Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

Because they still needed to report to the Root leadership, Orochimaru and his companion, having obtained the sweet water for free from Uchiha Gin using information that would soon be known to everyone, left satisfied.

"Did they end up fighting anyway?"

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance through the floor-to-ceiling window, Uchiha Gin sighed with a face full of melancholy, showing absolutely no remorse for being the instigator.
If he hadn't encouraged his uncle Tajima to lend money in Iwagakure, the Iwagakure ninja burdened with enormous debt wouldn't have been driven to the brink of despair.

The immense economic pressure is nearly destroying the village's morale. If Onoki doesn't find a way to divert attention from internal conflicts now, his political career is likely coming to an end.
"Put it in the small management account, thank you."

After paying for the three small sweet drinks under the disgruntled gaze of the shop assistant, Uchiha Gin, preoccupied with his own thoughts, had no intention of continuing his culinary adventure. He simply ordered a Crazy Family Bucket from the fried chicken shop across the street to tide him over.
"Hiccup~"

Patting his round, bulging belly, Uchiha Gin had barely stepped out of the fried chicken shop when a man who looked like a passerby quietly followed him.
"Who are you, buddy?"

Sensing the strange looks, Uchiha Gin turned around, his eyes full of inquiry.

"Lord Yin, the old clan chief requests your presence."

A flash of crimson light crossed the eyes of the passerby, a gesture that served as a way of showing him the anti-counterfeiting mark.
Uncle?

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Gin nodded slightly and followed the clansman who was leading the way into a dark alley. After several twists and turns in the gloomy alley, the two finally arrived at an inconspicuous little door.

"dong dong dong"

As the small door was knocked on, a muffled sound came from inside.

Do you eat fried dough sticks?

"Don't catch a cold in the new year."

"."

Looking at the unchanging expression on the faces of the clansmen beside him, Uchiha Gin scratched his head in confusion.
When did you change your code?

"New Year's Limited Edition Code".

Reaching out and pushing open the small door in front of him, the passerby nodded solemnly.

inside the house,

The overall layout was largely the same as the previous intelligence checkpoints, decorated in a distinctly Uchiha style. Many clan members were busy with their own tasks, each holding documents. Upon seeing Uchiha Gin following behind the random passerby, the older clan members immediately showed unnatural expressions.

"Greetings, Lord Yin."

However, intimidated by Gin's imposing presence, they still forced themselves to step forward and bow. The younger members of the clan knew very little about Uchiha Gin's early deeds, their eyes only filled with reverence for this legendary figure.

"You are... Kojiro, right? How are your father and uncle doing?"

Uchiha Gin, already accustomed to such displays, smiled and nodded in response. His gaze swept around the crowd, finally settling on a rugged-looking young man in the middle of the group, whose demeanor carried a hint of sleazy smirk.

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Yin. My father and uncle are in good health."

The young man named Kojiro looked flattered and quickly stepped forward to answer.

The boy before them was none other than Uchiha Jiro's son—yes, the very same Jiro who swore to leave his entire lineage to Liu Bei, the Minion.

"That's good. When you get back, tell them that we should all get together for the New Year."

Time is a cruel mistress, and aging is an inescapable wound. Not everyone is like him, exploiting a plot hole. Uchiha Gin vaguely remembered that the last time he saw Jiro, he said he was about to become a grandfather.
"Yes!"

Gin Uchiha casually gave the son of his old friend a large red envelope in advance, then followed the stranger-looking clansman to the door of an office.

"Lord Yin, I'll take you this far."

Bang bang bang~
"Come in."

Uchiha Tajima's strong voice rang out from inside the room. Uchiha Gin pushed open the door and entered, only to see his white-haired uncle carefully flipping through a thick stack of documents.

"Uncle? Didn't you retire?"

Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow in confusion. He remembered that his uncle had said last time that he was going to retire in the Land of Hot Springs. Why was he still so engrossed in work?
"I'll go after I finish this job."

Upon seeing his eldest nephew, Uchiha Tajima's icy face blossomed into a chrysanthemum-like smile. If it weren't for Uchiha Gin's advice, the Land of Waves wouldn't have been able to suck so much blood from Iwagakure.

"This vote?"

“That’s right. Take a look. These are the loan applications submitted by Iwagakure Village from yesterday to today. They are all high-quality orders with tangible collateral.”

With a smile, he pushed the documents in his hand over. Uchiha Gin glanced at them casually, and a strange look gradually appeared on his face. Among these collateral items were even collective assets of Iwagakure (Hidden Stone Village).
"Iwagakure is finished."

What could Uchiha Gin say? Iwagakure was practically ready to mortgage the Tsuchikage Building to the bank.

"That's not all. The Hidden Stone Village has already sent people to communicate and inquire how much cash can be borrowed if Dust Release is used as collateral."

"what?"

Is Onoki preparing to burn his bridges?
"You didn't come here just to ask me if I need Dust Escape?"

“That involves bloodline elimination. You’re an expert in research and development, so naturally I’ll need to consult you.”

Uchiha Tajima nodded slightly. His main purpose in coming here was to ask Uchiha Gin about Dust Release techniques.

This is hailed as the strongest physical damage output skill in the ninja world, far surpassing that infamous but overrated flame technique. If someone could truly learn it, even with Susanoo and Dust Release combined, he wouldn't know how he could lose.
"this one"

Under his uncle's expectant gaze, Uchiha Gin scratched his head somewhat awkwardly.
To be honest, he'd never actually encountered the Dust Release skill; the NPCs that spawned in the backyard rarely included ninjas from other villages.
This resulted in Gin Uchiha's skill set always lacking a few famous techniques, and Dust Release happened to be one of them.

“I can give it a try.”

However, since it is a ninjutsu, as long as the release principle is known, with his intelligence, it shouldn't be a problem to reverse-engineer it.

"Haha, that's enough. I'll send someone to reply right away."

The old man smiled with satisfaction upon hearing this. Money, no matter how much, is nothing but worldly possessions; only power is eternal.
After explaining the matter to his clansmen, Uchiha Tajima's smile gradually turned into a solemn expression.
"Gin, do you know why Iwagakure suddenly needs to borrow so much money?"

"I know a little."

"Oh?"

Looking at the calm expression on Uchiha Gin's face, Uchiha Tajima raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"You already know about something that happened just yesterday?"

"Don't underestimate my intelligence network!"

Uchiha Gin stood with his hands in his pockets, looking up at the sky with an air of profound mystery.

“Well, now that you know about the war between the two countries of Yu and Tu, you should understand that Iwagakure absolutely cannot lose this battle.” Uchiha Tajima nodded and said with a deep gaze, “Iwagakure’s debt is astronomical. If they lose the war, where will they get the money to repay the loan?”
The Land of Waves is a business, not a charity; we can't just waive their loans for nothing.

"So you're planning to provide support to Iwagakure?"

Looking his uncle up and down with his serious expression, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

"I never expected that you, Uncle, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, would also want to become a warmonger."

"He fights his war, I sell my goods; cash on delivery, that's business."

Uchiha Tajima shrugged. It wasn't really about providing support; if Amegakure were willing to buy supplies from the Land of Waves at the same price, he wouldn't refuse.
Of course, that's impossible. Amegakure has Sunagakure as a major backer. Why would they pay a high price for supplies that they could get by throwing a tantrum?

"My uncle is very generous!"

Uchiha Gin couldn't help but give his uncle a thumbs up. To be able to talk about profiting from war so matter-of-factly showed the shamelessness of the older generation.

“In that case, I suggest you go and talk to Sunagakure. They should also be in dire need of strategic resources.”

The Sand Village is like a wealthy dog ​​in the Middle East right now; it's true they have plenty of money, but they're also really short of supplies.
Now that they have expressed their support for the war between Amegakure and Iwagakure, they will undoubtedly provide Amegakure with strong support in every aspect.

"That might be a bit difficult. Sunagakure has a long-term supply agreement with Konoha. They shouldn't break their promise, right?"

As is well known, Sunagakure and Konoha are staunch allies. To demonstrate this friendship, Sunagakure and Konoha jointly drafted a supply agreement in their early years. The two villages traded goods freely, resulting in low prices and continuously reduced tariffs.
Even if Sunagakure were incredibly wealthy, they would never abandon the high-quality, inexpensive goods from Konoha and choose products from the Land of Waves whose origins are unknown.
"What if Konoha is unwilling to sell strategic resources to Sunagakure?"

Uchiha Gin tapped his fingers lightly on the solid wood tabletop a few times, then asked in a meaningful tone,

"How is this possible?"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Tajima's first reaction was disbelief. The friendship between Sunagakure and Konoha had been everlasting. How could they betray their long-standing ally at such a crucial moment?

"Uncle, remember this: anything is possible in Konoha."

Uchiha Gin may not understand politics or trade and economics, but he does understand Xiao Tuan Tuan.

Root base,

The leader's office was dimly lit. Orochimaru and Tsunade stood respectfully before the desk, awaiting their leader's instructions.
At the same time, the two were also very puzzled: Is the Root's budget so tight that they can't even afford to replace light bulbs?

"Good! Excellent! I've finally waited for this day!"

Behind his desk, Danzo, deliberately dimming the lights to project an air of ruthlessness, wore a pleased expression. The firsthand intelligence he held regarding the Land of Rain was probably the best news he had received in a while.

"Let's fight! Let's all fight! How can I achieve anything if you don't fight each other?"

Danzo wore a sinister smile. He had painstakingly cultivated this for so many years, defying all opposition to send six of Konoha's future stars—all for the purpose of disrupting the ninja world's power structure and allowing Konoha (himself) to rise from the chaos.
"Swish, swish, swish~"

As Danzo reviewed the intelligence presented by the two men, he nodded in acknowledgment of their contributions.

"Tsunade, Orochimaru, you did a great job!"

However, upon seeing Orochimaru in his everyday women's clothing, he subconsciously glanced at Ranka, who was guarding behind him, and an unnatural expression appeared on his face.

Such talented people actually have two roots.

The two men, who had been thieves of wages in the Land of Rain for many years, tensed up upon hearing this. They had clearly done nothing, so how could they have completed the task of starting a war?

"Thanks to the leader's guidance."

But even if they told the truth, Danzo probably wouldn't believe them, so they could only bow their heads respectfully and reply.
"What's going on with Jiraiya?"

"He volunteered to stay in Amegakure to keep an eye on the progress of the mission."

Orochimaru, of course, wouldn't say that Jiraiya was neglecting his duties for personal reasons; he had prepared a very plausible excuse for him before coming.

"Excellent! Excellent! You truly are a talent I value."

Upon hearing this answer, Danzo nodded with satisfaction, then immediately raised his hand to instruct Hiruko behind him,
"Little Orchid, give Jiraiya triple his allowance this Lunar New Year."

If all the members of Root were as dedicated to their work as Jiraiya, he would have no trouble becoming the Fourth Hokage.
"Roger that!"

Hiruko gracefully bowed and accepted the order, her tone full of pride. Jiraiya had been rewarded, and as his childhood friend, Hiruko felt extremely proud.
"I will personally deliver the reward."

Worried that Jiraiya would be lonely and isolated in the unfamiliar Amegakure, Hiruko decided to use her position to go and keep him company during the New Year.
The thought of Jiraiya's delighted expression upon seeing her while guarding the ice pit filled Hiruko's small face beneath the mask with a morbid smile.

After bestowing the rewards, Danzo continued to peruse the thick stack of intelligence. When he saw the CG depicting the knight battle drawn by Orochimaru, his expression changed drastically, his dark and gloomy expression becoming visibly intense.
"The mere Amegakure Village has actually developed its own Knight System?"

"Reporting to the leader, the combat strength of the Knight System in Amegakure is not particularly strong. After Hanzo transformed, he was only on par with the new Four-Tails Knight of Iwagakure, and his decline became apparent in the later stages."

Seeing this, Orochimaru quickly added, offering an objective assessment of Hanzo's transformed Rider based on the specific circumstances at the time.
"Hmph~ Small place is indeed small place, but this Hanzo is quite a character."

Upon hearing that Hanzo, even in his transformed state, couldn't defeat a rookie rider, Danzo's expression softened somewhat.

In his view, the village chief's efforts for the village were truly commendable, and he couldn't help but feel a desire to befriend him.
"Chief, what is our next mission?"

"Logically speaking, you should be given some time to rest after completing such a difficult task."

Faced with Tsunade's question, Danzo, having finished reviewing the information at hand, nodded thoughtfully, a glint of light flashing in his eyes as he spoke.

Tsunade and Danzo's hearts skipped a beat upon hearing this. Did Danzo mean he didn't want to give them their New Year's holiday?

"Please enlighten me, Chief."

Since they were being paid by the root department, even if they harbored resentment, they dared not express it.

"Good, very good! You truly deserve to be the successors of the Will of Fire that I and the monkey value. We can only rest assured that the future of the village is in your hands."

Seeing that the two were so cooperative, Danzo simply stopped pretending and threw a hard pancake at them, leaving the two hot-blooded young men dizzy and disoriented.

"You two should set off for the Land of Wind as soon as possible to make contact with Sakumo Hatake and the others who are lurking there, and await my next instructions."

"Roger that!"

"Come out, monkey."

After dismissing everyone, Danzo, with a strange smile, turned to look at a corner of the office, where Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in the Hokage robes, slowly emerged from the shadows.

Invited to eavesdrop, his prematurely aged face displayed a complexion that shifted between light and shadow, as if he were deep in thought.
"Danzo, I warn you, never get involved in the chaotic war between the Tu and Yu kingdoms. Konoha has always pursued a policy of peace and never..."

Looking at the righteous face of his childhood friend, Wei Guang, whom he had grown up with like brotherhood, Danzo's lips twitched slightly.
No wonder the teacher didn't choose him back then; he doesn't need to blame himself for losing to such a monkey.

"I understand, I understand, got it!" (End of Chapter)