Chapter 477: Who Else Can Do It Except Konoha!

"You're so damn smart!"

Tsunade suddenly shouted, jumping up excitedly and slapping Shinki hard on the shoulder.

CRACK!

"…"

"Well, I was just a little excited, that's all," Tsunade said sheepishly, realizing she'd used too much strength. Shinki staggered slightly, staring at her in disbelief, his eyes wide.

Are you trying to murder me?!

Thank goodness his body was strong enough. Anyone else would've ended up with shattered collarbones.

"You're so damn smart—but don't use my words against me!"

Shinki rolled his eyes. Smart? Sure. But I don't need compliments like that.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop."

Tsunade laughed, observing Shinki cautiously to make sure he wasn't planning any retaliation. Thankfully, Shinki didn't seem inclined to hit her back, much to her relief.

"Anyway, we'll finalize the arrangements like this. The village will send a small team led by a Jounin to accompany the caravans. The ninja team will handle communications with the merchants, while your puppets focus on protection."

"Good."

Tsunade thought Shinki's plan was reasonable. His puppets were powerful enough to provide protection, while the ninja team could handle tasks that required direct communication or flexibility.

With the arrangement settled, Tsunade wasted no time. She decisively accepted all pending commission requests, moving quickly as if afraid someone might snatch them away.

After confirming the commissions, Tsunade personally received the representatives from the caravans, explaining the situation.

"It's impossible for Shinki to personally escort every caravan after just returning from an extended mission," she said. "Instead, Konoha will send a ninja team to assist with communication, and Shinki's puppets will handle protection."

"Wait—what? Shinki won't personally escort us? Is that even possible?" one merchant exclaimed.

"Hokage-sama, we're paying a high commission for absolute safety. What if someone attacks us and Shinki isn't there to respond?" another added, frowning.

"Yeah, is the puppet even reliable?" a third merchant chimed in.

The room buzzed with doubt and dissatisfaction.

Tsunade raised her hand, her expression firm.

"Everyone, listen carefully." Her voice carried an air of authority that immediately silenced the murmurs.

"I understand your concerns. You're worried that without Shinki present, the caravan's safety might be compromised. Let me assure you—there's nothing to worry about."

She paused, letting her words sink in before continuing.

"Shinki's puppets will accompany your caravan. These puppets represent him personally. I'll put it bluntly—very few in the ninja world would dare attack one of his puppets."

She scanned the room, her voice growing even more confident.

"And if someone is foolish enough to try, Konoha will immediately be alerted. We'll send reinforcements, but trust me—his puppets alone are more than enough. To put it plainly, one of Shinki's puppets could destroy an entire ninja village with ease."

The merchants exchanged uneasy glances. They had heard rumors of Shinki's strength, but this sounded almost unbelievable.

Tsunade didn't stop there.

"The number of puppets assigned to your caravan is more than sufficient. Attacking a caravan under Konoha's protection isn't just dangerous—it's suicidal. Whoever tries would not only face Shinki's wrath but also Konoha's. No village, not even one of the Five Great Nations, would willingly provoke such a response."

She leaned forward, her voice cold and resolute.

"Still worried? Let me make this clear: if your caravan suffers any losses due to an attack, Konoha will compensate you double the value of your losses."

The merchants fell silent, unsure how to respond.

Tsunade's confidence and Konoha's guarantee left them with little room for doubt.

"If you're still not convinced," she added, "you're free to cancel the commission. Konoha won't take it personally, and we won't charge you any fees. But if you insist on doubting us after all this, you're welcome to try your luck elsewhere."

The merchants knew she was right. Konoha didn't need their commissions nearly as much as they needed Konoha's protection. Refusing Konoha's offer would leave them vulnerable to attacks, with no one to guarantee their safety.

Reluctantly, they conceded.

Some merchants withdrew their commissions, unable to fully trust the plan. But the majority chose to proceed, confident in Konoha's strength.

Thus, a grand scene unfolded in the days that followed, with multiple caravans departing Konoha under the protection of Shinki's puppets and the accompanying ninja teams.

To ensure complete transparency, Konoha issued an official announcement detailing the arrangements. The statement included the ninja teams assigned to each caravan and confirmed that Shinki's puppets would handle all protection duties.

However, the number of puppets deployed remained a mystery.

Konoha made no effort to hide their plans, openly challenging anyone foolish enough to attack the caravans.

If you're not afraid of death, feel free to try.

The bold announcement sent shockwaves through the ninja world, leaving other villages speechless.

Small villages could only watch from the sidelines, knowing they were no match for Konoha. But even the other Great Nations found themselves at a loss for words.

In particular, Konoha's neighbor, the Sand Village, found the situation especially frustrating.

When the Third Kazekage heard the news, his mood soured.

He wanted to protest: "We can do this too! Why not issue your commissions in the Sand Village instead?"

But deep down, he knew the truth. The only thing the Sand Village excelled at compared to Konoha was mining—and even then, that was hardly a selling point for merchants seeking safety.

Sure, the Sand Village could mine gold faster than anyone else, but that didn't mean merchants trusted them to escort their goods.

In the end, the Sand Village was left in the dust, struggling to secure even a small share of the booming commission market.