Path Of War

After being told how Fugaku handles his units, Diana couldn't deny his solid leadership as the Torikage.

Fugaku, however, humbled himself and said, "We have to credit lord Arthur for disapproving of smuggling, money laundering, and trafficking." Even though he said this, she could tell he was being modest. "With lord Arthur's political strategies, we've successfully drawn neighbours to ally rather than threaten us, despite our revival."

Arthur's demonstrated far more insight and foresight than anyone had expected. In addition to the connections being made, there was a high chance the Five Great Ninja Nations would take notice.

Nonetheless, Diana found resonance in things so far. She was excited by the implications of it all; given their stable economy, her investment portfolio could double or even quadruple over time.

At the thought of money, her greed got the best of her. "Who exactly manages the village's funds?"

"First and foremost," he clarified, "of the four lords above me, it's a lord named John Belfort who oversees our finances..." She more than recognized that name. "Under his leadership, investments have been made to support our academy, outfit our shinobi, construct homes, and offer recreation for entertainment."

The idea of such a meticulously planned economic strategy filled Diana with amazement.

But because of a supernatural involvement for an entire clan, she asked, "How are new residents accepted into the village?"

Fugaku was so amused that he almost laughed. It was indeed a good question, for if someone outside their clan leaked important information, it could be disastrous.

"It's not easy to get into our village," he smirked. "We don't allow just anyone to enter our land and start anew. We have a rigorous verification procedure in place."

"What's involved in that?"