บท 7: Clan Head
I was exaggerating when explaining to Sasuke the state of the Uchiha compound… or so I thought.
"As I have told you already, I thank you for all the help and resources you have provided us in the past, but your service is no longer required. Whatever contract established with the previous clan head is terminated upon his removal or death. The door is behind you."
A group of frustrated merchants made their way out of what was now my office as I continued to look through and sign papers, including possible reconstruction, deconstruction, and previously laid plans that needed to be terminated. Five through ten-year-long plans were buried in papers, 99% of which I had to personally dismantle officially as the clan had fallen to 2 members.
"I need to get out of this village before someone gets the bright idea to raise me as the next Hokage…"
I wasn't being arrogant, it was merely a logical deduction. My power rivaled Kage by Mangekyou alone and I would only grow more powerful. Granted nobody knew about it yet, but I would be revealing it by the end of the chunin exams. Hiruzen was only getting older, weaker, and my political power was rising like a tsunami wave.
The start of the shinobi academy was in a few days… I hadn't been keeping track of it really, I had about 30 minds melded together but thinking separately on how to overcome the economic collapse the clan was going through. It was also a new experience, pushing back not through sheer force, but through political power. The feeling of crushing someone at their own games was exhilarating… and while those emotions were satisfying, they were secondary. My main thoughts didn't rely on emotions but on how to further my objective, meaning no matter how excited or disappointed I got, my body would never let them dictate what I did.
"Kei, is everything okay?" -Sasuke who just arrive asked me.
"Are you trying to be funny? That is the third day in a row you have come to ask me that. "
"It's just that… every day, people come out of your office looking either angry or disappointed."
"It is how they are supposed to look Sasuke. They are trying to get us enough supplies for an entire clan while we are only 2 people. If I refuse they lose huge amounts of money and we get to keep that amount of money. We win, they lose."
"And how are we doing so far?"
"While our situation is problematic there is no need for you to worry, things are only going to get better, The money should last us for at least this generation, considering that we are the only ones here, I plan to cut every other house except the HQ and our house from the power grid, the HQ being where I'll spend most of my time and home is home."
"Is that really necessary? The last thing the compound needs is a blackout." – He said as his fists clenched, imagining the dark compound just like the night of the massacre.
Pulling a few papers from the drawer I rolled them up, got up from my chair, walked to him, and smacked him in the head with them
"Ahg… What was that for?"
"Look at the bottom digits of the last paper." – I said to him as I handed him the rolled-up papers.
"WHAT? WE PAY THIS EVERY MONTH?" – He screamed at me.
"Are you stupid? This is daily consumption. I still have to gather a technical team to visit every house and since we can't check for every lamp, we would need to directly cut the energy from outside. Unless of course, you would like to pay for it?" – I asked as I smiled at him.
"DAILY… I have to go train, you are the head, you know best." -He said as he put on a serious face and walked out.
"You do that." – I smiled and said.
A couple of minutes later I heard a knock, prompting me to raise my head from the papers I was swimming in and see a pineapple… a scarred pineapple.
"Hello Uchiha-san, I was hoping for a moment to talk with you in private." -He said as he smiled slightly, clearly trying to start the conversation in a warm tone and then lead from there.
"Greetings Nara-san. It appears you have me at a disadvantage, as I don't remember meeting you before and neither doing any form of business with your clan. I would know, I've been swimming in contracts these past few day's and the shinobi clan's would have been my top priority."
"Indeed, we have not yet been acquainted…"
"And with that out of the way, so goes every other positive reason you might have to come and meet. To meet a newly appointed clan head is normal, but not for someone like me who is yet to be publicly announced as one. It is a closely guarded secret that the papers were finished just 2 days ago."
"I guarantee you that I don't come bearing ill intentions." – The Nara head explained in a calm voice, clearly not worried.
"I never said you did, you have nothing against me and I against you, but with no good or bad intentions, it only leaves one thing considering how you act and think. Information gathering and considering it's certainly not for you it only means that someone sent you to analyze me. But who could order a clan head around? I think we both know who that is don't we Nara-san?"
"…Indeed." -The Nara clan said as he observed me closely.
"Then if you don't mind, the door is behind you, I am quite busy and can't afford to entertain you anymore. You more or less got the information you needed. Goodbye, Nara-san." – I smiled as I looked down at the papers in front of me.
"Goodbye, Uchiha-san." – He said as he left
I had to give it to the man, he didn't even blink as I tore down the charade of his 'visit'.
-----------------------
"So… how did it go?" – The Hokage asked the Nara standing in front of him.
"It was a pain. He might look like a kid but even Danzo would have a headache if he went against him in the political world in the future… or even now." – Shikaku said as he rubbed his neck.
"Any idea how the kid could drive back Danzo and Hiashi in their attempt to acquire the Uchiha's wealth? That kind of knowledge doesn't just pop up." – The Hokage asked.
"It isn't knowledge that he is using… it's the people. He using a trial and error method to see what fits and what doesn't. He is pulling the strings that are connected to the civilian council, playing on their desires and needs to see how they move."
"He is using the clan's reputation and nonexistent power to bring them on his side. The civilian council doesn't know how the clan has actually fallen, don't know the individual power that shinobi carry, they are banking on the family name."
"And Kei Uchiha is using that to gain actual power, giving up nothing and gaining more than half of the village in his side. Given how the civilian council had been kept out of the shinobi decisions they will see this as an opportunity to increase their standing and are likely to hold on to Kei. These are some of the wealthiest merchant families, most of them helped build the foundation after the Senju and Uchiha came together. Their words carry much weight among the people and are likely to favor Kei over Danzo. There will be conflict eventually when Danzo sees the wind change direction."
"Assign some Anbu you trust to keep a safe perimeter around the Uchiha clan head… at least we can use him to preoccupy Danzo until I can find a solution. Danzo will try to take him out and we can't afford another Uchiha death. This will just inspire the other villages and enforce the opinion that we are weak."
"Of course, Hokage-sama."
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