106. Uchiha Prepares To Make War Fortune

Konoha Mission Hall, as the village's main source of financial revenue and the primary way for shinobi to obtain rewards, has always been bustling with activity. 

Now, however, the flow of people seems to have exploded! 

In the past, except for S-rank missions, it was rare for anyone to take on A- or B-rank missions. Most accepted missions were C-rank. Later, after the police department refused to handle tasks like retrieving lost cats, a large number of D-rank missions became available. 

However, everyone thought the reward for D-rank missions was too small, and nearly no one took them—only Genin, who had just graduated from the academy, would choose such tasks. 

But now, let alone D-rank missions, even several S-rank missions have been accepted, and A-, B-, and C-rank missions are fiercely fought over. 

"There are no more missions again? Why is this? There are no more C-rank missions? What about B-rank ones?" 

"No! Not even D-rank missions?" 

"Can't the village allocate more tasks? I haven't had any work for several days, and I don't even dare to go to the custom shop to relax." 

"It's not that there are fewer tasks in the village; it's that too many people are coming to take them. Look at those over there—they're all from the Sarutobi clan. And those over there? They're ninja clan shinobi coming to take missions." 

"No... They've taken all the tasks. What are we supposed to do?" 

Complaints echoed endlessly in the mission hall. Without missions, civilian shinobi were losing their main source of income, and their quality of life had declined. Improving their strength was out of the question. The resentment was palpable. 

The ninja clans felt uneasy hearing these complaints, but for now, they could only endure it. 

They had no choice. Their families could no longer support them. If they didn't take missions, they wouldn't be able to survive. 

With changes in civilian support policies, a large number of ninjas had to work to earn money. As shinobi, they couldn't resort to regular jobs or lose face by going into business. Their only option was to take on missions. 

However, the number of missions the village could provide was limited. With ninja clan members now competing for them, civilian shinobi had even fewer opportunities. 

In the past, civilian shinobi would assess their abilities before accepting tasks. Now, they couldn't even get tasks beneath their abilities, let alone those that matched their skills. 

As civilians, they had few resources to begin with. Many remained Chūnin their entire lives, knowing only a few jutsu. 

Without missions to provide them with sufficient income, it was impossible for them to improve their abilities significantly. 

Now that missions and commissions were in short supply, these shinobi were the first to suffer. Yet civilian shinobi made up a large portion of Konoha's population. Their troubles couldn't simply be ignored. 

Unfortunately, those taking over the missions were mainly members of the Sarutobi clan. The clan was struggling financially, and they had to send their members to accept missions or risk collapse. 

But with ninja clans claiming all the tasks, civilian shinobi could no longer remain silent. 

No matter how the problem was handled, one group would be impacted. The village would have to find a solution. However, without sufficient funds, the issue couldn't be resolved. The village treasury was so tight that it couldn't even spare a modest sum. 

"Alas! When did it come to this? Does Uchiha no longer care about the village? Or has Danzo gone too far?" 

Watching the chaos in his crystal ball, the Third Hokage sighed deeply. From the moment he took the Hokage seat, he never imagined such a dire situation would arise in Konoha. 

The village was out of money, the conflict between civilian and clan shinobi had intensified, and the village's combat power was slowly declining. All of this had occurred under his administration. 

However, I don't have any absurd government affairs! Are these all caused by my own selfishness? 

"Hokage-sama, an urgent report from the border!" 

As these thoughts crossed his mind, an Anbu appeared in the office, carefully placing a scroll into the hands of the Third Hokage. 

After opening the scroll and quickly scanning its contents, the Third Hokage drew a sharp breath. 

"Inform the elders and Jiraiya to come immediately!" 

Things were becoming serious. 

Cloud Shinobi and Rock Shinobi were engaging in battle. Had Ōnoki and the Fourth Raikage gone mad? It hadn't been long since the Third Shinobi War, and the wounds were still fresh. And now, they were starting another conflict—what grudges could drive this? 

Soon after, Konoha's top brass and the so-called elders had assembled. Jiraiya was the last to arrive, yawning as he entered the Hokage's office. 

"Huh? Yagami, you're here too! What happened that even you were summoned?" 

Seeing Yagami among the gathered group, Jiraiya asked in surprise. 

Recently, many had noticed that Uchiha had taken a step back from Konoha's affairs. 

Though Yagami held the title of consultant elder, his involvement was minimal, limited to approving rural revitalization funds. Beyond that, he stayed out of village matters. 

"How would I know? Hokage-sama hasn't spoken yet, and no one's explained anything. So, here I am waiting like everyone else." 

Yagami spread his hands, signalling that he was as clueless as the rest. 

If this was some ploy to seize his resources or force him into a corner, then Konoha's leaders would soon see the full power of his Susanoo with the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. 

"Cloud Shinobi and Rock Shinobi are at war. See for yourselves." 

The Third Hokage sighed, tossing the scroll to Jiraiya without further comment. 

"Is Cloud Shinobi insane? They launched a raid on Iwagakure with two Jinchūriki—without even declaring war!" 

Jiraiya's reaction was as expected, and his shock was evident. The pain of the Third War hadn't even fully faded, yet here they were on the brink of another conflict. 

"Third Hokage-sama, this war between the two villages seems inevitable. We must prepare and avoid getting drawn in!" 

Shikaku frowned, glancing at the map of the ninja world displayed on the wall. 

The Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth weren't directly connected. Between them lay the ocean and a chain of smaller nations, such as the Land of Grass and the Land of Fields. 

Unfortunately, all these small nations bordered the Land of Fire. 

No shinobi village would allow a war to spread to their own country, meaning the battles would likely occur in these smaller nations. The Land of Fire was at high risk of involvement. 

If the war dragged on and the two nations' resources became strained, the Land of Fire's wealth and resources would make it an obvious target. It was entirely possible that both villages might set their sights on Konoha simultaneously. 

This was precisely what the Third Hokage feared. To avoid conflict, he had even made concessions to Cloud Shinobi. 

However, with Konoha's current weakened state, involving the village in a war could spell disaster. 

And yet, war wasn't something anyone could fully control. 

"This war has nothing to do with Uchiha or Konoha, so I will not participate in this discussion. Otherwise, I'll be accused of leaking information again." 

Oh boy. Cloud Shinobi and Rock Shinobi at war? That was truly unexpected... 

But Yagami didn't care to involve himself. He preferred to distance himself from Konoha's internal affairs. Instead, he began considering how to profit from the conflict. 

Is there any better way to make money than profiting from war? Perhaps, but such alternatives were neither plentiful nor easy. 

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