The Third Raikage returned carrying a stack of treaties that practically surrendered Kumogakure's rights and humiliated the Land of Lightning.
The companies would be jointly owned by Konoha and Kumogakure.
Therefore, to safeguard the core interests of both villages, Uchiha Ren inserted several strange clauses that the Third Raikage could barely understand.
They mainly involved resource extraction, tariff autonomy, debt control, and a mountain of economic privileges granted to the companies.
Even Lord Li himself would have needed several days and nights of mental preparation before signing such agreements.
The Lightning Daimyo would rather die than sign them!
Fortunately—
The ninja world possessed its uniquely absurd one-country, one-village system.
Ah…
Praise the First Hokage!
Return, Hokage Hashirama, my proudest faith!
Your Wood Release remains vivid in my memory, and tears inexplicably flow!
I vaguely remember the Rashōmon, and those powerful hanging hands, driving back every enemy and killing every traitorous shinobi!
Thanks to this bizarre and twisted system, the shinobi village belonged to itself while the country belonged to itself.
Although the village and nation maintained close ties—
They were still two separate families.
Whenever the daimyo allocated funding to a shinobi village, conditions were attached.
The village's shinobi had to perform various missions for the daimyo and nobles.
Now, the Third Raikage was selling the Land of Lightning.
He wasn't selling Kumogakure.
"…"
"Make Kumogakure great again!"
"MAGA!"
Uchiha Ren's improvised speech stirred the Third Raikage's emotions.
More importantly—
These agreements truly could solve Kumogakure's current problems.
The Land of Lightning was an enormous nation.
Although it could not compare with the Land of Fire in prosperity, the difference was not particularly large.
Yet the entire cake had already been divided among the parasites of the Land of Lightning.
They had left only a tiny bit of cream for Kumogakure.
It was outrageous!
Uchiha Ren was not Konoha's First Hokage.
He was a proper university graduate who had completed nine years of compulsory education.
He was also a hardened man forged through the First Shinobi World War!
Now, Uchiha Ren intended to lead Kumogakure to the table, cut off a massive slice of the cake, and swallow it!
Both Konoha and Kumogakure would feast within the Land of Lightning until oil covered their mouths and they burped from fullness.
Faced with Uchiha Ren's motivational speech, the Third Raikage remained deeply worried.
But in the end—
He signed his name.
The next day—
Uchiha Ren introduced the Third Raikage and Kumogakure's senior officials to several famous bankers from the Land of Fire.
These men were among the elite of the financial industry.
They possessed enormous strength and were top predators who devoured people without leaving bones behind.
However—
None of that mattered before military force.
If Lord Hokage ordered their entire families killed, then their entire families would be killed.
Naturally, Uchiha Ren was not completely unreasonable.
Business should still be conducted with harmony and mutual profit.
Uchiha Ren was willing to respect certain rules.
He personally disliked creating chaos.
After all—
Without rules, nothing could be properly established.
Those bankers normally appeared dignified and stood high above ordinary people.
But there were always greater figures standing above them.
Although they controlled enormous wealth, when the time came to slaughter pigs, the truly powerful bloodline-connected elites never hesitated.
In Konoha, those bankers saw a broader and more distant future.
Therefore, they naturally joined Konoha, became its underlings, and served as Konoha's white gloves.
The moment they received the Hokage's summons, they immediately arrived near the camp.
Uchiha Ren brought them to meet the Third Raikage and Kumogakure's senior officials.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries—
Both sides immediately began their meeting.
The subject was extremely simple.
Uchiha Ren announced a figure so enormous that the Third Raikage and Kumogakure's leadership nearly fainted together.
Lord Hokage truly was both profound and hard!
Then those underlings began filling out documents and preparing the loans.
Naturally, for safety, they layered the funds through numerous shells.
That ensured Konoha would permanently retain initiative and decision-making authority within the companies.
Kumogakure only needed to handle the killing—
Then wait to receive money.
The Third Raikage and Kumogakure's senior officials watched enormous sums flow from one account after another.
Their emotions surged.
Their hearts even pounded with fear.
Yet the feeling was remarkably pleasant.
Shinobi had always served as contractors.
Now their role had changed.
They had become the clients!
What a wonderful feeling!
A shinobi who refused to use his brain would remain a contractor for his entire life!
Next came the purchasing stage.
Buy.
Buy.
Buy!
Opening companies and constructing factories required land, factory buildings, machinery, equipment, labor, and countless other things.
The Land of Lightning had never lacked manpower.
As long as the treatment appeared even slightly humane—
There would be endless workers to recruit.
As for production equipment, Konoha could manufacture it directly.
It was merely transferring money from one hand to the other.
Uchiha Ren only needed to speak, and the problem would be solved.
The only remaining issue was raw materials.
Purchasing them at high prices was unacceptable.
Only a fool would do that.
How could a warlord conduct business while remaining controlled by others?
That was the responsibility Kumogakure had to handle.
Because abundant funding lubricated every stage, progress remained extremely smooth.
Uchiha Ren had already completed everything he needed to do.
Within only a few days, he burned through an enormous amount of money.
However, the investment was extremely worthwhile.
It could even be called an incredible bargain.
The money spent today would return to Konoha a hundred or even a thousand times over in the future.
Kumogakure would also become increasingly bound to Konoha.
"Raikage, the rest depends on Kumogakure."
"Mm. Lord Hokage, rest assured."
"Kumogakure will handle everything that remains!"
Before the Third Raikage could answer, the senior officials behind him spoke in unison.
Kumogakure had already decayed into a filthy drainage ditch.
The Third Raikage's prestige had fallen to its lowest point.
He could no longer control the village as he had in the past.
Once the Sky Village matter was resolved, if the Third Raikage could merely prevent Kumogakure from collapsing into internal conflict, it would prove his ability.
Many people were probably already considering how to escape.
Naturally, fleeing to Konoha would be the best option.
Now Konoha was willing to bring Kumogakure into its operations.
It was even contributing real money—
Although part of that money had originally belonged to Kumogakure.
Ahem.
Kumogakure only needed to perform a little insignificant intelligence work as usual and conveniently kill a few people.
Then it could become one of the hidden owners behind businesses involving enormous capital.
They were grateful for the Hokage's benevolence!
The world never lacked people willing to vote with their feet.
Konoha possessed wealth and power.
It was genuinely impressive.
Working together with Konoha didn't seem so terrible.
Besides—
Shinobi were not fools.
The Amegakure Incident and Konoha's rapid rise both made them realize that the era had truly changed.
The long-divided world appeared destined to unite.
If one traced shinobi history back generation after generation—
Eventually, everything led to the era of the Sage of Six Paths.
All shinobi originated from Ninshū.
And the true orthodoxy of Ninshū lay in Konoha!
The Uchiha Clan and Senju Clan were the rightful inheritors of Ninshū!
Since continuing to oppose Konoha directly was meaningless, it would be better to preserve their strength, use cooperation as a path toward advancement, and pursue greater benefits.
Hard times had to end eventually.
Those damned ration pills…
One bite truly left a person speechless.
As for food-waste bins…
They actually tasted rather good.
Ahem.
Moreover—
Kumogakure and Konoha were not so different.
Capital, that colossal monster, possessed power no weaker than the Ten-Tails.
It was enough to unite the Third Raikage and Kumogakure's senior officials beneath the banner of Konoha's fatherly ruler.
The Third Raikage finally nodded as well.
Although endless doubts remained in his heart, it seemed the Hokage was playing an enormous game.
Kumogakure would gain a great deal.
At the same time—
It would lose certain things.
However—
Kumogakure no longer had any choice.
Even if cooperating with Konoha meant bargaining with a tiger, the Third Raikage still had to grit his teeth and proceed.
He had truly reduced Kumogakure to a complete mess.
He had damaged the interests of too many people.
Even the Lightning Daimyo disliked him now.
So did the Earth Daimyo.
This was not something that could be dismissed through the spirit of endlessly bowing in apology.
Normally, only ritual suicide or retirement would slightly calm the anger of the victims.
But the situation was changing too quickly.
No one other than the Third Raikage could stabilize Kumogakure's current disaster.
Therefore, everyone silently accepted that he would remain Raikage.
Once Kumogakure recovered in the future—
They could settle the accounts afterward.
"Perhaps the future of the ninja world has already been decided."
"But there are still things I must do."
"Even if we eventually kneel before Konoha, a relatively complete Kumogakure will still possess far more bargaining power than a Kumogakure shattered into pieces by Uchiha Ren."
"Endure!"
The Third Raikage silently encouraged himself.
At dusk, snow began falling again.
The snowflakes descended lightly and slowly covered the wilderness.
After bidding farewell to the Third Raikage, Uchiha Ren returned to the entrance of his tent.
He extended his pale hand and caught a tiny crystalline snowflake.
Under the warmth of his body, it quickly melted into droplets of water.
"Another great shinobi village is about to be conquered."
"My luck has truly been excellent recently."
"Another year has arrived."
"Snow…"
"Will you still be this color next year?"
Uchiha Ren spoke softly to himself, joy filling his heart.
His artistic temperament reached its peak.
It would be wonderful if everything continued proceeding this smoothly.
Uchiha Ren sighed inwardly.
For some reason—
Although events had followed his plans almost perfectly—
He constantly felt as though an enormous explosive had been buried back home.
One powerful enough to launch him into the sky.
Uchiha Madara was one possibility.
Who else?
Could it be Senju Tobirama?
Thinking carefully—
Ever since transmigrating into this world, Uchiha Ren's only truly difficult period had been while Senju Tobirama ruled Konoha.
He had to behave cautiously inside the village.
He was also sent onto battlefields at a young age to fight for his life.
But after Senju Tobirama died—
Uchiha Ren soared into the sky and became unstoppable.
Naturally, there were occasional events beyond his control.
For example, Kakuzu's careless actions had caused Kumogakure to lose so much blood that even Uchiha Ren had been forced to adjust his plans.
But those events were accidents.
Surely something so absurd could not happen repeatedly.
Kakuzu couldn't possibly give him another enormous surprise.
He was overthinking.
Definitely overthinking.
This inexplicable sense of danger probably still came from Senju Tobirama.
That man had never been obedient.
He was probably working in the laboratory while cursing Uchiha Ren aloud.
Perhaps he had even created a small doll of him and stabbed it several times every day.
Uchiha Ren stared at the falling snow and sank into thought.
"Lord Hokage, of course."
"The color of snow has never changed."
"Snow has always been white."
"Just like my skin."
"Pure white and flawless."
"If I were a human woman, Lord Hokage, you would definitely fall hopelessly in love with me!"
Hearing the voice, Uchiha Ren looked around.
There was no one nearby.
Then he instinctively lowered his gaze.
He saw a bald White Zetsu emerging from the ground, with half its body covered in black.
"Shut up!"
"Do not insult my dearest elder brother!"
Black Zetsu controlled the arm on his half of the body and slapped White Zetsu across the face.
A mere disposable tool!
Who did this White Zetsu think it was?
It dared spout such nonsense and even wanted to cling to his elder brother?
It should touch that peeled-egg face of its and ask itself—
Was it worthy?
"Ahem."
"Little brother, care for mentally challenged children."
"Don't lower yourself to argue with one."
Joy appeared on Uchiha Ren's face.
After waiting for so long—
His beloved little brother had finally returned.
This barren wilderness had been unbelievably boring.
There was no soft bed.
There was no fragrant woman to hold while sleeping.
Now that his little brother had returned—
They had finally found the Sky Village!
Uchiha Ren waved casually.
He did not care about White Zetsu's words.
Who would seriously argue with a mentally challenged White Zetsu?
"Lord Hokage, that is so cruel."
"I'm not mentally challenged."
"I'm only slightly senile."
"Oh, right!"
"Lord Black Zetsu said my partner and I can no longer follow him."
"Can the two of us work at Konoha Television now?"
"I already thought of several programs!"
The bald White Zetsu looked deeply aggrieved.
However, it really was an idiot.
As it continued speaking, the topic wandered.
It began talking excitedly about working at the television station and started waving its arms and legs.
Before it could finish—
Black Zetsu slapped it again.
The White Zetsu immediately became obedient and entered a depressed silence.
"Don't be angry, little brother."
"Since White Zetsu sincerely wants to debut, let it go."
"You don't lack these two White Zetsu anyway."
Seeing the bald White Zetsu remain obsessed with appearing on television, Uchiha Ren decided to fulfill its dream.
This creature would probably create excellent entertainment.
Even Little A-Giao had earned enough money online to buy a luxury car by pretending to be insane and foolish.
The White Zetsu before him should not perform any worse.
It possessed an endless supply of outrageous remarks.
Besides—
There was no need to pay White Zetsu a salary.
"Since Elder Brother has said so…"
"Wonderful!"
Hearing Black Zetsu agree, the bald White Zetsu nearly opened a bottle of champagne on the spot.
From now on—
It would become a great star of the ninja world!
"Shut up!"
"You're too loud!"
Black Zetsu watched the White Zetsu begin acting insane again.
He controlled the arm on his half of the body and slapped it.
The White Zetsu immediately became quiet.
"All right."
"Little brother, you finally returned!"
"I have been waiting for you for a very long time."
As always, once Black Zetsu separated from White Zetsu's body, Uchiha Ren casually stroked his smooth, slippery head.
It truly felt excellent.