Fire Capital, inside the Daimyō's mansion.
A samurai stepped out of the room and glanced at Uchiha Elder Kohaku, who sat calmly, sipping tea.
"The Daimyō-sama has summoned you, Uchiha Elder."
Kohaku raised his eyes to the samurai and gave a slow nod.
Setting the teacup aside, he rose and walked inside.
Within the chamber, the Daimyō sat upon his seat, two ministers standing quietly at his sides.
"Greetings, Daimyō-sama," Kohaku said, bowing respectfully as his gaze settled on the ruler of the Land of Fire.
The Daimyō looked at Elder Kohaku and said calmly,
"I do not remember how long it has been since someone from the Uchiha entered the Daimyō's mansion. I had thought that after the creation of the ninja villages, it would become difficult to see a shinobi of great ninja clan here again."
"Hahaha, Daimyō-sama, you jest," Kohaku replied with a faint smile.
"The Uchiha have always been a loyal force of the Land of Fire. The creation of the village has not changed that."
The Daimyō's fingers tapped lightly against the armrest.
"Loyalty," he said slowly, "is measured not by words or bloodlines, but by usefulness. Tell me, Uchiha Elder—what purpose do the Uchiha serve now, beyond the walls of Konoha?"
Kohaku did not answer immediately.
Instead, he reached into his sleeve and produced a small wooden case, placing it gently on the floor between them.
"If the Daimyō-sama permits," he said calmly, "the Uchiha wish to serve the Land of Fire in a manner that does not rely solely on blades or jutsu."
He opened the case.
Inside were several neatly arranged vials and sealed packets, each marked with simple labels.
"These medicines," Kohaku continued, "are meant for common ailments—colds, fever, and infections that plague civilians during seasonal changes. They require no chakra and no shinobi to administer."
One of the ministers leaned forward unconsciously.
"This is the result of our clan's research for the people of the Land of Fire," Elder Kohaku said, his tone steady, "and also a way for the Daimyō-sama to judge the worth of the Uchiha."
The left minister's gaze lingered on the medicines, while the Daimyō himself studied them with a glint in his eyes, as if he had discovered a hidden treasure.
"Many similar remedies have been produced over the years," the minister standing to the Daimyō's right said at last.
"Yet their success rate is uncertain, and their cures unreliable.
Words alone are not enough to prove their value."
Kohaku then took out a scroll from his sleeve and presented it before the Daimyō.
"These are the records of the tests conducted using these medicines and their effects," Kohaku said respectfully.
"If the Daimyō-sama wishes, they can be verified."
The Daimyō studied the scroll for some time.
As he read through the records, the surprise on his face deepened.
After a long moment, he closed the scroll and passed it to the minister on his right.
"If these medicines perform as you claim," the Daimyō said slowly, "then they will bring considerable wealth to our nation. Tell me—what does the Uchiha clan want in return?"
His gaze shifted briefly from Kohaku to the medicines on the floor, as though they were hidden treasures.
If the Uchiha handed these over, the Land of Fire would gain a new and powerful source of income.
Elder Kohaku met the Daimyō's eyes, understanding that the moment had arrived.
"What the Uchiha seek," he said calmly, "is an agreement from the Daimyō-sama to be officially recognised as the merchant clan of the Land of Fire, with the right to distribute these medicines. "
"From the profits, we are willing to offer twenty percent to the Land of Fire as tax."
When the Daimyō and his ministers heard this, their expressions stiffened in shock.
They had expected the Uchiha to offer the formulas in exchange for political favours—funds for Konoha, or some other major request.
Instead, a shinobi clan seeking recognition as a merchant clan of the nation was something none of them had anticipated.
The minister on the left looked at Elder Kohaku and voiced the doubt shared by all of them.
"A ninja clan wishing to become a merchant clan," he said slowly, "is unheard of. This would be the first of its kind."
The Daimyō and the minister on the right nodded in agreement.
Kohaku studied the confused expressions on the faces of the Daimyō and his ministers.
It reminded him of his own reaction when Toyoma had first asked him to come here—
to present these medicines for sale and to seek official recognition as a merchant clan of the Land of Fire.
At that time, he too had been shaken.
The Uchiha were a ninja clan with a long and proud heritage.
To step into the role of merchants had felt almost unthinkable.
But Toyoma had not spoken of sentiment.
He had spoken of profit—and of power.
The power that came with nation recognition.
The strength that came from controlling distribution rather than begging for favour.
With the Grand Elder's support for Toyoma's vision, Kohaku had come to understand that this path did not weaken the Uchiha.
It strengthened them.
Perhaps, he thought calmly, it was the best option the Uchiha clan had left.
"Daimyō-sama," Kohaku said slowly, his tone carrying a rare note of concern,
"the Uchiha's situation should now be clear to you. For many years, we believed that remaining shinobi would allow our clan's heritage to endure."
He paused briefly.
"Yet even after all this time, the life expectancy of a shinobi remains short. For the sake of our descendants and the future of our clan, we have chosen to take a different path."
The Daimyō had not expected such words from a proud Uchiha elder.
But as he considered the harsh lives of shinobi—and recalled how every enduring clan, whether civilian, official, or noble,
planned for generations beyond the present—he began to understand part of the Uchiha's reasoning.
The Daimyō then turned his gaze fully toward Kohaku.
"Uchiha Elder," he said, his tone turning stern, "will the ninja village you built alongside the Senju allow you to be recognised as merchants of the Land of Fire?"
The way he spoke made the distinction clear—the village and the nation were not the same.
From that tone alone, Kohaku understood the implication.
"Daimyō-sama," he replied calmly, "the Senju and the Uchiha founded the village to serve the Land of Fire. Konoha has always been a part of the nation, not apart from it."
His eyes remained steady.
"As founders of the village, we never believed we required permission from the village to serve the nation in which we live."
The Daimyō looked at Kohaku and allowed himself a faint smile.
His gaze then shifted to the two ministers beside him, both of whom gave small nods.
One of them stepped forward.
"Very well," the minister said evenly. "The Uchiha may be recognised as merchants of the Land of Fire. There is no objection to that."
He paused briefly."However, the nation will require thirty-five percent of the profits as tax. Can this be agreed upon, Uchiha Elder?"
It was clear what he intended—to squeeze as much value from the Uchiha as possible in exchange for granting them a new identity.
Had the Uchiha not presented these heaven-defying medicines, a shinobi clan from the ninja village would never have been allowed to gain recognition in the capital.
The long-standing tension between Konoha and the Uchiha was no secret to the Fire Capital, and now an opportunity had presented itself—
one that could quietly weaken the village's influence.
How could they let it pass?
Elder Kohaku looked toward the Daimyō.
After a moment of careful consideration, he spoke.
"Daimyō-sama, the most we can offer is thirty percent," he said calmly.
"Our weapon trade has been shut down for a long time, and the Uchiha are under considerable strain. At this rate, thirty percent will allow the steady distribution of these medicines to continue without interruption."
His tone remained respectful, but firm.
The ministers exchanged glances before one of them spoke again.
"We have also heard," he said carefully, "that the bicycles and vehicles produced by Uchiha workshops—and the cat cafés operated under your name—are becoming increasingly influential and profitable."
Their eyes settled on Elder Kohaku.
Kohaku hesitated for a brief moment, a trace of embarrassment crossing his face.
"Those ventures belong to the Hawk Branch of the Uchiha," he admitted.
"The medicine business, however, represents the interests of the entire clan."
The Daimyō observed the elder closely.
The hesitation, the ambition, the restrained greed—it was all there.
To him, that was a reassuring sign.
He nodded once.
"Very well," the Daimyō said. "Thirty percent it is."
Both ministers nodded in agreement.
One of them stepped forward and presented a signed parchment to Elder Kohaku.
Kohaku accepted it with steady hands.
As he looked at the seal of the Land of Fire stamped upon the document, a quiet sense of weight settled in his chest.
The Uchiha were no longer only a shinobi clan.
From this moment onward, they were an officially recognised merchant clan of the Land of Fire.
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