Chapter 174: Senju Hashirama — You're the Greatest Hokage, but Your Brother Only Deserves to Follow My Lead!
Uchiha Makoto folded up the letter from the First Tsuchikage.
It was one of those too-good-to-be-true situations—so, out of caution, he went over the recent chain of events in his mind.
He analyzed everything carefully, trying to view the matter from the Tsuchikage's perspective.
"A trap?""No… this shouldn't be a trap. Iwagakure has nothing to gain by provoking Akatsuki right now."
Makoto immediately dismissed the idea of an ambush.It made no sense—there was no advantage for Iwa in deceiving Akatsuki at this point.
The current public sentiment across the ninja world still slightly favored Iwagakure.But the Tsuchikage himself had been backed into a corner.Iwagakure and Kirigakure were separated by an ocean, and the conflict had erupted far too suddenly for Iwa to be prepared—whereas Akatsuki's war against Kumogakure had been planned meticulously from the start.
So the First Tsuchikage couldn't possibly hope to recreate Akatsuki's success against the Cloud.Knowing that, he should be trying to de-escalate the situation.
And as for the growing public discourse…Makoto smirked.
"So, the Tsuchikage's letter is a gesture of goodwill—no, more like a plea for mercy.""He wants me to step in and cool things down."
Makoto quickly grasped the Tsuchikage's intent:He wanted Akatsuki's help to suppress the growing media storm, calm tensions, and, in return, offer Akatsuki a favor—perhaps even a joint stance against Kirigakure.
Now Makoto began calculating how to maximize his own gains.
If the Tsuchikage needed him, then Iwagakure would have to pay dearly for it.
Makoto hadn't forgotten how, during Akatsuki's war with the Cloud, the Tsuchikage had ruined his perfectly crafted plans—almost robbing him of total victory.
Without wasting time, Makoto penned a brief letter to Senju Tobirama:
"The plan is moving ahead early. The rewards will be enormous. Just follow my Sharingan's lead."
That was all Tobirama needed.They didn't need long explanations—just a nudge, a signal.
Opportunities to profit from the struggles between two great ninja villages were rare and precious.
Makoto immediately summoned the wealthy magnates from Arasaka Corporation and several powerful Fire Country nobles for an emergency meeting.
With the war over, capital was pouring into every corner of the ninja world.Factories were sprouting up not only in the Fire Country but across the continent.And all those goods needed new markets.
The more open the trade routes between nations, the better for everyone—especially for the merchants.
"Lord Light Shadow," one merchant said excitedly, "this time it's Iwagakure and Kirigakure, huh? You really are something!""To be honest, I've always admired your idea of free trade. Those customs barriers are killing us. We already bear transport losses, and with tariffs on top of that—our profits vanish!"
The other merchants nodded vigorously.
Those who dealt in industry and international trade knew well how devastating transport costs and tariffs could be.
Transport was a nightmare.Each country's infrastructure was different.Even the Fire Country struggled to modernize its roads and rail systems.
Only recently, with the rise of industrialists pushing for profit, had the government begun investing heavily in national highway construction.
Makoto himself had taken several such contracts—sending Akatsuki ninja to help with civil engineering using Earth Release techniques.
They couldn't build highways yet, but dirt roads between villages? Perfectly doable.
Other nations weren't nearly as advanced, meaning merchants had to shoulder even more losses.
Still, as long as the Fire Country kept its lead, it was tolerable.
But when foreign tariffs entered the equation… that was another story.
Even if your products were superior in quality and price, the nobles and merchants of other nations weren't fools—they would simply use the law to block you out to protect their own markets.
Sure, smuggling was always an option—but it was risky.All it took was one mission posted by a rival village, and your entire operation could vanish overnight.
That's why these merchants were so excited—because they'd already tasted the benefits of Akatsuki's growing military power.
After Akatsuki's victory over the Cloud, its merchants gained extraordinary privileges within the Land of Lightning.Anyone with Akatsuki backing could bypass trade restrictions and sell freely.
Even if the Lightning Country tried to resist, it was nearly impossible to enforce—the Akatsuki ninja would step in.
"This is only the beginning," Makoto reminded them sharply. "Don't get carried away.""Akatsuki is the mediator this time, not the victor."
He poured a bucket of cold water over their excitement.Unlike the war with the Cloud, this wasn't a conquest—it was a negotiation.
But the merchants still buzzed with enthusiasm.Even a small opening was better than nothing.
After a heated discussion, they drafted a list of "requests"—essentially bribes hidden behind diplomatic language.They wanted Iwagakure to look the other way regarding certain "gray zone" activities in future missions.
Makoto skimmed the list.It wasn't excessive.Given how little most ninja understood about economics, the Tsuchikage would probably accept.
By the time the Earth Country realized what was happening, it would already be a year or two too late.
As for the Water Country—well, they tended to follow Makoto's lead anyway.
The biggest issue would be the fishing zones—especially the unclaimed island chains, which no one really cared about until now.That, however, was a political as well as military issue.
Which meant… Makoto would once again be interfering in Fire Country's internal affairs.
He grimaced.His earlier salt trade monopoly had already pushed that boundary, but with the Daimyō's backing (and the profits involved), no one had dared to complain.
This time was different.
The massacre of the Qinghua noble clan had already sparked outrage among Fire Country's elites.And now Akatsuki was preparing to open a bank and issue its own currency.
For now, that currency would circulate only inside the village—but everyone knew Akatsuki's ambitions were far greater.
Economically, Akatsuki was still weaker than the Fire Country as a whole.The nobles were already plotting to counter its currency system through financial manipulation.
Makoto couldn't respond with brute force this time—not without shattering his credibility.
In business, reputation is everything.
So, for now, he had to keep a low profile inside the Fire Country.Keep pushing, and eventually even the nobles' pride would erupt.
He turned toward the gathered aristocrats.
This meeting, he knew, was really just a revolving door of influence.He didn't need tricks to get them here—just one thing: money.
The Fire Country's government had been stuck in gridlock for years.Makoto's Akatsuki had broken that stagnation.
Sure, he often crossed red lines, but he got results.That alone had earned him a lot of silent support.
As long as you didn't act recklessly and were willing to make money together, Makoto was happy to cooperate.And once these nobles tasted profit, they naturally came back for more.
"Lord Light Shadow, leave the fishing rights issue to us—we'll work the Daimyō," one noble said confidently."But about the canning factory… and the profit share…""Relax," Makoto replied with a faint smile. "There's plenty to go around.""Then we have no objections."
After a few rounds of polite bargaining, they reached an agreement.
When the meeting ended, Makoto personally saw the delighted nobles out.
Now, all that remained was to wait.
Konoha was already standing by for his signal.His letter to the Tsuchikage would take some time to arrive.Negotiations between Iwa and Kiri would take longer still—after all, Iwa agreeing wasn't enough; Kirigakure also had to consent.
Makoto was confident they would.If they refused… then there would simply be war.Forcefully seizing the fishing grounds was always an option.
But before that, he had other plans.
If there was going to be a formal negotiation, he wanted to make it official.
Konoha, Akatsuki, Iwa, Kiri—the four great powers of the current era.Together, they could settle nearly all disputes in the ninja world.
Makoto wanted to use this moment to create a council of ninja leaders—the same idea the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, had once dreamed of:the Five Kage Summit.Only this time, it would be a Six Kage Summit.
In the original timeline, Hashirama had briefly succeeded in gathering the five Kage to sign a peace agreement—vowing to replace war with negotiation.
But after dividing the tailed beasts and signing the treaty, Hashirama soon died.With his death, the entire framework collapsed overnight, and the treaty became worthless.
Makoto, however, had no interest in endless wars.The longer peace lasted, the stronger Akatsuki would grow.
And this was several years before Hashirama's historical summit.If Makoto acted now, the results could be even better than the original.
If the Iwa–Kiri conflict could be resolved smoothly, it would make a perfect pilot project for his "international council."
Even if the meetings turned into shouting matches over profit and pride, that was still progress.
At least they'd be arguing face-to-face, not stabbing each other over rumors and misinformation.
Handled properly, this could become a terrifyingly powerful platform—a place for business disguised as diplomacy.
Traditional ninja were stubborn, yes, but none of them hated making money.Once there were financial ties between villages, there'd be mutual restraint—and mutual dependence.
Even constant arguing would be a step toward stability.
And for Akatsuki, with its head start, this was the perfect chance to embed its capital into every rival's economy—eventually dominating them from within.
Even if full control was impossible, recruiting ninja who benefited from Akatsuki's money would be enough.Once they had financial backers from outside their own villages, they'd start defending Akatsuki's interests from within—just like the Uchiha clan had done.
Add some media power—through Akallywood and its propaganda—and Akatsuki might even seize indirect control over other villages.
Makoto chuckled as he scribbled notes on his desk.
"I'm such a villain," he murmured. "Doing shady things like this…"
He was preparing to pre-empt Hashirama's dream, establishing the Five (now Six) Kage framework under Akatsuki's leadership.
It was all about who controlled the narrative.
"Sorry, First Hokage," he said with a grin."But hey—you're not the type to care about titles anyway.""And who knows—this way, you might not even have to bow and beg for cooperation next time."
(End of Chapter)