Thanks to the great contributions of the Third Hokage, Konoha had a remarkably good New Year.
At the very least, the villagers could eat their fill. On New Year's Day, they could even drink a little alcohol and enjoy stewed meat.
In this brutal ninja world—
That was already a rare luxury.
Unlike other villages…
Especially Sunagakure.
Their shinobi didn't even get holidays. Even during the New Year, they were still risking their lives on missions just to earn money.
Their households could barely survive.
As for "holiday bonuses"…
Did such a thing even exist?
The shinobi of Sunagakure preferred not to know.
Otherwise, they might go mad with jealousy.
For Konoha, however, happiness was fleeting.
The holiday passed in a blink—
A brief moment of indulgence.
Then—
Everything returned to normal.
Workers went back to factories.
Shinobi returned to dangerous missions.
Some took on film roles.
Others did construction work for extra income.
Even Uchiha Ren wasn't spared.
He had to return to the Hokage office—
To "work."
…Or rather, enjoy his time slacking off.
Once the holiday ended, the workload exploded.
Budget planning for the new year.
Mission allocation.
Factory expansion.
Endless meetings and reports.
And on top of that—
He had to personally send off Uzumaki Ashina.
"Hokage-sama, once I return to the Uzumaki Clan, I'll send the children over immediately. I'll be relying on you."
Ashina spoke earnestly as they walked.
This concerned the future of the Uzumaki Clan.
He couldn't help but emphasize it.
"Don't worry. In my eyes, Uzumaki children are no different from Konoha's children."
"I'll raise them as if they were my own."
Uchiha Ren spoke with layered meaning.
But Ashina didn't notice anything unusual.
Instead, he felt reassured.
The Hokage truly was a good man.
"And there's also Uzumaki Yōgetsu. She admires you greatly. If possible—"
"Ahem. Ashina, it's getting late. You should board the ship."
Hyuga Takuma cut him off mid-sentence.
During the New Year, the two had already clashed several times—both aiming for the position of the Hokage's future wife.
The rivalry remained unresolved.
Under Takuma's urging, Ashina reluctantly boarded.
The ship—
Was loaded with money.
A full five billion ryo.
Carrying the hopes of the entire village, he departed for the Uzumaki Clan.
—
After the New Year, the ninja world remained as chaotic as ever.
Small villages fought endlessly.
According to intelligence—
A powerful shinobi had emerged in Amegakure.
Hanzō.
Accompanied by a massive salamander that released deadly poison.
He was expanding aggressively—
And had recently set his sights on the Land of Iron.
Meanwhile—
Kusagakure was in constant turmoil.
They had already changed leaders four or five times.
The village had split into two factions—
Which Uchiha Ren jokingly called:
The "Banana Faction" and the "Hoof-Trimming Faction."
One side wanted to plant bananas across the Land of Grass.
The other wanted to develop livestock—raising cattle and sheep.
The climate there—
Strangely supported both.
Bananas were a valuable staple food in many regions.
Cheap.
Nutritious.
High in carbohydrates.
Their only drawback—
Poor storage.
Meanwhile, the vast grasslands made livestock farming highly profitable.
Both factions funded assassinations and internal conflict.
But Kusagakure shinobi weren't fools.
They had survived by playing both sides—
Between Iwagakure and Konoha.
Stealing—
Ahem… learning and improving techniques from both.
Selling intelligence.
Even fake intelligence.
They openly admitted it might not be accurate—
And offered discounts accordingly.
And yet—
The major villages still bought it.
Just in case.
Through sheer experience, Kusagakure thrived on deception.
Even in poverty—
They dreamed big.
After all—
Who wouldn't want to eat bananas with beef and mutton?
That was the lifestyle of a Kage.
And so—
Conflict was inevitable.
In such an environment—
Ambitious schemers and traitors flourished.
Being the leader of Kusagakure was practically a death sentence.
—
While small villages struggled—
The major villages remained quiet.
Recovering.
Rebuilding.
Stabilizing internal order.
The more stable their nations became—
The more funding they received.
Time passed.
Then—
A shocking announcement spread across the entire ninja world.
The Five Kage Summit was about to begin.
This meeting would determine the balance of power for years—
Perhaps even decades.
—
The location:
Yugakure.
A peaceful tourist village—
Now filled with tension.
Even uninvited smaller villages sent representatives.
Hoping to gather intelligence.
Preparing for the worst.
Soon—
All five great villages gathered.
The leader of Yugakure was overwhelmed.
Why him?
They had always stayed neutral.
Focused on tourism.
Avoided conflict.
And now—
All five Kage had arrived.
If anything went wrong—
They were finished.
"Please… no fighting…"
His fear was justified.
The moment they met—
The atmosphere turned hostile.
Ōnoki glared at Kirigakure.
His teacher had died because of them.
The hatred ran deep.
Kirigakure glared back.
Their losses had been just as severe.
Konoha—
Had grudges with everyone.
Especially Kumogakure.
After all—
Their Second Hokage had died because of Kinkaku and Ginkaku.
Though—
Uchiha Ren was actually quite grateful for that.
Sunagakure stayed quiet.
Observing.
The Third Kazekage subtly glanced at Uchiha Ren.
Perhaps…
An alliance with Konoha was worth considering.
After all—
They had little direct conflict.
The Yugakure leader was sweating.
The tension was unbearable.
If a fight broke out here—
It would be a disaster.
"That… esteemed Kage, accommodations have been prepared…"
He bowed repeatedly, trying to appease them.
—
That night—
"The recovery speed of Konoha is too fast…"
The Third Raikage frowned at his intelligence report.
Less than a year—
And Konoha had already rebounded.
Their movements couldn't be hidden.
But what could they do?
Attack?
They couldn't afford another war.
They could only watch.
And worry.
"An alliance is necessary."
He decided to approach Ōnoki.
Konoha couldn't be handled alone.
It would take multiple villages.
As for Sunagakure and Kirigakure—
Later.
Sunagakure was too poor.
Kirigakure—
Unfamiliar.
That night—
A tall figure quietly entered Ōnoki's room.
The two quickly reached an understanding.
No one wanted another dominant Konoha.
The Five Kage Summit—
Was meant for negotiation.
Why fight—
When they could talk?
—
Of course—
Uchiha Ren had no idea how quickly they had moved.
If he knew—
He would call them idiots.
Why target Konoha?
Target the Daimyo instead.
They lived in luxury—
While shinobi fought and died.
Burdened by debt.
For what?
…Mission shares.
Right.
That was their livelihood.
The ninja world was vast.
Enough for everyone to live well—
If only they stopped fighting.
Uchiha Ren wanted to unite the villages—
And overthrow the Daimyo.
But—
That was unrealistic.
Even in Konoha—
Such an idea would face massive opposition.
Without the Daimyo—
Where would missions come from?
Where would funding come from?
"This world really is strange…"
Uchiha Ren lay in a hot spring.
Steam rising around him.
Lost in thought.
The summit's first goal—
Peace.
But the real focus—
Trade.
Because war—
Would come again.
He knew it.
He didn't want war.
He wanted an easy life.
Relaxing by day.
Enjoying time with Feng and Ling at night.
That was enough.
To reduce war—
Shinobi needed better lives.
The simplest solution—
Wealth.
Taking it from the nobles.
Konoha had begun to realize this.
But inequality remained.
Even if everyone was fed—
War would only be delayed.
Not prevented.
So—
He needed balance.
Improve lives.
Maintain Konoha's dominance.
Avoid being targeted.
…Not easy.
He needed to "micro-manage."
What if—
He used commerce?
Gradually infiltrate other villages.
Control daily necessities.
Then—
Their entire economies.
Add films.
Media.
Public influence.
Fund internal factions.
Create instability.
Could it work?
Uchiha Ren wasn't sure.
But—
It might be worth trying.
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