A Darhk Matter

Damien would look into the large mirror along one of the walls in the small room him and his associates had been placed. He knew that it was a one way mirror, of course if it wasn't then he was wasting his time as he purposefully checked his teeth and other things in the mirror in an attempt to make whoever was on the other side of the glass uncomfortable. "Will you knock that off, Sir." Came Zhu Li's voice from behind him, the word 'sir' layered in sarcasm, something she only did when he was acting childish. "Oh, fine." Huffed Damien as he adjusted his suit and returned to stand next to Zhu Li as they waited, "how much longer are they going to make us wait?" came the groan of Saburo as he sat up from laying down on the table, "it's been hours," the male continued to complain. "It's been an hour," Zhu Li retorted. The two would continue to bicker with each other back and forth, however Damien would tune them out. Though he had stopped making faces at the glass and moved away from it, he did not take his eyes off of it as if he was trying to penetrate the glass and see the person standing behind it.

The three had come here in hopes of expanding Darhk Industries into other lands, everything was smooth, the journey across the sea and even through the Senju forest. Even as they checked in through the village gates everything was looking good, and then Saburo opened his stupid mouth and said something about how different the village was compared to Kumogakure and the next thing Damien knew they were in this room. There were plenty of seats for all three of them, however Zhu Li was the only one to use one. Damien choosing to remain standing, and Saburo deciding to lay across the table. It wasn't like they were exactly built like normal shinobi or dressed like them for that matter. Damien and Zhu Li wearing full suits, while Saburo sported the typical attire of the Darhk Industries employees minus the mask. The three would remain in silence as they awaited their fate.

Nyguyen watched Damien and his gang from behind the mirror. The black man had a serious expression on his face as he watched the not-so-serious business folk bicker. The group had been taken to a detention center once it became known that they had recently been to Kumogakure. They had stated that their purpose was business but Nyguyen was no fool. He understood that corporate espionage was a burgeoning field. The conflicts of late had seen to the exponential growth in the military-industrial complex. Warfare had always plagued the continent of Kishin but with with how bad things had gotten, it now reached a new level. Of course with new business came new opportunities for infiltration and spying. Nyguyen  did not know Damien the way he knew of Okane. The latter's neutrality was a known quantity that could be relied upon. Damien was a foreigner that had substantial business connections with an adversarial nation.

Nyguyen continued to observe the group through the glass window only stopping to read the occasional report or two. He was wearing fairly dark clothes, with a high collar jacket and a black scarf. No need for the Kage robes for someone this unimportant he figured. He turned to the defense officials near him.

"I'm going in"
"Sir are you sure that's wise?"
"They've been cleared right?
"Yes, we don't beleive them to have any operative offensive capabilities"
"Then I'm going in. If things get dicey, I can handle them but they don't seem dumb enough to try something in the middle of Konoha"

Nyguyen tossed aside the paperwork and entered the room. He ignored the two servants. He could tell who was truly in charge here and that's who he planned on addressing. The Hokage raised his head a quarter of an inch and pointed to a chair in the room.

"Sit" he commanded.

As soon as the door opened Saburo would be up and off the table, standing next to Damien. When the man who entered the room said sit, Saburo would sit in one of the chairs as if the man had been speaking to him. However Saburo was little more than a neanderthal, so that much is to be expected. Damien on the other hand would remain standing, he analyzed the man the moment he opened the door. From the way the man  carried himself, from the fact that he was pretending that Damien's Subordinates weren't even in the room. It all spoke volumes about the kind of man this man was, whether he was the Kage of the village or just a high ranking Jounin sent in to interrogate them did not matter. Damien knew that this man would be the one to decide their fate here in Konohagakure, and the male had no doubt that this man was behind the glass that he had been making faces at which might explain the attitude. If the situation had been even slightly different Damien would have told the man to 'fuck off' when he had commanded that he sit, however in this particular matter it would have serve no purpose. Though the male still held issues with being ordered around, his demeanor is not the same as it once was. The male had learned from his dealings with Ryuko and he was wiser for it, after a few more minutes of silently staring back at the man with a blank face Damien would sit in the last remaining seat on their side of the table in between his two subordinates. Zhu Li and Saburo would both remain silent as they waited for their boss to say something, Zhu Li because she was smart enough to know better than to speak in a meeting unless Damien told her to speak, while Saburo wasn't stupid enough to interrupt another meeting as he had done so in the past. Damien however would remain as quiet as he had been while standing, not breaking eye contact with the man and waiting for him to begin his line of questioning.

[2]

---

Nyguyen Fully Analyzed (S Intel)

Nyguyen stared down the CEO as he considered whether or not he'd accede to the request. Eventually, Damien wisely choose to plant his butt in the chair. Nyguyen walked over to the group and stood directly in front of Damien like he was a professor in a lecture hall. He looked down at the businessman and met his gaze with equal measure. A long silence passed. Nyguyen noted that the man's subordinates were well trained. They did not speak out of turn nor embarrass their leader. Even the simpleton who had been chilling on the desk was well-behaved. After a long staring contest, Nyguyen spoke:

"I've been told that you are here on business yet you are from Kumogakure. Relations between the villages are at an all time low and war has already broken out among several Minor Nations. What on Earth could you possibly be doing here except some form of corporate espionage?"

Nyguyen was worried that Konoha had developed a poor reputation under the leadership of Tatsu-sama. It was possible Kumo and this so-called businessman aimed to take advantage of their supposed weakness. If this stranger thought Konoha was easy prey then he had made a grave miscalculation. Nyguyen was willing to do business with the man but he'd need to ensure that nothing foul was afoot.

Damien would smirk at the man's words, it was kinda funny that that the man assumed they were from Kumogakure and that the only reason they could be there was corporate espionage. Saburo would clear his throat as though he was about to say something to which Damien would promptly slap the back of the man's neck and his body would fall limp onto the table, a small seal that Damien placed on the back of his Subordinates neck through his chakra faintly glowing disappearing. Zhu Li wouldn't even blink to this action, as if it had been a normal occurrence. Damien would let out a long sigh looking at his Subordinate with annoyance in his eyes before looking back to Nyguyen with his trademark false smile pokerface, "My apologies, the Neanderthal has a habit of talking. Had this meeting occured under different circumstances he would not even be at grown-up table." He would close his eyes taking in a slow breath before opening his eyes and leaning forward in his chair and interlocking his fingers on the table in front of him, "It would seem that your information is slightly inaccurate, my only relationship with Kumogakure is one of business. I am not privid to any of their military actions, anymore than I care about yours. There are two things that I do within Kumogakure, the first is my shop where I sell my companies product, the second is I am the head surgeon at their general hospital. Most of my time is spent at Moonspire which is where we are from, running my corporation." Damien would lean back slightly, without a word Zhu Li would remove a small black book from her jacket pocket and place it on the table in front of the interrogator. "That is my daily itinerary, Zhu Li is a stickler for tracking my every movement. Please read through it, I have nothing to hide." Damien would give the man ample time to flip through the book, it was just as he said it was. A down to the minute list of anything and everything Damien has ever done, from what time he took a lunch and what he had for lunch to when he went to the restroom and how long he spent in there. It would include his time in Kumogakure showing his actions were only in his shop or the rare occasion the hospital when needed, it would include names of clients however not information as to what was discussed as Zhu Li didn't record the conversations that Damien has in the book simply who and how long the meeting lasted.

Once Nyguyen was done Damien would finish what he needed to say, "I wish to do business with this village similar to my business with Kumogakure minus the head surgeon gig. I wish to buy land within the village to place my shop and sell Goods from Darhk Industries within Konohagakure, and offer the village a deal to also earn some extra income. That is the Only reason I have travelled here, I do not need to get my hands dirty with espionage I have people for that."

[3]

When Damien raised his hand and struck his subordinate on the back of neck, the lights in the room immediately shifted into a dark shade of red. The door burst open and several ANBU entered. Nyguyen raised a hand and the ANBU went no further although it was clear they were armed and ready to take out the intruders if he gave the go-ahead. The man had a neutral expression but his eyes communicated all that Damien needed to know. The simpleton was knocked unconscious and Damien stated that it was the fool's irresponsibility that had caused this alleged misunderstanding. He went on to explain his relationship with Kumogakure in deep detail. If his intention was to prove that he was not a threat then he wasn't persuading the Hokage. The fact that he had a business there, was their hospital's chief surgeon, and even had his headquarters in that country all concerned the Uchiha. Although it was curious that he was admitting this upfront. Nyguyen had barely applied any real pressure and he was spilling the tea with no hesitation.

Nyguyen accepted the itinerary and opened it. He activated his Sharingan and flipped through the book at a rapid pace. From its contents he could surmise more than just the CEO's day to day schedule. He could tell from the pen strokes, the pressure applied, the frequency of the entries, and their general character that each of these recordings were genuine. He doubted that Damien possessed the capacity to fool his Eye of Insight but he couldn't rule it out either. For now though, it seemed like the stranger was telling the truth. From what Nyguyen could gather, the man was hungry for money and growth. He was self-interested and that was good it lessened the chance of him being an intelligence asset for Kumogakure. Nevertheless, Nyguyen would need to pry a bit more. He placed the book back on the table after having read it in record time.

He raised an eyebrow and the ANBU took a step forward. He waved them away and they exited.

"I understand that you may need to mete out discipline on your subordinates from time to time but please refrain from doing it in my presence while you are in custody. As for your intentions, I remain unconvinced. You are a businessman yes and while it does seem that your primary goal is to make money....I can't help but wonder what sort of pressure Kumo might put on you in the near future if I let you set up shop here. Shimiko Chinoike is Kumogakure's ANBU Commander and she has a reputation for being rather aggressive in her approach to foreign affairs. If I let you conduct commerce in Konoha I'm going to need tight assurances that your company won't be forced into the role of playing spy."

Damien would not react to the rooms lights turning red and the Anbu busting through the door, their response time was impressive. This would however reveal just how important the Anbu placed this man, it meant that he was indeed the Kage as Damien had thought was a possibility. He could sense Zhu Li tense when the Anbu burst through the door, though she would make no movement there was little doubt in the male's mind that she would throw herself in front of him for protection if she felt it was necessary. Luckily it wasn't necessary as the man would stop them, after the man finished reading Damien's black book, he would dismiss the Anbu and Zhu Li would relax slightly. Damien fought back a snicker as the man spoke of not disciplining his Subordinates while in custody, that wouldn't really be a problem considering Saburo would be out until he removed the seal and he would never do such a thing to Zhu Li. Still his face would remain like stone until the man finished what he had to say, it was rather amusing that the man feared Damien's company so much that they would be used for subterfuge against them. Damien would smile slightly not answering the man right away, but rather considering what he said. "Something you will come to understand about me if we do business with each other, is that I am a man of my word. I do not say something and then turn around and do the opposite, and you are right my primary goal is money. That is the only thing that is important to me, however even that is below the terms of a contract. I would never betray a client by divulging any information that I might have about them with another party, it's actually a requirement in the contract as is a no disclosure on your part meaning you would not discuss my business with others or make attempts to steal my creations. Shimiko Chinoike does not scare me, she can try to strong arm me if she wanted to. But as I said I hold the conditions of my contracts higher than that of my own personal priority of money, if she tried such a tactic the only result would be her costing Kumogakure their contract and all other benefits they have through me. I may not be a fighter, but I offer a service very few can offer. I am highly skilled and I don't take orders from anyone, and nobody makes me do anything against my will." Damien would lean back in his chair folding his hands together in his lap as though he didn't have a care in the world, "I can provide your village will income, weapons, armor, Tech, oversea trade. You name it I can build it, my business with Kumogakure is not a factor because your privacy is just as important to me as theirs. You can read my mind if you think I am lying, but please don't insult me by thinking I can be manipulated like some kind of puppet."

As Damien replied to Nyguyen's concerns, the Hokage watched the man with his Sharingan. Every micro-expression, utterance, and movement was analyzed, cataloged, and considered. Nyguyen had noticed how unperturbed the young man was when the ANBU rushed the room. He was either a top-tier spy or he was what he said he was: a shrewd businessman that did not scare easily in the face of even the most elite shinobi. Damien went on to say that he valued discretion and would not abuse the access given to him. In turn, he'd expect Konoha to respect his intellectual property. When he said he wasn't afraid of Shimiko Nyguyen audibly scoffed. Either the CEO was stupid, crazy, or had a very close relationship with the Raikage. Nyguyen had never met the woman and he was more than afraid of her. Nyguyen trusted his eyes though and he trusted his ANBU specialists even more. They were masters at decoding body language, word choice, and even chakra fluctuations. His Sharingan was giving him good vibes but it was not a perfect tool. He trusted his men to give him a comprehensive report on this encounter and if they gave Damien the greenlight he'd trust their assessment. If they said this man truly was not afraid of Kumo leaning on him then Nyg would buy that story for now.

When the CEO of Darkh Industries had finished his speech, Nyguyen took a moment to consider his words. He weighed his options and eventually came to a decision.

As he replied, he stroked his beard.

"You're bold....I'll give you that much. As for your intentions, you've convinced me that you mean well but I can't risk my village's security on your own biased self-view. Many people think they are tough until they are broken. Fortunately....I am a reasonable Kage and as the world becomes more....dangerous.....I do believe this village is in need of sustained technological development. So now I am faced with the difficult decision of whether or not to allow you expand into Konoha. I'm not going to give you a definitive answer but I will give you an opportunity to demonstrate your fidelity to your principles. For the next month, I will permit you to place your shop in Kumogakure. During this time, I will have you and your employees undergo mind-reading, intensive financial audits, and security compliance checks to ensure that your word is indeed your bond. If you pass then I will offer you a long-term security contract to help bring Konoha into the 1st Millennium. If at any step of the process you fail...."

Nyguyen ceased touching his beard and instead pointed his hand to the sleeping Saburo.

"You will end up like your subordinate over there.....except unlike him you won't wake up."

It was a threat but it was one made in good-faith (if such a thing existed). He wanted Damien to understand that this village was his home. These were his people. They had been jerked around, betrayed, and nearly destroyed by the incompetence and greed of outsiders. He would not let them lose faith in the Konoha government ever again.

Damien couldn't help but smile at the kage's words, not that the threat was funny. He could see in the man's eyes that his words like Damien's own were truth, if the Kage even suspected that Damien was betraying them he would wind up dead. Of course he had no intention of betraying the village, even to Kumogakure. It was bad business to betray ones clients, and Damien did do bad business. The reason he smiled was the part about reading the mind of his employees, to read the mind of all of his employees the man would have to send his interrogators to Moonspire in Kaminari no Kuni. Of course such a thing was not really needed, as Damien already had accounted for such things. "Well the interrogation will be easy for you, with a new store comes new job opportunities. I will be hiring employees locally to man the shop, with the exception of myself and Zhu Li no one outside of Konohagakure will have any dealing with the store. Even Saburo here will not have access to such details, it is how I intend to keep your business and Kumogakure's separate. The less people that know the details the better, so for your part of this deal I will need records of crafters within your village so that I can hold interviews for the positions available. Normally I require the village to buy shares in my cororation before I place my shop and give them access to all my technology, however given the circumstances I am willing to wave that for the first month. Once you are satisfied that I am not lying to you, then we can negotiate your villages contribution to my company." Damien would make no comment to the Kages remark of thinking he was tough until broken, it would serve no purpose just as it would serve no purpose for shimiko to interrogate him. If she even tried it would be a violation of Kumo's contract, and he doubted she would be willing to cost her village such a nice deal like the one Ryuko had got for them. It was that reason the male was as confident as he was, his service he was providing was far more valuable than trying to force the man to do something he did not want to.

Damien would look to Zhu Li who would simply nod, "Zhu Li can send you the contract for you to look over and sign, however if we are finished here I would like to speak to the local contractor so that I can begin building my shop and get the process started." Damien had his fill of sitting in the boring dull room, even if the man wanted him put under restriction while he was here it was fine, but he wanted to get to work. His time was money.

Nyguyen listened as Damien explained that he planned to hire locally. Normally, this would be a good thing. Jobs for Konoha citizens in a company that was dedicated to strengthening his village. However, given the state of the world it only increased his suspicions. If Damien was planning to hire locally than that meant that any espionage would only need to be conducted through him and his assistant Zhu Li. She appeared to be his competent assistant while Saburo was his lackey. That meant any intelligence fed to Kumogakure would only be though two sources: Damien and Zhu Li. They'd doubtlessly fortify their minds in that case so as to survive the battery of tests that Nyguyen was sure to inflict. The Hokage was now faced with a veritable challenge. The strength of his counter-intelligence apparatus verses that of the Hidden Cloud's. Even if the CEO was blowing smoke up his ass, the opportunity to test Konoha's ability to mentally probe and discover spies was tantalizing. The Hokage stroked his beard and nodded as a plan formed in his mind.

"Well if the only foreign elements that I need to worry about are you and this....Zhu Li....then that makes my job rather simple. Almost too simple....I'm going to decide to believe you Damien-sama but recognize this if you wish for me to sign this contract then you and your right hand will need to undergo an array of psychological testing. You will expose your mind to some of the most powerful and invasive tools of interrogation known to man. I have to be absolutely sure that your business here is legitimate. Given recent events, I'm sure you can understand my reluctance."

Nyguyen could tell that Damien was getting tired off his internment. Either Nyguyen would send him on his merry way without a contract or he would lay the foundation for future business. The Hokage had big plans for his village and he could not see them through alone. He needed Damien and he suspected that the businessman knew it. What he didn't know was how far the man was willing to go to make sure the mistakes of his predecessors would not be repeated. This Hokage was a historian which meant he studied the missteps of others as a hobby. Allowing foreign elements to ingratiate themselves within Konoha only to undermine it was a common thread running through past Hokage. Never again.

"We are done here. I will look over the contract you propose and will approve you for a provisional foreign business license lasting a single month. During that time, you and Zhu Li will undergo extreme vetting under both the Office of Strategic Affairs and Konoha ANBU. If you both come out clean then I think we have a deal"

Nyguyen would offer his hand to Damien. If the terms were acceptable the two would shake hands and then part ways. Nyguyen would exit the interrogation room and order his shinobi to release the trio. In the coming days Damien would be subject to a thorough psychological examination, if he had no ill intentions towards Konoha then he would be permitted to set up shop. After a month passed, Nyguyen would know whether he was dealing with a dishonorable spy or an ethical businessman that could take his nation into the first Millennium.

Exit

Damien would simply smile at the Hokages comment, in a world of shinobi it was no wonder he met suspicion at every turn. "It is so hard to be an honest business man with good intentions," Damien would mutter as he shook the man's hand signifying the agreement to the terms on the table. "Before I go," Damien would say in his normal tone voice, "please accept this gift on my behalf. It was a gift I created as a show of gratitude for future good business, of course I had not expected the meeting to take place under such circumstances. However, Lord Hokage Uchiha. Please accept this Tanto as my thanks for you indulging me, and may our business together be ever profitable." Damien would remove a small piece of paper from his pocket that held a seal upon it and place it on the table. The male would not dare unseal it himself after the last debacle, instead he would leave it to the Hokage to unseal at his leisure. Damien would bend down and tap the back of Saburo's neck, the man would instantly awake looking around slightly confused. Damien would then stand and take his leave from the room, Zhu Li would kneel down beside Saburo and whisper in his ear that it was time to go. He wouldn't argue, simply stand and follow his master out the door with Zhu Li close behind him.

{Exit}


{Gifted 1 A-Rank Tanto to Nyguyen}