Naruto: Starting from Eating the Gold Fruit

Chapter 157 Madara: Go ahead

If we're really talking about proxy elections, then it's not that serious.

After all, Uchiha Kagami Yua was still very respected.

This has nothing to do with Uchiha Kagami's status or position within the Uchiha clan.

It was simply that during the brief time Yua went to the battlefield, this uncle bought Yua time to save her life.

How could I not repay the life-saving grace?

Of course, Hiruzen Sarutobi was also with them at that time, and in order to withstand the Second Raikage's attack, he almost caused his summoned beast to lose its life.

However, Yua later gave the Sarutobi clan many benefits, and now Hiruzen Sarutobi is the new clan leader, which can be considered as repaying the life-saving grace.

Uchiha Kagami, however, was different.

His love for the village comes from the bottom of his heart.

and……

It's quite funny that there's a faction within the Uchiha clan that promotes the Uchiha to power, but Uchiha Kagami himself should actually be classified as part of the "retreating" faction.

It's that kind of mentality where you just can't be bothered to care about anything related to the Uchiha clan.

Of course, Yuya can understand.

If you put Yua in charge of the Uchiha clan, and he spends all his time singing and dancing with those weak and playful Uchiha elders, Yua will want to give up too.

In Uchiha Kagami's mind, Konoha as a whole is undoubtedly number one, which is what we often call having a heart full of love.

In Uchiha Kagami's mind, the Uchiha clan was ranked after the village.

You can't say this idea is wrong. In the original history, when Hiruzen Sarutobi succeeded as the Third Hokage, he was busy with internal strife, and the Uchiha clan was definitely a force to be wary of. After all, the Uchiha clan didn't suffer much loss in strength during the First Shinobi World War because they had a security force in Konoha.

Given this background, if Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't guard against the Uchiha clan, then he must be a complete idiot.

In reality, Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't stupid; at most, he just became a coward due to his appeasement policies.

In this lifetime, although all the clans except the Uchiha suffered losses in the First Shinobi World War, Tobirama Senju did not die.

If Tobirama Senju hadn't died, the Uchiha clan wouldn't have dared to act recklessly, and other clans would have enjoyed a decade of development. With those ten years, even if Hiruzen Sarutobi had taken Yua's position, Konoha might not have developed to its current state. There wouldn't be so many skyscrapers, nor bustling commercial streets. The villagers might still be going hungry, but the village certainly wouldn't have faced any major problems.

As long as Tobirama Senju is alive, the Uchiha clan will not dare to cause trouble.

Therefore, strictly speaking, it wouldn't have mattered who held the position of Yuya for the past ten years.

It's just that it's not as good as Yuya's.

You Ya has a clear understanding of this.

So, putting myself in their shoes, in that context, Uchiha Kagami had been following Yua since Konoha was seventeen or eighteen years old, when Hashirama Senju was still keeping his death a secret. At that time, Uchiha Kagami had to be called "uncle" by Yua!

If this scene were recorded in later history books, it would be like the Third Hokage, Kin Yuya, shaking his body and exuding domineering aura, and Uchiha Kagami, the genius rising star of the Uchiha clan and disciple of Senju Tobirama, bowing down to acknowledge him as his junior.

Without a doubt, not many people will enjoy reading serious history, but if you add some exaggerated elements, like a meteorite crashing on the outskirts of Konoha a few years after the village was founded, the First and Second Hokage went to investigate and found a child in the crater. The First Hokage was shocked and took the child as his disciple.

Which is more eye-catching: the one you wrote, or the one recorded in history—"Eight years after the founding of Konoha, refugees came to Konoha, the First Hokage met the Third Hokage for the first time, and the Third Hokage took him as his disciple"?

It must be the one in front.

Now, Yua knows that Uchiha Kagami is willing to serve him because of Tobirama Senju, and that Uchiha Kagami is not a power-hungry person to a large extent.

However, in later generations, when people read history, they see that Uchiha Kagami, who was in his early twenties at the time, saw the Third Hokage who was eleven or twelve years old and immediately decided to become his subordinate. How are people in later generations supposed to understand this?

The only explanation is that it evokes the image of a tiger's body trembling and exuding an aura of dominance.

Therefore, if viewed from another perspective, the extent of the help that Uchiha Kagami provided to Yua is simply indescribable.

Don't be fooled by the embarrassing things Uchiha Kagami comes to Yua for, like his statue being vandalized with paint, or the clan elders' persistent hints forcing him to come and ask if there are any other benefits...

These are all things unrelated to Uchiha Kagami's work.

From another perspective, Uchiha Kagami never sought out Yua for work-related matters.

What's that, Uchiha Kagami-kun?

Dark area.

The head of the Dark Division personally appointed by Tobirama Senju.

To this day, they have never once contacted Yua about matters concerning the Anbu, and all the intelligence Yua wanted to obtain, the missions assigned to the Anbu, were completed flawlessly...

Is this not enough to demonstrate Uchiha Kagami's work ability?

It's not hard to understand...

Why would the people in the Uchiha clan want Uchiha Kagami to succeed as the next clan leader?

There is another aspect that must be discussed when analyzing Uchiha Kagami.

That's Yuya.

While Konoha wouldn't be thrown into chaos if anyone else were in Yua's position, the fact that Yua took it means he must have been irreplaceable.

Without a doubt, this irreplaceable quality is...

Yuya led Konoha to take off in all aspects.

Well, for Yuya, it wasn't even the initial stage of industrialization, so it wasn't much of a deal. But for others, it was an amazing reform.

Most importantly, Yuya did not infringe upon the interests of these ninja families during this process!

Why did Tobirama Senju always want Yua to be more ruthless?

It's because Tobirama Senju clearly knew that if you touched someone else's interests, it was perfectly normal for that person to fight you to the death.

However, Tobirama Senju never told Yua to be more ruthless before he died. He only hinted to Yua before he died that the Shimura family was corrupt under Danzo's leadership, but he didn't say why.

There might be a reason for waiting for Yua to speak. If Yua had said to Tobirama Senju before he died, "I don't like Danzo, Uncle-Master, please kill him for me," then Tobirama Senju might have actually killed Danzo directly.

Of course, Yua didn't need to do that, and Tobirama Senju was only hinting, or rather, suggesting would be more appropriate.

Because Yua has developed Konoha to its current state, not only has he not harmed the interests of these ninja clans, but he has actually made them stronger...

In the decade or so between the founding of Konoha and Yuya's rise to power, the annual GDP was only around four to five billion yen.

At that time, the ninjas' wages accounted for more than half of the total.

These ninjas are mostly from the major clans.

Then, money is distributed to these families every year. The three families of Mitsushi, Hyuga, and Sarutobi alone account for more than a third of the village's wealth.

Now, these three families together have four to five billion, which is equivalent to the value of a village in the past. However, because the total value has increased, it is estimated that it will exceed 210 billion this year. Therefore, although these families have developed, their share is now extremely small.

Under such circumstances, the Shimura family could no longer cause any major trouble.

Therefore, Tobirama Senju did not utter a single word about the development of Konoha or the ninja clans when he died.

Now, Yuya is like a god to these ninja clans, giving them billions a year. If it were you, you'd probably be kneeling down by now, and even your farts would smell sweet.

The Shimura clan can no longer target Yua; that would be a source of revenue for the other Konoha ninja clans.

And that is the benefit that Youya enjoys in this position.

Having said all that, if we combine Yua and the Uchiha clan, we'll find...

Aside from Uchiha Kagami, the chances of anyone else becoming the next Uchiha clan leader are practically nonexistent.

Uchiha made a fortune from just one water plant, and everyone knows that the first power plant Yua built in the grassland north of Konoha Village is increasingly unable to keep up with Konoha's electricity demand.

In the past, almost every household in Konoha had a light, but now every household has a TV, lights, fans, etc., and the electricity usage is as fast as flowing water.

One power plant is clearly not enough, so where should the second power plant be built?

Although each family wanted to build on their own family land, they looked at how many cuts had already been made on their own land...

There aren't any seats available right now...

Sarutobi, Hyuga, and Shimura had a large vacant lot of land because the clan cemetery was relocated, but the second power plant and stuff...

To be honest, they would never bring it up on their own initiative.

After all, the profits that Youya provides every year are indeed quite substantial.

These ninjas at this stage still retain some basic qualities and will not fight to the death for some benefit.

Although……

You Ya would much rather they fight tooth and nail over this...

Sigh, why are you all being so polite?

Ahem, let's get back to Uchiha Kagami.

Knowing this background, you probably understand why the elders of the Uchiha clan were so close to Uchiha Setsuna.

If the second power plant is ultimately located in the Uchiha clan's territory due to Uchiha Kagami's connections, then Uchiha Setsuna, who is currently being adored, will eventually become nothing more than a clown in the exchange of interests.

But here's the problem...

Uchiha Kagami...

Would you be willing to make an exchange with these Uchiha clan elders?

--------

In fact, the increasingly strange atmosphere within the Uchiha clan was precisely because the growing influence and ever-increasing variety of new tricks within Konoha Village's inner city posed a threat to the clan elders.

They feared that the Uchiha clan would be swept away by the tides of time and plunge into the abyss.

Yua is different from Hashirama Senju. Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha were close friends and were ninja gods who were willing to give everything for peace.

Hashirama Senju needed the Uchiha clan to establish the ninja village.

Only in this way could he and Madara Uchiha stand atop the mountain, looking at the scene in Konoha Village, and truly feel the meaning of their lives.

Whether Konoha could have been established without Uchiha Madara, and whether it would have had the ability to subdue the other four ninja villages after its establishment, are all other questions.

Tobirama Senju also needed the Uchiha clan.

He needed the Uchiha clan to keep him constantly vigilant and wary of them, but at the same time, he had to relinquish some of Konoha's power to appease the Uchiha clan.

Only Yuya...

For him, having Uchiha members was the best option; the more people willing to risk their lives for him, the better.

But no...

That doesn't matter. I can give the benefits meant for the Uchiha clan to others and have them work for me.

Madara Uchiha was ultimately just a special case, and a special case among special cases.

At least the strongest member of the Uchiha clan right now is not even a hair on Madara Uchiha's head.

They don't have the ability to challenge Youya.

But the potential profits are simply too great...

They want this piece of meat.

I'm going crazy with desire.

The second power plant...

Even if it's only one percent, that's still hundreds of millions of taels in dividends.

What does it matter if we do some despicable things for this?

However, Uchiha Kagami disregarded such an elder of the Uchiha clan and even left the Uchiha clan territory with his wife and son.

This is the first time a ninja with a management position in the Uchiha clan has left the clan—after all, Uchiha Kagami's strength and ability are undeniable, so giving him a position as a clan advisor is not unreasonable.

They were surprised that Uchiha Kagami left the Uchiha clan's territory, Yuya.

It's a dilemma.

Uchiha Kagami's actions...

Is it possible that Zhishui won't be born?

He's been wanting to pinch Shisui's cheeks for a long time...

Fortunately, although Uchiha Kagami moved out, his connection with the Uchiha clan was not severed.

Just ...

The internal strife within the Uchiha clan will likely continue for a long time.

……

In June of the 34th year of Konoha, Konoha Village developed a new type of music player called MP3, which was smaller and had better sound quality. It was half the price of a cassette player, selling for only 50,000 ryo. However, downloading songs cost 500 ryo per song, and each MP3 player could only store 100 songs.

Although Yuya considered this to be a complete money-grabbing scheme, it suddenly became incredibly popular in Konoha.

Moreover, many people in the outer city of Konoha want to buy it but can't.

Many people in the outer city of Konoha are actually wealthy, but in the past, many of them were unwilling or afraid to spend money because they thought that one day it might be their turn to enter the inner city.

However, since the beginning of this year, when Youya completely moved a new batch of people into the inner city and announced that they could buy houses with mortgages in the future, the consumption desire of these people in the outer city has been completely ignited.

Anyway, if I get lucky and get the qualification to enter the inner city, I can get a mortgage then. So why not buy it sooner?

Buy early and enjoy early!

Against this backdrop, a figure departed from Konoha...

In July of Konoha Year 34, White Zetsu, who had returned to the underground space after traveling for more than a month, stood before Uchiha Madara.

There were tubes inserted into Madara Uchiha's back. These tubes were the channels through which the Gedo Mazo supplied Madara Uchiha with chakra to maintain his vital signs.

"Oh? You're back in less than six months? It seems there have been many changes outside, which is why you rushed back to inform me."

While nodding, White Zetsu pulled out a scroll and began pulling out various items, much to Madara Uchiha's bewildered expression.

There's a TV, an electric fan, a refrigerator, a Walkman, brand new MP3 players, and a whole bunch of other things.

Madara Uchiha frowned: "What are all these things?"

White Zetsu: "These are the changes that have occurred outside over the past few decades. People outside are living much better lives now than they were back then."

Because they went directly to Konoha and returned directly, White Zetsu naturally ignored the emaciated civilians from other villages in the Land of Fire along the way.

After all, how can ordinary people compare to ninjas?

White Zetsu brought over the electric fan, saying that it was the best thing to use in this weather.

Then, while it was blowing, the power suddenly went out.

Madara Uchiha frowned, while White Zetsu shrugged: "That's why it's like this when we don't have electrical wires or sockets here."

Madara Uchiha suppressed the urge to kick him, then asked White Zetsu with a serious expression, "Did you gather any information during your trip to Konoha?"

White Zetsu nodded solemnly, then recounted how the Uchiha clan was oppressed by Tobirama Senju after Madara Uchiha left, gradually retreating to their homes, and how they were gradually led to great heights by a clansman named Kagami Uchiha. Now, the Uchiha clan is very wealthy, but internally unstable, and ordinary Uchiha clan members don't want to live in the clan and have moved out, resulting in large areas of the clan's territory being abandoned.

Madara Uchiha initially sneered as he listened, since he already knew that Tobirama Senju was no good. However, the more he listened, the more confused he became.

How the hell did this develop to this point?!

and……

What kind of time is it that the Uchiha clan is still fighting amongst themselves?!

Madara Uchiha took a deep breath and then continued to ask for other information.

Upon learning that Konoha had reached its third Hokage, and that Tobirama Senju had recently collapsed due to a relapse of an old injury, Madara Uchiha laughed heartily.

Upon hearing this news, Madara Uchiha instantly felt relaxed, like taking a sip of ice-cold cola on such a hot day.

cool!

but……

What about the First Hokage?

Madara Uchiha calmly looked at White Zetsu: "The First Hokage... is he really dead?"

White Zetsu patted his chest and assured everyone that although no one had ever seen the First Hokage's body, the First Hokage was definitely dead.

Madara Uchiha remained unusually silent after learning the news.

White Zetsu thought that Madara Uchiha didn't believe him, so he quickly explained his investigation process in detail, and emphasized that how could the First Hokage, who liked to gamble all the time, not go to the gambling den for more than ten years?

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

Then, Madara Uchiha, who was immersed in the news of the death of his only close friend, confidant, and rival of equal caliber, was brought back to reality and was furious. He kicked Madara.

Madara Uchiha said coldly, "Hashirama, how could you...?"

You actually beat me to death... and left this world so early...

Madara Uchiha remained silent for a long time before speaking in a deep voice to Black Zetsu: "I need to send more people to gather intelligence."

Black Zetsu was overjoyed at the prospect of his opportunity, but outwardly remained calm as he asked, "Which White Zetsu are you planning to send? There are plenty more in mass production."

Madara Uchiha waved his hand: "No, they're no good. They have intellectual problems and aren't like normal people at all."

"You should go. I'll feel more at ease if you go and gather intelligence."

"...Alright, I'll go then. I won't let you down."

(End of this chapter)