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["The Good Days and the Bad: On the Cognitive Superiority of Konohagakure Villagers"]
[The author was born in the Land of Lightning, in Kumogakure, and is a true son of the Land of Lightning, as well as a philosopher of the shinobi world, skilled at judging all things with the sharpest eye.]
—
Recently, I heard of a miraculous village built by Konohagakure within the Land of Fire, a place on the arc of the shinobi world. Its rapid development has been called a "Shinobi Arc Miracle" by many, and this enthusiastic discussion piqued my curiosity. I couldn't wait to visit this city in the poor and backward Land of Fire and see for myself.
What I witnessed left me deeply shaken.
But amidst the shock, I began to contemplate…
—
A comparison of two cities, a contrast of fates! Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning is already far behind Konoha—that is an undeniable fact. But I must ask, why has Kumogakure now fallen so far behind even Konoha-built Otogakure, a village rebuilt by Konoha's aid?
[Perhaps the issue isn't unique to Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning, but something that all shinobi villages, cities, and nations—except Konohagakure—should seriously reflect upon.]
Below, please allow me to recount my experiences of these past few days:
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Recently, life in Kumogakure has become increasingly difficult. This hardship isn't just reflected in the decreasing prices offered for commissions at the Raikage Tower, and the increasing percentage taken as commission. It's also manifesting in the gradual, unnoticed increase in fees for basic infrastructure—water, electricity, and garbage disposal—adding an extra expense to every household's monthly bill.
Kumogakure's finances have become so dire that it has begun to target the daily expenses of its villagers.
Furthermore, the prevalence of a tipping culture is something I cannot tolerate. It's a blatant imitation, a shameful display! In Konoha, I enjoyed the highest level of service, service that was both physically and mentally pleasing, and I was happy to pay for it!
But in Kumogakure? Tipping has lost its meaning as a fee for exceptional service and has become an excuse for robbery! The Raikage Tower turns a blind eye, allowing it to continue—a disappointing approach.
But looking beyond the surface, what has caused the humanistic and romantic culture of the Land of Fire to devolve into a barbaric culture of extortion in Kumogakure?
I believe it's because business in Kumogakure, and throughout the Land of Lightning, has become too difficult. A large number of small and micro-businesses are on the verge of bankruptcy, affecting not only shinobi but also a large number of ordinary people! Let me give you an example from my own life: a friend of mine is a powerfully built shinobi.
Having already spent last month's mission earnings, he and another friend were forced to live a hard life. After completing a few tasks to maintain basic survival, they would go to the gym to build muscle, then to a cheap diner, buying three steamed buns with three ryo to fill their stomachs.
If they wanted to take the buns to go, there was an additional one ryo packaging fee, which my friend and his companion were reluctant to pay. So, disregarding appearances, they sat facing each other in front of the diner and removed their socks.
Why remove their socks?
Because if the buns tasted bland, they would lick each other's salty toes as a seasoning. Their hard life was a trade of feet for flavor. Even the saltiness was a luxury, totaling ten toes. But my friend had smaller feet, so his companion was at a disadvantage.
And if they were thirsty? That wasn't a problem either. Because during muscle training, their socks accumulated a lot of sweat…
The bitterness of it all is indescribable to outsiders.
Life in the Land of Lightning is already this difficult.
Harboring dissatisfaction with the Raikage Tower, I tried to make a deal privately with village shinobi to escort me to the so-called "Shinobi Arc Miracle." I could sense the desire in the eyes of a well-regarded shinobi, but he still refused my offer, saying that bypassing the Raikage Tower to accept commissions was illegal. If caught by Kumogakure's Anbu, he would be subjected to torture.
Reluctantly, I had to go to the Raikage Tower to post a commission, accepting the Tower's exorbitant commission to be escorted to the renowned jewel of the Shinobi Arc.
Here, I deeply realized why the economic situations of the two sides were so drastically different.
Why do businesses in the Land of Lightning generally have a shorter lifespan than those in Konohagakure? Most merchants in the Land of Lightning lack innovative thinking, don't know how to learn from experience, and believe that temporary success is eternal experience. Regardless of the changing times and technological advancements, they simply endlessly clone and copy successful experiences, without adding any innovative elements, and are ultimately eliminated by the times.
[A lack of innovative thinking is also reflected in the governing ability of the Raikage Tower!]
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For example:
[After arriving in Otogakure, the jewel of the Shinobi Arc, I discovered that two new roads had been constructed—one in the east, the other in the west. Most Konoha merchants had set up shop in the west, while speculators from the Land of Lightning and other nations had gathered in the east. Recognizing the opportunity, two merchants, one from each side, opened building supply stores. They offered fair prices and excellent service, and both businesses thrived.]
In the east, another merchant from the Land of Lightning, seeing the success of the building materials business, opened a new store across the street. To attract customers, he offered a 10% discount on the price list of the store across the street. The relationship between the two stores became somewhat tense, but everyone was able to get by.
After a while, more Konoha merchants, seeing the increasing foot traffic in the west, gradually opened supermarkets, massage parlors, foot baths, and hardware stores. The west slowly formed a prosperous new community, and surrounding real estate values began to increase.
In the east, more merchants from the Land of Lightning opened building materials stores, and the price war became fierce. Each store secretly denigrated its competitors to customers.
To control costs, store owners didn't hesitate to cut the wages of their sales staff, and even sold substandard building materials, wanting to compete with the infamous Three Bulls Company of the Land of Lightning.
As a result, high-level professors moved to the building materials stores run by Konoha villagers in the west, and customers who cared about quality no longer came.
Slowly, the building materials industry became divided: high-priced, high-quality materials were purchased in the west, even though they were three times more expensive than in the east; and cheap, substandard materials were purchased in the east, even though the service was unsatisfactory.
Perhaps the buyers in the east were aware of the quality of the materials, but were simply after a kickback.
Thus, the building materials stores run by Konoha villagers were overflowing with money, while the merchants from the Land of Lightning in the east, despite their hard work, barely made a living.
The first merchant from the Land of Lightning who opened a store in the east decided to take out a loan and move his store to the west.
Pretending to be a customer, he investigated the stores run by Konoha villagers and discovered that they had purchased several patents with their earnings, and the quality of the building materials had also improved threefold, and had been designated as building materials by the Fire Games Organizing Committee.
At this point, the west had become a commercial hub, and housing and rental prices had increased by 120%. The merchant from the Land of Lightning realized that if he opened another store next to the Konoha villagers' stores, he would have no future with his current funds and technology.
Confused, the merchant from the Land of Lightning pondered: in terms of intelligence and ideas, he was no less than the Konoha villagers; in terms of diligence, he worked no less than the Konoha villagers, even sacrificing the time Konoha villagers spent attending ninja school and observing the Hokage's Day of Remembrance to work.
He had no entertainment except for foot massages. He attributed his failure to those later merchants from the Land of Lightning who always tried to pull down those who were ahead, and as a result, no one could escape their predicament.
Besides a lack of creative thinking, most merchants from the Land of Lightning prioritize short-term profits as the most important indicator, ignoring long-term economic benefits.
Without long-term business planning, short-term economic gains are easily eroded by resource depletion, market competition, and the passage of time, ultimately leading to business failure.
Perhaps this is why the economy of the Land of Fire is getting better and better, and Konoha businesses are getting bigger and bigger; while the economy of the Land of Lightning is getting worse and worse, and Kumogakure businesses are on the verge of bankruptcy and liquidation.
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