The Great Hall of Tenshu Castle.
Outside the door lay the observation deck, and below it were the rushing waters of the Yoshimizu River.
Sitting within the hall, one could hear the thundering sound of the water.
Ida Haneda said.
"Upon learning that the Land of Rivers was using rivers to generate power, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and the Grand Council became extremely interested. They immediately replicated a set of blueprints from the Land of Rivers.
After research by our craftsmen, hydroelectric power is indeed feasible.
Jinshi, here is an official state document from the Land of Fire.
The Land of Earth must no longer sabotage the hydroelectric stations of the Land of Rivers, and they certainly must not sabotage those of the Land of Fire."
Yagami picked up Ida Haneda's scroll and walked toward Jinshi.
A Hidden Stone ninja intercepted it halfway and placed it on Jinshi's table.
Jinshi didn't even look at it as he said, "Thermal power stations involve the sale of coal from the Land of Earth. The Land of Earth will absolutely not allow something like a hydroelectric station to exist."
"Heh, hmph," Ida Haneda gave a couple of dry laughs before saying:
"The ninja of the Hidden Leaf have already fought their way into the territory of the Land of Earth, yet you still dare to speak such words.
The ninja of the Hidden Leaf are too merciful. Counselor Mitokado Homura restrains the ninja, preventing them from killing too many nobles of the Land of Earth.
It is said that the founder of an organization will deeply engrave their genes into that organization. Even after the founder dies, the organization will still exhibit certain characteristics of its creator.
The Hidden Leaf Village is good in every way, except that it is too influenced by the First Hokage. It is somewhat idealistic, too gentle, too weak, and too sunny.
The battle between the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Stone is restricted to the ninja.
Jinshi, your Land of Earth does not know true pain, which is why you dare to speak to me like this.
I will give you three seconds. If you do not bow your head, I will demand that the Hidden Leaf expand the war.
Nobles and commoners alike will be within the scope of the strike.
See if those few crooked-looking Hidden Stone ninja behind you can keep you alive."
Yagami thought to himself that it was no wonder Danzo and Ida Haneda worked together so seamlessly. Ida Haneda appeared pot-bellied, but his heart was black.
He actually felt the Hidden Leaf was too sunny.
Having stayed in the Anbu for so long, Yagami knew exactly how sunny the Hidden Leaf was or wasn't.
Ida Haneda's attitude was equivalent to a conservative thinking a radical was too conservative.
Yagami had thought the Hidden Leaf were the hawks, while the Daimyo and nobles of the Land of Fire restrained the ninja, preventing them from slaughtering wantonly.
Now it seemed that the Daimyo and nobles of the Land of Fire were somewhat dissatisfied with the Hidden Leaf following the rules too strictly on foreign soil.
Perhaps the first Daimyo of the Land of Fire had once complained about the First Hokage.
With such immense power, why didn't he help the Land of Fire conquer all the other nations?
Fear appeared in Jinshi's eyes. He lowered his head and opened the scroll.
The scroll clearly stated that hydroelectric stations were vital facilities of the Land of Fire. For the Hidden Stone Village to attack a hydroelectric station was equivalent to a declaration of war.
The Land of Fire would unhesitatingly issue a national war commission to the Hidden Leaf to strike the Land of Earth.
It was to strike the Land of Earth, not just the Hidden Stone Village.
Jinshi saw the signature and seal of the Daimyo at the end of the document and knew the Land of Fire was serious, not just trying to scare him.
Slowly putting down the heavy scroll in his hand, Jinshi looked at the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers, then at Ida Haneda, and finally at the Fox Anbu who had just killed many Hidden Stone ninja.
He said, "I understand, Lord Ida Haneda. I will return to the Land of Earth immediately to deliver this state document."
"That is more like it," Ida Haneda said:
"Your Land of Earth should focus on supporting the Hidden Stone Village to deal with the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Cloud.
The Hidden Leaf still has some morals; the ninja of the Hidden Cloud are far more brutal than those of the Hidden Leaf.
Alright, there is nothing more for you here. Next, I have some matters to discuss with the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers."
Jinshi picked up the scroll and hurriedly left with the Hidden Stone ninja, their heads lowered.
With no outsiders left in the hall, Ida Haneda relaxed further. He said, "Your Highness, I have come to formally discuss cooperation regarding the hydroelectric stations."
The Land of Rivers was a vassal state of the Land of Fire. This so-called discussion of cooperation was nothing more than conveying the will of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
"Your Highness, the Land of Fire has obtained the blueprints for the hydroelectric station from the Land of Rivers and will send craftsmen to the construction site in the Land of Rivers for inspection.
In the document just given to Jinshi, it was stated that if any hydroelectric station in either the Land of Fire or the Land of Rivers is attacked, the Land of Fire will commission the Hidden Leaf to launch a national war.
While the Land of Fire took the blueprints, it has also protected the hydroelectric stations of the Land of Rivers.
We will build a hydroelectric station on the Naka River.
The Naka River originates from the Land of Rain and passes through the northern part of the Land of Rivers; it is the largest river in the Land of Fire.
The profits from the first hydroelectric station in the Land of Rivers will all belong to Your Highness.
For future hydroelectric stations in the Land of Rivers, the profits will be split sixty-forty between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers, with the Land of Fire taking forty percent and the Land of Rivers taking sixty. How about that?"
The Daimyo of the Land of Rivers waited, but he did not hear Ida Haneda mention how the profits from the Land of Fire's own hydroelectric stations would be divided. It seemed the Land of Rivers would have no share in those.
The Daimyo nodded and said, "I thank the Land of Fire for its generosity."
Yagami clicked his tongue inwardly. The nobles of the Land of Fire were so dominant before the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers. A weak nation has no diplomacy; it was the same in every world.
Ida Haneda was very happy to see that the Daimyo agreed without any argument. He said:
"Next, I will send the Land of Fire's craftsmen to the hydroelectric station construction site. Let them learn well and study the blueprints together.
Speaking of the blueprints, the person who drew them is truly a genius. The drawings are clear and concise, the dimensions are precisely marked, and the calculation books are complete. It clearly looks like the work of a veteran craftsman.
Crucially, he also understands power generation and knows how to turn river water into electricity."
In his previous life, Yagami had been a brother of the civil engineering world who carried his bucket and ran. He would admit his other abilities were average, but when it came to drawing and reading blueprints, he was truly an expert.
Being praised made all those late nights spent pouring concrete on construction sites in his past life feel worthwhile.
Ida Haneda also hadn't expected things to go so smoothly, with the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers not haggling at all.
He stood up, preparing to bid farewell to the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers. The Land of Rivers was at war, and he didn't want to stay here any longer.
"Wait! Lord Ida Haneda!"
Ida Haneda was stunned and looked at the Daimyo's sister. Did she feel the profit split was unreasonable and have something to say?
His expression turned slightly sour.
Koi Chisa spoke at a very fast pace:
"Lord Ida Haneda, I hope you can allow the Hidden Leaf Anbu to stay here for a while.
That Fox Anbu behind you defeated many Hidden Stone ninja today. I wonder if I could commission him to protect the hydroelectric station?"
"You want to hire him to protect the station?" Ida Haneda's expression instantly switched to friendly; as long as it wasn't about the profit split, it was fine.
"There is no need for you to commission it. Naturally, I shall be the one to issue this mission. The Land of Fire's Ministry of the Treasury will pay the mission reward."
Ida Haneda turned his head to look at Yellow Dog.
Yellow Dog nodded repeatedly and said, "Everything shall be according to your instructions."
Commander Yellow Dog then said to Yagami, "The Fox unit will guard the hydroelectric station until the Land of Earth promises to abandon its strikes against it. This will be counted as an A-rank mission."
While the Hidden Leaf Village and Hidden Sand Village were fighting until they were bruised and bloodied, the Fox unit remained in the capital of the Land of Rivers.
The Fox unit worked in three shifts, standing guard by the hydroelectric station.
As for Yagami, being the unit leader, he always had the privilege of resting.
The person he had to deal with was someone even more difficult to handle, such as the Minister of the Treasury, Koi Chisa.