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HSU: Ch. 87
🕑 Added 2024-12-20 21:06:08 +0000 UTCAfter the formal pleasantries, Fugaku finally got to the main topic. His hands were folded carefully on the table.
"Hiashi, on behalf of the Uchiha clan, I sincerely invite the Hyūga clan to co-manage the Police Force. What do you think?"
"This is a significant matter, Fugaku." Hiashi didn't give a direct response, his expression remaining well-controlled.
But Masashi knew that Hiashi was deeply tempted.
Overwhelmingly tempted.
Black Zetsu was a villain, but one with principles. When it came to teaching, he really put his heart into it, demonstrating great professional ethics.
Even though Masashi hadn't activated his Sharingan, he could clearly sense the intense chakra fluctuations in Hiashi.
He completely understood Hiashi. Being the head of the Hyūga clan was no easy task. Every decision carried the weight of centuries of tradition and the immediate needs of hundreds of clan members.
The division of the clan into main and branch families could easily be summarized as: "Thanks a lot, entire family."
To appease the discontent of the branch family, the main family had to ensure parity in material living standards and training resources, which required significant expenditure—a lot of expenditure.
The cost of maintaining appearances alone was huge, let alone the actual training expenses. And it wasn't just because the Hyūga clan had many people.
When it came to training, not all techniques were costly.
For example, elemental ninjutsu of various types generally didn't incur much expense, provided the ninjutsu didn't require the purchase of scrolls. Maintaining proper nutrition was sufficient for normal training without requiring additional costs.
Genjutsu followed a similar principle: good food and sleep trumped everything else.
Even advanced bloodline limit techniques and a plethora of Yin-Yang Release techniques fitted this category.
Leaving aside the middle ground, the truly costly practices were advanced taijutsu and ninja body techniques, especially the latter.
Ninja body techniques, categorized under taijutsu, had a low entry point but could become incredibly high-end at advanced levels.
These techniques involved using chakra to strengthen specific body parts or weapons, allowing for attacks without hand signs.
Strengthening weapons was standard practice among jonin.
But any technique that involved directly augmenting the body came with three unavoidable "highs": high risk, high cost, and high difficulty.
Without the ability to counter these risks, it was best to steer clear for the sake of one's life and wallet.
The Hyūga clan's Gentle Fist, despite the "fist" in its name, wasn't simple taijutsu—it was pure high-end ninja body technique.
Masashi was well aware of just how terrifying the Gentle Fist could become. He also knew how challenging it was to master it at that level. And how much it drained a clan's resources to maintain that level of expertise.
He had once seen a Hyūga expert "help" an opponent open the Eight Gates, causing their body to explode and die.
He had also witnessed a Gentle Fist user, while performing the Palm Rotation, sweep through enemies like a storm, only to pop a pill for recovery and sweep back again. Each of those pills probably cost more than a month's salary for a regular jonin.
The Hyūga were incredibly powerful.
While their high-end forces didn't reach the level of "using a Susanoo," they were by no means weak.
However, in recent decades, the clan's reputation had significantly declined, largely due to a severe cash flow problem. The Hyūga had plenty of fixed assets but limited liquidity.
Their primary source of income was property rental.
The Uchiha, on the other hand, held a monopoly over the Police Force, a military department. This gave them access to numerous operational channels, with their main sources of income being explosive tags and lending.
But they had no friends in Konoha.
Aside from deeper systemic factors, monopolizing this authority was a key reason.
In truth, the Uchiha clan's cash flow wasn't always this strong. In the past, it was similar to the Hyūga's—heavy on fixed assets but lacking liquidity.
However, after Masashi returned from the Kiri battlefield, his voice carried weight among the clan's elders. He began advocating for operational transformation, pushing for an asset-light strategy.
Along the way, he criticized the clan's longstanding asset structure and financial practices.
The memories of those heated discussions still rang clear in his mind.
"Loan sharking? Can't pay it back, so you take their house? Are you the legendary yakuza?"
"Why hoard so many fixed assets? Do maintenance costs come free?" The arguments had been fierce, but necessary.
Over the past two to three years, Masashi had been relentlessly reforming the clan.
Like other ninja clan elders, the Uchiha elders were stubbornly traditional, believing that tradition was inherently superior.
However, they had one redeeming quality: a willingness to indulge the promising younger generation. They'd even go as far as saying, "To prove you're wrong, I'll go along with your plan for a while."
As a result, the Uchiha clan had now become a financial leader in the Land of Fire.
They had diversified into financing leases, short-term loans, ultra-short-term loans, bonds, collective financing, regional preferred investments, and even perpetual bonds, all thriving.
The traditional high-interest loans? They'd stopped that ages ago. It wasn't worth their time, and they'd even filled past deficits.
They still collected "protection fees" in commercial districts but only targeted specific establishments. The Uchiha knew exactly what these establishments were up to, and without some payment, these "monsters and demons" would wreak havoc.
With this strong financial backing, the Uchiha clan could afford to open up the Police Force.
Clan members, understanding the current state of the clan's finances, were merely confused about the opening rather than outright opposed.
This foundation provided Fugaku with cards to play during this negotiation.
He understood Hiashi's hesitation well. The weight of responsibility was something both clan heads shared intimately.
There was a time when being the Uchiha clan head wasn't much easier than leading the Hyūga.
"Hiashi, as clan leaders, let me be honest with you," he said. "Relying solely on others' goodwill is insufficient. We are, after all, ninja clans."
The room seemed to grow quieter.
Not long ago, he had held the same mindset.
"Our clan will open up the Police Force, but this openness has its limits. In truth, there are only so many positions available. A larger team would be unmanageable."
"Oh? Please elaborate." Hiashi's expression remained neutral, but his eyes sharpened with interest.
"Indeed, co-management is no joke. This level of collaboration would naturally extend across all dimensions. Our external channels will also be shared with the Hyūga."
"Truly?"
The other Hyūga clan members pricked up their ears.
"Correct. No tree can stand alone, Hiashi," Fugaku said meaningfully.
"We're not at that point yet, Fugaku," Hiashi said, his expression changing.
But the seed had been planted.
The Hyūga clan faced the same situation as the Uchiha—they weren't part of the core circle.
It wasn't due to a lack of decision-makers but because they weren't included in the network. Superficially, the Hyūga seemed more powerful than the Nara.
In reality, they weren't.
The Ino-Shika-Chō alliance, centered around the Nara, had far more ninja, including jonin. Their close ties to the Hokage's administration gave them significant influence in the medical corps, allowing them to leverage these channels for medical businesses throughout the Land of Fire.
The alliance thrived through shared channels.
In contrast, the Hyūga clan was in decline.
Their goal of becoming the Hokage's trusted ninja clan was, at its core, a bid to reverse this trend.
The development of a ninja clan required manpower, finances, and techniques—all equally indispensable.
The Hyūga didn't lack manpower or techniques but were severely short on financial resources. The main-branch system further forced them to divide resources, leading to genuine "equality"—the equality of shared hardship.
Meanwhile, the Uchiha lacked nothing.
Even under Hokage suppression, they continued to produce talent, adapting and evolving like the fire that symbolized their clan.
When Shisui made his mark, the Uchiha clan's environment was far harsher than it was today, with the Hokage faction almost cornering them.
Hiashi understood Fugaku's intent. Everyone from the Hyūga clan present understood his intent. Not only did they understand, but they also agreed with it.
However, agreeing didn't necessarily mean the Hyūga clan was ready to bind themselves to the Uchiha.
"As long as you understand," Fugaku said, not pressing him further. "No matter the circumstances, our two clans have always stood on the foundation of dōjutsu. If we do not support each other, we would truly become the laughingstock of outsiders."
Hiashi nodded.
After a moment's thought, he carefully chose his words. "Fugaku, may I ask—this time, will the Uchiha clan only extend an invitation to the Hyūga?"
"Of course not," Fugaku replied. "With just our two clans, we may not be able to fend off all the tigers and wolves out there."
"Tigers and wolves?" Hiashi's expression shifted slightly. "The Uchiha have three Kage-level combatants. What sort of tigers and wolves would dare pounce?"
"Our manpower is limited," Fugaku replied calmly. His eyes swept across the room. "There will always be places we can't cover. To borrow a phrase from the younger generation: Even the strongest chain is only as strong as its weakest link."
"That's an overstatement," Hiashi shook his head. "You're being too pessimistic."
"Hiashi-sama," Masashi suddenly interjected.
Everyone's attention shifted to him.
Fugaku didn't stop Masashi from speaking. In his opinion, Masashi would surely be more tactful when addressing the Hyūga. At least, he hoped he would be.
"Masashi," Hiashi said respectfully, "please, go ahead."
"I wouldn't dare presume," Masashi said. "I was just curious about one thing. Does the current Hyūga clan still have members capable of unsealing a person's tenketsu?"
The gathered Hyūga ninjas stiffened. Several elders exchanged quick glances.
In the current era, even within the Konoha ninja forces, it was generally believed that the Hyūga excelled in striking chakra points and blocking their opponent's chakra, perhaps complemented by their Palm Rotation.
But the Hyūga themselves knew this was only one aspect of their Gentle Fist.
The fact that they relied solely on the Gentle Fist style for generations was due to more profound reasons.
Masashi's question was direct—so much so that it cut to the core of the Hyūga. How he knew about other applications of Gentle Fist wasn't even the point; his question struck at a truth the Hyūga couldn't deny.
The uncomfortable reality was that no one in the Hyūga clan today could achieve such precision in their techniques.
Hiashi, as the clan head, admitted it straightforwardly. "No, the current Hyūga lacks anyone comparable to talents like you or Shisui."
"I'm not a genius, Hiashi-sama," Masashi replied. "I've simply never faced material obstacles in my training."
Shisui was indeed a genius.
But Masashi? He truly wasn't. He never took detours, and he never lacked resources.
True geniuses were incredibly rare. Even major natural disasters happened more often—you might see a devastating flood this year and a terrible drought the next.
But a true genius? You could go generations without seeing one.
And yet clans kept waiting for the next genius to save them. Any clan that built its future on such wishful thinking was setting itself up for failure.
Sooner or later, they'd need a genius, and none would appear.
"Masashi-kun, you're too modest," Hiashi said skeptically.
Even Fugaku didn't believe Masashi's humility. To him, it sounded like the infamous false modesty of the elite.
Cough.
Fugaku cleared his throat, signaling Masashi to tone it down.
"Hiashi-sama, I tend to indulge in vanity," he said with a sigh. "Humility doesn't suit me. Perhaps you're unaware, but my initial training path wasn't even acknowledged by my clan. Yet the clan never withheld resources from me and always supported me to the fullest extent possible."
"I see…" Hiashi nodded thoughtfully. "Then, Fugaku, if this time's election…"
"Hiashi, you misunderstand," Fugaku interrupted. "This matter is strictly between our two clans and has nothing to do with the election. My participation in the election is simply to take advantage of the occasion to discuss this matter."
Hiashi was taken aback.
He could tell that Fugaku was being honest.
As someone who had served as clan head for years, he could easily distinguish truth from lies.
For a moment, he felt admiration.
"Perhaps I was being petty," Hiashi admitted sincerely. "Your vision is far broader than mine."
"Not at all," Fugaku said. "I've merely been more fortunate than you."
Hiashi nodded in acknowledgment, then turned to the elders behind him. In their eyes, he could see the calculations already beginning.
"What are your thoughts on Fugaku's proposal?"
The Hyūga elders wore solemn expressions.
"The Uchiha's financial strength cannot be ignored," one elder murmured softly to another.
"But can we trust their long-term intentions?" came the equally quiet response.
"Can we afford not to?" a third said.
But none of them uttered the cliché, "Let us consider this for a few days and give you an answer later."
All of them were seasoned veterans of the shinobi world and wouldn't insult others' intelligence by saying such meaningless words.
They knew Fugaku wasn't here to deceive or canvass votes. He had thoroughly thought this through and simply used this opportunity to have an earnest discussion.
The Uchiha had displayed this level of sincerity. The Hyūga could not afford to appear reluctant.
"Fugaku-sama, may we deliberate briefly?"
"Of course, as you should," Fugaku replied courteously.
At the same time, he silently thanked himself for not bringing Setsuna along. If that old man were here, he'd probably blurt out, "Deliberate what? Let's get this done already!"
Sometimes, he couldn't help but wonder if Setsuna had been influenced by Masashi. His bluntness seemed to be growing worse over the years.
Masashi's infamous incident of demanding funds from Setsuna was still a well-known story within the Uchiha.
Subsequently, a group of younglings tried to imitate him. Unfortunately, they lacked Masashi's rhetorical skill. Not only did they fail to get any funds, but they also got thoroughly scolded.
Tetsuka had even been reduced to tears back then. Since that day, he'd taken to raising koi in his backyard pond, claiming the peaceful fish helped calm his nerves.
At least something good came from his failed attempt at imitating Masashi's boldness.
As the Hyūga elders deliberated, Fugaku and Hiashi took the chance to chat casually.
"This isn't just an election for you—it's an alliance," Hiashi remarked. "The Police Force, after all, is a department of Konoha. Your approach risks creating unnecessary controversies."
"We'll follow the proper procedures," Fugaku assured with a smile. "The Police Force belongs to Konoha, and we're fully aware of that."
"Perhaps," Hiashi chuckled. "But a few years ago, you wouldn't have phrased it that way."
He glanced at Masashi. If we had someone like him...
The changes in the Uchiha were evident to all. Who wouldn't pay attention to Masashi, the catalyst for this transformation?
His reputation preceded him, not just for his ice techniques or his feats in the Kiri battlefield, but for how he had redefined the Uchiha clan's approach.
The Hyūga had purchased substantial assets from the Uchiha over the past years.
A year ago, the Uchiha had spearheaded the creation of a financial association among the Land of Fire's major lending houses. Today, the association's market rates were setting national lending standards.
If the Hyūga had someone like Masashi... No, even if they did, they lacked the channels to enter such industries.
In Konoha, only the Uchiha had such connections.
To put it bluntly, any ninja clan running businesses outside the village likely owed a portion of their operations to loans brokered through this association.
The Uchiha clan had effectively become the largest creditor among Konoha's clans.
Everyone knew this. But no one could replicate it—the system was tailored to the Uchiha's unique position.
Whether or not Fugaku succeeded in becoming Hokage Advisor, everyone was convinced of one thing: Masashi would be the next clan head.
Even if he refused, the Uchiha would push him into the role.
Why?
Because he was a money-making genius. Thank goodness he wasn't the one running for Hokage Advisor.
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