Chapter 279 : Benefits of Reading!!

Kakuzu glanced at Gatō, the chubby little businessman who had a knack for making deals, but often got stuck on the simplest things. 

Kakuzu let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. He appreciated Gatō's talent, but sometimes, the guy just needed a push in the right direction.

"Looks like we're running low on supplies," Kakuzu remarked. "The food stocks are depleting faster than expected. If we don't act soon, we might have chaos on our hands."

Gatō, ever the logistics guy, had his reasons. "It's because we've had an influx of refugees lately. The demand for wheat and rice has gone through the roof. It's manageable for now, but if we don't address it, it could turn into a crisis."

Kakuzu thought for a moment. "What about the pickled fish? We've got quite a lot of it, right? Can't we use that for now?"

Gatō shook his head. "Eating too much of it isn't great for people's health. Also, we need to start distributing some of it to other regions. It's not urgent, but we should get started now."

Kakuzu sighed. "Fine. But His Majesty Kazuhiko said we need his approval for large-scale purchases. I'll talk to him. You just focus on entertaining those business associates from other countries. I'll handle the food situation."

Meanwhile, Kazuhiko, who had returned to the central government building, was reviewing some recent intel. He glanced up at the Fourth Elder, the one responsible for the census in the Land of Red.

"The Kamizuru clan wants to join the Land of Red? And they're willing to share their secret bee-manipulating techniques?" Kazuhiko asked, intrigued.

The Fourth Elder nodded respectfully. "Yes, but the Kamizuru clan are defectors from Iwagakure. It's a bit complicated."

Kazuhiko thought about it. The Kamizuru clan's bee-controlling techniques were impressive. They could be a significant asset in tactical operations. 

Particularly, the micro-fragrant insects they controlled had a sense of smell thousands of times more acute than that of a ninja dog. This could be useful for surveillance and reconnaissance.

With Iwagakure busy with the ongoing war against the Land of Lightning, they probably wouldn't notice or care much about defectors. 

The pursuit of the Kamizuru clan had been half-hearted at best, likely just for show.

"Seems like the Kamizuru clan has completely rebranded themselves," Kazuhiko mused. 

"They even changed their name to Takahashi, dropping any reference to 'bee' entirely. I doubt Iwagakure even remembers who they were."

Kazuhiko quickly made a decision, "It's fine. Iwagakure still wants to trade a tailed beast seal with us. Let's add a condition: they must stop pursuing the Kamizuru Clan and acknowledge that the former Kamizuru Clan has fully integrated with the Land of Red."

"Understood. Follow the usual reception protocol. Don't overdo it, but also don't try to hide anything. Since they are offering their clan's secret technique, let's have our Research Department evaluate its value and compensate them accordingly."

"Understood!"

The Fourth Elder, relieved that the head of the clan had made a decision, left Kazuhiko's office with a smile. 

Kazuhiko had been hesitant to push the promising Fourth Elder, but now he was happy with the outcome.

As soon as the Fourth Elder left, Kakuzu entered with a stack of documents.

"What brings you here?" Kazuhiko asked, surprised to see Kakuzu, who usually took care of things on his own. 

He'd noticed that with Kakuzu in charge of finance, the department had become much more efficient, with better planning and increased revenue from trade with other nations. Kazuhiko was pleased with the results.

"It's about Gatō. He says he needs your signature to buy a large quantity of food."

"Gatō can be clever at times, but other times he seems completely clueless..."

Kakuzu sighed and handed the procurement documents to Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko glanced at the documents, signed them, and explained, "Gatō isn't totally brainless—he's just cautious. He's a regular guy, not a Kage-level expert. It's natural for him to be careful about my orders, especially now that he's reached a high position. This is his way of protecting himself."

Kazuhiko's explanation seemed to make sense to Kakuzu, who took the signed documents and thought it over. "So that's why..."

Then Kakuzu remembered something and looked at Kazuhiko with a mix of surprise and respect. "How did you figure that out so quickly? You're just a teenager... How can you understand people so well?"

Kakuzu, despite being an ancient being who had lived for centuries, couldn't decipher Gatō's motives. Yet this young boy had immediately grasped it after just a brief conversation. It was astounding.

Kazuhiko simply smiled and kept quiet, his silent response indicating that he understood this world and its people.

Kazuhiko had read extensively—books on strategy, history, and even philosophy. He'd studied from various sources, from the "Thick and Black School" to Mao's writings. 

Compared to those in the ninja world who had little exposure to this kind of education, Kazuhiko's insights seemed almost too sharp, too perceptive.

This is also one of the benefits that Kazuhiko noticed during his time in this world—having studied hard in his past life.

Seeing Kakuzu still fidgeting after receiving the document, Kazuhiko asked, "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"