Hyūga Clan's land.
Hyūga Hiashi knelt on the floor, poured a cup of tea, and respectfully placed it in front of the man opposite him."Lord Hokage, may I ask why you have come here today?" he asked.
As the saying goes, no temple welcomes an uninvited guest. Hiashi was very curious what Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted from him.
Hiruzen lifted the teacup, took a sip, and with a kind smile said,"Hiashi, I came here today because there is indeed something I need your help with. I wonder if you'd be willing to assist me?"
Hiashi grew even more curious. What matter could possibly warrant the Third Hokage's personal visit?
"Lord Hokage is too polite. As long as it is within my ability, I will do my best to help," Hiashi replied with a smile.
Over the years, the Hyūga Clan had continually sent generous gifts and money to the Third Hokage, so Hiashi knew whatever the request was, it would not be too unreasonable.
Hearing Hiashi's affirmative answer, Hiruzen finally let out a small breath of relief, then said,"Hiashi, could you advance the funds for the coming years ahead of time?"
Hiashi froze the moment he heard this. He could hardly believe his own ears. The Third Hokage had directly, without hesitation, asked him for money?
Though he had always secretly provided Hiruzen with payments, such dealings were always kept strictly private—never openly acknowledged. Yet now, the Third Hokage had brazenly brought the matter to the surface and pressed him directly.
Quickly regaining his composure, Hiashi forced a smile and said,"After the Nine-Tails' attack, the village was left in ruins. I, Hyūga Hiashi, am willing to donate ten million ryō to aid in the reconstruction of Konoha."
His face carried a flattering smile, but in his heart he was bleeding. Ten million ryō was no small amount for him at this point.
Every year, he had already been contributing five million ryō to Hiruzen as a tribute. Over the years, this had amounted to nearly two significant sums.
Now, to suddenly give out ten million all at once—it made his heart ache terribly.
If this had been in the past, it might have been bearable. Though ten million was a considerable sum, the Hyūga Clan was wealthy and could afford it.
But recently, the clan had suffered a bandit raid, and most of their family assets had been stolen. To suddenly provide such a vast amount now was deeply painful.
Yet no matter how bitter it felt, he had no choice. He knew well that for the Hyūga Clan to maintain its position in Konoha, they had to keep good relations with the Hokage.
If they refused to pay, they might end up following in the footsteps of the Uchiha Clan—ostracized by the entire village.
After all, the Uchiha were one of the very founding clans of Konoha, yet they had been forced to move to the outskirts of the village, shunned and discriminated against.
Although part of that outcome was due to the Uchiha's own manner of dealing with others, the greater reason was that they had chosen not to "pay their respects" to the Third Hokage.
This had provoked Hiruzen's dissatisfaction. During the Third Shinobi World War, he had even deliberately assigned the Uchiha—masters of Fire Release—to the Water Country battlefield…
Thinking of this, Hiashi believed his offering of ten million should be more than sufficient. Surely it would satisfy Hiruzen's appetite.
But to his utter shock, Hiruzen shook his head and said with complete seriousness,"Hiashi, what I require is the funding for the next ten years. What you've offered only covers two."
Hearing this, Hiashi's eyes widened in disbelief as countless curses surged within his mind.
Had Hiruzen gone senile? How could he make such an outrageous demand—asking for ten years of tribute in advance? Whether or not Hiruzen himself would even live that long was questionable.
"What is it, Hiashi? Do you not wish to comply?" Hiruzen narrowed his eyes slightly, a faint threat glinting within them.
Hiashi looked conflicted, then cautiously asked,"Isn't ten years… a bit too much?"
"Oh? You think an old man like me won't live to see that day?" Hiruzen frowned, knocking heavily on the table.
"I wouldn't dare! It's just… our Hyūga Clan truly doesn't have that much liquid capital right now…" Hiashi explained awkwardly, helplessly.
He was not lying—ever since the bandits' raid, the clan truly lacked such vast funds.
Hiruzen stared silently at Hiashi, his gaze difficult to read.
Unease crept into Hiashi's heart. Did the Third Hokage not believe him?
Quickly, Hiashi explained again,"Lord Hokage, it's not that I don't want to give it to you. Our clan simply does not have that much money at the moment. Once we do, I will deliver it to you immediately!"
Hiruzen nodded slightly, as though in understanding. Seeing this, Hiashi felt a rush of relief. He thought the matter had finally passed…
But then, Hiruzen's next words froze the smile on his face.
"Since you don't have the money, then simply hand over a few of the Hyūga Clan's shops on the commercial street. We'll consider it settled."
With that, Hiruzen stood, turned, and left without hesitation—never even glancing at the stunned Hiashi still sitting there.
Only after Hiruzen's figure disappeared did Hiashi slowly come back to his senses.
His eyes widened in disbelief at the doorway, unable to accept what had just happened.
Moments later, his fury erupted. He raised his palm and slammed it down, shattering the table before him. Gritting his teeth, he growled,"To think that old man dares go this far! Does he truly believe the Hyūga Clan can be bullied so easily?!"
After leaving the Hyūga residence, Hiruzen immediately made his way toward the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi Clans.
Half an hour later, he left the Nara residence, then tirelessly proceeded to the other clans of Konoha.
That entire day, he worked without pause, personally visiting nearly every household in the village.
Not until late at night did he finally emerge from a modest little house, his face full of joy.
He muttered to himself,"Though the process was indeed exhausting, I finally managed to gather the money!"
In the darkness, Black Zetsu sighed."To think Sarutobi Hiruzen managed to collect eight hundred million in just a single day… Seems the initial estimate really was far too low…"
"But this guy—doing things this way—won't it cause problems later?" Black Zetsu asked doubtfully.
He had personally witnessed how, after Hiruzen left, the various clan leaders had gathered together to discuss countermeasures.
Judging by the fury on their faces, it was certain that Hiruzen would no longer be able to sit peacefully in the Hokage's seat for long.
Meanwhile, still immersed in the joy of his collections, Sarutobi Hiruzen remained blissfully unaware that the clan leaders were already plotting how to bring him down…
Another chapter will follow shortly.
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