In the narrow borderlands near the Land of Rice Fields, a critical military zone had formed — the temporary Cloud Shinobi Command Center, overseen by none other than Fourth Raikage Ai. The war with Rock Shinobi was escalating, and supplies were running thin.
Having long prepared for this meeting, Andrew, bearing the mark of the Flying Thunder God on Orochimaru, arrived swiftly from Sound Village.
He halted abruptly outside the compound, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the surroundings with Byakugan-level perception.
"Miss Yugito, how long do you plan to trail me like a shadow?" Andrew asked aloud, turning calmly toward a cluster of rocks in the distance.
No one had stopped him upon approaching the heavily guarded command post. That alone tipped him off — they were expecting him. Yet, Cloud Village would never be so careless. And indeed, once Andrew expanded his sensory perception, he immediately detected a stealth unit led by Yugito Nii, better known as the Jinchūriki of the Two-Tails.
But Andrew was no fool. He wasn't going to wait politely to be invited inside.
"Let me greet you instead," he muttered, his chakra pulsing as he subtly activated a powerful illusion technique.
A sudden ripple passed through Yugito's consciousness. Jade Control Zaomei, a high-level Genjutsu crafted by Andrew himself, tried to dominate her mind. Her vision blurred. Just when it seemed Andrew's illusion might take over entirely, the Two-Tails stirred.
With a roar from within, Matatabi forcibly expelled the foreign influence, protecting Yugito's core and restoring her clarity. Andrew's illusion had failed — but barely.
"That was... an illusion?" Yugito gasped internally, shaken. Her body had been hijacked so completely she hadn't even been able to twitch. Sweat rolled down her spine.
She thought: Is Andrew really just a Genin? He's not even known for illusions! That felt like being dragged into a dream and drowned in it...
Regaining control of her body, she revealed herself from her cover. "I didn't expect you'd be the one sent here. I thought you were staying in Konoha?"
"Ms. Yugito, we meet again. I may live in Konoha, but today, I'm representing the Uchiha Clan. This discussion has nothing to do with the village. May I go in now and speak to your boss?"
Though cautious, Yugito nodded and ordered her team to stand down. She led Andrew into the command building.
Upon entering, Fourth Raikage's sharp eyes immediately locked onto him.
"So... this is who Uchiha sent to represent them? A child?"
Andrew didn't bother standing on ceremony. He pulled out a chair, sat down lazily, and said, "Raikage-sama, if you're trying to provoke me, I should warn you — your elders aren't half as good at it as Konoha's."
The young Uchiha rested his chin on his palm and stared with calm amusement. Raikage's size was intimidating — all brawn and thunder — but Andrew wasn't impressed.
"Don't waste time testing me. Your intel team surely knows I'm authorized."
Raikage snorted but couldn't help recalling how this same boy had once put Yugito on the defensive. He had investigated thoroughly since then. Uchiha's youth was no ordinary shinobi.
"Hmph. Your mouth is sharp for your age. Typical Konoha brat."
"Thanks for the compliment. That's Konoha education for you." Andrew smiled. "Now, shall we stop with the warm-up act and get to the real discussion?"
The tension in the room rose instantly. Fourth Raikage's eyes narrowed, his chakra flaring.
"Do you think if I took you hostage now, I could bend Konoha and Uchiha to my will?"
Instantly, a wave of suffocating pressure filled the air. Ninja in the room gasped. Sensory types were nearly knocked unconscious as their chakra links cut off.
But Andrew didn't flinch. His eyes spun into the Mangekyō Sharingan, and a counter-pressure pressed back from his gaze, invisible but devastating.
"Even if you could capture me — and that's a big IF — you'd only earn Uchiha's full wrath. Konoha would disavow you. And Onoki? He'd jump at the chance to ally with us."
The Mangekyō pulsed, filled with deadly warning.
Raikage paused.
"...Relax. I was joking." He chuckled stiffly and sat down. "You people are too serious."
"We're Uchiha, Raikage-sama. We don't take jokes lightly. Our clan isn't known for emotional stability," Andrew replied with a subtle smirk. "Make the wrong joke, and we'll answer with fire."
Raikage swallowed his pride. He'd heard stories. Uchiha were a clan that danced with madness, especially those with Mangekyō eyes.
"Fine," he grunted. "Let's talk about the deal. We need massive quantities of weapons — shuriken, explosive tags, kunai. What can you offer?"
Andrew leaned back. "Currently, we can supply you with 300 million explosive tags, 300,000 kunai, and 300,000 shuriken. As for food — military rations can last your army 3–5 years."
Raikage nearly spat his tea across the table.
"WHAT?! That's more stock than we have as a village! Are you serious?!"
"You're negotiating with Uchiha Kamasu's direct representative, Raikage. I don't joke about war goods. Those numbers are real."
"Then... you're saying this isn't charity. How much are you charging?"
"It's wartime. Prices go up. These goods won't be cheap." Andrew said plainly. "But I'm open to deals — even bartering."
Raikage raised a brow. "Bartering?"
"Yes. I've heard that your village's special beef is top-grade. If you don't have the cash, I'll take meat."
"...Seriously?"
"Dead serious. For this shipment, I estimate the cost at 79 tons of special beef. Fair trade, no scams."
Raikage's jaw dropped.
"Seventy-nine tons? Are you trying to bankrupt us?! That's almost our entire supply!"
Andrew blinked.
"You say it like it's my fault. Maybe you should reflect. If you'd developed your livestock industry better, we wouldn't be having this problem. Don't blame me because your cattle herding budget is trash."
The silence that followed was legendary.
Even the elite ninja in the room looked away awkwardly.
'...Is this kid real?' Raikage thought. 'He sounds like a trader from a damn merchant guild...'
Still, the logic was hard to argue. Explosive tags and weapons were priceless in a war of attrition. Beef could be raised again. And Andrew had just offered him the path to survive.
"Alright," Raikage grumbled. "We'll find the cattle."
Andrew stood. "Pleasure doing business. I'll have the first shipment ready in 72 hours."
As he turned to leave, his eyes met Yugito's once more. The faintest hint of his earlier illusion flared again, just for a second.
She stiffened.
"Be careful, Yugito. Next time, Matatabi might not be fast enough."
With that, Andrew vanished in a shimmer of Flying Thunder God technique — the mark on the doorframe glowing faintly behind him.
And so, Uchiha officially entered the war economy, and Cloud Village had no choice but to play along — even if it cost them nearly all their cows.
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