Konoha and Kumogakure had resumed their standoff after finishing the harvest last year.
But with Iwagakure and Kirigakure at war, both sides had considered the situation and decided to put their feud aside for the time being and see how things turned out.
Tobirama knew exactly what Kumogakure was thinking. Those musclebound idiots were hoping Iwagakure would win, then keep fighting alongside them against Konoha.
Tobirama wasn't worried in the slightest. He hadn't feared all three of them joining forces before. Even if Iwagakure won and the other two teamed up now, was he supposed to be afraid?
Then summer's end rolled around again, and Kumogakure and Konoha resumed their shouting match.
Kumogakure: "You damn Konoha brats! The wheat at your old man's place is ripe, so he's going home to harvest it. Once he's done, he'll come back and chop you to pieces!"
Konoha: "You musclebound idiots in Kumogakure! The rice at your grandpa's place is ripe too, so he's going home to harvest it. Just you wait! Once he's done, he'll finish you off!"
Then both sides prepared to withdraw for the time being.
But just then, the outcome of the war between Kirigakure and Iwagakure became known.
The Second Mizukage and the Second Tsuchikage had killed each other. Both sides had now pulled back, and it was clear that they urgently needed to choose their Third Kage to stabilize the situation.
The moment Senju Tobirama learned the news, he ordered all Konoha Ninja to stop retreating and launch an all-out attack.
This was a golden opportunity.
Iwagakure had lost its Second Tsuchikage, and until it chose a Third Tsuchikage, it couldn't possibly help Kumogakure fight.
Even after choosing a Third Tsuchikage, Iwagakure might still go through a period of internal turmoil.
If he, Tobirama, couldn't seize such a great opportunity, that would be unforgivable.
Kumogakure knew this, of course, so its forces were ready when Konoha's troops attacked.
But being ready didn't mean they could win.
And so, more than a year after the war began, Konoha finally scored its first decisive victory.
However, Kumogakure's ninja retreated into the Land of Iron, which bordered northeastern Konoha. The Land of Iron had no ninja; all its fighters were samurai, and they were formidable. Senju Tobirama wasn't stupid enough to start a fight there and offend the Land of Iron's general. He could only greet the general amicably, then withdraw.
The Land of Iron knew Kumogakure had taken advantage of them, but it certainly couldn't allow Konoha to start a war on its territory.
So this time, the Land of Iron could only add the score to its little notebook. It would definitely give Kumogakure a hard time later.
Yuya heard about Konoha's first decisive victory that very day.
He immediately launched a publicity campaign, saying nothing about how Iwagakure and Kumogakure had beaten Konoha badly over the past year, or how Kirigakure had stabbed them in the back, too.
He only talked about winning this time.
The next day, Ninja News sold out again, and the whole village of Konoha was swept up in a wave of excitement.
Yuya seized the opportunity and announced that all the shops managed by Konoha in the village would offer a 20 percent discount.
Another happy shopping spree followed. Yuya was grinning from ear to ear. He wasn't afraid of people spending money; he was afraid they'd all act like hamsters and squirrel it away.
Spending money was great. It boosted Konoha's GDP and kept money circulating through the economy. Yuya knew all too well what happened when money stopped moving.
The celebrations lasted a week.
During that week, it wasn't just Konoha's villagers who joined in. People from Kirigakure and Sunagakure also bought a lot. (Of course, strategic supplies like food and ninja tools weren't discounted.)
Yuya's discounts were genuine. They weren't like those stupid Double Eleven and Double Twelve sales back in his previous life, where prices were raised before the discounts, leaving you paying more than usual in the end. Damn it, what kind of sale was that? And they expected it to encourage spending? They thought ordinary people were idiots.
Yuya wouldn't treat ordinary people like idiots. The prices were clearly marked, and they would return to normal after a week. Whether people bought anything was up to them.
And so, a shopping frenzy swept through the village.
Yuya couldn't help regretting that he hadn't thought of opening a department store.
But after taking a careful look at Konoha's current map, Yuya fell into thought.
There was no space.
Or rather, if they set aside the areas occupied by the major clans, land in Konoha was already in short supply.
To prepare for the possibility of a population increase, Yuya had previously replaced the single-story homes in the residential district with three- and four-story buildings. Each ordinary resident still only had one floor, but in terms of usable space and land value, they were definitely getting a better deal.
And this had created at least two-thirds more housing.
That gave Yuya the confidence to recruit people from outside the village.
But now, looking at the lot in front of him, which wasn't even large enough for a major shopping center, Yuya sighed.
His plan made sense, but reality always found unexpected ways to slap him in the face and remind him that he'd been too optimistic.
Looks like he'd have to wait for his uncle to return and discuss this with him.
Meanwhile, back with Senju Tobirama.
The ninja on the front lines obviously couldn't be called back yet.
After all, until a ceasefire agreement was signed, he couldn't expect the enemy not to sneak in a surprise attack.
But Senju Tobirama himself could return.
He'd brought only two people with him: Kagami Uchiha and Sarutobi Hiruzen.
It had to be said that, as the only man in the Uchiha Clan whom Senju Tobirama trusted, Kagami Uchiha really mattered to him.
Well, that was only natural. Kagami Uchiha was the key to Senju Tobirama's solution to the Uchiha Clan problem.
How could Tobirama not value him?
The three of them headed back to Konoha. To be honest, Senju Tobirama had only one important goal in mind this time.
To get money.
It was one thing when they hadn't given him any before, but now that he'd secured such a major victory, surely they couldn't refuse to pay him?
Senju Tobirama had it all planned out, but before he'd even reached Konoha—while he was still outside the village—he stopped in his tracks.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Kagami Uchiha stopped with him.
Then the three of them saw a convoy of several dozen carts heading for Konoha's gates.
Konoha's gates stretched a long way, but they couldn't let that many carts pass through at once.
Besides, ninja stood guard at the gates to check everyone's identity.
So what Senju Tobirama and the others saw was the impressive sight of dozens of carts stopped in front of Konoha's gates.
"What are these people... doing in Konoha?" Senju Tobirama frowned. They looked like merchants, but what if they were ninja from another country in disguise?
No, he'd have to talk to Yuya about this.
Senju Tobirama and the others were about to enter Konoha.
But before they could get past the wall surrounding the village, a series of sharp, urgent warning cries rang out.
Then, in a flurry, four figures appeared before them.
"Stop! Who dares force their way into Konoha?! Huh, Lord Hokage?!"
Each of the four ninja who had suddenly appeared bore the Gunbai crest on their backs.
"Ahem, put those away, put those away." The Uchiha Clan squad leader at the head of the group awkwardly addressed Senju Tobirama. "Sorry, Lord Hokage. There have been a lot of spies and ninja from other countries trying to break into our village lately, so we've been on high alert."
The squad put away their weapons and addressed Senju Tobirama.
Tobirama's interest was piqued. "Spies and ninja from other countries... Hmm... Tell me more."
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