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[desaix]

I haven't had much 'at the computer' time I could spend on actually writing my fic since returning from what you might call my sick leave, since I'm too overwhelmed with back RL work in order to spend more than a few minutes a day writing -- the next chapter is progressing, but very VERY slowly -- but I have had a few occasions where I've had no computer and just had to sit and wait. So, I started doing a few things that I need to figure out before writing certain chapters in the future -- namely, figuring out what all needs to be imported to a Ninja village like Konoha or Blossom... which lead to further speculation on what the economy of a ninja village would be like.

So far, I've come to certain conclusions, which I will break down into 'Imports,' 'Exports,' 'Full Subsistence,' and 'Partial Subsitence.' So, here goes, see what you think and if there's anything you think I should add.

Imports:
Luxury items
Textiles
Electronics
Paper Goods
Raw Iron and other minerals
Manufactured goods

Exports:
Ninja services (obviously the principle money-maker of any ninja village)
Super high grade steel products. They would need foundries and smithies anyway, to produce ninja weapons, and I imagine they would use only the highest grade steel they could find. I'm talking the kind of high-end production that, in todays modern market would cost thousands of dollars for a single kitchen knife.(The Japan Woodworker for example has Japanese kitchen knives that cost as much as $1250 in todays market... and these are produced for export from Japan. Imagine what a REAL so-high-end-you-don't-often-find-them-for-sale knife is like)
Art and Literature (think Jiraiya)

Full Subsistence:
Medicines. We know that there are small medicinal gardens in Sand -- enough to deal with some small needs. I figure most ninja villages have enough production to create all of their medicines (the Nara clan is supposed to be involved in this, from what Tsunade has said while treating Chouji), but I doubt they produce any for export. I imagine most ninja medicines are secrets, and therefore wouldn't be heavily used.
Wood (at least for those in forested areas)
Basic Furniture
Weaponry
Construction industry (I doubt they bring in outsiders to build their buildings usually, but I also doubt they go out and build other peoples buildings as well)

Partial Subsistence:
Textiles. I imagine they can manage hides for themselves, and do to produce certain kinds of armor, but finer cloths (such as cotton, silk, etc.) would be viewed largely as 'essential luxuries,' and therefore imported.
Manufactured goods

Undecided:
Food. Really, my question with food is 'how much farming is there?' I imagine there's some, but the REAL question is how much. Enough to hold out if the town is besieged? Just certain fresh foods? Enough to export? I'm not sure.

Well, that's what I've decided so far.

P.S. -- Keep in mind this is what I came up with while sitting in a gas station waiting room while my car was having its tires changed. I'm certain there are a LOT of things I didn't have enough time to think of, and that's where I'd like other people's speculation. What kinds of things would a ninja village import? Export? What could they produce internally, but not export? Etc., etc. Also, I REALLY need to figure out that food question in, oh, the next five chapters or so (not counting the current in-progress one), so if anyone has any arguments to make in that regard to help me decide, I'd be greatful)

[Aaron Nowack]

Hmm... interesting question. Your lists look pretty good to me.

On the food question, dealing with Konoha specifically, we see that most of the area near the village is forested, don't we? Not exactly farming land. I'd suspect that, when the village was smaller and newer, hidden gardens and the like provided subsistence levels of food, but now that it's pretty much a small city it can't support itself any longer.

They might keep emergency supplies of food on hand, but I'd be inclined to speculate that Konoha's tactical doctrine doesn't anticipate long sieges, and under ordinary circumstances I doubt one would occur. From the little we've seen, ninja tactics and numbers tend to lend themselves more to quick, decisive actions. We see Konoha's standard defense plan in the Sand/Sound invasion, and it seems to anticipate that an enemy force will breach the walls in short order and that the battle won't last more than a day or so (those evacuation shelters aren't exactly set up for long term habitation).

In the event of a siege, I suspect that Konoha's ninja will be fine - though they'll be awfully sick of soldier pills and the like by the time it's over. The civilian population, on the other hand, will likely start having difficulties very quickly.