Uchiha Makoto once again intervened in the ninja world's public opinion.
Compared to these serious topics.
For the vast majority of people, they preferred to focus on matters below the belt.
Especially things like pushing a good woman into prostitution or persuading a prostitute to mend her ways.
Once you mix in some powerful and influential figures... the effect was so remarkable that even Senju Tobirama exclaimed that he could copy this move!
Things went very smoothly, almost exactly as Uchiha Makoto had predicted.
The dispute between Kirigakure and Iwagakure was quickly overshadowed by various romantic scandals.
The First Tsuchikage breathed a long sigh of relief.
Once things got out of hand, it would be Iwagakure that ultimately suffered.
As the First Tsuchikage, he couldn't let a momentary fit of pique lead him to sacrifice substance for the sake of face. Therefore, he issued a formal declaration to Kirigakure—this matter required a face-to-face confrontation with the Mizukage, with Akatsuki Village acting as a third party to ensure fairness and justice, to get to the bottom of the matter and punish the culprit.
At the same time...
Konoha and Akatsuki Village issued a joint notice at almost the same time—highly praising the First Tsuchikage's profound understanding of righteousness and his defense of peace in the ninja world, and fully supporting the First Tsuchikage's decision.
As expected.
The First Mizukage agreed.
The location for the negotiations was set in Akatsuki Village!
..............
The first to arrive at Akatsuki Village was... that's right, Senju Tobirama.
Even though Konoha was in the southwest of the Land of Fire, near the Land of Rivers and the Land of Rain, while Akatsuki Village was in the northeast, near the Land of Rice Fields, both Konoha and Akatsuki Village ultimately belonged to the Land of Fire. With the inhuman speed and endurance of ninjas, who could cover hundreds of miles in one go, it didn't take long to reach the other's village.
This was Senju Tobirama's first time in Akatsuki Village.
As Senju Tobirama's number one concern.
He was naturally extremely focused on Uchiha Makoto's Akatsuki Village, sending many spies and agents to gather information. And the news that came back...
The situation was not optimistic.
The speed of Akatsuki Village's rise was simply too fast, so fast that even Senju Tobirama found it incredible.
It had only been a year or two.
How could such a large gap have been created?
Of course, Senju Tobirama couldn't understand the determination of an industrialist to spare no expense in developing industry.
This was a matter of a generational opportunity.
Seize it, and you could soar to the heavens. Fail to seize it, and you could only... wait.
But Uchiha Makoto couldn't wait.
He was too eager to get himself a new set of clothes!
The clothes worn by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire were very nice... He wanted to rule the world!
But ruling the world was difficult.
Leaving aside the other four great ninja villages.
Konoha, Akatsuki Village's ally, was the number one target Uchiha Makoto had to deal with... He remembered the teachings of a certain president very well—"to resist foreign aggression, one must first pacify the interior."
This was also very appropriate for the current situation in the ninja world.
If Akatsuki Village wanted to unify the ninja world, Konoha was the first powerful enemy to conquer. To leave his back exposed to Konoha, to Senju Tobirama.
Uchiha Makoto definitely wouldn't be able to sleep at night.
But... Konoha was strong, very strong.
Even if the story developed according to the original plot.
With Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara both dead.
And Senju Tobirama also ascending to the heavens, ultimately letting that little punk Sarutobi Hiruzen inherit the position of the Third Hokage.
Konoha was still very strong.
A great ninja village like Konoha could absolutely not be killed off in a short time by attacking from the outside.
Even if such a great ninja village looked like a dilapidated wooden house on the verge of collapse, if you really rushed in and tried to kick it down... you might just have a strange fellow with a bowl cut, wearing a deep green training suit, jump out and shout "This is youth!" before kicking you.
Not to mention, there were still the other four great ninja villages watching covetously from the outside.
Only by corroding Konoha from within would Uchiha Makoto have a chance to achieve his grand goal of changing his clothes and ruling the world.
Therefore... to achieve all this.
Uchiha Makoto had poured all his "tricks, swindles, and deceptions," and an amount of funding that was who knows how many times greater than Konoha's, into the industry and livelihood of Akatsuki Village—he really didn't love money!
...
Even though he had mentally prepared himself.
When Senju Tobirama truly saw Akatsuki Village with his own eyes, he still couldn't contain his shock.
The moment he entered, he felt a certain atmosphere in Akatsuki Village—vitality.
If he had to describe it in words, it was a scene of vibrant life and competitive progress.
Senju Tobirama even thought for a moment that he had arrived at the capital of the Land of Fire!
"Tobirama, first time in Akatsuki Village, right? Want me to show you around?"
"As the host, I have to fulfill my duties!"
Uchiha Makoto, leading a welcoming party, met Senju Tobirama.
Seeing his expression, the corners of Uchiha Makoto's mouth curled up, a smile appearing on his face, and he even couldn't help but hum lightly.
He just loved seeing Senju Tobirama look like he had never seen the world.
"Ahem... hmph, then let's have a look around..."
Senju Tobirama quickly realized his gaffe. Looking at the smiling Uchiha Makoto, he said grumpily.
Soon, the two arrived at Akatsuki Village's busiest commercial district.
"This commercial district here, I carefully crafted it. It took a lot of my effort to develop it to its current scale... Just the annual promotion... attracting investment..."
"I also have to go to drinking parties and social gatherings..."
"Look, that shop over there was opened by a wealthy merchant from the Land of Wind, and that one over there is from the Land of Lightning... the Land of Demons... and that whole street is from the Land of Fire..."
Uchiha Makoto's tone was indescribable.
This commercial district had cost him too much effort.
It wasn't easy for Akatsuki Village to gather popularity and attract big merchants in the beginning. Favorable business conditions, financial subsidies for businesses—these were all huge investments!
He himself had to accompany them for meals and social gatherings.
Being the Lord Light Shadow was not easy.
They were wealthy merchants, after all, coming to invest and spend money. He had to give them face.
It was only right and proper to meet them.
Uchiha Makoto couldn't just keep standing them up. Once was fine, but a second, a third time... then...
But a meeting inevitably involved those drinking parties.
After getting an earful from Uchiha Makoto, Senju Tobirama was completely dazed.
He didn't know where Uchiha Makoto had swindled so many merchants from. Akatsuki Village had actually gathered merchants from all corners of the ninja world.
"Because of the policies and subsidies, and the real profits..."
"Of course... promotion is also indispensable!"
"The era of traditional ninjas is outdated. I am doing things that the ninjas of the past have never done... Those who can't keep up with the times will sooner or later be eliminated."
"Not everyone is Lord First Hokage, possessing unrivaled power!"
Uchiha Makoto told him the truth; it wasn't a secret anymore.
It was just that Senju Tobirama had never focused his attention on this aspect.
Senju Tobirama heard the sarcastic tone in Uchiha Makoto's words.
Who was the traditional ninja, who was stuck in their ways, and who would be eliminated?
This bastard Uchiha Makoto was finding ways to disgust him!
But at this moment...
Senju Tobirama truly had no way to refute.
He thought of his own Konoha.
Konoha's commerce at this time was basically developed by the villagers themselves. It was not only weak but also unsystematic, basically only able to meet the internal needs of Konoha. To develop and export merchants was unthinkable.
What would happen in the future, no one knew, but at least that was the case for now.
And Akatsuki Village... its merchants were already planning to enter Konoha in a big way.
"Let's go, to another place..."
"Mm..."
Uchiha Makoto took Senju Tobirama on a tour around Akatsuki Village.
"You can't go in here... The high-tech industrial park has many research institutes... the research inside..."
"Hmph... if I can't go, I won't go... just a bunch of second-rate researchers. What good things can they research!"
Uchiha Makoto held Senju Tobirama back.
As a die-hard research master who would love to spend his entire life in a laboratory, Senju Tobirama looked displeased.
He even spoke maliciously.
To this, Uchiha Makoto rolled his eyes.
The research institutes of Akatsuki Village had gathered research talents that Uchiha Makoto had spent a fortune to poach from all over the ninja world. Although these researchers were still... when it came to talent, there was really no comparison.
But even so.
Uchiha Makoto didn't spoil Senju Tobirama in the slightest.
"Tch~"
"Don't underestimate the heroes of the world."
Senju Tobirama was currently just one person, skilled in a few specialized fields.
He also had to be busy with the bustling political affairs of the village, and the time he could spend on research was very limited.
And most importantly, funding.
Research burned a lot of money. The amount of funding Konoha's finances could allocate to scientific research... Uchiha Makoto didn't even put it in his eyes!
Even a research giant like Senju Tobirama couldn't produce research results out of thin air without research funding!
So, Senju Tobirama alone was simply no match for Akatsuki Village's already mature research institutes!
Of course...
Uchiha Makoto still coveted Senju Tobirama's body... When would he be able to make Senju Tobirama work for him like a horse?
Being sternly refused by Uchiha Makoto, Senju Tobirama could only glance at the high-tech industrial park before him.
Then he turned and left resentfully.
To this, Uchiha Makoto raised a middle finger at Senju Tobirama and said, "There are Akatsuki ninjas patrolling everywhere here. It's basically impossible to steal intelligence."
"Hmph, don't make false accusations... I have no such thoughts."
Senju Tobirama immediately shook his head and returned the gesture with a middle finger of his own.
"Tch, I know you too well..."
"How could a naturally evil old demon of the Senju like you not have such thoughts?"
Uchiha Makoto sneered.
"Hmph!"
Senju Tobirama gritted his teeth with his back to Uchiha Makoto.
On this point, Uchiha Makoto was actually right.
Senju Tobirama had just been thinking about whether to send some elite spies to infiltrate and steal intelligence, but his little scheme was immediately exposed by Uchiha Makoto...
After that, the two of them wandered around Akatsuki Village a bit more.
Uchiha Makoto described his grand blueprint to Senju Tobirama with great interest—the plan for the next five-year cycle!
"Although this is just a barren land... a forest..."
"But this will become the new district of Akatsuki Village. It will be divided into three areas... one of which... is specifically to deal with the upcoming wave of workers in the ninja world..."
Uchiha Makoto was already preparing to launch a real estate plan to add another powerful engine for economic development to Akatsuki Village.
As a veteran ninja who had fought wars his entire life, it was a bit difficult for Senju Tobirama to quickly understand these plans... Could ordinary houses really be sold at sky-high prices?
"Just selling houses certainly won't work... I'm selling the future of Akatsuki Village!"
"Wait a minute, are those all Akatsuki Village ninjas working over there?"
"Hmm... that's right."
The entire Akatsuki Village was bustling with activity.
Generally speaking.
Besides performing various daily missions, ninjas were at most responsible for defense and repelling enemies. Ordinary ninjas basically did not participate in productive work, so they were very idle in their daily lives.
But Uchiha Makoto was launching more and more plans, the village was getting bigger and bigger, and there were more and more things to do... of all kinds.
When ordinary people work, men are at most used as beasts of burden, and women are at most used as men. But ninjas can be used as little supermen.
They were certainly not as efficient as ninjas, not as resilient as ninjas, especially in construction sites and land reclamation, where the advantages of ninjas were simply unparalleled.
In short.
The ninjas of Akatsuki, one person had to be used as several.
"You're working the ninjas so hard, do they really have no complaints?"
"What complaints could they have?"
"It's not like it's free, mandatory labor. It's not like I'm not paying them."
Uchiha Makoto spoke with great confidence, his every move exuding the air of a tycoon.
The ninjas of Akatsuki were probably also enjoying it... As for tradition and whatnot... under the assault of money, they could only say it was "truly fragrant."
"Just how... rich is Akatsuki Village's treasury?"
Senju Tobirama exclaimed, and then he didn't know what to say.
The contents of Akatsuki Village's treasury had always been extremely mysterious. Even the high-ranking officials within the village knew very little about it.
They only knew that Uchiha Makoto had always been a big spender... spending a lot, and earning a lot.
Senju Tobirama couldn't find out the details of Akatsuki Village's finances, but he was crystal clear about Konoha's finances. Just the money on the books... Uchiha Makoto would probably laugh out loud if he saw it.
"Always so timid... Uchiha Makoto is right in some aspects..."
"At the very least, I can't just keep watching like this..."
"I really should contact those big merchants more when I get back."
Senju Tobirama thought of the Arasaka merchant consortium that had been active in the village, wanting to cooperate deeply with him... Konoha needed to use them to revitalize the village's economy.
As for their background... it was nothing more than making a deal with the devil.
With the Uchiha clan causing trouble in Konoha, this was probably going to happen sooner or later. If he couldn't handle Uchiha Makoto, could he not handle that group of big merchant consortiums?
Uchiha Makoto looked at the dazed Senju Tobirama and smiled... This time, the Arasaka consortium should be very happy.
Akatsuki Village's first pot of gold was tainted with original sin.
Who knows how many people had been sent flying into the air because of Uchiha Makoto.
But Konoha had no initial capital, so it could only introduce foreign investment—he wasn't afraid of Konoha making money; Akatsuki Village would always make more than Konoha.
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