Chapter 1: Chapter 1. Here, Call me Uncle!
Bonus chapters are available at [patreon.com/kurato6180].
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Chapter 1. Here, Call me Uncle!
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"Yuto-sama has returned! Yuto-sama has returned!"
"Quick, inform the clan leader, Yuto-sama has returned!"
"..."
This is the Uchiha clan's territory.
A young man with black hair looked helplessly at the clan members who suddenly became busy upon his return. Finally, he shook his head and sighed, disregarding them. He took off his shoes and walked into the old wooden house, stepping onto the tatami mats. He saw a man sitting opposite him, arms crossed and looking serious, and he directly sat down across from him, shrugging his shoulders.
"Brother, don't have such a grim face all the time. That expression is really scary~"
However.
His words did not change the expression of the man opposite him at all; he still wore the same cold and indifferent handsome face.
Uchiha Fugaku.
His brother.
The current clan leader of the Uchiha family.
Since birth, he had always been a serious, earnest, and expressionless person. Of course, those who knew him well understood… his brother Uchiha Fugaku was just someone who wasn't good at expressing his emotions.
Moreover, most members of the Uchiha clan had this tsundere, expressionless demeanor; aside from the hereditary mental issues… there weren't many problems.
As for him…
Uchiha Yuto, an unlucky guy.
Originally, upon discovering his identity, he thought about simply defecting to avoid becoming a victim of his nephew's blade.
Unfortunately.
He was naive and unfamiliar with the world. Defecting without elite-level strength was tantamount to suicide. At least by staying in Konoha, his father was the Uchiha clan leader, and after his father's departure, his brother would also be the Uchiha clan leader.
Though… he had already been expelled from the family tree.
"What are you back for?" Uchiha Fugaku snorted coldly, arms crossed, looking at Uchiha Yuto with a complicated expression.
Although there was nearly a ten-year age gap, he was still his younger brother.
He recalled that day… his younger brother had just graduated, and as an older brother, he had prepared a graduation gift for him. However…
Being a ninja can't save the Uchiha.
He yelled at his father in anger, voluntarily removing himself from the ninja ranks, and then resolutely ran away from home, embarking on a path of becoming a merchant despised by ninjas.
This was the disgrace of the Uchiha clan!
"You have already been expelled from the Uchiha clan by our father; you are no longer a member of the Uchiha clan. Get out of here!"
"Brother, don't be so cold~" Uchiha Yuto shrugged, not caring much. He poured himself a cup of tea and, by chance, poured a cup for the unfortunate soul opposite him as well.
He hadn't died at the hands of the assassination squad in the village but rather by his own son.
Although he didn't complain at the time, there was a sense of relief, or perhaps he was willing to die at his son's hands. But ultimately, it was a family tragedy, comparable to the Otsutsuki clan's maternal imprisonment case.
Moreover, when he was expelled from the Uchiha clan, his eyes weren't gouged out; his name was simply crossed off the family tree.
Who didn't know about the Uchiha clan's situation?
Though the Uchiha clan had continuously sent ninjas to the battlefield to seek reacceptance by the village, and even took children to the battlefield, after the Second Hokage took office, the Uchiha clan was directly labeled as an evil clan, even being isolated from the rest.
Thus.
Whether the current Uchiha clan would perish wasn't determined by how many of them could die but by whether their bloodline still existed.
So, being expelled from the Uchiha clan was, in a way, a form of protection, wasn't it?
"My situation is known to my brother as well. Now that I've made some money and the village isn't very peaceful, and with the ninja world in chaos, I came back to see if there's anything I can help with in the clan?"
Although there were too many useless members in the Uchiha clan, especially with the hawks sharpening their knives toward the Hokage, they dreamt daily of producing a genius from the clan to reach the strength of their ancestor, Uchiha Madara, then eliminate the Hokage and become the Hokage themselves.
If a genius were to appear, they would shout, "The Hokage takes turns sitting; this year it's our family's turn!"
But what to do?
Those with strength became double agents, and the Uchiha clan was destroyed by their own clansmen!
"After all, I'm still an Uchiha."
If the Uchiha clan ultimately perished, he likely wouldn't fare well either.
Uchiha Yuto vaguely remembered that at the time… when he graduated, he received a large sum of graduation money, and that was when he activated the system.
Back then, as a poor man, he fantasized about becoming a wealthy person while playing a game called The Rich Man is Here.
It was a game about doing business, making money and supporting your family.
It directly became a system.
Earning money and leveling up could enhance various attributes, such as stamina, energy, business acumen, etc. So, perhaps if he stacked up to level 100, his abilities would certainly improve, and he felt quite optimistic about it.
Thus, tempted by the allure of making money, leveling up, and amassing wealth, he immediately gave up on his original dream of practicing hard to become the new God of the Ninja World.
Of course, there were reasons related to not having a suitable cheat. According to the clan's speculation, he could reach the rank of Elite Jonin, but he was still far from the strength of a Konoha Genin, so he couldn't become the God of the Ninja World.
Without a cheat, an Elite Jonin… was just a small dish. At that time, he would probably only be able to watch his brother's family tragedy unfold and end up living a wandering ninja life, struggling to get by.
From the beginning, the Uchiha clan was viewed with suspicion by the higher-ups; only if someone reached the level of Uchiha Madara could they intimidate others and maintain that for a while.
Unfortunately.
The Uchiha clan absolutely couldn't have geniuses; having geniuses would only lead to bad endings.
It would be better to venture into business.
After all.
Being a ninja really can't save the Uchiha! — Uchiha Yuto.
"Now I have nearly thirty milk tea shops spread across major cities in the Land of Fire. Just my income alone each year is equivalent to what others make from dozens of S-rank missions. I have hundreds of workers under me, including many members from the various clans in the village."
If members of those clans can't become ninjas or have low talent, their status will drop, becoming the lower class in the clan, and there are quite a few within the Uchiha clan.
As he finished speaking, Uchiha Fugaku's hand holding the tea trembled slightly, but he still looked expressionlessly at Yuto, "That's your business, it has nothing to do with our Uchiha clan. No matter how much money you have, what good is it? Without strength, it's all in vain!"
"After making money, we should at least return home in glory and repay the village!"
He had seen the consequences of not paying taxes, and regarding Uchiha Fugaku's sarcasm, he directly ignored it.
How can a mere ninja understand his grand ideals?
Of course, the road ahead was long and arduous. He had to come quietly, avoiding any gunfire; otherwise, before his mission was even successful, the hard-earned business empire he built would likely be snatched away by ninjas.
Moreover, they were currently in the midst of the Third Ninja World War, with chaos everywhere, business was not doing well; wanting to profit from the war wasn't as simple as just thinking about it.
"So, I've heard that because of the war, the village has left many orphans, widows and elderly behind. I've made my decision." Uchiha Yuto patted his chest, looking like a wealthy man returning to develop the countryside. "Every year, I'll set aside a portion of funds to help the clan take care of the orphans, widows and the elderly!"
However.
"Hmph!" Uchiha Fugaku let out a cold snort, "My Uchiha clan does not lack this little money! The orphans, widows and elderly of the Uchiha will take care of themselves..."
Before he could finish his sentence.
"Every year, there should be at least one or two hundred million ryo." As soon as Uchiha Yuto finished speaking.
Uchiha Fugaku was choked up, then fell silent. After that... he crossed his arms and looked expressionlessly at Yuto.
Ninjas fight for money.
Uchiha Yuto smiled slightly, calmly sipping his hot tea, fully displaying the demeanor of a wealthy man.
There's nothing that can't be bought with money. If there is... it's just that you don't spend enough. You can even use money to buy life.
"Of course, I also have the right to supervise this money. After all, I know the family's situation."
A group of hawks, a group of fence-sitters, a group of double agents; once they suffer unfair treatment, the fence-sitters will turn into hawks, and the double agents will directly take up arms against their own clansmen. So, if this money is brought out directly, it will likely just be used by the hawks to train ninjas.
As he finished speaking, Uchiha Fugaku still maintained a calm face and said nothing, but from his trembling hand, it could be seen that at this moment... he was not as calm inside as he appeared.
One or two hundred million ryo for free!
How many S-rank missions would it take to earn that?
If he brought it before the Third Hokage, the Third would definitely ask his old friend to quickly take the money away, then pat his shoulder with admiration and comfort, saying, "Truly worthy of being the inheritor of the Will of Fire; I can feel the strong Will of Fire in you," and then lavish praise on him, rewarding him with a flag.
This is reality.
No ninja respects ordinary merchants, but ninjas serve ordinary merchants because of money.
At this moment.
Just as the two were quietly sipping their tea, a gentle and beautiful woman walked in with a cute little child.
Uchiha Yuto's eyes lit up instantly. He quickly pulled out a thick stack of high-denomination bills from his ninja pouch and stuffed them into the cute child's hands. "Here! Call me uncle, this money is your pocket money!"
"???"