Naruto: The rise of Uzumaki Kingdom

Uzumaki Jun had no idea that the director of Uzushiogakure was so poor he had to borrow money to repay debts. Right now, he was taking Kakuzu to Sunagakure first. They needed to settle this matter before the troops arrived in Amegakure. Otherwise, Sunagakure might really think Uzushiogakure was here to help Konoha, which would be troublesome.

Although the entire shinobi world was currently praising Uzushiogakure's righteousness…

Uzumaki Jun knew nothing about it!

He had no idea where these rumors even came from. With an inward sigh, he realized Uzushiogakure's reputation for kindness had already spread throughout the shinobi world. Everyone was jealous of Konoha for having such a foolish ally.

"Ah, what a headache!" Uzumaki Jun shook his head helplessly. "I never thought there'd come a day when I'd be handing money to other villages."

"So why give them money at all?" Kakuzu said, his face twisted in pain. "The two of us could just flatten their village. This is 400 million ryo we're talking about!"

In all his years in the shinobi world, Kakuzu had never once given money to others. Now, he was about to break that principle!

"..."

Hearing Kakuzu's words, Uzumaki Jun rolled his eyes. Did he really think he could go toe-to-toe with the God of Shinobi?

Even if the two of them could quickly crush Sunagakure and Amegakure, he wouldn't do it. Otherwise, instead of three great villages attacking Konoha, it'd be five great villages invading Uzushiogakure.

Right now, Uzushiogakure was small and weak, unable to withstand any major war. If money could solve the problem, then it wasn't a problem. Besides, this money wasn't even Uzushiogakure's to begin with…

"Don't worry," Uzumaki Jun said with a smile. "The reason I brought you along is so we can take the money back later."

As long as Sunagakure bought scientific ninja tools, the money would just go from one hand to the other. At most, Uzushiogakure would earn a little less.

But people…

That was what Uzushiogakure truly lacked right now.

For Uzushiogakure to develop, population was absolutely essential.

"Tch." Kakuzu sighed. "It's still a loss."

"..."

Never mind this miser. At least he was doing a good job managing Uzushiogakure's finances. The only problem was…

"Stop going to the Chinoike clan head every other day to collect debts," Uzumaki Jun said helplessly. "They've already filed a complaint."

It wasn't like they weren't paying—they were just paying a little slower.

Meanwhile, in Uzushiogakure…

"We need to build a large batch of houses soon," Uzumaki Riki said, slapping a paper baton against his palm as he addressed the workers. "There'll be refugees arriving, so don't embarrass Uzushiogakure."

As the former daimyo of Uzushiogakure and the current daimyo's father, he couldn't afford to hold his son back.

Food, clothing, shelter, and transportation—he had to prepare everything properly. Otherwise, if something went wrong, it'd be a disaster.

"Director Riki!" A young man asked, "Will Lord Jun be bringing more people back?"

"Of course," Uzumaki Riki said proudly. "Jun has been working hard to ensure everyone has food, clothes, and peace in the shinobi world."

"Mhm." The young man's face filled with admiration. "Lord Jun is an incredible person, just like a god!"

"Alright, alright." Uzumaki Riki couldn't help but smile at the praise for his son, though he kept a stern expression. "Get back to work. Save the flattery."

Most of the people here were refugees who had come to Uzushiogakure during the last war. Gone were their gaunt faces and tattered clothes. In Uzushiogakure, as long as you weren't lazy, you wouldn't starve.

Right now, Uzushiogakure needed people!

"By the way, Tomoichi, I heard you bought a house and are getting married," Uzumaki Riki said to the young man. "Impressive. You've already bought a home so quickly."

"Hehe." Tomoichi scratched his head sheepishly. "Just a down payment. I haven't paid it off yet."

"That's still great." Uzumaki Riki patted Tomoichi's shoulder. "Invite me for a drink when the time comes!"

"R-Really?!" Tomoichi's eyes widened in excitement, his words stumbling. "I-I…!"

"What, not willing?" Uzumaki Riki frowned, though his eyes still held amusement. "Won't even treat me to a drink?"

"N-No! I'm just too happy!" Tomoichi frantically shook his head. "I…"

"Enough." Uzumaki Riki chuckled and stopped teasing him. "Focus on your work now. If you lose your job, you won't be able to pay off your mortgage."

"Hehe." Tomoichi grinned foolishly. "Got it. I'll work hard." After a moment of hesitation, he finally gathered the courage to ask, "Director Riki… could you be our witness at the wedding?"

"Me?" Uzumaki Riki was taken aback. "What about your parents?"

"They…" Tomoichi lowered his head, his voice quiet. "I wish they were still alive. Life in Uzushiogakure is like heaven. I hope they're happy up there too."

"Ah." Uzumaki Riki sighed and patted Tomoichi's shoulder, forcing a smile. "Sure, just let me know when. I'm sure your parents would be happy to see you settling down."

"Yeah." Tomoichi wiped the corner of his eye and grinned. "They'd be really happy!" He looked up at the blue sky, his smile soft.

Mom, Dad… I'm living happily now, so don't worry about me. I'm getting married soon. And in Uzushiogakure, all citizens can study for free. If our child—my son—has talent, I'll let him become a shinobi so he can protect our country in the future!

"Why're you staring at the sky? Get back to work." Uzumaki Riki kicked Tomoichi lightly in the rear. "Or I'll dock your pay."

"Hehe." Tomoichi didn't mind the kick at all. Dusting himself off, he smiled and returned to his station. "You wouldn't. Director Riki's a good person."

"You little brat!" Uzumaki Riki laughed helplessly. "Get to work."

At the Port…

"We're setting sail! We're setting sail!" A teenager stood on the deck, arms outstretched as he shouted, "Ocean, here I come!"

"Brat, what're you doing?" A red-haired middle-aged man appeared behind him and kicked his backside. "Get back to work."

"Oh, Uncle Shigeru!" The boy rubbed his butt sheepishly. "I was just excited."

"Tch, you…" Uzumaki Shigeru took a drag of his cigarette. "Pay attention this time. Learn as much as you can."

"Yes, sir!" The teen stood straight, then grinned and sidled closer. "Uncle Shigeru, is it true that every voyage fills the ships to the brim?"

"Yeah." Uzumaki Shigeru exhaled smoke. "If we bring sensor shinobi, the haul's even bigger. These three ships won't even be enough."

"Really?" Shouta's eyes widened. "Then why not bring more ships?"

These were massive ships, unlike anything he'd ever seen before. Rumor had it they were Uzushiogakure's new models—some could even fly!

It was unbelievable.

"We don't have enough ships in the country." Uzumaki Shigeru sighed. "This time, we're only taking ten. The rest are reserved for transporting refugees."

"More people are coming to Uzushiogakure?" Shouta asked.

"Yeah. War's everywhere outside." Uzumaki Shigeru sighed. "Only you folks in Uzushiogakure live such happy lives."

"Right. War's terrifying. If not for Uzushiogakure, I'd probably be dead." Shouta nodded, shuddering as memories surfaced. "Uzushiogakure's like heaven. When my dad first brought me here, I was so scared, worried something bad would happen."

"What's there to worry about?" Uzumaki Shigeru leaned against the railing. "Lord Jun treats refugees well. Food, clothes, jobs—look how happy everyone who came here is now."

"Mhm. Good thing we didn't go anywhere else!" Shouta grinned, feeling the sea breeze. "This feels amazing!"

"So work hard." Uzumaki Shigeru patted his shoulder solemnly. "Don't embarrass Uzushiogakure. Remember…"

"Uzushiogakure will always be your strongest support!"

"I won't!" Shouta thumped his chest proudly. "I'm a citizen of Uzushiogakure!" Then, he sighed regretfully. "If only I had the talent to be a shinobi. I'd go to the battlefield to protect our country!"

"Hah! You brat…" Uzumaki Shigeru laughed. "You don't need to be a shinobi to protect Uzushiogakure. Have you forgotten Lord Jun's words?"

"We're all part of Uzushiogakure. We just have different roles. So don't look down on yourself. Right now, fishing at sea…"

"Means not only do our people get to eat fish, but the refugees coming to Uzushiogakure will too. That's how you contribute to the country."