Layoffs Hit the Main Artery

"Stop!"

Shinichi Hyuga barked, halting Hyuga Hiashi.

He felt nothing but contempt for the Third Hokage in his heart; it was the same old routine.

Was he trying to coerce the Hyuga Clan into submission by leveraging the clansmen?

He wanted the members of the Hyuga Clan, who were now unable to accept missions and lacked a source of funding, to turn against him.

I fear there is more to come.

"Wait quietly. The Hyuga Clan has not yet reached the end of its rope.

The real storm has yet to arrive!"

Shinichi Hyuga chuckled; such a scheme was far too clumsy.

He didn't quite understand why the Third Hokage chose to support Hyuga Hiashi, for Hyuga Hiashi was a man of hesitation.

Whenever faced with a choice, he would accept whatever suggestion was offered to him.

In a system like Konoha, even a fool could find loopholes.

In the eyes of the Third Hokage:

The clan exists in dependence on the village, and the village determines the fate of the clan; without the village, there is no clan.

He seems to have forgotten that noble clans have existed longer than the village itself and naturally have their own ways of survival.

The clans of Konoha all have their own economic sources, especially the noble ones.

Beyond land and shops:

The Uchiha Clan cooperates with the Ninja Cat Clan to sell ninja weaponry.

The Ino-Shika-Cho Clan deals in medicinal herbs, meat, and grain.

And the Hyuga Clan, likewise, has its own family industries.

Previously, due to the war, the Hyuga Clan's casinos suffered from a lack of personnel and took a hit, but now the war has ended.

Since Konoha does not need the Hyuga Clan for missions, they can pick up their former highly profitable industries once again.

It is Konoha that needs the Hyuga Clan, not the Hyuga Clan that needs Konoha.

"But a large number of low-ranking Hyuga Clan ninjas rely on mission bounties to survive."

Hyuga Hiashi voiced his inner doubt, his trust in Shinichi Hyuga causing him to stop in his tracks.

Hizashi Hyuga also looked toward Shinichi Hyuga.

He did not believe that Shinichi Hyuga, who had fought his way up from the bottom, would be ignorant of the economic sources of low-ranking ninjas.

"Look at these eyes.

Every Hyuga Clan ninja is an excellent sensory ninja; almost every squad craves a Hyuga ninja equipped with the Byakugan.

Why? Do you think we need to beg for the charity of others?

Right, tell every clansman who has squadmates to borrow money from them.

And leak the news that the Hyuga Clan cannot accept missions."

Shinichi Hyuga pointed to his own eyes and posed the question.

At the same time, he would shut some people's mouths.

He had not forgotten the death of Hatake Sakumo.

If he guessed correctly, there was still a war of public opinion waiting for him.

He wanted to change the clansmen's perception of Konoha and their understanding of their comrades, hoping they wouldn't end up like the Uchiha Clan, filled with so many lunatics and unfilial sons.

The Hyuga Clan had been bled dry for too long, and their sacrifices had come to be taken for granted.

His words left Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga stunned.

Because of his former status, Hyuga Hiashi had not participated in the squad combat model and couldn't grasp it for a moment.

Hizashi Hyuga, however, understood immediately; he had experienced the battlefield and was also a hot commodity for various squads.

On the battlefield, the role of the Byakugan was like having x-ray vision, capable of detecting the positions of most enemies.

This kept battles in a state where the enemy was exposed and they were hidden.

They often held the upper hand, fighting battles with the wind at their backs.

Yet, they were being treated like this now?

If there were no Hyuga Clan, how would they execute their missions?

Shinichi Hyuga looked at their expressions and roughly understood their inner thoughts.

One man's face had regained confidence, while the other was lost in confusion.

There was no need to guess; Hyuga Hiashi was still trapped in the lies woven by the Third Hokage, while Hizashi Hyuga had grasped his intent.

"Hiashi, restart the Hyuga Clan's casinos."

"Go and contact the nobles of the Land of Fire and other nations. This time, the profit split will be eighty-twenty."

Shinichi Hyuga did not name Hyuga Hiashi, but rather tasked him with handling the casino affairs.

Only by experiencing enough can one truly understand the sinister nature of the human heart.

Hyuga Hiashi also needed to go out and show his face.

Otherwise, other clans might mistake him for some dangerous individual and attempt to do something untoward to Hyuga Hiashi.

"Wouldn't that be too ruthless? If they only get twenty percent, they might be dissatisfied."

Before one doubt in Hyuga Hiashi's mind was resolved, a new one emerged.

The original cooperation with the nobles was a fifty-fifty split, which had already caused some dissatisfaction.

Even though the Byakugan was indispensable, many nobles had already bypassed the Hyuga clan to open their own casinos.

"You are the one who is a two!"

Shinichi Hyuga said irritably this time; Hyuga Hiashi still needed to understand the true Ninja World.

In the past, he had been protected too well.

Shinichi Hyuga firmly believed that one reaps what one sows.

Everyone should benefit mutually; the previous Hyuga clan had been somewhat greedy.

That was why they had lost so many partners.

By cooperating with the nobles to run casinos, they were essentially using the power of the Byakugan to prevent cheating, which counted as a stake based on technical expertise.

What was needed was stability and security.

"Ah!"

Hyuga Hiashi exclaimed in surprise.

Where did this ratio even come from?