Chapter 43: A Flexible Moral Compass!
Night.
The palace was ablaze with light, and a feast of delicious dishes was laid out before Uchiha Nan. The table was full, and another table was needed.
The emphasis was on extravagance.
Of course, this also considered the Daimyo's safety. The Daimyo was an ordinary person, not a ninja, and only took a bite or two of each dish. Even if an enemy village ninja poisoned something, the Daimyo might not eat that particular dish, unless he was extremely unlucky.
"Music!"
A portly attendant clapped his hands, and the orchestra standing around began to play and sing. Uchiha Nan didn't recognize the tune, but it sounded decent.
Music and dance began, and rows of young girls dressed in revealing outfits entered the palace. It was truly a scene of peace and prosperity.
In ancient times, a Daimyo this decadent would either be a doomed ruler or close to it.
Wait, wait, wait?
Daimyo, why are you dancing along?
The Daimyo, now thoroughly Liu Bei-fied, returned to his seat, embracing two beauties after tiring himself out.
"Hokage, you've come from afar. Why not relax? The palace's environment is nourishing, and the girls' skin is very smooth!"
The Daimyo narrowed his eyes, looking dissolute. Seeing Uchiha Nan unmoved, he clapped again, and a pair of girls entered from outside.
They were about Uchiha Nan's age, with light blue hair and charming looks. Most importantly, they were twins, and they willingly sat beside Uchiha Nan.
"Hokage, this is my gift to you today."
"Fene, Ling, you two must entertain the Hokage well today!"
Hmm! Just like Hinata Takuma, he's here to pimp.
Uchiha Nan was tempted, not because he had any particular thoughts about the twins.
Well, okay, maybe he had a little.
But that wasn't the main point. The ten draw chances were what Uchiha Nan wanted most.
With enough strength, any woman Uchiha Nan desired would be brought to him by countless people.
However, if he went to ask the Daimyo for money alone and returned to the village with twins...
How would the villagers view him?
The Daimyo narrowed his eyes. Seeing Uchiha Nan still unmoved, he sighed inwardly.
Was he just like those two Senju brothers? What a pity. Why did everyone refuse his kindness?
Ninjas were so annoying!
A hint of disgust flashed across the Daimyo's face, but he didn't show it.
"Daimyo, I like this gift very much!"
Uchiha Nan finally spoke. In that instant, Uchiha Nan felt as if a layer of his skin had been torn off.
What was mere integrity? Strength was the most important!
He needed to broaden his horizons. True powerhouses didn't care about such things. Even Orochimaru could become Orochima.
"Good, good, good!!!"
The Daimyo visibly became happier, thinking to himself.
The Uchiha were easier to communicate with than the Senju. They were all not good people, so why pretend to be gentlemen?
The atmosphere immediately became more lively. The Daimyo stood up from his chair and came to sit beside Uchiha Nan, sharing the same table.
After several rounds of drinks, Uchiha Nan felt he couldn't continue like this. It was time to get down to business.
Money!
He had to squeeze the Daimyo's pockets first!
"Daimyo, Konoha's funds are running low..."
Uchiha Nan rubbed his fingers. In his experience, this was the easiest time to talk about money with a patron.
"Hahaha, Hokage, please rest assured. The 3.1 billion ryo will be sent to Konoha's account on time."
Uchiha Nan looked around at the magnificent hall and shook his head.
"Not 3.1 billion ryo, but 4.1 billion ryo!"
"What?!"
The Daimyo was instantly stunned, amazed by Uchiha Nan's appetite. This amount was already a considerable sum.
If Konoha hadn't fought so hard for the Land of Fire, even scraping the bottom of their barrel, the Daimyo would have reverted to the 2 billion ryo budget from a few years ago, let alone 3.1 billion.
Did he think money fell from the sky?
It wasn't just Konoha that suffered losses. The Land of Fire was also devastated by the war, with countless refugees and rampant bandits.
His subordinates were becoming increasingly unruly, occupying more and more land, and finding ways to avoid paying taxes. Squeezing out 3.1 billion ryo to feed those ninjas was already pushing the limit.
The following years would require a lot of money to resettle refugees and reclaim wasteland. He couldn't just use his personal funds.
"Hokage, you jest."
The Daimyo forced a smile and waved his hand.
The noisy music immediately stopped, and everyone else tactfully left. The two important figures were about to discuss serious matters.
"Do you know that Konoha's budget is the largest in the entire ninja world? The Land of Fire has had a difficult time in recent years, with constant natural and man-made disasters, and taxes are increasingly hard to collect."
"Do you know why the Sand Village has been so quiet for so long after being defeated by Konoha?"
Uchiha Nan shook his head. In the First Shinobi World War, the Sand Village was the first to withdraw. Uchiha Nan didn't pay much attention to the reason. At that time, he was focused on increasing his strength, busy killing people on the battlefield.
"The Daimyo of the Wind Country cut the Sand Village's budget by more than half."
Uchiha Nan was taken aback. He didn't expect the Wind Country Daimyo to be so ruthless, even cutting the ninja village's funds.
Although the ninja world promoted the idea of ninjas as tools, that ninjas needed to learn to endure, they were still human.
They were all flesh-and-blood people, especially those ninjas who were skilled killers.
"Isn't that courting death..."
Uchiha Nan didn't continue. Following the Wind Country Daimyo was a real misfortune. He even cut the ninjas' life-risking money.
Uchiha Nan knew very well how much money it took to become an excellent ninja. He had spent a lot of money on himself.
His ninjato alone cost hundreds of thousands of ryo, not to mention the secret medicines, ninja tools, and various other expenses used for training.
For ordinary ninjas, every penny spent on them would translate into combat power.
"But so what? The Wind Country is so poor that it's left with only sand. If we don't cut the Sand Village's budget, even ordinary people won't survive."
"Without ordinary people risking their lives, who will support you ninjas?"
The Daimyo took over Uchiha Nan's words, his face full of sneers. He had made it clear about Uchiha Nan's unreasonable demands.
The Sand Village's budget had been cut, and Konoha's budget had increased compared to previous years. He should be content.
Still want more money?
Sorry, not a single ryo!
"3.5 billion ryo!"
Uchiha Nan decided to compromise. After all, the person in front of him was Konoha's big patron, the client. He still needed to give him some face.
The Daimyo remained silent. Uchiha Nan had no choice but to lower his offer again.
"3.4 billion ryo!"
"3.3 billion ryo!"
"3.2 billion ryo!"
After three consecutive offers, Uchiha Nan's expression turned a bit unpleasant. He was giving him face, but he wasn't returning the favor?
Then he'd have to get angry and start killing people!
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