The Hidden Cloud Village.
The Third Raikage and Yuzuru Uchiha walked along the street together.
At this time, the village looked completely different from a few years ago.
Following Yuzuru's proposal, the residential, administrative, commercial, and industrial zones were now clearly divided.
The streets had been completely replanned, extending in all directions.
Most were about fifteen meters wide and paved with hardened stone slabs.
The houses on both sides were built from brick and stone, layered with insulation. They were sturdy, durable, and kept warm in winter and cool in summer.
In the commercial district, rows of tall buildings rose side by side, grand and magnificent.
People bustled through the streets, smiling with genuine happiness.
After strolling for a while, the Third Raikage couldn't help but sigh. "Yuzuru, without you, the Hidden Cloud Village would never have become what it is today."
"I've said it many times before, but I can't help saying it again—you're more important to this village than I am as Raikage."
"In terms of contribution, you deserve the top spot."
Yuzuru waved his hand with a smile. "Third, that's a bit too formal. You and I complement each other."
"If it weren't for your full support, none of my ideas could have been put into practice."
Then he chuckled. "And speaking of merit, I'm not number one."
"Huh?" The Third Raikage looked puzzled. "Then who do you think deserves first place?"
Yuzuru's lips curved. "Konoha, of course."
The Third Raikage blinked, then burst into hearty laughter. "You're absolutely right. If not for Konoha, neither the Cloud nor the Land of Lightning could have developed like this."
From repaying the Uchiha clan's former assets in the Land of Fire to purchasing vast quantities of ninja tools from them over the past two years, Konoha had brought in more than fifty billion ryō of revenue.
It was through that money that the Cloud Village—and even the entire Land of Lightning—had managed to complete its massive reconstruction, laying the foundation for its new era.
From here on, all they needed to do was keep building upon it.
"Oh, by the way," the Third Raikage suddenly said, "with the contributions your Uchiha clan has made, even if you didn't join the war, no one would blame you."
"The profits you've brought the village already far outweigh anything a war could bring."
Yuzuru shook his head. "Third, flowers grown in a greenhouse can't withstand a storm."
"The Uchiha have joined the Cloud Village—our fates are now intertwined."
"Besides, my clan members are warmongers. They've been restless for a while. Let them go."
He wasn't lying. When it came to fighting Konoha, the Uchiha were practically ecstatic.
After all the humiliation they had endured there, this was their long-awaited chance to vent. None of them wanted to miss it.
The clan members had collectively submitted requests to him to be deployed to the war front more than once.
At this point, Yuzuru couldn't refuse.
Of course, only those with at least a three-tomoe Sharingan were permitted to fight.
The clan's numbers had already surpassed ten thousand, but only about three hundred possessed a fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan.
Empowered by the clan's [Robust and Vigorous] trait, each of those three hundred had the strength of an elite jonin.
Suffering large-scale casualties was nearly impossible.
"Third Raikage! Lord Yuzuru!"
Tōdai and Mabuma suddenly appeared, blocking their path.
As the Cloud's current logistics chief, Tōdai looked utterly exhausted, dark circles beneath his eyes.
There was simply too much work to do in the Cloud these days. Even with Mabuma's help, he barely slept five hours a night.
If not for his strong ninja constitution, he'd probably have collapsed at his desk by now.
The Third Raikage laughed. "Tōdai, you're a busy man. What brings you out today?"
Tōdai gave a weary smile. "Third Raikage, you and Lord Yuzuru get to enjoy being hands-off leaders—but it's killing me!"
Yuzuru patted him on the shoulder. "Tōdai, it's because we trust you. You wouldn't get treatment like this in Konoha."
At that, Tōdai straightened up, his tone serious. "Lord Yuzuru, I actually came about Konoha."
"Didn't you order us to attack them recently? Well, Hiruzen Sarutobi has sent a letter of inquiry, questioning why we would dishonor our word and move against Konoha after they purchased so many weapons from us."
Yuzuru raised an eyebrow. "Who is dishonoring their word? In business, reputation is everything!"
Seeing his earnest look, Mabuma and Tōdai exchanged bewildered glances.
Konoha was their largest customer. If they really cared about reputation, shouldn't that mean not attacking?
Reading their confusion, Yuzuru explained calmly, "When Konoha fought Sunagakure before, they bought more weapons from us than the Sand did. Did we attack Konoha then?"
Mabuma and Tōdai both nodded.
"Exactly," Yuzuru continued. "Now Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure are all attacking Konoha. Shouldn't Konoha be buying more from us than all three of them combined?"
The two were stunned.
Wait... that actually made sense?
This is knowledge. You all just keep learning!
"Now go and write back to Hiruzen Sarutobi. Repeat exactly what I just said."
"Our reputation is very important; we cannot allow him to slander us without basis."
Mabuma and Tōdai snapped to attention. "Yes, Lord Yuzuru!"
——
——
The Hidden Leaf Village.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzō Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado all sat fuming.
Ever since the Cloud joined the war, the front lines had been in constant crisis. The defenses they had struggled to stabilize were now close to collapse.
Especially against those elusive Uchiha shinobi—never engaging head-on, striking only in ambush, picking off isolated squads.
Even elite teams of three jonin had been completely wiped out. Supplying the front lines had become nearly impossible.
At this rate, if the outer defenses fell, the flames of war would soon reach the Land of Fire itself.
"Those cursed, evil-born Uchiha brats!"
Danzō spat through gritted teeth.
The Cloud hadn't even bothered to hide it—they all knew now that the plan to profit from the war had been Yuzuru Uchiha's idea.
They had always wondered how the so-called muscle-brained Cloud shinobi could come up with such a shrewd scheme.
Now they knew the answer.
Fine, if it had been his idea, so be it. They could accept a blatant scheme if it meant avoiding losses.
But after spending a fortune buying weapons from the Cloud, the Cloud still declared war on them?
That was beyond shameless!
Koharu clutched her chest in pain. "Hiruzen, our families spent a fortune this time. You must demand an explanation from the Cloud!"
"Don't worry," Hiruzen said darkly, exhaling a stream of smoke. "I've already sent a formal protest."
"If they insist on going back on their word, we can't stop them—but we can ruin their reputation."
"The Uchiha value honor above all. Let's use this to destroy their good name."
The Uchiha clan were aristocrats among shinobi, famed since the Warring States era.
If their reputation fell into disgrace across the ninja world, it would be a devastating blow.
A permanent stain that could never be washed away.
Hearing Hiruzen's plan, Danzō, Homura, and Koharu all nodded in agreement.
'That's our Hiruzen.'
They had lost plenty of money, yes—but if they could drag the Uchiha name through the mud, it would all be worth it.
Pleased by his comrades' approval, Hiruzen glanced proudly at the crystal ball on his desk, already deciding to reward himself once the meeting was over.
At that moment, an Anbu appeared before him in a flash, placing a scroll on the desk.
"Lord Hokage," he said gravely, "regarding our protest—Cloud Village has sent a reply."