The subject of money hung heavy in the air. A heavy silence fell over the room. It seemed their patriarch was right. The Uchiha clan now had strength and numbers. The only thing they lacked was money.
When they fled Konoha, the clan members had been spirited away by White Zetsu. They had left in such a hurry that they brought no money with them. What little coin they had was quickly spent on seeds and tools for farming. Now, every household's pockets were emptier than their stomachs.
Since joining Lord Madara, they had worked tirelessly, yet had not seen a single ryo. They never complained; in their isolated life, money had been useless. But things were different now. To build a proper village, they needed capital. Under normal circumstances, such an endeavor would require economic support from an allied nation. But Madara's vision was clear: they would not depend on outsiders. They would rely only on themselves, the Uchiha.
Uchiha Fugaku sighed deeply, his face a mask of worry.
Yaowei suggested, "Lord Fugaku, perhaps we should speak to Lord Madara again about the funds?"
Fugaku replied, "And what good would that do? Lord Madara's intentions are perfectly clear. We are to handle these matters ourselves. He cares only for the results."
Inahiro countered, "That is not necessarily the case. Perhaps Lord Madara has simply forgotten?"
Fugaku shook his head. "Impossible. What kind of man is Lord Madara? He would not overlook such a crucial detail. I believe he either does not wish to give us the funds, or perhaps he does not have them himself. We should not bother him."
Yaowei pressed, "Lord Fugaku, why not simply ask him? What harm could it do? We have nothing to lose."
Fugaku glanced at him, then closed his eyes and shook his head, saying no more. He was too embarrassed to ask, too afraid of angering their powerful ancestor.
Seeing this, Inahiro and Yaowei fell silent, exchanging a helpless glance. Inahiro muttered under his breath, "The clan leader is a good man in all respects, but he is too timid, too indecisive. He is always afraid of what might go wrong. It was the same in Konoha."
Yaowei sighed. "Alas, what can we do? We can only try to understand."
The hall fell completely quiet, the previous excitement extinguished. After a long moment, a clan elder, a man of great seniority, finally spoke, his voice breaking the heavy silence.
"Fugaku, since we cannot ask Lord Madara for the money, we must find a way to earn it ourselves. We are a clan of shinobi. Taking on missions is what we do best, and it is the fastest way to earn coin."
"I understand your point," Fugaku replied, "but while we have a great number of idle ninja, we have no way to find missions."
"We cannot accept official, public missions," the elder explained. "But there are still channels for… less reputable work."
Hearing this, a spark of hope lit up in Fugaku's eyes. "What channel?" he asked anxiously.
"The Ninja Cat Clan."
Hearing the name, Fugaku's expression cleared. "Yes, of course. Why didn't I think of them?"
The Ninja Cat Clan and the Uchiha had a deep connection, a cooperative relationship that stretched back for generations. They were the Uchiha's traditional source of intelligence. For the kinds of unsanctioned missions they now needed, the Ninja Cat Clan would certainly have contacts.
As he considered this, Fugaku's face broke into a smile, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a look of somber reluctance.
"We are the Uchiha," he said, his voice heavy. "A proud clan with a history stretching back hundreds of years. Are we to accept shady, shameful missions, all for the sake of money?"
"We have no other choice," the elder replied. "First, we make our fortune. Then, we can establish our village and our own ninja system. There is no shame in earning a living."