A month had passed since the battle against that Root operative and Itachi's first experiments with shadow clones. In that time, he had poured countless hours into a new project: a device that, through magnetic fields combined with his Sharingan, could detect metals buried deep in the earth or hidden beneath water.
That morning, accompanied only by two clones serving as silent sentinels, he arrived at a river miles from Konoha. The sound of water striking against the stones wrapped the clearing in a tranquil, almost hypnotic silence.
Upon the ground he set his crude detector: a framework of wood, shards of metal, and hand-drawn seals. He infused chakra, his Sharingan blazing scarlet—and then he saw it: invisible lines spreading outward in waves, as if the very world had become a web of resonance.
"There… something responds," he whispered.
He knelt by the riverbank and, after scraping away gravel and mud, unearthed fragments of iron, flecks of bronze, and the corroded remains of forgotten weapons. Worthless in appearance, but proof that the system worked. The magnetic field revealed even the smallest trace.
Lifting a rusted kunai, Itachi thought: If this can detect iron and copper with such precision… it can also find rarer metals—even gold.
He sealed the scraps within a storage scroll and continued the search, his mastery of the detector flowing more naturally with every attempt. By dusk, he had gathered a small collection of metals—insignificant in value, yet heavy with possibility.
Back at the Uchiha compound, he met Fugaku in private. His tone was measured, deliberate."Father, if I perfect this technique, I will be able to locate deeper mineral veins. Gold, above all. That resource could give the clan what it needs most: funds."
"Funds?" Fugaku repeated, his eyes narrowing.
Itachi nodded."With money we can buy silence, finance spies, and—most important—place bounties on the heads of Root operatives. Danzō believes only we hunt him. He is wrong. There are others in the shadows who would gladly take gold in exchange for his blood."
Fugaku remained silent for a long moment, his gaze torn between pride and unease. The cold logic of the proposal belonged not to a boy, but to a hardened strategist. At last he drew a slow breath."Gold will prove more valuable than any jutsu—if wielded wisely. But until you secure it, this plan remains secret. Not even among our own must it be spoken."
"I understand, Father," Itachi said, bowing his head.
In the depths of his crimson eyes burned a dangerous resolve: that experiment at the river was only the beginning of a far greater design.
Weeks later, after scouring rivers and sifting through sediment with his magnetic detector, Itachi received his first true signal: a metallic glimmer, stronger and purer than any common fragment.
"This… is neither iron nor bronze," he murmured, Sharingan fixed upon the vibrating pattern. "It is gold."
Following the river upstream, each measurement pulled him closer until, after days of traversing rugged terrain, he arrived at a jagged mountain. Its craggy surface and treacherous slopes made it a perfect hiding place for any secret operation.
A rare smile touched his lips as he gazed at the golden vein jutting from a fissure in the rock."Perfect… no one would ever suspect this place," he said. "With a few earth jutsu, I can harvest it without machines."
He began his work with surgical precision. Seals and chakra carved pathways into the rock, separating the ore with controlled force, while his shadow clones oversaw vantage points to optimize the extraction. Each fragment of gold was gathered and sealed, invisible to ordinary eyes.
Back in the village, Fugaku carefully monitored Root's movements, ensuring nothing disrupted their hidden operation. Gold, if handled correctly, could finance espionage, covert strikes, and even wage psychological warfare against Danzō.
As Itachi watched the mountain and the river below, his thoughts sharpened: This is more than a resource. It is a strategic weapon—and no one will know it lies under our control.
For the first time, he felt that his intellect, chakra, and foresight were giving the Uchiha a power beyond brute force or jutsu alone. It was a power both silent and lethal—one that could tip the balance of Konoha's fate if used wisely.
The gold began to flow steadily into Fugaku's mansion, transported under seals of concealment and guarded by shadow clones. Itachi oversaw the purification process: each fragment refined into pure ingots, stacked with precision in a hidden chamber beneath the Uchiha estate.
Fugaku stood in awe at the growing hoard."This… this is more than I imagined," he said, walking among the rows of gleaming bars.
"Father, with this we can finance intelligence networks, strategic bribes, and targeted bounties," Itachi explained, his voice calm but his gaze burning with foresight. "Even the most loyal of Root's agents will not resist the lure of gold if it is tied to Danzō's demise."
The decision was swift: to set bounties on select Root operatives, starting with the most dangerous and influential. Fugaku adjusted the figures with care, sending a calculated message of strength without drawing suspicion upon their clan.
Rumors spread quickly. In nearby villages, mercenaries and rogue shinobi whispered of extravagant rewards placed upon Root agents—and even upon Danzō himself. The information traveled by discreet paths: merchants, wanderers, secret allies of the Uchiha. Each whisper fueled curiosity and speculation. Who was paying these sums? Who possessed such wealth to defy Root in the shadows?
Itachi listened in silence as Fugaku laid out the strategy."The goal is not only to eliminate our enemies," his father said. "It is to prove that Root's influence is not absolute—that even from the darkness, we can bend the rules of power."
Meanwhile, Root operatives grew restless. Some whispered among themselves, others tightened their defenses, suspecting that someone within Konoha itself was orchestrating the hunt. The ripple effect of Itachi and Fugaku's secret fortune was spreading far beyond the Uchiha estate, tension rising like a storm in the unseen depths.
Itachi, however, withdrew to his secret workshop within the mansion. Among ingots and scrolls, he began devising the next phase—experiments with clones and advanced jutsu, aware that every resource could amplify his ability to alter the balance of power in Konoha.
The Uchiha had never been more silent, nor more dangerously in control.
The air in Konoha grew thick with whispers. Rumors of bounties on Root agents and Danzō himself had seeped into the village and beyond. Mercenaries, wandering shinobi, and spies from distant lands crept cautiously, seeking fragments of truth.
Danzō, in his office, slammed his fist upon the table. His graying hair trembled, his eye ablaze with suppressed fury."This cannot be happening!" he roared. "Who leaks such poison from within Konoha?"
His subordinates, uneasy, tried to placate him."Sir, it could be mercenaries… or rival clans seeking to provoke you."
"Rumors!" Danzō spat. "Every word weakens my position. I must act—now!"
Elsewhere, the Third Hokage convened an extraordinary council of the clans. Leaders gathered in solemn assembly to address the infiltration of spies and the instability wrought by the spreading whispers. Fugaku stood among them, aware that this moment could either shatter or solidify his designs.
In the council chamber, his voice was calm, authoritative."We have detected unusual movements within Konoha. Spies from other lands seek to infiltrate and harvest information."
The Hokage turned to Danzō directly."Danzō, I require an explanation of your recent activities—and of the enemies you have provoked." He paused, letting the weight of silence fall upon the hall. "For now, I order you to reduce your operations. We cannot allow further unnecessary deaths within Konoha."
Danzō's jaw clenched, his gaze hard as iron."Hokage… my work protects this village. The village needs me more than ever. And I will uncover whoever dares orchestrate this." His tone was restrained, but his fury burned through every word.
Sarutobi sighed inwardly, weary of his old friend."No, Danzō. We must cool this fire before it spreads further. I will take this investigation upon myself."
As the council dragged on, the rumors outside only multiplied. Root began to move with greater caution, weighed down by the Hokage's scrutiny, yet haunted by the unseen predator in the shadows.
On the surface, Konoha remained calm. But beneath that calm, a silent war brewed—its tide drawn by Itachi and Fugaku's hidden wealth, and the whispers of power reshaping the fate of the village.