Kimura looked at Fugaku Uchiha and spoke eloquently, "I wonder if Mr. Fugaku has ever heard a certain saying."
"If a merchant sees a twenty percent profit, he becomes active and excited."
"With a fifty percent profit, he will take risks."
"For a hundred percent profit, he dares to trample upon all human laws!"
"And if there is a three hundred percent profit, he dares to commit any crime!"
A burning fire seemed to glow in Kimura's eyes as the corners of his mouth curled slightly. "If the Uchiha successfully take power, the return on investment for the Spider Lily Chamber of Commerce will be far more than double or triple."
"It will be returned ten, a hundred, or even a thousand times over!"
Fugaku Uchiha was shaken by Kimura's speech. However, after thinking it over, it indeed made sense. Once the Uchiha Clan truly succeeded in their rebellion and an Uchiha became the Hokage, the Spider Lily Chamber of Commerce would undoubtedly monopolize the medical industry of the entire Hidden Leaf Village, and perhaps even the Land of Fire, as a partner. Such profits would indeed far exceed tenfold.
As an experienced ninja, Fugaku knew deeply just how insane merchants could be for the sake of money. Morality and law were not the standards that bound them. The only thing that could make them stop was profit.
"Heh, Mr. Kimura—no, I should say the entire Spider Lily Chamber of Commerce—truly has great boldness."
Fugaku could not help but sigh with emotion. Yet, that alone was not enough to move him.
"Mr. Kimura likely has other conditions. Simply providing supplies can hardly be called something that concerns the future of the Uchiha."
Kimura had specifically used the phrase the future of the Uchiha. While medical supplies were vital, they were not enough to decide the entire battlefield, let alone the clan's future.
The middle-aged man, Kimura, lightly adjusted his glasses. Then, placing his hands—adorned with many gold rings—together in front of him, he stated another condition. "The Spider Lily Chamber of Commerce can help the Uchiha Clan transfer a portion of the clansmen out of the Hidden Leaf Village."
These words exploded in Fugaku's mind like a clap of thunder. He asked with utmost gravity, "Does the Spider Lily Chamber of Commerce have a way to send people out of the village?"
It wasn't that Fugaku hadn't thought about sending away a portion of the clan first. After all, with such a large family, they couldn't risk everything on a single path. As the Clan Head, he carried the burden of the ancient Uchiha heritage. The Uchiha could take a risk to fight for that position, but they absolutely could not allow their line to be severed because of it.
However, the village higher-ups' wariness toward the Uchiha was now undisguised. Almost the entire clan compound was under Anbu surveillance. It was impossible for clansmen to secretly leave the village. Even the Ninja Cats, who were allies of the Uchiha, had received warnings and were under surveillance. Every time they transported goods into the village, they had to undergo strict inspection by the Anbu.
Facing Fugaku's doubt, Kimura stated as a matter of course, "Naturally. Please do not underestimate the power of our Spider Lily Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Fugaku."
Since the matter was of great importance, Fugaku would not make a decision based on someone else's word alone. He continued to probe, "I certainly won't question your capabilities. But the key is, after the clansmen are moved, how do you intend to deal with Anbu patrols?"
Those were living people. If they suddenly disappeared from the village, it would surely attract the Anbu's attention.
Kimura still wore that mysterious smile. He slowly stood up and formed hand signs.
It's the Summoning Jutsu!
As a veteran Jonin and the head of the Uchiha Clan, Fugaku recognized what the other party intended to do at a glance. Sure enough, after the signs were completed, a formation of black runes spread out from his hand, followed by a burst of smoke.
In the midst of the diffusing smoke, Fugaku saw a "self" that looked exactly like him! He instantly stood up from his chair, and his Sharingan activated immediately. If Kimura and this summoned version of himself hadn't remained motionless, Fugaku would have launched an attack.
"Clan Head Fugaku, you may inspect him."
Kimura patted the shoulder of this "Fugaku." The latter's pupils turned instantly like a real person's, and the micro-expressions on his face were perfect. This was a figure Simu had cloned using DNA collected from Fugaku's hair and skin cells. Of course, because the samples were limited, Simu had only cloned Fugaku's appearance. The clone lacked self-awareness and was merely being remotely controlled by Simu.
Fugaku, however, did not know the underlying principles. He stared in shock at the "self" before him. Even with the Sharingan, he could not find any flaws in its appearance.
Is it a combination of Shadow Clone and Transformation Jutsu?
Fugaku's first thought was that the other party had used two types of jutsu to mimic him. But as Kimura cut a small wound on the "Fugaku," he realized that the version before him possessed an actual physical body!
However, although the appearance was nearly identical, some tiny habits and movements differed from his own. Furthermore, the body did not possess a strong flow of chakra. In other words, this fellow Kimura had summoned was only a facade and not a complete copy of a new self.
This discovery allowed Fugaku to let out a heavy sigh of relief. If the Spider Lily Chamber of Commerce truly possessed a jutsu to perfectly copy others, the consequences would be unthinkable. At that point, you would never know who the person beside you truly was.
"Is this some kind of ninjutsu?" Fugaku couldn't help but ask.
Kimura thought for a moment. "Rather than a ninjutsu, it is more of a technology. A technology at the genetic level."
"Genetics..." Fugaku had no research or experience in scientific fields, so he did not understand the word "genetic."
"Correct. Dolls created through this method are no different from real people. Even if the Anbu sends specialized sensory ninja, they won't be able to see through the disguise."
Kimura added one final point, "Provided that you don't choose those who are too... powerful. Currently, these dolls cannot simulate complex chakra flows, so they are easily exposed."
"Children would be best."
Fugaku did not speak but fell into deep thought instead. He constantly analyzed the pros and cons. Finally, he could only say, "Mr. Kimura, this is a grave matter. I still need to discuss it with the Clan Elders."
Kimura nodded slightly. "Of course."
After saying that, he pulled a snail the size of a palm from his pocket. "When you have decided, you can contact me through this Telepathic Snail."
This was another of Simu's masterpieces. The Telepathic Snail! Using a snail as a carrier, it had the ability to synchronize the messages it received to others of its kind.