Naruto's Strongest Force - Chapter 21
In the Hidden Cloud Village
Killer Bee and Darui were about to depart when the Fourth Raikage called them back.
“Brother! Why are you calling us back again? Yo! Yo! You, the fool!” exclaimed Killer Bee.
He always spoke in a strange tone. Although he had no talent in rap, it didn’t stop his enthusiasm for it, even though everyone thought it was odd.
A, having long become immune to his adoptive brother’s way of speaking, listened. As the host of the Eight-Tails, he had endured enough humiliation in the village; a little hobby was a minor thing.
“We’ve received news that Uchiha Itachi has led half of the Uchiha elite to leave Konoha.”
“Those Uchiha crazies couldn’t take it anymore, huh? Yo! Yo! You, the fool!”
Major ninja villages typically had spies in each other’s villages; it was inevitable, given the size of the villages.
So, two days earlier, they had known about Danzo’s attempt to steal Shisui’s eye, which had turned Konoha into a joke within the shinobi world.
Killer Bee had no political acumen; he couldn’t grasp the complex undercurrents now and not decades later.
However, Darui was much brighter than Killer Bee. He immediately grasped the essential point: “Has Konoha been weakened again? Should we target the Uchiha this time?”
A shook his head, “The situation has become more complicated.” He handed the intelligence reports to Darui, and Killer Bee leaned over to notice Susanoo’s formidable picture.
“This…is this Susanoo? Yo! Yo! You, the fool!”
After Darui finished reviewing the information, he realised that although over a hundred Uchiha elites had left, there had been no casualties other than damage to buildings.
It was also revealed that both Fugaku and Itachi were Mangekyo Sharingan users.
The current relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha was superficially cordial but has yet to be openly broken.
And Itachi’s departure could hardly be said to be without the Third Hokage’s tacit agreement.
If there were to be a real war, it was unclear if Itachi and Fugaku would assist Konoha, but they definitely wouldn’t help the Hidden Cloud, at least not now.
After all, the Hidden Cloud’s finances were stretched thin, so they initiated peace talks.
Given these developments,
“Lord Fourth, what are your thoughts?”
The Fourth Raikage pointed to the Uchiha section of the report.
“Our original plans remain unchanged, but we must be wary of the Uchiha’s stance. The Uchiha are strong now…”
Though nominally, Killer Bee was the leader of the delegation, he was more of a mascot since he was A’s brother.
The natural leader was Darui.
Whether their visit would end in peace talks or something else depended entirely on the circumstances.
…
The drastic changes within the Uchiha clan sparked heated discussions among the villagers.
Rumours began to circulate.
Some said that during the Nine-Tails incident, it was Danzo who had prevented the Uchiha from fighting, allegedly to protect the villagers, and they had been targeted ever since.
Another rumour was that Uchiha Itachi’s departure was due to Danzo’s harvesting of Uchiha Shisui’s eyes, yet the Third Hokage had only verbally reprimanded Danzo, who remained an influential advisor. Nothing had changed in his status.
Another exciting rumour suggested that the Uchiha had long been dissatisfied with the village, blaming the Third Hokage’s incompetence for Itachi and Shisui’s rebellion. The Third had merely called it a ‘departure,’ proving he was unfit to be Hokage.
Usually, such rumours would have found some believers.
But after experiencing the event where Shisui was attacked and yet did not rebel, most dismissed the anti-Uchiha rumours as absurd.
If anyone wanted to rebel, they would have done so long ago, not wait until today.
Moreover, villagers were most sensitive to their daily lives.
The commercial streets of Konoha were well-patrolled by the Uchiha, who maintained excellent public order.
Their patrols were frequent, they handled affairs efficiently, and they had rich experience dealing with incidents.
Areas managed by the Hyuga clan were next best, known for their gentleness and the all-seeing Byakugan.
Far-off incidents couldn’t escape the Hyuga clan’s eyes, and although their handling of incidents was somewhat slow, it was still acceptable to the villagers.
The worst were the areas from First to Fourth Street, which were rumored to be under Danzo’s influence. Encounters there often involved indiscriminate detainment and imprisonment.
His men were cold and ruthless in their methods, with maiming and injuries being common occurrences. Now, people were reluctant to visit those streets, leading to their economic decline.
Originally, villagers had no particular impression of Elder Danzo, but now they were well aware of his character.
“You want to be Hokage? Then show some results. Stop framing the Uchiha and slandering the Third every day.”
If Danzo were not an older advisor of Konoha, villagers might well have spat at his doorstep.
Even though Danzo had ordered the security team’s Root division to enforce laws more gently, some habits weren’t easily changed.
Moreover, once the villagers had formed a fixed impression, it was hard to see the Root division in a positive light again.
…
Meanwhile, the Uchiha were hiring construction crews to rebuild their clan area.
However, the distance was quite far from Konoha now.
Of course, the Uchiha had also built a road immediately, facilitating travel for Uchiha civilians who ran shops within the village.
Though slightly inconvenient, their businesses were now doing better than before, free from the odd looks of other villagers, so the Uchiha civilians accepted the situation.
The road itself was constructed from high-quality stone, costing a considerable sum. Many felt the Uchiha must be flush with cash to afford such a well-made road.
In contrast, the construction materials used for the Uchiha clan area were just average.
The new buildings were simple, lacking the sophistication expected of a prominent clan, with few decorations emphasising simplicity.
Shisui and Fugaku planned this. If there were a large-scale attack in the future, current constructions would only turn into rubble anyway.
If the area outside developed, this place would eventually be abandoned, so why bother with extravagant constructions?
Shisui had been researching the culinary arts and snacks of the Land of Fire.
After understanding the culinary landscape of this world, the business plan replicated many Chinese dishes through just the frameworks.
Due to the different raw materials and taste preferences in the world, Itachi and others needed to continuously experiment with the details, ingredients, and final products.
Fortunately, the Uchiha had accumulated considerable wealth over the years, enough for an extended period of experimentation.
If funds ran low, Itachi and Shisui could temporarily become bounty hunters. After all, it would be a waste not to utilise such high-level combat abilities.
The black market was rife with bounties, providing the fastest way to wealth for those capable.
Hadn’t the Akatsuki started their fortune this way?
However, Konan later squandered everything they had gained.
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