Money can't solve every problem.
But it can solve 99% of the problems in the world.
Every day, Uchiha Makoto watched massive sums of money flow out of his hands—
piled so high they filled entire rooms like small hills of banknotes.
The visual impact alone was enough to make his heart race.
And yet, he had to admit—
Being the financial patron felt amazing.
The Research Boom
To satisfy the research demands of the technical specialists from the Land of Sky and the Land of Craftsmen, Makoto spared no expense and constructed the largest and most comprehensive research complex in the ninja world.
Their first assigned project was clear:
How to mass-produce explosive tags more quickly and efficiently.
The goal was to lower the production threshold as much as possible—
ideally turning it into an assembly-line process, with each step separated and handled by trained workers.
If the First Shinobi World War was inevitable, then explosive tags needed to be stockpiled starting now.
The researchers were highly motivated.
Mostly because the funding was absurdly generous.
With enough money, everything moved smoothly.
ANBU Selection
Meanwhile, the selection process for ANBU had already begun.
Naturally, the results were not made public.
This was both for secrecy—and for the candidates' safety.
Those who passed would receive their results privately, along with a codename and mask.
Yes, this was shamelessly copied from Senju Tobirama's ideas.
…Wait.
Tobirama hadn't officially established ANBU yet.
Which meant—
He was the one copying Makoto.
(arms crossed, completely justified)
To ensure absolute loyalty, Makoto made a bold move:
Every successful ANBU candidate received a large relocation and settlement payment upfront.
In addition, Makoto signed an official decree in his capacity as Kōkage:
If an ANBU operative died in action,
their family's livelihood would not be borne by their clan.
Akatsuki Village would provide full compensation.
This single decision caused Makoto's prestige to skyrocket.
A leader who pays immediately and generously?
Who wouldn't like that?
Money was the fastest and most efficient way to win loyalty.
If you wanted people to risk their lives for you without sufficient benefits,
you were dreaming—
go rewatch Kakashi's tragic résumé first.
Previously, funds had been transferred to clan accounts.
Now, the money went directly into individual hands.
The effect was incomparable.
One word summarized it all:
Loyalty.
The Ninja Academy
"How is the academy enrollment progressing?"
Makoto asked after meeting each successful ANBU recruit.
He had issued strict requirements to every clan:
Each clan must send core heirs to the ninja academy.
There was little resistance.
To distinguish elite trainees from ordinary students, Makoto established several elite classes, reserved for:
Clan heirs
Exceptionally talented civilian children
Best instructors.
Best resources.
No compromises.
They were being trained as future frontline officers for the First Shinobi World War.
"Everything is proceeding smoothly, Lord Makoto," Kazuma replied with a nod.
Clan children alone could never reach the target of 3,000 students.
So far, they had filled roughly a dozen classes—about thirty students per class.
The overwhelming majority came from civilian families in nearby towns and villages.
Pure, ordinary citizens of the Land of Fire.
The Harsh Reality of the Ninja World
This rotten ninja world was, at its core, a cesspool.
Natural disasters.
Human calamities.
Constant death.
With such high mortality rates, families instinctively had more children—to hedge their bets.
Add to that the complete lack of entertainment in this era.
When night fell, people had nothing to do.
No contraception.
Got pregnant? Then you gave birth.
The poorer you were, the more children you had.
The more children you had, the poorer you became.
That wasn't a saying—it was reality.
Worst case?
If a child died young, it wasn't a catastrophe.
There were others.
If they survived to adulthood, they became labor—
farming, hauling water, or fighting over irrigation.
All profitable in their own way.
At first, many families refused when Akatsuki shinobi came to test their children's aptitude.
Then Makoto announced:
No tuition
Three meals a day
And suddenly—
Parents were lining up, begging for their children to be tested.
For illiterate farmers, survival came first.
Even if their child might one day die as cannon fodder on some nameless battlefield—
That was still better than starving today.
Compared to a lifetime trapped in farmland,
Becoming a ninja was already a form of fortune.
"Good," Makoto said, nodding.
"Continue until all 3,000 students are enrolled."
As Kazuma left, Makoto began planning the academy curriculum.
The elite classes required little oversight.
Clans already knew how to raise competent shinobi.
His real concern lay with the civilian-born students.
Clan training methods simply didn't suit them.
Unless they had distant blood ties to powerful clans—or miraculous genetic mutations—
Their talent ceilings were low.
At best, they would reach chūnin level after a lifetime of effort.
For them:
Basic Academy Three Techniques
A few C-rank elemental jutsu
Maybe—maybe—a single B-rank technique
Genjutsu was the same.
C-rank was sufficient.
Their chakra reserves were limited.
After casting a few C-rank jutsu, they'd be reduced to hand-to-hand combat anyway.
So Makoto made his decision:
Focus on taijutsu.
He assigned Kaguya Clan specialists to train them mercilessly.
Time was short.
The First Shinobi World War was only years away.
These students would serve as frontline attrition forces.
For the sake of their survival—
If they couldn't be trained to death,
then train them as if you were trying to kill them.
Yes, it would cause long-term physical damage.
By their forties or fifties, their bodies would decline sharply.
But considering the average life expectancy in the ninja world was under thirty—
That was practically a nonexistent side effect.
"Yes, Lord Kōkage," Kazuma replied without objection.
He was already bound to Makoto beyond escape.
Running wasn't an option.
The Final Question
"Kazuma," Makoto suddenly asked,
"what do you think the Will of Fire should be for Akatsuki Village?"
This—
This was important.
A political doctrine.
If you were going to copy one thing, you might as well copy two.
No—
Copy everything.
Makoto began pondering the guiding ideology of Akatsuki Village.
Its own 'Will of Fire'—
but rewritten in light.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Chakraflow789