Naruto: We Agreed on a Simulation, But They Actually Came to Life?

One month later.

On the surface, Konoha was a picture of peace and harmony.

However, inside the study of the Namikaze residence, the atmosphere was heavy. Piles of documents reaching waist-height were stacked on the desk, all of them post-war financial reports.

Minato Namikaze sat before the desk, his brow furrowed deeply. He had been staring at the figures in the reports for nearly half an hour.

Death benefits, the resettlement of wounded shinobi, village reconstruction... every single item was an astronomical sum.

The door pushed open gently, and Kushina walked in carrying a cup of tea. She placed the tea beside Minato, her heart aching as she looked at his stressed expression.

"Still reading?"

Minato looked up with a bitter smile. "When The Third handed these over to me, I knew the situation wasn't optimistic, but I didn't expect it to be this difficult."

He picked up the tea. "These benefits must be paid out, otherwise we'll lose the trust of the people. But once we pay them, the village's coffers will be empty."

Kushina sat beside him and gently pressed her hand on his shoulder. "Don't push yourself too hard. You haven't even officially taken over yet."

Just as she spoke, there was a knock at the door downstairs. Kushina got up to answer it.

Standing outside was Kitahara Kaede, holding several scrolls in his hand.

"Kaede? What brings you here?" Kushina asked, surprised.

"I have a few ideas I'd like to discuss with Lord Minato," Kitahara Kaede replied with a smile.

Kushina beamed and stepped aside to let him in. "Come in, come in! You've come at the perfect time; Minato is worrying himself sick over the village's affairs."

Kitahara Kaede followed Kushina into the study. Seeing him, a gentle smile appeared on Minato's exhausted face.

"Kaede, what brings you by?" He pointed to the mountain of documents on the desk and shook his head helplessly. "I was just hoping for a moment of peace, but looking at these things gives me a headache."

Kitahara Kaede sat across from the desk, resting the scrolls on his lap. "Is it a financial issue?"

Minato sighed, making no effort to hide it. "Yes. The Third Great Ninja War has nearly drained the village's reserves."

He didn't push the reports across the table, merely mentioning the problem in passing. He clearly didn't expect Kitahara Kaede to be able to solve something of this nature.

However, Kitahara Kaede spoke directly. "I might have a solution."

Minato paused. The exhaustion in his eyes faded slightly, replaced by a flicker of curiosity. After all, financial crises weren't something that could be solved with a simple "idea."

Kitahara Kaede unfurled a scroll on the desk. It was a comprehensive geopolitical analysis map.

"Lord Orochimaru and I have been collaborating on the research of a new type of military equipment. We should have a finished product in a few months."

"Its power is far greater than traditional ninja tools, but the core technology and manufacturing process are held exclusively by us. It cannot be replicated by outsiders."

Minato's gaze locked onto the scroll, his eyes narrowing.

"My idea is to create a 'stripped-down' version of the product—reducing the power to a controllable range—and then sell it to the smaller surrounding nations under the official name of Konoha."

"The Land of Grass, the Land of Hot Springs, the Land of Rain... these places rely on mercenary missions from the Great Nations year-round to maintain their security. If we sell them arms, they will no longer have to rely on the whims of Iwa or Kumogakure."

Minato's expression froze. He had expected Kitahara Kaede to suggest something conventional, like "optimizing mission distribution."

But this... this was arms dealing.

Kitahara Kaede's voice remained steady. "The traditional shinobi economy relies on ninja trading their lives for payment. The war has proven that this model is too fragile. When a conflict drags on, the volume of missions plummets, and the village's income drops off a cliff."

"Arms trade is different. We are selling physical goods with high profit margins. As long as there is conflict, the demand will always exist."

Minato's mind raced. It wasn't that he didn't understand economics; it was precisely because he did that he was stunned by the sheer madness and audacity of the idea.

This would overturn the rules of the entire shinobi world.

"And there's more." Kitahara Kaede tapped a point on the map. "Whoever buys our arms is tied to Konoha's war machine. Ammunition supplies, replacement parts, technical maintenance—they will all depend on us."

"Over time, these small nations will become strategic buffer zones for Konoha, forming an economic and military alliance centered around us."

Minato remained silent for a long time. When he finally looked up again, the way he looked at Kitahara Kaede had completely changed.

This kind of maneuvering, this ability to think outside the traditional framework, far surpassed that of the vast majority of shinobi.

"How long have you been thinking about this plan?"

"Not long," Kitahara Kaede replied, rolling up the scroll. "It just happened to align with Lord Orochimaru's research direction."

Minato stood up abruptly. "I'm going to the Hokage building right now to request a top-secret meeting with The Third and the two advisors."

As he reached the door, he suddenly looked back. "Are you certain Lord Orochimaru can produce the finished product on time?"

"Certain," Kitahara Kaede nodded.

Minato pushed open the door and immediately gave orders to the ANBU waiting in the shadows.

***

Half an hour later, in the Hokage building's conference room.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the primary seat, with Homura Mitokado and Koharu seated on either side. The three of them looked at the entering Minato and Kitahara Kaede with expressions of confusion.

"Minato, this is very urgent. What exactly is going on?" Hiruzen asked.

Minato and Kitahara Kaede took their seats opposite them. Without beating around the bush, Minato fully recounted Kitahara Kaede's plan for arms trade and strategic alliances.

The room fell silent for over ten seconds.

Koharu was the first to frown. "Selling weapons? This goes against Konoha's traditions. We are shinobi, not merchants. Doing such a thing would damage the village's reputation."

Homura pushed up his glasses. "The risk of technology leaks is too high. If the weapons we sell are used against us by the enemy, who will bear the consequences? This is too aggressive."

Hiruzen didn't speak; he simply watched Kitahara Kaede.

Kitahara Kaede's expression remained calm from start to finish.

"Let's discuss the finances first," he began unhurriedly. "Konoha currently has a budget deficit. The death benefits alone are a massive hole in our accounts. You know exactly what will happen if the families of fallen shinobi don't receive their money."

"Conventional methods have been tried, but the hole is too large to fill. Without this cash flow, Konoha's finances will collapse within six months."

The expressions of Koharu and Homura darkened.

"Now, let's talk about the small nations. What is the current state of places like the Land of Grass and the Land of Hot Springs?"

"They are squeezed between the Great Nations and could be annexed at any moment. Iwa and Kumogakure are already courting them to use them as bridgeheads. If we don't sell to them, Iwa will, and Kumogakure will too."

"When that happens, Konoha's borders will know no peace."

Hiruzen finally spoke. "And the issue of technology leaks?"

"Stripped-down versions," Kitahara Kaede answered curtly. "The core technology and manufacturing processes remain entirely in Lord Orochimaru's hands. The difficulty for outsiders to replicate them would be extreme."

"The time it would take them to try would be enough for them to develop a total dependency on us—one they can never break."

Koharu and Homura looked at each other, speechless.

Hiruzen looked at Kitahara Kaede, remained silent for a few seconds, and then slowly nodded. "Then it is decided."

As the meeting drew to a close, Koharu remarked casually, "With something this significant happening, it's strange that Danzo isn't even in the village."

Kitahara Kaede didn't respond.

He knew exactly where Danzo was.

Pakura's secret letter had reached him a few days prior.

Danzo, accompanied by the elites of Root, had already secretly arrived in the Land of Rain to make contact with Hanzo.

That was why he had chosen this specific moment to lay out his entire plan.

With Danzo gone, there was no one left to stand in his way.

Everything was going exactly according to plan.

The meeting concluded.

Kitahara Kaede stepped out of the Hokage Building.

The pieces had been set in place within the village.

Now, it was time to head to the Land of Rain and close the trap.

He averted his gaze and disappeared into the crowds of the street.