Trade

"Hane, what exactly was this change like?" Fugaku asked in a deep voice.

"Father, it was like my vision became incredibly, incredibly clear. If I concentrated now, I could see tiny bugs on your face, the kind ordinary people couldn't see. And I could slow down the speed of certain things."

Put simply, the latter was like bullet time from The Matrix in his previous life.

Fugaku's expression gradually turned grave. "Hane, have you awakened the Sharingan?!"

"No!" Hane blinked his large eyes from within his mother's embrace, signaling Fugaku to look at them. He had not awakened the Sharingan.

"Could Hane's bloodline be so advanced that he possessed the abilities of an awakened Sharingan even without one?" Fugaku stroked his chin and pondered.

Then excitement surged within him. Both of his sons were exceptionally gifted geniuses. It seemed the prosperity of the Uchiha rested on his shoulders.

At that thought, a sharp gleam flashed through Fugaku's eyes as he looked at Hane in Mikoto's arms. "Hane! You must never tell outsiders about this."

Hane nodded. "Don't worry, Father. I understand."

Seeing that her son was unharmed, Mikoto felt much more at ease.

"Hane, if there's nothing else, go upstairs and sleep. You need to get up early tomorrow," Mikoto said gently.

"Um, Father, I have something else I want to discuss with you!" Hane hurriedly said.

"What is it?" A trace of surprise crossed Fugaku's face. After all, his eldest son rarely made requests of him.

"Um, could you give me a hundred pounds of Chakra Metal?" Hane asked cautiously.

Fugaku's expression turned serious. "Can you tell Father why?"

Rather than scolding Hane for being thoughtless without knowing the reason, Fugaku asked for an explanation. That was one of the reasons Hane acknowledged him as a father.

No matter how wrong Hane was, Fugaku would never punish him without first teaching him.

"I want to forge a Chakra Metal longsword that belongs solely to me," Hane said sheepishly.

"Hane, you need to understand that a hundred pounds is no small amount. Even for a major Konoha clan like the Uchiha, it would be quite a burden," Fugaku patiently explained.

Hane's eyes shifted, and he instantly came up with an explanation. "Father, my Kekkei Genkai has another ability. I can control Chakra Metal weapons—not just simple control, but as easily as moving my own limbs. Any Chakra Metal weapon forged by my flames can connect with my mind."

"What?!" Fugaku was genuinely shocked this time, unable to maintain his calm expression any longer. "Hane! Are you sure this is true?"

"Father, if you don't believe me, you'll know once I forge one and show you."

Fugaku stared blankly at Hane. He said nothing more, simply rose to his feet and walked out of the house. Clearly, he had decided to support his eldest son and was going to discuss it with the clan elders.

After all, Hane was not asking for ten or a hundred grams, but a hundred pounds. In the ninja world, this was something sold by the gram. For Fugaku to produce a hundred pounds at once, he could only draw from the clan treasury.

To be honest, that silent trust sometimes made Hane's nose sting. A father's love was silent; sometimes, one could not expect it to be as meticulous and attentive as a mother's care.

"Feeling happy now, little guy? Your father has to run around for your sake again. You must respect him more in the future. Don't be so disrespectful anymore. He just came back exhausted." As she spoke, Mikoto gently scraped Hane's nose, her eyes following Fugaku's departing figure with concern.

"I understand, Mother!" Hane nodded seriously.

That night, within the Uchiha clan grounds, a luxurious residence was brightly lit.

Several Uchiha clansmen sat kneeling on cushioned couches in the enormous reception hall.

"Clan Head, may I ask what brings you to my residence so late at night?" An elderly man with graying hair yet a vigorous bearing asked with a smile.

"Elder Ryuji, forgive me for disturbing you so late. You oversee the clan's resources, and I would like to requisition seventy pounds of Chakra Metal from you. I will pay the market price," Fugaku said without changing expression.

Ryuji, seated at the head, darkened slightly. "Clan Head, surely you are joking? Seventy pounds of Chakra Metal is no small amount. The clan's finances are already strained under the suppression of Konoha's higher-ups. You are putting this old man in a difficult position."

"Elder, I will strive to fulfill my duties as clan head and reverse the clan's current standing in the village." Fugaku looked steadily at Ryuji.

Ryuji remained silent for a long while before letting out a soft sigh.

"It is not that this old man refuses to give it to you, Clan Head, but I cannot explain it to the other elders. Seventy pounds of Chakra Metal is worth over ten million ryo. Requisitioning such a large amount of resources at once will be difficult to justify!"

"Does Elder have a compromise in mind?" Fugaku asked, his gaze flickering.

A sharp glint appeared in Ryuji's eyes, followed by a look of difficulty.

"Clan Head, you know that the descendants of several elders still have nowhere to go. The village's distrust of the Uchiha is growing more severe by the day, and there are simply no positions assigned to our clan. Surely we cannot have the clan's outstanding youths become ordinary mission ninjas?"

After speaking, Ryuji let out another helpless sigh.

Fugaku instantly understood what he meant. If not for the excessive amount of Chakra Metal his son wanted, and the fact that he only had thirty pounds on hand, he would never have come to the council of elders.

The clan's internal struggles for profit were already fierce, with complicated factions. If he used his authority to provide positions outside the clan's arrangements to the moderate faction, the hardliners would certainly not let it go tomorrow.

Throughout the Uchiha clan, he, the clan head, appeared to command the Military Police Force and hold great authority. In truth, he was merely the one who balanced the distribution between the two factions.

Usually, he did not possess much authority as clan head. Otherwise, this would have taken only a word. Although Chakra Metal was precious, it was merely somewhat burdensome for the Uchiha, Konoha's foremost clan.

After pondering for a while, Fugaku finally spoke slowly. "Elder, at most, I can provide your side with two positions in the Military Police Force. Any more than that is beyond my authority."

Elder Ryuji's expression became somewhat unpleasant. "Clan Head, I heard that there are currently three vacant captain positions in the Military Police Force. Isn't that too little?" Ryuji tapped the tea table before him.

"Elder, if you do not want tomorrow's clan meeting to end with drawn blades, I suggest Elder Ryuji leave one captain position for the hardliners.

After all, hasn't your side already seized the advantage? Discussions regarding the relocation of the clan grounds will soon begin. Peace should remain the priority within the clan."

After saying that, Fugaku fell silent and quietly watched Elder Ryuji's ever-changing expression.

"Sigh, since the Clan Head has said so, then we shall listen to the Clan Head." Ryuji let out a long sigh, then summoned a young Uchiha and whispered several instructions into his ear. The young Uchiha swiftly vanished into the night.

Carrying the heavy case, Fugaku glanced at the luxurious residence. All he felt was heaviness. This was the Uchiha now, haggling over every last ounce. Were they still Konoha's foremost noble clan? Fugaku only felt exhausted.

When he returned home and saw that the lights in the living room were still on, Fugaku's mood improved a little.

The moment he entered, he saw his eldest son still obediently nestled in his wife's embrace. Fugaku felt somewhat comforted. At last, he could display a father's dignity before his eldest son.

"Father, you're back!" Hane hurriedly broke free from his mother's arms. He had wanted to leave her embrace long ago, after all, he possessed an adult's mind.

But no matter what, Mikoto refused to let go. Like someone fond of cats petting one, once Hane's mother found an excuse to hold him in her arms, she would not put him down easily.

"Mm!" Fugaku nodded heavily and placed the heavy case in his hand on the table.

"Hane! Are you going to forge it now?" Fugaku asked uncertainly.

"Mm!" Hane nodded heavily. He did not need real sleep anyway. The sooner he finished refining his magical weapon, the sooner he could experience the feeling of flying on a sword.

It was the romance that every fan of immortal fantasy often dreamed of.