Uzumaki Jun had no idea that he had already caught the attention of Old Man Madara. If he had known, he would have immediately nodded in agreement, putting on an expression that said, "I've decided to follow you."
When Madara's subordinate later created the Akatsuki, he could just have the uniforms and work badges delivered directly to him.
The only question was, if Nagato didn't end up wandering to Amegakure, who would become the crime boss there? Would it be Tobi?
That would truly be a sad thing!
As for why he was so cautious?
Well, Madara was the kind of ruthless man who could remain completely calm while facing a charge of tens of thousands of people, casually dancing the whole time.
Every time he caught someone, he would say, "Do you want to dance?"
"You can dance too?"
"You think you can dance?"
"..."
An old man who dances is not to be trifled with!
In any case, he and Madara had no conflicts in the early stages. As for the later stages...
By the time he had grown strong enough, why would he care about Madara?
At that point, it might be Uzumaki Jun saving the ninja world, while Madara would likely have been half-crippled by Zetsu's schemes. As for the Sage of Six Paths...
He'd probably be utterly confused!
Hadn't he worked so hard to stay alive just to give his sons their power-ups, letting Naruto and Sasuke lead the heroes of the ninja world to guide the future? But now...
What was the meaning of this?
Just who was this Uzumaki Jun?
At that point, the Sage of Six Paths might appear and ask him not to interfere, letting his sons gain some reputation and lead the ninja world toward the future.
But by then...
Who would care about such nonsense?
The socialist path he wanted to take was completely different from the shinobi path that the ninja class wanted to follow. Sooner or later, a class struggle would likely break out.
But...
All reactionaries are paper tigers. Under the tide of socialism, they would be utterly obliterated.
Uzumaki Jun had the confidence and the ability to forge a socialist path unique to the ninja world.
After all, not only had he been steeped in over twenty years of red ideology, but he also had the system as his cheat. While the system might not be good for much else, it was excellent at printing books.
After Uzumaki Jun disembarked, the Konoha-nin in charge stepped forward and said, "Lord Jun."
Nara Shikazo had already received intelligence from the Hokage. The red-haired child before him was the one who had led Uzushiogakure to victory—a seven-year-old Kage-level ninja.
"Truly terrifying," Nara Shikazo thought to himself.
"Mm," Uzumaki Jun nodded. "You are?"
"Nara Shikazo, the person in charge this time," Nara Shikazo replied.
"Figures..."
Uzumaki Jun looked at Nara Shikazo with an expressionless face. The moment he saw him, an aura of lethargy washed over him. It was unmistakably a member of the Nara clan—the medicinal tycoons of Konoha, a family that had raised deer for generations, mainly selling deer antlers.
Back on Earth, they would have been shut down by the authorities multiple times!
"Will you be heading to Konoha now, or...?"
Nara Shikazo asked lazily. The war was over, yet the higher-ups still had him stationed at the border. What a hassle!
Now he could finally return!
"No, we'll go in a few days," Uzumaki Jun shook his head and smiled. "We need to rent a place from the Land of Fire."
"Whoosh!"
Nara Shikazo immediately became serious upon hearing Uzumaki Jun's words. What did he want to rent land for?
Was he planning to cause trouble?
"Don't be nervous," Uzumaki Jun smiled. "The Uzumaki clan and Konoha have a bond of friendship spanning generations. We won't do anything to harm Konoha."
"Then you..." Nara Shikazo, of course, wouldn't be convinced by just a few words. He remained vigilant. "What do you need the rented land for?"
As for the "bond of friendship spanning generations" between the Uzumaki clan and Konoha, he ignored that. The higher-ups in Konoha all knew that this was a joke. And as for Uzushiogakure...
After being screwed over so badly, they must have realized it too. They were probably cursing Konoha for being ungrateful in their hearts!
"To recruit people, of course," Uzumaki Jun waved his hand, signaling the ninja below to bring up the recruitment sign. "Uzushiogakure has suffered heavy losses in the war."
"There aren't many people left in the country. Nine out of ten homes are empty!"
"You have no idea how terrifying it is to go out at night..."
"It's truly horrifying."
Hearing Uzumaki Jun's words, Nara Shikazo rolled his eyes. Did he think Konoha was blind?
Although the spies sent to Uzushiogakure had all been discovered, they had still brought back information. Heavy losses?
Yeah, right!
Who was he trying to fool?
He glanced at the sign, which read:
"Uzushiogakure is currently hiring workers. Whether or not you have a special skill, as long as you come to Uzushiogakure, you will find your own worth."
"1. Law-abiding, upright character, no criminal record preferred.
2. Those with special skills preferred.
3. Those who are literate preferred.
...
"Want to find your place? If you do, come to Uzushiogakure. Here, you will surely find your dreams.
Note: Food and lodging provided. Wages to be discussed in person!"
At the end was the Uzumaki clan's crest.
"..."
Was he really here to recruit people?
Seeing the words on the sign, Nara Shikazo was speechless. It was all laid out so clearly!
"I'll need to consult the Hokage about this," Nara Shikazo said after a moment's thought. "But it'll probably be approved. After all..."
The Land of Fire currently had too many displaced people. If not handled properly, chaos could break out. If someone was willing to take them in, it would be a solution.
But...
They still needed to be wary of Uzushiogakure's schemes.
"Of course," Uzumaki Jun smiled. "Uzumaki Kai, bring up our rental payment."
"Yes!" Uzumaki Kai replied respectfully. Then, with a nervous expression, he carefully took the tightly wrapped, high-quality box from the people below and opened it with the reverence of a worshipper.
Seeing the Uzumaki clan's expressions, Nara Shikazo grew curious. It seemed whatever was inside was extremely valuable.
Then...
The moment Uzumaki Kai opened it, the Konoha-nin were stunned.
"This... this..." Nara Shikazo pointed at the crystal-clear statues in shock. "The First Hokage, the Second Hokage, the Third Hokage!"
Seeing the Konoha-nin's awestruck expressions, Uzumaki Jun nodded in satisfaction. It seemed Uzumaki Kai had a real talent for acting. The guy already knew how glass was made, yet he could still put on such a convincing performance!
Maybe he could transition Uzumaki Kai from being a ninja to an actor. After all, a secondary profession for ninjas was inevitable!
"This is glass discovered within Uzushiogakure's borders," Uzumaki Jun said with a reluctant expression. "It's extremely rare. I had my people pick out the most exquisite pieces and hired Uzushiogakure's top sculptor to carefully craft these."
The Konoha-nin exchanged glances. Finally, Nara Shikazo sighed and said, "This... is too valuable."
"No, these were carved out of our admiration for the Hokage's contributions to the peace of the ninja world," Uzumaki Jun said with a look of reverence. "Especially Lord Hashirama and Lord Tobirama..."
"They sacrificed so much for the peace of the ninja world. They deserve everyone's respect!"
Then why was the Third Hokage's statue the biggest and most imposing?
Nara Shikazo looked at the Third Hokage's statue, opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing...
As a ninja, it was best not to be too curious. Matters of the higher-ups should be left to the higher-ups. The Nara clan's way of survival was to be as lazy as possible!
"I'll have someone deliver your request and gifts to the Hokage."
"As for the result..."
"It might take some time!"
"Of course!"
Uzumaki Jun's eyes lit up, and he smiled. It seemed the matter was settled!
As for the rest...