Tulips?
A strange expression appeared on Uchiha Makoto’s face, as if he had just discovered a new continent.
He never expected to hear this familiar name in the shinobi world!
The bubble surrounding tulips in his previous life on Earth had been legendary!
“Darkness, tell me everything you know about tulips!”
“Yes, Lord Leader…”
Although Darkness didn’t understand why Uchiha Makoto was suddenly so interested in tulips, she still told him everything she knew about them, one detail at a time.
After all, this wasn’t exactly a state secret.
Anyone who made even a little effort to inquire within noble circles could easily learn the whole story.
….
Although there were still plenty of unruly commoners in the Land of Fire who couldn’t even eat their fill every day, the nobles of the Land of Fire had long since grown accustomed to a dull life of fine clothes and extravagant food.
As the saying went, the poor played with cars, while the rich played with women…
According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, these old-money nobles of the Land of Fire had already moved beyond pursuing material comforts and had begun seeking spiritual satisfaction instead.
But ordinary antiques, collectibles, and women…
they had already grown tired of all of them.
They preferred to pursue something different, something that other people didn’t have—something that could subtly let everyone know that they were both cultured and wealthy!
Tulips!
A flower from a distant overseas island.
When it bloomed, its petals resembled a crown, its stem stood straight like a sword, and even its bulbs looked like golden ingots.
More importantly, these flowers were extremely difficult to cultivate.
After being planted, the seeds needed seven years to grow into bulbs, and once the bulbs had matured, they still needed another eight months before they would bloom…
It was absolutely perfect for the needs of the nobles of the Land of Fire!
Although tulips were currently only popular among a small portion of the nobles in the Land of Fire, it was only a matter of time before they spread throughout the entire nobility of the Land of Fire and, eventually…
among the nobility of the entire shinobi world.
“I see…”
Uchiha Makoto clasped his hands beneath his chin.
The corners of his mouth curled upward, and a confident smile appeared on his face.
Sure enough…
the Celestial Dragons of every world were pretty much the same.
Even the shinobi world was no exception.
Once they’d eaten and drunk their fill, they just had to find something different to amuse themselves with…
This was perfect!
You have money, and I need money!
Let’s make money, make money!!
…..
“I’m now certain that I’ve thought of an extremely safe and extremely profitable way to make money.”
“Unfortunately, the plan is a little complicated.
There’s not enough room to write it all down here.”
Uchiha Makoto had originally intended to make money step by step using a more cautious approach, but…
if he had a chance to make a quick fortune, he certainly wasn’t going to turn down such a great opportunity.
Let the tulip bubble inflate in this shinobi world!
“Lord Makoto, are you thinking of…
trying to do business with tulips?”
Kazuma guessed Uchiha Makoto’s idea immediately.
But fundamentally, he was still a native of the shinobi world, not a transmigrator from some other country.
He simply couldn’t figure out in such a short time how tulips could be used to make money.
“That’s right.”
“But the timing isn’t ripe yet.
We need to speed things up!”
“Speed things up?”
“That’s right.
I need to make the name of tulips resound throughout the entire noble circle in the shortest possible time!”
Uchiha Makoto said this as he thought about the current situation.
Tulips were still only circulating among a small portion of the nobility.
How could that possibly be enough?
He wasn’t worried that the tulip bubble wouldn’t take off in the shinobi world, because human greed wouldn’t change no matter which world they lived in.
Uchiha Makoto simply felt that since he had decided to make a quick fortune, then he should make as much money as possible.
What was the point of being timid?!
If you’re afraid, don’t play.
If you play, don’t be afraid!!
The more players there were in the money game, the better.
“But…
that’s still going to be difficult.”
Kazuma frowned.
As someone who had grown up as a ninja, he had no particular interest in luxury goods like tulips that circulated among nobles.
But his experience as a ninja told him that getting the name of tulips to resound throughout the entire shinobi world wouldn’t be easy.
“Kazuma, put your brain to work.
I’ve actually always had high hopes for you…
Let me show you how it’s done first.
Do you like listening to stories?”
Uchiha Makoto looked at Kazuma.
Kazuma’s personality and mannerisms were exactly the same as the Kazuma from his memories.
It was only his identity as a native of the shinobi world that was holding him back…
With just a little guidance, Uchiha Makoto was certain he could unlock his potential.
“I listen to them once in a while.”
“Then I have a story for you.
It’s called—’The Daimyo’s Daughter Buys a Tulip!'”
“Once upon a time, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was actually very fond of tulips.
But he had long since grown tired of ordinary yellow and white tulips, so he wanted to see tulips with different colors.
For this reason, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was even willing to spend a fortune to purchase such rare tulips within the Land of Fire…
Unfortunately, an entire year passed without the Daimyo gaining anything.”
“At this time, one of the Daimyo’s minor officials bravely stepped forward and swore on his life that he could accomplish the Daimyo’s task.
The Daimyo nodded in agreement and entrusted the task to him.”
“Less than a month later, this minor official discovered a red-and-white mutant tulip in the Land of Fire.
However, the tulip was already on the verge of withering.
Even so, the minor official took out three million ryo and bought it.”
“He brought the nearly withered tulip back to the capital of the Land of Fire and presented himself before the Daimyo.
The moment the Daimyo saw the nearly withered tulip, he flew into a rage.
‘I wanted a tulip in full bloom!
You spent three million ryo on this nearly withered flower.
Are you trying to fool me?'”
“The minor official, however, confidently replied, ‘Your Highness, I didn’t spend three million ryo on this tulip for nothing.
Soon, the entire shinobi world will know that you truly love tulips.
They’ll also know that you’re willing to spend lavishly to purchase even a rare tulip that’s already on the verge of withering.
Before long, countless people will be offering tulips to Your Highness!'”
“Later, just as the minor official had predicted, one month afterward, the Daimyo received several exquisite tulips.”
Uchiha Makoto’s mouth had gone dry from talking.
And just like that, the shinobi-world adaptation of The Foolish Official Buys a Thousand-Li Horse had been freshly created.
Every move made by the Daimyo was watched by countless people.
When King Chu loved slender waists, many women in the palace starved themselves.
What happened at the top would inevitably be imitated below.
Combined with the shinobi-world version of The Daimyo’s Daughter Buys a Tulip, the effect would be far greater than one plus one…
Let this shinobi world experience the shock of journalism!
And he and the Daimyo were currently on excellent terms.
The Daimyo certainly wouldn’t mind helping him with such a small favor.
He could even bring the Daimyo in on the deal.
After all, he was only making money by fleecing the suckers…
and the suckers were those nobles.
The Daimyo was already deeply dissatisfied with those nobles—forming private factions, evading taxes, and so on…
They might as well bleed them dry!
“Th-That’s quite a story.”
Kazuma swallowed hard as he spoke, feeling as though a whole pile of extremely strange knowledge had suddenly barged into his brain.