Akatsuki Village Enters a Desperate gamble — Gambling the Village's Fate
"Makoto, since you've already made up your mind!"
"As an ally of Akatsuki, the Uzumaki clan absolutely will not let you fight alone!"
After witnessing the sheer, terrifying scale of Akatsuki's war budget, Uzumaki Shinji finally made his decision. Once the war began, the situation would already be overwhelmingly favorable.
If he still hesitated at that point, how could he face the 3.68 billion ryō worth of trust between them?
The Uzumaki clan would never repay kindness with betrayal.
After Shinji departed, Uchiha Makoto kept Uchiha Setsuna behind.
"Setsuna, since Konoha doesn't support this war, I have nothing to say about that. I only hope that when the time comes, Konoha won't interfere with what I'm doing."
Setsuna's expression stiffened slightly.
No matter Akatsuki's intentions or actions—even launching a war—it had always flown an unassailable banner:
'Justice for the fallen chūnin.'
The Uzumaki had already chosen to follow.
But Konoha…
"Makoto, I'm sorry. I can't make this decision. The First Hokage is Lord Hashirama, after all."
"But rest assured—if war truly breaks out and Akatsuki starts to lose ground, the Uchiha clan will support you."
"Even if Konoha doesn't deploy troops, the Uchiha will send our own."
There was guilt in Setsuna's voice.
The Senju currently held real power in Konoha, leaving the Uchiha in a weaker position. He couldn't promise that Konoha itself would intervene if things escalated.
But in a true emergency, the Uchiha would pressure the Senju.
At the very least, they would send clan shinobi to aid Akatsuki.
"That's enough for me," Makoto said calmly.
"But the clan probably won't get the chance. This war is Akatsuki's declaration to the world."
"The shinobi world keeps calling Akatsuki Konoha's vanguard. I've never liked that."
With that, Makoto waved goodbye.
Before Setsuna left, Makoto slipped him a small note.
"Watch out for Senju Tobirama."
War Mobilization Begins
With overt and covert diplomacy concluded, Akatsuki Village's final war mobilization began.
Makoto sat in his office, staring at the roster in his hands.
3,652 shinobi.
Nearly one-third of Akatsuki's total force.
This was the absolute maximum the village's clans could commit.
Makoto's prestige still wasn't enough to order a full mobilization—and Akatsuki's core still needed defenders to maintain internal security.
Besides—
"The first battle decides everything" was a dangerous slogan.
Advocates of instant victory were, more often than not, just surrenderists in disguise.
"Lord Hikage," Kazuma reported as he entered,
"Supplies have been distributed to every participating shinobi—explosive tags, kunai, shuriken…"
"And here is the budget for this special military operation: approximately 21 billion ryō."
Even in future decades of large-scale shinobi wars, that amount would be enough to fund a major conflict.
At this point in history, it amounted to buying victory outright.
Shamelessly extravagant.
Honestly—
If the First Raikage knew Makoto had prepared 21 billion ryō specifically to fight Kumogakure, he might secretly write:
"Lord Hikage, I was wrong. This can be settled with 10 billion. Send the money—I'll handle everything."
An exaggeration, perhaps.
…but not entirely impossible.
"Lord Hikage, forgive my bluntness," Kazuma continued.
"From a financial perspective, this war is completely unnecessary. Just the cost of explosive tags alone—"
Kazuma's hands trembled as he watched the numbers hemorrhage away.
Being the financier felt good—but this was undeniably a losing investment.
He couldn't help trying once more to persuade Makoto.
"There's still time to stop—"
"Is there?" Makoto asked quietly.
Public opinion had already driven Akatsuki's rank-and-file shinobi into a state of collective fervor.
Kumogakure's defiant response had even triggered outrage of the sort:
'The enemy not only refuses to surrender—he dares to resist!'
"Negotiations failed?"
"Then we fight!"
"Fight until they surrender!"
"Long live Akatsuki! Long live Lord Hikage!"
"For the Will of Fire!"
Akatsuki had successfully cultivated a generation of village-first shinobi.
They marched through the streets carrying banners, fiercely protesting Kumogakure's declaration.
ANBU cooperated behind the scenes, plastering slogans across the village.
The entire village boiled over.
Civilians, fired up by the slogans, joined in en masse.
Employees of Akatsuki's state-owned enterprises worked overtime to push supplies forward—because their livelihoods were now inseparable from the village's fate.
Some merchants—both bought off and genuinely shrewd—joined in as well.
They handed out free food and water to protesting shinobi while advertising sales and discounts.
Morale skyrocketed.
There was none of the usual gloom that preceded war.
In fact—
Economic growth accelerated.
Capital poured in.
Factories expanded.
Orders multiplied.
People from outside flooded into Akatsuki in search of work.
By every visible metric, Akatsuki was developing faster than ever.
Makoto, however, understood the condition underlying all of it.
They had to win.
Shinobi, civilians, and merchants all believed Akatsuki would prevail—because Konoha and the Uzumaki were allies.
As long as Akatsuki kept winning, no problem existed.
The clans understood this too.
Whether they wanted war or not, retreat was no longer an option.
Makoto wouldn't allow it.
Public opinion wouldn't allow it.
Even their own clan youths were clamoring to "teach Kumogakure a lesson."
Akatsuki had become a war engine, fuel tank full, roaring to life.
"This war is inevitable," Makoto said.
"Yes, it looks unprofitable if you only look at expenses."
"But that's the wrong ledger."
Makoto explained his vision to Kazuma.
This war wasn't about immediate profit.
It was about seizing narrative authority.
Seizing influence from Konoha.
Seizing discourse power across the shinobi world.
Even before the war began, Akatsuki had already tasted its dividends.
After victory, the rewards would be far greater.
Looking ahead along the timeline—
By the era of Boruto, technological development would be terrifying.
Information revolutions would already be complete.
Tracing backward, even by Hiruzen's later years, those changes had already begun.
At the dawn of the shinobi village era—
This was the perfect window.
Within ten to fifteen years, industrial revolutions would explode into existence.
Without this war to establish dominance—
How would Akatsuki's companies build global monopolies?
How would it attract elite shinobi, merchants, engineers, and laborers?
How would it export Akatsuki's culture and ideology?
How would it force most-favored-nation treaties on Lands of Lightning or Earth?
How would it become a shinobi superpower—culturally, economically, militarily?
With a couple of coins rattling in its pocket?
Or by hiding behind Konoha forever?
Impossible.
"Lord Hikage… your thinking is… far too long-term," Kazuma said weakly, drenched in sweat.
While other villages were still farming their own backyards, Makoto was already plotting how to become the shinobi world's apex predator.
"There's only one solution to all of this."
"War."
"Win—and shinobi, merchants, nobles will all justify Akatsuki for us."
"Kazuma, you're my right hand. Throw away the old shinobi mindset."
After dismissing Kazuma, Makoto turned back to his work.
The Uzumaki clan had already sent word—they were ready.
Makoto immediately ordered ANBU to deliver several billion ryō worth of explosive tags to them overnight.
Money could be earned again.
Lives could not.
The Uzumaki were allies. Potential future members of Akatsuki.
They would not be thrown into meat-grinder battles.
Makoto never intended a head-on annihilation war anyway.
This would be a war of attrition.
Burn money. Throw explosive tags. Withdraw.
Repeat.
Akatsuki could afford it.
Kumogakure could not.
Beyond finances, Makoto's other confidence lay in the 3,000 academy students.
After the war, they would fill any vacancies.
Some students had written blood petitions begging to fight.
Makoto rejected them all.
Today they'd be cannon fodder.
Tomorrow they could be jōnin.
Loyalty came first.
The village would also use the war to cleanse internal dissidents.
Makoto's notebook contained many names.
Konoha Year 3 — Summer
All preparations complete.
Makoto formally declared Akatsuki Village in a state of war.
Under the title of Hikage, he issued the final ultimatum to Kumogakure:
"In light of Kumogakure's refusal to cooperate and its hostile attitude,
Akatsuki establishes a Special Military Negotiation Group to seek justice for the two fallen chūnin."
Night fell.
It would be a sleepless one.
Before dawn, the shinobi would march.
Across the village, clans held departure rites.
Bonfires glowed red against sword guards.
Every male old enough to walk stood armed—even five-year-olds wore scaled-down dōmaru armor.
Clan heads bowed before ancestral shrines, blades and crests laid side by side.
Women stepped forward with black-lacquered bowls of sake.
They offered each shinobi a single cup, saying only:
"Itchigo itchie."
This may be the only time.
From Akatsuki's highest point, Makoto stood beside Uzumaki Tsubaki, watching.
"…So this is war," he murmured.
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