Ignoring Qiumu Fujita's discomfort, Neji spoke directly. "I have no intention of becoming enemies with the Okiki Family. There are two plots of land twenty li east of the city. I need one for growing medicinal herbs. The price is negotiable. I hope the Fujita family can make an exception for me."
Neji stated his purpose bluntly, leaving Qiumu Fujita momentarily stunned. It reminded him of his younger days, when he too had been straightforward and disdained so-called political schemes, believing that strength was everything.
But as he grew older and his strength gradually stagnated, he realized he could no longer suppress everything through strength alone. Little by little, he changed, learning to play at balance, compromise, and the political maneuvering supposedly expected of those in power.
Returning to the matter at hand, Fujita recalled those two plots of land. At one meeting, an elder had proposed expanding the cultivation of "drugs," with those two plots selected as the site.
However, Fujita had vetoed the proposal. He could sense that further expanding drug cultivation and worsening the harm done to the residents would cross the daimyo's bottom line.
After all, no one wanted their country filled with addicts. Not only would that hinder long-term development, it would also greatly affect the Land of Hot Water's core industry—tourism.
Although he had rejected the proposal, the incident had indirectly marked those two plots as belonging to the Okiki Family. Anyone who wanted to use them still needed the Okiki Family's approval. It was typical hegemonic thinking: even if I do not use it, no one else can either.
The black-clothed man before him was probably here because of that. Fujita did not particularly care about those two plots. What he cared about was whether he should compromise after someone had come knocking in the middle of the night and threatened him.
If he compromised, he would not lose anything and could even make some money.
If he refused, the Okiki Family would certainly make an enemy of this man in black—a shinobi Fujita estimated to possess strength close to Kage-level. This was no small matter. Even he, the strongest member of the family, might not be able to defeat the other man head-on. There was no need to invite trouble over a little pride.
Having thought it through, Fujita did not even want to take advantage of Neji. He laughed heartily. "So that's what this is about. It's only a plot of land. I'll arrange for someone to handle it tomorrow. Money doesn't matter. I, Qiumu Fujita, simply want to make a friend!"
Neji was rather surprised by how tactful Fujita was, but upon reflection, it made sense. The matter was not a major one to begin with, and there was no need to gain a Kage-level enemy for nothing.
Having decided that, Neji instead wanted to deepen his cooperation with the Okiki Family. He handed the Enhanced Body Reinforcement Fluid he carried to Qiumu Fujita.
Fujita accepted the medicine with some surprise and asked, "What is this, my friend?"
Neji explained, "This is a Body Reinforcement Fluid. I enhanced it using a special secret method. Its effects are roughly five times those of ordinary Reinforcement Fluid, and it has no side effects."
Neji's words gave Fujita quite a shock. As the head of a major medicinal herb-growing family, Fujita naturally knew about Body Reinforcement Fluid. Not only did he know about it, but he and every promising young member of the family had practically grown up soaking in it.
However, despite its intimidating name, the fluid's effects were quite limited. One had to soak in it for years to achieve noticeable results. On top of that, it was expensive, so only young people with exceptional potential and talent could have it purchased for them by their families. Ordinary households could not even dream of it.
Yet this young man claimed that his specially prepared Body Reinforcement Fluid was five times as effective as the ordinary kind. That was a qualitative leap. What originally required five years of soaking to increase physical strength by forty percent would now require only one year!
This was not simply a fivefold increase. If one year could achieve the effects of five years, then the four years saved could also be spent soaking in this Reinforcement Fluid. Over the same five-year period, the improvement from using Enhanced Body Reinforcement Fluid would be nearly eleven times that of ordinary Reinforcement Fluid—perhaps even more.
This was no trivial matter. It could even be said to be a matter concerning the rise and fall of the family.
Qiumu Fujita straightened his posture.
In a grave tone, he said to Neji, "Is what you say true, my friend? If it really has such effects—no, even if it is only twice as effective—the Okiki Family would be willing to pay any price for the formula." At that moment, Qiumu Fujita even considered kidnapping Neji and forcing the formula out of him. But on second thought, the fluid's effects had yet to be verified. Even if it truly was that effective, given his own strength and the shinobi currently stationed with the family, Fujita was not confident he could keep Neji here.
Seeing that the other man was interested, Neji did not think much of it and merely said calmly, "I won't waste words. I've already given you a sample, so you can verify it yourself. We have a basis for cooperation. As for how we will cooperate, I'll bring someone here the night after tomorrow to discuss it in detail with the Fujita family head."
Qiumu Fujita naturally had no reason to refuse and readily agreed.
Seeing that the other party had accepted, Neji did not linger any longer and turned to leave the study.
Qiumu Fujita remained alone in the study, lost in thought. He could not stop himself from occasionally stroking the medicine bottle in his hand, as though it were everything he possessed.
After quite some time, Qiumu Fujita finally came back to his senses somewhat. He immediately summoned several researchers and pharmacists from the family and headed for the laboratory, completely disregarding the fact that it was already late at night. At that moment, he desperately wanted to verify the exact effects of the Reinforcement Fluid.
Even if it had only half—or even one-third—of the claimed effects, it would be an opportunity for the Okiki Family to soar! It would also be an opportunity to fulfill his ambitions and dreams!
Neji returned to the base by the same route. His discussion with Qiumu Fujita had gone quite smoothly. Not only had he achieved his original goal, he had even gained a powerful partner for cultivating medicinal herbs.
With a professional family like the Okiki Family, which had grown medicinal herbs for generations, involved, he would save himself a great deal of trouble. Matters that neither he nor his subordinates were skilled at could be handed over to the Okiki Family, while he only needed to control the core technology—the Natural Energy Purification and Compression Technique—to keep the Okiki Family firmly in hand.
Once their cooperation was established, Neji would need to move the Natural Energy Purification Device into the Summoning Realm. This would not only multiply purification efficiency, but the Summoning Realm was also far more concealed and secure than the Shinobi World.
Establishing his own base and forces in the Summoning Realm also needed to be put on the agenda.
Having thought through all this, Neji soaked in the Ultra-High-Concentration Body Reinforcement Fluid bath he had prepared for himself, then got ready to rest. Its effects were nearly ten times better than ordinary medicine, but its potency was much fiercer. Only Neji, who possessed Sage Chakra, could endure it. This was not Neji holding back; it was simply that no one else could withstand it!
Feeling the Sage Chakra within him grow a little stronger once more, Neji was slightly satisfied and fell into a deep sleep!
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