Itachi stared in utter shock at the young man who was not much older than himself.
The large hand resting on his shoulder seemed to weigh a thousand tons, yet it brought an unprecedented sense of security.
There would be no need to slaughter his entire clan or push Sasuke into darkness.
If this man truly had the power to contend with, or even crush, all of Konoha High Command...
Then perhaps the Uchiha Clan really could be saved.
The Mangekyō Sharingan in Itachi's eyes, which were streaming tears of blood, gradually faded, returning to pitch-black eyes.
In those eyes, long accustomed to despair, a faint yet utterly steadfast spark of hope reignited.
"I understand."
Itachi's voice was no longer hoarse, but carried a sense of release.
He bowed deeply to Kenya, then turned into a flock of black crows and dispersed into the woods.
Watching Itachi leave, Kenya grinned in satisfaction.
The Uchiha's combat strength ranked among the best in the Shinobi World. With this bunch of lunatics recruited, he would have people to handle plenty of dirty, grueling work in the future.
"All done. Time to head back and meet up with Auntie and the others."
Kenya kicked out the fire he had used to grill fish and strode toward a secluded valley outside Konoha.
That was where the Iron Fist Chamber of Commerce delegation had set up its temporary secret camp.
At the center of the camp, inside a spacious tent hastily constructed from black iron wood...
Tsunade and Zabuza were pointing at a topographical map of Konoha.
When she saw Kenya lift the entrance flap and walk in, Tsunade immediately slapped the table.
"Where have you run off fooling around this time, you brat? We haven't even settled on a plan to enter the village!"
"I went to negotiate a big deal and picked up a little brother along the way."
Kenya pulled out a chair and sat down with his legs spread, casually grabbing an apple from the table and biting into it.
"So, what have you two worked out about entering the village?"
At that, Zabuza immediately straightened up in excitement.
He slammed the heavy black iron sword in his hand onto the ground, a bloodthirsty gleam flashing in his eyes.
"Boss, what's there to discuss?"
"With your current strength and Lady Tsunade backing you up, we can just kill our way straight through the front gate!"
"I guarantee that anyone who dares block our way will get split in half, gate and all!"
As the Demon of Kirigakure, Zabuza had never had any concept of "peaceful negotiations."
If violence could solve it, there was no point running his mouth.
"Nonsense!"
Tsunade shot Zabuza an exasperated glare.
"Do you think Konoha is your backyard? You can't just kill whoever you want!"
"Sure, the old man, Danzo, and their lot deserve a beating, but there are still so many innocent civilians and Genin in the village."
"And the Chunin Ninja Exams are taking place right now. The daimyo and envoys from every nation are there."
"If we go charging in and killing people so brazenly, won't that make us terrorists and public enemies of the entire Shinobi World?"
Though Tsunade was utterly disappointed in Konoha High Command, deep down, she still had feelings for the village.
She did not want such a huge stain on her name or that of the Senju Clan.
"Then what do you think we should do, Lady Tsunade?" Zabuza curled his lip, unconvinced.
"First, submit a formal application to return to the village."
Tsunade considered it for a moment, then spoke seriously.
"I'll request to return to Konoha as the Senju princess. The old man certainly won't dare refuse openly."
"Once we've entered the village openly and established a foothold, we can take our time finding opportunities to reclaim power."
After hearing Tsunade's plan, Kenya tossed his half-eaten apple straight into the trash.
"Auntie, isn't that plan way too conservative?"
Kenya shook his head.
"Submit an application? By the time they finish dragging their feet over the approval, it'll be far too late."
"Besides, that would mean we're bowing our heads first. How would we establish our authority then?"
"But how else can we enter legally?" Tsunade asked with a frown.
"Legally?"
Kenya grinned, revealing two rows of gleaming white teeth.
"In this world, what could be more legal-or harder to refuse-than the superpower of money?"
As he spoke, Kenya pulled an enormous, glittering gold plaque from inside his clothes and slammed it onto the table.
Tsunade and Zabuza took a closer look.
Several large words were engraved in bold, flowing strokes on the plaque of pure gold:
[Iron Fist Chamber of Commerce-Super Sponsor of Konoha's Joint Chunin Ninja Exams]
"What is this thing?" Tsunade looked utterly baffled.
"This is my golden immunity token. I had Yosuke rush it out overnight."
Kenya pointed at the plaque, his smile becoming outrageously cocky.
"We're legitimate international merchants!"
"We're not returning to Konoha to fight."
"We heard Konoha was hosting the Chunin Ninja Exams, so we're bringing a huge shipment of black iron wood building materials, along with a whopping two hundred million ryo in cash, specifically to bring the village support and sponsorship!"
Kenya slapped the table, his tone utterly overbearing.
"Let's see how that penniless old man Hiruzen Sarutobi can bring himself to refuse us entry when he's staring at two hundred million ryo!"
"If he dares refuse, tomorrow's Shinobi World Daily headline will be 'Konoha's Hokage Suppresses Charitable Business, Chunin Ninja Exams Face Bankruptcy Crisis'!"
After hearing Kenya's downright thuggish reasoning...
Tsunade and Zabuza both sucked in a breath.
This move practically held Konoha High Command's feet to the fire!
Refusing the money meant disregarding the village's development and suppressing the Senju descendants.
Accepting the money meant acknowledging the Iron Fist Chamber of Commerce's legitimate standing, leaving them no choice but to watch this fierce tiger swagger into their home.
An open stratagem!
This was a blatant open stratagem powered by money!
"You little bastard, you're even more devious than Danzo..."
Looking at Kenya's smug face, Tsunade could not help making a jab.
But the corners of her mouth kept rising uncontrollably.
Two hundred million ryo to buy a look on Konoha High Command's faces more miserable than if they had swallowed flies.
That deal was an absolute bargain!
"Since it's settled, let's stop wasting time."
Kenya stood and hoisted the pure gold sponsor plaque onto his shoulder.
"Let's go! We're going to deliver a huge gift to those old acquaintances in Konoha!"
A short while later...
Outside the camp, a luxurious convoy pulled by more than a dozen enormous foreign beasts clad in heavy armor set off in a grand procession.
The carriages were covered in enormous flags bearing both the Iron Fist and Senju emblems.
They fluttered in the wind beneath the sunlight.
The carriages set off once more, heading straight for Konoha's main gate.