Development on All Sides

The disbandment of Root and Jiraiya's departure returned Konoha to its former state. The Uchiha's absence from the Police Force, now managed efficiently by the Hyūga clan, went unnoticed by many.

In Konoha's Eight Street, all Uchiha-owned restaurants are quietly closed for renovations.

Meanwhile, scattered reports from the Land of Water indicated that the Yuki clan, the most prominent ninja clan with a kekkei genkai, was dissatisfied with Yagura Karatachi's tenure as the Fourth Mizukage and attempted to assassinate him. The assassination failed, leaving Yagura severely injured and retreating into the shadows. This led to a brutal purge of all major bloodline limit clans in the Land of Water, causing many Hidden Mist ninjas to flee. As the country closed its borders, information from the Hidden Mist became scarce, leaving other factions unsure of the specifics.

Fourth Kazekage Rasa, who had hastily taken office during the Third Shinobi World War, stabilized his position in the Hidden Sand Village after the war. He focused on developing the village's economy, using his Magnet Release to extract gold from the desert. This significantly supplemented the village's finances and ushered in a period of stable growth.

In the Hidden Rain Village, Hanzō the Salamander, having grown old and complacent, was overthrown by Nagato. Under Nagato's rule, the village entered a new era.

In the Hidden Stone Village, the genius youth Deidara left due to his rebellious nature and became a missing Ninja. The town, lacking promising young talents, relied heavily on the aging Onoki.

Yamaki spent his time supporting the Uchiha's commercial endeavors—initially, his request for Uchiha civilians to switch businesses faced resistance. However, after showcasing his culinary skills and hosting a feast, everyone became ardent fans of Chinese cuisine. Yamaki had already prepared business plans, instructing them on how to renovate their establishments.

Yamaki focused on communicating with Orochimaru. Using Yoake's summoning beast, he exchanged messages daily. Initially, the reports were from Itachi and Shisui, but eventually, they consisted of discussions between Yamaki and Orochimaru. Yamaki valued Orochimaru as a top scientist and saw his support as crucial for plans.

Yamaki shared additional information not in the initial plans, revealing the impending upheaval in the ninja world to Orochimaru, who then intensified his experiments, leaving Otogakure's management to the Uchiha elites. Their involvement quickly transformed Otogakure into one of the busiest ninja villages after the Five Great Shinobi Countries, surpassing the Hidden Rain, Hidden Waterfall, and Hidden Grass Villages.

In response, the other ninja villages learned that Itachi had defected to a small town. Surprisingly, Konoha remained indifferent, acting as if it didn't matter. Observers were astonished that despite the large number of Uchiha, they showed no interest in taking over Otogakure, simply serving as ninjas.

Yamaki wasn't surprised. The Uchiha elites had been brainwashed by Kotoamatsukami, making them obedient and willing to follow orders, even to the point of self-sacrifice.

Yamaki's focus shifted to renovating the Eight Street restaurants. His confidence in Chinese cuisine soared after the Uchiha civilian owners sampled the food. Within two months, "Chinese Cuisine" signs adorned Eight Street, attracting customers. The unique dishes, ranging from hot, dry noodles to crayfish and steamed buns, dominated the market, forcing other restaurants to adapt or close.

In the Land of Fields, Yamaki took even bolder steps, creating a comprehensive business plan that impressed Orochimaru. The large-scale medical experiments required significant funding, and Orochimaru's past efforts to infiltrate the country's government provided the necessary support. With the backing of the daimyo, "Chinese Cuisine" restaurants spread across the Land of Fields, quickly outcompeting local eateries.

Initially, local restaurant owners were skeptical of the daimyo's support for the new cuisine. However, the overwhelming success of the first wave of franchises, which offered a return on investment in just a few months, convinced many to join the franchise.

The trend spread from the Land of Fields to other nations, establishing Chinese cuisine as a dominant force in the culinary world.

Eight Street became Konoha's most prosperous area a year later, thanks to the rise of Uchiha-owned "Chinese Cuisine" restaurants. Unlike anything seen before, the unique dishes quickly won over the village, making the Uchiha one of the wealthiest clans in the ninja world.

Naruto and Sasuke had been attending the Ninja Academy for nearly two years. Naruto's academic performance was mediocre, but his taijutsu was decent. His worst area was chakra control and usage. The school had recently introduced transformation jutsu, where Naruto consistently ranked last.

Under Yamaki and Sasuke's support, the Third Hokage felt threatened and continuously increased Naruto's monthly allowance. He severely punished anyone who targeted Naruto, fearing that Yamaki might eventually sway Naruto away. Despite Kakashi's efforts to bond with Naruto, his missions limited their interactions to brief conversations. Naruto's bond with Yamaki and Sasuke remained much stronger.