*Gato's Office*
The office was finally clean, which was more than anyone could say about Kado's business practices. Zabuza, Haku and Raiga were currently napping in the world's least comfortable Airbnb (aka the underground prison), courtesy ofYiuto's "negotiation tactics".
Wearing her glasses, Yakushi Nono sat in Gato's office chair, carefully flipping through the documents in her hands. After a while, she finally looked up at Yuto beside her and said, "All the land deeds and company shares are intact. They can be directly transferred."
"Mm, then transfer them under your name, Sensei," Yuto nodded.
These were all things he had found in Gato's vault alongside the documents were five billion ryō in cold, hard cash and a mountain of gold, silver, and jewelry to make a dragon jealous.
That's right! Not one million, not ten million five freaking billion ryō!
At the underground bounty exchange, the Hokage's head was only worth a measly 20 million ryō. A decent bowl of ramen was worth 60 ryō, meaning with five billion, you could buy 250 Sarutobi Hiruzens!. The sheer absurdity of a backwater shipping tycoon hoarding this much cash was absurd.
"Under my name?" Nono was startled and immediately refused. "No, that's not appropriate."
"Sensei, hear me out first," Yuto gently tapped the desk with a smile. "While the land deeds and shares will be under your name, the actual profits can be distributed to all the employees. You'll temporarily hold executive control over the company. Once we've spread proper education, we can then distribute the shares to the workers."
"Why go through all this trouble?" Nono asked calmly. "Why not just divide it among them now?"
"They're not ready yet," Yifeng shook his head. "Without you overseeing things, it'd just lead to chaos."
The people's awareness wasn't there yet. Blindly pushing for collective ownership would likely end in disaster.
That's exactly why Yuto insisted on spreading education. Proper ideological training was key to raising awareness!
"Alright then, I'll give it a try," Nono exhaled in resignation.
"Also, I suggest rebranding this shipping company," Yuto mused. "Transportation shouldn't be the backbone industry, it's not good for the Land of Waves's development. If the people are always running around, they won't have the time or energy to build their homeland."
Nono nodded in agreement. "How do we proceed?"
"Mergers and splits," Yito scribbled on a piece of paper. "First, consolidate all the other big and small companies in the Land of Waves. Prioritize developing industrial and high tech sectors, then use those to fuel other fields."
"Fine, we'll do as you say," Nono nodded. "Where do we start?"
Truth be told, she was completely lost; she'd been a spy, not an economist!
But one thing was certain, listening to Yuto was never wrong. This kid had been ridiculously capable since childhood, with eyes that seemed to see through the world's very fabric. He could pinpoint the core of any problem with surgical precision.
"The first step, of course, is giving our new company a kickass name!" Yuto stroked his smooth chin, his dead-fish eyes gleaming. "How about Umbrella Corporation?"
Nono stared. "That sounds like we sell rain gear."
"Or super shady bioweapons," Yuto added cheerfully. "Versatility is key!"
(Somewhere, in another universe, a red-clad woman sneezed.)
Later, under a sky so starry it looked like a ninja had thrown glitter at the heavens, Yuto strolled along the shore. Konan followed, her Akatsuki cloak flapping dramatically in the breeze like a villainous bedsheet. Her gaze filled with awe and disbelief.
The boy hadn't hidden his "Land of Waves Development Plan" from her when drafting it with Nono, and Konan had witnessed every detail.
And it blew her mind.
From industrialization, technological advancement, to compulsory education.
Though she didn't fully grasp some of the jargon, one thing was clear, if Yuto's plan succeeded, the Land of Waves would soar.
A twelve year old with this level of foresight and knowledge was already mind-boggling.
But the real shocker? He wasn't doing any of this for himself.
With his skills, Konan had no doubt he could turn this island nation into his personal kingdom. Yet he didn't. Every policy he crafted benefited the common people.
That was what truly stunned her; she couldn't wrap her head around it.
"The seaside night view is pretty nice, huh?" Yuto turned to her with a grin. "What do you think, Konan-nee?"
"Mm." Konan nodded softly, pulling herself together.
It really was beautiful.
The starry sky was like a jeweled tapestry, the crescent moon casting a silver glow over the endless ocean.
'How long had it been since she last admired a nightscape like this?'
Not just because of the perpetual rain in Amegakure she simply hadn't been in the mood.
Ever since Yahiko's death, she and Nagato had been chasing "the Ten-Tails' fusion." Supposedly for world peace, but deep down, she had no faith in it.
Even if they succeeded, would it really bring peace?
She didn't know. Nagato probably didn't either. They were just clinging to a "shattered dream."
Would Yahiko have wanted this for them?
No.
But what other choice did they have?
Before today, Konan would've said none.
But now…
Her gaze drifted to the boy beside her.
'If anyone could guide us out of this maze… it was him. But how do I even bring it up?'
If she told him the truth, would he think she was insane?
"Konan nee," Yuto suddenly spoke, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"...Yes?"
"You seem troubled."
Silence.
She hadn't figured out how to explain. What if she scared him?
"Konan-nee, remember how I said I wanted to talk earlier?" Yuto met her eyes, his expression serious. "I think now's the perfect time."
'It's happening.'
Konan's heart pounded like a drum, but she forced calm into her voice.
"Go ahead."
"Uh, before that " Yuto scratched his head awkwardly. "Could you… give me your hand?"
'Give him my hand?!' Konan's mind short circuited. 'Was he about to propose?! Wasn't this way too fast?! I should refuse!'
And yet, her hand moved on its own.
'Pathetic.'
Just as she expected, the boy took her hand but then softly said, "Relax. Don't resist."
"Huh?"
Before she could react, a flood of information surged into her mind.
Yuto was using the 'Memory Transfer jutsu' a god tier jutsu that allowed selective memory sharing.
Konan froze.
The moment she processed the influx, her eyes widened in utter disbelief.
"M-Magical Girl… Uchiha Madara?!"