Haru's expression turned ugly. He had already cut the amount three times in a row, and the Daimyo still would not give him any face at all?
Did he really think that just because he had money, Haru would not dare touch him?
The Daimyo's cheek twitched. Sensing Haru's displeasure, he could only compromise again no matter how unhappy he felt inside.
After all, Haru's fist was bigger.
"These damned ninja!"
The Daimyo cursed inwardly, but his face remained unchanged. In an instant, he returned to his loose and carefree manner and said, "Since the Hokage has spoken, then I will take a step back as well. This time, let the funding be 32 billion ryo."
"Hahaha, straightforward!"
"As expected of the wise Daimyo of the Land of Fire!"
"In the future, you will surely lead the Land of Fire beyond its former glory..."
"..."
In an instant, Haru put on a full Sichuan opera face-changing act for the Daimyo, tossing out flattering phrases as if they were free.
The client had started throwing money around, so what was the harm in saying a few auspicious compliments?
As long as the funding was sufficient, Haru could even perform a comedy routine on the spot just to praise him.
Wasn't that the very model of a conscientious contractor?
This trip's gains had already exceeded Haru's expectations. He had squeezed an extra 1 billion ryo out of these rotten parasites, which would greatly speed up the recovery of the clan's strength.
And there were also ten precious draw chances!
Of course, there was also that pair of twins... uh... well... that could be crossed out for now.
"You're too kind, too kind!"
The Daimyo stared at Haru with wide eyes. The Uchiha before him was very different from the Uchiha in his impression.
Proud, cold, arrogant. All of those words could be applied to the Uchiha. Of course, none of them were wrong when applied to Haru either, but one more could be added.
Put kindly, it was called broad-minded.
Put bluntly, it was called shameless.
In the past, these kinds of flattering words would never have come out of the mouths of those two Senju brothers. Yet Haru could say them without changing expression.
If it were one of those crooked ministers with black hearts, that would have been one thing. But now even the Hokage had learned this.
That was really...
A little dangerous...
The Daimyo looked at Haru, and a strange meaning appeared on his face.
"Hokage, you truly flatter me too much."
"I have one more presumptuous request. I hope the Hokage can agree to it."
"The eminent monk Master Voidheart of the Fire Temple has always wanted to witness Konoha's ninjutsu firsthand, but he has never had the opportunity. I wonder if you would be willing to offer some guidance?"
The armed forces sponsored by the Fire Daimyo were not limited to Konoha alone. It was just that Konoha took the largest share.
The incense offerings of the Fire Temple flourished all year round. When it came to accumulating wealth, its funding probably was not much less than Konoha's.
In the bizarre world of Naruto, all kinds of evil spirits and monsters were not uncommon. When ignorant commoners ran into trouble, they probably had no choice but to burn incense and pray to Buddha.
A little at a time, bit by bit, that became a considerable income over the years. Not to mention that the great nobles would visit temples from time to time to seek blessings.
The temples of this world were not just filled with monks who knew only how to pray and chant. The protective charms and talismans they handed out probably really did have some effect.
What an endless stream of income.
Back in his previous life, governments in ancient times had not hesitated to suppress temples that hoarded wealth, even launching campaigns to destroy Buddhism just to butcher a batch of fat sheep and refill the treasury.
Hm?
So this was a test.
Haru's expression did not change. He understood some of what the Daimyo was thinking. Having only one armed force in the Land of Fire was too dangerous. If the other side proved strong enough, then supporting another one was not out of the question.
At worst, it just meant spending a little more money. The common people could suffer a bit more, couldn't they?
"No problem. I've long heard that the eminent monks of the Fire Temple cultivate a special power called Sage Talent."
"I would like to experience it for myself as well."
Haru smiled, not taking the Daimyo's probing to heart in the slightest.
"Hahaha, then it's settled!"
The Daimyo wrapped his arms around the two girls from before again, returned to his seat, and focused wholeheartedly on eating and drinking, turning all the frustration of being extorted into appetite.
One meal had cost him an extra 1 billion ryo.
This was a truly expensive banquet.
Seeing that the Daimyo was focused on feasting, Haru also began stuffing himself. Earlier, he had been busy drinking with the Daimyo and had not really savored the delicacies on the table.
When the banquet ended, the plump attendant led Haru back to his room. Of course, he did not forget to bring the sisters Faye and Lynn along as well.
From the moment Haru had spoken up, those two sisters had already been branded as his.
That night, Haru naturally enjoyed himself immensely.
It was very smooth.
The next day
Haru climbed out of bed in a daze, his head still foggy. He could not remember how long he had been busy the night before, only that it had been exhausting.
When Faye and Lynn saw that Haru was awake, they habitually began helping him get dressed and wash up.
Their parents had died early. They were only taken in by the Daimyo because of their pretty looks and the fact that they were twins. He had carefully raised and trained them in the palace for the sole purpose of using them one day to handle powerful nobles and important figures.
For example, gifting them to the Daimyo of some country.
Now that they had been given to Haru, they had nothing they could not accept. Hunger had already taught them all the lessons they needed about reality.
Haru simply stood there without moving, and the two sisters finished tidying him up. They even served him breakfast along the way.
The腐朽 influence of feudal society really could erode a person's will.
Haru felt as if the first half of his life as a ninja had been wasted. Every day he had licked blood off the blade, diligently improving his professional skills so he could cut people down. Now, at last, he could be said to have finally made it.
"You two will follow me from now on."
Haru looked at the sisters and spoke seriously.
What was done was done. Since he had already done it, Haru would not shirk responsibility. It was nothing more than two extra mouths and two extra pairs of chopsticks at home.
He, Haru, could afford to feed them!
Faye and Lynn nodded. They were very satisfied with Haru's arrangement.
They had originally been a little afraid that Haru might act like a beast, play with every trick he wanted, and then simply run off. If that happened, their days ahead would become very difficult.
Haru closed the door behind him. That plump attendant had already been waiting outside for quite some time.
"Let's go. Take me to see the Daimyo!"
Before long, Haru was led to a training ground, where the Daimyo was chatting cheerfully with a half-naked monk.
From afar, Haru almost thought he was looking at a monk from legend. The man was just as bald and had tattoos on his body as well.
"Hokage, did you sleep well last night?"
The Daimyo had a smile on his face, though Haru felt that smile looked rather lecherous.
"Not bad! Your beds are big and soft, much better than the ones at my place!"
"Hahaha, if the Hokage likes them, I can send you the finest bed I have!"
"..."
After exchanging a few meaningless pleasantries with the Daimyo, they finally got to the point.
"This is the eminent monk of the Fire Temple, Master Voidheart."
"Hello."
(End of Chapter)
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