[129] Cooperation

Yuhara had no idea what Fugaku and the others were thinking. Otherwise, he might've defended himself a little.

Black-hearted? No way—he was being generous.

Think about it: selling at 20% below black market prices? That's practically charity. Especially in this environment, where even finding a seller was rare, let alone getting this much at once.

After all, weapons like these were tightly controlled. Whether it was a great nation or a small country's rulers, no one wanted their enemies to grow stronger.

So blockades were everywhere. Yuhara selling to them—even if some were defective—was doing them a favor.

"Not to mention, I gave them a huge discount! This is peak generosity!"

Muttering to himself in the darkness, Yuhara walked toward a meeting spot with Nara Shikaku.

He hadn't wanted to meet with Shikaku so soon—especially in the dead of night.

But Shikaku had blocked his supply request in the Administrative Department, and that forced his hand.

Yuhara understood—it was reasonable. The Police Department had already requested supplies once before.

A second request within a year? Of course it would be scrutinized—especially given their tense history with Hiruzen.

Even if Shikaku had spread Yuhara's intentions among the ninja circles, making it clear the Uchiha only wanted fairness and integration, Yuhara's purge of Root had cast a shadow.

And now this big new supply request? Shikaku, as a department head, had to be cautious.

Yuhara wasn't mad. But he needed to talk, and maybe give Shikaku a heads-up.

After all, to remove Hiruzen through formal channels, he'd need serious backing.

Soon, Yuhara arrived at a forest. Activating his Sharingan, he scanned the area before entering.

Earlier, after a talk with Fugaku, he'd snuck into the Nara compound using Void Step and left a letter in Shikaku's study.

The note invited him to meet tonight.

Yuhara had even waited outside the Nara clan's perimeter until he saw Shikaku leave, then followed.

Now, Shikaku was already standing quietly in the forest—but Yuhara also sensed hidden presences in the shadows.

He didn't care. A pulse of chakra later, he vanished on the spot.

Shikaku waited patiently. He had arrived early anyway.

Earlier that evening, after work, he'd returned home expecting a quiet night—only to find a mysterious letter on his desk.

He was sure it hadn't been there before. His wife hadn't touched it either.

That meant someone had entered the Nara compound and reached his private study without anyone noticing.

It was a terrifying thought—if they'd wanted him dead, he wouldn't have known what hit him.

Still, Shikaku calmly read the letter, which turned out to be from Yuhara, requesting a private meeting.

That eased his nerves a little. But the secrecy made him wonder—what exactly did Yuhara want to discuss?

It was clearly no small matter. Still, he decided to meet with the Uchiha head.

And now, waiting in silence, he suddenly noticed the air in front of him ripple—before Yuhara appeared out of thin air.

At that moment, Shikaku finally understood how the letter had ended up on his desk.

Yuhara had mastered space-time ninjutsu—just like the Fourth Hokage.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Minister Shikaku," Yuhara said with a smile. "Please forgive the sudden invitation. But I didn't dare visit you at the Administrative Department."

The Admin office was in the Hokage Tower—far too risky for this kind of discussion.

If Yuhara had gone there, Hiruzen would've been alerted, or ANBU would've been deployed. Not worth the trouble.

So a secret night meeting it was.

"I understand your concerns," Shikaku sighed, staring at the smiling teenager in front of him.

"I'm impressed you've mastered space-time techniques. Only a few ever have—Second Hokage, Fourth Hokage, and that mysterious Uchiha who killed the Fourth."

Yuhara nodded. "Sadly, I've never met any of them. Two are dead, and one's our enemy. If I had this power nine years ago, maybe everything would've been different."

"No offense meant, just admiration," Shikaku said quickly, realizing his words might've sounded suspicious.

After all, it was rare for an Uchiha to master space-time techniques. Yuhara had every right to be sensitive.

"I'll get to the point," he said. "Minister Shikaku, when will the supplies we requested be approved?"

So that's the first item on the list? Shikaku realized this conversation was going to cover a lot.

But if they couldn't agree on the supplies, there'd be no 'next.'

Shikaku considered carefully. He didn't know Yuhara's full intentions, which put him at a disadvantage—but he was curious. Especially after the Root purge and the Police Department's improved reputation.

Everything seemed normal… but something felt off. And the size of this new supply request only deepened his doubts.

"The Police Department submitted a large request just last June," Shikaku said slowly. "And now, barely a year later, you've asked for more than double that amount."

"Even accounting for expansion, it seems excessive. I have to be thorough."

He paused to observe Yuhara's reaction. When he saw the teen tense slightly, he added, "I haven't submitted the report to the Hokage yet—so he doesn't know."

That made Yuhara visibly relax. "Thank you. I have my reasons, and a few grievances too."

He sighed.

Hiashi was right—everyone wears masks based on who they're talking to and the situation they're in.

Sometimes, that's not a flaw. It's a way to build empathy.

"I see. And what exactly are those grievances?" Shikaku asked.

Yuhara looked at him seriously. "Before I explain, may I ask—what do you think of our current Hokage?"

Shikaku wasn't surprised by the question. He'd guessed this would involve Hiruzen somehow.

Still, he was uneasy. What if Yuhara was planning something extreme?

"If I wanted to attack him," Yuhara said, reading his worry, "I could've done it when I took down Danzo. Why wait?"

He had a point. From an outsider's view, Yuhara probably did look like a dangerous radical.

He'd wiped out Root's remnants. Now he wanted a massive supply stockpile.

Was he arming the Police Department? Planning to overthrow the Hokage?

"Damn… I really do look like the villain, don't I?"

Realizing Shikaku's fears, Yuhara couldn't help laughing bitterly.

Shikaku thought it over. If Yuhara did want Hiruzen dead, no one could stop him.

With space-time ninjutsu, he could teleport straight into the Hokage's room. That he hadn't done so was actually reassuring.

"Hiruzen is a responsible and confident leader," Shikaku said after a moment.

"Those are good traits in a Hokage. He takes on many burdens himself, believing he can handle them alone. Even if he's sometimes wrong… no one's perfect."

Yuhara raised an eyebrow.

Damn, that was a high-level political answer. Sounded like praise—but the subtext?

Hiruzen's "responsibility" was just hoarding power.

His "confidence" had led to bad decisions—like how he handled the Hyuga and Uchiha.

And his fallout with the ninja clans was getting worse.

Even Shikaku was only defending him because of his position.

"I see," Yuhara said seriously.

"I think the real problem is… he's too old. His judgment is slipping, and it's dragging the village down."

"Slipping judgment?" Shikaku echoed.

Yeah, he could see it. And it wasn't just about Root or Uchiha.

Hiruzen's decisions were affecting all the ninja clans.

"If I brought you out here tonight, it's because I trust you," Yuhara said. "Maybe because of your ties with Kotoha. Maybe because you're also a clan ninja."

"But this meeting must lead somewhere, right?"

Yuhara nodded. "Yes. Some things need resolution."

He pulled out a letter—but didn't hand it over yet.

"If you hadn't blocked the Police Department's supply request, I might not have come so soon.

"But you should know—once you read this letter, your options will shrink."

"Oh, and those two hiding in the shadows? Tell them to leave, or show themselves. Friendly advice."

His tone wasn't hostile—but it wasn't soft either.

Shikaku hesitated, then took the letter. After waving off his watchers, he began reading.

As he read, Yuhara sensed the hidden ANBU retreat.

Shikaku read quickly, frowning deeper with every line.

So that's why he attacked Root…

But this level of suppression by the Hokage… even Shikaku felt uncomfortable.

Still, he wasn't ready to commit. He needed more clarity.

"Is this intel confirmed? Especially the details?" he asked.

"I don't know who sent it," Yuhara said honestly. "I wondered if someone was using me to attack the Hokage.

"But I couldn't let Root roam free. And I used the purge to test Hiruzen's response."

That response told Yuhara the intel was real.

He continued, "Hiruzen has targeted the Uchiha and the Police Department too many times. Is that what a Hokage should do?

"Today it's the Uchiha. Tomorrow, who knows?"

It was a fair point. Hiruzen had consistently undermined the clans.

Even Hashirama never treated them like this.

And Hiruzen—unlike the First Hokage—wasn't from a bloodline clan. He'd been appointed, not chosen.

So why was he acting like a king?

Shikaku looked at Yuhara for a long time.

"So what do you want to do? Just us two won't change anything. What happens after Hiruzen is gone?

"And you still haven't said what the supplies are really for."

Yuhara smiled. "What do you think of Jiraiya?"

Now that Shikaku seemed onboard, Yuhara was more relaxed.

"As for the supplies… well, reforms cost money. We've had to make a lot of changes just to survive the Hokage's pressure. And we're broke."

"You're not seriously going to sell them?!"

Shikaku paled. "Do you realize what kind of international incident that could cause?!"

"We know. But what choice do we have?"

Yuhara shrugged. "The Finance Department is under the Hokage. He can block us however he wants. Should we use clan funds to cover losses he created?"

"Of course not. But it's too risky—"

"Don't worry."

Yuhara's smile returned.

"We'll handle it carefully. Either I, Shisui, or Fugaku will manage the transport. No leaks.

"And for extra safety, we'll involve sensor-type ninja—like the Yamanaka."

Shikaku blinked. "You mean…"

"This money could stabilize our departments and our clans.

"And with your help on sealing scrolls and transport—we could get what's rightfully ours, without harming Konoha.

"Isn't that better?"

And with that, Yuhara finally laid all his cards on the table.

Shikaku fell into deep thought.

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