Itachi woke up feeling better than he did the last few months. He couldn't remember much of what happened yesterday. All he knew was that Kurama must have done something to him. After wonderful foreplay, his mind blanked from that point onwards. It must be fox magic but Itachi couldn't be too mad. His apartment was in a better state than it was before, he felt well-rested and there was even breakfast prepared. Kurama outdid himself with the bento and Itachi wondered where the fox learnt such handy skills. It made him happy to know that he was being treated as something precious.
The CEO got up and took a quick shower before eating and dressing up for work. As usual, the fox demon didn't leave any messages about where he was or if he would be coming back. However, Itachi knew that if Kurama did this much, the chances of him coming home was higher.
With that, the CEO started the day with a good mood.
>>Xxx Destiny Aitsuji xxX<<
"Sir, you have a meeting with Root Inc. at nine," Tenten greeted her boss as soon as he walked into the office. There was something different about him but she couldn't tell what exactly was different. Still, Itachi looked better than she remembered him to be. His confidence and shinning through and he was livelier.
Itachi nodded at his secretary and dropped a box of doughnuts on her table with a smile. "Thank you, Tenten. Who is the representative for Root?"
Tenten smiled and accepted the gift gratefully. "Danzo Shimura the CEO of Root Inc. is coming. He says that he is interested in working on a joint venture with you."
"Is that so..." Itachi mused. Root Inc. was only a recently founded company with an unknown backer. They only started appearing around two years ago in the manufacturing industry before branching into logistics. From there on, Root Inc. became unstoppable and dabbled in just about every major sector. They've been a major thorn by Itachi's side by snatching smaller business deals from underneath their noses.
"Did they give any details as to what that joint venture is about?" he asked.
Tenten looked through the email and frowned. "No sir, it only mentioned a joint venture proposal."
The CEO shrugged. "I guess we'll have to wait till Mr Shimura comes to let us know what it's all about. Thank you, Tenten."
The CEO started working on the emails that piled up overnight as usual and waited for Danzo to arrive. It was slightly harder than usual to read through the boring messages and politics that morning even with coffee. His mind kept drifting to a certain red-haired fox demon like an undisciplined child. Itachi didn't know what kind of magic fox demons knew but he was almost certain that this wasn't one of them.
Outside the Uchiha's office, a certain fox was getting busy. Kurama infiltrated the building and gained access to the central camera system. It was also easy to grab a janitor's key for rooftop access. The formation was a little hard to draw with the sun and wind beating down on him on the roof but Kurama did it anyway and shielded the entire building with some defensive barrier that morning. According to Kakashi, his pups smelled some snakes in the city.
While spying on his mate, Kurama saw a familiar face. Although it looked fairly different in the human world, there was no mistaking the Head of the Snake Clan.
"Danzo!" Kurama hissed as the snake in disguise met up with his mate. From the camera, Danzo didn't seem like he was out to kill Itachi just yet. However, the snake demon noticed Kurama's scent and frowned. They've all heard the rumours about Naruto getting a human mate who turned demon. The Root CEO wondered if there was such a thing called coincidence. If so, the Uchi CEO could not be used to complete their plans. Still, he would have to keep an eye out on the sneaky foxes.
"Good day, Uchiha-san."
Itachi plastered on a smile and welcomed Danzo warmly. The Root CEO had unusually cold hands and Itachi found it odd. Still, he brushed it aside.
"It's a pleasure to be meeting you in person, Mr Shimura. Tell me, how can I help you?"
Danzo didn't bother beating around the bush and delved straight into the heart of the matter. The friendly smile from earlier was now replaced with a resolute mask of indifference.
"We understand that the Uchiha Corps. are looking for manpower to expand their network in courier and logistics. Most of your shipping arrangements are outsourced to numerous third-party companies. Root Inc. has an extensive global network and resources that will suit the needs of your business. I wonder if Uchiha-san would be keen to use our services."
Itachi raised a brow. People were usually not as direct when they were dealing with negotiations. Danzo didn't look like he was lying. In fact, it would greatly benefit both businesses if they could come to an agreement. It was true, the Uchiha Corps. used a lot of third-party logistics companies to manage their shipments. Not only has the cost of shipment gone up over the years, the complexity of having so many third-party vendors complicated matters when it came to international dealings. There were delays when transfers inter-country transfer was required. With Root Inc.'s global network and resource, Itachi can see a huge cost saving and it would resolve his headache about import and export controls.
"What's in it for you?" he asked. Surely Danzo wasn't such a simple man. As a businessman for years now, Itachi was very sensitive towards the hidden intentions of others. He picked up on the slightest hints and even the best actors won't fool him.
Danzo was impressed. Itachi wasn't your average human who didn't know any better. A normal human would be pouncing on the opportunity but Itachi was cautious. Perhaps this was the influence of the fox? Either way, what Itachi didn't know couldn't help him. Danzo had this deal in his bag. Itachi would agree to it no matter what.
"I see that you live up to your reputation as a very sharp businessman. True, while profits are alluring, this is not why I came. I have a second agenda. As you might have known, Root Inc. is a very new company. We face many internal problems managing such a vast empire. The Uchiha Corps. have very good internal systems. I was wondering if it was possible to have some kind of exchange programs for our top executives to work with some of the executives in Uchiha Corps."
Itachi blinked. "Why not engage the services that we provide? We provide consultation services."
Danzo grinned. "I don't want a one-time solution to my problems. Root might be new but we are here to stay. I want to learn from the best and who else better to ask than the leading company in our era?"
Itachi inhaled. The man before him wasn't simple. "And if I refuse?"
Danzo smiled. "Then I'm afraid I'll have to convince you again in another visit. Thank you for agreeing to meet me, it was certainly my pleasure talking to such a promising young man like yourself."
Itachi's smile grew cold and his eyes became clearer. "No, the pleasure is all mine, Mr Shimura. Allow me to see you out."
From the security room, Kurama watched closely. Danzo didn't seem to think of Itachi as a threat just yet but he wouldn't put it past the snake to try and harm his mate. He couldn't hear the contents of their conversation but from the looks of it, negotiations have broken down.
It was never a good thing when Danzo Shimura doesn't get the results he wants. Kurama could be certain that Itachi now had an imaginary target on his back. The snake would never back off this easily. He would hide until it was the right time to strike and aim for the kill.
The fox demon fished for his phone to ring his long-time pal.
"Yo!" the other party greeted and Kurama sighed. he was going to owe them big time again.