Naruto Card King

One Hundred Million Ryo!!!

Cash!

That is an astronomical amount!

Although, considering the total assets of Konoha, one hundred million ryo is not much, but cash is a different matter altogether!

Fixed assets aside, Konoha's income primarily comes from two sources: taxation and commissions from ninja missions. The former is easy to understand—all businesses within Konoha must pay taxes. The latter refers to the commission ninjas earn for completing missions, from which a portion must be handed over to the village.

For an S-rank wartime mission commissioned by a third party, the commission can exceed a million ryo, but most of that money goes directly to the ninja carrying out the mission. The village itself only takes a small percentage, meaning that Konoha's profit from a single mission is not as high as one might think.

Currently, Konoha generates over one hundred million ryo per month from taxation and mission commissions combined. However, most of this money is spent almost immediately—maintaining the ninja forces alone is a massive expenditure!

Income and expenses determine cash flow.

Konoha is the largest ninja village in the world. Its income is high, but its expenses are enormous. In fact, there are times when there is no surplus at all, and the village must rely on funding from the Fire Daimyō to maintain operations.

Especially in the past two years, as the tension in the ninja world has escalated, Konoha's military spending has increased significantly. Just recently, a significant amount of money was spent on logistical support for the deployment of the First Main Battle Corps to the border. It was like burning money!

In reality, Konoha's situation is still better compared to other great ninja villages. Thanks to its advantageous location and prosperous commerce, Konoha has a relatively high income and relies less on external funding. In contrast, the other four great ninja villages are in much worse financial situations.

Take Sunagakure in the Land of Wind, for example. Its geographic disadvantages make it almost entirely dependent on funding from the Wind Daimyō. If the Daimyō were to reduce Sunagakure's funding, the village would have no choice but to cut expenses, thereby weakening its overall strength.

Even though Konoha is in a better position, it does not have much in reserve. On a monthly balance cycle, Konoha has frequently faced budget deficits in recent years.

And now, the Land of Iron is willing to pay one hundred million ryo in cash for the Black Armored War Suit!

Considering that the Fire Daimyō provides Konoha with funding at regular intervals, this sudden influx of one hundred million ryo in liquid assets would have a massive positive impact. It would allow Konoha to prepare more effectively for the impending war and ultimately save many lives.

The Black Armored War Suit is not worth one hundred million ryo. Even if it were auctioned on the black market, it would be difficult to reach such a price.

Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help but be tempted. Koharu Utatane felt the same way. However, both of them remained outwardly composed. They exchanged a glance before quickly averting their eyes.

"Mifune-dono." After a moment of contemplation, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke. "It is getting late. Since you have traveled a great distance, it is only fitting that Konoha extends our hospitality. I have already arranged for a meal to be prepared for you. Why don't you enjoy lunch first, and we can continue our discussion about the Black Armored War Suit in the afternoon?"

"We will follow your lead, Hokage-sama." Mifune nodded in understanding.

The meal was just a formality—Hiruzen Sarutobi needed time to consult with others, perhaps even convene a meeting to discuss the matter. Mifune could easily guess this and had no objections.

In Tsunade's mansion, inside the main hall.

The dining table was filled with dishes. Haruto Saito and Tsunade sat across from each other, eating and chatting. The food had been packed and brought home earlier by Tsunade—she rarely cooked for herself.

"Why is it taking so long? There's no news at all." Haruto Saito poked at his bowl of rice and mumbled, "The Hokage wouldn't have sold me out already, would he? Is he going to make me count the money too?"

"Is that really how you see my teacher?" Tsunade rolled her eyes at him and added, "And swallow your food before speaking. It's disgusting."

"Hmph!" Haruto Saito snorted and popped a meatball into his mouth, chewing as he spoke, "All politicians are rotten! You have to believe me—no matter who they were before, the moment they become politicians, they turn into hypocritical, deceitful scum!"

"So what? Even if, as you say, my teacher sold you out, what can you do about it?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow at him, annoyed by his attitude.

"Take a guess." Haruto Saito smirked.

"I'm warning you—don't do anything reckless!" Tsunade frowned slightly.

"Relax, I won't." Haruto Saito shot Tsunade a sidelong glance. "At most... I'll just extort the Hokage a little. If he doesn't satisfy me, he can forget about getting the Black Armored War Suit! I'll hide it somewhere no one will ever find."

"That's a death wish!"

"Not necessarily."

Whoosh!

Suddenly, there was a fluctuation of chakra outside the door. A figure appeared out of nowhere, kneeling on one knee.

"Lady Tsunade, the Hokage has sent me to inform Haruto Saito that he must report to the Hokage's office immediately."

Tsunade quickly looked toward the door, then exchanged a glance with Haruto Saito before replying, "Understood!"

...

Shortly after, in the Hokage's office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, absentmindedly tapping his fingers on the surface as he contemplated in silence. The office door suddenly swung open. Haruto Saito and Tsunade walked in one after the other and approached the desk respectfully.

"Hokage-sama."

"Teacher."

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at them both before settling his gaze on Tsunade, his expression blank.

"You. Get out. I need to speak with Haruto Saito alone."

"Teacher, come on…"

"Out!"

"But—"

"Get out!"

"Teacher!" Tsunade suddenly leaped behind Haruto Saito and clung to him, refusing to let go. She rested her chin on his shoulder and blinked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with a mischievous smile. "Teacher, whatever you're going to say… I want to hear it too… I want to listen…"

She was actually trying to act cute!

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at Tsunade, his expression one of deep irritation and helplessness. After glaring at her twice, he finally let out a long sigh and turned his attention to Haruto Saito.

"You should already know why the Land of Iron's delegation is here. They want the Black Armored War Suit." Hiruzen Sarutobi got straight to the point, his tone serious. "Konoha needs it for this transaction. As a Konoha ninja, you must prioritize the village's interests above all else."

"Hokage-sama, I actually think—"

"I'm not finished!" Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted him. "However, the Black Armored War Suit is your personal property. Even as Hokage, I cannot simply take it from you. So… if you are willing to hand it over to the village, I will reward you with fifteen million ryo."

Haruto Saito was momentarily stunned—he hadn't expected Hiruzen Sarutobi to offer a deal rather than simply confiscating it.

Tsunade's eyes widened with excitement—fifteen million ryo! She had never had that much money at once. Though her mission commissions were high, she always lost her earnings gambling and could never save any money.

"Haruto Saito, agree to it! Quickly!" Tsunade urged him excitedly, already thinking about borrowing some money from him.

"Hokage-sama, fifteen million ryo is a lot, but… no deal!" Haruto Saito refused outright. "Unless you offer me… mmph—"

Before he could finish, Tsunade clamped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide with horror.

This little brat was actually trying to extort the Hokage!!