"Sh… should be," Uchiha Setsuna replied cautiously.
"Since Gato has monopolized the shipping industry, it means that the majority of the ships in the Land of Waves are under his control. Especially the larger merchant vessels."
Uchiha Su listened quietly.
Setsuna's explanation confirmed what he had already suspected.
For an island nation like the Land of Waves, maritime transport was everything. Whoever controlled the ships controlled the country's trade, resources, and wealth.
Which meant that Gato currently held the economic lifeline of the entire nation.
Uchiha Su folded his hands behind his back and looked at Setsuna calmly.
"Then, Jonin Setsuna," he said softly, "do you know what you should do now?"
Without even pausing to think, Setsuna answered immediately.
"We should eliminate Gato and all of his subordinates."
His tone was firm and decisive.
There was no hesitation.
At that moment, Setsuna's face practically had the word "loyalty" written across it.
If the Young Clan Head gave the order, he would kill every single one of Gato's men before sunset.
However, Uchiha Su shook his head slightly.
"There's no rush."
He raised one finger.
"I have one more question."
Setsuna straightened his posture and listened carefully.
"Since Gato's influence has expanded so far," Uchiha Su continued, "he must have come into conflict with the Daimyo of the Land of Waves, correct?"
Setsuna nodded immediately.
"That is correct."
"Currently, Gato has already taken control of nearly every town in the Land of Waves."
"The only place he has not occupied is the royal capital, where the Daimyo Araki Taro resides."
Uchiha Su smiled faintly.
That was exactly what he wanted to hear.
Simply killing Gato would certainly earn them the Daimyo's gratitude.
But gratitude alone had little value.
What Uchiha Su wanted was something far more important.
Profit.
Specifically, the profit of an entire country.
Only with sufficient wealth and influence could the Uchiha Clan begin to grow stronger again.
Uchiha Su had already accepted his role as the Young Clan Head.
And if he was going to hold that position, then he intended to restore the Uchiha clan to its former glory.
He tapped the table lightly.
"Very good," he said.
"Then tonight at six o'clock, you will accompany me to visit the Daimyo."
Setsuna nodded.
"And during that meeting," Uchiha Su continued with a small chuckle, "let's see what kind of price the Daimyo is willing to pay to hire me."
Before Setsuna could reply, the door opened again.
Uchiha Nami stepped inside.
"Young Clan Head," she reported calmly, "a businessman named Gato is waiting outside."
"He says he would like to pay you a visit."
For a brief moment, the room fell silent.
Then Uchiha Su suddenly burst into laughter.
"This situation is becoming more interesting by the minute."
He leaned back in his chair, clearly amused.
"Let him in."
Then he added with a mischievous smile,
"Tell him I have a very important piece of news to share with him."
"And if he arrives late, he might miss this wonderful opportunity."
Gato's Arrival
Inside the courtyard where Uchiha Su was staying, Gato sat nervously on a wooden chair.
His expression shifted constantly between fear and confusion.
Just a day ago, everything in the Land of Waves had been running smoothly under his control.
Then suddenly—
Hundreds of Uchiha clan members had appeared in the country overnight.
When he first heard the news, Gato had refused to believe it.
But after confirming it several times, he realized the rumors were true.
Which was why he had come here personally.
Behind him stood his bodyguard.
"Shinnosuke," Gato whispered.
"You came from one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, didn't you?"
"Can you tell me why hundreds of Uchiha would suddenly appear in this miserable place?"
The man behind him swallowed nervously.
His name was Gono Shinnosuke.
A rogue ninja from Sunagakure, also known as the Hidden Sand Village.
Among criminals, he had earned the nickname "Sin of Sunagakure."
Despite the dramatic title, he was only a Chunin-level ninja.
If he had known any of the deeper secrets of the ninja world, his danger rating would have been much higher than the current B-rank.
"Boss… I don't know either," Shinnosuke admitted.
"As far as I know, the Uchiha Clan rarely accepts missions from the village."
"And it's even rarer for so many of them to move together at the same time."
He glanced around nervously.
Ever since entering the compound, he had felt extremely uneasy.
Everywhere he looked, there were Uchiha clan members watching him.
Each of them possessed those terrifying crimson eyes.
The Sharingan.
Their gazes felt cold and hostile.
As if they could tear him apart at any moment.
Shinnosuke shivered.
Even Gato could sense the oppressive atmosphere.
Just then, Uchiha Nami approached them.
Her expression was completely emotionless.
Her tone carried the natural arrogance typical of the Uchiha clan.
"The Young Clan Head will see you now."
"Gato, come with me."
Gato quickly stood up.
"Miss… may I bring my bodyguard with me?" he asked cautiously.
"Of course."
Nami glanced briefly at Shinnosuke.
A trace of indifference appeared in her eyes.
Did this man really believe that bringing a Chunin bodyguard into the room would guarantee his safety?
How naive.
The Meeting
A moment later, Gato entered the room.
He wore a pair of small round glasses and an expensive suit.
Although he was short in stature, he tried to maintain the humble smile of a successful businessman.
But the moment he stepped inside, his eyes widened.
Standing nearby was the sinister-looking Uchiha Setsuna.
And sitting calmly at the table was a small child.
At first glance, the child looked harmless.
But Gato had already been warned that this boy was the Young Clan Head of the Uchiha.
"Respected Uchiha-sama—"
Before he could finish speaking, Setsuna snorted coldly.
In the next second, Gato's vision changed completely.
His surroundings vanished.
Instead, he found himself trapped inside a terrifying nightmare.
Monstrous creatures surrounded him.
Flames engulfed the sky.
He felt an overwhelming sense of dread.
Gato screamed and collapsed onto the ground.
His face turned pale as sweat poured from his body.
Only when Setsuna released the technique did the illusion disappear.
Gato gasped for air as if he had just been pulled from deep water.
The technique Setsuna had used was:
Genjutsu: Demonic Illusion – Hell Viewing Technique.
A simple yet extremely effective illusion.
It forced the victim to witness the deepest fears hidden in their heart.
And once those fears surfaced, their mental defenses would collapse.
Setsuna looked down at him coldly.
"This is our Young Clan Head."
"You addressed the wrong person earlier."
"If it happens again…"
His eyes glowed faintly with the Sharingan.
"I will make sure you never see tomorrow's sunrise."
Gato trembled violently.
Meanwhile, behind him, Shinnosuke clenched his fists in anger.
Watching his employer being humiliated made him furious.
But he didn't dare act.
Because surrounding him were several Uchiha Jonin.
Against that many Sharingan users, even attempting resistance would be suicide.
Uchiha Su's Plan
Uchiha Su observed Gato with curiosity.
Originally, he had planned to wait until meeting the Daimyo before dealing with this man.
But now…
He had changed his mind.
A new idea had formed in his head.
He would bring Gato along to the Daimyo's mansion.
Then he would allow the two of them to bid for Gato's life.
Of course…
No matter how much Gato offered, the outcome would remain the same.
Gato would still die.
Not because Uchiha Su held a grudge.
After all, everyone knew that Uchiha Su was a very kind and forgiving person.
What malicious intentions could a harmless child possibly have?
Uchiha Su smiled gently.
"Gato."
"Yes, sir!" Gato immediately replied while lying on the floor.
"My name is Gato."
"So you don't have a surname?" Uchiha Su asked curiously.
"That seems strange."
"You've practically hollowed out the power of the Daimyo, yet you still don't have a family name."
Gato lowered his head even further.
"I am only a humble man, sir."
"I dare not possess a surname."
Inside his mind, however, he was cursing himself.
He had misjudged the situation badly.
The real power here was clearly this child.
And the child seemed petty enough to make him suffer for the earlier mistake.
Uchiha Su waved his hand dismissively.
"Forget it."
"I don't feel like talking about such things."
Then he said casually,
"At six o'clock tonight, Daimyo Araki Taro plans to hire me to take your life."
"We'll see what price you're willing to offer to buy your survival."
Gato froze.
"…What?"
He stared at Uchiha Su in disbelief.
They wanted him to pay for his own life?
And compete against the Daimyo in front of everyone?
This was absurd.
However, Gato quickly realized something else.
The Uchiha clearly intended to keep him here until evening.
But fortunately…
He had prepared a backup plan.
His eyes flashed with desperation.
"Shinnosuke!" Gato suddenly shouted.
"What are you waiting for?"
"Take that brat hostage!"
"If you grab him, we can escape!"
The room became silent.
All eyes turned toward Shinnosuke.
The rogue ninja slowly raised his hand and pointed at himself.
"…Boss?"
"You're talking to me?"
"You want me to kidnap their Young Clan Head…"
He glanced nervously at the several Uchiha Jonin standing around the room.
"…in front of this many Uchiha?"
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)