South of Gutian Village, deep in the mountain valley.
Whoosh!
A sharp sound tore through the air, so piercing it felt as if it could rupture one's eardrums. A figure spiraled downward from the sky, enveloped in a violent airflow. Semi-transparent chakra wings spread in a protective stance, and the spinning figure resembled a drill plummeting toward the ground.
Just a few meters from impact, the figure suddenly pulled up, soaring back into the sky at an incredible speed.
Up to a thousand meters high.
Whoosh!
The wings unfolded, revealing Haruto Saito.
"Huff… huff…" Haruto breathed heavily, exhaustion evident on his face, but his eyes were filled with excitement.
His progress had been incredibly fast. Though he had never used the Chakra Wing Transformation Mode in actual combat, his self-training had already ensured that his chakra wings no longer collapsed unexpectedly.
After circling in the sky once more, Haruto descended to the ground and deactivated his transformation mode. Without pause, he brought his hands together in a seal.
"Secret Art: Houtu Shikigami!"
A violent gust erupted around him. Haruto still struggled to enter the Houtu Shikigami state quickly. Mastering this was his next challenge. Unlike the Chakra Wing Transformation Mode, once Houtu Shikigami was fully formed, it was relatively stable and exceptionally durable in battle.
Earlier that afternoon, Haruto had tried to activate his chakra wings while in Houtu Shikigami form. Since this form allowed the use of Earth Release chakra as well as neutral chakra, the idea was theoretically sound.
But he hadn't succeeded.
His chakra reserves were insufficient.
And his control was lacking.
Whoosh!
Just as his Houtu Shikigami form was about to take shape, a figure appeared at the entrance of the valley and respectfully called out, "My Lord, Kakuzu requests your presence for an emergency meeting."
It was Jūzō.
Once a right-hand man of the legendary Hanzo of the Salamander, he had been slain and later revived by Haruto. Despite regaining human thought and reasoning after much reconditioning, he showed no surprise at Haruto's abilities—no matter how extraordinary. That was simply his nature.
Haruto let his technique dissipate and immediately nodded.
"Let's go back." He spoke to Jūzō before vanishing into thin air.
—
As night fell, inside the grand conference hall of Gutian Village's palace.
Over twenty high-ranking officials of the village had gathered. Under Haruto's command, the village had grown significantly in strength. His top combat forces included Jūzō and Hattori Ryuno, while administrative matters were overseen by Kakuzu, supported by a team of trusted recruits—some promoted internally, others drawn from the underground world.
Technically speaking, Kakuzu was not strictly an administrator—his strength was Kage-level. However, compared to Jūzō and Hattori Ryuno, he was slightly weaker. Yet, in management—especially finances—his talent was unparalleled.
Hattori Ryuno, on the other hand, was a true all-rounder.
A master of all chakra natures, an equally formidable swordsman, and a former advisor to the Mizukage, his administrative abilities were indisputable. He was destined to become the second-in-command of Gutian Village.
But not yet.
For now, he remained hidden in the shadows.
"What's the emergency?" Haruto asked as he took his seat and looked at Kakuzu.
"We currently control seven surrounding villages, large and small. According to the latest intelligence, the largest among them—Enmizu Village, with a population exceeding ten thousand—has been infiltrated by an unknown force. Furthermore, its original leader is showing signs of rebellion."
As he spoke, Kakuzu handed Haruto a scroll containing the intelligence report.
Haruto unrolled it, scanned its contents, and furrowed his brows.
"No leads on who's behind the infiltration?" he asked.
"Not yet, but we suspect it's one of the two major villages closest to Enmizu. Our covert control of the village is no longer a secret. However, they remain unaware of Gutian Village's ties to Konoha."
"Hm…" Haruto pondered for a moment before casually tossing the scroll back to Kakuzu. "Ignore it."
"Ignore it?" Kakuzu sounded surprised.
A murmur spread across the conference room as everyone exchanged confused glances.
The situation was serious. Losing Enmizu Village wouldn't just disrupt their influence—it would also be a massive financial loss. Kakuzu had poured no less than fifty million ryō into securing the village. While the funds technically belonged to Haruto, the loss was significant regardless.
"Our time is running out," Haruto declared, tapping his fingers on the table. "At our current expansion rate, within a month at most, we'll rank among the top villages in the Land of Whirlpools. Within three months, we'll be the dominant force. At that point, remaining in the shadows will be impossible.
"Once we're exposed, we'll face an unprecedented crisis—but it will also be our opportunity. We'll be able to stop hiding and take Enmizu Village openly. No need for secrecy. No restrictions. Simple, right?"
Haruto glanced around the room. "Anything else?"
"Yes…" Kakuzu spoke again. "We're running out of money."
"Hm?" Haruto turned to him. In truth, Kakuzu wasn't entirely accurate—the village was running out of money, but Haruto himself was not.
"How much do we need?"
"Our monthly expenses now exceed one hundred million ryō, and additional funds are required for northern construction."
The meeting lasted nearly an hour before concluding.
Before leaving, Haruto approved another five hundred million ryō for Kakuzu. He also listened to various reports on the village's status.
Throughout the meeting, he maintained an air of nonchalance, casually allocating funds. But once back in his room, his expression darkened with concern.
He still had money.
But the village's financial burn rate was accelerating. After this latest allocation, his available funds had dwindled significantly.
And according to his plans… he needed to keep spending.
Upon closer examination, the funding gap was enormous.
Strictly speaking, such massive expenditures weren't necessary. But Haruto was impatient. Other great ninja villages had taken decades to grow into power. He wanted to accomplish the same in the shortest time possible—and that required money.
"So short on cash…" Haruto muttered, gazing out the window at the night sky, his thoughts swirling.
He still had ways to make money.
For instance, he still owned property in Konoha.
And he had an unused Treasure Card.
But selling assets was a last resort. As for the Treasure Card… Haruto considered testing his luck. It could yield billions, or it could be completely useless.
Most of his wealth had come from business, specifically real estate in Konoha. That same strategy might work in the Land of Whirlpools, though business ventures required long cycles to turn profits.
In this chaotic land, stabilizing commerce would take years.
"Money, money, money…" Haruto grumbled before vanishing in a flash.
The next moment, a black-robed Haruto appeared on the bustling streets of Gutian Village.
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