Danzo looked up, and upon recognizing Shimura Keito, his expression softened slightly. "Keito, do you have something to say?"
"Hokage-sama, I have a way to secure a large amount of funds," Shimura Keito replied.
"What method?" Danzo asked with a frown.
"During this time of Konoha's crisis, I believe the villagers and the various ninja clans should contribute their share," Keito answered.
Though he phrased it subtly, the meaning was clear.
Hearing someone finally propose this plan, Danzo and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
Such a simple solution—who wouldn't think of it? But everyone wanted to protect their reputation and didn't want to be the first to suggest it. In the past, Danzo wouldn't have hesitated to make such proposals.
However, ever since becoming Hokage, whether he truly cared about his reputation or not, he had to be mindful of it. Otherwise, the villagers wouldn't accept him, and his position as Hokage wouldn't last long.
Now, he needed someone to take on the role he once played—someone to handle the dirty work and bear the blame.
Keito! You're doing well! You have the same resolve I once had!
"In that case, I'll entrust this task to you, Keito. Can you handle it?" Danzo asked.
"No problem, Hokage-sama!" Shimura Keito responded loudly.
"Additionally, one more thing."
"Lower the graduation age of the Ninja Academy to ten. Konoha needs more fresh forces now," Danzo instructed.
Leaving the Hokage's office, Shimura Keito felt a surge of excitement.
This operation wasn't something Deidara had directed. In fact, Deidara hadn't given any orders to Konoha's three agents in a long time.
This was entirely Shimura Keito's own initiative. Why?
The taste of power had become intoxicating to him. He was no longer satisfied with being the head of a third-rate department. He wanted to climb higher, to make those who once looked down on him bow and scrape before him.
"Minister Keito." As he walked into the newly rebuilt headquarters of the Security Division, every operative along the way respectfully greeted him.
Pushing open the door to the minister's office, he sat down on a luxurious sofa worth millions, lit a limited-edition cigar, and glanced at the curvaceous secretary beside him.
Shimura Keito felt a thrill from head to toe.
All those years of grueling missions now seemed utterly foolish. This—this was what life was all about!
"Minister Keito~!" The voluptuous secretary sat familiarly on Shimura Keito's lap, her voice dripping with sweetness.
Smiling, Keito patted her on the backside. "Go gather everyone. We've got a big job today."
Before long, the entire Security Division had assembled. Currently, the division only had twenty or thirty members—not many, but when gathered together, they still formed a decent crowd.
"Minister Keito, what are your orders this time?" one operative asked with a grin. Judging by his demeanor and aura, he resembled a street thug.
In fact, the Security Division was now almost entirely composed of such individuals. Keito had chosen them for a simple reason: as long as they were paid, they would obey.
"The village is in a tough spot right now, so we'll be collecting a war tax from everyone."
"But don't mention the Hokage's name. Understood?" Keito instructed.
"Understood!" While thuggish, these types were usually sharp-witted, immediately grasping the minister's intentions.
The group dispersed, targeting the village's civilians.
"Captain, why aren't we collecting the war tax from that family?" a less savvy operative asked.
The captain kicked him without hesitation. "Idiot! The Noda family has a ninja who hasn't been sent to the front lines. When he returns from his mission in a few days, do you think he'll let you off?"
The operative quickly smiled apologetically. "I see now. The captain is so clever."
"But it still feels unfair. The Noda family seems pretty well-off."
"Idiot!" The captain kicked him again.
"Come with me to the next house. The Oyama family recently received a death gratuity. We can make up for the Noda family's share there."
"Brilliant thinking, Captain!"
Soon, chaos erupted throughout Konoha.
Meanwhile, Shimura Keito personally led a team to visit the major clans.
For powerful clans like the Hyūga and the Ino-Shika-Chō, he was polite, and these clans, in turn, gave him some face by contributing a bit.
But when it came to the Inuzuka and Aburame clans, he extorted a hefty sum.
The worst off, however, were Konoha's minor clans—those with little influence, often just large families. Even Keito, in his current position, could easily suppress them.
For instance, the Moonlight Clan and the Kurama Clan were among these minor clans.
At the Moonlight Clan's compound, Shimura Keito sat arrogantly at the head of the table, while the clan leader and elders sat below, nervously smiling.
"Minister Keito, thirty million ryō is far too much! We truly can't afford it," the clan leader said with a face full of worry. The Moonlight Clan had only a few dozen members, with fewer than ten ninja. How could they possibly come up with such a large sum?
"What's this? Are you disrespecting me, Shimura Keito?" Keito asked angrily.
"Minister Keito, you must be joking. We wouldn't dare disrespect you. But we truly can't afford that much!" As the clan leader and elders fretted, Moonlight Rin returned.
"What are you doing here?" Moonlight Rin asked coldly, clearly having no fondness for Shimura Keito, who had been throwing his weight around in Konoha.
Seeing Moonlight Rin, Keito's expression darkened.
What are you pretending for? Aren't you a spy too?
However, he didn't dare go too far. He could clearly sense that Hyūga Kanade and Moonlight Rin held more weight with Deidara than he did.
"How about this? If the Moonlight Clan can provide two members to join the Security Division and follow my orders from now on, I'll reduce the war tax from thirty million to ten million. How about that?" Keito finally revealed his true intentions.
The clan leader's face fell, but he had no choice. There was no room for negotiation, as thirty million was simply impossible.
"Fine, Minister Keito."
"You can't agree to that! Get out of here!" Moonlight Rin shouted angrily.
"Rin, how can you speak to Minister Keito like that?" The clan leader quickly pulled Rin back and repeatedly apologized to Keito.
Keito, realizing they were still in Konoha, smirked smugly. "Moonlight Rin, what can you do to me?"
In the Hokage's office, Danzo sat at his new desk and asked softly, "How much did Keito collect this time?"
Deputy Ryoma Aburame replied, "He turned in four hundred million ryō to us. It's estimated he kept about a hundred million for himself, and his subordinates embezzled several tens of millions."
Danzo nodded. "Allocate half of the four hundred million to the Foundation. That's our core."
"Also, starting today, increase tax rates and reduce welfare benefits."
"But this will surely increase dissent within the village," Ryoma Aburame cautioned.
Danzo's gaze was resolute. "It's all for Konoha!"
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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