Yoho, even I, Madara, get this treatment?!

With the help of the shinobi returning from the battlefield, the repair of the clan grounds progressed at a tremendous pace, finishing in just a few days.

One day, Kosuke was organizing documents when the old craftsman from before stood respectfully outside the door frame.

"Lord Kosuke," the craftsman bowed slightly, a careful hope in his eyes. "This old man came today to ask—could I make a set of tables like the square table and the Eight Immortals table in your home for my own use?"

Kosuke glanced up at him, not overthinking it, and said directly, "You can, but... do you plan to make just one set for yourself, or do you want to turn it into a business?"

"Ah?" The craftsman, Uchiha Tree, jerked his head up, staring at Kosuke in disbelief. He hadn't expected a shinobi of this stature to be interested in merchant trade. "Captain Kosuke, to be honest, this old man's family already runs a small furniture business... it's just..."

"Oh? That's perfect." Kosuke's lips curled slightly. "How about this—I provide the blueprints, you handle the manufacturing and sales. I take forty percent of the profit, you take sixty. What do you think?"

"This... this won't do!" Tree was both excited and flustered, waving his hands frantically. "Captain Kosuke, that's not right."

"Not right?" Kosuke raised an eyebrow. "Then forget it. I'll find someone else. If your family needs a set, just make one for yourselves."

"No, Captain Kosuke!" Tree waved his hands in a panic, all trace of his earlier timid demeanor gone. "For you to be willing to cooperate is already a tremendous favor. This humble one would never dare take sixty percent! It should be seventy for you and thirty for me—that's only fair!"

"Seventy for me, thirty for you?"

"Yes! Captain Kosuke's reputation has earned great respect in the clan because of what happened before," he said, rubbing his hands together with a sheepish grin. "With your backing, this business will be as steady as a mountain! You fully deserve that share!"

Kosuke watched Tree rub his hands and felt a small surge of excitement.

Who would have thought that in this war-torn era, he'd stumble into becoming a "capitalist" by accident.

Then, Kosuke let out a light laugh. "Let me be clear from the start—I, Uchiha Kosuke, will back your business, but there's one thing you have to listen to me about."

"Please, Captain Kosuke, speak in detail. This old man will follow your every word!" Tree nodded eagerly, his rough hands scraping against his scalp with a rustling sound.

"You agreed that fast? Not afraid I'll use this to cheat your family?"

Facing Kosuke's teasing, Tree only kept smiling steadily, his eyes brimming with reverence.

"Alright," Kosuke said, his smile fading. "As long as you do this: when selling to clan members, sell at cost. As for outsiders..." A cold, sharp grin suddenly tugged at his lips. "Sell high!"

"If you find anyone else copying and selling," Kosuke's gaze sharpened in an instant, "first secretly record their clan or faction on a scroll. Then, I'll personally pay them a 'visit' according to the list. The Uchiha's things aren't so easy to touch!"

"Rest assured! This humble one understands!" Tree grinned wide, chuckling.

"This humble one will go back now to prepare the contract with the clan and bring it to your home tomorrow morning!"

The next day, Tree knocked on Kosuke's door again.

He clutched the still-wet ink on the contract excitedly, followed by a dull, honest young man—his eldest son, Uchiha Jūchū.

"Tree?"

Kosuke raised an eyebrow at the name on the contract, his mouth twitching.

He double-checked to make sure he wasn't seeing things, but the signed name on the contract hadn't changed a bit.

"That's this old man. This is my eldest son—Uchiha Jūchū. He's studied carpentry under me for three years and can now stand on his own."

Hearing the introduction, Jūchū quickly bowed, his wooden demeanor making his father Tree anxious.

Uh~

So, do you have a grandson named Uchiha Tree-Up?

Kosuke signed his name on the contract, then pulled out the family seal his mother had given him last night and pressed it directly on.

"Alright. The contract is in triplicate—one copy goes to the clan, and you and I each keep one." He handed the contract to Tree. "Go back and finish the construction of the academy first, then come find me. I have a few more furniture blueprints to hand over to you then."

On the way back, Tree's hands trembled so much from excitement he could barely hold the contract.

A fellow craftsman whistled at him repeatedly. "Ooh~ Tree, which girl has taken a liking to you, old carpenter? Look how happy you are!"

"Get lost, get lost!" Tree glared at the man, but couldn't hide the smile at the corners of his mouth.

This old man has a huge stroke of luck today—would I tell a miserable wretch like you?

Dream on!

He suddenly grabbed Jūchū and yanked him around the street corner, his linen apron kicking up fine wood shavings behind him, scattering like a trail of gold dust.

A year later, at six years old, Kosuke had just reached the age to start refining Chakra and couldn't wait to try the new Chakra refinement method.

After discussing it with his mother for a long time, Aoba finally agreed.

Under his mother's worried yet expectant gaze, Kosuke sat cross-legged in his bedroom and began refining Chakra according to the new method.

The moment he refined Chakra, Kosuke felt as if he were immersed in an ocean of Chakra—vast, dense...

He opened his eyes, channeling the Chakra inside him, and a faint blue glow flickered at his fingertips.

"Mom! I did it!"

Aoba immediately reached out and pressed her hand on his shoulder, sending Chakra through her palm into his body.

After a moment, sensing the Chakra volume in her child—exceeding that of a Chunin—a look of surprise and disbelief rose in Aoba's beautiful eyes. "This refinement method..."

"Kosuke, does this mean the new Chakra refinement method is completely problem-free? Can all clan members refine Chakra using this method?"

"Mom, it's not that the new method has no issues at all. Whether it's dangerous for someone who already has Chakra to re-refine is still unclear. But for clan members refining Chakra for the first time, it's completely fine."

"First-time refiners, huh..."

Aoba paused briefly, then nodded softly after a moment of silence. She lifted her gaze to Kosuke with fervent eyes, her voice tinged with excitement. "Should we notify Madara immediately and inform the clan about this?"

"Yes."

Kosuke gave a slight nod, recalling that Madara would be visiting his home that afternoon. "I'll discuss this with Madara in the afternoon."

"Good."

It seemed the prisoners Madara had brought back earlier could now begin training in the new Chakra extraction method. He hoped everything would go smoothly.

Aoba gazed at her son's profile and suddenly noticed that the shadows beneath his lashes already carried a hint of the sharpness unique to the Uchiha.

At the hour of noon.

Eleven-year-old Madara, accompanied by nine-year-old Izuna, knocked precisely on the door ring of Kosuke's home.

Clang~ Clang~ Clang~ Clang~

Mina darted like a swallow toward the door, where the lingering echoes had yet to fade.

With the creak of the door opening.

Madara, his face habitually cold and his arms crossed, along with Izuna, whose expression was brimming with excitement, slowly appeared beneath the lintel.