"Do they need to vent? I suppose so. After so many years of Gatō's oppression, the civilians of the Land of Waves have been suppressed to the extreme. They truly need to release their anger!"
Kurenai remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded.
She agreed with Genya's thoughts. If her own family had been exploited by Gatō, she might have protected them too.
In this regard, Genya was sharper than she had realized.
After a long while, Gatō's screams gradually faded, until they disappeared completely.
There was no sound at all.
Yet, the people continued venting their rage at Gatō's corpse. It seemed their anger was endless, even teetering on the edge of fury.
Behind them, the manor was engulfed in flames, devoured by fire until nothing remained but ashes.
After a long time, the people finally regained their composure. The blood-red fury in their eyes dissipated, and they turned their gaze back to Genya.
Then,
They all knelt in unison. Their eyes looked at Genya with deep gratitude.
"Thank you, thank you to the Uchiha Clan. If it weren't for your arrival, our grievances might never have been avenged!"
The elderly man leading them spoke slowly, his eyes brimming with tears.
All these years, Gatō's actions had crushed them, leaving them barely able to breathe. Now, they were finally free.
The enormous weight pressing down on them had finally vanished.
"Everyone, rise. We, the Uchiha clan, have arrived late!" Genya looked at their grateful faces and nodded with satisfaction.
Turning to the old man leading them, he continued, "From today onward, the Uchiha Clan will begin cooperation with the Land of Waves, striving for shared prosperity!"
Genya spoke deliberately, beginning to win over the surrounding civilians.
These people were crucial for establishing the Uchiha Merchant Association in the Land of Waves. With their help, the association would only grow stronger.
"Yes, we will definitely cooperate with the Uchiha Merchant Association!" the old man nodded seriously.
There was no need for further explanation.
He had recently left the Land of Waves and naturally had heard of the Uchiha association's reputation. They did not exploit the common people like Gatō. Instead, they prospered together with them.
It was precisely for this reason that the Uchiha Merchant Association held such great prestige in the ninja world.
Now the Uchiha Merchant Association wanted to help them, to bring prosperity together. The Land of Waves would soon become wealthy.
"Thank you, Lord Genya, for helping the Land of Waves!"
After saying this, Jōgen knelt again, his eyes full of gratitude—a true gratitude toward Genya.
The others also knelt once more, expressing their intention to work alongside Jōgen to help the Uchiha Merchant Association establish itself in the Land of Waves.
"Is this really Genya?" Kurenai looked at Genya now, a hint of curiosity shining in his eyes.
So this was Genya's way?
Just a few simple words, and the people of the Land of Waves were completely devoted, ready to serve the Uchiha Merchant Association. No wonder the company was growing so fast.
This was definitely Genya's doing—truly brilliant.
Powerful, resourceful, able to walk among the common people without an air of superiority—only someone like this, if he became Hokage, could take Konoha to the next level.
"Genya…" Compared to Kurenai's curiosity, Hinata's eyes were full of light and admiration.
Genya was amazing. She wanted to work hard alongside him.
Shino Aburame also nodded, his expression serious. Following Genya had been the right decision. From now on, he would be one of Genya's subordinates.
"Everyone, get up quickly. The Uchiha clan wants to prosper together with you. In the future, within the Land of Waves, we'll need everyone's effort…" Genya spoke seriously, his tone full of earnestness.
Yet, these people still didn't rise, their voices full of gratitude toward Genya.
"Jōgen, get up quickly," Tazuna said, hurrying forward to help Jōgen stand. "We still need to discuss the bridge repairs!"
"Tazuna, it's not that we don't want to fix the bridge. Now that Gatō is dead, we can use their ships. The bridge can wait," Jōgen said reluctantly. "We simply don't have enough money for it right now."
At first, he had asked Tazuna for help to break free from Gatō's control, squeezing out money to repair the bridge.
Now that Gatō was dead, they could pause, at least ensuring the Land of Waves's basic needs were met.
"Don't worry. This bridge will be repaired!" Genya looked at the troubled Jōgen and spoke seriously. "To show the sincerity of the Uchiha clan, the money… our clan will provide it!"
"No, no," Jōgen shook his head quickly. Looking at Genya, he said seriously, "Lord Genya, you've already helped us deal with Gatō's trouble. We dare not trouble you further!"
"No need. Are you refusing to cooperate with us, Uchiha?" Genya narrowed his eyes at the old man and continued.
"This…" Jōgen froze at these words. Who would ever refuse more money?
"Oji-san, this guy has plenty of money. Let him pay." At that moment, Kurenai stepped forward to ease the awkwardness.
So, the people of the Land of Waves thanked them again and then took Genya and the others to eat.
There was singing and dancing!
After they were full, the villagers arranged for everyone to stay in the best rooms.
Just as they entered, Uchiha Furin walked in, carrying several boxes he had somehow picked up along the way. He placed them in front of Genya. "Lord Genya, Gatō's fortune totals over 130 million ryo!"
"Over 130 million ryo? Gatō is quite rich…" Genya raised an eyebrow as he listened to Furin. For someone from a tiny country to amass such wealth, it was ridiculous!
The Land of Waves being rich? That was impossible!
"What should we do with all this money? Send it back to the clan?" Furin asked, looking at the piles of coins.
"No need!" Genya shook his head. He walked to the window and looked at the Land of Waves and the sea beyond. "Let's use this money to develop the Land of Waves. The scenery is beautiful—maybe we can even build an amusement park here!"
"Huh? Keep it all here?" Furin was shocked.
"Yes, keep it all!" Genya nodded.
The next morning, Genya had just gotten up when Jōgen and Tazuna surrounded him outside. Their eyes were eager.
"Genya… if that's the case, when should we start building the bridge?" Tazuna asked excitedly. The night before, he and Jōgen had studied the feasibility and plan for constructing the bridge.
Now, he was asking Genya when the construction would begin.
"Then we can start preparing materials. Notify everyone. I'll have the Merchant Association pay all the workers myself!" Genya nodded seriously as he listened to Tazuna.
"No, no," Jōgen quickly shook his head. "Building this bridge benefits the Land of Waves. We can't accept any payment!"
"This project will be fully handled by the Uchiha Merchant Association. You don't need to worry about it."
From that day, the construction of the bridge began.
****
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