Rebuilding Uchiha By Removing Fugaku

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Not to mention Asuma, the rebellious "licking dog" in his teenage phase.

At this moment, Toki was swiftly moving through the dense forest.

He had already left the battlefield of the Land of Hot Water and was now heading westward toward the Land of Grass.

And the reason for this journey?

It wasn't anything grand—simply put, the Uchiha clan was out of funds.

Back in his previous life, when Toki watched the anime, he never thought much about the logistics. No one but Kakuzu ever seemed to care how much a bounty like Asuma's head was worth.

However, now that Toki was managing the Uchiha clan, he realized that money was a necessity for everything.

Medicines, rations, ninja tools, explosive tags, propaganda—everything required funding.

In the past, when the Uchiha clan was part of the Konoha Police Force, they had a steady salary and didn't have to worry much about finances. But now, with the clan restructured and moving away from their previous roles, they were operating like a private militia. The funds from the Fire Daimyō were dwindling fast.

In the past, military conscription was mandatory; now, Uchiha had to pay their fighters.

To address this issue, Toki decided to stick to his original plan: make money through war.

Though the battles between the five great nations drew the most attention, the conflicts in smaller nations were often more intense and relentless.

These small nations served as buffer zones for the larger powers or were battlegrounds where minor ninja villages vied for contracts from wealthy clients.

For these villages, war was essential for survival. If they stopped fighting, their existence would lose its meaning.

The major villages could still sustain themselves through missions after wars ended. Small villages, however, risked falling into irrelevance if they lost their wars, becoming the lowest rung of the ninja workforce.

This created an opportunity for Toki to profit.

Now, nearing Kusagakure, Toki was intercepted by several ninjas.

"Stop!"

A few Kusagakure ninjas blocked his path. "Who are you?"

Toki smiled faintly. His eyes turned crimson, and the Sharingan's three tomoe spun ominously as he said calmly:

"Uchiha Patriarch, Uchiha Toki."

The Kusagakure ninjas trembled, their faces pale with fear as they exchanged nervous glances.

One of them finally spoke, now much more polite: "May I ask the purpose of the Uchiha Patriarch's visit to Kusagakure? With the current wartime conditions, wouldn't it be proper to notify us in advance through official documentation?"

Their fear was understandable. The tales of Uchiha's exploits in the Land of Hot Water had spread far and wide. The image of a single clan resisting the military might of a village brought back memories of the Uchiha's past dominance.

And Kusagakure, a minor village with limited strength, was in no position to resist the Uchiha. They barely had one ninja at the jōnin level, let alone an elite one.

Toki's faint smile persisted as he replied, "Don't worry. My visit isn't to cause trouble. I've come to negotiate a deal with Kusagakure."

The two ninjas blinked in confusion. "A deal?"

One of them hesitated and asked cautiously, "May we report this first?"

Toki nodded. "Of course."

Relieved, they quickly informed their superiors.

Soon, Toki was personally escorted to the Kusakage's office, with ten ANBU members shadowing him from the dark.

The Kusakage greeted him with a strained smile. "To what do we owe the honor of your visit, Lord Shiyu?"

Though Kusagakure's leader maintained a cordial demeanor, his fear was evident. Even with the Uchiha clan weakened by wars, they could still crush a small village like Kusagakure effortlessly.

Toki smiled and placed a set of technological ninja gloves and three small, bullet-sized scrolls on the table.

"I'm here to make a business proposition."

The Kusakage blinked. "A business proposition?"

Toki gestured to the gloves and scrolls. "This is the God-Killer Glove, developed by the Uchiha clan. It allows a genin to perform jutsu at a level comparable to a Kage."

"What?!"

The Kusakage stood up, his face pale with disbelief. "How is that possible?!"

Toki chuckled. "Feel free to test it out."

Pointing to the scrolls, he explained: "These contain three jutsu: the C-rank Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet, the B-rank Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet, and the A-rank Lightning Release: Lightning Dragon Bullet.

"With these gloves, even a ninja academy student can unleash techniques that are usually the domain of elite jōnin."

The Kusakage and his assistant stared at the gloves and scrolls, their skepticism giving way to astonishment.

"How can a genin use A-rank jutsu?" the Kusakage asked hesitantly.

Toki's smile deepened. "As you might guess, these scrolls were painstakingly created by our clan's jōnin. Each jōnin can only produce ten such scrolls a day, making them highly valuable.

"Now imagine equipping these gloves during a mission. If a seemingly weak genin suddenly unleashes A-rank jutsu, the element of surprise alone could turn the tide of battle."