In the end, the old Third still couldn't completely take away the Nara clan's share.
Because it would look way too shameless.
So, in a show of "generosity," the old Third gave the Nara clan ten percent of the profits.
When Shikaku heard the news, it felt like someone had smashed a cake straight into his head—dizzy and exhilarated all at once.
Ten percent!
That wasn't little.
He'd heard Kangetsu say it over drinks.
Ten percent meant one hundred million ryō a year.
So the moment Shikaku got home, he moved at lightning speed and called Ino-Shika-Cho together for a meeting.
Right now, the leaders of the three clans were—
Nara clan: Shikaku.
Yamanaka clan: Inoichi.
Akimichi clan: Choza.
Usually, the three clans shared fortunes: if one suffered, all suffered; if one prospered, all prospered.
Even their shinobi squads were fixed three-man teams, one from each clan.
And among them, the Nara served as the brain that set the plan.
At this moment, Shikaku was still riding that high.
Old friends! We're getting paid!
"You two already know, right?"
Know what?
Choza spoke in a confused tone while chewing on snacks.
Inoichi, on the other hand, looked mildly interested.
He'd heard the Nara clan had been making moves recently.
He just didn't know what they were doing.
Only that it had something to do with Hokage-sama.
Shikaku didn't waste words. He pulled out the contract.
He pointed at the ten percent line, eyes burning as he stared the two of them down.
"Ten percent. One hundred million. Every year."
The moment those words landed—
Inoichi let out a dumb "Huh?" and froze with his mouth hanging open.
His head buzzed.
Choza didn't even manage to hold onto his snack. His hand jerked, and it dropped straight to the floor.
He stared blankly at Shikaku, then at the contract.
Then he pointed at it with a trembling finger.
"O-one hundred million?"
"Yeah."
"And every year?"
"Right."
Choza instinctively patted his clothes.
Old. Even patched on the inside.
Even his snacks were the cheap, rough kind.
Of course.
That wasn't exactly shameful.
These days, everyone was living lean.
And it wasn't like he hadn't seen other villages—some had it even worse.
In an instant—
Inoichi and Choza both grabbed Shikaku's hands with red, desperate eyes.
Bro! Real bro! You can't keep all that money to yourself…
…
…
"I'm not keeping it to myself!"
Haruno was extremely displeased with Yukino's mom's accusation.
Watch your attitude.
Haruno was the main wife now.
What?
You're my mom?
So what if you're my mom?
Being my mom means you get to question the main wife?
Yukine's mouth twitched, but the expression didn't quite form.
"Clean up your mouth first," she said flatly. "Then talk."
Haruno hurriedly wiped at her lips, caught, then tried to act confident anyway.
But Yukine calmly pointed again.
"There's still a spot."
Haruno instantly went a little guilty and wiped once more.
She'd heard Kangetsu say that with chakra in the mix, certain "maintenance" really did make her feel better.
So lately, Haruno had gotten a bit… shameless about it.
With this daughter—who used to never resist, and now was paying everything back with interest—Yukine had a headache.
She knew Haruno's personality.
Sharp, crafty, petty, and vindictive.
She just hadn't expected her to become bold to this extent.
There was no helping it.
Haruno was fearless.
In front of Kangetsu, she always "opened the big picture" and leaned into whatever he liked.
And because the clothing business had taken off, she'd gradually figured out his tastes.
Stockings, skirts, different styles—she learned them all.
It made her absurdly favored.
To the point that even Yukine—an actual wife—sometimes felt outdone.
In the end…
She never imagined she'd live to see the day she'd be competing with her own daughter for affection.
That was why, when Kangetsu stepped out of the bedroom and saw Yukine smacking Haruno, he couldn't help chuckling.
He reached out, pulled Yukine onto his lap, and soothed her with an easy, practiced familiarity.
His hand rested on her legs with obvious approval—he genuinely liked the way the Yukinoshita household carried itself.
"Nn… no," Yukine protested softly, face flushing as she tried to push his hand away. "Haruno's still here…"
"Then drink some tea first," she said, trying to regain control. "Stop fooling around."
"Fine," Kangetsu said, amused. "If it's tea you ground yourself, I'm drinking it."
He leaned in and stole a quick kiss before taking the cup.
"The clothing business—you two did very well."
Haruno sidled closer with a bright, shameless grin.
"Do we get a reward?"
"You do."
Kangetsu wasn't stingy about it.
Their work had boosted his standing with the old Third by a massive margin.
"I'll teach you Chakura Teiren-hō (Chakra Refining Method)."
Yukine and Haruno both lit up immediately.
So soon… they would touch the extraordinary?
Looks like their contribution mattered even more than they'd realized.
And more importantly—
If he was willing to teach them, that meant they already carried weight in his heart.
That was what truly mattered.
They understood perfectly: in this world, who you relied on decided whether you stood or fell.
Haruno waved a small hand like she was taking command.
"Leave it to me!"
"Tonight I'll make sure Mom doesn't get to slack off!"
"I'll make sure you're satisfied!"
Yukine's face went dark on the spot.
Only in this area did her rebellious daughter have endless energy.
"Not so fast," Kangetsu said, calm and firm. "Let's talk first."
"But I dressed up," Haruno complained, turning slightly as if to show off.
She knew exactly how to push the right buttons.
Wicked, truly.
She flashed a cunning smile and leaned in close, deliberately making it difficult for him to keep his eyes—and his hands—to himself.
Haruno was very good at this.
Way too good.
Kangetsu exhaled slowly, the last of his restraint cracking.
"Fine," he said. "Then we'll handle it now."
Yukine's expression tightened.
She slapped Haruno's hand away.
"Rebellious girl."
Kangetsu didn't argue.
One arm around each of them, he lifted them both and carried them straight toward the bedroom.
Kangetsu had never pretended to be anything other than what he was.
A man who followed his appetite.
So the two of them paid the price.
Later, the house looked like it had weathered a storm—rumpled fabric, scattered ribbons, half-folded clothes, and signs of a long, chaotic afternoon that had gotten completely out of hand.
Yukine quietly pinched three condoms between her fingers, cheeks still red as she turned her face away.
No.
Absolutely not.
This couldn't keep happening.