As Hibari spoke, Hitenn's expression instantly shifted. He said very seriously, "Deputy Commander, why do you say that? Although my father had some slight dissatisfaction with the proposal, he had no intention of harming you. In fact, he said that you've overexerted yourself for Konoha, and how could the Hyūga clan possibly trouble you further for advice..."
Hibari nearly burst out laughing at Hitenn's words. Only a 'straight-laced' person like Hitenn wouldn't understand the implied meaning.
What 'how could we possibly'? Didn't that just mean his old man thought Hibari was meddling, telling him to stop blabbering and just mind his own business?
"Don't be so serious. I was just giving an example, wanting to know if your father was angry or something," Hibari said with a smile, waving his hand.
After smoothly glossing over the topic, Hitenn's expression showed a slight hesitation, but he finally spoke: "Although my father told me not to trouble you any further, Deputy Commander, after much thought, I still came here. One reason is to keep our appointment, as I had previously mentioned this matter to you, Deputy Commander. Not coming would be a breach of etiquette..."
He paused slightly, then Hitenn continued, "Secondly, our Hyūga clan indeed lacks some means of generating income. Looking at Konohagakure, the only ones who can truly be called 'prestigious clans' are your Senju clan, the Uchiha clan, and our Hyūga clan. But among these three, while our Hyūga clan has a long history, our recent situation is not good. The Senju clan has many enterprises in Konohagakure, and you, Deputy Commander, recently opened a booming hotpot restaurant. The entire Uchiha clan has entered Konoha's security system, with no shortage of allowances and salaries. Only our Hyūga clan hasn't found a suitable direction, and our financial situation is becoming increasingly difficult. If this continues, problems will inevitably arise. As the young clan head of the Hyūga clan, I am very worried, and therefore, I specifically rushed here to seek your guidance, Deputy Commander."
The development of prestigious clans indeed had their own unique paths. The Uchiha clan and Senju clan were quite casual; while everyone was proud of their own name, at home, they each did their own thing. Whoever earned more, whoever lived better, it all depended on individual ability, so neither family felt much pressure.
And as Hitenn said, the Senju clan had many businesses in Konoha, primarily the timber business. After all, the title of 'Senju of the Forest' didn't come from nowhere; it could be said that the Senju clan monopolized the entire Land of Fire's timber business, so they naturally weren't short on money.
The Uchiha clan also had other sources, and recently, almost their entire family had essentially become 'civil servants.' As long as they clocked in on time and put in the work, their income was quite good.
Only the Hyūga clan had a strict family rule system, with the Main House having a single heir and the Branch House serving the Main House. This was very rigid but also ensured their continuation. The problem was that the Hyūga clan's rigidity led them to fail to keep up with Konohagakure's development and missed many major opportunities. Although they also established some businesses in Konohagakure, they were operating at a deficit.
After all, the Main Clan needed to control the Branch House. Besides the Caged Bird Seal, they also needed strong economic control. Otherwise, if you couldn't even pay their wages, how would they obey? You couldn't always use coercive methods, right?
Hitenn was worried about this. If the Hyūga clan remained in this state for a long time, problems would eventually arise.
Hibari stroked his chin, then said, "That's true. Your Hyūga clan's situation is special. In the past, during constant wars, you could rely on powerful shinobi to gain benefits. But now there aren't as many missions, and relying solely on that isn't enough to support a large family. You need to find other avenues."
Hitenn nodded along, then said, "My father is getting old, and his way of thinking is becoming increasingly rigid and stagnant. He looks down on mercantile matters, which is why he was somewhat displeased with your previous suggestion, Deputy Commander. But as the young clan head, I also have a duty to rectify this, don't I?"
Hibari glanced at Hitenn with some surprise. Speaking of rigidity, this guy was no less rigid than his old man. And he dared to criticize him?
But thinking about it carefully, Hitenn was actually just a bit 'straight-laced'; he wasn't really some old fossil who was stubborn and unyielding. Aside from anything else, Hibari suggested he open a massage parlor or something, and he didn't show much resistance. This showed that he was still quite open to new things.
"So, what do you mean?" Hibari asked softly, taking a sip of tea.
"As the young clan head of the Hyūga clan, I still have some say at home. Recently, my father has also gradually been handing some matters over to me to handle, so I still have some usable personnel and funds. If you truly have any good ideas, Deputy Commander, I am willing to give them a try... As for my father, I believe once he sees improvement and progress, he will understand that I haven't done anything wrong!" Hitenn said very firmly.
Listening to this, Hibari also began to think. With Hashirama about to head to the capital city to 'ascend in rank and wealth,' the Senju clan's influence in Konohagakure should gradually decrease as their focus shifts. After all, this village belongs to everyone, not just the Senju family.
At the same time, this is also a transaction with the Daimyō's palace; they can't just keep taking benefits without giving some kind of response, right? That would be too unsightly and dishonor the Senju clan's reputation. When you're out there, don't you have to uphold your credibility?
However, Hibari still needed to make his way in Konohagakure. He couldn't truly let the Senju clan become marginalized in Konoha. If direct influence decreased, they could increase it from the side. First and foremost, binding some allies would be an excellent choice.
Of course, the first choice would be the Sarutobi clan. As it stands, the Sarutobi clan and their Senju clan have an incredibly good relationship. As long as nothing too melodramatic happens in the future, the relationship between the two clans will likely remain friendly. But merely having the Sarutobi clan isn't enough.
Thinking this, Hibari refocused his attention on Hitenn. The Uchiha clan was out of the question. Although they were all 'their own people' now, the Senju clan and Uchiha clan disliked each other, let alone forming close collaborations.
Besides, it was entirely possible that the Uchiha clan would continue down their original historical path in the future, so Hibari had no need to curry favor with them or form alliances. Being able to get along with some individuals, like Kagami, was enough.
Then another option was the Hyūga clan, also one of Konohagakure's three great clans. Once the Uchiha clan was out of the picture in the future, and the Senju clan shifted its focus, the Hyūga clan would genuinely become 'Konoha's Strongest.' The Sarutobi clan might be able to rival them in influence, but in other aspects, there was still a gap compared to this most ancient clan.
If he could now tie some of the Senju clan's interests to the Hyūga clan's interests, that would indeed be a good choice.
After sorting out these intricacies, Hibari smiled and said, "Since you trust me so much, I can't disappoint you. Hitenn, in business, there are naturally gains and losses. I can't completely guarantee that you'll make a huge profit... But I can try my best to minimize your losses. I have a proposal; I wonder if you're willing to hear it..."
Hitenn had never underestimated Hibari because of his age; otherwise, he wouldn't have come here to discuss anything with him. Therefore, after Hibari said this, he nodded without hesitation, saying, "Deputy Commander, please speak freely."
"It's like this: I think your father's dissatisfaction with my proposal might also be because I'm young and easily underestimated, and he might fear that if you follow my advice, you won't just fail to achieve anything, but also incur losses, which could then affect your prestige within your Hyūga clan. Think about it, you're currently gradually taking over power in your Hyūga clan. If these things suddenly happen, it would indeed have a very detrimental impact on you, wouldn't it?" Hibari raised an eyebrow.
Hitenn hadn't thought much about this before, but now that Hibari mentioned it, he found it quite reasonable. So, he nodded and said, "I see. It seems I misunderstood my father then. I will certainly go apologize when I return."
"In that case, if we want to do something, we need some risk transference. Hitenn, how about this: we partner up in business? You invest a sum, and I invest a sum. This reduces your risk by transferring it to my side. If we profit, that's great. If we lose, our losses won't be significant..." Hibari said with a chuckle.
Hearing Hibari's words, Hitenn's expression became somewhat moved. Then he said, "Deputy Commander, wouldn't that be unfavorable to you?"
"What's 'favorable' or 'unfavorable'? Business has gains and losses. What if we do profit? Wouldn't I make money too? There's no such thing as a risk-free venture! It's all our own choice! You don't need to overthink it," Hibari explained.
He paused slightly, then Hibari continued with a smile, "Besides, this isn't just about business; it also helps deepen the friendship between our two families and encourages more interaction, which is beneficial for the village's unity."
Hitenn was just a bit 'straight-laced'; he wasn't stupid. As soon as Hibari said this, as the young clan head of the Hyūga clan, he immediately understood the meaning. This meant using this as an opportunity to deepen the interactions between the two sides, potentially leading to a better path in the future.
This was indeed a win-win situation for everyone, so Hitenn didn't overthink it and readily agreed: "Deputy Commander, you're right. Our two families have indeed been somewhat lacking in interaction over the years, leading to some estrangement. This is truly detrimental to the village's spirit of unity and friendship. Using this opportunity, we should certainly strengthen our ties!"
"Exactly, well said!" Hibari said with a clap of his hand, seeing Hitenn was so agreeable.
After a brief pause, Hibari remembered what Hiruzen had told him last time—that if he found any good opportunities, to remember to pull him in. If he were to really partner with Hitenn without even a word to Hiruzen, Hiruzen would surely be annoyed to death the next time they met.
Thinking this, Hibari smiled again and said, "Oh, right, Hiruzen also just asked me recently to keep an eye out for these kinds of things for him. How about we transfer some more of this risk out?"
The Sarutobi clan was also a prominent clan of Konoha, just slightly lesser than their three great clans. Moreover, both father and son of the Sarutobi clan held high positions of power in Konoha, so Hitenn dared not look down on the Sarutobi clan. Furthermore, Hitenn and Hiruzen had a good relationship, so he didn't hesitate much and simply nodded, saying, "That would be good as well."
In Hitenn's view, if their Hyūga clan, Sarutobi clan, and Senju clan could gradually strengthen their ties, perhaps they could become the new Ino–Shika–Chō!
If it really came to that point, who could possibly shake the status of their three clans? The Uchiha? Even with double their numbers, it wouldn't be enough for the three clans to team up and deal with them!
——————————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]
There are 50+ advance chapters available for you to read!