Chapter 46: Still Trying to Get a Kickback?
"You flatter me, you flatter me!"
"This is nothing but a trivial skill."
"Not just anyone is qualified to challenge Konoha."
Uchiha Nan smiled, though his eyes didn't, as he looked at the Daimyo, making him uneasy.
"Indeed, indeed!"
"Who in the entire ninja world doesn't know the prestige of the Uchiha Sharingan?"
The Daimyo repeatedly agreed, understanding Uchiha Nan's unspoken message: even if Konoha's strength had diminished, it was still undoubtedly the strongest in the Land of Fire.
"Someone, carry Genku away!"
"A useless showpiece!"
The Daimyo turned his head, his smiling face instantly changing, and ordered his men to drag away the unconscious Genku.
Seeing that his demonstration had achieved its purpose, Uchiha Nan relaxed his face and resumed his smile, chatting warmly with the Daimyo.
They talked about various topics.
The Daimyo complained about the difficulties of governing.
His ministers were deceiving him, falsifying accounts, seizing land, evading taxes, and embezzling his money.
"This is all my money!"
Uchiha Nan pretended to sympathize, also lamenting his own difficulties.
"Being a ninja is hard, being a Hokage is even harder!"
"Rolling in blades and flames, one careless step can lead to death."
Sometimes, people's joys and sorrows overlapped, and the Daimyo and Uchiha Nan chatted casually.
Men, after all, could talk about history, military, aliens, and the origin of the universe, focusing on unrestrained conversation, but eventually, they would always drift towards women.
"Were you satisfied with the gift I gave you yesterday, Hokage?"
The Daimyo had a knowing smile on his face, and Uchiha Nan naturally smiled back, everything understood without words.
"If the Hokage likes this type, I have..."
The Daimyo's eyes shifted, extending an invitation to Uchiha Nan. Women, for people like them, were the least valuable.
If they could be used to improve his relationship with Uchiha Nan, the Daimyo would do his best to satisfy Uchiha Nan's requests.
Uchiha Nan immediately thought of the grotesque task involving three widows, but he quickly rejected the idea.
"Too perverted!"
Uchiha Nan still wanted to keep his remaining principles.
"No, no..."
"Don't be greedy!"
Uchiha Nan repeatedly shook his head, rejecting the Daimyo's offer. The Daimyo was slightly disappointed but didn't show it.
After chatting with the Daimyo for a while, it was lunchtime, and the Daimyo naturally invited Uchiha Nan to eat in the palace.
Uchiha Nan, with a "since I'm here" attitude, naturally didn't refuse. The Daimyo's chefs were truly skilled!
After lunch, Uchiha Nan didn't forget to pack a meal for Fene and Ling in his room. It was the Daimyo's food, and it was probably their first time trying it.
The two sisters stood cautiously in the room, waiting for Uchiha Nan. The important figure before them was said to be a ninja, and the Hokage of Konoha!
They weren't very clear about the Hokage title, but they understood ninjas!
With a wave of their hands, they could release lethal ninjutsu. They had not only heard about rogue ninjas killing civilians indiscriminately but had also witnessed it.
"Thank you, Master..."
Fene, being the elder sister, was a bit bolder and stepped forward to take the food box. Even though the box was closed, the aroma still wafted out.
"Gulp!"
The two sisters swallowed their saliva. They had been tossed around by Uchiha Nan for half the night and hadn't eaten much breakfast. They were starving, but they still didn't open the box.
They wouldn't dare without Uchiha Nan's permission.
"Eat, what are you looking at me for?"
"There's cream cake at the bottom. I thought you might like it, so I brought some."
"I have things to do. After you finish lunch, stay in the room and don't wander around."
Uchiha Nan gave them instructions and then left the room. He still had to take the Daimyo's voucher to the Ministry of Finance to get the funds.
As soon as Uchiha Nan left, the two sisters eagerly opened the box and began enjoying the food.
"Sister, the cake is so sweet!"
Ling picked up a piece of cake and licked the cream on top, soft and sweet.
Sugar was a rare commodity. In this era, it was good enough for commoners to be fed and not starve. Sugar was something only nobles were qualified to enjoy.
Not to mention cream cake!
"Mm."
Fene nodded, the sweetness in her mouth diluting some of the fear about the future. Their master seemed to be a good person!
Uchiha Nan left the palace, carrying the voucher approved by the Daimyo, and went to the Ministry of Finance.
Ministry of Finance
The room was filled with account books, and each clerk had stacks of them in front of them, their abacuses clicking away.
A middle-aged man in a black robe, with a large belly, was leisurely drinking tea, doing nothing.
"So idle? He must be the boss!"
"Where is your minister?"
Uchiha Nan walked straight to the man and said.
The man looked up, saw Uchiha Nan wearing the Hokage robes, and immediately stood up to greet him, his face full of smiles.
"The minister is working in the inner room. I will take the Hokage to see him."
Uchiha Nan nodded and followed him into the room, where he saw the minister also drinking tea.
The Minister of Finance immediately greeted Uchiha Nan with a smile, and Uchiha Nan directly stated his purpose.
"This, this, it's a bit difficult, Hokage-sama!"
The Minister of Finance's smile froze when he heard he had to give 3.2 billion ryo, turning into a bitter face.
"The national treasury is empty. We have to provide relief to disaster victims, resettle refugees. This year, there was a drought in the north and floods in the south..."
He came up with various excuses, but in short, he had no money, but he didn't say he wouldn't give it, he just wanted to delay.
"Damn it! These damned insects!"
The Minister of Finance rubbed his hands subtly, clearly asking for a bribe. He dared to skim off the ninja village's military funds?
He was truly risking his life for money!
"One million ryo!"
Uchiha Nan held up a finger, stating his offer. The man was the Minister of Finance, a high-ranking official of the Land of Fire. Some formalities were necessary.
"Tch..."
The Minister of Finance chuckled and held up five fingers.
"Fifty million ryo!"
"Are you looking for death?"
Uchiha Nan had already activated his Sharingan. He dared to embezzle that much?
"Hokage-sama, don't get angry. This is the usual practice. I didn't ask for much."
"Don't worry, we'll cooperate. The accounts we make for your Ministry of Finance will be flawless, no one will be able to tell!"
Uchiha Nan smiled slightly, his Sharingan visible.
A moment later, the Minister of Finance crawled up from the ground, trembling, his eyes filled with fear. He didn't mention the kickback again. He quickly processed the payment, falsified accounts, and completed all the paperwork.
"Truly a cheapskate!"
"Ptooey!"
Uchiha Nan spat on the Minister of Finance's face and walked out of the room without looking back.
"Please, come again, please come again!"
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