Uchiha Madara, Please Stop Drawing! I'm Scared!

"The rarest card in the collection is Madara Uchiha; there haven't been many of them yet. I remember the last one was just a week ago... Hmm, let me think... He's Uchiha ninja. I'm so envious that I had to buy over a hundred packs to get him!"

Itou Sousuke recalled the last time Madara Uchiha's card appeared; the scene was incredibly lively. The moment he drew the card, he became the object of admiration and envy among the students of the Ninja Academy.

The power of money is simply terrifying!

On one hand, it was to satisfy his competitive spirit; on the other hand, as long as he collected all the cards, he could meet Uchiha Nan and get his autograph.

The wealthy young men of the ninja clan are never short of money. Some lucky ones get rare cards on their first try and immediately offer high prices to buy them.

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

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

Itou Sousuke'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 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 difficult, especially with the mortgage. It was both a hope for the future and a mountain weighing her down, making it hard to breathe.

Even so, Itou 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; he could barely contain his smile. Even though it was just a child's admiration, it was truly exhilarating!

"Yeah, if I drew that lottery, my mom wouldn't have to work so hard."

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

It's time for me to make my move!

Eating a meal from a child, even if 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. A pack of these is very expensive!!"

Itou Sousuke really didn't want Madara Uchiha 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 Madara Uchiha confidently stepped forward, took out the little money he had left, and bought a pack to test the waters.

"Watch me!"

"It's the First again!!"

"As expected."

Itou Sousuke was somewhat disappointed. Although he had expected this outcome, a faint 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 again."

"Again!"

"First Master"

I refuse to believe it!

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

"Tobirama Senju is such bad luck; he's not even as good as Hashirama."

"Continue!!"

"First"

"One-Tailed. First. Second."

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-Tailed Demon Fox and Gyūki were not 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 his money and didn't care about material possessions anyway. But Itou Sousuke 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 Itou Sousuke's words seriously; he was going to draw his own card to show off in front of the brat. Ahem, to help Itou 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.

Itou Sousuke was anxiously watching from the sidelines, but soon Itou Sousuke no longer needed to worry because his lunch break was over, and worrying was useless.

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

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

"Kid, hurry up and go to school! I'm sure I'll 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.

Furthermore, Madara Uchiha didn't have much money left. He had originally planned to use it for his food and lodging in Konoha during this period, but if he hadn't managed to get some, he would really have to send out clones to Bounty Exchange and take on some bounty missions. Perhaps it was fate that he was going to experience life and work in a factory at this time.

Madara Uchiha dismissed Itou Sousuke, 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 Itou Sousuke.

afternoon

Hokage Building

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

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

I'll have a final showdown with them tonight!

As Uchiha Nan approached Hokage Hokage Building, the ninjas working there all showed expressions of surprise upon seeing Uchiha Nan.

The Lord Hokage actually clocked in for work today! It's not that he was indulging in beautiful Lord Hokage; cough cough, it's all for Konoha... which caused him to overwork and collapse, forcing him to skip work for a day.

"Lord Hokage, you've actually come?"

"Lu Yuan, I am the Hokage! What do you mean I'm here?"

Uchiha Nan was somewhat displeased. Although he liked to slack off and often left work early to take his two sisters shopping and find a hotel room for a bit of excitement, only to be late the next morning, or even skip half a day of work, sometimes not showing up at all in the afternoon, his 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 Luyuan's forehead was sweating. The Lord Hokage's private life was notoriously chaotic, and it was well-known in Konoha. Which of the Konoha High Command didn't know that Uchiha Nan's family had twin sisters? The Uzumaki Clan sent one, and the Hyuga Clan sent another. There were even rumors that the Lord 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 Lord Hokage in his office for a long time. Chiyo came to see you today Kakuzu ran into you while he was signing papers."

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

Nara Luyuan immediately changed the subject. He certainly didn't know about the rumors and gossip surrounding Uchiha Nan. Even the most powerful figures have their own informational silos, and the ninjas responsible for gathering intelligence wouldn't be foolish enough to report such gossip to Uchiha Nan.

The female protagonists involved, apart from Kaede and Rin from Uchiha Nan's family, are all of high status. The rumors are so convincing; if they're false, these people will have to take the blame. If they're true, it'll be even more terrifying. I won't get involved. I won't get involved. I'll just let the Lord Hokage 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 Luwei: Me too!)

"I see. It's alright, Kakuzu is a money-grubber. I forgot to Kakuzu him to be gentler during negotiations, but it doesn't matter. These deals weren't intended to make a profit anyway, so losing a little money is perfectly acceptable."

Kakuzu has inadvertently become the bad cop, he might as well 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 Luyuan quickly got into work mode. As Uchiha Nan's frequent deputy, Nara Luyuan 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 Sunagakure was in charge of Sunagakure, it 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 Luyuan'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 supplying them 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 Luyuan's spine. Their livelihood was completely controlled by Konoha, their public opinion infiltrated by Konoha, and even the Sunagakure's leadership had been bought off by Konoha. The Sunagakure was doomed.

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

"The Lord Hokage insightful!"

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

The future of Konoha may involve gradually eroding the entire Ninja world in this manner.

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

Uchiha Nan gave Nara Luyuan a little push, putting pressure on Nara Luyuan to work harder. Whether they were ordinary people or ninjas, Uchiha Nan always treated them all the same, considering them all exploitable.

"Yes, sir!"

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.

While the Konoha Ninja revered strength, 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 Sunagakure 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 Luyuan'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 Luyuan's heart.

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

Nara Luyuan was puzzled by Uchiha Nan's sudden action. The Lord Hokage wouldn't even glance at such trivial matters; the population flow in Konoha was currently enormous. Checking all the people registered in the last three days would be incredibly time-consuming.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

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

"Smack."

"Lord Hokage!!"

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

"Chiyo. Chiyo, I apologize for keeping you waiting. Something came up today, please don't worry about it."

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

"It's alright, Lord Hokage- sama. I didn't wait long. The environment here is so nice that I could sit here all day; it would be quite a treat."

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 Chiyo. 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.

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The computer screen is fixed, but the graphics card is burned out. I'm numb. I suspect the repair shop tampered with my computer.

Ahhh!!!