"Good grief... these Uchiha guys are playing on a whole new level!"
When Andrew spoke, Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, was stunned speechless.
The Uchiha weren't just trying to build trade ties—they wanted to create a completely independent business empire, free from the control of any ninja village or nation!
"Are you seriously telling me this is just about making money?" Ōnoki muttered. "This is more complicated than unifying the entire ninja world."
If the Uchiha clan actually pulled this off, they would control the economic lifeline of every major village. Even without political power, their influence could decide the fate of countries. In essence, they'd become the true rulers of the ninja world—without needing to fight a war.
Andrew shrugged, calm and casual. "Is unifying the world really that hard? We're not interested. We just want to survive peacefully as a clan. That's all."
He laughed a bit and added, "Sure, ruling a nation sounds great, but maintaining it? Way too much stress. Uchiha is not the kind of clan meant to babysit an entire country. We're better off making money."
It made sense. Everyone in Uchiha was powerful, ambitious—and more than a little wild. Keeping the peace was harder than making money, especially with that kind of family.
Ōnoki finally spoke again. "So, we gather the resources, and you manage the transport and sales? Seems like a pretty sweet deal for us. But... I assume you'll want something more in return?"
Now understanding the structure of the Uchiha trade network, Ōnoki realized why Mist and Cloud villages had already joined. The benefits were too good to ignore.
Andrew nodded. "Of course. What we need is for Iwagakure and the Land of Earth to recognize our group's status. For a multinational organization like ours, it's vital that our goods and people can move safely. Each country that works with us must guarantee protection for Uchiha merchants, and help our goods flow into their markets. That's non-negotiable."
He wasn't lying. The Uchiha didn't just want a cut of the profits. They were building something like a ninja-world economy, and their real wealth came from movement—controlling logistics, not just selling things.
It was just like their shipping business in the past, where they only managed distribution and took none of the actual goods. That model made their profits nearly 100% clean—pure gain with almost no cost, especially compared to countries like the Land of Fire or Water, which had to deal with bureaucracy and regulations.
If there was any cost at all, it was manpower for management and time invested—but even that was easily handled by the strong Uchiha workforce. As long as they stayed strong, their empire would grow.
Ōnoki sighed deeply. "Fine... I'll talk to the Daimyō when I return. I doubt he'll turn this down."
He understood—this was a golden chance for the Hidden Stone village. With their economy struggling, Uchiha's offer was a lifeline.
Andrew gave a small warning. "But don't take too long, Lord Tsuchikage. The Wind Country shares a border with Earth Country. Their environment isn't as good as yours, but you both trade in ores. If they join the deal before you, your share of the market might shrink."
He wasn't in a rush to sign anything. His message was clear—act quickly, or lose the edge.
Andrew had no intention of staying in Iwagakure too long. Just a little pressure was enough to get Ōnoki moving.
After safely escorting the Rock ninjas to the village, Andrew told Shisui to take the group home using Flying Thunder God. Only a few trusted people even knew about that jutsu.
"No need to show all our cards," Andrew muttered. "A trump card's only good when it's hidden."
Ōnoki watched as the Uchiha disappeared, shaking his head with a sly grin. "I still can't understand how Sarutobi Hiruzen could let such a ninja go. Konoha's power dropped a lot without them."
With Uchiha's departure, Konoha had lost three Kage-level shinobi, including Andrew, Uchiha Kamasu, and Uchiha Inabi. Aside from the Third Hokage and Jiraiya, the rest were hardly at that level. The gap between a high-level jōnin and a real Kage was massive.
Andrew laughed. "Maybe he loved Danzo too much! Hah! That old man didn't know what he was doing. He's not Masashi Kishimoto—he's clueless!"
BOOM!
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed across the village, cutting Andrew off mid-sentence.
He blinked. "Are you under attack again, Lord Tsuchikage?"
Ōnoki groaned, already guessing the cause. "It better not be what I think it is... Huangtu! Go grab that idiot Deidara!"
He felt deeply frustrated. Here was Andrew, about the same age, building an empire. And what was his own family doing? Blowing things up like children with fireworks!
"Deidara?" Andrew muttered. "Ah... so he hasn't joined the Akatsuki yet. That tracks. Naruto hasn't graduated, Kisame's still in Kirigakure... so Deidara's still just a brat."
Not long after, Huangtu returned dragging two kids—one blonde, one dark-haired.
The blond one with a wild expression and yellow hair was unmistakable. "That's definitely Deidara," Andrew said to himself.
And the girl with him—calm, confident, and sharp-eyed—must be Kurotsuchi, Ōnoki's granddaughter and future Tsuchikage.
"If I hadn't returned today, were you planning to blow up the entire village?! Cloud Shinobi just trashed us with their Tailed Beasts! Do you want to finish the job?!" Ōnoki roared.
Deidara looked guilty but tried to defend himself. "I wasn't doing anything bad! I was just turning ninjutsu into art! Explosion is art!"
Ōnoki flew into a rage and whacked him on the head with a loud thump. "That's not art, that's nonsense!"
But Andrew stepped in with a grin. "Now, now, Lord Tsuchikage. Don't be too harsh. Have you ever seen fireworks? That's art. Beautiful, fleeting, powerful. But simple. The true art of explosion goes deeper. Don't you agree, Deidara?"
Deidara's eyes lit up.
Andrew knew. This kid was a born artist of chaos. And someday, Uchiha Heavy Industries might just need a genius like him.
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