There's no such thing as a free lunch. Even though Shinki was willing to help for the sake of personal relationships, Uchiha Fugaku knew there would be a price to pay. Hyuga Hiashi remained silent but nodded in agreement with Fugaku's unspoken question: What's the price?
"Money," Shinki stated without hesitation.
He continued, "The village finances are in trouble. Because of the war, the Hokage's office has offended the Daimyo. The pension payments after the New Year are due soon, and once they're paid, the finances will face a crisis. The Hokage's been pulling his hair out over it."
Fugaku stood immediately. "I understand. I'll return to the family and raise the necessary funds to aid the village."
Is a problem that can be solved with money really a problem? The Uchiha clan had no shortage of wealth.
But Shinki frowned and shouted, "Sit down and listen to me."
Startled, Fugaku quickly sat back down. Hiashi, who had just shifted slightly, froze and silently thanked his instincts for not standing.
Shinki emphasized, "The village needs money, yes, but I'm asking you two clans to lend money—not give it away. And I'll use this opportunity to negotiate terms with the Hokage's office to secure some benefits for your clans."
Both Fugaku and Hiashi exchanged a surprised glance. They'd assumed Shinki was asking for a donation, but a loan was a completely different matter.
"How much are we talking about?" Fugaku asked cautiously after calculating the family's resources.
"Is 300 million Yen enough? If not, we could mortgage some of the family's industries—"
"Ahem!" Shinki coughed mid-sentence, shocked. He couldn't believe Fugaku's casual tone about a sum so large.
Good grief, Shinki thought. I always knew Uchiha had money, but 300 million Yen?
He composed himself and waved a hand. "That's too much. I was thinking more like 70 million Yen per family."
Fugaku and Hiashi stared at him, stunned. Only 70 million? That's barely a dent in our reserves.
"But isn't that a bit much?" Hiashi asked tentatively, trying to negotiate down further.
Shinki raised an eyebrow. "If you think it's too much, feel free to give me the extra! Honestly, for clans like yours, with so many industries and earning ninjas, 70 million Yen is hardly significant."
Both men quickly agreed to the figure. Shinki's logic was sound: lending this amount would ease the village's burden while creating an opportunity to negotiate favorable conditions for their clans. And if the village failed to repay the loan, they could renegotiate with the Hokage's office later—a win-win situation.
After settling the details, Fugaku and Hiashi excused themselves to return to their clans and gather the funds. Shinki, meanwhile, leisurely finished his meal, grabbed a juice, and headed to the Hokage's office.
At the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen was preoccupied with financial troubles. When Shinki entered, he raised his head in surprise.
"Shinki? What brings you here? You never visit unprompted."
Without preamble, Shinki replied, "I'm here to give you money. What? You don't want it? Fine, I'll leave."
"Wait! Don't go!" The Third Hokage practically leaped from his chair. "You're always welcome! Please, sit!"
Shinki smirked. The mighty Sarutobi Hiruzen, reduced to groveling for money. How times change.
He placed his juice bottle on the floor and said, "Tsunade came to me, worried about the village's finances. Let me make one thing clear—I won't lend my personal money. That's reserved for building my puppet army."
The Hokage nodded, understanding Shinki's position. What mattered was that he had a solution to the financial crisis.
"I've spoken to Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Hiashi," Shinki explained. "They've agreed to lend the village 70 million Yen each, for a total of 140 million Yen. If necessary, I can even approach Ino-Shika-Cho."
The Third Hokage's eyes lit up. "140 million Yen? That's more than enough to get us through the crisis! But…" He paused, his voice wary. "What do they want in return?"
Shinki leaned back, his expression calm. "Nothing in this world is free, Hokage-sama. Naturally, they have conditions. But they're reasonable and negotiable. As long as the village handles it properly, this could be an opportunity to improve relationships with both clans."
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed, rubbing his temples. He knew the price for this money wouldn't just be financial—it would likely involve political concessions. Still, with no other options, he nodded.
"Let's hear their terms."
>>>>>
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