Too small. My vision was too small.
At this moment, Tobirama Senju felt his horizons were still far too narrow. He had thought that asking for eight billion ryō in funding was already a lion's opening, but Uchiha Makoto was even more outrageous.
He skimmed five billion ryō as if it were nothing.
He had not even blinked while he said it, as though those five billion ryō belonged to him by right. It was terrifying.
Confronted with something like this for the first time in his life, Tobirama showed a hint of hesitation. Faced with such an astronomical figure, he was moved, but he also worried about the opinion of the daimyo of the Land of Fire, even though Uchiha Makoto thumped his chest and claimed he could fully speak for the daimyo.
Could you ever fully trust the words of an Uchiha brat born evil like Makoto?
You had to keep your guard up at all times.
Tobirama said, "This doesn't seem proper."
Makoto said, "You don't tell and I don't tell. Who would ever know."
Hashirama said, "But that would be deceiving the daimyo, and by such a large sum."
"Oh, I understand. You mean I'm giving too much. Then Konoha can still take eight billion ryō, and I alone can take seven billion. If you don't want it, I will."
With a laugh, Makoto was ready to pocket even the two billion ryō meant to buy Konoha's silence as hush money.
As for the worries of Hashirama and Tobirama, he did not spare them a thought. One hundred fifty billion ryō would sting even the daimyo, but that money came from the national treasury, not his private coffers. The daimyo always kept public and private strictly separate, so while it hurt, it was bearable. Besides, the daimyo was scared to death of Konoha right now and did not mind spending money to ward off disaster.
"No, no, no. We do it this way."
Tobirama shook his head like a rattle drum. This was a full two billion ryō. How could he hand it over to Uchiha Makoto for free, when Makoto had already skimmed the fifty billion that should have gone to Konoha.
That Uchiha brat born evil.
His embezzling was even fiercer than mine.
No wonder he had been so domineering just now, sounding like a nouveau riche. So that was it.
And what he skimmed was Konoha's own budget.
Truly wicked.
"No problem," Uchiha Makoto said with a smile and a nod.
The two quickly reached an understanding. Moments ago they had been at each other's throats, but now they were all smiles. Money is the best lubricant, and Makoto's cash greased things so well that Tobirama could scarcely contain himself.
Makoto then left Hashirama and Tobirama in the room and went alone to report the results of the negotiation to the daimyo of the Land of Fire.
"Your Highness, disaster," he cried the moment he saw the daimyo. "I almost came to blows with Hashirama Senju just now."
Hearing Makoto's panicked voice, the daimyo nearly fell out of his chair.
"Makoto, what exactly happened. Did the talks collapse. Is Hashirama really going to rebel."
He fired off questions in rapid succession, truly afraid of being punished by a shinobi's iron fist. Makoto roughly recounted the negotiation. In truth, it was pure fabrication.
Hashirama Senju had stormed in, vicious and feral. Tobirama Senju, acting as an accomplice, was ruthless beyond measure. They had come to the Land of Fire to demand an explanation. You daimyo and nobles dare squeeze Konoha like this. Do you have a death wish.
"And then."
"In the end, only after I pleaded with them and invoked the Uchiha clan did I talk Hashirama down."
"Good. That's good."
"The Uchiha truly are a clan of loyal martyrs."
The daimyo exhaled in relief and praised the Uchiha. Their tempers were hot, yes, but they were loyal.
"But Konoha still opened the lion's mouth. Hashirama's evil little brother Tobirama demanded thirty billion ryō to put out the fire. I struggled to bargain it down by half and could only give them fifteen billion for the matter to be settled."
Makoto seized the chance and, sticking to the principle of leaving neither Senju brother out, smeared Tobirama along with Hashirama.
"Thirty billion ryō."
"Konoha's appetite is no small thing."
"The Senju brothers are truly insatiable."
"Makoto, thank goodness you were there."
A shadow crossed the daimyo's face, but he could only sigh in the end. What you cannot take on the battlefield, do not expect to get at the negotiating table.
Konoha was simply too powerful.
"One hundred fifty billion ryō. I will pay it."
"Consider it money spent to avert calamity."
"Makoto, your Akatsuki Village must grow strong as quickly as possible. I will support you fully. I do not want to suffer this kind of coercion a second time."
The daimyo gazed at Makoto with deep feeling. Hashirama and Konoha were not even pretending anymore. They dared to come to the royal capital of the Land of Fire and threaten him outright. Who knew how arrogant they would become in the future.
"Rest assured, Your Highness."
"I will give it my all."
"All of this is for the Land of Fire."
Makoto spoke with earnest emotion, moving the daimyo.
Makoto's loyalty was beyond words.
"These are all the clauses and figures agreed upon during today's negotiations. Please review them, Your Highness."
"Very well. Let me see."
The daimyo took the document from Makoto and read through it, line by line. When he came to the part stating that Konoha and Akatsuki would jointly protect the Land of Fire and uphold the daimyo's rule over it, a sneer rose to his lips.
Protect me. Protect the Land of Fire.
Once Konoha's wings were fully grown and it had the power to control the Land of Fire outright, it would not be saying any such thing.
In the Land of Fire there is only one who can summon the winds and rains, and that is me. There is only one shinobi village that may shield the realm, and that is Akatsuki. Konoha will become a nest of rebels sooner or later.
Their words are not to be trusted.
"Makoto, you handled this excellently."
"I will leave it all in your hands."
Once more the daimyo displayed his great trust in Makoto, waving a generous hand and entrusting the entire agreement to him. As long as Makoto saw no issue, he could affix his golden seal to the documents today.
"Thank you for your trust, Your Highness."
Things were going even more smoothly than Makoto had expected. The daimyo had been primed to see Hashirama as a schemer with overwhelming power, and Makoto had been fanning the flames of the Hashirama conspiracy narrative all along. In that frame of mind, the daimyo could hardly tell truth from falsehood. At least by logic, nothing Makoto said seemed wrong.
Unless he had been there in person.
But unfortunately, there had been only three people in that room at the time.
Uchiha Makoto, Tobirama Senju, and Hashirama Senju.
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