"During wartime, the ninja conscripted by the village do not receive any payment to begin with. According to longstanding convention, the spoils obtained by ninja on the battlefield are always handed over only by half."
"I wonder what rules the advisor is referring to. And who exactly set those rules?"
Homura's expression darkened:
"That was in the past!
"This time, you allowed your subordinates to plunder the Land of Wind, which has severely damaged the reputation of the Hidden Leaf! These assets must all be handed over to the village for unified handling!"
Gento let out a scoff:
"The money has already been distributed. If the advisor finds it inappropriate, you are welcome to personally go retrieve it from the various clans. I won't interfere."
Homura's face turned black from being choked into silence.
Retrieve it personally?
That would mean offending all the participating ninja clans at once… he didn't have the courage for that.
Gento no longer paid him any attention and continued reporting:
"Additionally, the Hidden Sand's war indemnity amounts to fifty billion Ryo."
The moment those words fell, even the sound of breathing in the office seemed to pause.
Fifty billion!
That was nearly two years' worth of the Hidden Leaf's financial income!
"Together with the previous 2.8 billion, the total comes to 7.8 billion—no, 78 billion Ryo.
"Of that, 55 billion was used for various war expenditures, and the remaining 2.3 billion—no, 23 billion is here."
Gento pushed the three scrolls forward.
"Fifty-five billion in expenditures?"
Koharu could not help but question in dissatisfaction:
"What kind of expenses require that much money? What's handed over isn't even half!"
Even Hiruzen, who was usually calm, now furrowed his brows tightly.
Gento Uchiha… had taken far too much.
Homura slammed the table again:
"Without the support of the Hidden Leaf, could you, Gento Uchiha, have won this war? Now you've filled your own pockets, yet you only give the village this little! I absolutely refuse to accept it!"
Gento merely raised his eyes and asked calmly:
"Too little?"
Hiruzen slowly exhaled a puff of smoke and finally spoke:
"Gento, it is indeed… too little. You also know that since the Third Great Shinobi War began, the village has suffered heavy losses. The pensions for many fallen ninja still have no source of funding…"
Gento's gaze swept across the three of them, and he suddenly asked:
"Then, how much did the commanders of the other three battlefronts—Orochimaru, Minato Namikaze, and the late Hishu Hyuga—hand over, respectively?"
Koharu froze.
Gento continued unhurriedly:
"Since my 23 billion is considered too little, I assume the other three must have handed over even more, correct?"
Hiruzen, Homura, and Koharu were all momentarily speechless.
The other three battlefronts had struggled just to avoid collapse… what spoils could there be? They had even required continuous supply support from the village. Calling it "negative returns" would not be an exaggeration.
Gento's tone turned unfriendly:
"Moreover, the pensions for ninja have nothing to do with me. The ninja under my command suffered almost no casualties."
He looked at Hiruzen and added one final sentence:
"Hokage-sama shouldn't have forgotten; The Hidden Sand front was the only front where the Hidden Leaf achieved a complete and resounding victory."
After a brief pause, his voice lowered slightly:
"Perhaps… your political career will continue because of it."
After speaking, Gento said no more.
Hiruzen remained silent for a while, the glow in his pipe flickering on and off.
Finally, he slowly nodded:
"Then… let it be so. It's Gento's first time commanding a major war, so higher expenditures are understandable.
"But let there not be a next time."
Homura and Koharu still wanted to say something, but Hiruzen suppressed them with a glance.
Gento gave a bow and took his leave, turning to walk out.
No sooner had he left than Danzo pushed the door open and entered:
"Hiruzen, approve another ten billion in funding for my Root."
Hiruzen took a deep drag of his pipe:
"There isn't any."
"How could there not be?!"
Danzo's voice suddenly rose.
"Didn't Gento Uchiha just hand over nearly a hundred billion? I've already heard about it!"
"The Uchiha and the village… split it thirty-seventy."
"Why is it only seventy percent?!"
"The seventy percent belongs to them!"
Danzo's expression became vivid, shifting from astonishment to shock, then to barely suppressed fury:
"Hiruzen! You've truly gone senile!"
He nearly pointed at the Hokage's nose:
"How could you let the Uchiha take so much money? Do they even know how to use it?
"In the future, when the Uchiha's power expands, what will the village use to keep them in check?
"You will regret this!"
Hiruzen raised his eyes:
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
Bang!
Danzo slammed the door as he stormed out.
...
Gento walked out of the Hokage Tower in a rather pleasant mood.
With fifty-five billion Ryo firmly secured, this sum would be enough for him to significantly expand the Uchiha clan's population after taking over.
As he was thinking, a pair of soft hands suddenly covered his eyes from behind:
"Guess who I am~?"
Without even thinking, Gento reached back and pulled the person into his arms.
"Ah! Gento, let go of me~!"
Kurenai's coquettish voice sounded, though the smile in it could not be hidden.
Gento gave her cheek a firm kiss before finally letting go with a grin.
Today, Kurenai looked especially radiant.
She was wearing a short ninja outfit. The top was slightly tight, outlining her full chest and slender waist.
On her lower body were shorts suited for movement, revealing a pair of straight, long legs.
Her whole being exuded a youthful yet seductive aura.
"How did you know I was back?"
"Hmph, my father came back, so of course you came back too!"
Kurenai wrinkled her nose proudly.
"I was the one who asked my father to apply to join your team!"
Gento suddenly understood.
No wonder Hiruzen had specifically assigned Shinku to him; it turned out Kurenai had persuaded him.
"So it was your arrangement… your father really helped a lot this time."
"Then how are you going to thank me?"
Kurenai blinked and leaned close to his ear.
Gento smiled and pinched her cheek:
"A new dango shop just opened. I'll take you there?"
"Okay!"
The two held hands and went into the shop.
Gento had just spoken:
"Boss, two servings of three-colored dango."
The shop owner looked up and immediately exclaimed in surprise:
"Isn't this Lord Gento, the hero of Leaf? If you're here, it's free! Free!"
Kurenai covered her mouth and laughed softly at the side:
"See? Now the whole village knows you're a hero~"
Gento felt a little embarrassed, quickly took the dango, and pulled Kurenai away at a brisk pace.
The two walked aimlessly while eating the sweet, chewy dango.
Before they knew it, they had arrived downstairs at Gento's home.
After running around on the battlefield for so many days, Gento had long been holding himself back.
He stopped and looked at Kurenai beside him, whose cheeks were a bit red, and said in a low voice:
"Want to come upstairs for a bit?"
Kurenai pretended not to understand:
"Go upstairs… for what?"
Gento wore a mischievous grin:
"To have a 'deep' discussion about genjutsu, of course."
As he spoke, he scooped Kurenai up into his arms.
Kurenai let out a soft cry, yet her arms naturally wrapped around his neck as she buried her face in his shoulder, her voice as soft as a whisper:
"Then… you'd better make it real 'deep'…"
The door closed, and soon faint rustling sounds could be heard from inside.
Both of them were young and full of vigor, and they had not seen each other for a long time.
This round of "exchange" was exceptionally intense.
Fortunately, Gento lived in a standalone house; otherwise, with such commotion, the neighbors would have complained long ago.
Only in the afternoon did the door open again.
Kurenai supported herself against the wall as she walked out, her legs weak, the flush on her cheeks not yet gone:
"No more… I really can't anymore… I can't go home too late."
Gento was still not fully satisfied, but he could only let her leave.
In the following days, the two were almost inseparable, as close as glue.
Every time Gento invited Kurenai to his house, the two would thoroughly indulge themselves.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, only two days remained before the Uchiha clan meeting.
On this day, a member of the Uchiha clan came to report:
"Gento-sama, that Scorch Release ninja you brought back said she wants to see you."
Gento's expression immediately shifted upon hearing this.
"Oh? Has Pakura finally figured things out and decided to become my woman?"
...
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