Clash of the Companies

Part 1: A game of Ryo

"Hey, Naruto! Over here, partner!" Choji was waving his bulky arm at him from across the restaurant. The big guy had already freed himself of his jacket and his shoes and was sitting on the comfortable tatami-mats in the separée he reserved for their barbeque. It was a day for celebration. The "Nara and partners stock company" had absolved her first month at the Konoha stock market and was finishing it with a big bonus for each of the three young businessmen: Nara Shikamaru, the founder and main investor; Akimichi Choji, Shikamaru's best friend from college as well as the second in command and finally Uzumaki Naruto. He was the latest investor and held a fifth of the total share. With the money he inherited from his deceased parents Naruto barely managed to get himself through business school and save up enough to join a small joint-stock company. And after only one month of preparations they were already in place to launch the assault on the main market!

"Evening, Choji. Shikamaru's not here yet?" His used suit slipped a tiny bit as he sat down across from Choji, loosening his tight necktie, that was, although it usually was red, sprinkled with small brown stains of miso-soup.

"No, he was still haggling with those officials from the country of rice, about an hour ago. He definitely wants this one to go smoothly. But I think he'll show up in a minute, afterall it's mostly on his account that we're here today!"

"Right. This guy really knows his stuff when it comes to share dealings and calculations. Man, if only I could keep a cool head like him, every time I make a deal."

Choji shrugged and leant back. "He's just good at it. I think this whole analysis stuff is just his thing... Speaking of which: Heya! Shikamaru!"

A worn-out face with nicely combed hair that lead into a not so well combed pony-tail appeared in the entrance of the barbeque restaurant. Shikamaru straightened his accurately tailored pitch black suit and crossed the room in a few seconds.

"Those guys..." he moaned. "they kept me busy all day. I finally get this deal going and they come at me for shit like special import permissions and taxes et cetera. I can't stand this..."

"Quit yer whining Mr. Nara" said Choji, patting his friend's shoulder. "have a seat and an aperitif: Tonight we celebrate!" He handed out generously filled shots of sake to both Naruto and Shikamaru, when the latter sat down at the table and got rid of his tie.

"To the Nara and partners stock company!" Choji raised his glass."Cheers!"

"Cheers!" the other two echoed, although Naruto was a lot more enthusiastic than his boss.

Choji was rather quick to order a great variety of meat and extras for a feast fitting for not only their first month but also a tenth anniversary, giong by the amount of food and alcohol. They began to eat, drink and talk, enjoying themselves over their first step to become succesful businessmen at the Konoha market. It wasn't for long that the conversation switched from their typical chatter to a more serious tone. Shikamaru was rather eager to illustrate their options concerning their portfolio for the upcoming month. He just had finished a quite profitable deal with the biggest food company in the country of rice, the "Golden Plate".

He bought a great part of their share at the beginning of last month and managed to tear down some barricades concerning the restrictions on rice-import, Konoha had recently set up to protect it's own economy from being flooded with cheap rice from the other countries. But Shikamaru had good contact to the finanial commission. His father was a freelancer, who had frequently been hired to investigate the incredible amount bribery, corruption and shady deals at Konoha's market, but also knew with whom to talk if one wanted to make a transaction that was not exactly legal.

This way, Shikamaru had been able to lift the restrictions at least for the Golden Plate which had given them a respectable edge at the fierce competition. Instead of a 2 million Ryo import-limit per year, the Golden Plate had been overlooked by Konohas financial commission and was now thriving thanks to Shikamaru.

What he wanted to present to them would promise even more money: Nara and partners would become officially a part of the "Cherry blossom network" an established and respectable investment corporation. He already set everything rolling in coordination with Sakura Haruno the young businesswoman, who had just recently inherited her fathers corporation und had been succesful in defending it's place against the fierce competition.

Shikamaru also knew that his newest partner, Naruto had a crush on Sakura ever since they went to business school and attended the same classes. His love had been unrequited, though and he had eventually given up on his constant attempts to come near the young manager. Her eyes had been resting on the last offspring of the Uchiha family. Totally bankrupt, the young Sasuke had barely managed to scrape up enough money to get through college. The Uchiha family, originally a great security company with strong connections to the Konoha police force, had been bought up and cannibalized by the "Akatsuki Group". The person responsible for this had been Sasuke's older brother, Itachi. He planned to overtake the company forcefully from his uncle but eventually found it more profitable to join Akatsuki and take everything out of the Uchiha's family corporation, he could. Itachi had sold the part of the family share he had been holding – about five percent – to his partner Kakuzu and sealed the deal when Akatsuki, which had been buying up all of the Uchiha company's share until they held 49 percent overtook the security company and split it up what marked their demise.

Now the once so mighty Uchiha family was nothing and their most promising scion had betrayed them. Only Sasuke kept fighting to avenge the injustice his family had been suffering and destroy the Akatsuki Group. He would only come to rest if the wealth of his family would be restored and his brother brought to justice.

But those were things Shikamaru didn't trouble himself too much with. What was important right now, was to convince his partners of his business scheme. This couldn't be too hard, right?