281. Embezzling Money

At the Border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Waterfalls

“Heave-ho! Heave-ho! Come on, men, put your backs into it! We’re almost there!”

Hundreds of sturdy shinobi strained to drag steel-reinforced ropes, moving three mountain-sized behemoths. Leading them was a man named Shihe, who was conversing with a sinister-looking middle-aged man.

“Thank you, Lord Shi He. Without your help, the sacred beasts of the Land of Waterfalls would have surely fallen into someone else’s hands,” said the middle-aged man, the head of Takigakure, his face full of gratitude. He looked at the slumbering Seven-Tails behind him, practically ready to bow down to Shihe.

“Hmph. You should know it cost me a great deal to negotiate these beasts back from Hashirama Senju,” Shihe said, stroking his gray-white beard with a hint of melancholy.

The Takigakure leader, a master of reading the room, immediately thumped his chest and said,
“Lord Shi He, you’ve gone through so much trouble. Takigakure will gladly offer payment for the sacred beasts, along with a compensation fee for our allies from Iwagakure.”

“You’re considerate,” Shihe’s eyes lit up, and his previously indifferent demeanor softened. Gazing at the three towering tailed beasts, he sighed,
“It’s truly Heaven’s favor that the Land of Fire produced such a talent as Hashirama Senju. His awakened bloodline is perfectly suited to subduing tailed beasts—how enviable.”

“Hashirama Senju!”

At the mention of Hashirama, the Takigakure leader’s expression twisted with rage, his aura brimming with murderous intent. If it weren’t for Hashirama invading Takigakure’s sacred grounds and seizing their sacred beast, they wouldn’t have had to pay such a heavy price. Just the thought of it filled him with fury, wishing to crush Hashirama to dust.

“You have a grudge against Hashirama Senju?” Shihe asked, noticing the murderous aura and raising an eyebrow.

The Takigakure leader hesitated briefly before admitting,
“To tell the truth, this sacred beast has long resided in Takigakure. But recently, that scoundrel Hashirama took it by force.”

Seeing no need to hide it anymore, the Takigakure leader explained everything about how Hashirama had stolen the Seven-Tails.

“Tsk, tsk. Such brazen behavior! I thought Hashirama was a man of principle, but it seems he’s two-faced. I must have misjudged him,” Shihe said with feigned sympathy, glancing at the furious Takigakure leader.

“Sigh, but Hashirama Senju resides in Konoha. We have no way to avenge this grudge,” the leader admitted, clenching his fists in frustration. Konoha’s power was terrifyingly strong, leaving Takigakure with no choice but to swallow their humiliation.

Shihe’s eyes gleamed with cunning as he casually remarked,
“Who said Hashirama is always in Konoha? I heard he agreed to help the Land of Wind reclaim a desert. He should be leaving soon.”

“Really?” The Takigakure leader’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“Why would I lie?” Shihe replied, his tone indifferent.

“Thank you, Lord Shihe!”

“Don’t mention it. Aren’t we allies?”

After bidding farewell to Shihe, the Takigakure leader rushed back to his camp.

“Chief!” a burly shinobi directing the transport of the Seven-Tails quickly saluted as the leader approached.

“Yuda, come to my tent. I have something to discuss,” the leader said solemnly, deciding this matter must remain confidential.

Inside the tent, Yuda asked cautiously,
“Chief, what do you need me to do?”

“Go and kill Hashirama Senju,” the leader said bluntly.

“???”

Yuda’s mind immediately filled with the memory of Hashirama’s devastating punch that could blot out the sun. His body ached just thinking about it. Falling to his knees, he grabbed the leader’s leg, sobbing,
“Chief! I’ve bled for Takigakure! I’ve fought for Takigakure! I have an eight-year-old mother, seventy-year-old children, and a hungry dog at home—please don’t send me to my death!”

“Enough! With your strength, you’d just be throwing your life away,” the leader said, massaging his temples in exasperation.

“Thank you, Chief!” Yuda instantly sprang to his feet, his face showing none of the despair from before.

“This is too humiliating!” the Takigakure leader muttered. Though not a great nation, Takigakure was still a prominent village. How could they endure this indignity? His gaze fell on Yuda, silently questioning him.

“I feel the same, Chief,” Yuda replied, lowering his head in shame.

“Useless!” the leader growled. His subordinates were either sycophants or cowards. Then, an idea struck him.

“Yuda, how’s Kakuzu doing lately?”

“Chief, he’s still locked up in the prison,” Yuda replied.

Kakuzu, the only Takigakure shinobi who had ventured to the Land of Fire, was accused of treason after the Seven-Tails was stolen. Though the accusations were false, the leader had imprisoned him in a fit of rage.

“Release Kakuzu. Tell him to assassinate Hashirama Senju. Whether he succeeds or fails, I’ll return all his confiscated wealth to him,” the leader ordered after a moment of thought.

“But Chief, didn’t we use Kakuzu’s wealth to buy the sacred beasts?” Yuda asked hesitantly.

“Hmph. If he succeeds, I’ll let him take my position. If he fails, do you think he’ll live to collect his reward?” the leader sneered.

Meanwhile, in Konoha...

“Big Brother, are you really planning to go alone?” Tobirama Senju frowned as he watched Hashirama enthusiastically organizing his travel plans in the Hokage’s office.



Hashirama Senju was now the Hokage of Konoha. It made no sense for the leader of a village to go on missions alone. Besides, this was a critical time for Konoha's development, and many tasks required the Hokage’s direct approval.

“Then let me go with Hashirama!”

Across the room, Uchiha Madara, skillfully working through a stack of documents, raised his head eagerly. He had long grown tired of the paperwork and was itching for some excitement.

“No way!”

Tobirama immediately shot down the idea. Letting the two of them run off while dumping all the work on him? Absolutely not.

“It’s not even a combat mission. I’m just planting some trees. I’ll be back in a few days,” Hashirama replied casually, stretching as he leaned back in his chair. To him, it was a trivial task, hardly worth worrying about.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Suddenly, loud banging echoed through the office door. Tobirama frowned, irritated by the rude disturbance. Who had the audacity to knock so aggressively?

“Open up! I know you’re in there. Give me my hard-earned money!”

The familiar voice from outside froze Tobirama in place, his expression stiffening. Even his hand, holding a pen, tensed up.

“Cousin, what brings you here?”

Uchiha Madara, however, immediately brightened. Recognizing the voice, he opened the door to find Uchiha Gin standing there, his face dark with anger.

“Hmph!”

Gin ignored Madara and strode into the office, his piercing gaze locking onto Tobirama. His clenched fists cracked audibly.

“You white-haired scoundrel, I thought you’d run off with my money!”

Gin was fuming. He had worked tirelessly to negotiate the sale of the tailed beasts, even including his own custom-made driver device in the deal. Yet, despite all his efforts, he hadn’t seen a single coin. At first, he thought Konoha was just caught up in processing the payment. But as construction resumed on projects that had previously stalled due to lack of funds, it became clear his payment was being deliberately withheld.

Today, Gin was determined to get justice.

“Brother Gin, have some tea. Let’s sit down and discuss this calmly,” Hashirama said quickly, sensing the tension. He poured Gin a cup of tea and then turned to his brother, frowning.

“Tobirama, what did you do this time?”

“I just—”

“Don’t even try to explain,” Gin interrupted coldly. “This white-haired thief embezzled the money I earned from selling the tailed beasts.”

Furious, Gin almost pulled out his blade to teach Tobirama a lesson.

“Tobirama, this is unacceptable!” Hashirama scolded. “That payment was Brother Gin’s rightful earnings. How could you delay it?”

Even Madara, after hearing the full story, exploded with anger. Pointing at Tobirama, he yelled,
“You dare to withhold Cousin’s payment? Do you know what he went through to close that deal? That night—”

“Stop!” Gin shuddered, quickly cutting Madara off. He didn’t want to be reminded of that dreadful night. His focus was on Tobirama, who remained silent under their combined fury.

“The amount is too large,” Tobirama finally said after a long pause. “There are many procedures to go through. It will take time, but you’ll get your money.”

“Don’t give me excuses!” Gin shouted, rolling up his sleeves. “If you don’t pay me today, I’ll make you regret it!”

“Tobirama, just give him his money,” Hashirama pleaded.

“I can’t.”

“What?” Hashirama, relieved for a moment, froze in shock. He stared at his brother, swallowing hard.

“You must be joking, right?”

“I’m serious. The money’s gone,” Tobirama said flatly.

Gin’s eyes widened. “Gone? That was over 300 billion! How could it just vanish?”

“It’s temporarily unavailable,” Tobirama explained. “Once more funds come in, I’ll pay you immediately.”

Gin was seething. “You expect me to believe that? Three hundred billion doesn’t just disappear! Either you pay me now, or you’ll learn the hard way why flowers are red!”


Tobirama awkwardly turned his head away. It was true he had taken the money, but he hadn’t done it to embezzle Uchiha Gin's earnings.

“What exactly did you do with the money?”

Gin immediately became suspicious. Seeing Tobirama’s evasive behavior, he frowned deeply. Could it be that this guy fell victim to a scam?

“Exactly, Tobirama. There’s no one else here. Just be honest,” Hashirama chimed in, sensing something off and pressing his brother to explain.

“I… invested it.”

Crack!

The tea cup in Gin’s hand shattered instantly.

“It’s over. All over.”

“What investment? Why didn’t I know about this?”

Even Hashirama looked shocked. He had no idea about any investment.

“I planned to tell you once I saw returns, but who would’ve thought he’d come demanding payment so soon?” Tobirama replied, deflecting blame as though it was Gin’s fault for asking for his rightful earnings.

“You fool, Tobirama!” Hashirama exclaimed, torn between admiration for his brother’s audacity and the urge to scold him.

Gin took a deep breath, shaking the tea off his hands. “Fine, let’s hear it. What kind of investment?”

“The Land of Waves. They’re planning to establish a shipping company and offered me a chance to invest.”

Tobirama’s tone grew more confident as he straightened up, justifying his decision. He had been nursing his bruised ego ever since Gin's success in selling the tailed beasts. How could he, the genius of the Senju, not outperform someone like Gin?

By chance, Tobirama met an important figure from the Land of Waves. The man had "casually" shared insider information about a lucrative shipping company project. After reviewing the detailed plans, Tobirama had immediately diverted the tailed beast sales funds into the venture, banking on the promised first dividend to cover Gin’s payment.

“You’re telling me this was all for a shipping company?” Gin asked skeptically.

“Exactly!” Tobirama replied, full of self-assurance. Though the investor had since disappeared, Tobirama had marked him with the Flying Thunder God technique. If there was any deceit, that man wouldn’t get away unscathed.

“Ridiculous! You’re just making excuses. Hand over Cousin’s money already!” Madara snapped. He had no faith in Tobirama’s story, especially since part of the tailed beast sales income was meant to cover his own transport fees. If Gin didn’t get paid, Madara would have to dig into his own pockets to settle debts.

“Fine, I’ll give you a few more days. But this better not be a lie.”

To everyone’s surprise, Gin relented. His face showed a mix of frustration and resignation as he glanced at the overconfident Tobirama, choosing not to press further.

“You guys carry on. I just remembered I have soup on the stove,” Gin said abruptly, excusing himself and leaving so quickly that the others exchanged confused looks.

“Hashirama, I’m heading out,” Tobirama muttered distractedly.

“Fine. Be careful out there.” Hashirama didn’t argue, knowing he could always locate his brother using the Flying Thunder God mark.

“Can I—”

“Don’t even think about it. Get back to work!”


---

Gin left the Hokage building and ducked into an empty corner. A flash of golden light enveloped him, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone, teleporting across the sea to the Land of Waves.

The Land of Waves had flourished under its new daimyo. Its economy boomed, its citizens lived in peace, and pirates and raiders who once plagued its coasts had been wiped out by the daimyo’s Ghost Soldier Corps. The nation’s success in construction had spread across the ninja world, making it a trusted partner for many other countries.

At the heart of the new capital, the luxurious daimyo’s mansion stood as a symbol of the nation’s prosperity. Inside, the atmosphere was solemn rather than festive.

A flash of golden light marked Gin’s arrival. He drew the attention of a patrolling guard unit, who initially prepared to attack. However, upon recognizing him, their expressions shifted to deference.

“Lord Gin!”

“Is the daimyo in?”

“Yes, he’s in a meeting,” the guard replied, his respect genuine and unwavering.

“Is it with one of ours?”

“Yes.”

Without hesitation, Gin strode toward the daimyo’s office, as comfortable as if he were at home.


---

Inside the daimyo’s reception hall, the once-fearsome Uchiha Tajima now appeared far more approachable. Age had rounded his features, making him look like a kind and jolly elder rather than the formidable former clan leader.

Before him knelt a finely dressed Uchiha clan member, holding a scroll and reporting respectfully, “Daimyo-sama, here’s how we acquired the funds.”

“When there are no outsiders, just call me Clan Leader,” Tajima said with a gentle smile.

This clan member, one of the first Uchiha to join Tajima in the Land of Waves, had recently been tasked with navigating business deals in the Land of Fire.

“You mean to tell me you swindled this money from Tobirama Senju?” Tajima asked, raising an eyebrow. It was hard to believe that Tobirama, the clever second son of the Senju, could fall for such a trick.

“Exactly! I just hinted about a shipping company in the Land of Waves, and he couldn’t hand over the funds fast enough,” the Uchiha replied, grinning from ear to ear. For an Uchiha, duping a Senju was the ultimate satisfaction.

“Did you leave any traces?”

“None to worry about. When Tobirama realizes there’s no shipping company, he won’t dare confront the Land of Waves outright. Konoha’s development still relies heavily on our cooperation.”

“You underestimate him. If he doesn’t see those dividends soon, don’t be surprised to find him in your bed one night,” Tajima warned, shaking his head.

Before either could continue, a voice interrupted, “That won’t be necessary.”

Both men turned to see Gin lounging casually in the tea corner, pouring himself a drink. Tajima’s grin widened as he approached.

“Gin! What a surprise. I thought you’d be off charming the Uzumaki daimyo.”

Gin chuckled, sipping his tea. “Good tea, but it could use three more spoons of sugar.”

Turning to the Uchiha who had swindled Tobirama, Gin’s smile faded. “You’ve got guts, swindling my money too, huh?”