"Wouldn't it make more sense for your family to handle all this?"
Shikaku looked puzzled.
To him, it seemed completely unnecessary for Ren to split profits with them.
The Uchiha had more than enough wealth, manpower, materials, and connections to run a business on their own.
"Uh…"
Before Ren could reply, Minato spoke up, hesitantly:
"I think I get it."
"You're worried the restaurant won't do well if it's branded under the Uchiha name, right?"
"Let's be honest—the clan's reputation among the villagers isn't great."
"Especially among the lower class. A lot of them really resent the police force."
Coming from a humble background, Minato had heard more than his share of complaints and grievances about the Uchiha.
He hit the nail right on the head.
Shikaku and the others might have been vaguely aware of this reputation, but it had never fully clicked until now.
"You're exactly right."
Ren sighed and nodded under their questioning gazes.
"The Uchiha handle law enforcement—an exhausting, thankless job."
"Most of us are prideful, and we don't go out of our way to explain ourselves."
"As a result, our image among civilians is terrible."
"If I opened a restaurant under the Uchiha name, no matter how good the food is, the best I could hope for is breaking even."
"Making real money? Probably impossible."
"That's why I'd rather we build this together—just us. What do you think?"
Totally not a subtle move to rope them into the Uchiha alliance, he thought, eyes gleaming.
"…Well…"
Shikaku and the others looked hesitant.
Choza, however, didn't think twice.
"I'm in!" he said eagerly.
"I can pitch in some funds and handle supply chains for ingredients."
"My family's BBQ shop already has connections with some excellent providers."
"We even raise our own cattle, pigs, and chickens. Top-notch quality!"
Truth be told, Choza wasn't all that concerned about profit.
He never lacked pocket money—his bottomless supply of snacks made that obvious.
What did matter? Ren's cooking.
After just one meal, he was already hooked. He couldn't bear the thought of going without.
"You…"
Shikaku gave him a helpless look. He had been considering whether this partnership might create tension with their families, or make the Third Hokage suspicious.
But with Choza already agreeing, and considering how much effort Ren had put into training and guiding them recently, rejecting the offer now just didn't feel right.
"…Alright. I'll join too. I can contribute funds as well," Shikaku said.
"I also have a cousin who might make a great manager."
"She interned at Choza's family restaurant for a while, but left because they didn't have a leadership role available."
"She's got the skills—I can vouch for her. If she joins, she should have a small stake in the business too."
Inoichi followed suit. "You've all said yes. I have no objections—I'll provide funding as well."
Ren's smile bloomed wide.
"Then it's settled. I appreciate your support."
He turned to Minato.
"What about you? Want in?"
"Uh…" Minato froze. "I… I don't know. You all know my situation—I don't have money or connections to offer."
"That's not how this works."
Ren shook his head firmly.
"This is our first business venture together—and it won't be the last. I'm not leaving you out."
"I'll loan you the money to buy in."
"And since you're from a civilian background, you probably know trustworthy, hard-working folks, right?"
"When we start hiring, you're in charge of recruitment. No backing out."
To Ren, Minato was a long-term investment. Giving him a share was nothing compared to the value of teaching him advanced taijutsu and powerful jutsu.
"He's right," Shikaku added. "If the money's the issue, I'll pitch in. We'll all cover it."
"No need to pay it back right away. Once the restaurant's profitable, you can settle up."
"C'mon—we're in this together."
Minato looked around at his friends, clearly moved.
"…Thanks, everyone. I'm in."
"Haha! Excellent!" Ren laughed heartily.
They all continued eating while discussing business logistics and splitting up responsibilities.
Shikaku and Inoichi were put in charge of finding a suitable location.
Choza would handle ingredient sourcing.
Minato would lead the recruitment drive, supported by Shikaku and Inoichi.
Ren's job was to finalize the menu, train a few cooks and apprentices, and begin teaching them the new recipes.
—
The next few days passed in a whirlwind of activity.
On the third day, Shikaku and Inoichi secured a promising location.
Choza easily locked down supplier agreements.
Hiring and staff training were well underway.
To avoid interfering with their own training time, Ren assigned a shadow clone to manage the cook and staff instruction.
He had all chefs sign a 20-year binding contract, with steep penalties for breach of agreement.
Naturally, the compensation was generous.
With the backing of the Uchiha name—and the reputations of the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans—no one dared make trouble.
—
Of course, word got out.
With the leasing, sourcing, hiring, and training underway, it was only a matter of time before news reached the three boys' families.
That very night, the three clan heads gathered at Choza's house… and launched a full-blown interrogation.
Shikaku, Inoichi, and Choza stood side by side, stiff as boards under their fathers' intense gazes. Not one of them dared to speak first.
"Well?" Nara Shikamaru's father, Nara Shikamei, finally asked.
"What possessed you three to start a restaurant with Ren Takashi?"
"And why didn't you discuss it with us first?"
"Whose idea was this?"
Shikamei's gaze swept across them before settling squarely on Shikaku.
Inoichi and Choza, like clockwork, turned to look at Shikaku too.
His father raised an eyebrow.
"…So it was you?"
"I thought for sure it was Ren Takashi."
"Well, go on then—convince me. You'd better have a good reason, or you know what's coming."
He wasn't wrong. The boys had no idea how risky this could be for their clans.
Shikaku swallowed. There was no backing out now.
"…It's true. I brought it up first."
"It just kind of… happened. We weren't really thinking long term."
"Ren's cooking was too good. Every dish was something completely new—stuff no one's ever had before."
"We thought it had potential. One thing led to another, and… well, we decided on the spot."
He didn't mention that it was Ren who first proposed the joint venture.
Even if that was the truth, he didn't want to throw Ren under the bus.