"Clan Head, did the Daimyo agree?" Kaito Uchiha asked, sounding a little uneasy.
Early that morning, Masaki Uchiha had gone into the palace and told the clan members who had come to the capital about his plan to use the Uchiha's offer of allegiance as a pretext to ask the Daimyo for money.
At the time, everyone had worried that the Daimyo wouldn't agree.
After all, the Land of Fire already had Konoha. Accepting the Uchiha's allegiance as well would be hard to justify.
"Don't worry. When have I ever failed to get something done?"
"We'll talk about the details once we're back at our residence. There are too many people around here."
Masaki Uchiha glanced around. To be safe, it would be better to discuss things behind closed doors.
Hearing that he'd succeeded, everyone who had come with him beamed with delight and nodded eagerly.
The Capital of the Land of Fire
The Uchiha's temporary residence
Once everyone had taken their seats, Masaki Uchiha got straight to the point.
"The Daimyo agreed to allocate 3 billion ryo to the Uchiha Clan. It'll arrive within a week."
The others exchanged glances, excitement and joy reflected in every face.
After a brief silence, a sudden cheer erupted.
"And there's also a steady source of income. I'll have to go discuss the details with the Grand Minister later."
Another burst of wild cheering followed.
"Clan Head, you're a genius among geniuses! I can't believe you managed to squeeze so much money out of the Daimyo."
Kaito Uchiha sighed in amazement.
At the same time, he couldn't help wondering just how rich the Daimyo was to hand over 3 billion ryo so readily.
Then he asked, "Clan Head, did the Daimyo make any demands?"
"Not bad, Kaito. You've grown quite a bit," Masaki Uchiha said with satisfaction.
"I've learned a lot from following you, Clan Head."
Kaito Uchiha scratched his head bashfully.
Seeing his embarrassment, Masaki Uchiha stopped teasing him.
"The Daimyo hasn't asked the Uchiha to do anything for now, but there'll definitely be assignments later."
"We just need to be ready."
"When the soldiers come, we'll meet them; when the water comes, we'll hold it back with earth."
"Remember, the Uchiha will never be slaves!"
Those final words were like an anchor, instantly giving everyone a boost.
With the Clan Head here, who cared what the Daimyo wanted? That was what they all thought.
Shisui, who had accompanied Masaki Uchiha to the Capital of the Land of Fire, asked in confusion, "Clan Head, I still can't figure out why the Daimyo was so quick to give us 3 billion ryo."
"After all, the Land of Fire only allocates 5 billion ryo to the Hidden Leaf Village each year. It might be a little more during wartime."
Hearing Uchiha Shisui say this, Masaki Uchiha burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Forget the Uchiha Clan. I alone am worth far more than 3 billion ryo."
Only then did everyone understand.
They hadn't realized it at first.
The Clan Head made all the difference. With him, the Uchiha had become something else entirely.
The Clan Head was a mighty ninja who had earned three titles in the Ninja World: "Scourge Ninja," "Tailed Beast Without a Tail," and "Undying Body."
He had even been a strong contender for the position of Fourth Hokage.
A powerful figure like him would be welcomed wherever he went.
All the more so when he was bringing an entire Uchiha Clan along with him as an "offering of allegiance."
If the Daimyo had any ambitions, he'd surely be willing to spend a fortune to win over a man of such influence.
And Masaki Uchiha was an even more formidable figure than that.
Uchiha Shisui lowered his head in embarrassment. "It was my own habitual way of thinking. I didn't realize I'd overlooked the fact that the Clan Head is such a powerful figure."
"It's all right. Once the money arrives, we'll proceed according to plan. The day the Uchiha rise again will be just around the corner." Masaki Uchiha swept his hand through the air with commanding confidence.
Everyone seated there was a trusted confidant of Masaki Uchiha's. He had already told them part of his plan.
"Kaito, come with me this afternoon to visit the Grand Minister of the Land of Fire. Everyone else, rest here."
Seeing that the Clan Head was taking him along to meet the Grand Minister, Kaito Uchiha quickly agreed.
It was a great chance to learn firsthand.
"That's settled, then. We'll discuss everything else after I return this afternoon. Everyone, go get some rest."
The others got up and went to rest.
The ancient divine beasts set with precious jewels gleamed on the black lacquered gates, studded with copper nails. Jade chains wound over the three-tiered gate towers, and steps as pale as white jade stretched upward. And that was without even mentioning the glazed roof tiles wrapped in gold leaf.
"Clan Head, are all the nobles' residences this magnificent and splendid?"
Uchiha Shisui was stunned by the noble's estate.
"How much would a residence like this cost?"
Hearing Uchiha Shisui mutter to himself, Masaki Uchiha laughed. "Only the great nobles can afford to live in a mansion this luxurious. Of course, even the smaller nobles live better than we do."
Looks like I'll have to take Shisui out to see more of the world in the future.
This poor kid was forced onto the battlefield as soon as he graduated from the Ninja Academy.
He hadn't even had the chance to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. All he knew was training and missions.
Without me, he'd still end up falling victim to Shimura Danzō.
Fortunately, I'm here.
"Come on. Let's find someone to announce us." Masaki Uchiha waved a hand in front of Shisui's face, bringing him back to his senses.
Uchiha Shisui came to, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"Yes."
Then he walked over to the attendant.
"Please inform the Grand Minister that Masaki Uchiha, Clan Head of the Uchiha Clan, has come to pay him a visit."
The attendant, who had been watching from the side, was used to members of ninja clans coming to call.
But a noble's estate wasn't a place just anyone could enter.
He was just about to make things difficult for them when Uchiha Shisui produced a signet ring and whispered in his ear, "This is the Daimyo's token. The Grand Minister will understand when he sees it."
As soon as he heard it was the Daimyo's token, the attendant bowed and spoke politely. "Please wait a moment, honored guests. I'll inform my master right away."
Sure enough, invoking the Daimyo's name worked wonders. When Uchiha Shisui noticed the attendant's expression change, he'd immediately changed his tone, avoiding an awkward scene.
They were there representing the Uchiha Clan, not just themselves. If they were slighted, it would be hard to answer to the clan.
The Grand Minister was enjoying a song and dance performance when an attendant came in to report that someone had arrived to see him. He immediately waved for the attendant to come closer.
Hearing that the Uchiha Clan Head had come to visit, he was puzzled, but since they had the Daimyo's token, he decided to meet him.
"Show him to my study. I'll be there shortly."
"Yes, I'll take him there right away."
The attendant immediately went to carry out the order.
Before long, he had led Masaki Uchiha to the study.
"Please sit for a moment. My master will be here soon." Then he shut the door and left.
Uchiha Shisui, meanwhile, stood guard outside.
Only a few minutes after Masaki Uchiha sat down, the door opened, and a man of about fifty appeared before him.
"Welcome, Uchiha Clan Head. Forgive me for not greeting you sooner."