Chapter Eleven: The First Transaction

After breakfast in the morning, Tsunade took Karn to the Hokage Tower. The matter of their transaction needed to be settled as soon as possible.

Tsunade explained to Karn that the Konoha Hospital was receiving new wounded every day, and the demand for medicines far exceeded previous levels. Without Karn’s supplies, the Hokage would have to consider seeking assistance from the various ninja clans for medical support.

At present, Konoha Hospital did not have the deep reserves of some of the great clans, and only after Tsunade’s reforms to train medical ninja would the hospital gradually accumulate true strength.

As Karn listened to Tsunade, he began to understand more about Konoha’s current situation. Still, he felt Tsunade was being a little too casual; should an outsider like him really be privy to such matters?

“You must be Karn, the one looking to sell medicines to Konoha. I am Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage of the village,” a man greeted him.

Once at the Hokage Tower, Karn found himself in the office facing the formidable Third Hokage. Hiruzen Sarutobi was just in his thirties—truly the prime of a ninja’s life. It was no wonder he’d dared to initiate war and suppress both the “Demi-God” of the Hidden Rain and the Sand Ninja; the title “Ninja Hero” was well deserved.

Karn nodded and addressed Sarutobi, “Third Hokage, it’s a pleasure. I am Karn Pent. Do you have any questions about the medicine transaction?”

Sarutobi had reviewed the transaction list the day before. The prices were extremely low—even staple goods like rice and flour were much cheaper than what Konoha could purchase from the Land of Fire. If only the budget allowed, Sarutobi would have bought a batch of foodstuffs from Karn to resell to the smaller nations.

“We have verified the effectiveness of your medicines; they perform exactly as promised. However, after discussing with the Konoha council, we feel your prices are still a bit high—”

Before Sarutobi could finish, Koharu Utatane, seated to the side, interrupted and spoke directly to Karn, “These prices are too steep for Konoha. After deliberation, we believe a forty-percent reduction from your current prices would be a fair deal.”

Upon hearing this, even Tsunade’s eyes flashed with surprise, though she quickly composed herself.

As for Karn, he merely cursed inwardly, then smiled and turned his head to Sarutobi. “Third Hokage, and this is...?”

Karn didn’t believe Koharu would have interrupted Sarutobi without his approval—especially now, when Sarutobi was still the legendary “Ninja Hero.”

“This is Elder Koharu Utatane of Konoha. She oversees both the Logistics Division and Konoha Hospital.”

“Elder Utatane.” Karn nodded and smiled. “It seems we won’t be able to agree on the price of the medicines. In that case, does Konoha wish to consider transactions for other goods?”

Was he simply refusing to discuss further? Both Tsunade and Sarutobi, as well as the others, stared at Karn in shock.

They had only tried to haggle; even if the price seemed unfair, couldn’t they continue to negotiate? To simply drop the matter outright—what did that mean?

“Ahem, Mr. Karn, is there truly no room for negotiation on the price of the medicines?” Sarutobi asked after a cough. He hadn’t expected Karn to be so decisive, ready to walk away from the deal entirely.

Karn waved a hand and smiled. “I’m sorry, Third Hokage. I do not have the authority to alter the price of the medicines.”

“Purchasing large quantities of medicine from an unfamiliar source places great risk on Konoha,” Koharu said with a faintly displeased tone. She oversaw procurement, and Karn’s blunt refusal left her feeling slighted.

“If that’s the case, the oversight is mine,” Karn replied, shaking his head. “Let us then cancel the medicine transaction. If your village has no intention of pursuing a food trade either, I will take my leave.”

He wasn’t worried about selling his supplies. This was the Second Great Ninja War—though Konoha had ended its campaign in the Land of Rain, the Stone and Cloud villages, as well as Stone and Sand, were still locked in fierce conflict. Grain and medicine were hard currency.

If Konoha intended to intimidate him with such tactics, they were simply dreaming.

Sarutobi and the council were left at a loss by Karn’s resoluteness. They could not afford to lose this medicine deal—the supplies could save many Konoha ninja, and if they fell into enemy hands, it would be a direct threat on the battlefield.

Tsunade frowned slightly. She suddenly felt a distaste for Koharu; slashing forty percent off the price might result in Konoha losing access to life-saving medicines. If that happened, Koharu would be blamed by the wounded and the families of the dead.

“Please wait a moment, Mr. Karn.”

Sarutobi then had Tsunade escort Karn out of the office while they discussed the matter further. After a short time, they summoned him back with their final answer.

“Mr. Karn, we will purchase the medicines at the prices you offered, but we require your assurance that these medicines will not be sold to other ninja villages.”

So they did understand the need for a restricted sale list. Karn pondered, then responded, “Third Hokage, at most I can promise that large-volume transactions for medicines will be exclusive to Konoha. Your village cannot bar civilians from purchasing from me. In exchange, I ask that you permit me to open a pharmacy and a grain shop within Konoha.”

Karn laid out his own requirements. Since there was no dispute over price, the rest were minor points.

Sarutobi agreed immediately to Karn’s request to open shops in Konoha; with the pharmacy within the village, the ANBU could easily monitor him. As for letting civilians buy, all the better—Konoha Hospital had no beds available anyway, and during wartime, it wasn’t open to civilians.

The first batch of medicine traded was worth about a hundred million ryo. Karn’s medicines were sold by the tablet, and Sarutobi bought everything Karn had brought. However, Konoha couldn’t pay the full sum immediately; they could only offer thirty million ryo, with the remaining seventy million to be covered by property and gold within Konoha.

Karn had requested gold specifically. As for the shops and houses used as collateral, much of Konoha was still undeveloped, and real estate prices were low. Karn knew Koharu and Homura Mitokado had inflated the value of the properties a bit, but their cut was minor.

No one made money like a middleman, especially one who traded between worlds. The fifty kilograms of gold alone was enough to offset the cost of acquiring the medicines.

Once the deal was finalized, Karn received a travel pass from Konoha and departed to prepare the supplies for the village.