That's a good thing; the money wasn't wasted.
Uchiha Nan smiled, believing that the Uzumaki Clan would eventually join Konoha.
After all, Konoha's rapid development is evident to all, and in a few more years, it will be able to create a generational gap in the Ninja world.
Even now, ninjas from small ninja villages who come to Konoha for the first time feel the same sense of disparity as Li Zhongtang's first visit to America, filled with endless sighs and envy—this is the true paradise of the Ninja world, the place beloved by the Sage of Six Paths!
Why wasn't I born in Konoha?!
Therefore, as long as the Uzumaki Clan isn't stupid, they will actively approach Konoha, integrate into Konoha, and eventually merge into Konoha through a democratic referendum.
It's just that it's progressing a little faster than Uchiha Nan had anticipated.
But it's all good news, it's all good news.
" The Uzumaki Clan is always welcome to join Konoha!"
Unlike Uchiha Nan, who Uzumaki Luwei and said those polite words, Uchiha Nan didn't just stick to the point when it was time to be direct!
"Since the Lord Hokage himself has extended the invitation, what reason does the Uzumaki Clan have to refuse!"
Uzumaki Luwei immediately accepted Uchiha Nan's invitation.
From this day forward, the Uzumaki Clan can proudly call themselves Konoha ninjas.
Uchiha Nan convened an emergency high-level meeting of Konoha that afternoon.
Inside the meeting room, the senior executives looked tense; an emergency high-level meeting had been convened at this crucial juncture.
Is war about to break out?
" The Uzumaki Clan has decided to join Konoha and become one of us."
Uchiha Nan sat at the head of the table and succinctly explained the reason for convening this emergency high-level meeting.
Uzumaki Shinobi Village Uzumaki Clan, is an independent ninja village. For an independent ninja village to be incorporated into Konoha, it requires a vote by the Konoha High Command council, which is a necessary procedure for the Uzumaki Clan to join Konoha.
Although Uchiha Nan was decisive and autocratic, running a one-man show in Konoha, he valued procedural justice highly and insisted on going through all the necessary procedures.
This sudden news caused a stir in the conference room.
The Uzumaki Clan is a bloodline ninja clan and possesses the most advanced Sealing Jutsu in the Ninja world. Joining Konoha is naturally a good thing, as it can greatly enhance Konoha's strength.
However, the addition of a powerful bloodline clan to Konoha, who are now poised to take Konoha out of the village's fortunes, has created a sense of unease and pressure among Konoha's ninja clans.
However, in the long run, the benefits of the Uzumaki Clan joining Konoha outweigh the drawbacks, and the Lord Hokage's meeting this time was merely a formality.
The Clan Head of the Uchiha, the Lord Hokage of Konoha, was the one who led the way by raising his hand in agreement!
Are there any foolish ninja clans that would dare to oppose the Lord Hokage's wishes?
The vote on the Uzumaki Clan joining Konoha passed unanimously, and the entire process was democratic, fair, just, and transparent, without the slightest unfairness!
Uzumaki Luwei watched all of this with a smile, and then the meeting discussed the resettlement of the Uzumaki Clan and the subsequent distribution of benefits.
"These are the village's related industries and the account books for the past few years. Almost all the Konoha ninja clans are shareholders. The Uzumaki Clan is only halfway there and needs to invest. So Konoha is going to issue more shares now."
After reviewing the accounts, Uzumaki Luwei knew that Konoha was wealthy, but he hadn't expected Konoha to be this rich. The billions of ryo distributed to the Uzumaki Clan this year were practically scraps.
Joining Konoha was definitely the right decision for the Uzumaki Clan!
However, Uzumaki Luwei quickly felt hostile gazes. Such is the nature of conflicts of interest. Although the Uzumaki Clan and Konoha had an extraordinary relationship, an outsider is still an outsider. The original ecological balance within Konoha has been disrupted by this old man.
Trying to steal food from someone else's bowl.
Prepare to be challenged, old man!
The conference room quickly transformed into a battlefield; acquiring shares from the big players wasn't going to be easy!
At first, everyone was mindful of appearances and social etiquette, but it later devolved into heated arguments, with people arguing endlessly over a few cents of shares.
Konoha has always been known for its strong martial spirit. Since negotiations can't solve the problem, let's stick to the old rules and have a boxing match. The Medical Ninja are already in position!
"Young man, you have no sportsmanship!"
"I'm so old, and you're still using such low-level techniques!"
"Lord Reed, please forgive me! I was doing this for my clan! Ahhh! And what are you two looking at? Charge at me side by side! The Uzumaki Clan are tanks! Even if Lord Reed is old, I might not be able to defeat them all by myself!"
This is a pure Taijutsu duel. The Uzumaki Clan's signature Sealing Jutsu were directly banned. Moreover, Uzumaki Luwei, as a legendary figure in the Ninja world, and the racial talents of the Uzumaki Clan are no joke.
The younger generation of Konoha's junior ninja clans had no intention of being polite to him; they charged forward side by side, believing that if they won, they would make a fortune, and if they lost, it wouldn't be shameful!
Uchiha Nan watched the chaotic battle with great interest. As the saying goes, "the young have the upper hand, but the old have the upper hand, "Uzumaki Luwei didn't gain much advantage.
The only two Uzumaki Clan present, Mito Uzumaki, did not easily join the fray. If her brother Akechi could hold out on his own, she would not go. These young people were hot-blooded and arrogant, relying on the Medical Ninja around them, and liked to resort to dirty tricks.
The rules of this boxing match were personally set by Uchiha Nan. Once you're in the ring, there are no distinctions of rank or status, and no revenge is allowed afterward. Otherwise, you'll be despised by all the higher-ups and subjected to a series of punishments. Even Uchiha Tomita was once beaten black and blue.
Mito Uzumaki strongly suspects that Uchiha Nan did it on purpose, because he has never personally participated in the fight and never been beaten up, so it's easy for him to talk without experiencing the pain!
After several rounds of chaotic fighting, Uzumaki Luwei's face is now quite comical, resembling a pig's head. The Medical Ninja has already revived him from unconsciousness once.
Uzumaki Luwei was hit by a full set of Hyuga Takuma's Eight Trigrams Sixteen Palms. As for why it wasn't the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, it's because Uzumaki Luwei fainted before the entire set was even finished.
In other words, Uzumaki Luwei is a member of the Uzumaki Clan, with incredibly high HP, capable of withstanding such a massive battle.
"Cough cough cough, does Reed Bro want to continue?"
" The Uzumaki Clan has already secured a considerable market share. Konoha has plenty of opportunities to make money. The Minister of Science and Technology is launching a new product in a couple of days, so there's no rush!"
Mito Uzumaki felt a little reluctant and hoped that Uzumaki Luwei would stop while he was ahead, since the Uzumaki Clan were only so small, and they had already made a very good profit by exchanging so many shares.
Especially regarding the shares in the power plant, those ninja clans were unwilling to part with even a single share, no matter how much money they were offered. But Uzumaki Luwei insisted on joining in, and relying on his high HP, he managed to get a small share. Then, blinded by victory, he wanted to continue fighting.
Finally Hyuga Takuma personally stepped in to punish Uzumaki Luwei, using a set of Bagua Sixteen Palms to knock him unconscious. He usually doesn't make a move easily.
It has to be said that the Hyuga Clan is born to make a living from boxing matches. If Uchiha Nan hadn't forbade it, Hyuga Takuma would have wanted to take on the job of a substitute fighter and become an investor in the new product with a 30/70 split in shares.
"Stop fighting, or we'll all be dead."
After saying that, Uzumaki Luwei collapsed to the ground with a thud; he had reached his limit.
However, Uzumaki Luwei wore a happy smile. Although he had been beaten to a pulp, the results were gratifying. The Uzumaki Clan would be able to sit on Konoha's ledger and enjoy dividends from now on.
Soon, the news that the entire Uzumaki Clan had joined Konoha spread throughout the Ninja world, but it did not cause much of a stir, as the four great ninja villages were not surprised by it.
To outsiders, the Uzumaki Clan and Konoha are no different; they were in cahoots, and they still are.
The Ninja world's attention remains focused on Amegakure. Last night, Sunagakure and Amegakure clashed, with Sunagakure attempting a sneak attack under the cover of Rain Ninja.
However, the Rain Ninja were accustomed to the rainy nights and were always on guard against sneak attacks. Furthermore, the Sunagakure's Ninjutsu was limited in the rain, while the Rain Ninja, having grown up in the Land of Rain, were perfectly suited to the local weather, their Ninjutsu even gaining a significant boost in power during rain. The Sunagakure's first sneak attack was ineffective and was repelled by the Rain Ninja's reinforcements.
The television was constantly broadcasting the latest developments in Amegakure, and public opinion was steadily growing.
A small number of ninjas chose to join the Amegakure faction.
However, the vast majority of ninjas sided with the four major ninja villages. After all, ideals are one thing, reality is another, and only a minority of ninjas are foolish enough to become "heroes" and die.
Moreover, the Daimyo went crazy, issuing wanted notices for Amegakure ninjas at the Ninja world Bounty Exchange. Hanzo of the Hanzo the Salamander became the top-ranked ninja at the Bounty Exchange, and even Hatake Sakumo had to temporarily admit defeat.
Bounty hunters from across the Ninja world sprang into action, rushing to the vicinity of Amegakure to capture lone Rain Ninja, or even murder innocent people to claim credit. Obtaining a set of Rain Ninja clothing and badges was not difficult; the Bounty Exchange had recently relaxed its screening mechanisms considerably.
What Uchiha Nan cared about most was public opinion among ordinary people. Hanzo of the Hanzo the Salamander's rhetoric could win the hearts of ninjas, but to ordinary people it was just a pile of shit.
Although the Daimyo and nobles are a group of nobles, they still fulfill their duties, allowing ordinary people to survive in this terrible Ninja world.
But the ninjas were all full-time killing machines, usually hired by nobles, but now they've become restless, wanting to change their status and become the masters of the Ninja world.
Ninjas only know how to kill, and are skilled at killing efficiently. Could these people possibly govern a country better?
Are nobles bad people? Does that mean ninjas are good people?
The ninjas looked down on ordinary people, but ordinary people were just as afraid of them, and even wanted to eliminate them.
The Daimyo's base of support was very solid. The common people genuinely believed the rhetoric of "ruler and subject, father and son. "Amegakure suffered a complete defeat in public opinion among ordinary people.
Even within the Land of Rain, there are still many remnants of the old regime who want to avenge the Daimyo and nobles. They don't just talk the talk; they walk the walk. They ride modified three-wheeled motorcycles loaded with grenades and charge towards the Rain Ninja's stronghold. At first, the Rain Ninja suffered heavy losses, but they eventually realized what was happening and began a bloody crackdown, which involved many ordinary people.
It's hard to judge how ninjas treat ordinary people, especially those Rain Ninja who have been provoked. They adhere to the principle of "killing one to warn a hundred" and "better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free," meaning they cannot let any ordinary person who is suspected escape.
This is a habit of ninjas, even those from Konoha.
The conflict between ninjas and ordinary people intensified rapidly under the Daimyo's manipulation. In terms of stirring up public opinion and diverting attention from the conflict, the Rain Ninja acted like complete idiots, not even realizing the problem.
Incidentally, grenade production has been pushed to its limit, Daimyo is already preparing an army, using ordinary people as cannon fodder. In the end, as long as they win this war and destroy Amegakure, they can shift all the blame onto Amegakure, and even the entire ninja world.
" The Amegakure is beset by internal and external troubles."
After reading the intelligence, Uchiha Nan frowned. The situation in Amegakure was worse than he had imagined. Hanzo the Salamander had acted too hastily. He hoped that Hanzo could hold on a little longer.
Land of Lightning
" Hatake Sakumo, let's get ready to head back to Konoha!"
"Don't call me by my name, don't call me by my name, my name is Pang Zi now!"
"Little white-haired guy, why are you so excited? There's nobody around right now!"
"Nonsense, the Cloud Ninja aren't coming after you for revenge. What if they're overheard?"
You've really screwed me over this time! I can't even imagine how high my bounty will be!
"Even if you're tall, can you still be as tall Hanzo the Salamander?"
Kakuzu pulled a wanted poster from his pocket. It had a picture of Hanzo the Salamander on it, with a series of zeros below it. This made Hatake Sakumo's jaw drop. This head was worth more than his own!
"That's an outrageous bounty! Those Daimyo really know how to spend money."
A greedy look appeared on Kakuzu's face. His green beady eyes were fixed on the string of numbers. If this deal went through, he could work a hundred years less. He might not even live another hundred years!
"Alright, stop looking, you greedy glutton!"
What is a Pixiu?
"A miser who only takes in money and never gives it out!"
Thank you for your kind compliment.
Hatake Sakumo glanced at Kakuzu with disdain, then turned back to continue packing his luggage. Dozens of enormous sealing scrolls needed to be taken away, filled with banknotes, gold and silver, antiques, and all sorts of other valuables—all gifts from those gullible followers.
" Kakuzu, why are you still looking at that bounty poster? Have you notified all the ninjas responsible for cleaning up the mess?"
"Don't worry, I'm all ready!"
" The Lord Hokage said they are all ninja from Iwagakure, with a small number from Sunagakure. If they get captured, it's just bad luck for them!"
"That's good."
Hatake Sakumo nodded. "Better to sacrifice a friend than myself, that's how cruel the adult world is."
After making sure that nothing was left behind, he left the base without looking back.
Kakuzu was still preoccupied with the wanted poster. He carefully folded it, put it in his pocket, and followed Hatake Sakumo.
Within two days, the core members of the Ponzi scheme temporarily closed their stores in various cities under the pretext of holding a company summary meeting. The victims did not notice anything unusual at first because Blue Sky Project Co. Ltd.. had been holding meetings very frequently over the past year.
I'm in a meeting today and will be back in a day at most, but the "leeks" (a term for retail investors who exploit others) quickly discovered something.