Kaguya Takuma stepped forward quietly and bowed respectfully.
Uchiha Su gestured toward him as he spoke to the others in the room.
"His name is Kaguya Takuma. He is one of the most talented members of the Kaguya Clan. His Kekkei Genkai is Shikotsumyaku, the Dead Bone Pulse."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"You should all be familiar with this bloodline ability. It allows the user to freely manipulate the structure of their bones, turning them into deadly weapons. It is an incredibly powerful Kekkei Genkai."
"But…"
Uchiha Su's tone became slightly heavier.
"The greater the talent of a Kaguya clan member, the more severe the bloodline disease becomes."
Everyone in the room fell silent.
The Kaguya Clan's power was legendary, but so was the curse that came with it.
The very same bloodline that granted them terrifying combat abilities slowly destroyed their bodies from the inside.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly with interest.
He walked closer to Takuma and examined him carefully.
Meanwhile, Tsunade suddenly crossed her arms and snorted in dissatisfaction.
"Uchiha Su, you should have asked me instead."
Her golden-brown eyes glared at him.
"I am the Medical Ninja here. I am far more qualified than a half-baked amateur like Orochimaru."
Orochimaru said nothing, but the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
Uchiha Su, however, smiled calmly.
"Tsunade," he said slowly.
"The strongest people should always make their entrance last."
He leaned slightly back in his chair.
"If Orochimaru fails and then you step in afterward…"
"Wouldn't that make you look even more impressive?"
Tsunade blinked.
She had not expected that answer.
For a moment she could not find a rebuttal.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Su inwardly shook his head.
The Tsunade of the future would become the greatest medical ninja in the ninja world.
But the current Tsunade was still far from reaching that level.
Right now, trusting her medical ninjutsu was probably less reliable than trusting his own body's natural healing ability.
Orochimaru finished observing Takuma and then asked a few detailed questions about his condition.
"How long has the pain lasted?"
"Does the bone growth occur randomly or during combat?"
"Do you experience fever or internal bleeding?"
Takuma answered each question carefully.
After a few minutes of thought, Orochimaru finally spoke.
"I will need a sample of his bone."
"Once I return to the village, I will conduct research."
He paused briefly before continuing in a serious tone.
"However, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to cure the disease."
"This kind of bloodline disorder is extremely complex."
"And the research will require a large amount of funding."
"A long-term investment."
Uchiha Su raised an eyebrow slightly.
Originally, he had not expected much.
He had simply been trying his luck.
Yet surprisingly, Orochimaru actually sounded confident.
At the very least, it seemed that Orochimaru had already begun experimenting with similar research.
Perhaps it was still at a preliminary stage—but that was fine.
Research always started somewhere.
As for money…
That was the least of Uchiha Su's concerns.
After winning two major battles recently, the Hidden Mist forces had captured huge amounts of resources.
Right now, Uchiha Su could practically be described as extremely wealthy.
"How much money do you need?"
Uchiha Su asked directly.
Orochimaru thought carefully before answering.
"To purchase the research equipment alone, I will need at least one million ryo."
"And considering the long-term experiments and materials…"
"I will require a minimum of two million ryo to begin the initial stage of the research."
His tone was calm and precise.
Clearly, he had already calculated the expenses in his mind.
Uchiha Su nodded without hesitation.
"Homura!"
He called toward the outside of the hall.
"Bring me three million ryo and place it inside a small box."
Orochimaru froze.
"Su-kun…"
"That is one million ryo more than necessary."
But before he could continue, Uchiha Su waved his hand casually.
"The extra one million is your reward."
Seeing Orochimaru about to refuse, Uchiha Su immediately continued.
"Ninjas need money for many things."
"If you want to refine your chakra further, you need better nutrition."
"Better nutrition means better food."
"Better food means stronger chakra."
He began counting on his fingers.
"Ninja tools wear out quickly during training."
"They must be replaced frequently."
"And research itself requires countless materials."
"So, Orochimaru…"
"Do not refuse this reward."
"You earned it through your own efforts."
Orochimaru felt a slight headache coming on.
Arguing with Uchiha Su was nearly impossible.
After a moment of hesitation, he finally sighed softly.
"…Very well."
At that moment—
A strange glow appeared in Tsunade's eyes.
If someone looked carefully, they might have noticed that her pupils had practically turned into tiny ryo coins.
She suddenly leaned forward and spoke in an unusually gentle voice.
"Su-kun…"
Her tone was so sweet that Uchiha Su immediately felt goosebumps all over his body.
"We grew up together as childhood friends."
"We even live under the same sky."
"Right now, this little lady happens to be facing a small financial difficulty…"
Uchiha Su immediately interrupted her.
"We don't live together."
"You live in your house."
"And I live in mine."
Then he shivered slightly.
"Tsunade, stop using that disgusting voice."
"It's making me uncomfortable."
Tsunade instantly returned to her normal tone.
"Uchiha Su!"
"Lend me some money!"
She placed both hands on the table and leaned forward.
"My Second Grandfather only gives me such a miserable amount of pocket money every month."
"I haven't even been to the casino in ages."
She looked pitiful.
"The casino owner must miss me so much that he can't sleep at night."
Uchiha Su answered without hesitation.
"No."
The response was immediate and merciless.
Tsunade's expression stiffened.
"So heartless?"
"That heartless."
"Can't we negotiate?"
"Not even a little."
After saying that, Uchiha Su added calmly,
"If you become Hokage in the future and your gambling addiction gets out of control…"
"You might accidentally lose Konoha Village to me."
Tsunade rolled her eyes dramatically.
"In your dreams!"
"You underestimate my gambling skills."
She raised her chin proudly.
"I am the Gambling God of Konoha."
"Back in the day, I once turned 20 ryo into 37 million ryo!"
Before she could continue bragging, Uchiha Su interrupted.
"Tonight, make sure you pile your pillows higher before you sleep."
Tsunade blinked.
"Why?"
"So you can have better dreams."
The hall immediately fell silent.
Orochimaru quietly turned his head away.
Jiraiya tried extremely hard not to laugh.
Meanwhile, Tsunade clenched her fists in frustration.
Konoha Village
Hokage Building
The atmosphere inside the Hokage office was far more tense.
Senju Tobirama stood behind his desk, his expression cold and emotionless.
Across from him stood a man wearing luxurious clothing.
He was an attendant of the Fire Daimyo, someone with considerable political influence.
The man spoke impatiently.
"Second Hokage."
"I believe the Daimyo deserves a clear answer."
"How long will it take for Konoha to completely suppress this war?"
Tobirama replied calmly.
"That cannot be determined."
"War does not end simply because someone wishes it to."
The attendant's lips curled into a mocking smile.
"Second Hokage…"
"Do you realize that the number of people impeaching you could form a line stretching from the capital of the Land of Fire all the way to the Land of Waves?"
"You have disappointed far too many people."
"You have even brought shame upon the Daimyo."
Tobirama's gaze sharpened slightly.
The attendant continued.
"You even sent ninjas to the Land of Water to assassinate their Daimyo."
He sneered.
"That is an unforgivable taboo."
"What else wouldn't you dare to do?"
Tobirama frowned.
"Lord Akabane, the mayor of Miwacho, fled to the capital in disgrace."
"He cried before the Daimyo and accused you of incompetence."
"Many nobles supported his accusations."
"If the Daimyo had not personally protected you…"
"You would have already been removed from the position of Hokage."
Tobirama's voice turned icy.
"If you wish to remove me from the position of Hokage…"
"Then please proceed."
The attendant shook his head slowly.
"No."
"The Daimyo would never dismiss you."
"But…"
"Certain measures will be taken."
Tobirama felt a faint sense of foreboding.
"What measures?"
The attendant smiled coldly.
"For example…"
"Reducing Konoha's budget by half."
"How does that sound, Hokage-sama?"
For the first time, Tobirama's expression changed.
Losing the Hokage position did not concern him.
Because it was impossible.
There was no one else in Konoha capable of replacing him.
But cutting the budget in half…
That was devastating.
In times of peace, Konoha could rely on mission income.
But this was wartime.
Their only reliable funding came from the Daimyo.
If the budget were halved—
The army fighting on the western front would collapse almost immediately.
They would not even be able to pay pensions to the families of fallen shinobi.
Tobirama spoke firmly.
"I did not attempt to assassinate the Daimyo of the Land of Water."
"Ninjas are tools."
"A tool would never commit such an act of insubordination."
Calling ninjas "tools" did not bother him.
It was a widely accepted definition throughout the ninja world.
Even most shinobi believed it themselves.
After a moment of silence, Tobirama continued.
"The war in the east will end soon."
"I have already sent envoys to negotiate peace."
"However…"
He paused slightly.
"It may require paying a certain price."
"And that cost must be covered by the Daimyo."
The attendant's expression immediately darkened.
"Covered by the Daimyo?"
He slammed his hand on the desk.
"This mess was created by Konoha!"
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)