Economic Development Infiltration Plan

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"Alright!"

Kaito nodded firmly after hearing Uzumaki Mito's words. He said, "First, I'll draft a general framework for the plan. Then, I'll gather the village's senior leaders to discuss it and refine it."

"Once we've hammered out the details, we'll convene a larger assembly with all the Jonin and clan representatives to finalize the plan further."

"After that, we'll make the announcement public within Konoha, allowing the clans, families, and even civilians to buy shares."

"When the internal buy-in is complete, we'll invite reputable merchants from the Daimyo and the remnants of conquered nations to discuss external investments."

"The first three steps should take about one or two months to complete," he continued.

"During these two months, I'll focus on developing a portion of home appliances and setting up mass production lines."

"Combined with an expanded Uchiha pharmacy network, these products will help us impress the Daimyo, the elites of the Fire Nation, and wealthy merchants. At the same time, we can establish a trade and sales network."

"This will allow us to build a distribution network for Konoha's household appliances and the Uchiha clan's pharmaceuticals."

"From there, we'll infiltrate the entire ninja world on an economic level."

"By then, Konoha will grow wealthier and more prosperous. With improved law and order, safety will no longer be a concern, and more people will want to settle here."

"If we manage to attract enough people, we won't have to worry about unoccupied houses in our expanded residential areas," he said confidently.

"For those who can't afford housing but want to join, we can offer installment plans and loan options."

"That being the case, we'll also need to reform the banking system and financial policies!"

"Ah, there's so much to do!"

Kaito sighed, rubbing his temples as the weight of responsibility pressed on him.

Although he had only just become Hokage, today had already been exhausting.

"I can't let myself get trapped in these administrative matters forever," he muttered. "I need to quickly finalize the major plans, delegate tasks, and free up my time for training."

After all, he couldn't let himself stagnate amidst all the paperwork.

Uzumaki Mito and the others listened to Kaito's clear and logical development plan, their eyes lighting up with admiration.

"This plan is excellent!" Uzumaki Mito praised, nodding in approval.

"But how do you intend to reform the financial system?" she asked curiously.

"Simple—we'll issue our own currency," Kaito replied with a confident smile.

"With the Uchiha clan's reserves of gold, we can establish a robust backing for our currency issuance."

"However, this will inevitably disrupt the interests of the powerful nations in the ninja world," he added with a thoughtful frown.

"We can't rush into it. We'll need to wait until we've further solidified our strength and infiltrated the Fire Nation—and even other major nations—gaining control over critical parts of their economies. Only then will we be in a position to act."

"Otherwise, the aristocrats won't let us succeed easily. If pushed too far, they might rally the other four great ninja villages to attack Konoha."

"Don't underestimate the leaders of the Five Great Nations. They're no fools."

Kaito's tone grew serious. "In fact, they're shrewd—very shrewd."

"Why else do you think they managed to turn ninjas, who hold absolute military power, into mere tools of assassination, mercenaries, and killers-for-hire?"

"This entire system of manipulation was orchestrated by those aristocrats in the shadows."

"Because they control the majority of the resources, wealth, and population, they've been able to enforce strategies that limit and guide the ninja silently."

"And most ninjas, uneducated and without proper training in strategic thinking, couldn't see through their schemes."

"They fell into the trap easily."

"For over a thousand years, this cycle has locked ninjas into the roles of assassins and mercenaries, defining their place in society."

"What I aim to do now is guide Konoha's ninjas and villagers to rethink their understanding of the ninja profession."

"Through this, we'll change the entire ninja world."

"Incorporating ninjas into the Education and Engineering Departments, as well as the Agriculture Department, is all part of this vision."

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear!" Uzumaki Mito exclaimed, nodding in satisfaction.

"When you first mentioned currency reform, I was worried you might act recklessly," she admitted. "But now, I see you've thought it through thoroughly."

"Honestly, you're far more cautious and knowledgeable in this area than I am!"

"Perhaps when we've bound the Fire Nation and a significant portion of the ninja world's elites through shared economic interests, we can finally implement Konoha's currency reform."

Recently, Uzumaki Mito had been growing and learning rapidly since she began wielding partial authority in Konoha.

She'd even self-studied the educational materials on governance, strategic planning, and power structures written by Kaito.

Her efforts were paying off, and her understanding had deepened significantly.

Meanwhile, Hashirama and Uchiha Madara exchanged confused glances, completely lost in the conversation.

Unable to follow, they quietly left the room.

Of course, their actions didn't escape the notice of Kaito and Uzumaki Mito, who shared a knowing smile.

— — —

Outside Hokage Tower

The next day, the plaza outside the Hokage Tower buzzed with energy.

Crowds of villagers and ninjas gathered, murmuring excitedly.

"Hey, isn't that Danzo, the leader of the Root division? That bastard who loved abducting talented ninjas from clans and civilian families for his twisted experiments?"

"It's him! But didn't the fourth Hokage kill him during the war when he tried to betray him? How's he back?"

"Look closer at his eyes and face—notice the dark eyes and the cracks on his skin? He's clearly been resurrected using Edo Tensei."

"You're right! Looks like the Hokage brought him back on purpose—to give us a chance for revenge!"

"Hahaha, amazing! I always felt Danzo got off too easy when he died. I'd love to kill him a thousand times over!"

"Same here! That bastard took my son away, and I never heard from him again. He deserves nothing less than a slow, agonizing death!"

"Look over there—it's the Third Hokage! He's looking so frail now."

"Yeah, but let's not forget, he did contribute to Konoha."

"Contribute? Please. Whatever good he did is overshadowed by his crimes."

"Agreed. Most of his 'achievements' were just his duties as Hokage. But his sins? Those were purely for his own benefit, at the expense of the village and its people."

"Exactly! The Third Hokage must not be let off lightly. And not just him—his Sarutobi clan and the Shimura clan backing him must be held accountable too."

"I agree! You all have no idea how much better life has been without the Sarutobi and Shimura clans running wild—extorting, bullying, and exploiting us."

"What? The Sarutobi and Shimura clans were involved in that kind of shady stuff?"

"Of course! They had the Hokage and Danzo as their shields. Acting arrogant and untouchable was just normal for them! Eating at restaurants, buying things on credit, and then not paying—this was everyday stuff for them."

At this moment, on the raised platform, both Danzo and the Third Hokage had already been brought in.

Danzo was tied to a wooden pillar, his entire chakra sealed off, unable to move.

Surrounded by countless villagers and hearing their angry shouts and curses, Danzo was seething with hatred. His gaze was filled with venom as he glared at the crowd.

If he still had his power, he wouldn't hesitate to slaughter every single one of these "lowly peasants."

To him, these insignificant worms had no right to speak ill of him. How dare they? They all deserved to die.

The Third Hokage, on the other hand, looked increasingly despondent and pale.

He had never imagined that in just ten days since his capture, the tides of public opinion in Konoha would shift so drastically. The villagers' views of him and the Sarutobi clan had turned completely sour.

And the worst part? Most of what they said was true. It wasn't some narrative fabricated by Kaito and the others to stir up hatred.

Looking back, it was clear how arrogant and oppressive the Sarutobi and Shimura clans had become over the years, trampling over countless commoners.

In the past, he hadn't noticed or addressed it for two main reasons.

First, he was too busy. He wanted to control everything and hold all the power, but naturally, he became consumed by endless responsibilities, neglecting what the clans were up to.

Second, as Hokage, people feared him and Danzo. Even if villagers were angry, they dared not voice their grievances and kept everything buried deep within.

Danzo and the clan members weren't foolish, either. They wouldn't openly commit these acts in his presence; everything was done behind his back.

Now that both he and Danzo had fallen, a new Hokage had taken over, and the Sarutobi and Shimura clans were under scrutiny, it was only natural for the villagers to speak out.

"That's it! It's over! Not just for me, but for the entire Sarutobi clan!"

"From now on, the Sarutobi clan's situation in Konoha will probably be even worse than what the Uchiha faced years ago."

"I can only hope Jiraiya and the others will show some mercy and lend the Sarutobi clan a hand."

As he thought this, the Third Hokage couldn't help but recall what had happened the previous day when he was visited in prison. Both Orochimaru and Jiraiya had come to see him.

At the time, he was sitting in his cell, while Orochimaru and Jiraiya stood outside.

Orochimaru didn't say much. He simply gave him a deep look and left a single parting remark: "Sensei, during tomorrow's trial, be honest and take responsibility. Shift as much blame onto Danzo as you can. As for your clan, I'll try to ensure some bloodline survives. That's all I'll say."

With that, Orochimaru turned and walked away.

The Third Hokage was left heartbroken, while Jiraiya stood there, staring at him silently.

After a while, Jiraiya sat down on the ground outside the cell and, in a voice filled with bitterness, began to complain: "Old man, why? Why did you do so much to harm the village, to hollow it out, to oppress the clans?"

"Couldn't we have just lived in harmony and developed together?"

"Why did you pretend to be one person on the surface but act so differently in the shadows?"

"I always thought the you, I saw on the surface was the real you."

"I really respected that version of you!"

"But now I see—the one in the shadows, that's the real you."

"What I can't forgive the most is that you ordered Danzo to conspire with Hanzo to go after the Uchiha clan—your own comrades!"

"How could you do that while serving as Hokage of Konoha?"

"What happened to the Will of Fire in your heart?"

Jiraiya rambled on, venting his frustrations.

But throughout it all, the Third Hokage remained silent, simply gazing at Jiraiya, offering no explanation.

Because deep down, he knew there was nothing to explain.

He had done those things. That was the truth.

When Jiraiya finally finished recounting all their past memories and prepared to leave, the Third Hokage spoke in a hoarse voice: "Jiraiya, for the sake of all I've done for you in the past, please... take care of the Sarutobi clan. I'm begging you!"

Jiraiya stopped, stood still for a moment, and then, after a pause, replied softly: "Fine."

With that, he turned and walked away.

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Yo~ Coreal here!

Just a heads-up: I have a sudden, long trip tomorrow due to a last-minute work commitment out of state. Because of that, I won't be posting tomorrow—and if I end up completely exhausted from the journey, I might skip posting the day after as well.

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