"Looks like Lord Madara is living quite comfortably in Konoha!"
Uchiha Makoto had learned about Uchiha Madara's recent situation, and it hadn't changed much from the intelligence he had gathered before.
Like Senju Hashirama, Uchiha Madara was idle every day, eating and waiting for death, and had even taken a liking to reading Sengoku Enbu.
Hopefully, the ending of this story wouldn't make him angry enough to start slashing people with his Susano'o... The founding emperor's work was unfinished, his second and third brothers died tragically, and the great cause ultimately collapsed midway!
Uchiha Makoto had no intention of changing the story's ending.
He couldn't help it; he had plagiarized it.
Besides, Uchiha Makoto felt that a happy ending would be too cliché, far less impressive than the original's respect for history, which ended in tragedy.
In any case... this was a great piece of work!
As for Black Zetsu...
That great filial son had not yet shown any signs of making his move.
But that was fine.
He had many things to do in the next few years.
Not only the numerous internal affairs of the village, but also continuing to win over merchants and engaging in a battle of wits with the nobles of the Land of Fire... The ninja of Akatsuki Village were fine when it came to killing people, but many things could only be handled by him.
These could all be considered internal affairs of the Land of Fire, not involving foreign wars.
The longer the peace lasted, the more beneficial it would be for Akatsuki Village.
Thinking of this...
A friendly smile appeared on Uchiha Makoto's lips.
However, Senju Tobirama's expression turned strange.
He always felt that the naturally evil Uchiha brat before him was up to no good... but he still had no proof.
"Tobirama, that's all for this year. I hope you have a good new year."
"Oh, by the way, during the spring festival season, Akatsukiwood will be releasing its first movie. Remember to come and support it."
"Frivolous and flashy!"
"A pest like you... it's a miracle Akatsuki Village is still running!"
Uchiha Makoto brought up the upcoming spring festival release of the movie Saving Chūnin Pain.
In this era, the only ones who could afford to go to the movies were the middle class, nobles, merchants, and ninja—the wealthier groups. So, Konoha did have a movie theater... the owner couldn't possibly miss the opportunity to open one in a place where ninja gathered.
However, Senju Tobirama's reaction was extremely cold, his words critical.
A large village like Konoha focused almost all its energy on traditional ninja missions.
There were a few ninja who participated in some movies for personal interest, playing extras or small roles, but those were individual actions.
For a ninja village to produce a movie, as Uchiha Makoto was doing, was a first in the ninja world. So, although Senju Tobirama was sharp-tongued, he was wary and curious. He had to treat anything Uchiha Makoto cooked up with the utmost seriousness—to avoid being screwed over!
He would definitely go see the movie, but he would sneak in to get a free watch at Uchiha Makoto's expense!
If it was beneficial to the village, he would learn from it, and Konoha would make one too!
For the sake of Konoha, he would do anything, even if he was called a copycat again!
So what if he's a copycat!
Since he was already wearing that hat, he might as well go all the way... Principles are like a big rock on a mountaintop; once it starts rolling, it just keeps going down, impossible to stop. And the more you give up resisting, the more comfortable it feels.
"Hmph, a stubborn old fool like you will never be able to progress in this lifetime."
"To progress, you must seek change. The Second Hokage will probably be Lord Madara. At that time, we will join forces... If Lord Madara likes to be a hands-off leader, then I can unite Konoha under me."
"Go to hell! Believe it or not, I'll kill you right now!"
"That will absolutely never happen!"
Senju Tobirama knew Uchiha Makoto well; he knew Makoto was saying this on purpose.
But he was still very angry.
Damn it!
This bastard Uchiha Makoto wasn't even pretending anymore, brazenly revealing his ambitions right in front of him, as if he thought he was made of clay.
How could he allow such a thing to happen?
He had to do everything in his power to stop it!
"Is that so..."
"Hmph, can you handle your brother?"
"Or can you defeat Lord Madara?"
Uchiha Makoto just chuckled, looking completely unconcerned.
Senju Tobirama, on the other hand, became even more agitated, his eyes widening, almost drawing a kunai.
Both sides were well aware that although Konoha was getting better and better, the underlying conflicts were actually becoming more severe.
The First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, had delegated all power to Senju Tobirama.
This allowed Senju Tobirama's influence in Konoha to grow day by day, and the ninja clans of Konoha gradually became tied to him.
In a normal dynasty, this was the treatment reserved for the crown prince.
If he could smoothly become the Second Hokage, then all would be well.
But under normal circumstances, it was very difficult for Senju Tobirama to become Hokage, because Senju Hashirama wanted Uchiha Madara to be the Second Hokage.
And according to strength and turn, since Senju Hashirama, as the leader of the Senju clan, had served as the First Hokage, it was time for the Uchiha clan leader, Uchiha Madara, to have his turn and become the Second Hokage of Konoha.
Even if only in name...
With Konoha's bizarre power structure, Uchiha Makoto couldn't figure out if Senju Hashirama was doing it on purpose or by accident. It was as if he was using Senju Tobirama as free, unrewarded labor. Hashirama wasn't even willing to offer Tobirama a crumb of hope—"Madara is too idle and carefree to be Hokage. Brother, you must strive to assist him!"
And the relationship between Uchiha Madara and Senju Tobirama... was not an exaggeration to call them mortal enemies.
That was a bill left over from the previous era.
How this bill would ultimately be settled...
Even though things were still roughly following the plotline, with the butterfly effect in play, it was really hard to say... even Uchiha Makoto couldn't guarantee it.
But whether Uchiha Madara smoothly became the Second Hokage or left the village, Uchiha Makoto just needed to watch the show from the sidelines and seize any benefits.
Senju Tobirama, on the other hand, was well and truly sitting on a hot seat.
It was fine when no one brought up these troublesome matters, but Uchiha Makoto wouldn't indulge him.
It was Senju Tobirama who had started the trash talk first!
"Why are you silent? Did I hit a sore spot?"
"Aaaah!! I'm going to kill you!!!"
Senju Tobirama shouted loudly.
This time, he was truly triggered. He even took out a kunai. How dare he use the truth to corner him.
Uchiha Makoto, you have courted death!
However, Uchiha Makoto remained calm and composed. They were both dignified, high-status figures. How could they start a real fight over a verbal dispute?
Of course...
Facing the kunai thrown by the enraged Senju Tobirama...
Uchiha Makoto still had to be agile.
The conversation ended with Senju Tobirama's furious outburst.
But despite the fighting, Uchiha Makoto did not forget to hand Senju Tobirama a canned goods contract with a huge sum before he left.
The Konoha market was very vast—don't let good water flow into others' fields!
"This bastard... I'll get you sooner or later."
Senju Tobirama muttered as he watched Uchiha Makoto walk away, a bitter taste in his mouth.
He was truly helpless against the high mountain that stood in his way.
All his worries eventually turned into a heavy sigh.
...
When Uchiha Makoto returned...
Light snow was already falling from the sky over Akatsuki Village, a beautiful sight.
The new year was approaching.
The chaotic fourth year of Akatsuki (and Konoha) finally had less than two weeks left.
So many things had happened this year: the war with Kumogakure, the struggles with the Land of Fire's Daimyō and nobles, and the pressure from Konoha. He had turned the Land of Fire inside and out.
Yet, Akatsuki Village was developing more prosperously than ever before.
Despite the light snow and the biting wind...
The village was full of vibrant life and fierce competition.
Under the snowy dusk...
The villagers took the small sums of money they had painstakingly saved to buy all sorts of new year's goods, preparing for the new year.
For them, after a whole year of hard work, the new year was the only time they could let loose and rest.
And the children following behind the adults could not hide the joy in their hearts.
They wore thick, durable cotton clothes, their faces flushed red, holding a small firework that they used to have to cry and beg for.
But this time, the adults were generous. Taking advantage of the pre-new year discounts, they bought a whole box at once.
The candy that they could only eat in their dreams, the adults would also buy a bag to take home at this time.
This was already the best life ordinary people could have imagined in the past.
When Uchiha Makoto returned to Akatsuki Village, he went straight back to the Light Shadow Office.
In his previous life, he was a firm supporter of the eight-hour workday, but since becoming the Light Shadow, working overtime was a common occurrence.
It was the same now.
He didn't need to handle trivial matters personally. After several years of the village's establishment, various rules and regulations had been set up. As long as they followed the procedures, no major problems would arise.
But some people, some matters, Uchiha Makoto had to resolve personally.
In the warm-toned office...
Uchiha Makoto received Itagi, the head of the now-Akatsuki Village Research Center, from the Land of Sky.
Itagi was formerly a ninja, and a skilled one at that, but he had now successfully transitioned into a full-time researcher.
This person had great ambitions.
The research system of the Land of Sky was different from the normal ninjutsu-focused research in the ninja world; it leaned more towards the technology side that Uchiha Makoto was familiar with from his previous life.
He hoped to personally create a brand new technological system based on chakra.
This coincided with Uchiha Makoto's ideas. Applying ninjutsu to daily life required such talent.
Previously, in the Land of Sky, he was short on funds and could only do missions while saving up for research.
Research burns money. A fortune that an ordinary person couldn't spend in several lifetimes could be burned through in a few days in a single scientific study.
Itagi had even had the idea of forming a ninja village to make money faster and had already put in the effort. Before Uchiha Makoto invited him, he had already gathered a group of like-minded companions, planning to do something big.
This was perhaps the original prototype of the Sky Ninja Village.
Of course, his enterprise was cut short by Uchiha Makoto just a few steps in.
Akatsuki Village offered Itagi conditions he couldn't refuse: an almost unlimited research budget, which made him and his people immediately join Akatsuki Village.
Uchiha Makoto did not disappoint him and fulfilled his promise.
These past few years, Itagi had been very happy, spending almost twenty-four hours a day in the lab, eating and sleeping there.
Uchiha Makoto greatly admired such a pure person!
"Itagi, take care of your health. I see you've lost a lot of weight again."
"You're too kind, Lord Light Shadow."
"Building a chakra application center, using chakra as a driving energy source, has been successful in the lab... For example, we can use chakra to generate electricity, use chakra as an energy source for factory machinery... But to truly apply it on a large scale, we need a stable chakra energy source."
"Ah... that is indeed... a bit difficult."
The Industrial Revolution was accompanied by an energy revolution. The first was centered around coal, the second around oil. According to Earth's technological trajectory, the third should be nuclear energy.
But this was the ninja world. Although coal was already widely used...
Considering the endless stream of black technology in the ninja world, it might be better to bypass some steps and use the more efficient, renewable chakra.
And the problem Itagi raised, Uchiha Makoto was not without a solution.
The ninja world was full of natural energy, which could be converted into chakra for use. It was just that natural energy was too violent and would require constant experimentation and improvement to be used as a stable energy source.
Or... the Tailed Beasts...
This was also very difficult.
The Tailed Beasts were not to be trifled with. If they were easy to talk to, could communicate and cooperate, they wouldn't have been sealed away and used as tools of war.
Currently, the Tailed Beasts only recognized the Sage of Six Paths.
Using the Tailed Beasts as an energy source, constantly extracting their chakra, was tantamount to treating them without any dignity.
Humans who coveted their power and chakra... would probably be eating a Tailed Beast Bomb.
Capturing the Tailed Beasts also required careful planning.
The number of tails represented the strength of the chakra... The Nine-Tails was naturally the best, but Konoha... Senju Tobirama would definitely interfere.
"Lord Light Shadow, I have heard that there is a special ore in the ninja world called the Gelel Stone... it contains a large amount of chakra..."
Itagi had clearly come prepared. Seeing Uchiha Makoto thinking in silence, he shared the intelligence he had gathered.
"Gelel Stone... a familiar name..."
Uchiha Makoto muttered the name, trying to recall it.
This stone seemed to have appeared in a movie.
In the story of that movie...
Ancient humans had used this ore to build a great super-civilization.
It was indeed a good thing...
But based on his limited memory...
Uchiha Makoto remembered that the location of the Gelel Stone mine seemed to be near the Land of Wind.
Putting aside whether he could find the mine...
This would definitely involve Sunagakure... If those poor devils knew that "oil" that could make them rich was hidden under their feet, they would absolutely not yield, even if it meant going to war with Akatsuki Village.
Another troublesome matter.
"Itagi, I will try to resolve this matter."
Uchiha Makoto nodded, not directly rejecting Itagi. Itagi smiled.
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