At the bustling harbor dock, Andrew stood in awe as he examined the newly-built Chakra-powered internal combustion engine. It wasn't a flawless creation, but considering the resources and knowledge available in the ninja world, it was an astonishing achievement.
"To think this kind of machine could be made by civilians… in the Uchiha territory no less." Andrew muttered to himself.
In the world of shinobi, most mechanical inventions were rare and usually comedic in nature. The only notable examples were Orochimaru's strange creations, and the Shura Path puppet body used by Pain. Occasionally, puppeteers from Sunagakure displayed impressive craftsmanship, but even then, it wasn't commonplace.
Andrew considered heading to Sunagakure to recruit puppet masters, hoping their expertise could further develop the technology.
Unexpectedly, this prototype had been developed locally by ordinary people, deepening Andrew's sense of responsibility. He realized that beyond maintaining the Uchiha clan's strength, he now had to nurture the Uchiha Group's industrial potential.
"The engine's inner structure follows the blueprint you provided," Shisui explained, "but converting chakra into continuous motion hasn't worked as expected. It might require a puppet master's refined understanding."
Simply constructing the machine wasn't difficult, but storing and utilizing chakra to move mechanical parts was another challenge altogether. The builder was a civilian; even with assistance from ninja, their understanding of chakra was limited.
Andrew nodded. "It's already impressive. Find a way to send this prototype to Orochimaru. He'll probably be very interested."
Andrew believed science should be left to scientists. If anyone could take this prototype and create something revolutionary from it, it was Orochimaru.
"If I'm going to be the Uchiha Group's boss and cruise around in a sports car in the ninja world," Andrew smirked, "then this needs to happen soon."
Shisui handed him a small folded letter. "This just came from the clan leader."
According to the note, the Third Hokage had begun reorganizing Konoha's internal structure—including the elite Anbu unit. Afterward, he issued a public announcement to the entire village, admitting his missteps and expressing his intention to hold a general assembly.
"It seems he's preparing to abdicate," Shisui added. "The clan leader hopes you'll return soon."
Andrew froze. "He's stepping down now?"
This wasn't what he wanted.
He was still waiting to see the showdown between Orochimaru and his former teacher, the Third Hokage. If the old man walked away now, it would ruin everything. It would be far too convenient.
"No. We can't let him retire like this," Andrew said firmly. "He's just lost confidence. We can give him a reason to stay."
After a moment of thinking, Andrew came to a decision.
"Tell the clan leader to take over operations here. I'll handle Konoha."
Andrew's reasoning was simple. The Third Hokage wasn't leaving because of age or exhaustion. He felt like he couldn't control the village anymore, and so he wanted to trade power for peace.
But if Konoha could return to stability, the Third might reconsider. All he needed was reassurance.
This needed to be done carefully. Fugaku, despite his progress, wasn't the right man for subtle political maneuvers.
Besides, with the Uchiha clan now mostly stationed at the harbor, it didn't make sense for their patriarch to sit in the Hokage's office. That job was now Andrew's—as the Uchiha Group CEO, the one bringing in money for the clan.
"I'll take care of Sasuke and Aunt Mikoto, too," Andrew added quietly.
---
Meanwhile, far away in Rain Shinobi Village, a storm brewed over the village. Nagato's puppet form, Tiandao, stood beside Obito atop a tall tower, watching the rain cascade down.
Beneath them, shadowy figures slipped into the misty streets, scouting and investigating—probably sent by other ninja villages.
A few paper slips fluttered into the air. Then, silence.
"This is your solution?" Tiandao's voice was flat but laced with tension.
In an attempt to shift attention away from the Akatsuki organization, Obito had deliberately leaked information that Konoha possessed Wood Style users. The plan had worked at first. Other villages had redirected their suspicion and spies toward Konoha.
But the unintended consequence was that Danzo—the man most hated by Nagato and Konan—had now become indirectly associated with them.
Danzo was one of the key figures responsible for twisting Akatsuki into a militant group in the first place. He was the last person they'd want to ally with.
If Tiandao weren't a puppet, his face would likely be twisted in disgust.
"I had nothing to do with Danzo!" Obito said defensively. "I just wanted to buy time."
He pointed out that if worst came to worst, they could relocate.
"The ninja world is huge. There's always somewhere to hide."
"Rain Shinobi Village isn't just a base to us," Tiandao replied. "It's our home. It's where Akatsuki was born. We're not leaving."
For Obito, the village held no emotional value. He viewed it as a tool—a location that could be discarded.
But for Nagato and Konan, it was more than that. It was the beginning of their dreams, their fight, their bond with Yahiko.
Obito sighed. "You need to understand—if you confirm the Rinnegan is real, they won't stop until they get it. You can't fight the Five Great Villages alone."
Nagato had recently taken on more enemies from other villages. Though he managed to eliminate every spy that infiltrated Rain Village, the enemy wasn't dumb.
The more of their men who went missing, the more suspicions would rise. Eventually, they wouldn't just covet the Wood Style or the Senjutsu chakra he held.
They would declare war.
"Let them come," Nagato said. "I'll show them the power of God."
Obito cringed internally. "God, my foot," he thought. If Rinnegan was enough to conquer the ninja world, I wouldn't need to stand here arguing with you."
He had to find a way to redirect the pressure again—before Nagato did something irreversible.
Behind him, Black Zetsu emerged from the wall, his voice half-amused.
"Your Rinnegan user is starting to act out," he joked.
Obito frowned. "He still has too much hope. Rain Village won't be enough to contain that hope."
He glanced at Zetsu. "So tell me… if I want to stir up trouble, which village would be best?"
Konoha was out of the question. That village had proven too unpredictable—almost like it had plot armor.
Zetsu responded calmly. "Cloud and Stone were the most aggressive during the scouting." Then added, "And the Third Raikage… didn't he die in the Land of Earth?"
Obito grinned under his mask. "Perfect. Let's throw some sparks into the powder keg."
----------------------------------------------------
Get membership in patreon to read more chapters
Extra chapters available in patreon
patreon.com/Dragonscribe31
-----------------------------------------------------