Inside the Sarutobi Clan's secret council chamber in Konoha, the atmosphere was so oppressive it felt like water could be squeezed out of it. The clan leaders sat together, each with a grim expression. Sasuke Sarutobi slowly swept his gaze across the crowd, cleared his throat, and broke the suffocating silence. "You all saw Senju Yasuhei's arrogant attitude recently, didn't you? The Ten Family's business is booming like crazy, making a fortune every day! We can't just stand by and watch, unable to beat them in a fight, and falling far behind in business, can we? Tell me, what should we do?" As he spoke, he crossed his arms, his brows furrowed into a deep frown, his face filled with anxiety and resentment.
Upon hearing this, Dansuke Shimura sprang to his feet like a firecracker, fists clenched, veins bulging on his forehead, and roared viciously, "Hmph! In Senju Yasuhei's eyes, our families are nothing at all! Last time, I was all polite, bringing my precious daughter to discuss a marriage alliance with him, and guess what he said? He actually said, 'How can a dragon be paired with a rat!'" At this point, Dansuke Shimura's voice trembled, and his eyes reddened. "I still dream about the way he looks at me, like I'm trash! I won't let this go unpunished; I'll never let the Ten Family get away with this!" As he spoke, he slammed his fist heavily on the table, making the teacups on it bounce.
Shikaboshi Nara sat to the side, watching the furious Dansuke Shimura, and shook his head inwardly. He thought to himself, "This guy seems really badly hurt by Senju Yasuhei; he's probably Yin Shadow. "Shikaboshi Nara couldn't help but recall the day he went to see Senju Yasuhei. He had also brought the most outstanding girl in the clan, full of expectations, only to have Senju Yasuhei just smile and say, "We're not a good match, it's not suitable, please go back!" Thinking of this, a barely perceptible hint of embarrassment and annoyance flashed across Shikaboshi Nara's face. However, after hearing about Dansuke Shimura's experience, he felt inexplicably more at ease. He sat up slightly, waved his hand, and said to Dansuke Shimura, " Shimura Clan, please calm down! Don't be impulsive. Solving problems with force is just playing with the lives of the entire clan. The most urgent thing is to think about how to break the Ten Family's commercial dominance over us. Let's put aside everything else for now! Everyone, please share your thoughts." As he spoke, he looked at everyone with sincere eyes, trying to calm their agitated emotions.
Ryosuke Sato sighed, his face filled with helplessness. He shook his head with a wry smile and said, " The Medicine King Pavilion's current status is mainly due to the Nine Revolutions Life-Saving Pill. Both our clan and the Nara Clan are in the medicinal herb business. To figure out how this medicine works, we spent a lot of money to buy three pills to study. But what happened? The pills have a sealing restriction; once opened, they immediately dissolve completely, not even giving us a chance to study them! But the medicine's efficacy is truly unparalleled; it's practically life-saving." "It has miraculous effects of reviving the dead and restoring flesh and bones. The Medicine King Pavilion sells all other medicines cheaply, barely making any profit, relying entirely on this Nine Revolutions Life-Saving Pill to make a fortune. Yet, this medicine is in high demand and short supply; one pill costs 100 million taels of silver. Although the price is outrageously high, no one complains. Moreover, they limit purchases, selling only one a day. If we want to damage the Medicine King Pavilion, we either need to crack the secret of this pill or come up with an even better one; otherwise, we're simply out of luck!" He spread his hands, his face full of dejection.
Eiichi Yamazaki sighed, his face showing disappointment and confusion: "My clan and the Yamashiro Clan run a hot spring entertainment business, but now, apart from those special services, almost no customers come to our shop. We've tried lowering prices to attract customers, but it's useless! Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Tower's prices are more than double ours, but all the people with status and influence go there, treating our place like an ordinary brothel. I really can't understand it, so I went with them to experience Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Tower's hot spring entertainment complex." "Okay, I get it now. Their service, decor, lighting effects, and entertainment are absolutely amazing! Most importantly, the water quality there is leagues ahead of ours! Soaking in their hot springs gives you the feeling that you get what you pay for. I think so myself, let alone the other guests. I was thinking of coming back to imitate them, but they use high-end sealing rune technology, probably set up by Mito Uzumaki herself. We can't possibly replicate that!" He said, shaking his head helplessly, his eyes full of frustration.
Upon hearing this, Chozan Akimichi couldn't help but pour out his grievances. He patted his round belly and said with a wry smile, "Our clan is no different! Let me be frank, the food at the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Tower is absolutely amazing! All the clan leaders have probably eaten there, and I bet you all love going there for meals now, right? To be honest, most of the Akimichi Clan have become regulars there. If it weren't for the fact that sometimes there aren't enough seats, I'd practically live there—it's so convenient and comfortable! After drinking their water, any other water tastes like plain water; it has no flavor at all. I even spent a fortune hiring Sealing Jutsu master from the Uzumaki Clan to try and imitate their water seals, but the result was..." The water that came out tasted even worse than ordinary water! We originally planned to suppress the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Tower, but instead, our clan has been 'captured' by them, and willingly at that! Our money is flowing to them like water. If we can't solve the water problem and find their secret recipe for food, we can forget about defeating them! I even sent a Clan Head Level expert to infiltrate and try to find their secret recipe. He discovered a particularly suspicious place, but our people can't get in at all. It's sealed tightly by a barrier. Only Dō Senju can get in. I guess that must be where the core secrets of the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Tower are located." He shrugged helplessly as he spoke.
Kenzan Uzuki sighed, a thoughtful expression on his face. "My Gekko Clan and I run a weapon shop, but we can't imitate the rune-inscribed weapons from the Divine Weapon Pavilion at all. We spent a fortune buying a few to study, and discovered that they can actually inscribe rune Ninjutsu on ordinary metal, while we can only do that with Chakra Metal. Although their rune-inscribed weapons are only B-rank, their cool appearance and domineering power are irresistible to any ninja! They're practically every ninja's dream weapon! However, I've also discovered a secret: their weapons can only be inscribed with water and earth elemental runes. I'm figuring that whoever can do that must be a master of water and earth elements. The Senju Clan is naturally compatible with water and earth elements, so I guess this master is most likely Senju Clan. If we find this person, we might be able to find a way to defeat them." As he spoke, he lightly tapped the table with his fingers, lost in thought.
Yohei Mito also poured out his grievances, frowning and looking distressed. "My clan and the Utatane Clan run a winery and a casino, and look what's happened! Their new wine is a hundred times better than ours! The problem is the water. The water they use is so much better quality than ours. We can crack their recipes, but without that water, it's all for nothing! I even sent Clan Head Level expert to steal their water taps, hoping to get some water to study, but those taps have a restriction; they automatically destroy themselves if moved. They anticipated all our schemes and blocked all our paths! And their casino is even more sinister. They didn't open the casino to rip people off for money." "If you try to cheat or swindle people there, they'll arrest you. They're like they're creating a fair and just gambling den. If you want to bet your entire fortune, they have limits to prevent you from making big bets. You might think their commission is high, but their service is excellent. They offer free drinks and free meals. If you lose everything, they'll even cover your travel expenses home and a night's hotel stay. That's how they easily make tens of millions a day. Customers who leave their place, win or lose, always leave with dignity. Those who lose blame their bad luck, and those who win don't feel their commission is too high. It's just too bizarre!" He said, shaking his head helplessly, his face full of disbelief.
Sasuke Sarutobi sighed, his face full of helplessness and frustration. "The inn business is the same! The Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Tower is like a palace High Immortal live, while our inn is just a dilapidated pigsty, incomparable! What's more, they have all sorts of bundled sales and membership systems. Even if we imitate them, it'll just be a poor imitation, making us a laughingstock." As he spoke, he shook his head, his eyes filled with powerlessness.
Hikaru Aoki smiled bitterly, a hint of self-deprecation and lament on his face. "The most terrifying thing has to be their luxury stores. They sell things at ridiculously high prices, clearly ripping off the rich, but those rich people fall for it and stick with that store. We even copied their designs and made some clothes, and the quality wasn't bad either. But when my wife wore one out, she was ridiculed for a whole month. From then on, she refused to wear anything made by our own company. Their clothes are often out of stock, but those nobles are willing to wait a month for theirs. If we try to compete on price, it's useless; their clothes are dozens of times more expensive than ours. We had no choice but to try and capture the low-end market, and ended up losing the high-end market entirely. Later, I experienced the difference between the two types of clothing myself. I walked down the street wearing Phoenix Tower clothes, and people looked at me..." His eyes were filled with envy, jealousy, admiration, and respect; but when I walked down the street in my own clothes, I was no different from an ordinary person, and nobody even gave me a second glance. When I went to high-end places, I was even looked down upon and ridiculed. That's when I realized that Phoenix Tower wasn't just selling the product itself, but also a whole host of added value, which couldn't be measured in money. At that moment, looking at their expensive goods, I actually felt they were worth every penny, and I even wanted to buy their more expensive limited editions. Fellow clan leaders, you're probably all wearing their clothes now, right? So, in this business war, I've completely conceded defeat. I'm even a little relieved that Phoenix Tower didn't compete with me for the low-end market; it feels like someone left me a way out." He said, smiling bitterly with a helpless expression, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
After listening to everyone's words, Shikaboshi Nara sighed deeply and said earnestly, "Since our opponent is so invincible, we can only lie low and wait for an opportunity."
Upon hearing this, Shimura Dansuke flew into a rage again. He waved his hands in the air and roared, "Is this all we're going to do? Let a branch of the Senju Dansuke Shimura bully us like this? We have so many families, so much money and so many people, and we can't even beat a Branch Family the Senju Clan? I'm not reconciled! I'm absolutely not reconciled!"
Shikaboshi Nara's face darkened as he looked sternly at Dansuke Shimura, warning, "You have to endure it even if you're unwilling! A true man knows when to yield and when to stand firm. If you dare to do anything outrageous and provoke Tobirama Senju to wipe out your entire clan, we won't stand up for you. We feel just as wronged as you do, but as the head of a clan, you can't act impulsively. That's all I have to say. You'd better watch yourself!"
Dansuke Shimura flushed red, and the veins on his neck bulged. He said stiffly, "I'm not saying we should fight head-on. I mean, can't we use some tricks, act like thugs, cause some damage, frame others, or pick a fight?"
Sasuke Sarutobi glared at him and said irritably, " Tobirama Senju is the Hokage. If you dare to try, believe me, he'll wipe you out in a heartbeat. Senju Yasuhei and his six daughters-in-law are no pushovers either. If those seven of them went berserk, wiping out your Shimura Clan would be a piece of cake. Meeting adjourned. Everyone go back and think it over. When the opportunity arises, we'll deliver a fatal blow!" With that, Sasuke Sarutobi stood up, waved his hand, and left the council hall first, looking exhausted. The other clan leaders also sighed Chiriku got up one after another, dispersing, leaving only Dansuke Shimura standing there, gritting his teeth in resentment.