If someone looked at it from a conspiracy angle, it was easy to suspect that Danzō had long set his sights on the Uchiha Clan's prime territory. Rather than paying the cost of forcing them out directly, he used the Nine-Tails attack to create unrest within the village.
After that, fearing resistance from the clan and possible backlash from the villagers, he manipulated Itachi into carrying out the massacre himself.
To put it simply, this was the story of a corrupt developer trying to crush the most stubborn residents in Konohagakure.
Still, achieving prosperity for the Uchiha Clan could not happen overnight.
But right now, there was an opportunity.
Once the war ended, Konohagakure, as the victor, would inevitably host a large-scale Chūnin Exams event.
When that time came, shinobi and civilians from every hidden village would flood into the Leaf for sightseeing, trade, and entertainment.
The Chūnin Exams were likely only a year or two away. As long as the commercial district was completed before then, the Uchiha Clan could ride the momentum of the event and establish itself as the center of Konoha's economy.
Hayashi could even arrange for craftsmen to secretly produce Tailed Beast figurines, plush dolls, famous shinobi collectibles from other villages, and detailed replicas of ninja tools.
The value of such products depended entirely on creativity and craftsmanship. Once the market was established, the production methods could be licensed out for even more profit.
At the same time, the Uchiha Clan would gain a better reputation among the villagers.
After all, no one in the shinobi world cared about portrait rights. Even if foreign shinobi were unhappy about their likenesses being used, they could hardly cause trouble inside Konohagakure.
The only concern was whether the Uchiha Clan Compound would eventually turn into the shinobi world's version of Akihabara, becoming a gathering place for obsessive collectors.
The more Hayashi thought about it, the more excited he became.
He had wanted to reshape the shinobi world for a long time, and now he finally had the chance to start laying the foundation for it.
Forget everything else, Jiraiya's famous "Icha Icha Paradise" series absolutely deserved a theatrical adaptation.
In Hayashi's overall plan, nearly everything revolved around economic reform, apart from reducing the burden carried by the Military Police Force.
As for positions within the Anbu or seats on the village council, he had no interest in mentioning them.
Pushing too aggressively would only provoke resistance from the Third Hokage. Besides, there was no point fighting over authority the Uchiha Clan had never possessed in the first place.
By the time Hayashi stepped out of the Grand Elder's residence, the afternoon sun had already begun to descend.
Before leaving, he had taken the clan's property deeds, the census records of the clansmen, annual financial ledgers, and documentation regarding more than a dozen mineral deposits.
The Uchiha Clan truly deserved its title as Konohagakure's strongest clan.
They were unimaginably wealthy.
Which made the aftermath of the Uchiha massacre even more disturbing to think about.
Once the clan disappeared, where exactly did all that wealth go?
The answer was obvious.
As the sole legal survivor, Sasuke should have inherited everything, yet he never received a single ryo.
After flipping through the financial records for a while, Hayashi quickly noticed another problem.
Although the clan's income was enormous, the expenses were equally outrageous.
Most of the Military Police Force's operating costs were paid directly by the Uchiha Clan, while the village only contributed a negligible amount.
That expenditure needed to be cut immediately.
Not only did the clan need better welfare for its members, but those leaving the Military Police Force also deserved proper compensation packages.
Of course, not everyone would willingly resign.
The Military Police Force was stable, safe, and comfortable. For many shinobi, it was practically the perfect retirement position.
Complaints were inevitable.
Still, Hayashi had no intention of treating anyone unfairly.
Managing a clan truly made one understand how expensive everything was.
Even though there were countless matters demanding attention, none of them were impossible to handle. Hayashi still had enough time to learn gradually, and many responsibilities could be delegated to Mikoto and the others.
As for Kushina...
Forget it.
That woman could barely take care of herself.
Aside from the financial records, the greatest gain from this visit was undoubtedly the Uchiha Clan's secret archive scroll.
It contained countless ninjutsu and forbidden techniques gathered by the clan over hundreds of years.
And unlike the simplified versions stored elsewhere, this was the complete archive.
For generations, the scroll had been entrusted solely to the clan head. After Uchiha Yama's death, the Grand Elder personally safeguarded it to ensure its security.
The moment Hayashi opened it, the first things he saw were the forbidden techniques Izanagi and Izanami listed prominently at the front.
The scroll even contained detailed explanations regarding their usage and activation.
Danzō's mastery of Izanagi had most likely originated from this very archive.
Which also meant that, at some point in the future, this scroll would probably end up in the village's possession.
A few streets away from home, Hayashi suddenly glanced toward a nearby bush.
"Come out already," he said casually. "I'm talking to you, Obito."
A few moments later, Obito crawled out awkwardly from the bushes, covered in dust and leaves.
"Brother Hayashi... long time no see."
Looking at the dirt covering the boy's clothes, Hayashi raised an eyebrow.
"How long have you been waiting there?"
"Since noon."
"Then why didn't you come inside?"
Obito's expression immediately stiffened.
"I wanted to, but... when I got close, I heard Kushina-sensei's voice."
Hayashi chuckled.
"Scared of her?"
Obito's face twisted bitterly.
"How could I not be?"
Kushina's personality alone was terrifying enough. On top of that, she was also his teacher.
"So, what do you need from me?" Hayashi asked.
"My mother heard you came back. She asked me to invite you and Sister Mikoto over for dinner tonight."
"Kyoko-san?" Hayashi nodded lightly. "Alright, understood. Anything else?"
There was definitely more to it.
Otherwise, Obito would never have waited outside for so many hours. He simply did not have that kind of patience.
After hesitating for a while, Obito carefully asked, "I heard Kakashi is graduating early?"
"That's right."
"Then your squad..."
"My team only has one genin at the moment," Hayashi replied honestly. "For now, I borrow shinobi from other teams during missions. Once your generation graduates, the remaining spots will be filled from your class."
The current generation had already reached the age where many shinobi were beginning to take students of their own. The Third Hokage had already started deciding future team assignments for Kakashi and Obito's class.
Obito's eyes instantly lit up.
"Then... can I join your squad?"
Hayashi sighed inwardly.
Among this generation, Obito, Kakashi, and Might Guy would undoubtedly become the most exceptional shinobi in the future.
Now that Fugaku had effectively inherited Madara's role, the threat surrounding Obito had decreased significantly.
Even so, Hayashi still did not want Obito and Kakashi placed on the same team.
If he were not already Kakashi's teacher, accepting Obito would not be an issue.
But because Kakashi was already under him, separating the two was safer.
The same applied to Rin Nohara.
Keeping all three apart was the best option.
Team arrangements were troublesome.
Outside of the traditional Ino-Shika-Chō formation, most combinations were difficult to balance properly.
Take Hinata as an example.
If she ended up on the same team as Naruto and Sasuke, things would probably become unbearable.
Naruto would yell, "Sasuke, you're pathetic!"
Then Hinata would quietly add, "Naruto-kun is right..."
At that point, Sasuke's already fragile mental state would collapse long before Itachi or Orochimaru even got involved.
He would probably flee the village early and become a rogue shinobi out of sheer emotional damage.