"Tch… This tiny island's got nothing but mud and dirt. There's barely any usable resources at all. Might be perfect for Deidara to play with his clay dolls though."
Hidan grumbled as he rowed the boat with an annoyed expression. After all, he had impulsively cleaved the boatman in two earlier, so now he was stuck doing the rowing himself.
"Mhm~ No meddling from the great nations, no nearby major ninja villages to interfere—militarily, it checks out."
Kakuzu gave another satisfied checkmark in his notebook, his rare cheer evident in his voice. "Looks like this little island can officially be added to Akatsuki's collection."
"Hah? Hey hey hey, didn't the boss say we're supposed to assess the internal factions too?"
Hidan turned to his partner with a baffled look. "Don't tell me you're trying to slack off."
"Idiot. The reason we checked internal factions in those other countries was because they might leak information to surrounding nations or villages. But the Land of Waves? No major nations nearby, no big ninja villages either. That means whoever's holed up here is irrelevant."
Kakuzu raised his eyes to look toward the mist-shrouded island ahead, his tone filled with the condescension and confidence of the strong.
"If anyone dares to get in our way, we'll make them… disappear."
"What Akatsuki lays claim to—belongs to Akatsuki."
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"The Land of Waves was originally just a poor, resource-scarce country no one paid attention to. The people may have been impoverished, but they could still survive. Everything changed after Gato arrived."
Tazuna's tone was somber. Just saying Gato's name made him subconsciously clench his fists. Clearly, to him, Gato was the kind of villain who didn't deserve even a shred of mercy.
"I see. A closed-off, neglected land with no competing interests—prime target for ambitious vultures."
Seated at the rear of the boat, Kakashi nodded slightly. Clearly, Gato was already filthy rich. And once a man has enough money, he starts craving what he doesn't have—beauty, power, even immortality.
Gato's ambitions were slightly loftier: he wanted territory. In this world, lineage and class mean everything. A nation's Daimyō might be incompetent, but they won't be overthrown by commoners. Only another noble can replace a noble.
So Gato, though wealthy, had no status or bloodline. If he wanted land and power without restrictions, his only option was to submit to an established noble. But those nobles are either greedy idiots or shrewd masterminds. If Gato tried to cozy up to them, he'd either get milked dry or shackled by political chains. Worse, he might get dragged into internal conflicts where a defenseless merchant like him wouldn't even see death coming.
Given all that, it was only logical that this greedy little man set his sights on the Land of Waves—a place with no noble clans, no diplomatic ties, and no ninja presence. Judging from his actions since arriving, he clearly saw himself as some backwater emperor lording over peasants.
From bribing the Daimyō into turning a blind eye, to executing rebellious villagers to cement control, and recruiting rogue ninja and ronin to build up his forces—Gato wasn't exactly dumb. In fact, his hiring of a former Hidden Mist elite like Zabuza proved he wasn't stingy with coin when it came to muscle.
At the bow of the boat, Hinata quietly pondered. Her fingers trailed through the water as she listened, finally piecing together a far more complete picture of events than what the original series ever offered.
No doubt about it—the Land of Waves might be barren in resources, but its location made it invaluable. Like a shadowed corner of the map, inaccessible and easy to overlook. Such places don't nurture bright, beautiful things—but for darker pursuits, they're the perfect incubator.
According to Tazuna, Gato was a trafficker of weapons, drugs, and contraband. That meant he had turned the Land of Waves into both his personal warehouse and playground. But while he might be a savvy black market tycoon, he clearly wasn't a qualified ruler. He didn't understand the single most vital principle: shared interest. Instead of uplifting the people, he hired thugs and shut down trade routes, pushing the populace to the brink.
Hinata knew this world's civilians were passive by nature—meek and reserved unless pushed beyond survival. Forget lofty ideals like justice or righteousness—the cold truth was:
Gato bribed the local Daimyō into silence, then cut off the island's trade to protect his illicit shipments. He bolstered his regime with outlaws and missing-nin, treating the populace as insects. With travel shut down, jobs vanished. Food grew scarce. Left with no other option, Tazuna and the others planned to resist—not by direct confrontation, but through an indirect path: building a bridge Gato couldn't block, restoring outside contact.
Gato, upon learning this, was furious. He saw Tazuna's actions as a challenge to his authority. And a functioning bridge would ruin his smuggling business. Open access meant open conflict—with other cartels, rival smugglers, or enemies. He'd have to spend more on defense, and for a penny-pinching tyrant, that was unacceptable.
So, yeah—Gato's character stats probably read:
Finance and Ambition: 8+
Welfare and Politics: basically 0.
He was a textbook case of extreme specialization gone wrong. A merchant who didn't understand shared interest couldn't build lasting power. Consolidating all labor under your control might seem profitable in the short term, but it's a short-sighted, unsustainable strategy.
To Hinata, Gato was just a guy who knew how to hoard wealth—not a true businessman.
If she wanted, Hinata could've replaced all her crew's key roles—Shikamaru as accountant, Shino as strategist, Chōji as logistics—with blindly loyal subordinates. She could've monopolized control, even slashed wages at will.
For academy students like Naruto and the others, even a few thousand ryo a month would've been enough to keep them working.
That way, Hinata could've taken home over 80% of all profits. Maximum monetary gain, right?
But what would that have cost her?
First, her group—Team Hinata—would never have gained the standing it did in Konoha. Danzo, Homura, and the other elders would've taken notice immediately. As the Hyūga clan's heiress, she was already under scrutiny. If her inner circle were entirely made up of loyal Hyūga retainers, there's no way the elders would've allowed her to gain economic influence. They'd never approve a Hyūga-run publishing company.
So instead, Hinata deliberately gave key roles to Shikamaru, Shino, Chōji, Ino—heirs of major clans. She even offered incredibly generous salaries, sometimes allocating over 80% of revenue to staff compensation. Sure, it looked like bribery, but it worked. Clan heads like Shikaku and Chōza saw that Hinata valued and respected their children. Not only was she trusting them with real responsibility, she was paying them well.
Even if they knew she was building loyalty, they didn't oppose it. Why would they?
Hinata wasn't lacking in status. She paid well, shared power, and clearly understood business. Their kids were going to serve someone eventually—better it be someone competent.
Ino and Sakura wanted nicer clothes and makeup. Chōji wanted snacks. Shikamaru and Shino didn't spend much, but they knew the value of saving. Hinata gave them what they wanted—and that cemented loyalty.
The result?
Team Hinata became more than just a Hyūga faction. It became a coalition. Moving against it meant moving against the Hyūga, Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, and Aburame clans—some of the most influential families in Konoha.
Let's not even get into the Sarutobi clan, who were also now deeply involved.
Hinata even gave Asuma the official title of publishing house owner, retaining only 10% equity herself. That gave the Sarutobi family a massive stake. After all, not every clan member becomes a shinobi—some need alternative roles. The publishing house created jobs for injured veterans and civilians alike. It made the people grateful.
The leadership breakdown?
Hyūga: 10%
Uchiha: 10%
Ino–Shika–Chō + Aburame: 20%
Naruto and Sakura: 5% each
Kiba (later addition): 5%
Sarutobi clan: 15%
Independent investors (Kakashi & others): 30%
That's why Team Hinata could rise so fast in Konoha without facing backlash.
Want to oppose her? Good luck explaining why.
The Sarutobi clan took the biggest cut.
Every major clan got a piece.
Hinata's the leader, sure—but no other Hyūga has any power in the organization. The rest just collect passive income.
She even split her 10% share with her sister, Hanabi, making it clear: the Hyūga clan was here to earn, not to rule.
This aligned perfectly with Hiashi's conservative mindset. And so, he let his daughter run wild—because she was doing it better than anyone else.
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Author Note:
(PS1: Mhm~ o(￣▽￣)o~ First phase done! Honestly, if you want to build an evil sweatshop, a small island surrounded by water and isolated from powerful factions is perfect. Gotta admit—Kado's got a sharp eye. Capitalist scumbags gotta stick together, right~?)
(PS2: By the way, shoutout to the trap-themed story The Deceiver. The author's finally getting productive again~ Tight plot, worth checking out~)
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That's volume one done.
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TL: How was it? Was it to your liking? Leave a constructive Review or just praising me i don't mind🤗.
PS: Thanks for reading it so Far, I'll try to post regularly but there might be delays as college entrance exam is coming up.
But don't worry I will finish this. I started doing it cause I wanted to see if I can be consistent and committed to something.