"Honored ninja-sama… our village has nothing of value. Only these bananas… Please don't take offense."
At midday, a gaunt old man forced a cautious smile. Years of hard labor had carved deep lines into his face. He carefully offered the bananas, his gaze repeatedly drifting toward the side—
Where Odai was tied up like a wriggling caterpillar.
Odai hadn't been honest.
The moment he led Uchiha Ren into the base, it became obvious—the room had hidden tunnels and carefully prepared traps. Clearly, he had always left himself an escape route.
A true survivor of the First Shinobi War. Someone who had maneuvered between multiple great powers.
A perfect opportunist.
But in the face of overwhelming strength—
These tricks were meaningless.
"Odai," Uchiha Ren said with a faint smile, "my patience is limited."
"If you keep playing these little games… I might have to replace you."
"I spared your life because you're somewhat useful."
"Don't test me."
His tone was calm.
Almost gentle.
But Odai felt a chill run down his spine.
If he pushed any further—
He would die.
Without question.
Just who was this young man?
Which high-ranking figure from Konoha was traveling incognito?
The guards around him—
Each one terrifyingly strong.
Odai nodded frantically, his mind racing, trying to guess Uchiha Ren's identity.
But someone like him—
Had never had the chance to meet the Hokage.
"Stay tied up for now," Uchiha Ren said casually. "Let it sink in."
"And no food for you."
Ignoring him, he turned to the old man and gestured for him to sit. Then he picked up a banana, peeling it slowly.
"Not bad," he said after a bite.
The old man stood nervously nearby.
Seeing Odai in such a state—
Was deeply shocking.
That man, who once stood above them all…
Reduced to this.
Uchiha Ren spoke casually, easing the tension.
After all—
He wasn't some monster.
He had come to the Land of Grass to bring… change.
The old man had never left the village.
The farthest he had gone was a nearby market.
His entire life had been spent tending banana fields.
When the topic shifted to cultivation—
He became animated, speaking endlessly.
"You've always grown bananas?" Uchiha Ren asked.
"Not just us. The surrounding villages too. My father grew bananas. My grandfather too. Even my great-grandfather…"
"So you're a banana family."
The old man didn't fully understand the term, but he could tell it was praise. A faint smile appeared on his face.
This ninja-sama…
Spoke gently.
Even complimented him.
"Where do you usually sell them?"
"…We don't, really."
"They're for eating. Everyone grows bananas. Who would buy them?"
"And they spoil easily. Taking them to market is dangerous. You might lose everything… even your life."
He sighed.
"A group from the neighboring village tried once. Took several carts to market…"
"Only a few came back alive."
Survival itself was difficult enough.
Getting rich from bananas?
Impossible.
"Have you ever considered selling them to the Land of Fire? Or the Land of Earth?" Uchiha Ren asked.
The old man shook his head immediately.
"Ninja-sama… that's impossible."
To him—
The Land of Grass was already vast.
Selling beyond it?
Unimaginable.
"One day," Uchiha Ren said calmly, "it will be possible."
After a brief conversation, the old man left.
Uchiha Ren decided to stay in the village for a few days.
Rest.
And plan.
Kusagakure's factions were scattered across the country.
He would deal with them one by one.
Time wasn't the issue.
What mattered—
Was building a trade system.
If the Land of Grass was suited for bananas—
Then let it grow bananas.
Factories?
Livestock?
Irrelevant.
Bananas were enough.
Inside the room, Uchiha Ren began writing.
Market scale.
Distribution channels.
Transportation.
Only when these aligned—
Could the country function.
But Konoha alone wasn't enough.
The Land of Grass was too large.
Too many people.
Konoha couldn't consume all that production.
Then—
Bring others in.
The Land of Fire.
The Land of Earth.
The Land of Wind.
Iwagakure.
Sunagakure.
If something was profitable—
Everyone should share.
Building something was hard.
Destroying it—
Easy.
Instead of guarding against interference—
Better to involve them directly.
With the backing of major powers—
No one would dare interfere.
At the same time—
Konoha's influence would expand beyond borders.
Right now, Konoha's goods still relied on the Daimyo's channels to reach other nations.
That had to change.
Control the economy—
And power would follow.
Uchiha Ren continued writing.
A contract slowly took shape.
A new entity—
Konoha United Fruit Company.
Military conquest was crude.
It invited resistance.
But a company—
A cooperative enterprise—
Was far more acceptable.
Of course—
Control would remain in Konoha's hands.
And for that—
He needed Kusagakure's support.
A joint venture.
Mutual benefit.
No one could object.
Looking at the completed document, Uchiha Ren smiled.
Then went to sleep.
—
The next day.
He approached Odai, who was still bound.
Apparently, no one had bothered to untie him.
Now he wriggled on the ground, exhausted, cold, and starving.
"Odai," Uchiha Ren said, crouching down, "your luck has arrived."
"Do you want to become a hero?"
"No."
Odai shook his head instantly.
Heroes died quickly.
They were tools.
"Fair enough," Uchiha Ren said.
"Then let me ask differently."
"Do you want endless wealth?"
"Power?"
"Beautiful women?"
Odai nodded immediately.
Of course he did.
That was why he struggled in this land.
As for lofty ideals—
Those were just slogans.
"Good."
"Then you now have a chance to change your fate."
Uchiha Ren handed him the contract.
Odai read it carefully.
Or tried to.
He couldn't understand it.
Terms like shareholders, equity, dividends—
All beyond him.
He was barely literate.
Better than most—
But still far from educated.
"Can't read it?"
Perfect.
"No problem," Uchiha Ren said.
"Just sign."
But Odai hesitated—
Until Uchiha Ren revealed his identity.
The Third Hokage of Konoha.
That changed everything.
He cursed the great villages in private—
But if one of them chose him?
Invested in him?
He would swear loyalty without hesitation.
After all—
He had never had a patron before.
And now—
One had appeared.
"I pledge my loyalty to Hokage-sama!"
He submitted instantly.
Even tried to call him "godfather."
Uchiha Ren refused.
That was unnecessary.
As long as he was useful—
That was enough.
Odai signed the contract without hesitation.
Then humbly asked for an explanation.
Uchiha Ren didn't mind.
After all—
This was a "mutually beneficial" deal.
At least for now.
He painted a vision.
Bananas from the Land of Grass—
Sold across the entire ninja world.
Fertile land.
Skilled farmers.
Eliminate bandits.
Build roads with joint funding.
Centralized purchasing.
A shared enterprise.
Konoha.
Sunagakure.
Iwagakure.
And Odai.
The people only needed to farm.
And wait to count money.
Odai didn't fully understand.
But one phrase stuck—
Count money.
He nodded eagerly.
What he didn't realize—
Was the danger of a single-industry economy.
But that was a problem for the future.
Years away.
Right now—
People struggled to survive.
Life expectancy here barely reached thirty.
The old man from yesterday?
Not even thirty-five.
Hard labor aged people quickly.
"Will this really work?" Odai asked hesitantly.
"You don't understand," Uchiha Ren said calmly.
"Transport costs. Storage costs. Security costs."
"Once those are solved—"
"Bananas alone will generate immense profit."
"The market is nearly limitless."
"Just wait and count."
Odai nodded again.
The Hokage wouldn't deceive him.
He had struck gold.
The Land of Grass—
Would rise.
With renewed confidence, Odai became completely cooperative.
He revealed every faction.
Every stronghold.
Every weakness.
Holding nothing back.
Uchiha Ren was very satisfied.
This—
Was exactly the kind of person he needed.
During their stay, Odai assisted in planning operations across the Land of Grass.
At one point—
Uchiha Ren asked about a legend.
The Six Paths artifact—
The Box of Ultimate Bliss.
Odai had heard of it.
But only rumors.
Countless versions.
Granting wishes.
Wealth.
Immortality.
Like a mythical treasure.
But Uchiha Ren knew the truth.
Inside—
Was a monster.
Satori.
A terrifying entity capable of withstanding even elite shinobi forces.
Even a Tailed Beast.
Even Sage Mode.
And it had only been sealed again through extreme circumstances.
A dangerous weapon.
Such a thing—
Had to be secured by Konoha.
Another reason—
To completely dismantle the old Kusagakure system.
The Box's location was unknown.
The prison that would one day contain it—
Didn't exist yet.
Which meant—
He would have to search.
As he moved to unify the Land of Grass—
He would scour it completely.
And find it.
Before anyone else did.
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