WebNovels

Chapter 24 - Chapter 24 – Thirty Years East, Thirty Years West. Don’t Bully a Poor Young Man!

"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Don't you dare look down on a poor young man!"

Uchiha Makoto's voice thundered inside his own head. He wasn't shouting out loud—no, that would have been embarrassing—but the line repeated itself like a mantra as he sat grimly in his chair. His brows were furrowed so deeply that they could have formed trenches, his face dark enough to rival a thundercloud.

The truth was simple: his mood was awful. And it was entirely because of one thing.

Recruiting Ninja Clans into his newly founded Akatsuki Ninja Village was going terribly.

---

The Harsh Reality

At first, Makoto had dreamed big. His plan was simple: if the Hyuga, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, or even the Sarutobi and Shimura clans joined his banner, then Akatsuki would instantly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Senju and the Uchiha. He'd imagined crowds cheering, banners waving, and clans lining up at his gates to pledge allegiance.

Reality, however, was merciless.

Rejection after rejection piled up like unwanted love letters tossed into a wastebasket. The great clans didn't just say no; they said it politely, coldly, and with a smile that cut deeper than any kunai.

"Uchiha Makoto, your strength is impressive," they said. "But Akatsuki Ninja Village? Hmmm… we'll think about it."

Makoto knew what "we'll think about it" meant. It meant: Don't call us, we'll never call you.

Even worse, some of the smaller clans mocked him outright. Families that could barely produce one jonin acted as though they were mighty emperors of the ninja world.

"Peace of the Ninja World? What nonsense! That's for the great clans to worry about, not you."

Makoto had nearly blown a fuse right then. His Sharingan practically itched to activate and slaughter the whole smug group on the spot. But he forced himself to hold back.

Because he knew. He knew that if word spread that the founder of Akatsuki flew into rages and butchered clans just for saying no, then his reputation would be ruined. No clan would ever join him. His so-called "dream village" would end before it began.

So he endured.

But not without revenge.

"Oh, you mock me now? Fine," Makoto muttered, scribbling names into a notebook he titled: 'Future Payback List.'

Someday, when Akatsuki rose to power, he would personally ensure these clans learned the meaning of regret.

---

Head of a Chicken vs Tail of a Phoenix

Not every clan rejected him. Some small ninja families—those with no hope of competing in the big leagues—were eager. For them, joining Akatsuki meant becoming important. If they went to Konoha, they'd just be a nameless pawn. But here, they could be elders, advisors, even "pillars of strength."

Makoto welcomed them with open arms. He wasn't too proud. "Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix," he muttered. A solid foundation could still be built with chickens. And when the time was right, those chickens would grow sharp beaks.

Still, Makoto couldn't shake the sting of being mocked. He dreamed of wealth—mountains of gold, enough to silence doubters.

"If only I had money," he sighed, rubbing his temples. "If I could just throw fifty billion ryo on the table, every clan would join instantly. Money talks louder than ideals."

He imagined it vividly: walking into a clan meeting, tossing bags of cash onto the floor, and watching stubborn clan leaders suddenly bow with smiles. "Ah yes, Lord Makoto, what a wise vision you have for the future! Akatsuki Village is the path to peace!"

Yes. If ideals couldn't build a village, maybe cash could.

---

The Hope of the Tulip Scam

Fortunately, his hopes weren't empty. Kazuma and Darkness had been sent to the Capital of the Land of Fire. Their mission? To sell the great Tulip Bubble Scheme to the Daimyo himself.

Makoto trusted Kazuma. Well, "trusted" was a strong word. More accurately: he trusted Kazuma's shamelessness. That man could sell sand to a desert dweller.

"If Kazuma succeeds, we'll be swimming in money. And problems that can be solved with money… are not real problems," Makoto said to himself.

Leaning back in his chair, he glanced at Aqua, who was dozing off with drool trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"Aqua! Don't slack off!" he barked.

The blue-haired goddess jolted awake.

"You promised me last night, remember? When you were drunk, you said you'd contribute all your medical ninjutsu knowledge to Akatsuki Village. From today, you are officially the head of our Medical Department."

"What?! Nooo, that was just drunk talk!" Aqua wailed, clutching his leg. "That's my hard work, my genius!"

Makoto ignored her tears. He dragged her back to her seat by the ear. "Write it down. Now. Textbook title: Three Years to Become a Medical Ninja, Five Years to Become a Medical Master. The Ninja World will thank you, and your name will go down in history as a goddess of healing!"

Aqua sobbed dramatically, but Makoto knew better. Despite her antics, her medical ninjutsu was leagues beyond anything this world had ever seen. She resurrected people as casually as other ninjas drank tea. With her foundation, Akatsuki's Medical Corps could surpass even Tsunade's.

---

Megumin's One-Shot Nuke

Then there was Megumin.

Her explosion release was terrifying. A single blast rivaled a Tailed Beast Bomb. The only catch? Her chakra capacity was pitiful—one explosion per day, then she collapsed.

But Makoto saw potential.

"If I could hook her up to a tailed beast…" he mused. "She could become the ultimate siege weapon."

Still, Megumin was stubborn. She refused to learn anything except explosion magic. Taijutsu? No. Genjutsu? No. She lived for the boom.

Makoto sighed. "Fine. One day, I'll figure out how to weaponize your obsession."

---

Dreams of Tomorrow

Even while struggling to recruit clans, Makoto kept planning for the future. He knew it was premature, but… in his past life, even poor countries planned for great projects decades ahead. If the Rabbit Country could plan rockets and satellites while starving, then he too could plan Akatsuki's future greatness while broke.

And so, his vision grew:

Aqua as the cornerstone of medical ninjutsu.

Megumin as a living superweapon.

Kazuma scamming the Daimyo out of mountains of cash.

Darkness… well, Darkness could just keep tanking blows.

One day, Akatsuki would rival Konoha.

---

At the Capital

Meanwhile, in the grand Capital of the Land of Fire, Kazuma and Darkness arrived at the palace gates.

They handed over their name cards, and before long, a portly attendant waddled out to greet them.

Kazuma exchanged polite words, then subtly slipped a thick red envelope into the man's hand.

The attendant's eyes lit up instantly. Bribes spoke the universal language.

Kazuma smiled. It's easier to deal with the King of Hell than with little devils. A few coins now, smooth roads later.

The attendant coughed politely and bowed. "Honored envoys, His Highness has already instructed that Lord Makoto's representatives be welcomed immediately. Please wait, the Daimyo will see you shortly."

Kazuma grinned. Step one: success.

The Tulip Scam was about to begin.

---

📖 To be continued…

---

patreon (Obito_uchiha)

More Chapters