The confident smile on the face of Madara Uchiha grew stronger. He viewed the warnings of Ron as nothing but alarmist nonsense.
If spoken in private, such words might be considered advice. In public, they were a direct challenge to the authority of Madara. However, the leader of the Uchiha did not care about the challenge. This was because of his absolute trust in Hashirama and his supreme confidence in his own strength.
Madara was the proudest of all Uchiha. In the entire shinobi world, he only acknowledged Hashirama. He believed that with their combined power, they could realize the ideals they shared as children.
But fate is a mysterious thing. People often have unrealistic fantasies about their ideals. Once the village of Konoha is established, Hashirama will change. Madara will remain the same, but Hashirama will become the First Hokage. The leader of the Senju will believe that protecting the village is the same as protecting people and children.
In the eyes of the First Hokage, whether it is the bond of family or friends, anything that threatens the future of Konoha must be removed.
Hashirama will eventually say these words: "Whether it is my friend, my brother, or even my child, I will not forgive anyone who dares to be an enemy of the village."
"Since Lord Madara has made his choice, I have nothing more to say," Ron stated calmly.
"I will follow the will of Lord Madara and stop seeking revenge against the Senju. But I will not help build a village with them. I choose to leave the Uchiha clan."
Ron was tired of arguing. Some lessons cannot be taught with words. Only events can teach them. When Madara eventually feels the sting of betrayal, he will understand the foresight of Ron.
"So that is your intention. I understand," Madara said with a nod.
He did not try to convince Ron to stay. During the Warring States period, shinobi had many rules for survival. One of them was never revealing a family name to strangers to avoid conflict with rivals. The cost of training a shinobi was high. Most families followed the logic that weakening an enemy was as good as strengthening themselves.
"If you want to leave the clan, I will give you enough money for your journey," Madara offered.
Madara saw the resolve in the eyes of Ron. Wandering the world as a rogue ninja was dangerous. Without money, even the strongest warrior would struggle.
However, Madara underestimated Ron. Or more accurately, he overestimated the moral compass of Ron. The Uchiha had existed for a thousand years as a noble clan. They valued their reputation. They paid for their supplies and never used their power to cheat others. The proud Uchiha cherished their honor.
Ron was different. He was starting a business venture. He wanted to build a village like Orochimaru would in the future.
The Uchiha clan had already moved past the stage of primitive capital accumulation. Ron was just beginning that difficult and bloody phase. No great company starts without secrets in the shadows.
Ron did not mind using his power for dirty work. He would not be like Kakuzu, who mindlessly hunted bounties for small rewards. A thug without a brain is just a tool. To earn real wealth, he had to act like a merchant.
Political influence and market control were his goals. In the plan of Ron, he had to earn his first sum of money and then invest in a specific industry. He would use his strength to create a monopoly. Then, he would open a bank to collect deposits. He would use those deposits to expand his company and gain more profit. It would be a cycle of endless growth.
There was risk involved. Expanding a business is always a gamble. But Ron had a solution for failure. If the company faced a crisis, he would liquidate the assets or declare bankruptcy and leave with the cash.
It was a ruthless way to play the game. But it was effective. In this treacherous shinobi world, a ninja can live with a guilty conscience, but he cannot survive without resources.
The other clans were stuck in the past. They still earned money by completing missions. Even Hashirama only planned to organize missions better. He never changed the underlying logic. Shinobi still lived and died for the tasks of others.
Ron had a greater dream. He wanted to build the biggest village and earn the easiest money. He was happy that Madara offered him funds, but money was not the only thing he needed.
In any era, what is the most expensive resource?
Talent.
…..
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