Under Uchiha Ryun's "reasonable" suggestion (with the pressure of the Mangekyō Sharingan), A and Akatsuchi ultimately held their noses and signed the agreement. There was no other choice. If they didn't pay this sum, they wouldn't feel at ease.
If the two villages were at war and Konoha suddenly interfered, neither Kumogakure nor Iwagakure could afford to ignore it.
So it was better to pay some security deposit to ensure Konoha wouldn't get involved. After signing the agreement, the two left without looking back, though ANBU would personally escort them to the village gates.
If anything were to happen to them inside the village, it wouldn't be good. After finishing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi gave Uchiha Ryun a thumbs-up. This kid is really something—even squeezing out money from a peace agreement.
Uchiha Ryun chuckled. This is nothing, just simple political maneuvering. In the end, the matter was settled. Konoha would not participate in the war between Kumogakure and Iwagakure, but the two villages would provide material support—in other words, protection money.
After discussing for a while, the Konoha elders adjourned the meeting. As Uchiha Ryun stepped out, he saw Tsunade leaning against the window, gazing at the scenery outside. Her graceful figure and angelic beauty made him freeze for a moment. Then, he walked up behind her, placed his left hand on her waist, and leaned his face close to hers.
Tsunade's pupils shrank, and her body trembled slightly. But sensing his familiar presence, she didn't react and instead asked softly, "Finished?"
"Yeah, done." Uchiha Ryun smiled.
"Since you're done, how about accompanying me for a stroll today?" Tsunade turned her head, looking at his handsome face.
"Of course." Uchiha Ryun nodded. Tsunade stood up and walked to his left side, linking her arm with his. The two walked out of the Hokage Building like that.
The weather outside was beautiful—clear skies with white clouds.
The Land of Fire's geographical location was the most temperate and peaceful among the Five Great Nations, rich in resources and seen as a prime target by the other four.
But now, thanks to Konoha's powerful military strength, its achievements in the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind, and the ongoing war between the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning, Konoha was relatively calm.
Arm in arm, the two walked down the street—a handsome man and a beautiful woman, like a perfect couple. Moreover, since the entire Uchiha clan had participated in the war, the villagers' attitude toward them had changed. Now, seeing Uchiha Ryun and Tsunade together, they smiled warmly.
"Ryun, look over there!" Tsunade pointed at a stall not far away. Uchiha Ryun followed her slender finger and saw—Huh? That stall had many beautiful stones.
"Let's go take a look!" Uchiha Ryun smiled. Tsunade nodded. "Yeah!" The two leisurely made their way to the stall.
The vendor looked up, startled to see the famous Lady Tsunade. Then, noticing the man beside her—dressed in a black Uchiha clan robe—he realized this must be the legendary "Thousand-Kill" warrior, Uchiha Ryun.
"Lady Tsunade, Lord Ryun, hello! What would you like to buy?" The vendor grinned, gesturing to the items on the ground. He was just a small-time peddler, occasionally dealing in jade, fur, and silverware. He never expected to encounter such high-profile customers today.
Tsunade released Uchiha Ryun's arm and pointed at a pendant on the ground. Then, she took off the blue pendant hanging around her neck, held it in her hand, and picked up an identical one from the stall—the only difference being that this one was red.
Uchiha Ryun was stunned. In the original story, wasn't there only one such pendant, the one Tsunade wears? How is there another one now?
Tsunade smiled. "Ryun, how does this pendant look? It's the first time I've seen one so similar to the one Grandpa gave me. Put it on and let me see! It'll look like a couple's set!"
Uchiha Ryun nodded and put the pendant around his neck. Instantly, he felt his fire-natured chakra surge. What's going on?
But to avoid drawing Tsunade and the vendor's attention, he quickly suppressed the chakra.
Ding! "System has detected the host has obtained a rare item: Flame Demon Necklace. Can be recycled for 990,000 points. Will the host recycle it?" The system's voice was filled with excitement, anticipation, and greed.
Uchiha Ryun froze. 990,000 points? That means I could instantly get the Eternal Mangekyō or Sage Body! Wait—no. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If the system is offering such a high price, its real value must far exceed this!
Ignoring the system, he smiled and asked, "Boss, how much for this necklace?"
The vendor glanced at it. Oh, this defective piece? He had only brought it back because its shape looked nice. He never expected Uchiha Ryun to take an interest.
Seeing Uchiha Ryun's neutral expression, he hesitated before saying, "Two million ryo. How about it?"
Uchiha Ryun frowned. "I'm here to buy something, not to get scammed."
The vendor's heart skipped a beat. "Well, since it's Lady Tsunade and Lord Ryun, I'll sell it to you for one million ryo. Take it if you like it!"
Uchiha Ryun was relieved. The vendor clearly doesn't know this necklace's true value. But seeing how quickly he slashed the price in half, Uchiha Ryun knew it was still too high.
Tsunade, however, was eager to pay. But Uchiha Ryun stopped her and shook his head. Then, he said, "Five thousand ryo."
"Five thousand? Lord Ryun, are you joking? This is high-quality lava jade! You're offering five thousand? Maybe you should go somewhere else!" The vendor waved his hand dismissively and prepared to sit back down.
He had seen Tsunade's earlier impulse to pay, so he was confident. Even if they haggled, it wouldn't drop too much. But Uchiha Ryun was ruthless, cutting the price by 995,000 ryo in one go.
Uchiha Ryun smirked. "Boss, have you forgotten? I'm from the Uchiha clan. With the Sharingan's insight, I can tell real from fake at a glance."
"A defective piece of jade, and you're selling it for a million? Hah, aren't you afraid the police force will arrest you for fraud?" Uchiha Ryun snorted. Originally, he was supposed to take over the police force from the clan head, but the Sunagakure invasion delayed things.
The vendor's heart sank. Right, Uchiha Ryun has the Sharingan. He can tell if it's fake. Still, he tried to bargain after all, he had bought the jade for four thousand ryo.
"Ten thousand. Not a single ryo less. I bought it for ten thousand! Lord Ryun, please go easy on me. We small businesses struggle!" The vendor pleaded.
"Fine. Since we're all just trying to get by, I'll take the loss and pay ten thousand for this pendant." Uchiha Ryun sighed, and the vendor relaxed. At least I made six thousand profit.
Once the transaction was complete, Uchiha Ryun finally smiled, a sight that left both Tsunade and the vendor stunned.
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