The armistice agreement, drafted and pushed forward by several involved parties, spread through the shinobi world like wildfire. A conflict that had lasted far too long finally drew to a close.
The war was over.
And the Hidden Cloud Village stood firmly on the losing side.
Although they attempted to maintain dignity, the blow was severe—both materially and symbolically. If there was a silver lining, it was that the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning did not abandon them. Funds were allocated as emergency relief to help stabilize the battered village. Yet this "support" came with sharp hooks. The price of financial aid was infiltration: the Daimyo gradually inserted his influence into the administrative core of the Cloud Village.
The one-country, one-village system had always been a delicate balance. A country was its own political entity, and the ninja village—semi-independent—answered only to its Kage. Cooperation was the surface veneer, but tension simmered beneath. For any Daimyo, the idea of a powerful military force obeying someone else entirely was enough to keep them awake at night. Influence, therefore, had to be secured, one way or another.
As for the victors—
Uchiha Makoto, adhering to the terms negotiated earlier, ceased all offensive actions. He withdrew his forces and began the journey back to the Land of Fire, leading the Akatsuki main army. The Uzumaki clan accompanied them for part of the route. Their alliance had been tested by war and had emerged stronger, more solid than ever.
However, despite the strengthened relationship, Uzumaki Shinji could not bring his clan to settle in the Akatsuki Village—not at this sensitive moment.
Before their parting, the allied forces hosted a final banquet. Konoha also attended, as expected of an alliance member.
The atmosphere was unexpectedly lively.
Minor quarrels and small disturbances occurred, of course—gather a group of shinobi, and something humorous or troublesome was bound to happen. But overall, nothing significant went wrong. Among the rank-and-file ninja of all three factions, there was no deep hatred; the war had not been a clash of personal vendettas. With the alliance established and good food served, small groups quickly relaxed into comfortable conversations, laughing and chatting as though peace had always been their natural state.
At the main table, Senju Tobirama—Konoha's stern, sharp-tongued, and notoriously cold "Old Ghost Senju"—was in markedly better spirits than usual.
The reason?
He had just learned that Konoha would receive two billion ryo.
His perpetually grim expression almost cracked into a genuine smile.
"Well… two billion is far less than twenty billion," he muttered, a rare trace of satisfaction rising in his tone. "But getting money for free truly is delightful."
"Finally—this trip wasn't wasted."
Inwardly, Tobirama felt relief wash over him. More importantly, he knew exactly whom to thank.
His brief smile, stiff and awkward, was directed toward Uzumaki Shinji.
The Uzumaki clan, in his view, still possessed a sense of propriety—knowing to show respect to their "big brother" village through monetary compensation.
A wonderful ally indeed.
Tobirama had no doubt that Uzumaki Shinji had fought hard behind the scenes to secure this compensation for Konoha. As for Uchiha Makoto—he was convinced the young Uchiha would never willingly hand him a single coin. Only a few days earlier, Tobirama had been thoroughly embarrassed by Makoto's refusal to support Konoha financially.
He had genuinely believed—down to his bones—that Konoha would not receive a single ryo.
That belief had driven him into sleepless frustration. He had worked tirelessly to suppress Konoha's internal public outrage and maintain stability, only barely avoiding being "socially executed" by angry villagers. The thought of enduring all that suffering for nothing nearly sent him spiraling.
"If Konoha truly received no compensation," he thought bleakly, "then everything I did—all the backlash I endured—would simply have been me shooting myself in the foot."
The depressing truth was that, had Tobirama stepped in from the beginning, Konoha's share would have been far larger.
But Tobirama's prideful mind refused to acknowledge his miscalculations. His conclusion?
He wasn't wrong.
Uchiha Makoto was simply too cunning.
This entire situation, he insisted, was because Makoto had staged his own assassination attempt and manipulated everything from the shadows.
At that moment, Makoto finally spoke:
"Of the two billion ryo, the Uzumaki Clan will allocate one billion to the Senju Clan, and my Akatsuki Village will give one billion to the Uchiha Clan. How you distribute it inside Konoha is your own business."
Tobirama's smile froze instantly.
He had assumed, naively and without question, that the money would be handed directly to Konoha. And since he effectively governed Konoha in all practical matters, that meant the money would naturally pass through his hands.
Never in his nightmares had he imagined Makoto would pull such a move.
"…Shouldn't the funds be given directly to Konoha?" he asked, his voice tight.
"This is Konoha," Makoto replied smoothly. "Can't the Uchiha and Senju clans represent the village?"
The logic was airtight.
Even Tobirama could not object.
But the meaning behind Makoto's decision was clear: he intended to funnel resources directly into the Uchiha clan. With such wealth, the Uchiha could recruit, expand, and build influence within Konoha. All of it spelled trouble for Tobirama.
The Uchiha could be strong—but never too strong.
Tobirama's lips moved, forming silent curses. He mouthed several colorful insults in Makoto's direction, careful not to make a scene.
Makoto calmly returned the gesture with a middle finger.
And then he turned away—done with the perpetually plotting Old Ghost Senju.
Compared to Tobirama's endless scheming, the dependable and cooperative Uzumaki Clan was far more pleasant to work with.
Uchiha Makoto and Uzumaki Shinji had already finalized their joint venture—Akatsukiwood, a film company—with a 70/30 investment ratio. Shinji, demonstrating good judgment, had voluntarily suggested the arrangement.
Makoto was more than willing to deepen their partnership.
When it came to making money, Shinji was enthusiastic. The war had opened his eyes to the Akatsuki Village's financial power: top-tier logistics, superior equipment, impeccable medical supplies. Akatsuki shinobi were practically treated like elite soldiers from a prosperous nation—complete with ice cream and chocolate desserts after meals.
"Konoha's Fire Daimyo would never be so generous…" Shinji lamented.
Makoto chuckled.
"Tell me, Shinji—since your clan lives on an island, you must have abundant fish resources, right?"
"…Yes?"
"And you know how to sell fish?"
"Of course."
"Then here's the key: the bigger the waves, the higher the price of the catch."
Makoto's voice dropped as he leaned closer.
"You have fish. The Land of Fire has a massive population. An economy hungry for protein. If our two villages take the lead together, and I provide the sales channels, the wealthy merchants I know will line up to collaborate."
Tobirama, who had been pretending not to listen, nearly fell out of his seat.
"Ha! Uchiha Makoto, this is your grand business plan? Selling fish? You do realize the Land of Fire also has fishing grounds?"
Makoto shot him a cold look.
"What do you know? The real product isn't fish—it's processed goods. Canned food. If we solve transportation and packaging issues, we'll dominate a completely empty market."
He was right.
In this era, storage was the greatest obstacle. Fresh fish turned foul within days. Only those near rivers or coasts enjoyed fresh seafood. The vast majority relied on salty, leathery dried fish—food so unappealing that no one would choose it if fresh alternatives existed.
But with Uzumaki sealing technology—
They could package fish in airtight seals, preserving flavor for months. Combined with Akatsuki's Ice Release specialists and capital, plus Makoto's willingness to sabotage competitors…
Profit was guaranteed.
Shinji thought it through carefully and nodded.
"It's… actually feasible."
Tobirama swallowed hard.
"…Can Konoha join?"
The words tasted bitter. But he had no choice. Konoha's finances were stretched thin. The annual budget barely covered essential operations, let alone development projects he dreamed of implementing. Meanwhile, Akatsuki Village had just secured twenty billion ryo. Enough money to surge far ahead of Konoha in infrastructure and innovation.
The thought kept Tobirama awake at night.
So, if cooperation offered a chance to keep pace—even if it required working with someone he despised—he would do it.
Makoto's lips curled.
"Oh? You want to collaborate with me?"
He dragged out the pause.
"Well… I'll have to think about it."
He let the silence stretch for an agonizing five minutes.
Tobirama twitched with every passing second.
Finally, unable to endure it, he muttered, "Ahem… we are allies, aren't we? Allies should help each other."
Makoto suppressed a laugh.
"In that case, I'll have to appoint some collaborators—familiar Uchiha clansmen."
"You—"
"And I'll be sending people into Konoha."
Tobirama nearly choked. He knew exactly what Makoto was doing: using business collaboration as a way to embed Uchiha influence deeper into Konoha's internal structure.
But refusing wasn't an option.
"…Fine. But Konoha must be allowed to send personnel in as well."
"No problem."
Makoto nodded.
"However, since I proposed the plan, Akatsuki Village will handle markets, sales, funds, construction, and labor."
"The Uzumaki Clan will oversee technology and raw materials. Konoha is just tagging along, isn't it?"
Tobirama gritted his teeth.
"I can also contribute technology!"
"Oh? Do you really have time? I heard you've been busy developing new jutsu."
"A simple matter—I'll split off another Shadow Clone."
Makoto pressed, "You already use clones for paperwork and forbidden jutsu training. Are you sure you can endure the workload?"
"For Konoha…" Tobirama inhaled sharply, "…I will manage."
"Very well," Makoto replied lightly. "It's just a pity."
"…A pity?" Tobirama's eyes narrowed. "About what?"
Makoto simply smiled.
"Nothing."
Tobirama felt a chill despite the warm banquet hall.
Makoto continued, "For shares—originally, I planned a 60/40 split with the Uzumaki. But now that Konoha wants in, Akatsuki will take 50%, Uzumaki 30%, Konoha 20%."
"Tobirama, you're contributing technology. We intended to give you 10%, but since we're allies, we're doing you a favor. Both Akatsuki and Uzumaki gave up 10% for you."
Uzumaki Shinji accepted the new structure calmly.
Tobirama did not.
But he had no leverage.
"…Fine."
Deep inside, resentment simmered. Konoha's 20% left them in a weak position—far from ideal. But demanding more would only make Makoto tighten the leash further.
"One day," Tobirama swore silently, "I'll kill that damned Uchiha brat and seize all his businesses…"
But before he could continue brooding—
A messenger burst into the banquet with a pale, trembling face.
A shocking event had occurred in Konoha.
Barely a week after the assassination attempt on the Akatsuki Kage—
The Hokage himself had been assassinated.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)