The Eternal Organization's base.
"Phew, the feeling of returning with a full haul is great!"
Mei Terumi collapsed onto the bed as soon as she entered the bedroom, her rounded breasts pressed into an exaggerated curve.
Kagura sat beside her, calmly sipping tea, but a hint of excitement flickered across her beautiful face.
They had enough money! She could go for revenge!
"How is it? When are you planning to make your move?"
Mei Terumi lay on the bed, striking a rather alluring pose, her legs exposed through the gap in her skirt, and sipped her wine with pursed red lips. She wouldn't drink tea.
Kagura concealed her excitement and said softly, "He's the Kazekage, after all. Let's pick a good day for him."
"Who are you planning to hire?"
Kagura chuckled lightly and said, "Didn't we just make contact? Have you forgotten so quickly?"
"You really know how to play with people."
Mei Terumi giggled and said, "What if they refuse?"
"Refuse?"
Kagura paused, then gave Mei Terumi a knowing smile.
"If that's the case, I'll have to go find that scumbag who's been bothering you!"
Mei Terumi's face blushed, and she spat, "What do you mean bothering me! I didn't let him get his way!"
"Really?"
Mei Terumi felt a little embarrassed by Kagura's gaze and quickly covered herself with the blanket, weakly asking, "Why are you asking this!"
"Tch, never mind if you don't want to say."
Kagura waved her hand. A hint of loneliness flashed across her face as she turned away, but it vanished in an instant.
"I'm leaving."
*Clack.* The door closed, and the room, filled with a faint fragrance, became quiet again.
"Hmph! Who cares about that scumbag! Sleep!"
...
On the other side of the base, the Hozuki brothers spread piles of green banknotes on their beds. Suigetsu excitedly rolled around in the money.
"Brother, so much money, so much money! Now our luxurious swimming pool can be built!"
Hozuki Mangetsu was sketching out a plan beside him, muttering, "Renting 100 square meters of base land costs ten million Ryo per year, amusement facilities will be budgeted at around two million Ryo, and then there are the daily cleaning and maintenance fees..."
After calculating everything, Hozuki Mangetsu said sternly to his younger brother, "Suigetsu, I've calculated it. With our current savings, we can build a swimming pool that lasts two and a half years."
Hozuki Suigetsu asked in confusion, "Does a swimming pool have a time limit?"
Hozuki Mangetsu said bitterly, "Because the cost of renting the land is too expensive!"
"How could this be!"
Hozuki Suigetsu rolled around in the banknotes. For him, who was only five years old, this was unacceptable.
They had become millionaires, yet they couldn't even afford to build a swimming pool.
It was too tormenting!
"There's nothing we can do. It looks like we need to save more money!"
Hozuki Mangetsu patted his brother's head, his eyes filled with affection.
"Brother, we'll work hard together!"
"Mm!"
The two brothers embraced amidst the piles of money, vowing to strive for their dreams!
And in the room next door, and the room next door to that, Kimimaro was soaking in a strong-smelling medicinal bath, using the herbs to nourish his body.
Although he was not old, his strength already surpassed Hozuki Suigetsu by several levels. This was because, unlike Hozuki Suigetsu who spent his days playing,
Kimimaro's life was extremely monotonous. He trained every day, and only when he couldn't afford to buy training herbs would he leave the base.
Yet, even in this monotonous life, Kimimaro found joy. He wanted to become stronger, because only by becoming stronger could he stand by his leader's side.
......
The Uchiha clan head's residence.
Fugaku sat on the tatami mat, making tea. After several years of recuperation, his mental wounds had completely healed, but his depleted ocular power could not be replenished.
"Shisui, what do you think of the Uchiha?"
Sitting opposite Fugaku was the culprit who had confined him for two years, Uchiha Shisui!
"The clan has been very good to me."
Shisui's expression was calm, and Fugaku could not discern Shisui's true thoughts.
"Alas!"
Fugaku sighed and said, "I know you have a deep love for the village and a considerable misunderstanding of the clan."
"Misunderstanding?"
Fugaku continued, "In fact, the clan also loves Konoha. Otherwise, it would be the Hokage who betrayed us, not Konoha!"
Shisui did not expect the clan head to confess his intention to rebel. He immediately said, "What's the difference between betraying the Hokage and betraying the village!"
Fugaku shook his head and said, "The Hokage does not represent all of Konoha. We Uchiha only have grievances with the Hokage's faction. We can resolve conflicts with other clans or even apologize."
"But this has a premise: the Uchiha must become the Hokage!"
"Clan head, you've gone mad!"
Fugaku took a sip of tea and said softly, "Shisui, I know you've awakened the Mangekyo. I hope you can help me. If we succeed, you can have the position of Hokage!"
Shisui's body trembled, his expression filled with pain. Had it really reached a point of no return if the clan head was saying such things?
"Clan head, even if I help you, we cannot succeed. Please stop, clan head!"
Fugaku shook his head and looked towards the Uchiha district outside. "Shisui, do you know about the inheritance of will?"
"Just like the Third Hokage said, 'Where leaves dance, fire ignites. Those who seek the way will be reborn.' "
"And I have inherited my father's will, to make the Uchiha clan shine again!"
Fugaku said to Shisui with a serious expression, "Not just me, but most of the clan members have inherited this will. We have no way back."
"Then why choose the path of rebellion? Isn't fair competition good? We Uchiha have many geniuses."
Fugaku said, "It is precisely because they don't even give us the chance for fair competition that things have come to this."
Shisui refused to give up, "The Fourth Hokage would never do such a thing. I believe he will give us Uchiha a fair chance to compete!"
Fugaku shook his head and said, "It's too late. If the Third Hokage had thought the same way, perhaps the outcome would have been different."
The reason Fugaku was being so open with Shisui was because he had recently realized that he could no longer control the clan members' urge to rebel. The internal discourse was becoming increasingly heated.
Many elder Uchiha believed that the time had come, and they only needed an opportunity.
And this opportunity had to be created by themselves!
Shisui was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Why are you telling me all this, clan head? Aren't you afraid I'll report you to the Hokage?"
Fugaku stood up and walked towards the door.
"If you can bear to watch the Uchiha be annihilated, then you can go and report me."
The door closed, leaving only Shisui with a twitching face. His fingernails had already broken the skin of his palms, but Shisui felt no pain.
Shisui hesitated. His kind heart prevented him from watching his clan be destroyed, yet he couldn't bring himself to rebel with them.
What should he do? After delaying for so long, was it still impossible to change the outcome?
Perhaps, he should go and have a talk with his younger brother, Itachi.