Several days later, a squad of about a dozen shinobi could be seen steadily making their way toward Konohagakure. From the forehead protectors they wore and the distinctive uniforms, it was clear—they were from Kumogakure, the Hidden Cloud Village.
This was no covert operation or invasion. The group consisted of three jōnin and ten chūnin, led by a senior jōnin named Isshi, whose face was etched with worry. Their mission? A formal visit to Konoha to deliver a massive ransom—or more precisely, a reparations payment—directly to the Uchiha clan.
They weren't just carrying coin purses either. The payment was sealed inside high-grade space-time scrolls, the kind used by high-level shinobi to safely transport sensitive materials. After all, this wasn't pocket change—they were essentially hauling a fortune.
Isshi's heart felt heavy. Kumogakure had never once in its history paid out such an enormous sum to another village, let alone to a single clan within that village. But refusing to pay wasn't an option.
He remembered the scene all too vividly—the battlefield where Uchiha Ryosuke had obliterated dozens of elite Cloud ninja with terrifying ease. Isshi had been there. He had felt his ribs shatter from a single blow. A single punch. And then everything went black.
"How could someone so young… be that strong?" he thought again, a chill running down his spine.
After that crushing defeat, Kumogakure had no choice. Even A, the Fourth Raikage—known for his pride and explosive temper—had agreed to the reparations without much of a fight. That's how serious the situation was.
If Ryosuke decided to launch an attack on the Hidden Cloud... what could they do? Nothing. They'd already thrown 80% of their elite forces at him and were utterly annihilated. Sending more genin or standard chūnin would just be cannon fodder. Even Isshi, a hardened jōnin, knew they'd be helpless if Ryosuke cast a Massive Fireball Jutsu—a single one would probably reduce a battalion to ashes.
Cloud shinobi didn't fear death. But dying pointlessly? That was another matter entirely.
When the news of the defeat and the required compensation reached the Hidden Cloud village, it triggered a storm within the major clans. Many objected furiously, seeing it as carving flesh from their own bones. After all, the money was coming straight out of their coffers.
But the Raikage had made it clear: If you want to avoid paying, then you can go deal with Uchiha Ryosuke yourselves. Predictably, none volunteered.
Most clans hadn't seen the battle firsthand, but they had family who did. And those accounts had painted Ryosuke as something closer to a monster than a man—more like Madara Uchiha than Hashirama Senju. An unstoppable, unrelenting force.
Worse yet, word had reached them that Danzo, one of the most powerful and dangerous men in the Hidden Leaf, had been executed by the Uchiha upon their return. Not assassinated in secret—executed openly.
Everyone in the Cloud's upper ranks knew who Danzo was. The Shadow of the Leaf. The man who had orchestrated coups and black ops across the shinobi world. If he was dead… and if even the Sandaime Hokage had been defeated—rumor said he'd been literally kicked across the village—then what chance did any of them stand?
And so, the Raikage had sent the payment, along with a direct order: Deliver it personally. Do not screw this up.
The group finally arrived at Konoha's gates. The Leaf gatekeepers—veteran chūnin and jōnin—spotted them and immediately grew tense, instinctively placing their hands near their weapons.
When the Cloud group drew near, the guards stepped forward.
"What's your business here, Cloud shinobi?" one jōnin asked gruffly.
Isshi didn't take offense. He bowed slightly, trying to keep things diplomatic.
"We're here to visit the Uchiha clan. We've brought the agreed-upon compensation from the Raikage."
The Leaf jōnin frowned.
"Compensation? For what?"
He didn't know? Or was he pretending not to?
The war with the Cloud had just ended. The final battle, led by the Uchiha and the Hyūga clans, had broken the back of Kumogakure's offensive. Everyone knew that. But apparently, not all the Leaf shinobi knew about the deal that followed.
The jōnin's eyes narrowed as he put two and two together. Did the Uchiha personally demand this money as ransom for letting the survivors go?
It made sense. The Uchiha were powerful, but they were also proud and ruthless. If they had Cloud ninja in their grasp, they wouldn't let them go without extracting something valuable.
But according to Konoha's traditional hierarchy, such payments should be handled through the Hokage's Office, not delivered directly to a clan.
"This payment should go to the Sandaime," the jōnin said, his voice firm.
Isshi's expression darkened. That was exactly what they couldn't allow.
If they gave the money to the Sandaime, and not the Uchiha directly, Ryosuke might interpret that as a grave insult—a trick, even. A way of trying to cheat him.
Back in the day, they might've considered such a move—play the Uchiha against the Hokage, stir up civil unrest within Konoha. But after seeing what Ryosuke had done to their army? No way. That was suicide.
"This gold is not for the Hokage," Isshi replied sharply.
"It is for the Uchiha. We will not deviate from the Raikage's orders. Will you take us to them, or not?"
The Leaf jōnin hesitated. He was loyal to the Hokage and didn't like how much power the Uchiha were gathering. But he also wasn't suicidal. Even some of the oldest pro-Hiruzen families were starting to shift allegiance to the Uchiha clan.
In the end, he nodded stiffly.
"Fine. I'll take you there personally. But this will be reported to the Hokage."
Isshi said nothing. That was their problem.
As they made their way to the Uchiha compound, Isshi's men remained somber. There was no bravado, no taunting. They were stepping into the stronghold of the strongest clan in the world right now—and they all knew it.
The Leaf jōnin escorting them was equally silent. The old ways were dying. The power dynamics within the Hidden Leaf were changing. If Ryosuke continued to rise unchecked, he might very well end up not just as the clan leader… but as the one who redefines who rules Konoha.
For now, though, the money had to be paid.
And deep down, even the Hokage's most loyal retainers knew: they were dealing with someone who might already surpass the likes of Madara.
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