Houses themselves weren't worth much.
Especially in a world like this—where shinobi could reshape terrain overnight—building livable homes was trivial.
But what Uchiha Ren was selling…
It wasn't just houses.
He was selling Konoha's future.
Clearly, Nara Shikaku's perspective hadn't reached that level yet.
Ren sighed lightly.
"Shikaku, you understand how profitable shops in Konoha's commercial district are, right?"
"Of course."
"If we announce that this empty land will become the most profitable and safest commercial hub in the ninja world—complete with housing, hospitals, entertainment…"
"Would you buy property there?"
Shikaku didn't hesitate.
He nodded.
He absolutely would.
Because he knew—
Konoha was becoming the world's factory.
With technological advantages and cheap labor, it would extract wealth from across the entire shinobi world.
No taxes.
No interference.
Even the daimyo wouldn't dare demand a share.
Opening a shop in Konoha's commercial center?
That was equivalent to setting up business in the richest location in the world.
Fail to make money there?
That was a personal failure.
"And that's the point."
Ren smiled.
"As long as we can write a proper proposal—"
"Even if we just stick a sign in the dirt, those nobles and merchants will line up to give us money."
"We take the money first."
"Then we build."
Shikaku froze.
This was—
Pure profit with no capital.
"Is… that really okay?"
He hesitated.
He was still, at heart, a traditional shinobi.
Earn money through missions.
Get paid for results.
Now this—
Was different.
"We need the new district anyway."
Ren shrugged.
"Why pay for it ourselves when others are begging to fund it?"
Shikaku fell silent.
It sounded crude.
But it was true.
Ren's ambition—
Was no longer just Konoha.
He was preparing something far bigger.
"...Hokage-sama is wise."
Shikaku raised both hands in agreement.
Because he knew—
He couldn't stop him.
"Then start preparing."
A project of this scale—
Required meticulous planning.
Land use. infrastructure. power systems. drainage. defensive barriers.
Everything had to be perfect.
For the next ten days—
Shikaku worked himself to exhaustion.
No sleep.
No rest.
Hair falling out faster than ever.
But—
The money was worth it.
Ren rewarded generously.
Shikaku had already earned what would have been three lifetimes of retirement savings.
Finally—
The plan was complete.
Ren reviewed it.
Approved it.
And with that—
Konoha's "pre-sale" era officially began.
The propaganda machine activated.
Within days—
The sales office was overflowing.
Nobles didn't hesitate.
Buying property was no longer just business.
It was loyalty.
"Konoha-sama, please accept my offering!"
They bought entire districts.
Lavish. reckless.
Even Ren felt—
He might have priced it too low.
The nobles alone—
Covered most of the construction costs.
As for ordinary citizens—
Ren had prepared something for them too.
Affordable housing.
And—
Loans.
Work twenty years—
And the house is yours.
"Konoha earns, Konoha spends."
"Not a single coin leaves."
This—
Was the Hokage's "blessing."
At least—
You survived.
You had a home.
Maybe even a family.
And then—
Your children would repeat the same cycle.
"...This is incredible."
Uzumaki Ashina stood at the construction site, stunned.
"These people… they're all smiling."
They were working nonstop.
Barely resting.
Eating quickly—
Then back to work.
And yet—
Their eyes were full of light.
Ashina had lived through the Warring States era.
War. bloodshed. survival.
His dream—
Was to make the Uzumaki clan strong.
But now—
He saw something different.
He asked Ren for guidance.
Ren explained—
Capital. productivity. systems.
Ashina didn't fully understand.
But after observing for days—
He grasped something.
Ren gave them:
Work.
Food.
Hope.
And even—
A house.
Not wooden huts.
But cement homes.
Smooth white walls.
Electric lighting.
Compact, but clean.
Expensive?
Yes.
A lifetime of labor?
Also yes.
But to people who once had nothing—
This was a miracle.
War had broken them.
Nobles had drained them.
Disasters had crushed them.
Now—
They had something to live for.
Ren had taken wealth from the elites—
And poured it into infrastructure.
Factories.
Jobs.
Food.
Who would dare curse him?
Even lower-ranked shinobi had changed.
They no longer relied solely on missions.
They joined production.
Construction.
This transformation—
Was intentional.
Ren wanted shinobi to become part of society—
Not just weapons.
Education had also changed.
Thanks to the nobles' wealth—
Konoha could afford reform.
The academy now separated students:
Talented fighters—
Followed traditional paths.
The rest?
Construction. industry. logistics.
Even a genin—
Was far stronger than a civilian.
Better stamina. better strength.
More efficiency.
Other villages would never allow this.
They would send everyone to war.
But Konoha—
Had money.
And if money ran out?
Just slaughter more "pigs."
"Can the Uzumaki clan achieve this?"
Ashina's eyes shone with hope.
Ren smiled.
Of course—
The real answer was:
No.
But he said instead:
"Of course."
"And to help you—"
"We've prepared an exchange student program."
"We'll teach everything."
Another perfect promise.
Ashina was completely convinced.
At that moment—
A loudspeaker echoed:
"Work's over! Lunch time!"
Ren originally planned to bring Ashina to a high-end restaurant.
But Ashina insisted—
He wanted to eat with the workers.
Lunch was served.
Black protein blocks.
A new invention.
High-protein insect-based food.
Efficient. cheap. scalable.
Ashina took a bite.
"It's… soft. a bit sticky. no strong taste."
Ren hesitated—
Then tried it too.
Not bad.
As long as you didn't think about the source.
Two or three blocks—
Were enough to fill you.
"Is that… the Hokage?"
Even without his formal robes—
Someone recognized him.
The crowd stirred.
Then surged.
Ren raised his hand.
The noise exploded.
"How are you all living?"
"Are you eating well?"
"Did you buy a house?"
A rough-looking worker stepped forward.
Grinning.
"Hokage-sama!"
"We can eat now!"
"We get paid!"
"I even bought a house—twenty-year loan!"
"My son goes to your school!"
His eyes turned red.
Life—
Finally had meaning.
"Hokage-sama—long live!"
"Long live!!"
The shout spread like thunder.
Ren stood in the crowd—
Bathed in sunlight.
Radiant.
Beside him—
Uzumaki Ashina trembled.
Speechless.
This—
Was a Hokage.
Terrifying.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read chapters ahead on Patreon → patreon.com/c/MythArcStudio