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Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: Gaining a Foothold from Today

Chapter 8: Gaining a Foothold from Today

Uchiha Madara had been dead for decades, so no matter how Akiyama Makoto wrote his story, it wouldn't have a major impact.

But the Uchiha clan had been annihilated only a few years ago.

This incident not only greatly weakened Konoha but also severely damaged the unity among the village's various clans. In the eyes of some families, if Konoha could wipe out a clan as powerful as the Uchiha, then exterminating them would be as simple as issuing an order.

Perhaps in Danzō's view, this kind of fear and unease was the only way to truly unite Konoha. However, Sarutobi Hiruzen hoped that Konoha would unite under the Will of Fire—specifically, the Will of Fire as led by him.

To this day, Konoha had yet to provide an explanation for the Uchiha clan's destruction that was convincing enough for everyone.

Although Konoha's official announcement to the outside world was that the crazed Uchiha Itachi had done it, what exactly drove Itachi to commit such a monstrous act? The ninja world had never lacked madmen, but for someone to go as mad as Itachi, there had to be a reason, right?

Furthermore, Shimura Danzō's black hand had indeed fanned the flames behind the scenes, and for the time being, Hiruzen had no desire to throw his old comrade under the bus.

All of this led to the Uchiha clan massacre becoming another massive, hidden danger capable of shaking Konoha's foundations, second only to the Nine-Tails' attack years ago.

Of course, Sarutobi Hiruzen was well aware that asking a child like Makoto to answer such a question was obviously asking too much. His thinking remained the same: as long as Makoto didn't make any fundamental errors in principle, he could support him. It was only a matter of a few tens of thousands of Ryō a month; he could even pay for it out of his own pocket.

But what Hiruzen never expected was that Makoto would give an answer that left even him a little dazed.

"Lord Hokage, I only have a preliminary idea about this."

Akiyama Makoto's eyes shone, seemingly filled with creative drive. His hands waved about subconsciously as if he were about to start writing at that very moment.

"Next, I plan to write The Biography of Uchiha Itachi, which will detail his experiences and transformation."

"It will be a love story that combines a young master from a great clan with a commoner girl, family taboos with worldly ethics, and crosses the boundaries of villages and nations!"

Makoto then explained his plan. He would use Itachi's early graduation and entry onto the battlefield as a starting point, writing about how a traumatized Itachi meets a foreign girl by chance, leading to them falling in love.

What followed was a story full of angsty, profound romance, where Uchiha Itachi personally watches the love of his life die at the hands of his own father. In his fury, he attacks his parents for obstructing his pursuit of love. This act is then witnessed by a patrolling Uchiha clan member, forcing Itachi to go on a killing spree.

Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his temples.

Logically, he could understand the story. But cognitively, his brain refused to accept it. He actually knew Uchiha Itachi, knew his temperament, and understood his true motives. Hiruzen simply couldn't imagine what kind of woman could make Itachi fall in love.

But Makoto's story served as a reminder: his own understanding and approval didn't matter. The key question was, would the ordinary people who read this story believe it?

Hiruzen looked up. From his position, he could see the massive poster for the Konoha Cinema in the distance, featuring a picture of Fujikaze Yukie. The most popular movie in Konoha right now was a romance film starring Yukie, telling the story of a beautiful young woman waiting for her ninja husband to return from war, only to live out her days in solitude.

...Alright, it seemed the common folk really did buy into this sort of logic.

Having figured this out, the way Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Makoto changed. He had previously thought Makoto was trying to reverse the verdict on the Uchiha clan. Now, it seemed he had been completely overthinking it. This was just a talented and opportunistic young man, a minor schemer who wanted to use the Uchiha name to build a reputation for himself.

Supporting someone like that... wasn't a bad idea.

With that, Hiruzen waved his hand, interrupting Makoto, who looked like he could talk nonstop until dark.

"I generally understand your situation. You want to receive some funding, correct?"

Makoto cleared his throat, then looked at the Third Hokage with an eager expression, certain in his heart that he had already succeeded.

As expected, Sarutobi Hiruzen wrote out an order.

"I will have the General Affairs department give you a position and provide you with some of the Uchiha clan's documents so that your work doesn't make any basic factual errors."

"However, I must make three rules with you."

Makoto nodded quickly. "Please speak, Lord Hokage."

"First, you are not to change established facts. This is a matter of respect for the Uchiha clan."

"Second, you are not to insult any member of the Uchiha, and your story is absolutely forbidden from slandering Konoha."

"And last..."

Hiruzen shot Makoto a strange look, contemplating whether he should tell the boy to tone it down a bit. Otherwise, if the real Uchiha Itachi ever saw this, he might just hang Makoto up and beat him for three days and three nights. But in the end, Hiruzen abandoned the thought. In his view, Itachi wasn't that petty. Even if the two did meet one day, he would probably just teach Makoto a lesson, not actually kill him.

So, he changed the subject. "Third, you must submit all your manuscripts to the Hokage's Office for review. Only after it has been approved for release can you contact a publisher."

Makoto blinked, not responding immediately, which made Hiruzen frown.

"Do you disagree?"

"No, Lord Hokage. I was just curious... if my book is published, how will the income be calculated?"

Seeing Makoto's cautious expression and remembering his circumstances, Hiruzen once again smiled kindly. "It all belongs to you. Konoha is not short on that little bit of money. You can also use it as motivation to keep writing."

Sarutobi Hiruzen clearly did not realize what a massive sum of money he was about to miss out on.

Makoto naturally accepted the generous offer. He cheerfully came to an agreement with Hiruzen and left the Hokage's Office with a spring in his step. Before even leaving the Hokage building, he went and withdrew his salary for the month.

A total of 50,000 Ryō.

Compared to his previous situation of having only 6,000 Ryō and planning to live on it for two months, the current Akiyama Makoto had transformed into a modestly wealthy man.

However, Makoto was clear-headed and knew this was only the beginning. As he initiated more and more simulations, both his strength and his status in Konoha would only grow stronger, and quickly.

So, he didn't go on an excited shopping spree. Instead, he walked straight toward Tenten's house.

He had secured the Hokage's sponsorship. He wasn't going to miss out on the support of Tenten's family either.

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