'Joren became the Anbu Deputy Commander?'
A faint smile touched Jie Uchiha's lips as he read the intelligence report delivered through their secret channels. 'I originally planned to use the Heavenly Fiend persona to take the Commander position and give Hiruzen Sarutobi sleepless nights. I didn't expect my subordinate to secure the Deputy role before I even made a move.'
He chuckled softly. 'I wonder how Hiruzen would react if he knew his newly appointed Deputy Commander was secretly an Uchiha?'
A clan member suddenly interrupted his thoughts, reporting that Hiruzen had arrived at the compound.
"Speak of the devil," Jie murmured. He tucked the intel away and headed for the reception room.
Hiruzen was already waiting. Seeing the young man enter, a spike of wariness pierced the Hokage's heart. This boy was a powerhouse, perhaps possessing strength that Hiruzen hadn't achieved even in his prime.
A moment later, Fugaku Uchiha returned from the Konoha Military Police Force. He frowned at the sight of the Hokage.
"A rare guest," Fugaku said, his tone flat. "What brings the Hokage to sit with the Uchiha?"
The implication was clear: You aren't welcome here. Spit it out or leave. Hiruzen easily caught the underlying hostility but kept his expression neutral, his gaze shifting back to Jie. He knew that while Fugaku held the title of Clan Head, the recent monumental shifts within the Uchiha were entirely the doing of this boy.
"Fugaku, Jie, you should both know why I am here," Hiruzen said smoothly. "The village is currently under threat from Kumogakure. As one of Konoha's great clans, I expect the Uchiha will contribute their strength to protect us."
It was better to be direct; excessive maneuvering would only make him look foolish.
"Sure," Fugaku agreed with a simple nod.
Hiruzen blinked, stunned. Fugaku's prompt agreement almost made him wonder if he was trapped in a Genjutsu.
"One billion Ryo," Jie stated calmly. "The Uchiha clan requires one billion Ryo for military expenses. And the funds cannot come from the village treasury."
This one billion Ryo was simply the interest Hiruzen needed to pay.
Hiruzen gasped, his eyes widening in disbelief. "One billion Ryo?! Do you have any idea how much money that is? Why don't you just rob someone?!"
The Hokage snapped, momentarily losing his composure. But catching the playful, mocking gleam in Jie's eyes, Hiruzen instantly realized the truth. 'He is robbing me right now.' A bitter smile crept onto Hiruzen's face. After the Anbu plan failed, he knew the Uchiha wouldn't deploy their forces easily. He had come prepared to bleed some funds, but Jie's appetite far exceeded his worst predictions.
In the past, one billion Ryo would have been a hefty sum for the Sarutobi clan, but it wouldn't have crippled them. However, the Night of the Nine-Tails had changed everything. A single Tailed Beast Bomb had vaporized decades of the Sarutobi clan's accumulated wealth. To make matters worse, the Uchiha had somehow acquired the formula of the Sarutobi clan's secret medicine and flooded the village market with it.
The Sarutobi clan's industries had suffered a devastating blow. Even with Hiruzen continuously funneling village resources into his clan's coffers over the past three years, they had barely managed to scrape together a net worth of eight hundred million Ryo. Even if he liquidated all the Sarutobi clan's assets, it wouldn't cover this bottomless pit. One billion Ryo was enough to fund a full-scale war for an entire year.
"What's wrong? The great Sarutobi clan has a massive enterprise. Surely you can afford this little bit of pocket change?" Jie asked, feigning surprise as he watched Hiruzen's brow furrow. "Why doesn't the Hokage go discuss it with the elders first?"
Jie's eyes glinted sharply. "As soon as the military funds are in place, the Uchiha clan will deploy."
Hiruzen stared blankly for a moment, then subconsciously nodded. He barely registered how he left the Uchiha compound. Only two thoughts echoed in his mind: 'One billion Ryo' and 'The Konoha Elder Council.'
The growing influence of the Uchiha clan threatened all of Konoha's upper brass. Why should his Sarutobi clan bear the financial burden alone? Besides, ever since Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado became village elders, they had embezzled countless amount of funds for their own clans. Neither of their families had suffered any real losses during the Nine-Tails attack. To those two, one billion Ryo was just a drop in the bucket.
Strengthening his resolve, Hiruzen decided he absolutely would not foot this bill alone.
Watching the Hokage's retreating figure, Jie smiled faintly. "Plan complete. Kotoamatsukami really is incredibly useful. That turncoat, Shisui Uchiha, truly wasted the ultimate Genjutsu."
By expending just a tiny sliver of ocular power, the unique influence of Kotoamatsukami had quietly altered Hiruzen's thought process. It was no wonder Shisui believed he could fix the relationship between the village and the clan with just his eyes. But Shisui was dead now, and Jie was the only one wielding the ultimate Genjutsu.
Amused by his own scheme, Jie turned to his father. "Father, it's time to prepare to reap the fruits of our victory."
Fugaku nodded. He immediately issued a series of orders, and the entire Uchiha compound shifted into pre-war preparations.
That night, the Konoha Elder Council gathered in the Hokage's office.
"Two and a half billion Ryo?! Why doesn't the Uchiha clan just rob us?!" Koharu shrieked, entirely abandoning her usual kindly facade.
"Aren't they?" Hiruzen replied calmly, taking a long drag from his pipe.
"But two and a half billion is far too much," Homura said, his brow deeply furrowed. "My clan simply cannot produce that kind of money."
"I have already agreed to their terms," Hiruzen countered with a frown. "You both know the state of the Sarutobi clan. I can contribute five hundred million Ryo at most. Your two clans will have to pay one billion each."
He paused, letting his words sink in. "Do not forget, if the Uchiha refuse to deploy, it will be the shinobi from the Utatane and Mitokado clans stepping onto the battlefield against Kumogakure."
It was a blatant threat, and it served as the straw that broke the camel's back. After a long, agonizing hesitation, Koharu and Homura gritted their teeth and agreed. Compared to sending their own ninja to face the monsters of Kumogakure, a mere one billion Ryo was an acceptable loss.
As they capitulated, a flicker of mockery and contempt flashed through Hiruzen's eyes. 'Did they really think they could make me deal with the Uchiha alone without paying a price?' The extra one and a half billion Ryo would serve as compensation for him and the King of Scapegoats. It was just a pity the Scapegoat Shadow had passed on first, leaving Hiruzen to manage his share of the funds alone.
Upto 40 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/Vristikk