(Shiori's PoV)
"It's not the correct spice..."
Finding the right type and amount of spices in the Ninja world is harder than I thought.
Afterall, the large variety of tastes are all just stated under 'spices' means that the people of this world, which is loosely based on Japan with elements from China, don't really eat spicy food.
With me not doing much training to be a ninja, aside from fuinjutsu and sometimes taijutsu, which I don't do intensely, I should atleast be able to give Naruto the best food in the world, full of taste and life.
I have found something similar to Darjeeling tea, from the Land of Tea, but something is still amiss.
*Knock Knock*
Somebody knocked on my door.
Naruto and Karin should still be training with Guy-sensei, and Hiruzen comes after 8pm whenever he comes to check on Naruto and fire his Will of Fire propaganda.
Who could it be?
I stopped the stove, and went to the door.
Glancing from the one-way peep hole, it wasn someone unusual.
Judging that he isn't wearing the Konoha headband...
What does Hyuga Hiashi want?
Seeing that the danger sense seal didn't activate, he doesn't seem to be an imposter.
I opened the door.
"What a surprise, Hiashi-sama. What brings you here? Please come inside."
I treat Hiashi fairly well. Afterall, after the Hokage, he is my biggest customer.
I wonder how such a week clan like Hyuga amassed such wealth. Some Hyuga must have seduced Fire Daimyo in the past, or...
If I was a Daimyo in the chaotic ninja world, especially with the Uchiha around, I would definitely keep some Hyuga bodyguards to make sure that I am not under a genjutsu.
Afterall, a normal, stolen Byakugan was even able to detect Kotoamatsukami. Though it was probably a weaker version which one can use often.
He sat down on the sofa while frowning, and I brought some snacks and tea. Well, his face is always frowning.
"Portraits of Hinata and Hanabi, as usual?"
Lately, he has been ordering his daughters' portraits very often.
According to me, since Hinata didn't get traumatize by getting kidnapped on her own birthday in a clan of peepers, and didn't see her father killing someone, she is still shy, but not on the level of og series. And is currently the best kunoichi in our class.
Hanabi must be about to become four years old, that means that she should have gotten the slave seal by now, but she didn't.
I intentionally didn't draw any of his daughters with the slave seal, to give him hope, and give myself money.
"You must already know about the Hyuga clan's seal, that protects the Byakugan, right?"
"Yes."
Afterall, I drew Neji's cursed seal vanishing, signifying his death in war. With a stick by his side.
"Then, in any of your dreams, do you really not see Hanabi getting one?"
"No."
"Then, tell me. How can I avoid my younger daughter avoid getting the seal?"
"I am sorry. But if even the Hokage doesn't involve himself in such a disgusting tradition, I won't interfere-"
"There is a large piece of land in the centre of Konoha's market, owned by Kanzaki Diaries."
Bribing me?
As if that will work.
I mean, as if only this much will work.
"Add 500 kg of gold, and I will tell you the solution."
Gold is the most reliable currency. And can work anywhere, even outside the Land of Fire sphere of influence where the 'Fire Ryo' currency doesn't work. Therefore, even the daimyos often trade in gold.
If I want to buy the Uchiha clan's land, that much gold will be necessary.
"Alright."
Hey hey hey!
It's fricking 500 kg gold! Just how rich is the Hyuga clan!?
Regaining my composure, I prepared a contract. And he immediately signed it. Without any hesitation.
"Now tell me."
I took a sip from my cup, and said,
"Did someone try pull an Itachi in the Hyuga clan in the past, that led this seal?"
In a clan of assholes, it wouldn't be hard to guess that it happened.
"No. Hyuga clan is united."
Yeah. That's why the clan head is asking a seven year old kid a solution to prevent his daughter from becoming a slave.
"Your strength, or the Hokage's strength, is not enough to change the Hyuga clan. While the First Hokage had the strength, he couldn't really bring a change while trying to bring the egoistic Hyuga clan into the village.
Only Uchiha Sasuke can change the clan. Afterall, he will have enough strength to destroy the Hyuga clan with one move.
Engage Hinata, the older sister and the heir, outside the clan, to Uchiha Sasuke.
'Outside the clan', please make sure of it.
And the future matriarch of the Uchiha clan can't be controlled by anyone, right?"
This way, I won't have to kill Hinata in the future, and Sasuke will have Hinata to kill to 'sever' his bonds instead of the 'friend who doesn't even remember his name correctly'.
Well, Hinata loves her little sister. So she wouldn't mind sacrificing herself to protect Hanabi, right?
"That's not possible! The clan wouldn't agree!"
"Then your clan will be a clan full of idiots. Only Sasuke can protect his wife and sister-in-law for what is about to come from the moon. I wouldn't let my Naruto go to the dangerous, life-threatening mission for just two Hyugas."
"There will be danger to my daughters! From the moon!?"
"After the most powerful clans of the world, Senju, Uzumaki, and Uchiha, are gone, does the weak Hyuga clan thinks it will be able to escape fate?
Karma will always pay you back."
He considered my words.
Karma, means that there will be rewards for your Karms, i.e., work.
It doesn't particularly mean good or bad. If you do good, good will happen to you. If you do bad, bad will happen to you.
There is no concept of god being forgiving for sins committed in East and South Asian beliefs like Buddhism and Hinduism, which this world has heavy influence from.
Indra, the king of gods. Powerful, but sometimes arrogant.
Asura, demons. Powerful, and the name Asura instead of a single Asur means that the Asurs as a whole.
Oh. Indra is alone. But Asura are many people combined. Not very smart, but the one who helped the gods to create elixir of immortality.
Now that I think about it, didn't Hashirama, in a way, help achieve somewhat of immortality to Madara?
Naruto lore is deeper than I thought. Kishimoto is a genius in this field.
"Will Hyuga clan also face danger like the Uchiha?"
My enlightenment was interrupted by Hiashi muttering about danger.
Actually, Hyugas are so weak that Zetsu didn't even bother doing anything about it.
"Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"I once had a dream about the legendary Sanin, Jiraiya-sama, peeping on the Fifth Hokage.
All my dreams aren't true, and a lot of them are nonsense. If just draw out all the dreams, my credibility will lower, and it will be bad for business.
I mean, it doesn't make any sense for anyone to target the weak Hyuga clan. Hyuga clan is one of my biggest customer, I don't want to lose my credibility.
It's just that, I told you everything about the Hyuga clan that I got in my dreams, because 500 kg gold and a big land in the middle of the market is too big of a payment.
This prediction might be true, or might not be.
But, if you don't want your daughters to suffer, Sasuke is the only way out. Hinata will become the matriarch of the Uchiha clan as Sasuke's wife, and Hanabi will become the head of the Hyuga clan."
"Then... how do I convince the clan, the Hokage, and Sasuke?"
"I am just a weak kid of your daughter's age. Why are you asking me?
I will just advice that you don't try to force Sasuke into anything. He won't readily accept a new family after the incident.
Hinata must be the one who convinces him that he wants to marry her in the future, on his own choice. And Hyuga clan must not interfere with him. Don't even try to make him a Hyuga clan's puppet.
Because, in 10 years, he will be strong enough to make anyone who tries to pull a stunt on him, cower in fear.
Well, except my Naruto. The future Hokage, whose right hand man Sasuke will become."
He considered my words.
He must know the situation of the Academy. Naruto is already physically stronger than chunins. He has the largest amount of chakra in the village. And while he isn't really a paperwork genius like his father, barely coming in the middle of the class on written tests, he is a genius in fights.
He probably already knows that Naruto has the potential to be stronger than even his father.
And Sasuke is the only one in the class who can dodge some of his attacks before the fight finishes in less than 10 seconds, which is a big feat.
But... given the fact that Indra and Asura have similar strengths, it might be possible that Sasuke might actually be able to use his Sharingan that he has already awakened.
I need to get Multi-Shadow Clones for Naruto soon. And either get Hiruzen to have Yamato be there to restrain Kurama's chakra, or somehow awaken Karin's chains.
Giving an unstable Uchiha Sasuke bonds in the village will surely please Hiruzen, who probably thinks that Sasuke is the 'Second Child of Prophecy'.
I took the last sip of my tea and presented a proposition.
"If you want, I will ask Old man to consider it, and create 'chance encounters' between Sasuke and Hinata. That's the most I can do. How you convince your clan is your job."
"There is a small piece of land in the Capital of Land of Fire."
"Oh. You don't have to offer me more."
"Then-"
"But you don't decline Goddess of Wealth coming to you. I will bregrudgingly accept the gift."
"Thank you. Then, I will leave."
As Hiashi left, I couldn't help but predict that his twin brother and Neji will become more hostile.
Afterall, he is going to great lengths to save his daughters, yet didn't hesitate with his twin's son, who is more talented than his daughters.
Moreover, Hizashi already feels angry that the slave seal is only going away after Neji dies.
Well... for love to bloom, having a similar situation, like a bad big brother, will be useful, right?
Sasuke will probably think, 'we are the same' more with Hinata than with Naruto, who can't even remember his name properly, something he has surpassed Guy-sensei in.
Though, I think Naruto does it intentionally.
Well... let's go to Hiruzen. I have to get Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu and Yamato for Naruto so that Sasuke doesn't catch up to him with his Sharingan.