Ren Takashi personally teleported to the research institute after finalizing the transfer of completed technologies. He brought Uzumaki Mito along to show her the latest developments.
After briefing her on the situation, he asked,
"That's where things stand. Based on our current progress, we'll need to establish at least three manufacturing companies. But if we open separate facilities for each category—home appliances, transport, and energy—we're looking at seven new companies."
"Grandma Mito, what do you think would be a suitable date for the public bidding?"
Uzumaki Mito scanned the information in her hand, her expression a mix of astonishment and admiration.
"Make it half a month from now," she replied thoughtfully. "If you're inviting daimyo from other major nations to invest, we need enough time to notify them and allow for travel arrangements."
"Of course, there's no guarantee they'll come."
"Why not?" Ren tilted his head.
"This kind of cross-border economic cooperation between ninja villages and foreign lords—it's unprecedented," Mito explained. "They'll have to weigh the consequences carefully. But… greed is a powerful motivator. Daimyo don't particularly care about their ninja villages. If the profits are good enough, they'll come."
"That's fine by me." Ren nodded. "If they come, we'll align their interests with ours. If they don't, they'll simply be left behind. The world is changing. Those who can't keep up will be swept away."
Though his words were vague, Uzumaki Mito understood the subtext. She was aware of Ren's long-term vision—one that extended beyond the Fourth or Fifth Hokage. It involved restructuring the entire shinobi world.
The old powers—those who allied with Ren and invested in his ventures—might survive the upheaval. They'd lose their dominance, but they wouldn't be destroyed.
Those who refused to adapt? They would be dismantled—mercilessly.
"That's how it should be," Mito said, her voice steady with conviction. "Still, I didn't expect you to accomplish so much in just three months. These products—home appliances, bikes, even energy infrastructure—they touch on everyday life. The economic potential is immense."
"It looks like our profits will skyrocket again."
"If this keeps up, not just the Senju but even the Uzumaki and Uchiha clans won't need to risk their lives taking missions just to survive."
Ren grinned.
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"For us? Absolutely." She returned the smile. "But not for the daimyo or nobles of the Land of Fire."
"If you hadn't been so shrewd—inviting them to invest from the beginning—they'd probably be losing their minds right now."
"For centuries, controlling finances has been their primary method of suppressing shinobi—turning us into mercenaries, thugs, and guard dogs. Your industrial model threatens all of that. You're creating a world where shinobi can earn a living through work, not warfare."
"A world where we aren't born to kill."
Her expression grew complex.
"I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing… but it is revolutionary."
Ren's gaze remained firm.
"I think it's the only sane path forward."
"To me, it's absurd that ninja—people with supernatural abilities—are little more than lapdogs for the wealthy. In a rational world, power should determine authority. Not inheritance. Not birthright."
"This system we live in is a joke."
"Or do we prefer being dogs to living as free men?"
The room fell silent.
Even Orochimaru, who had been listening intently from the side, was momentarily stunned. Then his eyes gleamed with realization.
"You're right," he said at last. "Why didn't I see it before?"
"All my life, I thought it was natural for ninja to live by the sword, scraping by on mission pay, while daimyo lived like kings."
"But that's not normal. That's indoctrination."
"We've been brainwashed into thinking shinobi are tools, nothing more."
"Thank you, Ren… for showing me the rot in this world."
He looked at the young prodigy with something close to reverence. For the first time, Orochimaru saw a path out of the twisted, decaying order that governed their world. And he wanted in.
"If you're planning to remake this world," he thought, "then I want to be a part of it."
Ren simply waved off the praise.
"You're sharp, Orochimaru. You'd have figured it out eventually."
Orochimaru chuckled.
"Maybe. Maybe not. Sometimes the veil lifts. Sometimes it doesn't."
Uzumaki Mito nodded solemnly.
"A future where shinobi aren't slaves to blood money… it's worth building."
"But to do that, we need to bring more clans and nations into the fold. The bigger the alliance of interests, the harder it is for enemies to isolate or target us."
"Don't underestimate the old powers—but don't overestimate them either."
"If they resist too much, we'll crush them."
She glanced at Ren, and for a moment, her eyes burned with something fierce.
"Maybe Madara wasn't entirely wrong after all. If he and Hashirama had united the world with overwhelming power back then, things might've turned out differently."
"Too bad we lacked that vision."
"But you… you're different."
They continued discussing logistics.
By the end, they agreed to divide the seven technologies into seven separate companies. This approach would allow for broader investment opportunities and build a robust alliance of stakeholders—spanning clans, villages, and even foreign nobles.
Afterward, Mito departed, and Ren left a Shadow Clone to handle preparations.
He, meanwhile, returned to his secret training base to continue his intense regimen. Today's inspection had been important, but his personal growth remained the highest priority.
In just a few months, his strength had soared.
He was now a true Kage-level combatant, and his martial arts were nearing full mastery. His sealing techniques had advanced, his ninjutsu research had matured, and even his Sharingan had evolved to the peak of the Double Tomoe stage—close to reaching the King Magatama level.
Still, he was not yet at the peak of Kage-class. He had a long road ahead before touching the realm of super Kage-levels.
That evening, the entire Uchiha family gathered for dinner—a rare moment of peace.
During the meal, Ren handed a folder to his father, Uchiha Nobuhiko.
"Here's the full dossier of the institute's recent breakthroughs," he said.
"We'll be hosting a new bidding conference in half a month."
"The Uchiha will retain a 10% stake in each company. Look over the details carefully. These ventures will be goldmines."
"We need to ensure our people are deeply involved in their construction and operations. We can't let outsiders seize control."
Nobuhiko's eyes widened as he skimmed the document. He set down his chopsticks without hesitation.
Tap!
"This is... seven companies?" he gasped.
"You developed all this in three months?"
"It's incredible. These aren't just flashy tech toys—they're essential products. Every household will need them."
"And the profits…"
"Let me see!" said Fugaku, leaning over eagerly.
Ren smiled.
"I'd already made progress on most of these technologies in advance. With help from Orochimaru and the Uzumaki, finalizing them was fast."
"But future breakthroughs will take longer. Especially in Chakra tech. That's a whole different beast."
Chakra-based systems would be the foundation for the next stage of shinobi society—but merging science and chakra was complex.
Still, Ren believed it was the only path forward.
"Don't push yourself too hard," Uchiha Xinmei said gently.
"We already have more than enough resources. You don't need to carry the world on your shoulders."
Ren's chest warmed.
"I understand. I'll pace myself."
Just then, Fugaku raised an eyebrow.
"Bicycles, huh? Are they really that useful?"
"Wouldn't they help with long-range missions during early spring?"
Ren chuckled.
"Basically, yes. Parking's the main issue now, especially on stealth missions. But I'm working on combining them with storage seals."
"Once we have portable storage talismans, problem solved."
"Storage seals?" Fugaku's eyes sparkled.
"I've wanted one of those since I was a kid!"
Nobuhiko, having finished reading, resumed eating and nodded.
"Everything looks solid."
"Don't worry about personnel. With our experience from the steel and pharma companies—and thanks to your earlier reminder—we've trained ten waves of reserve talent."
"We're ready to deploy at any time."
"Only question is… are you sure inviting foreign lords is wise?"
"Will they even show?"
Ren gave a relaxed smile.
"Who knows? Maybe they will."
"If they do, we'll have a powerful alliance to accelerate future plans."
"If they don't… we'll adapt. It just means things will be a bit rougher in the future."
Nobuhiko chuckled.
"Let's hope they're smart enough to see the opportunity."
"Otherwise…" Ren shrugged,
"They'll get left behind."