Chapter 175 – Senju Tobirama's One-Day Tour of Akatsuki Village: "Reform! Reform!! Reform!!!"
Uchiha Makoto once again intervened in the public opinion of the ninja world.
Compared to serious political topics, most people were more interested in... what was going on below the belt.
Especially stories like "dragging a good man into the sea" or "convincing a prostitute to go straight."
And once those stories involved powerful figures, the impact was so huge that even Senju Tobirama couldn't help but exclaim: "Another great trick to copy!"
Everything was proceeding exactly as Makoto had predicted.
The conflict between Kirigakure and Iwagakure was soon completely buried under layers of scandal and juicy gossip.
The First Tsuchikage breathed a long sigh of relief.
If things had spiraled out of control, Iwagakure would've suffered the most in the end.
As the First Tsuchikage, he couldn't let pride drive him to make foolish decisions, so he formally declared that he would confront the Mizukage face to face—with Akatsuki Village acting as a neutral third party to ensure fairness, uncover the truth, and punish the real culprits.
At the same time—
Konoha and Akatsuki Village jointly issued a statement, highly praising the Tsuchikage's wisdom in defending peace in the ninja world and expressing their full support.
As expected, the First Mizukage agreed.
The site for the peace talks was set: Akatsuki Village.
And the first to arrive there was—of course—Senju Tobirama.
Even though Konoha lay in the southwest of the Land of Fire, and Akatsuki Village in the northeast, for a ninja, crossing hundreds of miles was only a matter of hours.
It was Tobirama's first time setting foot in Akatsuki Village.
As Uchiha Makoto's number-one political nemesis, he had naturally sent many spies to collect intelligence about the village.
And what they brought back... wasn't encouraging.
Akatsuki Village's rise was simply too fast—so fast that Tobirama found it hard to believe.
It had only been a year or two...
How could the gap already be so wide?
Tobirama couldn't understand the determination of an "industrialist" like Uchiha Makoto—someone willing to pour everything he had into industrial and social development.
This was about seizing the opportunity of an era: catch it and soar, miss it and wait another lifetime.
And Makoto was done waiting.
He was desperate to change into new clothes—
He wanted the kind worn by the Daimyō of the Land of Fire!
He wanted to become the man who ruled the world!
But that was no easy dream.
Forget the other four great villages—Even Konoha, his so-called "ally," was the biggest obstacle standing in his way.
Makoto never forgot the old saying from Principal Jiang:"Before dealing with outsiders, pacify the inside first."
Applied to the ninja world, it made perfect sense.
To unify the world, Akatsuki would first have to overcome Konoha.
And leaving his back exposed to Tobirama Senju… was something Makoto could never sleep easy with.
But Konoha was strong.Even in the original timeline—
Hashirama, Madara, Tobirama—all died, Sarutobi took over as Third Hokage…Yet Konoha still remained powerful.
An attack from the outside could never destroy such a village.
Even if it looked like a rickety wooden shack, the moment you kicked the door in—some bowl-cut freak in green tights would probably come screaming,"This is youth!"and kick you in the face.
Not to mention the other great villages watching hungrily from the sidelines.
So, to defeat Konoha, Makoto had to corrode it from within—Only then could he change his "clothes" and become ruler of all.
Thus, he poured every penny—earned or "borrowed"—into Akatsuki's industry and public welfare.
He really didn't love money.
Even though Tobirama was mentally prepared, when he saw Akatsuki Village with his own eyes, he was still shocked.
The village radiated something—life.
It was vibrant, bustling, alive with energy.
For a moment, Tobirama thought he had walked into the capital of the Land of Fire.
"First time in Akatsuki Village, Tobirama? Want me to show you around?"
"As the host, I must extend proper hospitality, after all!"
Uchiha Makoto greeted him with a welcoming party, a smile on his face and a hum in his throat.
He loved seeing Tobirama's expression—like a country bumpkin who'd never seen the world.
"Ahem! Fine, show me around then," Tobirama muttered, realizing his brief loss of composure.
They soon arrived at the bustling commercial district of Akatsuki Village.
"This whole district was built under my personal supervision," Makoto said proudly. "Cost me a lot of effort—promotion, investment, negotiations…"
"And plenty of drinking sessions!"
"See that shop? Owned by a Wind Country merchant. That one—Lightning Country. Over there—Ghost Country. And that whole street? Fire Country."
Makoto's tone carried mixed pride and exhaustion.
He had poured enormous effort into attracting major merchants to Akatsuki Village.
Tax breaks, subsidies, incentives—it had all been costly.
And the social part—drinking, networking, playing host—he'd had to do it all himself.
Being a Kage wasn't easy.
After a long round of bragging, Tobirama was honestly dumbfounded.
Where had Makoto found all these merchants?The place was a global trade hub!
"Simple," Makoto explained. "Good policy, subsidies, and real profit. And of course—publicity."
"The age of the traditional ninja is over. I'm doing what no ninja before me ever dared to do. Those who can't keep up with the times… will be left behind."
"Not everyone can be like the First Hokage—with unmatched power."
There was a mocking undertone in his voice.
Tobirama caught it immediately.
Who was the "traditional ninja" here?Who was being "left behind"?
Makoto's words were clearly meant to needle him.
But this time—Tobirama had no rebuttal.
He thought of Konoha—
Its economy was weak, disorganized, self-contained. Barely enough to sustain itself, let alone expand outward.
Meanwhile, Akatsuki's merchants were already planning to move into Konoha.
"Let's go. I'll show you something else."
"...Alright."
They continued wandering through the village.
"That area's off limits," Makoto warned suddenly. "That's our High-Tech Research Zone—full of labs working on classified projects."
"Hmph. I don't care. What could a bunch of second-rate researchers possibly produce anyway?" Tobirama snapped.
Makoto rolled his eyes.
He knew Tobirama was the kind who would rather live and die in a lab.
Still, Akatsuki's research division was filled with top scientists he'd recruited from all over the world.
They weren't as naturally gifted as Tobirama—but they had money.
"Don't underestimate the world's geniuses," Makoto said coolly.
Tobirama was brilliant, yes—but he was only one man, juggling politics and science. His time was limited, and his funding even more so.
Research burned through cash like wildfire—and Konoha's meager R&D budget was laughable in Makoto's eyes.
Even Tobirama couldn't conjure breakthroughs from thin air.
So there was no comparison between one scientist and an entire industrial research network.
Still... Makoto couldn't help but think: If only I could recruit Tobirama… make him work for me someday.
Denied entry, Tobirama turned away in frustration.
Makoto flipped him off and said,"Don't even think about sneaking in. The whole zone's crawling with guards—you wouldn't get an inch without being caught."
"Hmph! Don't insult me. I had no such intentions," Tobirama shot back, flipping him off in return.
"Yeah right," Makoto snorted. "I know you too well, you scheming old ghost."
He was right, though—Tobirama had been considering sending spies to steal intel, right before Makoto called him out.
After that, Makoto excitedly outlined his five-year plan—a grand development blueprint.
"This empty land here will become Akatsuki's New District—divided into three zones, built to handle the upcoming wave of industrial workers."
Makoto was already planning a real estate boom—a new economic engine for the village.
As an old war dog, Tobirama struggled to wrap his head around it.Ordinary houses… selling for a fortune?
"Of course not," Makoto laughed. "I'm not selling houses—I'm selling the future of Akatsuki Village!"
"Wait—those over there… all ninjas working construction?"
"Yup," Makoto said.
Most villages only used ninjas for missions or defense, not manual labor.
But Akatsuki was different—its projects were massive and endless, and ninjas made the best workforce imaginable.
Ordinary men could be beasts of burden.Ordinary women could replace the men.But ninjas? Ninjas were supermen.
Efficient, strong, tireless—especially perfect for construction and land development.
So, every Akatsuki ninja was worth several normal workers.
"You're making ninjas do labor like this? Don't they complain?" Tobirama asked.
"Complain? Why?" Makoto grinned. "I pay them."
He said it so casually it almost sounded rich.
And indeed, Akatsuki's ninjas didn't mind—it was honest work for good pay. Ideals gave way quickly before gold.
"Just how rich is Akatsuki Village?" Tobirama murmured.
No one really knew. Akatsuki's finances were a mystery—even its senior officials didn't know the full picture.
They only knew that Makoto spent big, earned big, and somehow always had more.
Tobirama knew Konoha's ledgers by heart. If Makoto ever saw them, he'd laugh out loud.
"Always so timid," Tobirama thought. "In some ways, that bastard Uchiha Makoto is right. I can't just sit and watch anymore."
He decided that once he returned, he'd strengthen ties with Konoha's big merchant groups—especially the Arasaka conglomerate.
Konoha needed economic reform, even if it meant dancing with devils.
If he couldn't outsmart Uchiha Makoto, he could at least outplay those greedy merchants.
Makoto, watching Tobirama lost in thought, smiled knowingly.
The Arasaka Group would be thrilled.
After all, Akatsuki's first fortune had been built on sin—on countless lives turned to dust.
And Konoha? Without that same capital, it could only invite in foreign investors.
Makoto wasn't worried.
Let Konoha make money.Akatsuki would always make more.
(End of Chapter)