The Third Hokage had just received troubling news about the Shimura clan, and his mind couldn't help but wander. He thought about Itachi's terrifying Susanoo and realized once again that the true root of the current unrest with the Uchiha wasn't the clan itself—it was Danzo. That thought alone was enough to plunge his mood into darkness.
"It's Chief Shimura! What happened to you?" the Third Hokage asked, managing to keep a gentle expression even though he was far from pleased.
"Lord Hokage, please deliver justice for us! We need manpower to rebuild our clan land, but the police department keeps detaining our people. They're still arresting them even now! At this rate, there won't be a need to rebuild the clan land—our entire clan will be relocated into the police department's holding cells!"
The representative from the Shimura clan wore a bitter expression. The Shimura family had traditionally remained aloof, but with Danzo's support in recent years, their power had grown rapidly. While they weren't quite on par with old families like the Uchiha or Hyuga, their overall strength had climbed near the top.
When it came to the number of ninjas alone, the Shimura were just behind the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Sarutobi clans. Compared to the other two advisory elder families, they were clearly superior. With such a strong base, the clan believed they could rebuild quickly.
However, they didn't anticipate that their rapid development would give the police department an excuse to take action.
"We're just building our land," the clan representative protested. "Sure, we're using ninjutsu to move materials, but it's all inside our territory!"
But that was the problem. The village wasn't a battlefield—it was a place where civilians lived. Using jutsu freely, even within clan territory, could pose a risk. What if someone got hurt?
Even if those being hurt were Shimura clansmen, they were still citizens of Konoha. That meant they were under the protection of the law. The police department had a duty to maintain order and couldn't just let the matter go.
And now it seemed like the Uchiha were deliberately clamping down on the Shimura. Even after the initial clash between Itachi and Andrew that devastated the Shimura clan, the police department hadn't let up.
The Third Hokage let out a long sigh.
He had hoped that the animosity between the clans would end after that battle, but Uchiha wasn't letting go. Still, as Hokage, he couldn't ignore the rules just to favor the Shimura clan.
"The police department is following the law," he said flatly. "They haven't broken any regulations. If your clansmen are arrested, they'll be released after due process—just like last time. Most of those people have already been released, right?"
He didn't want any more disruptions. The Cloud Shinobi delegation was arriving soon, and any more instability could jeopardize village security. Compared to the bigger threats, the Shimura issue was minor.
"Yes, they were released," the Shimura representative said, his voice rising with frustration, "but not even a day passed before the police department arrested them again!"
Danzo, now wary of Uchiha's power, no longer dared to name them directly. Instead, he used the more neutral term "police department," aware that the department was no longer solely under Uchiha control.
"Then tell your clansmen to follow the law." The Third Hokage's tone was sharper now. "If they don't break any rules, there's no reason for the police to arrest them. If they're detained right after being released, maybe they're not respecting the rules to begin with."
He was getting tired of these petty complaints. Without another word, he grabbed a copy of the Public Order Code from the bookshelf and tossed it over to the Shimura representative.
"Read it. If your people still have problems, fix it yourselves. I'm not here to babysit the Shimura clan."
Last time, he'd even asked Uchiha Andrew to mediate. But even though the police department might be targeting the Shimura, they were operating within the law. The Hokage couldn't publicly criticize the Uchiha for following the rules.
Besides, Uchiha had changed.
Ever since their show of strength, the clan's standing in the village had undergone a dramatic transformation. The other major clans kept their distance, but now they at least nodded politely in greeting. The civilians, on the other hand, had started to regard them with newfound respect.
Power spoke volumes in the shinobi world.
At the Uchiha compound, inside Fugaku's home, Andrew was poring over a thick stack of reports.
"These are the performance stats of the clan's new businesses over the past month," he said, flipping through the pages. "The food industry is growing the fastest, but the service industry is raking in the most profit. The others are progressing, but the pace is slow."
Though Andrew wasn't a businessman, he had memories from a modern, prosperous world and could offer suggestions based on experience.
As he read on, one figure made him pause: the custom industry was leading in profit.
Andrew couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Of course, the proud Uchiha wouldn't personally work in the custom shops. They simply owned the stores and managed them. The workers were locals. But business was booming. After all, whether civilian or shinobi, everyone had needs.
He saw potential.
"Patriarch," he said slowly, "if the service industry is making us money, why not take it a step further? What if we spice things up—maybe introduce costume-themed services?"
Fugaku raised an eyebrow. "Costume-themed?"
"Think about it," Andrew said. "Everyone has a fantasy. What if a man could meet his fantasy woman in your shop? Even if he can't have her in real life, he can experience it here."
Fugaku straightened, trying to look serious. "Of course not. I—I am sincere to Mikoto!" he declared.
But the beads of sweat forming on his forehead betrayed him.
Andrew grinned. "Sure, sure. I'll leave that kind of planning to you adults. I don't have that kind of experience anyway."
Moving on, Andrew turned the discussion toward the food industry.
"Everyone eats, but that also means the market is saturated. To stand out, we need something unique. Let's gather people in the clan who know cooking. Have them research new dishes—things people will crave after tasting."
He leaned forward. "Satisfy the stomach, and you'll never worry about customers."
Then a new idea struck him.
"Why not combine services? In the ninja world, restaurants, izakayas, and custom shops all operate separately. What if we build a place that offers all of them under one roof?"
He imagined a chain hotel, like the ones in his previous life. Guests could dine, relax, and enjoy personalized services all in one place.
"People are lazy. If you give them a place where they can eat, bathe, and enjoy themselves without walking around town, they'll flock to it."
And the kicker?
"Let's implement a tiered membership system. Offer different experiences depending on the customer's status—commoner, shinobi, or noble. High-end services, privacy, maybe even... discreet information exchange."
"Our Sharingan can help with information collection through genjutsu. Combine that with hospitality, and we can start an intel service as well."
The more Andrew talked, the more excited he became.
"We'll need proper staff training. Customer service must be impeccable. Cleanliness, comfort, and absolute discretion—make them feel safe and important."
He quickly drafted several pages of plans, outlining logistics, themes, staff policies, and projected growth models. When finished, he handed them over to Fugaku.
"Building this will take time," he said. "But it's an investment. Improve along the way. Solve problems as they appear."
Just then, a clansman entered.
"Patriarch, the Third Hokage sent a message. He wants to know if you'll join the meeting with the Cloud Shinobi delegation."
Fugaku paused, looking up from the proposal.
"The Cloud Shinobi talks?"
His gaze shifted to Andrew, a strange light in his eyes. The Uchiha had always been excluded from village power. To be invited now… it meant something had changed.
Andrew's expression stiffened.
This was the moment. The time period where Hyuga Hizashi would sacrifice himself to protect his brother from the Cloud delegation's demands. It was a critical turning point in the village's politics.
Something was about to shift.
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