Koharu Utatane was being completely unreasonable!
This was unheard of!
When a ninja made a mistake, the usual punishments were confinement or demotion. As long as they hadn't betrayed Konoha, everything was negotiable. Fines did exist, but they were typically deducted from mission commissions.
Yet Koharu Utatane was demanding several billion...
To put things into perspective, Konoha's total reserve funds were just a few billion at best!
Fining a single ninja this much was unprecedented in the entire ninja world!
However, the others present found it quite reasonable—because Haruto Saito was just that rich! Hiruzen Sarutobi even gave Koharu an approving glance—she was truly cunning!
"I second that!" Homura Mitokado immediately followed up, "I think this is the best course of action. Haruto Saito is extremely money-minded, and a fine will definitely make him learn his lesson. Besides, he's so wealthy that even if we fine him a few billion, he'll still be the richest man in Konoha... Plus, having a few extra billion in reserve funds would greatly help with the impending war..."
"I agree as well," added Shikaku Akimichi, not elaborating further.
With all three senior advisors in agreement, under normal circumstances, Koharu's proposal would have already passed as an official decision. Even if Hiruzen opposed it, the votes were against him. However, in this era, Hiruzen Sarutobi was effectively an autocratic ruler—he had veto power and could make final decisions on his own!
"I don't oppose Koharu's proposal…" Hiruzen Sarutobi said thoughtfully. "But… what if Haruto Saito refuses to pay? Then what?"
The conference room fell into silence.
What would they do?!
No one had an answer!
Given Haruto Saito's personality, if he stubbornly refused and acted like an immovable object, there would be no way to force him. He wasn't an enemy—on the contrary, he was a super-genius that Konoha was heavily invested in. They couldn't afford to push him too hard!
"Haruto Saito is a restless individual," Koharu suggested again. "If he refuses to pay, we should keep him locked up. The Hidden Mist has put a bounty on his head, so he's in great danger. Keeping him confined would actually be a form of protection. He needs to endure loneliness… I believe he won't be able to stand it for long!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi gave Koharu a sideways glance.
He knew that Koharu didn't understand Haruto Saito at all!
With Haruto's stubborn personality, even if they beat him eight times a day, it wouldn't change anything. Keeping him locked up wouldn't solve the problem.
"I'll talk to him myself…" Hiruzen sighed, already feeling a headache coming on. "So… Koharu, how much do you think we should fine him?"
Koharu looked at Hiruzen, pondered for a moment, and said, "Six billion ryo!"
"That's too much!" Hiruzen immediately objected.
"It's not!" Koharu retorted. "Hiruzen, my calculation includes the Uzumaki treasure. I estimate that treasure to be worth at least four billion ryo. Haruto Saito has not only obtained the Meiji treasure but also made over a billion from the Black Armor trade... Even if his expenses are high, fining him six billion ryo would still leave him with over two billion in assets…"
"No, the Uzumaki treasure funds cannot be included," Hiruzen shook his head.
"Why?" Koharu frowned.
"Haruto Saito already discussed this with Lady Mito," Hiruzen explained. "Then Lady Mito spoke to me. Regarding the Uzumaki treasure, Haruto Saito claimed he would use the funds to establish a ninja village in the Land of Whirlpools to bring peace there… I don't know how he convinced Lady Mito, but she agreed, so we can't touch that money. Moreover, Lady Mito specifically told me…"
Hiruzen briefly explained the situation, maintaining a neutral expression.
But in truth, he felt helpless!
Haruto Saito had convinced Mito Uzumaki, and Mito had in turn convinced Hiruzen, leaving him no room to argue.
After all, Konoha had no legitimate claim over the Uzumaki treasure!
If the treasure had belonged to any other clan, Konoha wouldn't have been able to interfere at all. Haruto Saito's discovery would have been entirely his. It was only because it was an Uzumaki treasure—and Konoha had a strong connection to the Uzumaki clan through Mito Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki—that they even had a stake in the matter.
But now, Mito had effectively blocked their claim, and Konoha had no choice but to accept it.
After hearing this, the others exchanged glances, unable to argue.
Given Hiruzen's status, he could negotiate with Mito Uzumaki.
But they had neither the authority nor the influence to challenge Mito!
The wife of the First Hokage, the first Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, the strongest female ninja in the ninja world… Mito Uzumaki's titles were numerous. She wasn't just influential in Konoha—she held a revered status across the entire ninja world!
"In that case… three billion should be good," Koharu adjusted her demand, cutting the amount in half.
"Still too much," Hiruzen shook his head.
It really was too much, especially since Hiruzen was unaware that Haruto Saito had discovered another treasure—the Edo Treasure. Excluding the Uzumaki treasure, Hiruzen estimated Haruto Saito's current assets to be between four and five billion ryo.
Taking three billion would mean stripping away more than half of it!
With Haruto Saito's greed, he would never agree to such a deal!
After further discussion, the council eventually settled on a fine of 2.6 billion ryo.
This was still significantly lower than Koharu's initial demand, but it was by no means a small amount! No one else in Konoha could afford to pay such a fine in one go!
"That's the final amount. I'll discuss it with him," Hiruzen stated. "This is his punishment. But since we're emphasizing clear rewards and penalties, we must also decide how to reward him for his achievements. His merits don't erase his mistakes, and his mistakes don't erase his merits… How should we reward him?"
The conference room fell silent again.
This was an even bigger dilemma than deciding his punishment!
Haruto Saito's achievements were too significant to ignore.
The main issue was his age—he was too young and had too little experience, yet his accomplishments were monumental!
If he were in his twenties with over a decade of mission experience, he could be directly promoted to Legion Commander. In the ANBU, he could even be appointed as a Captain!
But Haruto Saito was only twelve!
He couldn't be a Legion Commander, and in ANBU… he couldn't replace White Fang! White Fang was a towering figure in ANBU history. Unless he weakened with age, made mistakes, or voluntarily stepped down, no one could shake his position as ANBU Captain!
******
Nightfall.
Konoha's back mountain, ANBU headquarters.
In the deepest section, inside the ultra-luxurious, top-tier VIP prison cell...
"Huff… huff…" Haruto Saito sat at a pearwood round table, using silver chopsticks to pick up a piece of beef from a steaming hotpot. He blew on it gently before popping it into his mouth. Then, he grabbed a handful of fresh vegetables from a plate and tossed them into the broth.
Yes, he was eating hotpot!
His inventory space had no concept of time, so anything stored remained perfectly fresh…
Creak!
The prison door shook, revealing glowing sealing marks before slowly opening.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped inside but halted after just one step.
His eyes swept across the lavishly decorated prison cell.
Then he looked at Haruto Saito, casually enjoying his hotpot.
Hiruzen's eyelids twitched uncontrollably, his lips curling involuntarily in frustration!