The clan heads and high-ranking Jonin took turns visiting Hiruko. Their motives were transparent: they wanted a taste of his "Midas Touch." There wasn't a single clan in the village that didn't hunger for development capital.
In the days that followed, the Land of Fire became a massive construction site. Under the leadership of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, a grand engineering corps composed of Konoha shinobi and thousands of civilians was formed.
They split mountains, paved roads, and erected bridges. Railway tracks rose from the earth, extending across the plains, while tunnels were carved through solid rock. During this process, the Akimichi clan and various Earth Style specialists—many of whom were close associates of Minato—played a pivotal role. Their unique physical and elemental abilities proved invaluable, performing feats of labor that would have taken ordinary men decades.
In just a few short days, thanks to the influx of "black technology" equipment provided by Hiruko and the sheer efficiency of the shinobi, the Land of Fire's transportation infrastructure achieved a generational leap, instantly leaving the other Great Nations in the dust.
A sophisticated transport network began to take shape. Even before the official launch of the rail lines, the number of independent merchants traveling the newly paved roads surged. With clear, safe routes leading directly to Konoha, the village saw a record influx of traders and tourists.
Consequently, requests for shinobi escort missions skyrocketed. This brought even more clients to the village, sparking a localized economic boom. The initial success of "convenient travel" was undeniable.
A few months later, Hiruko rolled out the first fleet of modified trains, subways, and trams. He had simplified the controls into a "dummy-proof" interface, allowing civilians to operate them with ease. These massive transport vehicles began official operations in Konoha and several of the Land of Fire's bustling hubs, receiving an ecstatic welcome from the public.
As Hiruko's factories churned out more vehicles and parts, the Land of Fire's Daimyo, along with regional nobles and local gentry, began pouring investment into expanding the network. At this rate, with the high efficiency of ninja labor, the Land of Fire would possess a world-class transportation grid within a year—laying a granite-solid foundation for future prosperity.
As for aircraft, even a genius like Hiruko couldn't jump straight to mass civilian use. Large-scale planes remained a research challenge; for now, he could only produce small-scale models. These were expensive and lacked immediate commercial utility, making them suitable only for wartime reconnaissance. Hiruko was already calculating their future: the Uchiha, with their supreme dynamic vision, paired with the Hyuga's 360-degree X-ray sight, would undoubtedly make the finest ace pilots in history.
Konoha's Research Division clawed back a massive amount of capital through these infrastructure projects. Crucially, the transport industry was classified as "Military Construction" from the start, meaning it belonged to Konoha, not the private coffers of the Land of Fire's nobility.
While officials and nobles were kept happy with VIP lounge access and shareholder perks—such as free travel and annual dividends—they held zero decision-making power. They couldn't influence the Research Division's policies, nor could they siphon away the core profits.
This was the second step of Hiruko's plan: transitioning Konoha from a "slaughter tool" controlled by the Great Nations into a self-sustaining, peaceful power. He wanted to observe if the development of social productivity would truly force a revolution in the world's structure.
Minato didn't look quite as far ahead as Hiruko; he simply saw the immense strategic military value of rapid transport and the new economic lifeline it provided the village. It created jobs and filled the treasury—in his eyes, there was no downside.
Hiruko's research power had become a literal money-printing machine. If Hiruko hadn't already carved out an eight-billion-Ryo budget for himself, Minato would have had even more cash on hand. But as it stood, no one was complaining—who would ever say no to more money?
While the world was currently at peace, the profits from the transportation sector were astronomical. (In the future world of Boruto, a man would become the world's richest person simply by running a railway business—a testament to the industry's power.) In truth, the Land of Snow already had trains, but the technology had never been exported. For too long, shinobi had been content to "sit on a mountain of gold while begging for scraps," earning their keep through blood when they could have been masters of industry.
Minato could sense that distancing Konoha from the stifling influence of the Land of Fire's politics was a positive move. The situation in the Land of Wind was a cautionary tale: the Daimyo there was so broke he kept slashing military spending, forcing the Hidden Sand into a desperate "elite soldier" policy.
The Sand's iconic Puppet Brigade was dwindling, and their overall strength was in free-fall. To pay the bills, their Fourth Kazekage—a man with the legendary Magnet Release—was forced to spend his days in the desert digging for gold dust. He had quite literally become a "Gold Miner" just to keep the lights on. Minato was determined to ensure Konoha never met such a pathetic fate.
The transformation of the Land of Fire did not go unnoticed. The other Great Nations watched in awe and envy, forced to admit that the "Yellow Flash" was not just a warrior, but a visionary statesman. By firmly supporting Hiruko's reforms, Minato had become the most formidable rival the other nations had ever faced.
Hiruko, a man who believed in "fair exchange," didn't brag about his deeds, but his impact was undeniable. Beyond the transport grid, he released the "Life One" strengthening medicinal. While the price was kept low, its effect on Genin was immediate and revolutionary. As long as a user possessed a baseline level of chakra, the serum could safely boost their physical capabilities toward the Chunin level.
This single move raised the floor of Konoha's entire military and civilian quality. For this contribution, Hiruko was rewarded handsomely. He successfully obtained a vast collection of Uzumaki clan Sealing Jutsu from Minato, as well as Minato's personal insights and training notes on the Flying Thunder God Technique.
There were countless honors and monetary rewards to boot, but the thing Hiruko valued most was...
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