Chapter 277: Raiding the Homes
Hikari ignored the shopkeeper and turned back to Naruto, her fingers unconsciously brushing the hair tie again.
"...Meddlesome."
She murmured softly, her voice muffled, but she made no move to take the hair tie off.
Sunlight slanted in from the doorway, catching the silver-red accents in her hair and making them glint slightly.
Naruto smiled and said nothing more. He felt around in his pocket; luckily, he had kept some money for himself earlier.
After counting out a few bills, he turned to the counter to pay.
The shopkeeper was terrified and didn't dare to take it, only accepting the coins with a trembling hand after Naruto insisted.
The two of them walked out of the shop and back onto the streets of the Grass Ninja Village.
Hikari walked half a step behind him, the silver plum blossom on the hair tie swaying gently in her hair with every step.
"Let's go,"
Naruto said, his voice returning to its usual steady tone.
"I'll teach you the Flying Thunder God when we get back."
"Mm."
Hikari gave a soft response, raising her hand to tuck a strand of wind-blown hair behind her ear, her fingertips once again brushing the cool silver ornament.
Upon returning to the office, Naruto began summoning his personnel.
The people he had summoned arrived one after another.
Sasuke, Lee, Neji, and Shikamaru.
Asuma came with them, an unlit cigarette habitually hanging from his mouth as he looked at the young man behind the desk with a complex expression.
"Hokage-sama."
Asuma spoke, his tone tinged with a hint of emotion.
Looking at the high-spirited young man before him, it seemed the passage of time and the weight of responsibility had reshaped this person at an incredible speed.
What shocked him even more was the thunderous efficiency Naruto had displayed on this trip.
Including the journey to the Land of Grass, it had taken less than a single day to truly bring this Village under control.
"Asuma-sensei."
Naruto looked up, his gaze sweeping over everyone. Without any unnecessary pleasantries, he cut straight to the point.
"There is a mission I need you all to execute."
He tapped several locations on the simple map of the Grass Ninja Village spread out on the desk.
"Lead Sasuke, Lee, and Neji, and mobilize a reliable Chunin squad. Go raid the residences of the Grass Ninja Village's Elders, all registered high-ranking officials, and their close relatives."
Asuma was slightly taken ahead. The term 'raiding the homes' flashed through his mind, causing him to hesitate instinctively.
He was from the Sarutobi Clan, and he understood what such a move signified.
"This... Hokage-sama, is it..."
He tried to find a more tactful way to put it.
Naruto seemed to see through his concerns. He raised a hand to cut off the unspoken words, his voice steady but brook no argument: "Asuma-sensei, look at this Village."
"The high-ranking officials live in luxury, yet at the first sign of trouble, they want to sacrifice the Village's Ninja. The defenses are practically non-existent, and the people's livelihood is in shambles.
Every cent of their wealth is soaked in the blood and sweat of the commoners and low-level Ninja of this Village.
We aren't plundering; we are making them spit out what they've swallowed, taking from the people to give back to the people."
Asuma looked into the deep calm of Naruto's azure eyes and thought back to the sights he had seen upon entering the Village. His last shred of hesitation vanished.
He straightened his back, took the unlit cigarette into his hand, and replied in a deep voice, "Yes! I guarantee the mission will be completed!"
"Neji."
Naruto looked at the youth from the Hyuga Clan.
"Your Byakugan is the key. Secret rooms, false walls, underground compartments, and any valuables hidden by Chakra or ordinary mechanisms—be sure to find them all. Leave nothing behind."
Neji nodded slightly.
"Understood."
"Sasuke, Lee, you're in charge of security and dealing with any potential resistance.
Remember the principle: Control is the priority. Unless the opponent threatens the mission or the safety of our personnel, there's no need for heavy-handedness.
Our goal isn't to kill, but to confiscate,"
Naruto instructed, his gaze lingering particularly on the eager Lee.
"Don't worry, Naruto! I will use the Power of Youth to complete the mission perfectly! I definitely won't hurt the innocent!"
Lee gave a thumbs-up, his teeth flashing with a glint.
Sasuke merely gave a faint "Hn" to indicate he understood.
Asuma took his orders and was about to lead the group out when Naruto spoke again: "Shikamaru, stay for a moment."
Shikamaru scratched his head and stopped in his tracks.
The others filed out, leaving only Naruto and Shikamaru in the office.
Naruto walked over to Shikamaru and lowered his voice so only the two of them could hear: "Shikamaru, you'll be primarily responsible for the inventory of the confiscated assets. Remember to record them well—every single entry, clearly and precisely, without any 'omissions'."
Shikamaru, who had grown up with Naruto, instantly caught the subtext.
The so-called "no omissions" meant, conversely, that certain areas should be "supplemented."
By making the amount of money embezzled by those Elders appear even larger on the ledger, their greed would seem more shocking and appalling.
This way, when it became necessary to make these accounts public in the future, the people of the Grass Ninja Village would see not just the corruption of their leaders, but a cruel, bone-deep exploitation.
Anger and hatred would have a concrete, massive figure to target, and the Foundation of the old rulers would be utterly incinerated in the flames of public opinion.
Shikamaru nodded.
"I understand. The accounts will be 'exhaustive'. Every source and estimated value will be 'on the record'."
Naruto patted his shoulder with satisfaction.
"Good work. This mission is tedious and mentally draining. Once you've finished the raid and have a rough count, go find somewhere to eat a decent meal and get some rest."
Hearing this, Shikamaru's brow furrowed slightly, and a hint of hesitation and embarrassment appeared on his face as he scratched the back of his head. "This... isn't that a bit inappropriate? We just raided someone's home, and then immediately..."
Naruto was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant. He rolled his eyes in annoyance. "What are you thinking? That's all illicit money to be confiscated for the future construction of the Village. I'm treating you."
As he spoke, he naturally turned his head and beckoned to Uchiha Hikari, who had been standing quietly in the shadows by the window.
Hikari seemed to have anticipated his move, as she had already pulled out a wallet while Naruto was speaking.
Shikamaru kept a straight face, but internally, alarm bells were ringing.
Isn't that Naruto's wallet?
Hikari walked to Naruto's side and handed him the wallet. Naruto took it, opened it with practiced ease, and pulled out a stack of cash.
"Take it."
"Understood. Well, then, many thanks to Hokage-sama."
"Stop being cheeky. You didn't call me Hokage while we were working, but now you do."
Shikamaru chuckled as he put the money away and then turned to leave.
Seeing Shikamaru leave, Naruto reorganized the wallet and handed it back to Hikari.
Because he anticipated he might be fighting, he didn't want to accidentally pull out a stack of cash when reaching into his ninja tool pouch.
He had left part of his money at home and divided the rest into two wallets, which he gave to Hikari and Karin. He only kept ten or twenty 10,000-ryo bills on him, which he had just used for shopping.
Hikari put the wallet away again, and then watched as Naruto sat at the desk and began writing a few lines on a blank piece of paper.
"The poem goes: The gushing Yangtze River flows east, its waves washing away all heroes."
"Right and wrong, success and failure, all turn to nothing in the blink of an eye."
"The green mountains remain, as the sun sets red many times."
"The white-haired fisherman and woodcutter on the river isle, used to watching the autumn moon and spring breeze."
"A jug of turbid wine for a happy reunion."
"How many things of the past and present, all are told in laughter and talk."
"You are..."
"Preparing to make some money."
Naruto smiled. Writing something like the 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' would be a perfect fit for the current war of unification.
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