Nara Shikaku, taking advantage of his lunch break and without even eating, he picked up Nara Shikamaru from his house.
Although Nara Shikamaru was somewhat dazed and even helpless, he had to pull himself together, remembering his father's words and his actions.
"Nara Shikamaru, tell me, do you want to share the burdens of your father and grandfather? Do you want to contribute to Konoha? Do you want to be praised by the legendary Lord Hokage?" Nara Shikamaru was stunned by his father's three sentences at home!
He immediately felt that Nara Shikaku's words were a bit too much, and instinctively felt a little annoyed by the trouble.
Just as he was about to refuse, his father used a secret technique called Shadow Manipulation to force him to nod. The next moment, his father swiftly took him to the Hokage Building.
The whole thing took less than three minutes—it was ridiculously fast!
Meanwhile, Nara Rokumei was eating his lunchbox. It was only when he ate lunch prepared by his old friend at noon that he felt happy and free.
Seeing Nara Shikaku less than three minutes with a strange expression, Nara Shikaku simply picked up a lunchbox and started eating, as if nothing had happened.
Seeing Nara Rokumei's bewildered expression and the loss of his usual sparkle in his eyes, Nara Shikamaru felt a pang of heartache.
It's said that grandparents love their grandchildren more, and Nara Rokumei wasn't Nara Shikaku back then, but seeing how panicked Nara Shikamaru looked when he was brought over, I sighed.
He slowly put down his chopsticks and lunchbox, then walked up to Nara Shikamaru.
Then he slowly squatted down, touched Nara Shikamaru's little face with both hands, and smiled, "You've gotten chubby, Nara Shikamaru." He coaxed his grandson.
Nara Shikamaru felt warmth as his dearest grandfather began to comfort him. He bowed and asked, "Grandpa! Why did Father summon me?"
Despite his childlike age, his eyes shone with a sharp and composed light as he politely inquired of Nara Rokumei.
Nara Rokumei was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter. He pulled Nara Shikamaru to his side and then asked a ninja from the Hokage Office to fetch another boxed lunch.
The Anbu Ninja looked at him with respect. Upon receiving the order, he acted immediately and, in less than a minute, brought out an unopened, steaming hot boxed lunch.
Nara Rokumei smiled as he took the lunchbox from the Anbu, praised Anbu, and then handed it to his eldest grandson Nara Shikamaru.
The eldest grandson Nara Shikamaru, also quickly stood up, solemnly thanked his grandfather and the Anbu Ninja, and placed the lunchbox on the table.
Nara Rokumei opened Nara Shikamaru's lunchbox and placed it on the coffee table. He then moved his own lunchbox from his desk to the coffee table, preparing to have lunch with his grandson.
I'd like to mention why I asked him for help today and what my request was.
"Nara Shikamaru, Grandpa knows that among the younger generation in the family, you are the smartest and most quick-witted. Whether it's dealing with people or handling interpersonal relationships, you are impeccable," Nara Rokumei praised.
Nara Shikamaru smiled slightly, then started eating his lunchbox. Listening to his grandfather's words, he understood that as the head of the clan, his father had brought him to the Hokage Building this time.
The matter is definitely not simple; it's quite tricky and troublesome, otherwise they wouldn't have used that method to get me to agree.
His grandfather's words were like the calm before the storm, or perhaps a prelude to the trouble to come.
Seeing his grandson's demeanor, which was much better than Nara Shikaku then, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "He's really getting old! New talents emerge in every generation."
With Nara Shikaku and Nara Shikamaru, his two closest relatives, the Nara Clan wouldn't have to worry about its decline for at least three generations. Both of them were capable of shouldering the heavy responsibilities of the Nara Clan.
"Grandpa won't hide it from you anymore. The reason your father called you here today is about the matter of various countries paying homage," Nara Rokumei began to explain.
"I suppose my grandson also knows that Hokage Uchiha Kō led the successive Hokage and the predecessors of Konoha to conquer all directions, and renamed the four villages of Iwa, Kumo, Kirigakure, and Suna as the Four Divisions of Konoha."
"In other words, the current Ninja World is under the control of my Konoha, and the Five Great Nations Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water are all protected by people from Konoha." Nara Rokumei explained the current world situation.
Nara Shikamaru nodded, his eyes filled with pride. "The Lord Hokage is unparalleled, unifying the Ninja World. This extraordinary achievement is truly admirable!"
Nara Rokumei smiled and said, "Therefore, since Konoha is now responsible for all the mercenary missions of the Five Great Nations, various smaller nations have come to Konoha to pay homage and make peace, attempting to gain Konoha's support."
"As ninjas of Konoha, and staunch supporters of Hokage Uchiha Kō, shouldn't we share the burdens of the people, the village, and the nation?" Nara Rokumei's tone gradually intensified.
Having worked at the Hokage Building in Konoha for so long, his speech is becoming more and more like that of Uchiha Kō. He likes to use a progressive approach to make his words more impressive, more persuasive, and easier to sway—no, I mean, to convince—his subordinates!
Nara Shikamaru, despite being a very intelligent person, had never experienced anything like this before. These words stirred his blood, and his eyes burned with fervor. "Grandpa is right!"
"As a member of the Nara Clan, I should serve the people, serve the Lord Hokage, serve the prosperity and development of Konoha, and fight for the honor of the Land of Fire for the rest of my life!" Nara Rokumei said again.
This completely fooled Nara Shikamaru, making him almost forget what the world was like! He looked at his grandfather with adoration, feeling proud and agreeing with his ideals and aspirations!
Nara Shikaku part of the system, was no pushover like Nara Shikamaru. Hearing this, he sneered and continued eating, unaware that his actions had displeased the grandfather and grandson.
Grandpa Nara Rokumei frowned. What did that kid mean by that cold snort? Did he disagree with what I said?
Nara Shikamaru, the grandson, was pulled back to reality by his father's cold snort. He had almost risked his life for Konoha.
"Nara Shikaku, what do you mean? Do you think Father is wrong?" Nara Rokumei had been the vice Hokage for a long time and naturally possessed the aura of a superior. Upon hearing this, Nara Shikaku's expression changed.
"Ahem, no, Father, what are you saying! Of course, your son supports everything you do!" Nara Shikaku stopped eating and then made his stance clear.
Nara Rokumei snorted. He had almost managed to trick his grandson into speaking up. All he had to do was pat him on the shoulder and praise him, and the matter would be settled. But his son's cold snort had ruined his initiative.
Nara Shikamaru pondered for a moment, glanced at Nara Rokumei, then at Nara Shikaku, and finally sighed, "Grandpa, just tell me what's wrong. Nara Shikamaru will do whatever it takes to help."
He finally realized what had happened, and said with a helpless look, "My grandfather is indeed powerful. He stirred my emotions with just a few words. Although I feel a bit tricked, we're family after all. I can't just turn my back on him, can I?"
Nara Rokumei Nara Shikamaru his head and sighed, "Grandpa needs you to help your father and grandfather meet with leaders from various countries and to secure benefits for Konoha."
"You'll first learn from me and your father how to negotiate and extract the greatest benefit from Konoha. Today is mainly for observation and learning, but tomorrow you'll be doing it yourself. Are you confident?" Nara Rokumei stopped hiding his intentions when he saw that Nara Shikamaru had taken the initiative to ask questions.
Nara Shikamaru nodded and smiled, "Don't worry, Grandpa, I'm also a member of the Nara Clan, and the only heir of the clan head's line. I will do my best to accomplish this!"
Seeing Lu Ming confidently say those words, Nara Rokumei couldn't help but feel a mix of relief and heartache. He was relieved that Nara Shikamaru hadn't gone astray, that he was sensible, and that he knew how to share the burdens of the Nara Clan.
What's heartbreaking is that Nara Shikamaru is not even ten years old yet, and he has to start contacting top leaders and negotiation experts from various countries. The pressure he faces is unimaginable. Of course, there's no need to worry if Nara Rokumei doesn't handle things well.
Because his surname Nara Clan, he is backed by Nara Rokumei, Uchiha Kō Konoha. To put it bluntly, if a small country takes advantage of the situation and Hidden Konoha stops negotiating with him, it will not be Konoha's loss, but theirs.
If other smaller countries have good relations with Konoha, but Konoha hasn't signed a treaty with it, do you think those countries will have ulterior motives, or even try to carve up the country?
Yes, it will happen, it's inevitable in history. They will either submit or be attacked by other surrounding countries, eventually losing their territory and the hearts of their people.
This is something that those in power absolutely cannot accept. Therefore, the contract will not have a significant impact on Konoha. In fact, not signing the contract will not have a major impact on Konoha. On the contrary, it is those small countries that should be worried and anxious.
"As expected of a descendant of the Nara Clan. Don't worry, Grandpa and Lord Hokage Uchiha Kō will always support you. Moreover, with your intelligence, you should understand that the initiative is in our hands right now." Nara Rokumei's eyes lit up, and he stroked his chin with a smile.
Nara Shikamaru was taken aback, then realized what he meant. He nodded emphatically, "That's right, it's exactly like that. These small countries are now actively seeking cooperation from Konoha, begging to hire Konoha's ninjas."
Therefore, Konoha has the final say in all of this!
With this, Nara Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief, but he dared not be negligent, because although the initiative was in their hands, they also represented the Konoha.
If they don't handle this well, it won't have much impact on Konoha, but it will make other countries think that the people of Konoha are arrogant and rude, instantly ruining the image of a great power.
Even if they were respectful and courteous while in Konoha, who knows what kind of gossip they might have after returning home? Do you really think they'd send ninjas to destroy Konoha just because they spoke ill of the Konoha behind its back? That's impossible!