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Resets Weekly! [Monday]
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"Yuexi Peninsula."
"Yuexi Peninsula? Where is that, Mutoh?" The Daimyō of the Land of Wind glanced at the old retainer standing beside him. The elderly servant immediately stepped forward, presenting a map.
"My Lord Daimyō, it's here. Located in the southern part of the Land of Hot Water, west of the Land of Fire, and on the eastern border of our country. It's a small fishing village, surrounded by the sea on three sides. The scenery is quite pleasant. Your grandfather once built a countryside villa there, but it was destroyed in the wars years ago. Now, only a few dozen fishing families remain, making a living by fishing. Most of the farmland has been abandoned."
"Oh, I see. Does it have any notable local products?"
"Uh, I've heard that the ribbonfish from there is quite decent."
"Ribbonfish? What's that? Is it tasty?"
"My Lord, it's a type of fish commonly eaten by the fishermen. It's not particularly valuable, which is why it hasn't found its way to your dining table."
"Oh, I see. Hmm, Ninja, you mentioned earlier that your Kazekage intends to purchase this Yuexi Peninsula, correct?"
"Yes, My Lord Daimyō," Kamizuru replied with unwavering humility.
"Given the relationship between your Kazekage and myself, I wouldn't normally charge for such a piece of land. However, the lands of the Land of Wind are ancestral, passed down through generations. It's a matter of tradition, you see?" The Daimyō cast a meaningful glance at Mutoh, who immediately caught on and nodded.
"My Lord Daimyō, if I may, I have a suggestion."
"Go ahead, speak." The Daimyō continued signaling to Mutoh with exaggerated winks.
"My suggestion is this: Kazekage-sama's idea of establishing a transit station as a warehouse is an excellent one, and our Daimyō fully supports it."
"Indeed, indeed," Kamizuru responded with a broad smile.
"However, as our Lord Daimyō mentioned, the lands of the Land of Wind are ancestral and cannot be sold lightly. That said, Kazekage-sama is, after all, one of our Lord Daimyō's vassals and not an outsider. These past two years, he's had his hands full dealing with the affairs of Sunagakure, and our Lord Daimyō should certainly offer his support. Here's what I propose: Sunagakure could symbolically pay five million ryō… and in addition, waive three years of military funding. What do you think of this arrangement?"
"This…" Kamizuru's expression turned troubled. Meanwhile, the Daimyō's face lit up with delight at Mutoh's words, nodding repeatedly and discreetly giving Mutoh a thumbs-up.
"I find this proposal quite agreeable. Ninja, what do you think?" The Daimyō could barely suppress his laughter.
"Very well… if that's the Lord Daimyō's wish..." Kamizuru reluctantly agreed. He shakily presented a large chest, opened it in front of the Daimyō, and respectfully pushed it forward.
"Here is five million ryō. Please verify it."
The Daimyō glanced at the chest with interest but quickly lost enthusiasm. Why? The chest indeed contained five million ryō, but it was stuffed to the brim with bundles of cash in various denominations—ten thousand ryō, five thousand ryō, even some bundles of one thousand ryō. Upon closer inspection, the bills were a mix of new and old, resembling funds collected from a village. The Daimyō waved his hand dismissively, and Mutoh promptly stepped forward to take the money away, along with the land deed for Yuexi Peninsula. The Daimyō gave the document a cursory glance before nodding and instructing Mutoh to prepare the transfer contract. A short while later, the contract was drafted. The Daimyō took out his personal seal, breathed on it, and stamped it heavily.
"Tell Jinghang to do his job well. If I have the time, I'll visit Sunagakure to see him. That will be all for today; I'm feeling tired. Mutoh, see our guest out." With that, the Daimyō left the hall, supported by two maidservants.
Kamizuru carefully folded the land deed and transfer contract, tucking them into his chest pocket with satisfaction. He exchanged a knowing smile with Mutoh, both men clearly pleased with the outcome.
Once they exited the Green Palace and reached a secluded spot, Kamizuru bowed deeply to Mutoh with a beaming smile.
"Thank you, My Lord, for mediating on our behalf with the Daimyō. When I left, Jinghang-sama specifically instructed me not to forget Mutoh-sama's friendship and kindness."
"Not at all, not at all." Mutoh waved his hand modestly.
"Your Kazekage-sama is too kind. We've known each other since he first became a jōnin. This was just a small favor."
"How could you say that! A single word from you before the Daimyō saves us immeasurable trouble. How could we not be grateful? Come!" Kamizuru snapped his fingers, and a masked ninja suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, holding a small chest. The ninja knelt before Mutoh and opened the chest, revealing neat stacks of brand-new ten-thousand-ryō bills.
"Five million ryō, a small token of appreciation for Mutoh-sama's tea fund!" Kamizuru said generously with a wave of his hand.
"Oh my, this is too much! Too generous!" Mutoh exclaimed, though his hands moved quickly to accept the chest. His eyes gleamed, and he almost drooled over the money.
"My Lord, I must take my leave now. There are still mundane matters to attend to in the village."
"Oh, oh, safe travels, safe travels." Mutoh replied courteously, though his gaze remained fixed on the chest. Kamizuru shook his head and slowly retreated with the masked ninja.
As they looked back at the ever-diminishing Green Palace, the masked ninja impatiently pulled down part of his mask and spat on the ground.
"Bah! These corrupt bureaucrats!"
"Heh," Kamizuru chuckled coldly.
"Nothing unusual about it. This is just how these old aristocrats are. You're still too young, Autotailor. Watch and you'll get used to it."
"I just can't stand it."
"Well, stand it or not, it doesn't matter. Think about it—without these corrupt bureaucrats, we wouldn't have been able to acquire such a large piece of land like Yuexi Peninsula so cheaply. Look at it—it's almost half the size of the Land of Rivers. What a bargain! The Kazekage-sama gave me a budget of one hundred million ryō before I left the village, and we managed to secure this deal, bribes included, for just ten million ryō. Hahaha, it's hilarious when you think about it."
"And the three years of military funding?"
"Bah! Spread that amount across every Sunagakure ninja, and it's only fifteen hundred ryō a year—barely enough to buy toilet paper. That Daimyō is such a country bumpkin, stuck in the Kunrei Plains for too long."
"Haha, you've described him perfectly," Autotailor couldn't help but laugh.
"Don't just laugh. When we get back, we still have to write a report. Even ten million ryō is public money, and we'll need to account for every last coin, or we'll end up having tea with the Anti-Corruption Bureau."
"Anti-Corruption Bureau? Does the village have such a department?"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. It was established at last week's village council meeting. It's specifically tasked with investigating corruption. For cases like ours, we'll need to submit detailed explanations of the fund's usage afterward. When we get back, let's hold a departmental meeting to convey the meeting's spirit."
"That sounds like such a hassle," Autotailor remarked, clearly annoyed.
"It's not a hassle, and it's absolutely necessary. In fact, I believe this is the most brilliant decision the Kazekage-sama made at that meeting. Even the resolution to develop a new city pales in comparison. This will truly benefit the present and future generations!" Kamizuru suddenly turned serious.
"Really?" Autotailor looked puzzled.
"Absolutely. Corruption is an enemy far more dangerous and insidious than Konoha or Kumogakure. No matter how powerful a jutsu is, it can't defeat corruption. It can completely destroy the foundation of a village! Only by tightening the institutional cage can we curb it. On this point, I fully support the Kazekage-sama."
"Oh," Autotailor nodded, still somewhat confused.
"Oh, come on," Kamizuru laughed, patting Autotailor on the head.
"Listen, kid, you'd better watch yourself too. Do you know who the first director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau is? Ryouhei! That's a truly impartial and incorruptible man. He used to be the head of the interrogation department. If you fall into his hands, you'd wish you had died on the battlefield instead!"