"Stop!"
Shinichi Hyuga called out to Hyuga Hiashi.
He was filled with contempt for the Third. It was the same old trick.
Was he trying to make him submit by bringing the Hyuga Clan members along?
Did he want to turn the clan members who couldn't take missions and had no source of income against him?
There was probably another move coming, too.
"Just wait. The Hyuga Clan hasn't reached the end of the road yet.
The real storm hasn't even arrived!"
Shinichi Hyuga chuckled. This scheme was far too crude.
He didn't quite understand why the Third had chosen to support Hyuga Hiashi. Hiashi was indecisive.
Whenever he faced a choice, all it took was someone offering him a suggestion for him to accept it.
Even a clueless fool could find loopholes in Konoha's system.
In the Third's eyes,
clans existed by relying on the village, and the village decided their fate. Without the village, there could be no clans.
He seemed to have forgotten that great clans had existed longer than villages and naturally had their own ways of surviving.
The clans in Konoha all had their own sources of income, especially the great clans.
Besides land and shops,
the Uchiha Clan worked with the Ninja Cat Clan to sell ninja weapons.
The Ino-Shika-Cho Clan sold medicinal herbs, meat, and grain.
The Hyuga Clan, too, had its own family business.
The Hyuga Clan's casinos had been short-staffed and hit hard because of the war, but now the war was over.
If Konoha didn't need the Hyuga Clan for missions, they could pick up their old, highly profitable business again.
Konoha needed the Hyuga Clan. The Hyuga Clan didn't need Konoha.
"But so many low-ranking Hyuga ninja need mission rewards to get by."
Hyuga Hiashi voiced the doubt in his heart. His trust in Shinichi made him stop.
Hizashi Hyuga also looked toward Shinichi.
He didn't believe that Shinichi, who had fought his way up from the bottom, would be ignorant of the financial struggles faced by low-ranking ninja.
"Look at this eye.
Every Hyuga Clan ninja is an excellent sensor. Nearly every squad wants a Hyuga ninja with a Byakugan.
Why? Why would you think we need to beg others for handouts?
Oh, right. Have every clan member who has teammates borrow money from them.
And let it get out that the Hyuga Clan can't take missions."
Shinichi pointed at his eye and posed the question.
At the same time, he was shutting some people up.
He hadn't forgotten Hatake Sakumo's death.
If he wasn't mistaken, a propaganda war was waiting for him, too.
He wanted to change how his clan members saw Konoha and their comrades. He hoped they wouldn't end up with as many nutcases and unfilial brats as the Uchiha Clan.
The Hyuga Clan had been bled dry for too long. Its sacrifices had come to be taken for granted.
His words left Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga momentarily stunned.
Because of his former position, Hyuga Hiashi had never taken part in squad-based missions, so he couldn't grasp the point right away.
Hizashi Hyuga understood at once. He had experienced the battlefield and had been in high demand among the various squads.
On the battlefield, the Byakugan was like having the power to see through things. It could detect the positions of most enemies.
That put them in a situation where they could see the enemy, but the enemy couldn't see them.
They usually had the upper hand in battle and fought on home ground.
And now they were being treated like this?
How would they carry out their missions without the Hyuga Clan?
From their expressions, Shinichi could more or less tell what they were thinking.
One of them had regained his confidence; the other was confused.
There was no need to guess. Hyuga Hiashi was still caught up in the lies the Third had spun for him, while Hizashi Hyuga had understood what he meant.
"Hiashi, reopen the Hyuga Clan's casinos.
You'll contact the nobles of the Land of Fire and other countries. This time, the split will be eight-two."
Shinichi singled out Hyuga Hiashi and had him handle the casino business.
Only by going through enough could someone understand the wickedness of people's hearts.
Hyuga Hiashi also needed to get out there and show his face.
Otherwise, the other clans might think he was some kind of dangerous figure and do something bad to him.
"Isn't that too harsh? If they only get two-tenths, they might be unhappy."
Hyuga Hiashi still hadn't resolved one question, and now he had another.
The old arrangement with the nobles had been an even split, and that had already angered some of them.
Even though the Byakugan was indispensable, many nobles had still cut the Hyuga Clan out and opened their own casinos.
"You're the one getting two!"
Shinichi replied, exasperated. Hyuga Hiashi still needed to learn how the Ninja World really worked.
He had been protected far too well.
Shinichi was convinced that you got what you gave.
Both sides should benefit. The Hyuga Clan had been too greedy before.
That was why they had lost so many business partners.
When they partnered with nobles to open casinos, the Hyuga Clan used the Byakugan to prevent cheating. It was essentially a technical investment.
What they needed was stability and security.
"Ah!"
Hyuga Hiashi cried out in surprise.
Where had that ratio come from?
Before you continue