A strong youth makes a strong nation; a wealthy youth makes a wealthy nation. Nara Shikamaru is currently receiving knowledge from his father and grandfather on how to negotiate and how to secure benefits for Konoha.
Nara Rokumei and Nara Shikaku even presented him with a pre-signed agreement. Nara Shikamaru, however, quickly grasped the concept and was able to apply it to other situations, which impressed Nara Shikaku and Nara Rokumei.
In the afternoon, Nara Shikaku spoke up, "Father, I think we should let Lu Ming negotiate once, and I'll oversee it from the sidelines." Nara Shikaku's eyes lit up.
Nara Shikamaru didn't speak, but looked at his grandfather with some joy. After all, among the three people present, Nara Rokumei was the one with the highest official rank and the most power!
He was also the main person in charge of this operation. Even if Nara Shikamaru wanted to take the initiative, he would have to ask Nara Rokumei's opinion. Nara Rokumei pondered for a moment, carefully examining his eldest grandson.
Suddenly, he smiled and said, "In that case, Nara Shikaku, I'll leave this matter to you. Remember to let me know the results after the negotiations!" And just like that, Nara Rokumei made the decision.
Nara Shikaku's lips curled up, while Nara Shikamaru's eyes shone brightly. At this moment, he felt excited and challenged, and he knew he had to perform well to live up to his grandfather's expectations!
At that moment, Captain Hizashi Hyuga of the Military Police Force walked in. He opened the door and looked into the Hokage Office. Nara Rokumei was sitting on the sofa, Nara Shikaku on the desk, and Nara Shikamaru was standing on the floor. The three of them looked at Hizashi Hyuga at the same time.
Hizashi Hyuga was momentarily distracted. Nara Rokumei and Nara Shikaku fine, but Nara Shikamaru, who looked to be only seven or eight years old, seemed a bit out of place in the Hokage Office.
However, Hizashi Hyuga quickly realized what was happening. He walked towards Nara Rokumei and bowed, saying, "Lord Lu Ming, the Daimyo and their advisors from various countries are already waiting in the two small conference rooms outside!"
Nara Rokumei looked at Hizashi Hyuga with admiration. He thought back to when this kid started working hard from a young age. Because of the branch family, he tried his best to join the Konoha Military Police Force to prove his worth.
He was probably about the same age as Nara Shikamaru back then, or even Nara Shikamaru. Among a group of adult ninjas, he was very weak, but he didn't give up. Whenever he had the chance, he would fight on the front line to protect the peace of Konoha.
Deeply trusted and relied upon by Uchiha Kō, he became one of the squad leaders of the Military Police Force in less than a year, commanding about ten people under his command, many of whom were members of the Uchiha Clan.
The Uchiha Clan has always been arrogant, but the Uchiha under Hizashi Hyuga not only did not disobey orders, but also admired Hizashi Hyuga to the extreme.
There's no other reason than that Hizashi Hyuga arrives at work two hours early and works overtime until 8 PM. If a new person joins, he will proactively switch shifts and personally accompany them to ensure that nothing goes wrong.
He only began to rest after the new recruits had matured, something few Uchiha Clan ninjas could do. At that time, the Hizashi Squad of the Military Police Force was consistently rated as the best Police Force superintendent.
In the eyes of the people, Hizashi Hyuga was also a responsible policeman who did his job well and dealt with criminals with heavy blows.
His pair of Gentle Fist have killed countless criminals and spies!
In retrospect, Hizashi was indeed a rare young hero.
Nara Rokumei smiled and said, "Alright, we'll set off right away. By the way, could I trouble you with something, Hizashi?" Nara Rokumei asked with a smile.
Hizashi Hyuga quickly bowed and said, "Lord Hokage, what are you saying! You have devoted half your life to the administration of Konoha, and you are one of the people I admire most. Let alone one thing, even if there were a hundred things, I, Hizashi Hyuga Hizashi, would not even blink an eye!"
Nara Rokumei nodded. "The negotiators will be me and Nara Shikamaru." He then looked at his grandson, Hizashi Hyuga, who was dumbfounded. Shouldn't it be Nara Shikaku?
However, he didn't speak, only reacted in his mind, which made Nara Rokumei nod. His composure in the face of honor and disgrace already surpassed that of 80% of the ninjas and villagers of Konoha.
"I'd like to ask you to protect them, father and son, later," Nara Rokumei said with a smile.
Hizashi Hyuga nodded. "I understand, Lord Hokage- sama. Rest assured, I will definitely protect Nara Shikamaru and Lu Ming!"
This comrade is well-chosen; it shows that he doesn't view Nara Shikamaru with prejudice, at least not on the surface, which is something that makes Nara Rokumei happy.
He patted Hizashi Hyuga on the shoulder. "It's almost time for the police officers in the Military Police Force to be promoted. Actually, I have no objection to you becoming the captain, and I'm even planning to recommend you to the Lord Hokage!"
Upon hearing this, Hizashi Hyuga's expression shifted, and he couldn't help but smile upwards. He took a deep breath. "Hizashi will certainly live up to the expectations of the Lord Hokage and Lord Lu Ming!"
Nara Rokumei said with a smile, "Alright, let's get to work!"
"Yes, you two, please follow me!" Hizashi Hyuga said with a smile, taking a step forward.
Nara Shikamaru couldn't help but marvel at how powerful his grandfather's methods were. With just a few words and an empty promise, he could leave Hizashi Hyuga bewildered and overjoyed.
However, what he didn't know was his grandfather's position in Uchiha Kō's heart. If he had known, he certainly wouldn't have thought that way, because Hokage Uchiha Kō basically didn't go to work, leaving all the political affairs to Nara Rokumei.
Some might ask if Uchiha Kō would be sidelined? Let me put it this way: Uchiha Kō is the strongest in the world, and all the Kage Level shinobi only obey Uchiha Kō's orders.
Without his approval, Lu Ming couldn't mobilize him. This was equivalent to having control of high-end combat power. In the hearts of the ninjas and villagers, Uchiha Kō was the guardian deity of Konoha. At his command, even the most powerless civilians would pick up wooden sticks and fight him!
As for government affairs, it's not that Uchiha Kō couldn't handle them, it's just that he found them troublesome. Moreover, Lu Ming handled things in an orderly manner, and his promotions and demotions were all based on reason and evidence, which convinced the officials. This is the fundamental reason for Lu Ming's great power.
However, Nara Rokumei knew that he served the Hokage Uchiha Kō. Although he had great power, he could not abuse his authority. The main reason was that there were three candidates on the promotion list this time, one of whom was Hizashi Hyuga.
Hizashi Hyuga and the Lord Hokage were very close, so he did Hizashi a favor without expecting the Hokage Uchiha Kō, to say nothing or express his opinion.
This is the art of leadership! For example, if your leader says to you, "This is something I fought tooth and nail for you!" you're actually entitled to it, and he subtly makes you owe him a favor!
Such incidents are all too common!
Then, Nara Rokumei, with a smile on his face, went to another meeting room under the protection of another Anbu Ninja.
The Daimyo of the Shadow Country sat down at the negotiating table with his back to the door. Smiling, he said to his subordinates, "If we succeed in negotiating with Konoha, we can at least guarantee a century of peace for our Shadow Country!"
The subordinate flattered, "Daimyo is wise!" He thought so too; Uchiha Kō's domineering, powerful, and subversive strength and strategy had already proven themselves to the world.
Konoha is the strongest, the true sect of the Ninja World. Those who submit to me prosper, those who oppose me perish.
Given the prevailing trend, it became inevitable that various countries would come to pay tribute.
But his expression quickly changed, because sitting in front of him was a mere child! Nara Shikamaru! And Nara Shikaku opposite his subordinate, with Hizashi Hyuga guarding behind them!
"Nara Shikaku, I think there might be a mistake?" The Daimyo of the Shadow Country suppressed his anger and looked at Nara Shikaku beside him. He had already found out about Lu Ming and his son before coming to Konoha.
He had thought that even if it wasn't Nara Rokumei, the vice Hokage of Konoha, who received him, at least his son would be there to greet him. But he never expected that a little child would be sitting in front of him!
If it weren't for their fear of Konoha's strength, the Daimyo of the Shadow Country might have already flipped the table!
Nara Shikaku calmly replied, "That's right, this is the Konoha representative who discussed the contract with you tonight! Could it be that the Daimyo doesn't trust Konoha?"
The Daimyo of the Shadow Country gritted his teeth, barely able to control his emotions. At that moment, Hizashi Hyuga unleashed an Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm strike, sending the conference room door flying with a single punch, instantly drawing everyone's attention!
They all looked towards the scene inside the door, some even gloating. The Daimyo of the Shadow Country had offended Konoha; their country was likely doomed!
The Daimyo of the Shadow Country paled, but forced by the power of the enemy, he finally fell silent. Hizashi Hyuga also withdrew his hand and stood behind Nara Shikamaru.
At this moment, Daimyo's subordinate tugged at his sleeve. "Daimyo, hold back! A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan, and this might not be a bad thing at all!"
The Daimyo of the Shadow Country was moved. He looked at his subordinates and asked, "What do you mean?"
His subordinate whispered the pros and cons into the Daimyo's ear, and the next moment, the Daimyo's humiliated expression vanished, replaced by joy. He took the initiative and said, "Your village truly has young heroes! In that case, shall we begin negotiations?"
His subordinate just told him that since the negotiating partner is just a greenhorn, they can take advantage of the situation to seize more benefits. What does a little kid know? With a little guidance and a bit of pressure...
The Daimyo of the Shadow Country suddenly realized his mistake and looked at Nara Shikamaru. With Nara Shikamaru's intelligence, even a fool could tell why the Daimyo of the Shadow Country had been so arrogant at first and so obsequious later.
Fine, then I'll play along. You want to take advantage of my youth to make me back down? Well then, I'll deliberately show weakness and play the victim, and then use Konoha's influence to squeeze you for a hefty sum!
As the two sides began negotiations, Nara Shikamaru showed no fear, even speaking with confidence and well-placed threats, putting the Daimyo of the Shadow Country under immense pressure, forcing him to make concessions continuously, while his subordinates kept wiping away sweat!
Those outside could clearly hear the conversation inside, and their eyes were filled with solemnity and awe as they looked at Nara Shikamaru. Indeed, Konoha produces heroes among its youth!
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