Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

The lobby of the Land of Waves Bank's Land of Earth branch was packed with Iwa ninja who had come to apply for loans on Onoki's orders. Each person held a queue number and waited anxiously for the clerk to review their funds.

After all, not just anyone can apply for a loan; having real estate will speed up the approval process considerably.

But ordinary ninjas, living on the edge of danger, generally live for the moment, spending as much as they can afford, and rarely have the mindset to invest in real estate.
"No. 438, Shangyuan soil and stone."

"Coming, coming~"

At the sales clerk's call, a middle-aged Iwa ninja with one arm quickly stepped forward and carefully handed over his documents.

“A Jonin with no fixed assets, Mr. Uehara, this is a bit of a problem for you.”

The young, black-haired sales clerk carefully reviewed the basic information of the one-armed Iwa ninja, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly.
Even if an ordinary ninja who is old and has no family fortune has the title of Jonin, he can't squeeze much out of them.

"Please, take a closer look. I once served as the commander of a suicide squad, and the First Tsuchikage personally awarded me a medal."

Uehara Tsuchishi's expression tightened, and he quickly used his one arm to lift his coat, revealing a tan rock medal pinned to the lining.
"This is the Medal of the Will of Earth, and no more than ten people in the entire Hidden Stone Village are qualified to wear it."

As he spoke, a slight blush rose on his weathered face, whether from excitement or shame, it was hard to tell.
"For its sake, please grant me the loan!"

If it weren't for the loan, Uehara Tsuchishi wouldn't have worn the medals he had carefully collected for many years.
"Sorry, we only accept certificates with actual economic value."

The sales clerk gently shook his head. Medals are just personal honors, but honors can never put food on the table.

"If there are no other supporting documents."

"and many more!"

Seeing the sales clerk push his application materials back, Uehara Tsuchishi's flushed face instantly turned deathly pale. A struggle flashed in his ashen eyes, but it ultimately turned into deep helplessness.

"I have another secret technique."

"A secret technique? It's not mentioned in the documents."

The salesperson went through the materials again but didn't find the so-called secret technique.

"Because I once promised that I would never pass on this technique to anyone in my lifetime."

Uehara Tsuchishi bowed his head in defeat; he had ultimately broken his promise.
“Since it is a secret technique, then it is a different story. Please come to the reception area, Mr. Uehara. We have professionals who can assess the value of the secret technique for you.”

Since they could extract something of value from him, the salesperson's attitude instantly became much friendlier. They not only returned Uehara Soil's brochures with both hands but also invited him to move to the nearby office.

"Thank you. I'd like to ask, if it's a secret technique of the Earth Spider clan, what's the maximum amount that can be borrowed?"

"That depends on the specific level of the secret technique, but it will generally not be less than fifty million taels."

"Should we call for fifty million?"

Uehara Tsuchishi took a deep breath and stood up, his expression relaxing considerably.
With this money, he could finally repay the First Tsuchikage's kindness in recognizing his talent and lay the foundation for the village's future with his old, crippled, and useless body.

"Inform Lord Yin that there is a secret technique."

Watching Uehara Tsuchishi leave, the salesperson quietly turned on his communication device and summoned the so-called professionals.

"How boring! The desserts in Iwagakure aren't even good. When will my main body let me change shifts?"

Uchiha Gin's clone, stationed inside the Land of Earth branch, was idly slacking off. He was utterly fed up with this boring place; it was full of nothing but rocks and people as stubborn as rocks.
"Lord Yin, we have a job to do!"

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this good news, the clone immediately stood up, looking at the clansmen who had come to inform him with eyes full of joy.
"Another secret technique?"

"Yes, the mortgagor said it was a secret technique of the Earth Spider clan."

Earth spider clan?
The clone stroked his chin thoughtfully; he had some recollection of this family.

In the original work, there's a girl with instructions tattooed on her shoulder who is an orphan of the Tsuchigumo clan. Their forbidden techniques are indeed quite powerful, even bordering on sage art. The only drawback is their incredibly long casting time.

With this in mind, the clone became slightly more serious, raised its hands to form a hand seal, and used a transformation spell to disguise itself as a seemingly reliable and professional old man.
"Lead the way."

Creak~
As the reception door opened, Uehara Tsuchishi, who had been waiting inside for a long time, stood up alertly, his scrutinizing gaze fixed on the wise-looking old man at the doorway.
Is this what the salesperson meant by "professional"?
He seems to have some real skills, so hopefully he'll overvalue the "Wrath of Heaven" technique.

"You say you possess the secret techniques of the Earth Spider clan?"

"That's right, it's the secret forbidden technique of the Earth Spider Clan, Rage of Heaven."

Uehara Tsuchishi unconsciously revealed a hint of arrogance. The Tsuchigumo clan's Raging Heaven Technique was extremely famous in the ninja world; its terrifying power was praised even by the First Tsuchikage, Ishigawa, who called it a force capable of turning the tide of war.
After sizing up the middle-aged Iwa ninja with the missing arm, the clone nodded.
"If it is truly the technique of unleashing wrath from heaven, we can offer you a limit of one hundred million."

"How could this possibly be faked?"

Upon hearing the old man dare to question him, Uehara Tsuchishi immediately showed displeasure.

"You are insulting my character!"

"I'm sorry, seeing is believing. Just a few days ago there was a fraudster who claimed to know the art of light and heavy rocks. Fortunately, I am knowledgeable and saw through his lie at a glance."

"Raging Heaven is an extremely dangerous technique. If it is released, not only this house, but the entire Iwagakure village will be annihilated."

The claim that Uehara's earth and stone were not mere exaggeration was not an exaggeration. Although he had only unleashed the "Raging Heaven Technique" once in his life, its terrifying destructive power remained vivid in his memory.

Having said that, he subconsciously looked at his empty right hand, the price for unleashing the Wrath of Heaven technique.

"It's okay, I'm a professional."

"No, no matter how professional you are, you still can't."

"1800 seconds."

"Uh, how did you know?"

Upon hearing this number, Uehara Tsuchishi, who had been frowning in refusal, suddenly froze.
1800 seconds is precisely the time required for the "Raging Heaven Technique" to store and accumulate energy; it's a secret known only to those extremely knowledgeable about this technique.

"That's why I said I'm a professional. Go ahead and do your job, we'll just do a quick test and then we'll be done."

"Ok."

He'd really met someone knowledgeable. Uehara Tsuchishi nodded solemnly, raised one hand to his chest, and began to unleash his raging fury.
As the energy storage and accumulation process began, the clone keenly sensed the natural energy in the surrounding environment slowly gathering. A hint of joy flashed in its feigned wise eyes.
It's genuine; he really struck gold!

The "Raging Heaven Technique" is a terrifying technique that gathers surrounding natural energy, compresses it to a certain degree, and then releases it instantly. The power of the technique is directly proportional to the length of time the caster stores the energy; the longer the energy is stored, the greater the area of ​​destruction.
An average person can store gas for a maximum of 1800 seconds, and the radius of the damage can reach hundreds of kilometers. This data was obtained by generations of Earth Spider people at the cost of their lives.

"Okay, that's enough."

The clone smugly offered a reminder, but Uehara Tsuchishi's expression was unusually complex, because he realized he couldn't interrupt the Raging Heaven Technique.
"No, why can't it be interrupted?"

In his anxiety, he suddenly remembered the instructions given to him by the Traveler who had taught him this technique.

[Once the Wrath of Heaven technique is cast, it must be released; otherwise, the caster himself will be the one to be destroyed.]

Damn, we're doomed.

Seeing the surrounding natural energy growing increasingly dense, Shangyuan Tushi was utterly devastated. Not only had he failed to secure the loan, but he was also on the verge of losing his life.
"Ha!" At this critical moment, the clone, sensing something was wrong, narrowed its eyes, stomped its right foot on the ground, and countless incantations scattered and spread, instantly covering the entire room.

"ban!"

As a large "forbidden" character appeared beneath their feet, Uehara Tsuchishi felt a sudden lightness throughout his body, as the heavy natural energy pressing down on him vanished.

"Phew, luckily I was quick."

After completing all this, the clone wiped away non-existent sweat and nodded solemnly.

"You can be released now."

With the gas storage interrupted, the little bit of natural energy that had just been absorbed couldn't cause much of a ripple; at most, it would create a tiny disturbance.

Upon hearing this, Uehara Tsuchishi felt a sense of relief, and the natural energy absorbed by his body poured out, enveloping him in white energy.

"Ah!!! The big one is here!"

"Pfft!"

The clone beside him quickly covered his nose, looking at the man claiming to have a large piece of Uehara Tsuchiko with disgust.

What do you mean by "big"? It's just a big, smelly fart.
"Thank you, sir. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know how to explain this to Lord Tsuchikage."

Uehara Tsuchishi, pale-faced after unleashing his massive fart, looked at his clone with eyes full of gratitude. If it weren't for this miraculous formation blocking natural energy, his unleashed fury might have sent the entire Hidden Stone Village flying into the sky.
"Alright, alright. Although you're not very skilled at it, this is indeed a secret technique of the Earth Spider clan. You can exchange it for a quota of one hundred million. Go out and complete the formalities."

The clone, pinching his nose, waved his hand to indicate that he had finished the test. Uehara Tsuchishi, hearing this, beamed with joy, bowed deeply to him, and then ran out to complete the loan procedures.

"Tsk, you know what, that fart was pretty powerful."

Seeing the dark, exposed buttocks beneath the ripped pants, the clone quickly turned its eyes away.
It's really an eyesore. Why are all the girls in Iwagakure like this? Can't they produce some decent-looking girls?
He remembered that there was a "naked loan" service in his business, so why was no one applying for it? If it weren't for the need to approve naked loans from beautiful women, he would have committed suicide long ago.

How can it be repaired?
“Mr. Uehara, this is a scroll that has been sealed in front of you. If you are unable to repay the loan within the time limit, or if you die for any reason, we will have the right to auction it off.”

At the sales counter, the clerk placed the scroll containing the technique of "Raging Heaven" in front of Uehara Tsuchishi.

Uehara Tsuchishi remained silent for a long time, his mind flashing back to his youthful vigor, the unwavering promise he made to the Enno Gyoza, and the glory he received when he was given important responsibilities by the First Tsuchikage...

"Ok."

After everything vanished like smoke, he slowly raised his empty eyes, bit his finger, and pressed his bloody fingerprint onto the contract on the scroll.
With a flash of blue light, a large "sealed" character appeared on the scroll's surface.
"The contract is established. This scroll cannot be opened until the repayment date. This is 100 million in cash. Please check."

Under Uehara Tsuchishi's complex gaze, the sales clerk put the scroll of the "Raging Heaven Technique" into the safe, and at the same time brought him a heavy storage scroll.
"One hundred million taels, huh? No need to check. I trust your bank's reputation."

Silently pocketing the money he had earned with his last remaining promise, he used a piece of cardboard to shield himself from the ditch's soil and rocks, turned around, and his desolate figure quickly disappeared outside the bank's floor-to-ceiling windows.
This is just a tiny, insignificant example of the countless loan cases in Iwagakure. One veteran, Uehara Tsuchishi, has already left; many more Iwagakure veterans are waiting in line.

"Finally, it's my turn. This is my family's heirloom ninja tool, made entirely of..."

"Don't underestimate this scroll. My grandfather seized it from the battlefield. Its previous owner was a very famous person in Kirigakure..."

"These are my late husband's belongings. He was a fairly well-known Jonin during his lifetime..."

As the day's business ended and the bank doors closed, the clansman responsible for compiling the financial reports approached his slacking-off clone with a grave expression.
"Mr. Yin, in just one day, we have already issued over 10 billion in loans. At this rate, our cash reserves may be depleted."

Previously, the loan business was severely restricted; it wouldn't take a month to lend out this much money. Now, they're lending out this much in just one day, and the cash in the vault is empty in no time.

"It's alright, someone will come to deliver the money soon."

The clone calmly shook its head.

"Was it an emergency transfer from head office?"

The clansmen were overjoyed; with the head office's support, they could resume normal operations tomorrow.

"No."

"what?"

Bang bang bang~
Just as the clansmen were looking at the clone with a confident and composed expression, a series of urgent knocks sounded on the door right on time.

"Come in."

The newcomer was dressed in the uniform of the Demon Soldier Corps. Upon seeing Uchiha Gin's clone, he removed his mask, revealing a young face—it was Uchiha Tomoya.

"Uncle, all our goods have been sold!"

To be on the safe side, Uchiha Yuu personally handled all these smuggling operations.
As he received the transaction details from the wealthy man, the clone's smile widened even further.
"Hmph~ Everything is under my control."

Just as he predicted, Iwagakure was truly desperate and bought up all their remaining goods in one go. Not only that, they also placed an order for the next batch.
Is this enough money?

He tossed the transaction details to a fellow clansman at the bank nearby. Seeing the long string of Chengdu symbols on the payment slip, the clansman's eyes widened in astonishment.

That's enough!

Once the clansmen had left reassured, a very subtle expression appeared on the wealthy man's face as he casually picked up a bank financial report from the side.
"Uncle, if this continues, Iwagakure might really..."

He knew very well that while the loan could solve the immediate crisis, it was tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst for Iwagakure. Such a huge debt would one day crush this once-great village.

"Don't worry, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse, what's a little money like this?"

At this point, Uchiha Gin's clone had to explain to Fu You why he was still able to hold the top sales position in Konoha thirty years later.

"Back when I was selling tailed beasts, the profits I squeezed out of them were far more substantial than this."

"."

the other side,
"Lord Tsuchikage, please take a look."

Inside the brightly lit Tsuchikage's office, a faint smell of disinfectant filled the air. Onoki, seated firmly on his throne, looked at the supply list in his hand and a rare smile appeared on his face.
"Very good. With these supplies, we have the resources to keep fighting the Sand Village."

"But."

Upon hearing this, the Iwa ninja in charge of financial statistics looked bitter, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
"Is there a problem with the loan?"

Onoki frowned. The daimyo had already severely cut Iwagakure's military budget due to import/export issues, and soaring prices had emptied their food reserves. Now, their only hope was to get a small loan from a bank.
If even this channel is gone, he will have no choice but to become a big flyer and fly abroad to run a knife business to earn money.

"No, the Bank of Waves is very fast at lending and disbursing loans. Among the registered ninjas, except for a few who really have no collateral, most of them have been able to get loans to some extent."

As he shook his head in reply, Iwagakure handed over the list of loan applicants that he had already compiled. Onoki took it casually, his gaze falling on the first name.

"Shangyuan Tushi, I remember my grandfather awarded him a medal, it's a pity he's so old and disabled. Wait, one hundred million?"

One second Onoki was lamenting the fall of a hero, but when he saw the several zeros after Uehara Tsuchishi's name, his eyes widened suddenly, his tone changed abruptly, and he blurted out some flattering words.

"Very good. This is a testament to the older generation of Iwagakure people upholding the Will of Earth. Iwagakure will never forget their contributions to the village." (End of Chapter)