章 139: Chapter 139
During the time Kaito was away from the village, all was well in Konoha.
The family's education system had been fully rolled out, and the clan members had gained a lot of knowledge through this education.
Through this education, they understood why their relationships with the rest of the villagers were always so bad.
On one hand, this was caused by their enemies.
Their enemies were never the villagers of Konoha, but those who ruled Konoha yet treated it as their private property.
They recklessly exploited their influence and power, suppressing those they despised and even their enemies.
Under the influence of such people, the Uchihas' situation was quite dire, and these were the enemies of the Uchiha!
On the other hand, it was their own doing, for their pride was far too great!
Through their studies, they understood the need for mutual respect among people. If you do not respect others, why should others respect you?
Fear is not respect, for fear only breeds further discontent.
If the Uchiha were to remain in Konoha, they needed to assimilate. So, they had to change some of their own bad habits.
Especially since their clan leader, during a lesson, said something that was forever imprinted on the minds of the Uchiha generation.
"Your pride is bestowed by your clan, not something you've earned yourself.
The truly strong do not rely on the pride bestowed by their clan, but they work hard so that their clan can take pride in them!"
These words caused many Uchiha members to blush with shame, as they indeed used their clan-bestowed pride to act arrogantly.
Their behavior brought no pride to the clan.
Look at their clan leader, Kaito. He earned the clan's pride through his own efforts and power!
So, these clan members began to change themselves. They always remembered Kaito's words, and their demeanor became more modest and humble.
Although they were not used to it at first, and it could even be said to be very uncomfortable.
But as they forced themselves to continue in this manner, they found that the people around them did indeed start to see them differently.
Those who initially didn't speak to them began to talk to them. Those who would frown upon seeing them would now maintain a smile.
All these changes gave them a special feeling - they were truly beginning to integrate into Konoha.
They were no longer confined to a small circle, but truly immersed in the larger environment of Konoha.
The ordinary residents of the Uchiha had this feeling, let alone the guards, whose feelings were the deepest.
Their days in Konoha were really getting better and better.
Moreover, as their scope of operations began to expand, for instance, some of them started to handle trivial matters.
This further boosted their reputation as they handled things fairly and reasonably, without bias or undue harshness.
While such actions were quite tiring and consumed a lot of their mental energy, seeing everyone's satisfied smiles was their greatest reward.
However, they began to recognize a serious problem - they were severely short-staffed!
"Now it's clear why the clan leader has always wanted to recruit more people into the security department. He knew we were understaffed all along."
The security members finally understood Kaito's intentions, making them feel slightly ashamed.
When Hyūga Minamoto first came over, there was a certain resentment inside them. After all, why would someone from the Hyūga clan be allowed into the security department?
Though they harbored no malice towards Hyūga Minamoto because of Kaito, and he performed well in all aspects, they didn't show much enthusiasm either, since they always saw him as an outsider.
Now they knew that there would definitely be more such people in the future, as their small team couldn't support such a large security department.
"It seems that these guys finally understand my good intentions."
In the security department office, upon seeing the joint letters pleading for him to recruit more security department members, a smile couldn't help but spread across Kaito's face.
He was still a shadow clone at this point, but this clone had never been revealed.
Before Kaito left, in order to create a more enduring and less detectable shadow clone, he deliberately used a large amount of chakra for its creation.
As a result, even Uchiha Fugaku and others hadn't noticed that Kaito's true body was no longer in Konoha.
"Good, now that these guys have settled down, it's time to start recruiting.
I also need to take the plan to the Nara clan for them to review. I wonder who they will send, and how many people they can spare."
The Nara clan is most famous for their administrative abilities in the entire Konoha. Although Kaito wouldn't grant them high positions, they could make unimaginable contributions to the administrative department of the security department. They are indeed very good at these matters.
"And when will my true body finally return? It's been nearly two months since he left, he should have wrapped things up by now, right?"
Kaito has been away from Konoha for almost two months. Although nothing happened, it wasn't a good sign for things to continue this way.
Kaito's shadow clone wasn't worried about the safety of his true body, considering Kaito's strength at this stage was still incredibly high.
Even if he couldn't win, wouldn't he still have the Flying Thunder God Technique and Space-Time Ninjutsu?
The main problem was that he was too bored now. Even though he was a shadow clone, he completely inherited Kaito's personality traits, and he was getting a headache from the massive amount of administrative work.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Just then, the door to Kaito's office was suddenly knocked upon, which instantly made Kaito sit up straight.
"Come in."
The door quickly swung open, and as Kaito saw who entered, he couldn't help but be slightly taken aback. It was the young lad, Hyuga Minamoto!
"Director, good morning."
Hyuga Minamoto was incredibly polite. He closed the door behind him and respectfully bowed to Kaito.
"Oh, it's Minamoto. Good morning." Kaito nodded with a smile before asking with curiosity, "I wonder, what brings you here today, Minamoto?"
"Director, it's like this. This morning, the clan leader gave me a letter to pass on to you."
As he spoke, Hyuga Minamoto reached into his pocket, took out a letter, and handed it to Kaito.
"The clan leader said that once you read this letter, you would know what to do."
"Is that so?" Kaito gazed thoughtfully at Minamoto before taking the letter. With a smile, he then said, "Well then, thank you for your trouble, Minamoto."
"It's my duty, Director." Minamoto was still extremely respectful. He nodded at Kaito and then slowly said, "If you'll excuse me, I will take my leave now."
Kaito gently nodded, and Minamoto promptly turned and left the room. Once the door was closed, Kaito opened the letter and began to read it in earnest.
The letter was not long, and it didn't take Kaito much time to finish reading. Yet after he did, a smile once again appeared on his face.
Holding the letter in his hand, a spark of curiosity quickly ignited the paper. Watching the burning letter, Kaito murmured to himself.
"It seems a grand play is about to commence…"
...
"Hurry up; we should be able to return to Konoha by nightfall."
On a small road within the Fire Country, Kaito, Shisui, Kakuzu, and a timid-looking little girl were slowly making their way towards Konoha.
The slow pace, however, was not entirely to Shisui's liking; they were moving far too slowly for his preference.
On hearing Shisui's words, Kakuzu glanced at Kaito, but seeing that Kaito didn't seem overly concerned, he chose to stay silent and continued to follow at Kaito's pace.
Having once again experienced the formidable power reminiscent of the Warring States period—even if he knew it was still far from its full strength—it was not something he could resist, so he became obedient.
As Kaito said, his sole concern was making money. Only money could prove that he still had some value in this world.
He didn't want to die, not before he made enough money in his reckoning. Therefore, under the threat of Kaito, who managed to incapacitate two of his hearts with a single blow, he chose to follow him.
However, while following Kaito, he was indeed curious about what Kaito intended to do and how much money he required.
Kaito's answer left Kakuzu somewhat bewildered— "as much as possible," because it wasn't Konoha that needed the money but rather the major clans of Konoha and certain specific departments.
Although Kaito didn't divulge much, Kakuzu didn't feel left out or untrusted.
After all, he had just switched sides. It would be problematic if he were easily trusted.
But at least he had something to look forward to. Considering the auxiliary businesses run by the major clans for money, he expected his own share would be sizable.
Especially since he learned that the mission Kaito was undertaking this time was a war mission, and that such missions were only a small part of their business, he knew there was potentially a great deal of profit involved.
Within the Akatsuki organization, they could only make money by undertaking war missions and completing black market bounty tasks.
But when the grand collective of Konoha ninja clans join forces to make money, the power they wield and their appetites are not something a small organization could match!
With this realization, Kakuzu became more settled, especially once he found out what Kaito's name was, which gave him even more peace of mind.
He was a genius Uchiha ninja from Konoha, and now his name could represent the entire Uchiha clan!
Remember Uchiha Itachi who defeated Orochimaru in an instant? His eyes were gouged out, and the one responsible was none other than the person before him.
Now he is the head of the Uchiha clan, his attitudes represent those of the whole clan.
"Don't rush. We are already back in the Land of Fire. What's there to worry about?"
Kaito was unaware of Kakuzu's inner monologue and just casually spoke to Shisui with a smile.
The gain from this trip was beyond his expectations. Not mentioning the spoils from the Star Ninja Village, just catching Kakuzu who knows how to make money made him exceedingly happy.
Although he didn't reveal much to Kakuzu, he believed that Kakuzu would understand his intentions.
After all, Kakuzu had lived many years, and even if he wasn't great at reading the room, he had his own intelligence.
But not revealing now doesn't mean he won't reveal in the future. It all depends on Kakuzu's performance.
Although Kaito was cautious, he had never let down those who were willing to follow him!
And his gains were not limited to Kakuzu. The silent little girl who was traveling with them was also one of their significant gains.
This little girl was Uzumaki Karin, a descendant of the Uzumaki clan who remained in the Land of Grass.
Naturally, Kaito didn't forget her. On the way back, passing through the Land of Grass, he had Kakuzu guide them into the Hidden Grass Village.
After forcibly interrogating a Grass ninja, they managed to whisk Karin away quietly and successfully.
At first, Shisui didn't quite understand. He wasn't puzzled as to why Kaito wanted to take Karin. Once he understood the girl's last name was Uzumaki, he knew what to do.
What he didn't understand was how Kaito got the information.
But Kaito was prepared for this. He simply stated that he heard about an unharmed girl in the Hidden Grass Village during the mission.
Moreover, she was a redhead with the last name Uzumaki, which immediately caught his attention.
Since they were passing through the Land of Grass this time, he naturally didn't want to miss out.
His explanation made Shisui nod in understanding, but it also left Karin unsure of what to say.
She had no idea what significance her surname, Uzumaki, carried, but she knew her life in the Hidden Grass Village over the years had been far from pleasant.
She and her mother were constantly subjects of various experiments, and her mother had passed away as a result of those experiments, leaving her with no fondness for the Hidden Grass Village.
Being able to leave that place was obviously a good thing, although she had no idea what her future held, and the people in front of her didn't seem like particularly good people either.
"It's been two months since we left. Don't you feel anxious at all?"
Shisui felt helpless at Kaito's nonchalance, it could even be described as being frustrated with his complacency.
"You're the clan leader, how can you calmly leave all the clan affairs to a shadow clone?"
"First off," Kaito lifted a finger and wagged it lightly at Shisui, "my shadow clone possesses my consciousness, memory, and thoughts. There's absolutely no problem with it handling affairs."
Then his expression turned serious.
"Moreover, let me tell you something. As a decision-maker, you can't hold all matters tightly in your hands. You have to learn to delegate authority to your subordinates.
No one is perfect; everyone has their own weaknesses. Each person has their specializations, their strengths.
As a decision-maker, your role is not to prove how powerful you are, but to know what your subordinates excel at, and assign them tasks that suit their strengths.
Doing so would make your plans more efficient, freeing up more time for you to consider other matters.
Similarly, your subordinates, feeling your trust and their own value being recognized, would be more willing to follow your directives.
Managing a clan, for instance, my greatest strength is identifying the right path for the clan's development.
Once I've set the direction for development, it's up to elders like Fugaku to carry out the plans.
They have more experience and understand the clan better than I do, and having them handle tasks is much more effective than if you or I did it personally."
While Kaito's examples weren't overly complicated, his art of management gave Shisui food for thought.
It was his first time hearing the saying, "each profession has its master," but with Kaito's explanation, he began to understand.
Indeed, delegating the right tasks to those skilled at them does simplify things.
It's like a mission team. Each member has their strengths, so the team leader assigns tasks based on their individual abilities. This, it seemed, was a basic form of management.
"I think I understand."
Shisui tightened the grip on the large backpack he carried and nodded seriously.
"Reflecting on it, Kaito, you really do delegate many tasks to us. And our division of labor does indeed make us more efficient and faster.
I've learned something valuable, Kaito. It appears I was too presumptuous."
"There are many things you take for granted. As the deputy clan leader, you still have a lot to learn."
Kaito said with a laugh, and then asked humorously,
"Besides, taking it slow means that the zombie in your backpack won't be making any sudden moves. If he does, you'll have room to react."
At this, Shisui couldn't help but glance at the large backpack he was carrying, which was not filled with ordinary items.
Instead, it contained Hidan, who had been cut open and neatly taped back together!
Hidan was an excellent subject for experimentation, even a prime sacrificial material for certain jutsu.
Naturally, Kaito wasn't like that boy Shikamaru, who, after blowing Hidan to smithereens, simply tossed him into a pit for burial.
He didn't have any fondness for these cold-blooded, even sacrificial cult followers, so if he couldn't kill them, using them for experiments would be just fine.
He knew his method might leave Shisui feeling dissatisfied and uneasy, but he had no intention of changing his approach.
Some people, some things, must pay a price!
While the group's speed wasn't fast and they chatted idly along the way, they still managed to return to Konoha by nightfall.
However, Kaito didn't bring Shisui to the Uchiha's with him, instead leaving a shadow clone to accompany him to the forest on the outskirts of Konoha.
Shisui didn't object to this decision, aware of his current situation, so he obediently followed Kaito's shadow clone and left.
As for Karin, Kaito wasn't worried about her, and Karin herself didn't dare object, meekly following Kaito back to the Uchiha clan.
Yet when Kaito returned and dispelled his first shadow clone, he was momentarily taken aback.
After carefully reading the information passed on through the shadow clone, a smile unconsciously spread across his lips.
"It seems they've made their best decision. Otherwise, they wouldn't have called a clan leader's meeting..."
//
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