country as a whole wasn't wealthy, under the management of the Akatsuki over the years, the wealth gap had widened significantly. Places like entertainment districts and bars had even sprung up.
Those who were accustomed to a life of comfort naturally had no desire to rely on manual labor to sustain themselves.
"Let them make their own choice. These are extraordinary times, and this is the only way forward. Those who are willing to accept the conditions can stay, and those who have complaints can leave on their own."
"Of course, if anyone deliberately causes trouble, they must be dealt with severely."
The situation in the Land of Rain was different from that of the Land of Waves. In the Land of Waves, everyone had been so poor that they couldn't even afford a decent meal. So when Naruto provided them with food, they naturally felt grateful.
But in the Land of Rain, although life had been hard, it was still manageable. In their eyes, a significant part of the current situation was caused by Nagato and Naruto.
It was natural for some to feel resentment. Those who didn't want to stay could leave quietly. Naruto wasn't worried about anyone leaking his information.
"I understand." Konan nodded seriously.
After she spoke, the room fell into silence again.
Naruto lowered his head, thinking about the future urban planning of the Land of Rain.
As he pondered, something seemed to occur to him, and he looked up to ask, "By the way, Konan, do you still have your explosive tags?"
Konan, who had been lost in thought, was startled for a moment before shaking her head with a bitter smile.
"My explosive tags are hidden near your battlefield."
She had forgotten about them at the time, and by the time she remembered, the entire area where she had disguised the explosive tags as a sea had vanished.
"That's a huge loss."
The Land of Rain could have achieved financial freedom through explosive tags.
"Then how many explosive tags can you make in a day?"
Konan did a quick mental calculation. "If the materials are sufficient, I can produce about three to four thousand explosive tags in an hour."
(A/N: This is based on the 600 billion explosive tags she created in the series, but the actual number might be even higher. It's terrifying)
"Cough, cough! How many?"
Naruto was stunned, his eyes wide.
'If each explosive tag sold for just 300 ryo, that meant Konan could earn an Asuma in just a few days.'
"If my Chakra Reserves are sufficient, I can go even faster."
Konan casually mentioned something utterly terrifying.
"How much do the raw materials cost per tag?"
"Hmm… it only costs a few dozen ryo per day."
Naruto suddenly realized he could monopolize the entire explosive tag market in the Ninja World.
If others sold them for 300 ryo, he'd sell them for 200. If others sold them for 200, he'd drop the price to 100.
Not only would he have a massive supply, but they'd also be cheaper.
Once he drove all the competitors out of business, the explosive tag market would be his to control.
"Cough, in that case, Xiaonan, you can start producing explosive tags in your spare time from now on."
"Understood."
Konan gave the classic response of a dedicated worker.
Naruto had already made up his mind. Since they had the technology readily available, the Land of Rain would focus on producing explosive tags from now on.
Although Konan alone could probably outpace several factories, it wasn't feasible to have her churning out explosive tags nonstop every day.
Naruto then turned to Nagato, who had been silent the whole time.
"Once things stabilize here, I'll take you to the Land of Waves."
"Hmm? What do you need me to do?"
Nagato asked with some doubts.
"First, we'll restore your body, and then I'll conduct an experiment using your eyes."
"An experiment? Don't you have the Rinnegan too??"
Although the eyes weren't originally his, they had been a part of him for decades. The idea of letting someone experiment with them made Nagato uneasy.
Naruto gave him a look that said, 'Are you serious?'
In the end, Nagato lowered his head. He really didn't have a choice.
"Leader..."
"Don't worry, this experiment won't be without benefits for you. The body of Deva Path wasn't destroyed, was it?"
Konan, who had been about to speak, was cut off by Naruto.
Both Nagato and Konan widened their eyes in surprise. Nagato instinctively asked, "Are you planning to use that technique?"
The Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique, one of the abilities of the Rinnegan, had the terrifying power to revive the dead. However, the cost was the user's life.
"The cost of the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique is the user's life, but in the Land of Waves, there's someone who simply can't die. So, we'll test it out first. Once the experiment is done, we'll reattach your eyes."
Nagato and Konan fell silent, exchanging a glance and understanding each other's thoughts.
"In that case, I'll do my best to cooperate with the experiment. However, reviving Yahiko will have to wait."
"You don't want to bring Yahiko back?"
Naruto was now the one who seemed puzzled by Nagato's words.
Nagato shook his head. "It's not that. It's just that Yahiko was too naive and idealistic. He wanted to create a world where people understood each other. He would inevitably oppose our plans."
"So, it's better to wait until true peace is achieved in the Ninja World before reviving him."
"I think Konan feels the same way as I do, right? "
Nagato turned to Konan, who nodded in agreement.
The idea of eliminating hatred through mutual understanding seemed too cruel to those who had suffered. Just like how, even now, they couldn't let go of their hatred for Konoha.
Repay kindness with kindness, and repay evil with justice.
This was what the textbooks in the Land of Waves taught.
"I understand. Then, let's leave it at that."
Naruto's expression turned slightly strange.
'Although the two of them were saying this now, in the original work, they had been convinced by a few words and a novel, abandoning the path they had worked on for decades.'
'Sure enough, the prerequisite for 'Talk no Jutsu' was having a strong enough fist.'
---
Several days passed quietly.
Most of the civilians in the Land of Rain chose to stay and rebuild. These people had previously made a living through manual labor in the Land of Rain. Since food and shelter were now guaranteed, their lives weren't much different from before.
However, quite a few people left with resentment, but no one dared to cause trouble. After all, no one was willing to risk their lives.
"There have been a lot more eyes on us recently."
Naruto noticed that today, another group of spies had been watching them, and they were becoming more brazen.
'Was it because I hadn't dealt with them recently, so they felt emboldened?'
"Should we take care of them?"
Nagato asked. He had also noticed them earlier. In the past, he would have dealt with anyone who dared to enter the Land of Rain immediately. But now that Naruto was the leader, and since Naruto hadn't made a move, Nagato had held back.
"Yeah, it's pretty annoying to be watched like this all the time."
"Let's also send a little gift to the people behind them."