The First Thing You Do After Becoming Rich Is Forget Your Roots, Don't You Agree, Daming?
The most profitable industries in any era—those with low technical barriers, quick returns, and guaranteed demand—have always revolved around life's essentials: food, clothing, housing, and transportation.
Uchiha Makoto had thought carefully about this fact. Unlike most ninjas who limited themselves to fighting and missions, he had begun to study the economic backbone of the ninja world. If Akatsuki Village was to rise and survive, it needed more than just strong warriors—it needed wealth, resources, and influence.
For this reason, Makoto dispatched teams of shinobi to conduct thorough investigations across the Fire Nation. They collected reports from towns, villages, and markets, documenting every detail of trade, supply chains, and taxation loopholes.
When the results arrived, Makoto studied them in silence. After a long pause, he raised his head and suddenly declared:
"Kazuma, let's go sell salt together."
Kazuma blinked, stunned.
"???"
"Salt? You're serious? Lord Makoto, salt isn't exactly expensive these days, is it? Even the poorest families can afford it."
His confusion was genuine. Salt had always been considered a staple necessity, and in recent years, prices had dropped so low that ordinary peasants bought it with ease. Even if Akatsuki Village entered the business, it hardly seemed like a profitable venture.
But Makoto only smiled faintly.
"You think it's cheap now, but you're not seeing the bigger picture."
Kazuma frowned, recalling past experience. "I've heard that in the last year or two, the price of salt has been unusually low. That's why so many small traders are surviving in the market. But why involve ourselves in such a saturated industry?"
Makoto leaned back, tapping his fingers on the table. His voice grew cold.
"Because nonsense like this shouldn't be happening. Salt has always been a government monopoly in every civilized society throughout history. It's an essential product, and precisely because of that, it has always been controlled—monopolized, taxed, and guarded. In normal times, trafficking salt is one of the most lucrative black-market trades imaginable. And yet, in this so-called ninja world, salt flows everywhere, dirt cheap. Do you not find that absurd?"
Kazuma was at a loss for words. His master was right. It was unnatural.
Salt was life itself—it preserved food, strengthened the body, and flavored every meal. In ancient dynasties, wars had been fought over salt; kingdoms rose and fell on its taxation. It should never have been cheap. And yet, in the Land of Fire, the market was flooded with illegal salt.
Makoto's eyes narrowed as he reviewed the reports again.
The explanation was simple: the decay of the ruling class.
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A World Where Nobles Suck Blood
The rigid class system of the ninja world was unlike anything Makoto had ever seen. Lineages of nobles, stretching back a dozen generations or more, clung to their status like parasitic leeches. They lived as true Celestial Dragons, untouchable and arrogant.
During the Warring States era, endless chaos had eroded the control of the daimyo. Nobles no longer cared about law or structure—they cared only about squeezing wealth from the people beneath them. Instead of upholding the monopoly, they themselves participated in smuggling, selling illegal salt openly.
Worse still, underworld organizations, rogue samurai, and small-time lords all joined in. The once-centralized salt system of the Fire Nation collapsed completely.
The result? Private salt dealers thrived everywhere.
From one village to the next, the market was saturated. Salt became so abundant that it was sold cheaply, and yet, because it was essential, people still bought it. Competition grew ruthless, and everyone aimed for small profits and quick turnover.
When Makoto read this in the survey report, he almost doubted his eyes.
"This is madness. It completely violates the natural laws of economy. Salt should be a gold mine, and yet it's as cheap as sand. Ridiculous!"
It was like seeing crude oil sold on the roadside for the price of a loaf of bread.
But Makoto was no ordinary man—he was a traveler, a thinker, and above all, an Uchiha. What others saw as chaos, he saw as opportunity.
---
Chaos Creates Fortune
The truth was that this bizarre situation existed only because the world had been in turmoil. During the great wars, order crumbled. The nobles were too afraid to reveal themselves, lest a wandering shinobi clan massacre them for their wealth. Bureaucrats hid, merchants schemed, and the black market thrived under the shadow of war.
In that chaos, daring profiteers took risks. They smuggled salt in bulk, manipulating the market, creating shortages one month and flooding it the next. Their only goal was to amass wealth before order returned.
But now… the era of ninja villages had arrived.
With the founding of great shinobi centers like Konoha, stability was creeping back. The endless wars were subsiding, and the old systems were preparing to reassert themselves.
That meant only one thing—
the age of rampant salt trafficking would soon end.
Makoto's eyes gleamed.
The price of salt was bound to rise again. When order returned, monopolies would tighten. If Akatsuki Village acted now—if they seized the salt market before anyone else—they could become unimaginably rich.
It wasn't just about profit. It was about power. Wealth was the foundation of armies, influence, and dominion.
As he imagined the possibilities, Makoto felt a surge of excitement.
"This," he muttered, "is the fastest path to fortune. Low risk, high demand, no technical barrier. It only requires one thing—ruthlessness."
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A Plan to Strangle the Market
"Let's ally with the Daimyo," Makoto declared. "And with several of the Fire Nation's great noble houses. Together, we will re-establish monopoly. We'll control the salt routes, fix the prices, and share the profits."
Kazuma hesitated. "And what of the countless private dealers? The smugglers? The small-time traders who flood the markets?"
Makoto's expression hardened. His eyes blazed like the crimson Sharingan.
"Then we make them disappear."
The words fell like a guillotine.
Kazuma shuddered but said nothing. He had long grown used to Makoto's decisive cruelty. Still, he couldn't help but ask:
"Should we inform the Daimyo first? Such a major move might require his approval."
Makoto sneered. "Approval? The Daimyo is a coward. If we ask him now, he'll hesitate, tremble, and stall. Better to use his name without permission—strike first, eliminate our rivals, and only afterward tie him to our chariot. Once the blood is on his hands, he will have no choice but to cooperate."
His hand slammed down on the table. The sound echoed through the chamber.
"That is the first lesson of wealth. Once you become rich, you forget your roots and betray your allies. If the Daimyo dares to protest, let him choke on salt!"
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Breaking Tradition
In the Warring States era, ninjas never concerned themselves with such matters. They fought, killed, and carried out missions. Politics and economics were left to nobles and lords. That tradition persisted for centuries.
But Makoto was different.
"Tradition is nothing but a chain," he said coldly. "Akatsuki Village will not follow it. We will transform. Ninjas here will not only fight—they will manage, they will trade, they will dominate industries. If I order them to seize the salt market, they will obey."
Kazuma nodded slowly. He could see the logic, even if it terrified him. After all, ninjas were human too. They didn't live on loyalty alone. Give them wealth, comfort, and a future, and they would follow any command.
That was Makoto's genius—he understood both the cruelty of war and the hunger of human nature.
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The Daimyo's Chains
Makoto leaned back, his voice calm but chilling.
"Konoha took the blame for the tulip trade last time. Why should the Daimyo be exempt this time? He will take the blame for salt. If profits pour in, he won't complain much. At worst, he'll grumble and feign outrage. But secretly, he'll be pleased. After all, hasn't he long dreamed of unifying the salt market to increase taxation? He simply lacked the strength. Now I am giving him the solution."
A cruel smile spread across his lips.
"Akatsuki Village always takes the initiative to help the Daimyo solve his problems."
---
The chamber fell silent. Kazuma lowered his head in respect.
He finally understood. To others, this was merely the salt business. To Makoto, it was the first step toward rewriting the order of the ninja world.
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