Uchiha Kō received Gato's "sponsorship and approval," gaining not only money but also the ability to complete the entire mission. The bridge construction continued, and Gato was given a serious reprimand and education.
To show his remorse, Gato immediately offered to release all the women who didn't want to live in the villa. His face showed no sadness or regret, only the relief of surviving a disaster.
He stated that he would definitely reform himself, operate the business rationally, engage in healthy competition, and refuse to use illegal means such as monopolies and coercion to seek illicit gains.
Uchiha Kō smiled and nodded, "If all merchants in the world were as principled as Gato, how wonderful that would be!"
Gato's lips twitched. If I could beat you, I wouldn't have wanted to be so righteous. But when he looked up, he saw Hatake Sakumo standing next to Uchiha Kō with a cold expression.
Uchiha Itachi's expression was indifferent, but the aura of the two men gave Gato a feeling of extreme fear, and he immediately lowered his head again.
"Replying to Lord Hokage, this is what I, as a businessman, should do. I assure you once again, Lord Hokage, that from now on, I will definitely earn money in a reasonable and legal manner!" Gato bowed deeply.
Uchiha Kō nodded. "Yes, I believe you. After all, the people of the Land of Waves will be watching you! If I find out you're still doing this kind of thing..."
Uchiha Kō didn't continue speaking, but instead sneered. Gato immediately broke out in a cold sweat and quickly said that he wouldn't do that.
Uchiha Kō nodded, then instructed Uchiha Itachi and Hatake Sakumo to carry out an SSS-rank mission: to escort the embezzled funds—no, the money that the national entrepreneurs had contributed to Konoha— back to Konoha.
The two naturally had no objections, so Uchiha Kō's figure immediately disappeared, leaving a flash of golden light on the spot. Gato watched with envy, thinking, "Is this the ability of a ninja? So powerful!"
I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to learn this kind of Ninjutsu.
Noticing Gato's expression, Uchiha Itachi's lips curled into a smile, and he said, "Mr. Gato..."
Gato snapped out of his daze and nodded quickly, "Yes! Yes! I'll go prepare right away!"
He then sent his servants to retrieve the money from the warehouses and banks; most of his money was in real gold and silver, not the kind of banknotes.
Only in this way will Gato feel the weight of money!
It was precisely because of this that it took three days and three nights to haul out all that money. During these three days and three nights, Uchiha Itachi and Hatake Sakumo took turns supervising to ensure that no worker would embezzle a single tael of silver.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Rou, Sasuke Uchiha, Uzumaki Karin, and others enjoyed the local customs and culture of the Land of Waves. The local people knew they were ninjas from the Land of Fire and punished Gato, making him keep his head down.
Therefore, they were warmly received and taken to various tourist attractions, making their days very fulfilling!
Just as the last tael of silver was loaded onto the cart, Uchiha Itachi fired a signal flare, indicating that Uchiha Rou and the others should prepare to leave. In less than two seconds, Uchiha Rou and the Zabuza squad arrived at the agreed location.
Uchiha Rou stared wide-eyed at the rows of neatly arranged carriages, laden with chests of gold and silver jewels, her mouth agape enough to fit an egg. "These, these carriages!" Her voice trembled slightly, clearly overwhelmed by extreme shock.
The jewels on these carriages were an astronomical sum for Uchiha Rou; she had never seen so much wealth in her life. This scene filled her with both excitement and nervousness, as if the money already belonged to Konoha.
Sasuke Uchiha, standing to the side, was equally stunned by the scene before him.
He initially thought these were just ordinary banknotes, but when he realized that the carriage was loaded with gleaming silver, he was completely stunned.
The intense visual impact was almost unbearable for him; he even felt like he was going insane.
Uzumaki Karin's breathing also became somewhat heavy; it was also the first time she had ever seen such an enormous fortune.
Looking at the mountain of silver, she couldn't help but wonder if the merchant was really that wealthy.
In contrast, Gato's feelings were completely different. He felt as if his heart had been shattered, and he was in immense pain.
He had worked hard for most of his life, yet now he was handing over 99% of his wealth. However, he did not regret it, because in his view, living was the most important thing.
"You can earn more money, but if you die, you lose everything!" Gato silently told himself.
Just then, Uchiha Itachi looked at everyone with a smile and said slowly, "Everyone, let us once again express our respect to the great philanthropist, Mr. Gato!" His voice was gentle yet powerful, making it pleasant to listen to.
Immediately afterwards, Uchiha Itachi turned his gaze to Gato and bowed slightly as a sign of respect.
Seeing this, Gato, despite feeling extremely bitter inside, still managed a forced smile and replied, "This, this is all I should do, Mr. Itachi, you don't need to be so polite."
Crack! Everyone seemed to hear the sound of glass shattering at that moment, but since Uchiha Itachi had spoken, they naturally had to thank him.
Hearing these words of gratitude, Gato felt like crying but couldn't!
Finally, this batch of money was escorted by Hatake Sakumo, Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Rou, Zabuza, Haku, Sasuke, Karin.
For safety reasons, the weaker members were placed in the middle, and the stronger members on the sides. In this way, it took them nearly five days to transport all the silver back to Konoha.
Uchiha Kō, along with Nara Rokumei and his Anbu army, waited thirty miles outside the Konoha Gate to greet him.
With smiles on their faces, they discussed the younger generation of their clans and the future of Konoha.
"Lord Hokage, I truly admire your personal charisma. With just a slight gesture, you were able to make a heartless businessman like Gato repent and reform."
"Willing to contribute to Konoha and peace in the Ninja World, that's truly admirable!"
Nara Rokumei wanted to say something, but Uchiha Kō looked at him with a half-smile, "Lu Ming, let's not talk about these formalities, we're brothers, we know each other well!"
"I think instead of talking about this, we should think about how to spend this 140 billion! After all, every department in Konoha is poor!" Uchiha Kō sighed, a look of helplessness in his eyes.
Nara Rokumei's lips twitched. "How did you come up with such a philosophical statement? Konoha is poor? A public servant's monthly salary is 500,000 ryo, or even 1 million ryo!"
You're telling me we're poor? With this batch of funds in place, not only will Konoha's development speed increase several times over, but everyone's treatment and quality of life will also improve rapidly.
As for how to use it? With so much money poured in, it'll make a splash no matter where you throw it.
"Um, Lord Hokage, I suggest we hold a meeting to handle the specific allocation and use of funds. That would be fairer and more impartial!" Nara Rokumei said with a smile.
His main product is a non-stick pan, which is a kind of wisdom. Everyone wants good things, and money is even more so. If you give too much, the person who receives too little will definitely be unhappy.
Instead of making these people think about these things, it's better to lay it all out on the table and let everyone vote on it publicly.
That way, nobody can say anything!
Uchiha Kō glanced at his old friend and suddenly laughed, "Lu Ming, this isn't like you. Do you remember twenty years ago, when you, Lu Ming, took the lead in collecting funds for real estate construction to develop the economy?"
"Under your leadership, the small bungalows in Konoha have gradually disappeared and been replaced by modern high-rise buildings and villas, and the population of Konoha has also exploded!"
"How full of youthful vigor you were back then! How come you've become so composed now!" Uchiha Kō chuckled, his eyes fixed on Nara Rokumei. Nara Rokumei was taken aback for a moment, then smiled helplessly.
"Lord Hokage, people always change. Although your Dōjutsu granted me Immortality, the more I experience and the more I gain, the more afraid I become of losing it. After all, those who have nothing to lose are not afraid of those who have something to lose."
"Now that we have industries and achievements, we feel constrained and dare not fully utilize them." Nara Rokumei's words are thought-provoking.
Especially Uchiha Kō, he understood what Lu Ming said, after all, a sage once wrote in his book that the strong should be humble, and the weak should be superior.
However, Uchiha Kō quickly shook his head, and then a smile reappeared on his face, "Lu Ming, with me, with you, and with Sakumo, Konoha will be safe!"
Lu Ming listened to Uchiha Kō's words with a complicated expression. He wanted to say something, but considering the consequences, he swallowed his words in the end.
What will happen to Konoha if all three of them die someday? Will future generations be able to withstand the counterattack of the Four Great Hidden Villages?
Uchiha Kō's strength is now unparalleled in the world, but who dares to say they are truly invincible?
Besides, does Konoha really have no enemies left? Nara Rokumei has a feeling it's not that simple!
They still have powerful enemies in Konoha. Although Uchiha Kō is keeping it from them and hasn't told them, Nara Rokumei can get information out of Uchiha Kō through casual conversations.
This further convinced him that Konoha was not yet completely stable, prompting him to begin thinking about future generations.
"Owl, can you promise me one thing?" Nara Rokumei stared intently at Uchiha Kō.
Uchiha Kō fell silent, as if he had guessed what Nara Rokumei wanted to say. Nara Rokumei laughed, "I know you're under a lot of pressure, but I hope you don't keep it all to yourself."
"Sakumo and I are both your brothers. We swore brotherhood and will live and die together. But now, you only show us the good side of Konoha, the prosperous side, without saying a word about the worries in your heart." Nara Rokumei looked at Uchiha Kō.
Uchiha Kō lowered his Ōtsutsuki Isshiki Heavenly Dao too dangerous. He wasn't a hero, but he absolutely didn't want anyone else involved.
Because I know this will not end well. If I succeed, it will be fine, but if I fail, not only will I suffer, but my whole family will also be affected!