Homura Danzo's actions were no secret to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He knew that if Watanabe Tianyi fell into Danzo Shimura's hands, he might break under torture and reveal all his secrets.
This would certainly violate the illustrious Will of Fire.
Hiruzen raised a hand in refusal and snapped back sternly, "Danzo, your behavior has gone too far. I will not allow it."
"Either reform the factory and offer fair treatment and proper benefits to the workers, or shut down the building altogether."
"The Root already has enough on its plate. I suggest you stop wasting your energy elsewhere."
He used Root as leverage against Danzo—knowing full well how much it meant to him, a cause he would never abandon.
Danzo shot his head up, eyes blazing with fury at Hiruzen.
"Monkey, you've crossed the line," he hissed.
Indeed, Danzo had been hit where it hurt. The Root was his life's work, something he could never give up.
Without the Root, his power and influence would crumble significantly.
Hiruzen remained calm, adjusting the ceremonial Hokage robe over his head as he spoke coolly. "Danzo… I am the Hokage."
Using the title of Hokage to rein in his own close friend—this was something Hiruzen had mastered long ago.
And Danzo always yielded to that authority. For now, he had no choice but to bow.
His sinister gaze pierced through Hiruzen as he coldly declared, "You'll regret this, Hiruzen."
"You don't even understand the profits and benefits my Fire's Root Factory can bring to Konoha."
But Hiruzen had made up his mind. He issued an immediate order for reforms.
As soon as the command went out, cheers erupted across the assembly.
Especially among those who had worked at Fire's Root Factory but had been unable to leave—it brought tears of gratitude to their eyes. They celebrated as if they were nobles receiving honors.
A black-market factory—truly harmful.
When the Fire's Root Factory received the Hokage's decree, Danzo's Root members, led by Tatsuma Aburame, could only watch helplessly as workers walked out one by one.
Even when offering generous conditions and high compensation, most refused to even glance.
Once the reputation was ruined, everything became irreparable.
"Sir, what should we do? Everyone's fled."
Tatsuma gazed at the once-thriving factory floor, now eerily silent and deserted, filled with regret.
Dammit! No one these days can endure hardship anymore.
Just then, Danzo stormed in, his face tightening at the sight of the empty facility.
Money—*his* money!
Every second the machinery stood still meant fortunes vanishing into thin air, causing him physical pain.
Worse yet, he had signed contracts with several merchants, all waiting for deliveries.
Now that the workers were gone, how was he supposed to fulfill those contracts?
"That damned monkey… he's gone too far!" Danzo growled angrily.
"Mark my words—when I become Hokage, I'll lock you up and make you work for me day and night."
Approaching him, Tatsuma asked, "Lord Danzo, everyone's fled. What now?"
Danzo replied, "Production must continue. We still have those contracts to fulfill."
"Lead the Root members to fill in the gaps. I'll find a solution later, but for now, let's focus on fulfilling these orders."
The signed orders were substantial in volume, and if he defaulted, Danzo Shimura would have to pay a hefty sum in compensation.
With a character like Pi Xiu—never letting go of money once it's in his grasp—how could he possibly return the cash he'd already secured and even add more to it?
Fortunately, even though the regular workers were gone, he still had his Root operatives on standby.
Using them as replacements was hardly a concern.
Besides, most of the Root ninjas were Chunin or even Jonin—exceptionally resilient in both endurance and strength.
Compared to ordinary villagers, ninja laborers were far more agile and efficient.
As for whether employing ninja for such labor was excessive, Danzo didn't care one bit.
In his eyes, ninja were tools—created solely for use.
If they couldn't serve his purpose, then they held absolutely no value.
"Yes, Lord Danzo," said Tatsuma Aburame, his eyelid twitching as he bit down hard and reluctantly agreed.
While he was naturally delighted watching others work hard, when it came to doing it himself, unease prickled across his scalp.
Luckily, he had good mental resilience and quickly convinced himself otherwise.
It was all for Konoha. For Root. For Lord Danzo.
Taking the lead himself, Tatsuma mobilized several Root members stationed in Konoha.
Though they appeared few in number, there were over a hundred of them.
Thinking further, Tatsuma also called upon assistant personnel from the Logistics Division and other support teams.
After all, since they were all funded by the village, they naturally had to contribute when duty called.
Shortly after, the machines roared back to life within the Fire's Root Factory, resuming their usual din.
On the Konoha Commercial District,
Watanabe Tianyi thanked the Third Hokage and immediately set out in search of his next job.
He wasn't a native villager of Konoha. Once out of the factory, he found himself entirely without a home.
Poverty allowed him no room for idleness.
After visiting multiple factories and inquiring about employment, he found none willing to hire him.
Either their workforce was complete, or they outright refused.
The reason? The village's prominent clans all knew well—the Fire's Root Factory was under Danzo Shimura's control.
Hiring Watanabe Tianyi might provoke retaliation from Danzo.
Taking him in could easily provoke trouble from Danzo, a powerful figure in Konoha and the Hokage's advisor.
Unsure where to turn next and feeling hopeless in finding work, Watanabe Tianyi suddenly noticed a new factory.
Flame-Fan Factory.
A strange name, along with its unique fan-shaped emblem, caught Watanabe Tianyi's eye, making him halt mid-step.
"This symbol… Could it really belong to the legendary prestigious family of Konoha—the Uchiha clan?"
That was none other than the Uchiha clan itself—legendary allies of the Senju clan in founding Konoha, and rulers of the Konoha Police Force.
He hesitated—partly eager to apply, partly afraid of being rejected.
After all, he'd heard rumors—the Uchiha were proud, aloof, and looked down on outsiders.
Even among Konoha's major clans, the Uchiha held most in contempt.
What were the chances someone as insignificant as himself—a mere commoner—wouldn't be turned away outright?
He lifted his foot to leave when someone stepped out from inside, smiling warmly as they waved at him.
"Hi, are you here for the interview?"
The man was dressed in ninja armor and headgear, but his expression was very gentle as he faced Watanabe Tianyi.
Although his expression was gentle, Watanabe Tianyi could tell that the man wasn't good at smiling. Before Tianyi could even speak, the man yanked him inside.
"The Flame-Fan Factory is desperate for workers. If you're willing to join us, we can offer you a generous salary and a range of benefits," Uchiha Madara said to Watanabe Tianyi.
He had finally found someone interested in joining the Flame-Fan Factory—there was no way he was letting him go.
After receiving support from Fugaku Uchiha through a message, Uchiha Madara obtained the initial funding. Under the Uchiha clan's name, he founded the factory, starting with fans as their first product.
However, after opening the factory, he realized the Uchiha clan wasn't very popular among the villagers, and a clear rift existed between them.
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