"Uchiha Mikoto came to see you?"
Karn asked with his arm around Kushina's fair shoulders as she nestled against him, but after a moment's thought, he realized what Uchiha Mikoto intended.
Socializing among wives was quite normal in the Shinobi World. The Daimyo of the Land of Fire had asked Karn about it before, but he had been alone at the time and declined.
"If she comes to see you, just interact with her normally. She probably wants to bring me and the Uchiha Clan closer through you. After all, Orochimaru has even fewer people around him."
Karn chuckled at that. Of Orochimaru's two close friends, one was Minato Namikaze's teacher, while the other belonged to the Senju Clan. His disciple also belonged to the Senju Clan. Even if Uchiha Fugaku wanted to build friendly ties, it would be difficult.
That left Karn as the only place to start. He could negotiate terms on Orochimaru's behalf. In Uchiha Fugaku's eyes, their relationship was at least comparable to that of the Third Hokage and Mitokado Homura. Moreover, Karn was the publicity court noble, the two sides had already agreed to cooperate, and he was also close to the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
There was nothing wrong with befriending Karn. As long as Orochimaru delivered on his promises, cooperation between their Uchiha Clan and the Karn Chamber of Commerce could bring greater benefits.
"Mikoto is really nice. When we first met, we didn't even know you!"
Kushina bared her teeth as she spoke. She did not want calculation mixed into one of her rare friendships, especially since both her status and that of the Uchiha were exceptionally sensitive.
Karn hissed. He had not expected Kushina to have learned how to pinch tender flesh too, so he changed the subject. "I have no objections. It's