Money cannot solve every problem.
But it can solve ninety-nine percent of them.
Every day, Leo watched enormous sums of money flow through his hands. Gold and silver piled up like small mountains, filling entire rooms until even he felt uneasy at the sight of it. The sheer weight of wealth was staggering, almost terrifying. Yet despite the intimidation, he could not deny the satisfaction that came with it.
He had become more than just a leader; he was the financial backbone of Akatsuki Village, the sponsor whose wealth shaped its future. To scientists, researchers, warriors, and even ordinary villagers, Leo was not simply a clan head—he was the benefactor who turned visions into reality.
And now, that wealth had a new purpose.
Building the Greatest Laboratory
In order to meet the research demands of the eccentric geniuses from the Land of the Sky and the Artisan Village, Leo invested heavily in constructing the largest and most advanced scientific research laboratory the world had ever seen.
The first project on their agenda was deceptively simple yet critical: developing a method to mass-produce explosive tags.
The current process was slow, expensive, and heavily reliant on skilled artisans who spent years mastering the craft. Leo's vision was different. He wanted assembly-line production—each step of the process separated into small, manageable parts that ordinary trained workers could handle. Efficiency was the key.
Why?
Because the First Ninja World War was inevitable. If Akatsuki Village wanted to survive, they needed mountains of explosive tags ready for deployment.
The scientists eagerly threw themselves into the work, motivated not only by the intellectual challenge but also by the endless river of funding. With Leo, there was no shortage of resources. As long as there was money, progress never stalled.
The Birth of Anbu
At the same time, Leo quietly initiated the creation of Akatsuki's own Anbu—a covert organization of elite shinobi who would operate in the shadows.
Of course, the existence of such a force was not for public knowledge. To protect both secrecy and the lives of those selected, their identities would never be announced openly. Each ninja would instead receive a codename and a mask, concealing who they truly were.
Some might say Leo had stolen the idea from Senju Tobirama. But in his mind, it was the other way around.
"Tobirama hasn't even established the Anbu yet," Leo thought smugly. "If anything, he copied me."
(Hands on hips, a completely self-righteous smirk.jpg)
To ensure the loyalty of these Anbu recruits, Leo gave every successful candidate a generous settling-in allowance. He didn't stop there—he also issued an official decree in the name of Guangying, declaring that if an Anbu member died in the line of duty, Akatsuki Village would fully support their surviving family.
The result was electric.
In a world where shinobi often died nameless deaths, leaving their families to fend for themselves, Leo's promise was revolutionary. For the first time, ninjas felt truly valued, not as disposable tools, but as warriors whose sacrifices would not doom their loved ones to misery.
Prestige surged around him. The people admired him not only as a leader but as a protector who backed his words with tangible support.
Winning hearts with money might have seemed shallow to some, but it was undeniably effective. Loyalty could not be demanded—it had to be earned.
The Ninja School Enrollment
After concluding his meeting with the new Anbu members, Leo turned his attention to another vital project: the Ninja Academy.
"How is the enrollment going?" Leo asked Kazuma, his trusted aide.
The academy was not a suggestion—it was an order. Leo had mandated that every clan must send core family members to study in the new institution. Resistance was minimal. After all, no one dared defy the man who held both power and wealth in his hands.
To ensure quality, Leo had established elite classes within the academy. These were designed for children of powerful clans and exceptionally talented civilians. Resources, teaching staff, and training were all top-tier, carefully curated to cultivate future commanders and strategists for the upcoming war.
Kazuma bowed respectfully. "Master Leo, everything is progressing smoothly."
But the truth was that the clans alone could not fill the numbers Leo demanded. So far, there were only about a dozen classes, each with thirty or so students. The vast majority came not from clans, but from civilian families across the Land of Fire.
And therein lay the reality of the ninja world—one Leo understood better than most.
The Harsh Reality of Civilians
This world was, at its core, a cesspool. Natural disasters, wars, famine, and disease struck endlessly, leaving civilians in a perpetual struggle for survival.
High mortality rates forced families to have more children as a form of insurance. If one child died, others could take their place. Add to that the lack of entertainment in the evenings, no contraception, and a culture of survival through numbers, and the result was inevitable: poor families bore child after child, sinking deeper into poverty with each birth.
It was a vicious cycle.
So when Akatsuki's recruiters arrived, offering free education and three meals a day, the initial hesitation of parents quickly evaporated. Their children might die as cannon fodder one day, but at least they wouldn't starve today.
For peasants who lived and died by the fields, becoming a ninja was a miraculous opportunity, even if it meant an early grave.
"Good," Leo said, nodding after hearing Kazuma's report. "Keep going until we have three thousand students."
Training the Future
Leo turned his thoughts toward curriculum. Elite students were easy—their clans already had proven methods for raising powerful shinobi. But what about the civilians?
Ordinary children had no bloodline powers, no inherited kekkei genkai, no centuries of clan training. Their talents were often poor, their chakra reserves limited. Even if they trained their whole lives, most would barely reach Chūnin level.
So Leo adjusted expectations.
Ninjutsu: Limit them to the basic three techniques and simple C-rank elemental jutsu. B-rank? Unrealistic.
Genjutsu: Again, C-rank was sufficient. Most wouldn't have the chakra to sustain higher illusions.
Taijutsu: This would be their foundation. Leo assigned the Hyūga clan's taijutsu experts to drill them mercilessly. If these children couldn't excel in chakra, they would at least wield their bodies like weapons.
Time was short. The First Ninja World War loomed only years away. These children would not grow into heroes—they would be soldiers in a brutal war of attrition. Their training was not about glory, but survival.
"Train them until they break," Leo ordered coldly. "As long as they don't die, push them harder. If they collapse, pick them up and keep going."
Yes, it would leave scars. Yes, it would destroy their bodies in the long run. But in a world where the average life expectancy barely reached thirty, long-term consequences were irrelevant.
Kazuma merely nodded. He was already bound to Leo by chains of loyalty and necessity. There was no escaping this path.
The Will of Light
Then Leo asked a question that caught Kazuma by surprise.
"Kazuma," he said, his voice thoughtful, "what do you think the Will of Light of Akatsuki Village should be?"
Every great power needed an ideology. Konoha had the Will of Fire—a creed that bound its people together. If Akatsuki Village was to rise as more than just a wealthy military force, it too required a guiding principle.
And in Leo's mind, if copying once was already plagiarism, then copying twice made no difference. Why stop halfway? If he was going to steal, he might as well steal everything.
Thus, the idea of the Will of Light was born.
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