Starting and maintaining a caravan is no easy task.
Behind every caravan, there is support from nobles.
Some even directly answer to lords!
The Full Moon Caravan and Gemini Caravan that Itsuki mentioned are top-tier caravans, usually only accessible to the retainers of the five great nations.
And Itsuki has them!
Two of them!
Moreover, he also collaborates with three large caravans.
Everyone exchanged astonished glances.
At that moment, they felt like Itsuki had gone over the top.
Even the Leaf Village doesn't have this level of connections!
"What did you expect?"
Itsuki rolled his eyes and said, "Did you think I'd just do nothing, ignore everything, and take you away from the Leaf? Let the entire Uchiha clan, thousands of people, just starve and freeze in the wilderness?"
The Uchiha were silent.
Many of them had really thought so.
Itsuki's antics were well known to everyone.
Fugaku sighed and said, "Itsuki, I admit defeat."
Itsuki's eyes lit up. "Then how about..."
"No way!"
"I didn't even say anything!"
"No means no!"
Itsuki huffed in frustration.
This sly dog, getting smarter by the day.
But one day...
Fugaku looked up at the barrier and asked curiously, "The barrier consumes a large amount of resources daily. How long can you sustain this?"
Itsuki casually replied, "A few months, I guess."
*Cough, cough!*
Fugaku almost choked on his own saliva.
A few months?
Where on earth did you get so many resources?
Maintaining a large barrier consumes an astronomical amount of resources daily.
Is this something a single person can sustain?
Did you rob the Leaf Village or something?
Fugaku smiled bitterly. "I won't ask anymore. There are still some resources left in the clan treasury. Let's use all of it."
Itsuki lazily replied, "We've got the caravans, so we won't lack food or drink."
"We've got the barrier, so we don't need to worry about safety!"
"As for housing, you'll have to build that yourselves."
"Now, it's just about ninja missions. I suggest the Uchiha form a few elite squads to complete some high-profile missions and boost our clan's reputation."
"Where are we going to find such high-profile missions?"
Fugaku sighed.
A ninja village's income mainly comes from various missions.
In the original story, why did the Sand Village initiate the plan to destroy the Leaf?
It was because the Leaf took away too many mission commissions from the Sand, pushing them to their breaking point.
Without enough missions and income, the Sand Village had to reduce the number of ninjas they employed. Fewer ninjas meant fewer missions, which in turn led to even fewer ninjas.
This is a vicious cycle.
It wouldn't be long before the Sand Village would become a fragile fortress of sand, ready to collapse at the slightest touch.
That's why they agreed to Orochimaru's proposal, taking the risky step of launching the plan to destroy the Leaf and initiating war.
Even though Orochimaru disguised himself as the Fourth Kazekage at the time, the Sand Village itself was leaning toward war!
Itsuki helplessly said, "You guys are too rigid. If there aren't any missions, can't you just create one?"
"Create a mission?"
The Uchiha were dumbfounded.
"I'm issuing an S-rank mission right now: Destroy the Cloud Village's frontline forces."
Itsuki lazily added, "Five million ryo. Itachi, Shisui, will you take it?"
"This..."
"We'll take it!"
Fugaku spoke up first. "The Uchiha will accept this mission. I'll personally lead Itachi and Shisui to complete it."
"Father!"
"Clan leader!"
The Uchiha were all stunned.
Itsuki is being ridiculous, and you're joining him?
Assigning a mission to yourself, and then completing it?
Wait…
Some of them suddenly seemed to catch on.
As the clan leader, Fugaku knew very well that this was the moment for the Uchiha to flex their muscles to the outside world.
Whether or not there are real missions, the Uchiha need to show their strength.
Taking down the Cloud Village is undoubtedly the best way to do that.
"For this mission, I'll lead Shisui and Itachi. I'll need ten Jonin to join me!"
Fugaku said seriously, "I will complete it beautifully, to show the world the power of the Uchiha."
Itsuki smiled slightly. "I'll give you ten more Jonin, including four from the Hyuga clan. That should be enough, right?"
The Uchiha were once again silent.
Fugaku looked at Itsuki, his voice trembling. "You... have that many Jonin under you? And Hyuga..."
What the heck is going on?
Fugaku was on the verge of losing his mind.
Does this new village of theirs even have Hyuga members?
Itsuki, you're too impressive!
Shall I call you 'Dad'?
Mikoto, I'll even give her... wait, no, that's too much!
They had already noticed that some people were living in this new village.
But since they were newcomers, and Itsuki was the host, they didn't want to inquire too much and risk offending anyone.
But who would've thought...
Itsuki smiled and explained, "There were already seven hundred ninjas here, including thirty-three from the Hyuga clan. The Yagumo and Kurama clans from the Leaf have also joined me."
Yagumo...
Kurama...
Over seven hundred ninjas!
More than thirty from the Hyuga clan!
Itsuki Uchiha, please accept my respect!
Even the most rebellious Uchiha were now looking at Itsuki with deep admiration.
They were just short of kneeling down in reverence!
In this new village, the number of ninjas was close to two thousand!
And most of them were Uchiha.
Led by multiple Mangekyo Sharingan users, they were truly bold enough to challenge the Five Great Ninja Villages.
They had the caravans!
They wouldn't lack resources!
It felt like a max-level character entering a beginner village.
No need to work hard anymore!
"Itsuki Uchiha is the leader of this new village. No one is allowed to oppose this!"
Fugaku declared firmly.
"Anyone who dares oppose him, I'll kill them!"
All the Uchiha nodded emphatically.
Itsuki hadn't led them in a rebellion, but had given them a glorious future.
They had the strength!
They had the strategy!
It was only natural for him to become the leader!
"Oh, right!"
Itsuki suddenly said, "What should we call this new village? Do you guys have any suggestions?"
"Whatever you say!"
Fugaku immediately responded. "You could even call it 'Itsuki Village,' and we'd have no objections."
"That's not necessary, that's not necessary!"
Itsuki chuckled, waving his hands. "But I do have a little suggestion."
The Uchiha, now utterly convinced, immediately replied, "Please, tell us!"
"How about calling it 'Fire Hidden Village'?"
The smiles on the Uchiha's faces froze.
"What? You don't like it?"
Itsuki looked at them with feigned caution.
"No problem!"
Fugaku, practically echoing Itsuki's every move, immediately supported the idea. "From today onward, this new village will be called 'Fire Hidden Village!'"
Itsuki nodded with satisfaction. "As the first leader of Fire Hidden Village, I'll call myself the Wood Shadow."
This time, even Fugaku couldn't help but twitch.
The Wood Shadow? That has a nice ring to it!
Better than Leaf Shadow, for sure!
"Sigh!"
Many sighed deeply.
Fire Hidden Village, Wood Shadow?
This was a direct challenge to the Leaf Village!
Itsuki really had a serious grudge against the Leaf, didn't he?
But could their new village really hold up to the level of having a 'Kage'?
(End of Chapter)
wood shadow = mokukage