Both men looked enlightened at last. Now they understood why Karatachi Yagura had kept such a low profile over the past few years.
Why power had slipped from his grasp, and why Hidden Mist had fallen into chaos.
They hesitated. Both had always been staunch supporters of their village, but seeing their usually forceful Mizukage show such humility...
(Most of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had been beaten into submission by Karatachi Yagura.)
They glanced apologetically at Shien before walking over to stand behind Karatachi Yagura.
Shien didn't mind at all. "If the two of you aren't doing well in Hidden Mist, you can always come join the Uchiha."
Karatachi Yagura was furious. Even now, with things like this, Shien was still trying to poach his people.
"Trying to steal my people right in front of me? You really don't think much of me, do you?"
Shien shrugged. "Come on. If I hadn't helped you, you'd be dead by now. Believe it or not?"
Though Karatachi Yagura was thoroughly embarrassed, he knew Shien was telling the truth.
Besides, they had a common enemy. He had no intention of making an enemy of Shien.
"You've come all this way. Surely you didn't come to Amegakure just to poach my people?"
Shien thought, You've got that right. I really did come to poach them.
But if he answered that way, the conversation would be over.
"I was planning to come after you. Since you've recovered, let's form an alliance."
"Our Uchiha have suffered heavy losses this time."
Karatachi Yagura looked surprised. "Didn't you drive off that Masked Man?"
Shien sighed. "To be honest, there was an internal revolt in my clan. Our former clan head, Fugaku Uchiha, and his son, Itachi Uchiha, both defected."
"They caused a great deal of bloodshed, and we Uchiha aren't having an easy time in Konoha, either."
Everyone from Hidden Mist was stunned. They'd heard of clan heads dying in battle, but never of one defecting.
Karatachi Yagura and the others knew what it was like. Their own village was torn apart by rival factions fighting one another.
They could understand Shien's situation to some extent.
"How do you want to form an alliance? Our relationship with Konoha isn't exactly good," Karatachi Yagura asked cautiously.
"Not good" barely covered Hidden Mist and Konoha's relationship. Back when Shisui was still around, Hidden Mist had often infiltrated the Land of Fire to carry out assassinations and other operations.
Even further back, during the Great Ninja War, the Uchiha had held off Hidden Mist's attacks almost single-handedly.
Both sides had suffered hundreds of casualties, and they'd practically fought themselves into a blood feud.
Now Shien was suddenly proposing an alliance. Karatachi Yagura had no idea what he was planning.
Shien gave Akabane a meaningful look. Akabane began backing away.
Karatachi Yagura saw this and, after a moment's thought, gestured as well.
Zabuza, Kisame, Mangetsu, and the others all followed his order and stepped back.
Only when the two of them were alone did Shien speak.
"Your bad relationship with Konoha has nothing to do with us Uchiha."
Having set the tone, he continued. "The Konoha High Command interfered in our clan's internal conflict."
"This has shown us what Konoha really is: a whirlpool. There's no point risking our lives for them. We might as well return to who we used to be."
"Who you used to be?" Karatachi Yagura's eyes turned thoughtful.
"Before Konoha was founded, we Uchiha were the most famous mercenary group in the Shinobi World."
"From now on, we'll follow orders in Konoha but won't take commands from them. We'll take private jobs for ourselves."
"Your Hidden Mist is in turmoil. If you're short on high-level fighters, you can hire us."
Karatachi Yagura nodded slightly. He understood what the Uchiha meant: they intended to become independent.
"We don't have any spare money to hire you," Karatachi Yagura said frankly.
Hidden Mist was in such a mess. Mei Terumi had recently put together the financial reports, and he'd only then learned how deep the village's deficit ran.
They couldn't even afford compensation for their wartime casualties, let alone cover the ordinary costs of keeping the village running.
In fact, there had been so many deaths in Hidden Mist that it would be the easiest place to squeeze money from.
So Shien had already come up with another plan.
His gaze swept over the people standing behind Karatachi Yagura: Kisame Hoshigaki, Zabuza Momochi, Ringo Ameyuri, and the brothers Mangetsu and Suigetsu.
They were all talented. Give them a couple of years of proper training...
"If you're short on money, I have another way we can make some together. Interested?"
"Oh? Let's hear it." Karatachi Yagura was intrigued.
Hidden Mist was desperate for money, more than most villages. And since the deficit was one they'd created themselves, he wasn't about to turn down any possible solution.
"Manipulate wars!"
Shien licked his lips. Those few words seemed to carry the stench of blood.
Karatachi Yagura's gaze grew solemn. He motioned for Shien to continue.
"You've heard of the Uchiha and Senju Clan, the two mercenary groups, haven't you?"
Karatachi Yagura's eyes lit up. He seemed to understand.
Back then, the Uchiha and Senju had been the two strongest clans in the world and the two biggest mercenary groups.
Whenever one faction hired the Uchiha, its opponent would hire the Senju.
That way, the two sides could keep each other in check instead of letting the fight turn into a one-sided slaughter.
Shien shook his head with open disdain. "They were far too honest back then. They should've just thrown the match."
"They could've split the money afterward. Nobody would have died. Wouldn't that have been great?"
At last, Karatachi Yagura understood what Shien meant. "You're planning to manipulate wars like that?"
Shien answered as if it were obvious.
"The Five Great Nations have been fighting for years. It wouldn't take much to provoke them into fighting again."
"At a time like that, they'd be glad to hire a decisive force that could help them win."
"Your Hidden Mist," he said, pointing to the people behind Karatachi Yagura, "already has special-operations units."
"Just give them a little training, then take on a few high-difficulty missions to make a name for yourselves. That should be enough to get started."
"We're forming our own special-operations unit in the Uchiha as well, to take private jobs."
"If we form an alliance in secret, it'll be easy for us to work together from then on, won't it?"
Karatachi Yagura's eyes gleamed as he listened, as if a fortune were already within reach.
Shien really did have a knack for coming up with schemes.
The Uchiha Clan was the foremost clan in the Shinobi World. Even after their losses, their Sharingan alone made them one of the clans most likely to produce powerful fighters.
By contrast, his Seven Ninja Swordsmen would need some time to recover.
In truth, Shien was simply copying the Akatsuki's method of making money.
But the Akatsuki manipulated wars in small countries.
Shien was far more ambitious. He wanted to manipulate the wars of the Five Great Nations!
"All right. I agree," Karatachi Yagura said after considering the matter.
At that moment, three figures darted through the woods, hurrying toward Karatachi Yagura.
Shien frowned. Could these be more of Karatachi Yagura's political enemies?
"It's fine. They're my people," Karatachi Yagura said, gesturing to them as he introduced them to Shien.