Another week passed.
The continued inaction of the Five Great Ninja Villages left the daimyo increasingly dissatisfied.
In their eyes, Amegakure should have already been destroyed.
The allied shinobi forces were supposed to surround the Land of Rain, crush its resistance with overwhelming force, and publicly execute Hanzo.
His death would then be announced to the entire world as a warning—
A reminder that true power still belonged to them.
That no one was allowed to challenge their authority.
Summons arrived one after another.
Dozens of them.
The daimyo of the four great nations repeatedly demanded immediate military action, each order harsher than the last.
Only the Fire Daimyo remained relatively gentle.
His tone was almost pleading, urging Konoha to finally make a move.
Uchiha Ren did not even bother replying.
Every order was tossed straight into the trash.
Konoha remained motionless.
Watching.
However, the other four great villages could no longer continue delaying.
Their armies finally began to mobilize.
Large-scale deployments.
Shinobi marched in disciplined formations beneath the blazing sun, their newly forged armor gleaming coldly.
And on the lower corner of every uniform—
The same symbol could be seen.
Konoha's emblem.
Yes.
Almost everything they wore had been produced by Konoha.
Armor.
Clothing.
Weapons.
Even the smallest utility pouches.
All of it came from Konoha factories.
Konoha's metallurgy had advanced at an astonishing pace.
Their armor was cheap, durable, and incredibly difficult to penetrate.
Ordinary kunai could barely pierce it—
Unless one used Konoha's newly developed kunai.
Forged from a special alloy created by the Technology Department, the weapons possessed excellent chakra conductivity while still being suitable for mass production.
Even the higher-ups of the various villages understood how dangerous this dependence had become.
But they had no alternative.
Affordable.
Reliable.
Mass-produced.
In the end, they could only accept it.
Sunagakure suffered the most from this dependence.
Their reliance on Konoha had already seeped into everyday life.
Konoha products were everywhere.
Even if someone removed the outer branding, what about the inner clothing?
Everything was still made in Konoha.
The atmosphere of war spread across the continent.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
The four great villages continued deploying forces.
Even without an official alliance, everyone understood the truth—
War was only a matter of time.
Amegakure, however, did not retreat.
Instead, they chose to face the coming storm head-on.
Defensive lines were established.
Strategic positions fortified.
At the same time, Hanzo held a massive press conference.
He openly condemned the four great villages, calling them nothing more than tools of the daimyo.
Traitors to shinobi.
And through Konoha's broadcasting network, his speech spread across the entire world.
Alongside countless advertisements.
Konoha.
"Profits are exploding."
Ren leaned back against the sofa while reading the latest reports.
Sales across every industry had surged dramatically.
Weapons.
Supplies.
Medicine.
Everything was selling out.
Even smaller villages had begun stockpiling resources in preparation for war.
Meanwhile, Konoha remained neutral—
Like a god calmly observing the world from above.
The village issued only a single warning:
The war must never spread into the Land of Fire or its allied territories.
Otherwise—
Do not blame Konoha for the consequences.
No one dared test that warning.
Konoha's strength was unquestionable.
Its factories operated day and night without rest.
Production lines expanded repeatedly under enormous pressure.
Workers were pushed to their limits.
There were not enough skilled laborers.
But no one cared.
This was the perfect opportunity to make money.
Rest could wait.
Amegakure stood alone—
But it was far from weak.
Hanzo personally visited the frontlines, delivering speech after speech.
His words ignited passion.
Even while standing at a disadvantage, they still chose to fight.
To resist.
To become pioneers for a new era.
His voice carried conviction.
Emotion.
Power.
More and more shinobi gathered beneath his banner.
Rogue ninja.
Wanderers.
Small factions.
Even ordinary civilians.
They came knowing they might die.
And still—
They came.
Quietly, Konoha amplified everything.
Spreading Hanzo's speeches.
Turning him into a symbol.
Inside the Uchiha residence, Ren returned home right on time.
No overtime.
Workers might need overtime—
Bosses did not.
"Madara."
"You're not at the arcade today?"
Ren asked casually.
Madara sat on the sofa with a serious expression, clearly about to say something.
"Come help carry the dishes."
Uchiha Hikari's voice suddenly came from the kitchen.
"…Alright."
Madara immediately stood up and walked over.
Dinner was already prepared.
Rich and carefully made.
"Your cooking's improved."
Ren smiled lightly.
"Really?"
Hikari's eyes instantly lit up.
"Then I'll cook for you every day."
Madara silently continued eating, pretending he could not hear anything.
After dinner, Ren leaned lazily against the sofa while watching the news.
Every report was about Amegakure.
Boring.
He already knew all of it beforehand.
Madara returned and sat down beside him, quietly watching Hanzo's speech replay on the screen.
A subtle change appeared in his expression.
That kind of speech had a powerful effect on him.
For a brief moment, he imagined himself stepping onto the battlefield once again—
Summoning Susanoo.
Crushing everything in his path.
But he restrained himself.
He continued waiting.
Watching.
"…Kid."
"You're behind this entire Amegakure situation, aren't you?"
"And Konoha's just sitting back and watching."
Ren narrowed his eyes slightly.
This old man better not cause trouble.
"Konoha is waiting," Ren replied calmly.
"This still isn't the right time."
"Amegakure carries the banner."
"We support them from the shadows."
"The factories are already operating nonstop to supply them."
Then Ren glanced at Madara.
"And you?"
"You're still slacking off."
"You're the factory director, yet you barely work."
Madara froze.
"…I know."
"I was just asking."
"I'm a model factory director."
His guilty expression made it obvious.
Recently, he had become completely addicted to gaming and had barely checked on the factories at all.
"Then go work."
Ren spoke calmly.
At that moment, Hikari walked over again.
"You're still here?"
"You said you wouldn't disturb us."
Madara instantly stood up.
"…I'm leaving."
"Not to play games."
"To work."
He turned around and walked off with determination.
No more gaming.
He had to protect his title—
Model Factory Director.
Overtime begins now.
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