Uchiha Yato said, "Everyone must actively sign up to participate. This is a matter of fighting for both your own honor and the honor of Hidden Leaf."
"We must showcase the spirit of the Hidden Leaf!"
Uchiha Yato's words were highly inspiring, yet he made no mention of his own intention to participate.
This discomforted Sarutobi Hiruzen, who glanced at the remaining three members of the Leaf F4, hoping for some assistance.
Perfect—casting glances at the blind.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura completely missed Sarutobi Hiruzen's hint.
Shimura Danzo, however, understood and said, "Uchiha Yato. Since you've spoken so passionately and possess the capability, don't you have any thoughts on the matter?"
Uchiha Yato replied, "No particular thoughts. My skills are lacking, and I'd rather not embarrass myself."
This made Sarutobi Hiruzen realize Uchiha Yato's stance.
The message was simple: if you won't pay, I won't lift a finger.
Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "Very well. We'll discuss this later. For now, sign up enthusiastically. Those selected afterward will secure their spots."
Sarutobi Hiruzen chose to compromise, deciding to address these matters in a smaller meeting later.
...
The Leaf F4, along with Uchiha Yato and Hyuga Hiashi, gathered in the Hokage's office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "This exchange mission is quite challenging."
"So, I'd like to invite the two of you to engage with the Sand Ninja."
Upon hearing the Hokage's request, Hyuga Hiashi was overjoyed.
For traditional shinobi clans like his, earning the elders' recognition was a great honor.
Hyuga Hiashi gladly accepted and agreed to Sarutobi Hiruzen's request.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was also pleased with Hyuga Hiashi's attitude, as his presence was solely meant to pressure Uchiha Yato.
This way, Sarutobi Hiruzen could "freely" secure another laborer.
Uchiha Yato smiled and said, "That's wonderful. Hiashi, be sure to showcase the spirit of our Hidden Leaf!"
Any other Uchiha or Hyuga would have been thrilled to hear such words.
After all, the two great Eye Technique clans of the Leaf had long competed, and the Hyuga would inwardly rejoice if they could surpass the Uchiha in any aspect.
For generations, the Uchiha had produced exceptional talents, while the Hyuga had lagged slightly.
But Uchiha Yato? His sincerity might be genuine, but his knack for stirring trouble was undeniable.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's plan was clever, but Uchiha Yato refused to take the bait.
As always, unless Sarutobi Hiruzen showed sincerity, Uchiha Yato wouldn't budge.
Suppressing his impatience, Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, "Yato, do you have any thoughts on this?"
"This is a major event for the village. You should cherish the opportunity."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's words boiled down to one goal:
He wanted—free labor.
Uchiha Yato said, "Lord Hokage, it's not that I'm unwilling to contribute."
"But the Uchiha Clan has too many affairs at the moment. I'm truly tied up."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's interest was piqued. "What major events has the Uchiha Clan been handling lately?"
"Is there anything this Hokage can assist with?"
Previously, Uchiha Yato's initiatives—the Leaf Court and the Uchiha Nursery—had brought immense benefits to the Uchiha Clan.
Even if these weren't suitable for widespread adoption in the Leaf Village, the Sarutobi Clan could still implement them for profit.Uchiha Yato said, "Since the Hokage is willing to help, we can promote this throughout the entire village."
"This will bring benefits and is a good thing."
Sarutobi Hiruzen instantly felt that the map of the Yan Kingdom was a bit too short—within just a few sentences, Uchiha Yato had already laid out his ideas and demands.
Without giving Sarutobi Hiruzen time to refuse or react, Uchiha Yato continued.
"I plan to start a newspaper. This will be equivalent to bringing daily news to the Hidden Leaf."
And with a mature vision for this newspaper, Uchiha Yato immediately pulled out a detailed proposal from a ninjutsu scroll.
This made Sarutobi Hiruzen's lips twitch again. Uchiha Yato had calculated Sarutobi Hiruzen's moves too precisely.
Because the proposal was titled "Hidden Leaf Village Newspaper" rather than "Uchiha Newspaper," it proved his initial intention was to promote it across the entire village.
Sarutobi Hiruzen could only swallow his bitterness and ask, "If I hand this matter over to the village to handle, there shouldn't be any more troubles, right?"
Uchiha Yato replied, "None at all. With this settled, I'll have plenty of time to bring glory to the village."
At this point, the matter could have ended amicably, but Uchiha Yato couldn't resist adding one last jab.
"Actually, even if you hadn't mentioned it, I would've gone anyway. I already made plans with Suna's Rasa for a match."
Uchiha Yato's behavior was a classic case of pushing his luck after gaining an advantage, leaving Sarutobi Hiruzen with nothing to say but to grudgingly accept it.
Reflecting on recent events after Uchiha Yato and Hyuga Hiashi left, Sarutobi Hiruzen quietly opened the Hokage's hidden compartment, took out a Quick-Acting Heart-Saving Pill, and swallowed another one to calm his nerves.
...
Inside the Uchiha Clan Grounds.
Uchiha Yato said to Uchiha Kei, "The Hokage has already agreed to the newspaper I mentioned earlier."
"The matters we discussed before can now proceed."
Hearing this, Uchiha Kei was pleased, but then he asked somewhat unhappily, "Can't this newspaper be entirely under the Uchiha Clan's control?"
"Why must we let other ninja clans—or even civilian ninja—take a share of the profits?"
There was no helping it. Uchiha Yato's thinking was too far ahead. From the perspective of the Uchiha Clan's interests, Uchiha Kei's concerns were valid.
Uchiha Yato explained, "I need the support of others. If we monopolize too much power, it will breed resentment from everyone."
"I have to relinquish some benefits to tie them to us. Otherwise, they might turn against us directly."
Uchiha Yato phrased it as gently as possible: We cannot be lone wolves—we must be the alpha.
He added, "Our Uchiha Clan exists within the larger family of the Hidden Leaf."
"We don't just aim to be masters of the Uchiha Clan—we want to become masters of the Hidden Leaf."
"So, giving up some benefits to make them see us as allies is absolutely necessary."Uchiha Kei truly lived up to his position as clan leader. After brief consideration, he grasped Uchiha Yato's meaning.
When Yato spoke of being the "alpha wolf," he wasn't referring to leading just the Uchiha Clan—he meant becoming the alpha of the entire Hidden Leaf.
But then Yato abruptly shifted gears, saying, "If things come too easily, they won't value them."
"Let's show them the Uchiha Clan's hospitality these next two days. Otherwise, they might really think we're pushovers."
These words struck a chord with Kei. The welcome banquet for the Sand Ninja had already given him a chance to flaunt the Uchiha's prestige in front of the other clan leaders.
Hyuga Hinata, in particular, had been thoroughly provoked. She had no idea the Uchiha possessed so many treasures.
With a confident smile, Kei assured Yato that this was the Uchiha's specialty—they would handle it flawlessly.
With that, Yato had finalized the arrangements for the newspaper, and everything was ready to begin.
After some adjustments, the final three days arrived—the time for the Sand Ninja exchange tournament.