Cooperation

Nara Rokumei's eyes lit up; he had not expected the Uchiha clan to come and pledge their support at such a juncture, especially considering that no other clan had stepped forward yet.

He had been banking on this opportunity to provide help in a time of need, which was why he had brought the heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho families along to pay this visit, but he never imagined that the Uchiha, one of the two great noble ninja clans, would make such a choice.

This made him unable to help but glance at Uchiha Hirotomo, though as far as he knew, while Hirotomo was intelligent, he shouldn't have been able to foresee the intricate layers of this situation.

He then looked toward Uchiha Kō, who set down his teacup, nodded with a smile, and stood up to face Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Hokage-sama, our clan head said before we came that, regardless of what happens, we will follow your lead from this day forward."

Uchiha Hirotomo nodded in agreement, and Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled with satisfaction before saying, "What are you saying? That is too heavy a sentiment. I am truly honored to have the trust of the Uchiha clan. In the future, I ask for your guidance as well, Clan Head Hirotomo."

"It is we who require the Hokage-sama's guidance!" Uchiha Hirotomo replied with a faint smile.

Nara Rokumei paused, then expressed similar sentiments, filling Sarutobi Hiruzen with joy. They drank tea for over two hours, the host and guests thoroughly enjoying themselves before finally taking their leave.

Just as Uchiha Kō and Uchiha Hirotomo stepped out of the Sarutobi Compound, Nara Rokumei called out, "Wait a moment, you two!"

Uchiha Kō and Uchiha Hirotomo were startled, then turned around to see it was Nara Rokumei. The two exchanged a glance, and Uchiha Hirotomo asked, "Clan Head Rokumei, is there something you need?"

Nara Rokumei gave Uchiha Kō a deep look before smiling at Uchiha Hirotomo. "Clan Head Hirotomo, you are truly a man of deep foresight."

Uchiha Hirotomo was taken aback, not understanding what Nara Rokumei was referring to. Just as he was thinking of how to respond, Uchiha Kō spoke up.

"Clan Head Nara is not far behind; after all, in the business of investment, it is better to be early than late." Uchiha Kō's tone carried a faint chill. Everyone was here to invest, and for him to be so blunt about it was a bit impolite.

To put it nicely, it was called an investment; to put it bluntly, it was placing a bet. They were all now advisors to Sarutobi Hiruzen, and none were necessarily better than the others.

Nara Rokumei realized with a start that it was indeed this man; he was the one driving this operation. He had observed during the tea session that Uchiha Hirotomo had looked toward Uchiha Kō more than once.

He had only used this tactic to confirm his suspicion, though of course, someone less clever wouldn't have understood the implication of his question.

"My apologies, Kō-kun, Clan Head Hirotomo. As compensation, I will personally ensure that the medicinal herb trade between the Uchiha and Nara clans receives a thirty percent discount." Nara Rokumei was a smart man; even if he hadn't offered compensation, it wouldn't have mattered much.

However, considering Uchiha Kō's intellect, the Uchiha clan's foundation, and the fact that they were all advisors to the Sarutobi faction, he decided to offer the discount based on these factors.

Uchiha Hirotomo was about to agree, but Uchiha Kō interjected, "As fellow clans from the Warring States Period, the ninja tool trade between the Uchiha and the Ino-Shika-Cho families can also be discounted by thirty percent."

Nara Rokumei was stunned, as were the three members of the Ino-Shika-Cho. Had they heard correctly? Thirty percent off ninja tools? Those were hard currency!

Uchiha Hirotomo was surprised, but he did not want to undermine Uchiha Kō in front of others, so he nodded.

Nara Rokumei looked deeply at Uchiha Kō and smiled, "Many thanks for the Uchiha clan's generosity."

"Mutual benefit," Uchiha Hirotomo said with a smile. Just then, Torifu Akimichi spoke up, "From now on, the Akimichi clan's barbecue restaurant will also offer a thirty percent discount to the Uchiha, and we can provide job positions for Uchiha civilians."

Uchiha Hirotomo was shocked again. The Akimichi barbecue business was no smaller than their ninja tool trade; not only were they offering a discount, but they were also providing jobs for civilians!

While he was still processing this, Yamanaka Unkai also smiled, "The Yamanaka clan is willing to share our intelligence with the Uchiha clan from now on."

Uchiha Hirotomo could barely suppress the corners of his mouth; who knew that such a small concession could yield so many returns? He felt quite excited.

The other clan heads smiled faintly at this and observed Uchiha Kō, only to see him looking calm. Was he not happy? No, he was happy, but keeping one's emotions hidden was the mark of a true negotiator.

"The Ino-Shika-Cho have been great clans since the Warring States Period and have long been famous. Now that we are all Konoha clans, I ask for your guidance and for you to look after the Uchiha clan in the future," Uchiha Kō said with a slight smile.

Nara Rokumei laughed, "Speaking of great clans, the Uchiha are the true giants of the Warring States. The Ino-Shika-Cho are full of admiration for the contributions the Uchiha have made to protect Konoha. Please, let us guide each other."

After the two exchanged some pleasantries, they began to walk toward their respective clan estates.

Uchiha Hirotomo asked, "Kō-kun, did you guess they would reciprocate, which is why you offered the thirty percent discount on ninja tools?"

Uchiha Kō paused, then spoke slowly, "Clan Head, they were testing us from the very beginning. If we had simply accepted the thirty percent discount on herbs, we would have gained profit without loss."

"But we would have lost the cooperative relationship with their three families. In their eyes, we would have been seen as short-sighted, and they naturally wouldn't have sought further cooperation."

"Only thinking of taking without giving is what the vast majority of people—those who are greedy for small gains—do. We are the Uchiha, a noble ninja clan. If our leaders are short-sighted, we will only be weakened, and weakened again."

Uchiha Hirotomo was stunned, his face flushing slightly, because when Nara Rokumei first tested them, he had been tempted. Compared to Kō, his intelligence and emotional quotient were simply crushed.

"And does the Clan Head think we gained a huge advantage today?" Uchiha Kō asked again.

Uchiha Hirotomo nodded. Although they had also given up thirty percent of their ninja tool profits, they had gained much more.

Uchiha Kō shook his head. "The greatest gain today is not money, intelligence, or job positions, but the friendship of these three families. From now on, this will become the bond between the Uchiha and the Ino-Shika-Cho. We have gained allies."

On the other side, Torifu Akimichi chuckled, "Rokumei, you kid are generous. Thirty percent off herbs? Won't the tigress at home eat you alive?"

Nara Rokumei waved his hand. "Don't talk about me; look at you. Thirty percent off barbecue plus job positions? Don't think I don't know what you're thinking."

"Compared to you two brothers, my intelligence seems less important," Yamanaka Unkai sighed. Nara Rokumei heard this and patted him on the shoulder.

"Unkai, you are wrong. Among the cooperation offered by our three families, yours is the most important. Anything that can be solved with money is a small matter; what cannot be solved with money is the real issue." A bright light shone in Nara Rokumei's eyes.

Torifu Akimichi nodded as well. "That's right, Unkai. Money is secondary; your intelligence is far more precious!"

Yamanaka Unkai chuckled, then threw his arms around the necks of Rokumei and Torifu, and the three walked toward their homes laughing.

Uchiha Kō, a very interesting fellow. I suspect the future of the Uchiha will depend on him, Nara Rokumei thought to himself.