Tsunade leaned her head against Shinki's thigh and complained, "How much money does the Ministry of Finance lack? The old man didn't explain clearly but tried every means to get money. I really suspect he misappropriated the funds."
"Be more confident—remove the word 'suspect,'" Shinki replied.
"Are you serious?"
Tsunade's casual complaint turned serious when Shinki affirmed her suspicions.
"Let's not talk about the distant past; let's focus on the Sarutobi clan. With their family's industry, could they really support their development to this scale? How much does it cost to sustain so many ninjas?" Shinki hinted.
"If resource allocation were just biased, it would be understandable—Hokage comes from the Sarutobi clan, after all. But I believe a significant amount of the Ministry of Finance's funds has been misappropriated, with the Sarutobi clan as the primary beneficiary. Other families, like Shimura, probably benefited too."
"Damn it! I'm going to confront him and get some answers!" Tsunade exclaimed, flipping over to stand.
But Shinki held her down.
"What's the point of asking? Do you think you'll get the answers you want?"
Shinki sneered. "If they dare to misappropriate funds, they've already covered their tracks. Even if you investigate the Ministry of Finance, you won't find anything unless you gain full control and review all financial records from top to bottom. Otherwise, it's a waste of time and energy."
Tsunade sank back down weakly. "You're right. Even if there's a problem, what can we do? Announce it and throw the village into chaos?"
The thought felt futile. Knowing that Shinki wouldn't lend money to help the previous Hokage, she didn't even bother asking.
Shinki noticed Tsunade's furrowed brows. He could tell she was mulling over how to help the village through its current difficulties.
While the Ministry of Finance's situation was serious, it wasn't beyond salvation. Financial strain wasn't the same as bankruptcy—it depended on how one approached the problem.
That said, after this ordeal, clans like Sarutobi and Shimura would find it much harder to exploit the village's resources in the future.
Pressing his hand against Tsunade's furrowed brows, Shinki smiled. "Do you want to know how to solve it?"
"You have a solution for the financial tension?" Tsunade asked incredulously. She had been so stressed and didn't expect Shinki to have an answer.
Would he lend money? No, definitely not.
"What's the catch?" she asked warily.
Shinki laughed. "How about cooperating with me in the future?"
"…"
"Get lost!" Tsunade snapped, embarrassed.
She couldn't believe Shinki was using the village's crisis to flirt. All men were the same! Why did someone as serious as Shinki turn playful at night?
Still, she sighed in resignation. "Fine, I'll cooperate. But if you can't solve this problem…"
Blushing, Tsunade clenched her fists in warning.
Shinki raised an eyebrow, signaling his puppets to head toward the Hyuga and Uchiha clans. The opportunity had come—it was time to see how capable these clans were.
At the Uchiha Police Department headquarters, Uchiha Fugaku sat in his office, worrying about his clan's strained relationship with the village leadership.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in," he called.
When the door opened, Fugaku was stunned. It wasn't one of his clansmen or an assistant, but a puppet clad in ANBU attire.
"Excuse me, is there something you need?" Fugaku asked cautiously.
"Immediately put down what you're doing and come to the Akimichi clan's barbecue restaurant," the puppet relayed in Shinki's voice.
"My lord," Fugaku responded, standing and saluting.
The puppet didn't acknowledge his salute before departing.
Meanwhile, the Hyuga clan was just as surprised when a puppet arrived with the same message. The clan guards quickly escorted it to the Hyuga compound, where the message was delivered to Hiashi.
Without hesitation, Hiashi prepared to leave for the meeting.
When Fugaku and Hiashi arrived at the barbecue restaurant, Shinki was already halfway through his meal. They greeted him politely before picking up their chopsticks and eating. Over time, they had grown accustomed to Shinki's habit of waiting until he was 70% full before discussing business.
Finally, as the meal neared its end, Shinki slowed down and calmly placed the remaining meat on the grill.
Before Fugaku could speak, Shinki said, "Now is the chance for your clans to negotiate with the village leadership. There's a good probability that Uchiha can address the unequal treatment from the higher-ups, and the Hyuga clan can resolve some covert troubles."
Fugaku's stoic demeanor cracked for a moment—this felt like a gift from the heavens. Hiashi, too, was surprised.
Shinki continued, "For the sake of Mikoto and others I respect, I'm willing to help you."
Fugaku, always direct, asked, "What will it cost Uchiha to gain this opportunity?"
>>>>>
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[Naruto: Maelstrom Of the Uzumaki]