Right now.
Inside the Raikage Tower, in Kumogakure.
Shimoku and his group were sitting around a dining table, happily enjoying the Full-Beef Banquet specially prepared by Kumogakure.
Needless to say, the premium beef of Kumogakure was truly extraordinary.
Shimoku wrapped a large slice of raw meat and placed it into the steaming hot pot. After ten seconds of quick cooking, he rolled it up with a bit of secret spicy sauce and shoved it into his mouth.
At that moment, a variety of vibrant flavors exploded inside his mouth—
Spicy, fresh, savory…
The intense aroma of spices layered upon each other, complemented by the natural tenderness of the beef, as if a storm had erupted on his tongue.
It was incredibly satisfying!
"Ahh!"
Shimoku exhaled warm breath, clearly satisfied.
The beef from Kumogakure possessed tender and smooth meat that still retained a satisfying chew, even carrying a faint floral fragrance reminiscent of the *Yunxiang* flower.
Reportedly, this originated from the unique *Yunxiang* flower of Kumogakure.
In their extravagance, the villagers often fed this flower to their cattle.
Both the *Yunxiang* flower and its leaves emitted a strong and distinctive fragrance, which not only enhanced the flavor of the beef but also offered benefits like clearing internal heat, detoxification, cooling the blood, and repelling insects.
Moreover, to achieve an ultimate texture in the meat,
Kumogakure provided these top-grade cattle with various luxurious treatments, including:
Listening to music — while the cattle ate or rested, different types of music were played to boost their appetite and aid digestion;
Massages — daily brushing and massaging sessions were performed to promote blood circulation and relax muscles;
Sleeping on soft bedding — using fermented bedding systems that could break down and neutralize fecal matter, keeping the cowsheds extremely clean.
On top of that,
carefully scheduled meals were provided at fixed times, quantities, and nutritional ratios.
These cows lived the good life—right up until the end.
So much so that they seemed better off than struggling ninjas from other Hidden Villages.
A real case of "the animals have it better than the people."
Therefore, this type of meat, with its tender yet chewy texture and distinct floral scent, became one of Kumogakure's signature specialties.
Only top officials in the village and a handful of noble families in the Land of Lightning could get their hands on it.
Extremely rare and precious.
At this moment, around the dinner table,
Shimoku and Riyō's party of four were joyfully indulging in this exquisite feast.
Even Yueji, who usually watched her weight like a hawk, couldn't help going back for seconds… or thirds.
"Glug glug~~"
"Silver, eat slower! You're gulping meat down like water—you're embarrassing us!"
Riyō chuckled and scolded, lightly smacking Gin on the back.
"Mmmph~ This stuff's too damn good~ Starving~ Can't help it!"
Gin responded while swallowing hastily, eating like someone who hadn't eaten in three days straight.
But this further proved how delicious the meat products of Kumogakure really were.
Not to mention there was an even more savage eater at the table—the Young Master himself!
In conclusion, this meal alone confirmed
that Shimoku and his crew came here for a very good reason.
With Kumogakure's exceptional quality meat, combined with their own vast maritime trade routes,
there would surely be endless profits ahead—continuous and bountiful!
After stuffing himself with a hearty meal,
Shimoku (the young negotiator) began discussing serious matters with Kumogakure.
Firstly, naturally came negotiations regarding "hush money" and "emotional distress compensation."
Regarding this, Shimoku actually wasn't being greedy at all.
He merely asked for thirty million ryo.
Upon hearing this number,
The Fourth Raikage, already severely injured, nearly fainted again from rage.
Thirty million ryo!
That wasn't a small sum!
Though not reaching one-third of Kumogakure's emergency funds, it was still substantial.
Just collecting taxes from mission rewards,
It would require at least one thousand Kumo squads continuously completing C-ranked missions for two or three months to earn this much!
And now, just for some "hush money" and "emotional distress compensation,"
They'd need hundreds of Kumogakure ninja working for several months practically for free. That was one hell of a high price!
Unfortunately, Shimoku held both strong fists and valid reasoning.
To preserve the village's reputation and protect his younger brother Killer Bee's safety,
Raikage A (known as 'A' among his peers) had no choice but to reluctantly accept the terms.
Rather generously, he handed over the thirty million ryo to Shimoku as compensation.
After all, in Raikage A's opinion,
With this brat's strength, he could probably even forcefully rob the entire Kumogakure Vault and escape unscathed.
That's just how might makes right in this world!
At the very least, in the future, Homura Hidden Village would still purchase their meat products, and there would be many business opportunities ahead...
By then, they could surely earn the money back through future business like Homura Hidden Village buying their meat products!
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