"Yahiko-sama, ever since Doto Kazahana died, our income has dried up completely. If this keeps up, the village won't be able to stay afloat."
"Money... Right. I'll figure something out later."
Yahiko rubbed his temples, nursing a headache.
Back when Akatsuki was just a faction within Amegakure, funding hadn't been an issue. But now that he was solely responsible for running a village, the sheer weight of management was crushing.
Especially here in the Land of Snow.
Previously, Yukigakure had been Doto's secret project, hardly anyone outside his inner circle knew it existed. With Doto dead, that financial lifeline was severed. And since the outside world didn't know there was a ninja village here, no one was coming to hire them for missions.
Money was truly a massive problem.
Yahiko sighed, massaging his aching head. The only viable solution seemed to be establishing contact with Sosetsu Kazahana. If he could reach a consensus with the Daimyo and secure the Land of Snow's backing, their worries would be over.
However, before reaching out to Sosetsu, he needed to clear it with Takeshi. He had to ensure this wouldn't interfere with the cat's plans. Before leaving Yukigakure, Takeshi had mentioned something called the "Kami's messenger plan." Disrupting that would be trouble.
'I wonder how Konan and Nagato are doing,' Yahiko thought.
Just then...
Space distorted. A wave of strange chakra pulsed through the room.
Immediately after, a black cat materialized out of thin air.
Yahiko froze. He had literally just been thinking about him, and now this guy shows up...
'Did something happen?'
His first instinct was that the black cat had caused someone to disappear. But logic quickly kicked in, if Takeshi couldn't protect them, they wouldn't be safe with Yahiko either. And if it were an injury... Kanna was an exceptional medical ninja. She could handle broken bones or minor accidents.
With a medic like her present, they were likely fine.
Yahiko calmed himself and waved a hand, dismissing the reporting ninja. Once they were alone, he asked, "Takeshi-sama, do you have instructions for me?"
"Meow~ The main body says you need to find a way to contact Sosetsu. His people are useless. They've been searching for days, and half of them have already died on the Ice Field. If we don't step in, I'm afraid they'll give up." Takeshi's clone complained feebly.
Sosetsu hadn't developed a ninja force at all. Unlike Doto, who had invested heavily in the research and production of ninja tools, Sosetsu's technological side was lacking. Consequently, the strongest individuals he sent were merely Samurai who didn't train in chakra.
"What?" Yahiko was dumbfounded.
Even small nations usually kept a dozen or so rogue ninja on retainer. For a Daimyo to be unable to find a single squad capable of crossing the snowy plains unscathed was absurd.
What era was this? To think there was such a miserable Daimyo! However, Yahiko had collected plenty of intelligence recently, he knew Sosetsu Kazahana was dedicated to his people-a rare, kind-hearted ruler among the nobility.
So... Should he ask for less money later? But without money, there was no way to develop the village.
"Then, will my contacting them affect your side?"
"Meow! I actually need you to guide them to my Kuraokami. Left to their own devices, we'd probably be waiting until next year." Takeshi's clone sighed.
He was also eyeing Sosetsu's money, but unlike Yahiko, the cat was after the Heater. Without a Heater, the frozen north and the high tower of Kuraokami were no place for a cat to stay.
Yet, he would have to sat there later and pretend to be a divine figure.
Acting cool came with a price.
The Sage Body had high resistance, but not enough to endure that kind of cold comfortably. Of course, if the main body went up there, he wouldn't care, he'd probably gloat and watch the show. But when the time came, it was highly likely a clone would be sent to the field again...
Although a clone's lifespan is short, one generation plants the trees under which another takes shade. If the heating issue wasn't solved, they would freeze forever.
It was easy to distinguish what was more important.
The clone chatted with Yahiko for quite a while, mostly updating him on Nagato and Konan. Clones and the main body occasionally had differences in personality, this one was obviously not as nasty as the original.
As for the main body... He was probably sleeping in a warm Igloo or mooching food and drink in Konoha. Either way, he was definitely wandering around aimlessly.
The clone thought sourly.
However, the clone was mistaken. Takeshi wasn't slacking off. He had returned to Konoha to discuss matters regarding Katsuyu with Tsunade, only to be strong-armed into a favor before business could even begin.
"Do you really want me to sign, meow?"
"Yes. After the incident with Madara, the Uchiha are panic-stricken. We need a gesture to reassure them that Konoha hasn't abandoned them. You are the best buffer we have. Do this, and I'll talk to Katsuyu-sama."
"Meow!" Thus, Takeshi agreed.
Of course, he no longer signed these contracts personally. Generally, he let them sign with the Nin-Neko Clan, though that usually only allowed them to summon up to Nekomata's level. The only ones who could summon Takeshi specifically were Rin and Kanna.
And even for those two, summoning him required a massive amount of chakra.
--**--**
Takeshi arrived at the Uchiha Clan Compound.
He found Fugaku and Kura waiting. The former sat in stoic silence, while Kura looked visibly aged. Shisui's abduction had dealt him a heavy blow, his smile upon seeing Takeshi was brittle and forced.
"You're here. Please, sit."
"Meow."
Takeshi's body automatically expanded in size, and he took the main seat.
Looking at Kura, he didn't know how to comfort him. Takeshi knew his own nature well-he was pure-hearted, but after being sharp-tongued for so long, bad habits were hard to break. It wouldn't do to try comforting the man only to accidentally mock him.
The atmosphere was oppressive.
After a long silence, Kura coughed lightly. "Takeshi, I'm sorry to trouble you again, asking you to step in to help further ease the relationship between the Uchiha and Konohagakure."
"Meow~ It's okay. So, who is the contractor?"
Takeshi was afraid of touching a sore spot, so he deliberately avoided asking about Shisui. He wasn't aware that ever since his rise to prominence, the Uchiha had been desperate to secure a slot for the cat clan's summoning blood contract.
The difference was, before, everyone wanted to give that slot to Shisui. But now...
"It is my child, Itachi."
Fugaku stood up and bowed deeply, then beckoned toward the side hall. A toddler entered, barely a year old, yet his eyes held an uncommon intelligence. In the anime, Itachi had been close to Shisui from a young age and was greatly influenced by him.
But that didn't matter.
People are born blank slates, how they turn out depends mainly on education. Look how awkward Kakashi used to be, and now he was a fully qualified ninja. Even Nagato had been molded into a driven workaholic under Takeshi's guidance.
It was no big deal.
There was no child he couldn't teach.
Takeshi pondered for a moment, then pawed the Summoning Scroll onto the table, signaling Fugaku to help Itachi write his name.
Only Itachi.
This was the condition Tsunade had negotiated with Fugaku, so Takeshi didn't need to waste his breath explaining. Itachi was lifted onto the table. Fugaku whispered a few instructions in his ear. The boy nodded slightly, walked to the scroll, bit his thumb, and began to write.
The characters were crooked, but legible: Uchiha Itachi.
Kura watched from the side, his expression gloomy.
Takeshi noticed him. After a moment of hesitation, he lowered his voice. "I don't think Shisui is in immediate danger. If the opponent is Madara, and he just needs eyes, he would have been better off taking yours. On the contrary... I think you are the one in danger."
"Hmm? Are you saying that Madara might..." Kura froze.
Capturing Shisui was for the sake of grooming him. Following the requirements of the Mangekyo Sharingan, Madara would need to destroy the people Shisui cared about.
Who did Shisui care about? There was no doubt.
As a father, Kura was the most important figure in Shisui's heart. To force Shisui to awaken the Mangekyo, it was highly likely that Madara would target him.
===============
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