In just over a month—
With Odai acting as a guide, the scattered Grass ninja across the Land of Grass were completely crushed by Uchiha Ren and his guard unit.
In truth, it could have been even faster.
If the Grass ninja had gathered together, Uchiha Ren's current strength could have wiped them out in a single day.
But most of that time had been spent traveling.
Of course—
Uchiha Ren also took the opportunity to enjoy the scenery.
After all, he was supposed to be on a "trip."
However, during one of his daily sessions training in Sage Mode—
For just a brief instant—
He felt it.
Someone was watching him.
The sensation vanished immediately.
A rat.
That was the conclusion he reached using a specialized sensory technique developed while in Sage Mode.
The rat was cautious.
Always staying at a safe distance.
If Uchiha Ren hadn't already suspected its identity—
He might have dismissed it as a hallucination.
To avoid alerting it—
He pretended not to notice.
But one day—
He would catch it.
Kusagakure was fragmented across the entire country.
Their forces were scattered.
Their will to fight—
Weak.
Once a leader fell—
The rest surrendered immediately.
Later, Uchiha Ren realized something—
His identity was more effective than force.
The Hokage's robe carried overwhelming authority in the shinobi world.
With the Hokage personally present—
There was no reason to fight.
The Grass ninja had already fallen apart.
What were they risking their lives for?
Uchiha Ren had overestimated them.
Their strength.
Their resolve.
When the leader was weak—
The entire group collapsed.
Odai was like this.
His subordinates were even worse.
Everyone understood one thing—
Survive first.
Perhaps—
He could be more ambitious.
Uchiha Ren, always cautious, realized something surprising—
The world's foundation was far more fragile than he had imagined.
On such a stage—
Anyone competent could dominate.
Everything was going smoothly.
Too smoothly.
Which made him wonder—
Could these people really pressure Amegakure?
Perhaps—
He should establish a Konoha base here.
To "protect" the Land of Grass.
Of course—
The cost would be paid by the Land of Grass itself.
And once the banana trade expanded—
They would more than afford it.
News spread quickly.
Uchiha Ren and his guard unit had dismantled Kusagakure in just over a month.
The ninja world was shocked.
Even a weak village—
Shouldn't collapse this fast.
But it had.
And the consequences came immediately.
Tension rose across neighboring regions.
The Land of Grass—
Was too strategically important.
No one knew what Uchiha Ren would do next.
But before the situation could escalate—
A joint statement was released.
Konoha and the "New Kusagakure."
It was all a misunderstanding.
Odai had invited the Third Hokage to eliminate rebels.
Peace had been restored.
At the same time—
A new name spread rapidly across the Land of Grass:
Konoha United Fruit Company
Led by the Third Hokage and backed by the Fire Daimyo—
Negotiations began.
The local rulers—
Greedy, but not suicidal—
I attended.
After all—
Konoha had crushed Kusagakure instantly.
They had no choice.
The proposal was laid out.
Banana production.
Domestic prices.
Per capita income.
Market analysis.
The price gap—
Between the Land of Grass and neighboring nations—
Was staggering.
Seven to eight times higher at minimum.
In some regions—
Over twenty times.
As long as bananas could be exported—
The profits would be enormous.
And the market—
Vast.
The rulers stared at the presentation.
Their eyes burned with greed.
"This is promising," one of them said cautiously.
"But the price difference exists because of transportation and storage costs."
"If those aren't solved—this plan is meaningless."
Uchiha Ren smiled.
He had already prepared answers.
Storage?
Cold storage facilities.
Air conditioning units—
Now mass-produced in Konoha—
Would be installed.
The company would front the cost.
Repayment could come later.
Conveniently—
These were Konoha's own products.
Low cost.
High efficiency.
Two problems solved at once.
As for transportation safety—
Uchiha Ren's smile turned cold.
"Konoha loves peace."
"But peace requires stability."
"I dislike… disruptive elements."
"Bandits. Rogue ninja. Missing-nin."
"They should not exist."
"Within two months—"
"I want them all dead."
His command was absolute.
What followed—
Was slaughtered.
Grass ninja, now equipped and funded by Konoha United Fruit Company, swept across the country.
New uniforms.
Standardized gear.
Full logistical support.
Their morale skyrocketed.
Their combat strength surged.
They hunted instability like a swarm of locusts.
Every kill—
A reward.
Their performance shocked everyone.
Was this the same Kusagakure that had collapsed in a month?
The rulers began to suspect—
Had they been holding back before?
Had they been sabotaging things?
"Report them!"
"Collusion with Konoha!"
But it was meaningless.
Money changed everything.
Underpaid troops were weak.
Well-paid troops—
Unstoppable.
And Uchiha Ren was generous.
For the first time—
The Grass ninja tasted the "kindness" of Konoha's benevolent rule.
Within a month—
The Land of Grass was transformed.
Bandits fled.
Rogue ninja disappeared.
The country became—
Quiet.
Only one problem remained.
Infrastructure.
The roads were terrible.
And fixing them—
It would take time.
But this was the ninja world.
They had ninjas.
Why not use them?
Earth Release techniques could handle basic construction.
No need for perfect roads—
As long as they worked.
Even simple paths—
It was enough.
Another wave of orders.
Another economic boost.
Even the electrical grid expanded.
Trade routes were marked with Konoha's flag.
Anyone daring to interfere—
Would face annihilation.
Soon—
The company's influence exploded.
Bananas flooded the Land of Fire.
Prices dropped.
Ordinary people could finally afford them.
Farmers in the Land of Grass—
Earned in a month what once took a year.
The company brought more than money.
Industrial goods.
Electricity.
Modern conveniences.
Electric lights—
Bright and beautiful—
Became symbols of change.
Money flowed in—
And flowed right back out.
But life—
It was better.
Everyone now had—
A future.
With profits secured—
The rulers were fully committed.
The entire country—
Would grow bananas.
Some protested.
"This is absurd!"
"A single industry?!"
But their voices disappeared.
Quickly.
Completely.
Uchiha Ren had come here to relax.
At first—
He did.
But building something of this scale—
It was exhausting.
Meetings were chaotic.
Arguments over shares.
Even fights broke out.
Eventually—
He had enough.
He called in Nara Shikaku and an entire team to handle operations.
Only then—
Did he get a moment to breathe?
Meanwhile—
In Iwagakure.
Ōnoki stared at the invitation on his desk.
An offer—
To join the Konoha United Fruit Company.
He had been troubled.
Konoha's speed—
It was terrifying.
There had been no time to react.
Now—
Stopping them was impossible.
Condemnation?
Meaningless.
The new Kusagakure practically knelt before Konoha.
And the Land of Grass—
It was too important.
Once—
Iwagakure had used it to invade the Land of Fire.
If it now stood firmly with Konoha…
A headache.
Ōnoki sighed.
Then opened the letter.
The proposal was direct.
Join.
Profit.
Attached—
A financial report.
The numbers—
Stunned him.
Hundreds of billions in flow—
Within the first month.
Future projections—
Trillions.
This was—
A national-scale economy.
Ōnoki stared at the zeros.
Speechless.
Was this a trap?
Why include him?
The requirements were minimal.
Ensure trade route security.
Allow operations.
That was it.
In return—
Billions annually.
Possibly more.
He hesitated.
Unaware of the long-term risks.
To him—
This was a gift from the heavens.
Iwagakure was struggling.
Debt.
Instability.
Internal conflict.
Even he—
The Tsuchikage—
I had to take missions.
His back ached constantly.
This—
Could solve everything.
But still—
He hesitated.
He needed confirmation.
He dispatched ANBU.
Contact the Earth Daimyo.
Meanwhile—
In Sunagakure—
The Third Kazekage reacted very differently.
He was ecstatic.
Konoha—
Was truly their best ally.
Such an opportunity—
Could not be missed.
No matter how poor they were—
They were still one of the Five Great Nations.
They would take their share.
Immediately—
He set out for the Land of Grass.
Without hesitation.
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