Chapter 180: Tobirama's Careful Investigation — A Hundred Well-Known Facts About Uchiha Makoto!
Early the next morning—
Uchiha Makoto opened his eyes.
After a few seconds of grogginess, he forced himself out of bed with extreme reluctance.
To him, waking up early was the most inhuman act imaginable. After all, in his opinion, a human's daily main quest was simple: find about 2,000 calories worth of food and then have some fun in bed.
Why make life so complicated?
Why must people get up early!
Even as he grumbled inwardly, his movements never stopped—such is the duty of a Kage!
He quickly dressed himself.
Meanwhile, his mind cleared, recalling the day's schedule.
Today was the grand opening of the Akatsuna Village Bank and the official release of the new village currency.
As the Light Shadow, there was no way he could skip this—he had to be there, and he had to host it personally.
Makoto intended to exchange all his personal wealth for the newly issued Akatsuna currency according to the village's conversion policy.
And not just him—every major ninja clan in the village had to do the same. This was the moment to prove their loyalty!
If even the core clans benefiting from the village's privileges wouldn't fully support the new currency, how could merchants and nobles outside the village ever accept it?
With such thoughts in mind, Makoto didn't head straight for his office that morning. Instead, he made his way toward the commercial district.
In the distance, he could see the grand opening ceremony of the Akatsuna Bank.
The street leading to it was lined with an enormous crowd—people queued all the way down the block, disappearing into the alleyways.
The air was filled with lively chatter.
They were all waiting to exchange for the new currency.
As Makoto walked down the street, his distinctive Light Shadow ceremonial robe drew immediate attention.
"Light Shadow-sama!"
"Light Shadow-sama!"
"Light Shadow-sama!"
People greeted him all along the way, their voices spreading outward like ripples until the entire crowd turned their heads to look.
The already-packed street became even more chaotic.
The ninja escorting Makoto immediately began their first duty of the day—helping the local security maintain order.
"Everyone! Supporting the Akatsuna currency is the truest form of patriotism!"
Makoto smiled as he greeted the villagers, never missing the chance to recite slogans.
Moments later, the crowd responded with a thunderous roar:
"Loyalty!" × N
After all, Akatsuna Village had originally been a purely military organization—propaganda had always been its strong suit.
Makoto was no master manipulator, but slogans and publicity were useful finishing touches. What truly mattered was that he had given both ninjas and civilians hope.
To the lower-class ninjas and villagers, Akatsuna was now a home worth dying for.
Before joining, commoners could go months without a full meal; now they could eat meat every few days.
In the old days, an injured or disabled ninja had to suffer alone—sometimes death on a mission was the kinder outcome. Many who were crippled would rather end their lives than burden their families.
But those days were gone.
Now, if you were injured in service to Akatsuna, the village would care for you—and your family—for life. Every such household received guaranteed work and seasonal subsidies.
It was one of Akatsuna's major public-image projects.
Maintaining these welfare programs cost a fortune, and at first the upper council strongly opposed them.
In most ninja villages, even the great ones, compensation was a single lump sum—after that, you were on your own.
It wasn't cruelty; it was simply the harsh reality of the shinobi world. When brutality becomes normal, even small kindness looks extravagant.
But Makoto persisted.
He could afford it—and besides, he was aiming to be the man of the world!
"Here's my savings," he said at the bank counter. "Exchange everything into the new currency and deposit it."
"Yes, Light Shadow-sama."
"After calculation, the total is 38,749,217 ryō!"
The clerk froze.
That oddly specific amount—38 million plus change—wasn't a round number. Could it really be all of the Light Shadow's personal savings?
But… wasn't that too little?
To an ordinary person, it was an astronomical sum—enough for a lifetime.
But this was the Light Shadow! Shouldn't his wealth be in the hundreds of millions?
"Thank you."
Makoto smiled and pocketed the bankbook.
Did he care about money? Not at all—he'd always treated gold as dirt.
He barely had anywhere to spend it anyway. His mansion had been built with public funds; his meals were prepared by Whirlpool Tsubaki after being inspected by ANBU for safety.
He spent most of his days traveling only between his home and the office.
What did he even need money for?
The entire Akatsuna Village belonged to him—what more could he buy than twenty-four hours of ownership per day?
His salary savings would probably end up going to his son someday.
Nearby, several reporters snapped photos non-stop.
They were shocked—not just by the amount, but by the fact that the Light Shadow had publicly revealed his entire fortune.
That kind of transparency was unheard of!
Given the Fire Country's current media climate, the smarter journalists already had drafts in mind, ready to sing Makoto's praises to the heavens.
Behind him stood the clan heads of the major ninja families.
Because his administrative order had framed participation as a political obligation, they had to follow suit and exchange large amounts of their own wealth.
None dared defy him.
But seeing that the Light Shadow's total savings were so modest, they felt uneasy—if we contribute too much, do we make him look bad? If too little, are we disloyal?
Makoto sensed their discomfort.
"Ahem! Anyone with assets above ten million ryō may use the VIP room for private service. Clan heads, please don't block the line for the citizens."
He had nearly forgotten the chaos of his own "public example."
Wealthy villagers were useful—after all, the richer they were, the more they could contribute to Akatsuna's cause!
"Yes, Light Shadow-sama!" × N
The clan heads sighed with relief and filed into the VIP room, while the villagers resumed queuing in the street.
Makoto looked at the massive line.
Honestly, he felt it was unnecessary for them to come so early. The traffic congestion alone was ridiculous—and they might even be neglecting their own work.
The bank wasn't going anywhere; they could have come any day.
But of course, he couldn't say that aloud.
Their enthusiasm was a flame he didn't dare douse with cold water.
So, leaving them to it, Makoto returned to his office—there was still a mountain of paperwork waiting.
All morning he worked tirelessly. Just as he lifted his tea for a break, he sensed a familiar chakra signature—
Senju Tobirama!
The office door burst open with a violent kick.
"You bastard! If you break my door, you're paying for it!"
Makoto glared, dead-eyed. He regretted not blacklisting Tobirama from entering the Light Shadow Building—using the excuse of being Konoha's envoy, he had the gall to kick doors! What would he kick next tomorrow?
"Tch."
"What, you want something?"
"Of course! Why else would I come see a naturally evil little Uchiha like you?"
"Then say it quick. I've got real work to do."
"It's the Two-Tails. Konoha's ninjas have found its trail."
With another kick, Tobirama slammed the door shut—so loud Makoto flinched.
He seriously considered taking advantage of Tobirama's stay in Akatsuna to finally beat the man up.
But that thought quickly vanished as he absorbed the news—
The Two-Tails had been located already?!
"Go on."
"My brother sent word overnight. He wants to know when you'll be free to help us capture it."
Tobirama explained, his face twisted in a permanent scowl.
And he had good reason.
That morning, he'd been rudely awakened by the villagers chanting "Loyalty!" thanks to someone's grand ceremony.
In Konoha, Tobirama was just as overworked as Makoto—except instead of managing politics, he was buried in experiments.
So this mission to Akatsuna was supposed to be his rare chance to relax.
Being woken up by propaganda? Unforgivable.
Grumbling, he'd spent the morning wandering the village, gathering intel.
The endless lines at the bank entrance stunned him.
Merchants and nobles mingled with villagers, entering VIP rooms; the place was bursting with life.
Konoha could never stage something like this.
The longer Tobirama stayed, the more it unsettled him. Akatsuna was thriving.
Makoto's popularity was overwhelming—borderline fanatical.
The newspapers were the worst offenders.
They weren't even serious papers; they printed ridiculous yet hilarious exaggerations, worshiping Makoto to absurd heights:
"Uchiha Makoto's tears can cure cancer—but sadly, he never cries."
"Ordinary people pray to the Sage of Six Paths, but the Sage prays to Uchiha Makoto."
"Once, Uchiha Makoto kicked a villain so hard his foot exceeded light speed, traveling back in time to kill the man's grandfather."
"Uchiha Makoto once pointed his finger at a monster in the sky, said 'Bang,' and the creature fell dead."
And the paper concluded:
"—Most of these rumors are true."
The rumors grew increasingly ridiculous, yet people believed them—because Akatsuna's citizens adored him, and ordinary folk couldn't tell truth from myth.
But Tobirama knew better.
He knew exactly what kind of man Makoto was.
To him, inviting Makoto to help capture a tailed beast was pointless.
If Hashirama and Madara together couldn't subdue the Two-Tails, what difference would Makoto make—besides being one more liability?
Makoto ignored Tobirama's scowl, already picturing the spectacle in his head.
"Oh, I have to go! How could I miss such a rare battle?"
"The Two-Tails… I can't wait to see it!"
He smirked—half amused, half wicked. That poor cat was in for it.
Not even the Nine-Tails had suffered such a combination: Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara teaming up.
After this, the Two-Tails could brag about it for a lifetime.
After all, when Hashirama captured the Nine-Tails, he used only one hand; the other 9,999 hands stayed idle. Madara just glared at it and it bowed.
Therefore—Madara > Nine-Tails,Hashirama > Nine-Tails,Madara + Hashirama > Two-Tails,so logically…Two-Tails > Nine-Tails!
"Tell Hashirama-dono I'll join them at the end of the month. The Hidden Mist and Stone will arrive the day after tomorrow anyway—we'll handle that first."
"It shouldn't take long."
"Then it's settled."
Tobirama nodded, still seething, and turned to leave—
—only to kick the door open again.
BANG!
"Damn it! Someone stop that senile Senju geezer! Seal off the building—activate the barrier! It's one of the Uzumaki clan's custom anti-space-time seals! I'm going to duel him myself!"
"Don't just stand there—attack together!"
—
The next day.
A piece of news swept through Akatsuna Village:
The Light Shadow Building exploded.
Cause of incident?
The Light Shadow-sama suddenly decided to test a new jutsu in his office.
Fortunately, only one person was injured.
(End of Chapter)