Comparison: Mentor Payne, Whose Dragon-Slaying Technique Shocked The Ninja World

[The Country of Rain, a mountain road in a certain village. 】

[It has been two days since I left the last village. 】

[Ito Maruji’s caravan encountered some trouble. 】

[The caravan's carriage got stuck in the mud, and this muddy road extended very far forward! 】

[Even with ninjutsu, it is difficult to sustain the consumption. 】

【"Earth Style·Hardening Technique!"】

[ Nagato gave a low shout, and the carriage in the trap mud was quickly lifted up by the hardened mud and escaped from the predicament. 】

["Huh~" Nagato wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeves. 】

["Thank you for your hard work, Ninja-sama." Ito Maruji felt Nagato beside him and thanked him in time. 】

[Nagato shook his head: "It's just a little effort."]

[The caravan set off again, Yahiko followed the caravan and asked the caravan leader Ito Maruji:]

["Actually, I wanted to ask before, Chief Maruji, why don't you take the official path?"]

[Ito Maruji was surprised when he heard this, then smiled bitterly and said: "We are now following the official path of the Land of Rain."]

["Is this an official road?" Yahiko was surprised: "I remember that official roads are very flat and open."]

["You're talking about the way we came, right?"]

["Yes." Yahiko nodded: "The official road we walked along was wide and hard."]

[Ito Maruji shook his head: "That is indeed official, but this is also official."]

[Konan wondered: "Then why are the two official ways so different?"]

[Ito Maruji explained: "This is determined by the terrain of the Land of Rain."]

[“The southern part of the Kingdom of Rain has higher terrain and is mostly plain and mountainous. Rainwater will flow north along the river.”]

[“It is not easy to accumulate silt in an environment where it rains frequently, so the road in the south will be wider and harder, but more barren.”]

[“The terrain in the north of the Rain Kingdom is completely opposite. The terrain is low, and all the silt brought by the river is accumulated in the northern area. 】

[“This rich soil and water has also brought about a problem that is difficult to solve.”]

["That is, when it rains, it is difficult for the accumulated water to recede, and it mixes with the soil and turns into mud."]

["The road will become even more difficult to walk on."]

[After listening to Ito Maruji’s story, Yahiko also learned more about the Land of Rain. 】

[Take a pen and write in the notebook: The geographical environment of the Kingdom of Rain, the terrain is high in the south and low in the north...]

[Yahiko looked around. Indeed, as Ito Maruji said, the desolate scene that he was used to seeing has begun to have faint vegetation. 】

["Since it is the capital, why don't the daimyo and nobles repair these official roads?"]

[Yahiko asked in confusion: "Whether it is from commercial or political considerations, these roads are of great use."]

["Business and political considerations?" Ito Maruji smiled casually: "Brother, what you said is quite interesting."]

["Although I don't understand what business and political considerations are, the nobles, lords, and daimyo will not take these roads."]

[Yahiko asked: "What should they do when they travel?"]

["Of course the daimyo and the nobles travel by boat." Ito Maruji said. 】

[“The Rain Country has abundant precipitation and a criss-crossing network of rivers, making it a very good transportation facility.”]

["Why do noble gentlemen need to spend money to open roads on the road?"]

["So that's it." Yahiko nodded and asked: "Then why doesn't Mr. Ito transport it by cargo ship?"]

["Wouldn't this save more effort and be safer?"]

["Well..." Ito Maruji shook his head: "That's not true."]

["I am a businessman, and my job is smuggling. In addition to not being able to see the light, it's more because I can't afford so much money if I go on a cargo ship."]

["Are cargo ships expensive?" Yahiko asked. 】

["A one-time charge is not expensive." Ito Maruji explained: "But the terrible thing is that in the Land of Rain, you don't need to charge a fee more than once."]

[“There are many intersecting rivers, so there are many natural ports and terminals.”]

[“And these ports and terminals are controlled by officials and big landowners from the Kingdom of Rain]

[Their charging standards are not uniform. Except for the nobles' ships, the rest of the small businessmen like me basically peel off the skin and bones. ”]

["So..." Ito Maruji sighed: "Many small businessmen like me, or traveling merchants, or even sellers choose to travel by land."]

["That's right." Yahiko nodded and continued writing in the notebook. 】

[Land transportation in the Rain Country is inconvenient, but water transportation is extremely developed. The ruling class exploits commodity trade by monopolizing river ports...]

[After writing this down, Yahiko raised his head and asked:]

["Since besides these official ways, isn't there any other way?"]

["Yes." Ito Maruji pointed to the forest in the distance: "That's the path over there."]

["The trail is shorter, but more dangerous."]

["Except for ninjas, how can we ordinary people dare to leave?"]

["After all, you ninjas can jump very far by stepping on a tree, but we can't even climb a tree."]

["But you will always encounter people who have to walk on these official roads, right?" Yahiko then asked:]

["Just like in previous wars, the river ports are controlled by the enemy. So wouldn't it be controlled by others just relying on canals to transport supplies?"]

["Why not?" Ito Maruji said: "When we were still at war, I was still a salesman."]

["I heard that Lord Hanzō of the Salamander wanted to establish a supply line, but the line has not yet been completed."]

["Why?" Yahiko asked in confusion: "He is the supreme commander of the war."]

["I don't know." Ito Maruji smiled and said: "I just heard that this road was washed away by flash floods not long after it was built, or it was blown up by the enemy."]

["In short, every time this road is repaired properly, there will be some big and small problems."]

["Big and small problems?"]

["Hey... Ito Maruji whispered: "Actually, these problems were caused by the local lords. ”]

["You're surprised, little brother! Actually, I'm surprised too! I also heard it from a big businessman."]

["The big businessman told me that if this road is completed, it will infringe on the interests of those lords."]

["After all, no one takes the waterway, or if less people take the waterway, who will the lords collect the tolls from?"]

["In addition to this, there is actually another very important reason."]

[Yahiko was surprised: "Is there a deeper reason?"]

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