I, Uchiha: Split Konoha

Chapter 225 The Corruption of Konoha

Inside the Akatsuki's shadowy base.

"Nagato, this is the latest intelligence."

Sitting on a strange puppet, the gaunt Nagato slowly opened his eyes. Since finding his life's goal, his mental state has completely changed.

Upon receiving the information, Nagato couldn't help but exclaim, "Although the Fire Temple's Sage Techniques haven't been fully mastered yet, they truly live up to the name 'Sage Techniques'."

Upon seeing this, Konan's usually cold expression softened slightly. "Nagato, your leg?"

Seeing Konan's worry, Nagato laughed confidently and said, "Although I haven't succeeded in mastering it yet, Sage Chakra does have the amazing ability to nourish the body. At least my legs won't get any worse."

No one wants to be crippled, let alone a ninja with world-destroying power. The body, which had been overdrawn, seemed to have a sense of stability under the Sage Art.

Upon opening the information scroll, Nagato narrowed his eyes, a serious expression on his face. "Mr. Yoru has already begun to embark on his own path of ninja."

The intelligence report clearly details the recent changes in Konoha, especially the police department led by Uchiha Yoru, which has directly formed a new political system and is now openly clashing with the older generation of Konoha's political system.

In Nagato's eyes, Uchiha Yoru was his guiding light, and the person he admired most in the ninja world.

"Nagato, Mr. Yoru doesn't know our true identities, but recently the police department has contacted our Akatsuki organization."

Konan slowly took out a mission scroll. "Since the Uchiha clan's industries and trade outside the Land of Fire came to light with the friction with the Third Hokage's lineage, they have been suppressed by many people. However, the current situation is very strange."

"Then another ninja squad appeared to protect the Uchiha industry. According to intelligence, these people should be from Iwagakure and Kumogakure. It seems that Mr. Yoru was a little worried and actually ordered the hiring of an elite ninja squad to intercept and kill these ninjas who made the move."

Even Konan could see it clearly: the other ninja villages had waited so long for Konoha to be in turmoil, how could they possibly let Konoha have an easy time?

The Uchiha are evil? The Uchiha want to split up? You, the Third Hokage, are secretly trying to weaken the Uchiha's business, so they will secretly help you.

In short, if the Uchiha have any difficulties, they'll step in without you even having to ask. It would be best if they could cause an internal power struggle and coup in Konoha.

"Alright, the Akatsuki accepts the mission from the Uchiha clan."

There's money to be made, and free helpers too; only a fool wouldn't do it.

"Also, this is Uchiha Yoru's private letter, sent to the address we left last time."

After finishing their business, Konan took an envelope from her bosom. When Nagato saw it, he showed a serious expression, even more so than when he was giving the intelligence earlier.

Upon opening the envelope and reading the contents of the letter, including a medical prescription preparation, Nagato's face broke into a smile.

"Mr. Ye is truly a man of integrity."

He never expected that Uchiha Yoru would still remember his body and, after a period of research, even concoct a suitable medicine to reveal the other party's identity.

Seeing Nagato so obsessed, Konan frowned with some worry. "Nagato, this Mr. Yoru will probably be our greatest enemy in the future."

Given the current situation, other ninja villages will obviously be secretly helping the Uchiha, with the sole purpose of weakening Konoha.

However, as long as the Third Hokage cannot quell the rebellion with overwhelming force, Uchiha Yoru will only grow stronger.

Seeing Konan's worry, Nagato revealed a confident smile, "Our goals are the same, only the processes are a little different, but who will succeed in the end! Hehe, I believe my eyes can see further, and I will let Mr. Yoru see it then."

"His thinking is too one-sided. Setting rules for the ninja world is just as Mr. Ye wrote in his book: the human heart is the most unpredictable thing."

Both of them ultimately aimed for peace. Nagato wanted to create powerful weapons from the tailed beasts, just as the Senju and Uchiha clans once dominated the ninja world and no one dared to start a war.

"And Uchiha Yoru!" Nagato shook his head, thinking of this, and said, "Perhaps this is a matter of perspective. If Mr. Yoru knew this method, perhaps he would change his mind."

At this moment, he could only attribute it all to Uchiha Yoru not knowing that the nine tailed beasts could create the strongest weapons.

……

Rock Shadow Village.

In the Tsuchikage's office, Onoki looked at the Konoha intelligence report and couldn't help but sneer. "Sarutobi, Sarutobi, you've been so proud your whole life. It seems you're going to ruin your reputation for the rest of your days."

"Pass down the order to me: among the trade goods coming from the Land of Fire, prioritize those bearing the Uchiha name."

"yes!"

"Also, keep a close eye on them. Any ninja who disrupts trade with the Uchiha, regardless of their identity, must be silenced."

"yes!"

"Lord Tsuchikage, is this alright?" An assistant in the office looked puzzled upon hearing this.

Without even looking, Onoki knew the expressions on everyone's faces. He sneered, "A golden opportunity. Konoha was almost completely wiped out during the Third Shinobi World War, but then the Fourth Hokage appeared. Konoha has so many geniuses, it's a pity that Hiruzen Sarutobi doesn't know how to use them."

At this point, Onoki's face showed a strong sourness, and he cursed inwardly, "Don't even mention a genius like the Fourth Hokage, even if you gave me someone a level below him, I would worship him."

"Konoha suffered huge losses in the Third Shinobi World War, and even experienced the Nine-Tails' attack, but it's only been a few years! Not to mention the geniuses that have emerged in Konoha, their military strength alone far surpasses ours."

At this point, Onoki became even more envious. "Your Konoha is full of geniuses, and you occupy the most fertile land. With your strong economic recovery, Konoha is recovering at an incredibly fast pace."

"This is a rare opportunity! Uchiha Yoru has awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, all we need to do is give him time!" As he said this, Onoki revealed a sinister, gloating smile.

"Haha, this time I must seize the opportunity and take advantage of Konoha's internal strife to develop its military strength."

Although Onoki was old at this time, his eyes revealed a strong ambition. The Mist Village was already fighting among itself, and the Sand Village, which was at the bottom, also had signs of internal divisions. Not to mention Konoha, with so many people in the ninja world watching it now.

At this moment, Onoki couldn't help but sigh, "What an eye-opener! He was able to seize the opportunity to rise to power in my lifetime."

Of the five great ninja villages in the ninja world, only Kumogakure and Iwakage remain. Taking advantage of Konoha's internal strife, he is focusing all his efforts on developing his military strength. In the next Shinobi World War, he is determined to tear a piece of fat flesh off the fertile land of the Land of Fire.

……

Country of Fields.

"Ahhh! Glug glug~"

A scream followed by what sounded like drowning. Inside a huge container, a boy struggled in agony as countless liquids poured into his body, and he lost consciousness in a short time.

At the same time, a faint orange-red chakra wafted in the air, and Uchiha Yoru, watching this scene, chuckled and waved his hand mockingly, "It seems that the Daimyo's mansion has quite a few tricks up its sleeve."

"Heh, I'm more curious about your methods, Night Lord. You even managed to infiltrate the Fire Temple." Orochimaru's sinister laugh was laced with an eerie undertone.

Uchiha Yoru shrugged, unconcerned, and joked, "The Uchiha clan has been ostracized and isolated for so long, how could they possibly sit idly by and not look for some allies? If there aren't any in the village, then naturally they can go to the Land of Fire to find some."

"However, it is obvious that the Daimyo's Mansion has always been timid, or rather cautious, and fears that it will cause a backlash. Therefore, it has always turned a blind eye to the Uchiha's goodwill. It is normal that the Fire Temple has some spies."

Orochimaru let out a hoarse laugh at Uchiha Yoru's explanation. It was reasonable and logical, but what did it have to do with him? They were just his experimental subjects.

"Orochimaru-sensei, this child is the son of Kazuma, one of the twelve guardian ninjas of the Daimyo's mansion. He received some of the Nine-Tails' chakra from a young age and is now considered a pseudo-Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. I need this child to grow up quickly."

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru frowned and said hoarsely, "The nutrient solution can accelerate growth, but it will also damage the child's future potential."

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Yoru's face immediately revealed a strange smile. "The current situation doesn't allow me to have a merciful heart, and besides!"

At this point, Uchiha Yoru turned his head and watched as the smile on Orochimaru's face gradually faded. "Right now, my power is only allowed to protect my own people."

"And he's not one of us!" From the very beginning, Uchiha Yoru never treated the other party as one of his own, but rather as a weapon.

The other party was originally just a weapon, only now it has a different owner.

"Hehe, Night Lord, you're becoming more and more perfect."

Amidst their nonsensical words, Orochimaru and Uchiha Yoru exchanged a glance and both smiled. They saw ambition in each other's eyes, but their ambitions could be mutually beneficial.

Their ambitions never clashed.

The Fire Temple imitated the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki "Ku," and he sold the information to Orochimaru early on. Orochimaru naturally took this weapon with him when he returned from the Land of Water.

"Hehe, I'm really looking forward to Ye Jun's future."

For the first time, Orochimaru felt a strong interest in someone, and his golden snake eyes seemed to want to see that person's future.

First, there was half of the Nine-Tails, belonging to the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. The Nine-Tails' terrifying power would be immeasurable if Karin, this little girl, truly mastered it.

However, that's all in the future; the pseudo-Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in front of us is the present.

The future requires nurturing and refinement, while the present is ready for immediate use; in other words, "emptiness" has always been a weapon in their hands.

When necessary, Uchiha Yoru will be summoned directly.

Uchiha Yoru made no attempt to hide his ambition and plans from Orochimaru, directly working himself to the bone to become a pseudo-Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Although he could only unleash four tails, he still possessed Kage-level destructive power.

……

Konoha, a tavern.

"Hey, things have finally gotten a bit easier lately."

"Who can argue with that? The shadow of war has finally lifted."

"Haha, a rebel army has appeared in Kirigakure. Kirigakure doesn't have the mind to fight us anymore. Their own Land of Water is in a mess."

The ninjas gathered in the tavern, mostly to relax their long-suppressed spirits. Bragging, joking, and even drinking were all ways to relieve stress.

"Why is there been no movement from the village since the Fifth Hokage was appointed?"

"All three generations are in their sixties. Didn't they all resign a few years ago? Why don't they want to step down now that they're in office?"

"Shh, stop complaining. What does this have to do with us?"

"Hmph, do you remember when we signed up before the mission? Guess what? The ninja academy teachers accepted Sarutobi Hiru."

At a dinner table, two ninjas openly showed their displeasure. The third ninja finally sighed helplessly, "Save it. Go back and get a good night's sleep. Just pretend nothing happened. We're not cut out for that."

"Hmph, during World War III they said it was because of the shortage of supplies that all supplies went up in price. But now? Peace has been restored, and look at these resources that are monopolized."

"Shut up, if you think it's too expensive, you can go to the Uchiha clan's territory to buy it."

"Are you pretending I didn't go? The Uchiha clan itself has more supply than demand, and they don't sell much to outsiders at all."

Inside a private room, two figures listened quietly to the complaints of the various ninjas, and eventually both of them frowned.

"Kakashi, the Hokage's faction has monopolized the village's rations and some precious medical resources."

Looking at Kakashi, Uchiha Shisui couldn't help but frown and said in a deep voice, "The land of the Land of Fire is fertile, and even the ninjas of Konoha are powerful, but almost half of the reward for each mission goes to medical expenses."

"I hadn't paid much attention to it before, but after Brother Ye reminded me, and with the police department's hospitals only allowed to operate internally and not for profit, I finally understood."

"It was clearly a simple injury, and the actual material consumption was less than 10,000, but the ninja had to pay ten times the reward. Nearly half of the tasks that the ninja risked their lives to complete were handed over to the medical department, and the rest had to be used to purchase various supplies."

Listening to Shisui's investigation, Kakashi Hatake sighed, which was rare for him. "Shisui, the medical department was originally established at Tsunade's suggestion, but later, because the village provided a lot of financial and material resources, and Tsunade has been gone for so long, the village also needs money."

"Money?" Shisui looked at Kakashi with a disdainful look that seemed to say, "Don't take me for a fool, Orochi."

"The injury could have been treated with medical ninjutsu and healed in half a month after returning home, but instead, he was hospitalized in the medical department for a month and used a lot of high-profit drugs. Of course, these drugs wouldn't have any effect on his body."

At this point, Shisui revealed a self-deprecating, mocking smile. "I almost forgot, Sarutobi is now in charge of the medical department."

"Furthermore, after the Nine-Tails' rampage, when the village was rebuilt, Danzo Shimura and the Ino-Shika-Cho clans joined forces to divide the village for reconstruction. Not only were the Uchiha clans marginalized, but what about the countless ordinary ninjas? It sounds nice, but in reality, their clan occupied the best land under the new planning, and even turned these so-called replanned areas into commercial districts."

"It drives up housing prices; now, housing prices in the center of the village are even more outrageously high."

"Let's leave those aside for now. What do you mean by the higher-ups drinking ninja blood?!" Shisui's eyes showed a hint of weariness. After experiencing the use of Kotoamatsukami, he learned more about the inside story.

"The Nine-Tails' dead ninja, what about their property? Even the Fourth Hokage's property was misappropriated under the pretext of rebuilding Konoha, but what about the property allocated by the Daimyo's government? Heh, it's an absolute irony."

"Kakashi, do you know that the Sarutobi and Ino-Shika-Cho clans are now secretly using the excuse of leading teams to force genin to pay money to learn advanced techniques? These are the ordinary skills that should be taught by the leading ninjas, but they've turned them into this mess."

"There are even more shameless ones, such as certain positions in various departments, like prison guard ninjas, clerical positions in certain departments, or patrol missions. It's not enough for you to just meet the ninja level and mission standards; you also need to make deals."

After Zhishui learned from the higher-ups about the various families' methods of accumulating wealth, he almost collapsed. The village had become so corrupt, with everyone from top to bottom acting this way.

I have some family matters to attend to, so I can only update once today. I'll resume updating twice tomorrow.

There's also an Easter egg image showing that the military strength of the five great ninja villages was preserved before the Five Ninja Summit. Konoha had already fallen out of first place at that time, according to official data.

(End of this chapter)