Konoha: Rebuild the glory of the Uchiha!

Which student at the Ninja Academy doesn't admire the great Third Hokage?

"I wish I could draw Madara Uchiha's card."

Sousuke Ito's tone was filled with anticipation; if he could draw Madara Uchiha's card, he was certain he could sell it for a high price.

He knew very well that he had no hope of collecting all the cards, but drawing the rarest card and selling it for a good price would definitely ease his mother's burden. Life as a single mother and her child was always very difficult, especially with the mortgage. It was both a hope for the future and a mountain pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe.

Even so, Ito Sousuke didn't intend to spend his hard-earned money on gacha pulls. He didn't believe he had the immense wealth to get a perfect card in one go.

"Do you really want to draw Madara Uchiha's card?"

Madara Uchiha was overjoyed, and he could hardly contain his smile. Even though it was just a child's admiration, it was really awesome!

"Yeah, if I draw the lottery, my mom won't have to work so hard."

Madara Uchiha had already figured out Ito Sousuke's family situation clearly yesterday, and he understood Ito Sousuke's thoughts very well, after all, he was a child from a poor family.

It's time for me to make my move!

Even though it's just one meal, I, Madara Uchiha, don't like owing children favors.

"Then I'll give it a try!"

"Uncle... I think it's better not to. It really depends on luck. Buying a pack is very expensive!!"

Ito Sousuke really didn't want Uchiha Madara to fall into the trap of gacha games. Gacha games were for rich people, and the poor like them could just watch the show from the sidelines.

"Don't underestimate me... I'm Uchiha, cough cough, I was a powerful ninja in my youth!"

After finishing his sentence, Madara Uchiha confidently stepped forward, took out the little money he had left, and bought a pack to test the waters.

"Look at me!"

"It's the First Generation again!!"

"Knew it"

Ito Sousuke was somewhat disappointed. Although he had expected this outcome, a sliver of hope still lingered in his heart. What if... this immense wealth might just fall into his lap?

"Hmph, let's try again!"

"It's the First Generation again."

"Come again!"

"The First Lord"

"I don't believe it anymore!"

"This time it's better, it's the Second Hokage!"

"Tobirama Senju, what bad luck! He's not even as good as Hashirama."

"continue!!"

"First Generation"

"Ichibi. First generation. Second generation."

In just a few minutes, Madara Uchiha drew more than twenty packs of cards, and without exception, they were all low-value cards. Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju made up the vast majority of the packs, while rare cards such as the Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails were drawn. He didn't even draw a single card of his own.

"Grandpa, please stop smoking, I'm scared!"

Madara Uchiha hadn't given up yet; that's how it is when you're obsessed with spending money on gacha pulls. He won't give up until he's spent all his money, especially since Madara Uchiha stole his money and didn't care about material possessions anyway. But Sousuke Ito was genuinely scared; this was simply a waste of money. Madara Uchiha didn't seem like a wealthy person at all.

"Hmph, again!"

Madara Uchiha didn't take Ito Sousuke's words seriously; he was going to draw his own card to show off in front of the brat... *cough*... to help Ito Sousuke solve his family's problems.

After drawing more than a dozen more packs, Madara Uchiha still looked like a loser and didn't draw anything.

Ito Sousuke was anxiously watching from the sidelines, but soon he didn't need to worry anymore because his lunch break was over, and there was no use in being anxious.

"Grandpa, please stop smoking. You're so old, why are you still so stubborn?"

"Pretending to be tough? I am..."

"Kid, hurry up and go to school. I'm sure I'll be able to draw the rarest card today!"

Madara Uchiha's mentality was already on the verge of collapse. The last time he encountered such a troublesome situation that left him helpless was when he was being overwhelmed by Hashirama Senju's wooden puppet.

Moreover, Madara Uchiha didn't have much money left. He originally planned to use it for food and lodging in Konoha during this period. If he hadn't managed to get it, he would really have to send out clones to exchange for gold and take on some bounty missions. Going to experience life and work in a factory at this time might just be fate.

Madara Uchiha dismissed Sousuke Ito, then gritted his teeth and went all in!

If I lose, I'll have to work in a factory. If I win... well, I guess I'll have to work in a factory too. This card was originally meant for that brat, Ito Sousuke.

in the afternoon

Hokage Building

Uchiha Nan yawned, looking rather listless. After waking up, he had fought all afternoon, and ultimately, fighting two against one was a disadvantage.

This damned ninja world! No matter how strong a ninja is, the gap in physical abilities between them and ordinary people is just too much. There are only oxen that are exhausted from plowing the fields, not fields that are overworked. Let's call a truce for now and go for a stroll outside. I'll just casually check in at the Hokage Building and call it a day. It's not good for the Hokage to skip work for a whole day.

I'll have a final showdown with them tonight!

As Uchiha Nan approached the Hokage Building, the ninjas working there, who were just ordinary employees, all showed surprised expressions when they saw him.

The Hokage actually clocked in for work today! It's not that the Hokage was indulging in beautiful women today... cough cough, it's all for Konoha... which caused him to overwork himself and had to skip work for a day.

"Lord Hokage, you actually came?" "Lu Yuan, I am the Hokage! What do you mean, 'I actually came'?"

Uchiha Nan was somewhat dissatisfied. Although he liked to slack off and be lazy, often leaving get off work early to go shopping with his two sisters and find a hotel to check in, seeking some excitement, he would be late the next morning, or even skip half a day of work, only coming back in the afternoon, and sometimes not even coming back in the afternoon at all. But your surprised expression was really hurtful.

Was Uchiha Nan an incompetent Hokage?

This is governing the world by doing nothing, and the world is at peace!

Nara Shikamaru's forehead was sweating. The Hokage's private life was notoriously chaotic, and it was well-known in Konoha. Which of the Konoha's high-ranking officials didn't know that Uchiha Nan had twin sisters? The Uzumaki clan sent one, and the Hyuga clan sent another. There were even rumors that the Hokage had been involved in an impart.

Five people. Cough cough, of course. Gossip about important people always spreads very quickly and very outrageously.

"Miss Chiyo, I've been waiting for the Hokage in the office for a long time. Today, Kakuzu came to see you and ran into you while you were signing something."

"After Kakuzu and Chiyo chatted for a while, Chiyo became unusually nervous. It seems that Kakuzu and Chiyo discussed some business transactions between the two villages."

Nara Shikamaru immediately changed the subject. He certainly didn't know about the rumors and gossip about Uchiha Nan. Even the most powerful people have information cocoons, and the ninjas responsible for gathering intelligence wouldn't be stupid enough to report such gossip to Uchiha Nan.

The female protagonists involved, apart from Kaede and Rin from Uchiha Nan's family, all have high-ranking identities. The rumors are so convincing, if they're false, these people will have to take the blame. If they're true, then it's even more frightening. I won't get involved, I won't get involved. I just want the Hokage to have fun.

Uchiha Nan had no idea that his personal integrity was worse than he imagined. Who was this bastard gossiping behind his back? It wouldn't matter if he had done something wrong, but the bastard really hadn't done anything! (Hyuga Takuma: Don't mention him! Uzumaki Aoshi: Me too!)

"I see. It's alright. Kakuzu is a money-grubber. I forgot to tell him to be gentle when negotiating, but it doesn't matter. We weren't planning to make money on these deals anyway, so losing a little money is perfectly acceptable."

Since Kakuzu has inadvertently become the bad cop, he should continue playing the good cop.

"Lord Hokage, this isn't profitable; it's even going to result in a loss. We're going to form an alliance with Sunagakure and do a losing business. Konoha isn't the Konoha of the past anymore; we don't need to do this at all."

Nara Shikagawa quickly got into work mode. As Uchiha Nan's frequent deputy, Nara Shikagawa was all too familiar with Konoha's financial situation, development speed, and the rate of strength growth.

For Konoha, the concept of allies has always been: if you are strong, you are my ally; if you are weak, you are just meat on the chopping block.

"Back when the First Hokage was alive, Sunagakure was..."

The alliances between ninja villages are as fragile as a piece of paper. Even during wartime, forming a so-called defensive alliance requires careful consideration of whether the other side will stab you in the back. How much more so now, in peacetime, would Konoha be willing to pay to form an alliance?

Nara Shikamaru's attempt to persuade Uchiha Nan to abandon the so-called alliance agreement was a thankless task. Although Konoha was wealthy, having money didn't mean throwing it away, especially since the dog might turn around and bite Konoha.

"Lu Yuan, when will you truly broaden your horizons? Don't you know the situation in Sunagakure? It's all sand. Food, medicine, and daily necessities are extremely scarce. The major merchants who supply us are almost all forced there by the Daimyo of the Land of Wind. If they had a choice, they would rather go to the Land of Rivers. Those merchants are unwilling to do business that is both tiring and low-profit."

"You're saying that if Konoha's merchants gradually replace those from the Land of Wind, leveraging our growing industrial strength, they could completely infiltrate Sunagakure's livelihoods within a few years. We might lose money initially, but Konoha's influence would thoroughly extend to Sunagakure, for example, in terms of public opinion. Once we cut off their..."

"Furthermore, I've already discussed it with Sunagakure. They will send the children of their high-ranking members to Konoha to study. These children will all be inclined towards Konoha in the future. We can even select some valuable children from among them. Wouldn't it be interesting if Konoha supported a Fourth Kazekage?"

Uchiha Nan's simple words sent a chill down Nara Shikato's spine. Their livelihood was completely controlled by Konoha, their public opinion was infiltrated by Konoha, and even the Sand Village's leadership had been bought off by Konoha. The Sand Village was doomed.

In the past, the battles between ninja villages were always fought on the battlefield, but now Nara Shikamaru's perspective has been broadened once again by Uchiha Nan.

"The Hokage is truly insightful!"

Nara Shikamaru looked at Uchiha Nan with fear and awe in his eyes. This unconventional way of subverting a ninja village sent chills down Nara Shikamaru's spine.

The future of Konoha will likely involve gradually eroding the entire ninja world in this way.

"Now that you understand, I'll help you deal with the higher-ups in Sunagakure. You can handle the rest with Kakuzu. I've given you the direction; all I care about is the result."

Uchiha Nan gave Nara Shikamaru a little push, reminding him to work harder as part of his daily routine. Whether they were ordinary people or ninjas, Uchiha Nan always treated them all the same, considering them all exploitable.

"As ordered!"

These methods, which had been used to death in previous lives, were already considered remarkable in the face of the Konoha ninjas who preferred to solve problems with force.

Although the Konoha ninjas revered martial prowess, they weren't inflexible. War meant death, and they still remembered the horrific carnage of the First Shinobi World War. To be able to eliminate Sunagakure, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages alongside Konoha, without shedding a drop of blood was an incredible stroke of luck.

Going to war costs money, and if Commissioner Smith of the United States had been less greedy and had chosen to directly bribe the Afghan soldiers, the war wouldn't have turned out so badly.

Nara Shikawara's tone was excited. Although his work pressure had increased again, this new way of fighting made his blood boil, and a strange emotion arose in Nara Shikawara's heart.

"I'll go and appease Chiyo. You go and get me a complete list of everyone who has entered or left Konoha in the last three days. I have something important to investigate!"

Nara Shika was puzzled by Uchiha Nan's sudden action. The Hokage wouldn't even glance at such trivial matters, especially with the huge population flow in Konoha right now. Checking all the people who registered in the last three days would be a huge hassle.

"Okay, Hokage-sama."

However, Nara Shikamaru obediently carried out Uchiha Nan's orders.

"Smack."

"Hokage-sama!!"

Uchiha Nan pushed open the door, and Chiyo, upon hearing the sound, hurriedly stood up. Seeing that it was Uchiha Nan who had entered, she immediately rushed to his side.

"Ms. Chiyo, I apologize for keeping you waiting. I was delayed by something today, please don't worry about it."

As Uchiha Nan walked to his seat, he exchanged pleasantries with Chiyo.

"It's alright, Lord Hokage. I didn't wait long. The environment here is such that I could sit here all day and still enjoy it."

Chiyo didn't care at all that Uchiha Nan had stood her up all morning. Putting aside psychological factors, the environment of Uchiha Nan's office was already quite comfortable for Chiyo, who had lived in Sunagakure for many years. There was air conditioning, a sofa, and unlimited desserts and drinks.

"Lord Hokage, the alliance agreement between Konoha and Sunagakure."

Chiyo spoke in a humble tone.

Chapter 124 Uchiha Nan: My heart that was hanging in suspense has finally died. Uchiha Madara is indeed in Konoha!