As his words fell, silence settled over the great hall.
No one responded.
Even the elders who had been murmuring moments earlier fell silent.
They watched Ren on the raised platform, his words echoing in their minds.
Heavenly Treasury Gold was not meant to earn transaction fees, nor to give the Uchiha control over more wealth.
It was an economic system that spanned the entire shinobi world.
The World Peace Treaty was the pretext for getting every nation to acknowledge the rules.
Notarial institutions and the Uchiha Bank were the channels through which Heavenly Treasury Gold would enter those nations.
The merchant guilds, offices, and businesses scattered across the shinobi world were the foundation that would keep Heavenly Treasury Gold in circulation.
Once the nations began using Heavenly Treasury Gold to settle trade, the Uchiha would control the direction in which vast amounts of wealth flowed.
The more those nations relied on trade, the less they could do without Heavenly Treasury Gold.
And the less they could do without Heavenly Treasury Gold, the less they would dare tear up the treaty.
By then, the Uchiha would have no need to deploy armies of shinobi or occupy other nations' territory.
Simply closing exchange channels, restricting trade settlements, and suspending supplies would be enough to throw a nation's economy into chaos.
This power had no flashing blades or battle cries, yet it could strip great nations of their ability to resist before they even realized it.
Uchiha Jian Zhen sank back into his chair.
His earlier composure was gone.
"Clan Leader."
Jian Zhen stared at Ren, his voice low.
"Did you push for the World Peace Treaty just to get every nation to recognize Heavenly Treasury Gold?"
"That's the first step."
Ren answered.
"Without a peace treaty, the nations won't recognize Uchiha