Konoha Notes

Chapter 393 Many Gains
Shuji had no idea how many people from the police headquarters would sign up, what list Fugaku would ultimately submit, or even whether the Uchiha clan would choose to remain at headquarters after discussion.

After all, the functional adjustments between the headquarters and branches had only taken place a year ago. The Joint Affairs Bureau itself had also only been established for a year.

Starting six months ago, this makeshift team finally began to have a legitimate scope of business. And the impending formalization has finally brought the most practical and thorny issue to the forefront:

Where does the lifeblood of an organization that attempts to transcend the structure of a single ninja village and manage the public affairs of the entire ninja world come from—the money that sustains its operation, supports its actions, and pays its employees?

In recent private communications, it has been stated that Kumogakure is quite willing to spend this money.

Ai's attitude was clear: Kumogakure recognized the current situation and agreed to provide financial support for the Joint Affairs Bureau's routine operations and special operations. They also understood the situation of Iwagakure and Sunagakure and agreed to reduce their share of initial funding.

However, he firmly, even vehemently, opposed the proposal to initiate the unified management of the Daimyo funds at this time.

The Raikage knew exactly where the problem lay. The reason why Iwagakure and Sunagakure were able to suddenly speak out in the Five Kage's communications and form an encirclement was because the proposal itself originated from Konoha.

Therefore, all his statements were precisely aimed at what Konoha cared about most.

"Those small ninja villages have only just been incorporated into the martial arts system, and they haven't even played their first match yet. Are they supposed to cooperate by handing over the aid from the daimyo that they originally controlled, and then redistributing it uniformly?"

"This will only trigger unnecessary vigilance and confusion, and undermine the hard-won foundation of trust."

"Moreover, has Konoha figured things out internally? The Land of Fire has the most vassal states, the Land of Rivers and the Land of Tea have mission quotas that belong entirely to Konoha, and there are also those countries that, although they have their own ninja villages, still provide a portion of their quotas to Konoha."

"It involves too many people, and rushing things will not benefit anyone."

His core argument is that we should wait; now is not the time.

The reason for the delay is simple: Kumogakure and Kirigakure are currently under defense pressure, and discussing these matters at this time would be too disadvantageous for them.

It would be better for the Cloud Hidden to take on more of the expenses and first stabilize the current joint defense framework.

This would both demonstrate the responsibility of the Cloud Hidden Sect and substantially increase their influence within the Joint Affairs Bureau.

Get more in one fell swoop.

Ai himself is not the only one who can see this situation clearly.

Onoki saw it all too clearly.

That's why he chose this delicate moment to formally bring the funding issue to the negotiating table.

This was his counterattack after being forced by the urgency of the Tailed Beast crisis to hand over Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, as an important asset.

You took advantage of the urgency of the Tailed Beast crisis to force Iwagakure to hand over an important fighting force and place him in a multi-party coordinated joint force.
Then I will use your institutional proposals to fight for tangible benefits for myself.

After all, most of the western countries of the continent are impoverished, and the resources of those small kingdoms and daimyo are far less than those of their counterparts in the heartland of the Fire, Thunder, and Water kingdoms.

As a result, Wenya, the representative of Iwagakure, became one of the busiest figures in the Joint Affairs Bureau during this period.

During the meeting, he argued his case forcefully, repeatedly emphasizing the urgency and long-term benefits of coordinating funds.

During breaks in the meeting, he frequently moved between the offices of Konoha and Kirigakure.

Yes, it's Mist Hidden.

Judging from the interests at stake in this matter, the position of the Hidden Mist is actually quite delicate.

Having just emerged from the blood mist, they didn't have many traditional spheres of influence overseas. The only one that was noticeable on the map was the Land of Waves.

The Land of Waves is still poor. The open policies and maritime trade hub plans promoted by Miyako Shōmei are still under construction. All projected revenues are merely figures on paper, not actual cash.

This means that although the Hidden Mist is geographically located in the central circle of the Fire, Lightning, and Water kingdoms, they are also on the periphery in the current actual interest structure.

Since it is on the margins, it has value to be fought for.

Shuji also had to come, since he knew that in Kirigakure now, all of Mizukage Yagura's decisions were either the will of the master or Mei's opinion.

There's no point in communicating with Yagura through a screen.

It's better to just find someone offline who you can directly reach.

As he approached the Mist Shadow's residence.

A tall figure walked out from the direction of the Misty Hidden Garrison.

Her short, golden hair stood out strikingly in the sunlight, and as always, she wasn't wearing a headband.

Samui.

Shuji stopped in his tracks, watching as the other person walked straight toward him.

“Miss Samui,” he said, taking the initiative, “perhaps I should consider whether I should impose some necessary restrictions on your activities.”

Despite saying that, his eyes didn't really show that he minded.

Samui stared straight at him with her icy blue eyes: "If Shuji intends to impose personal restrictions on me in any other matter..."

She took a step forward, and the distance between them subtly shortened.

“I would be very happy.”

Xiu Si shook his head, his smile filled with even more helplessness: "If I were to actually do that kind of thing, I'd probably get beaten up."

Samui didn't respond to that. Her gaze fell on his face, scrutinizing it carefully for a moment, then she suddenly raised her hand, her cool fingertips gently touching his forehead.

“If I get tired,” she said, “I’d be happy to continue taking on commissions.”

Shuji tilted his head slightly, the touch fleeting. He sighed, "Miss Samui, you're now on the list of things that make me feel more tired. This kind of proactive 'business creation' isn't exactly friendly."

Samui withdrew his hand, his lips curving almost imperceptibly, his eyes smiling: "It would be even better if we could gain more in the process of handling village affairs."

"In the tradition of Kumogakure, waiting idly will get you nothing, but if you can seize what you want through unfriendly actions, then it's worth it."

"Therefore, all your complaints right now can be seen as encouragement to me."

Shuji met her gaze and asked, "So, how was the business Miss Samui proactively created this time?"

Samui stared at him quietly for two seconds, then finally stepped aside, resuming his businesslike demeanor.

“It’s not easy to gain a decisive advantage from your competitors immediately, Mr. Shuji…”

With that, she strode past him with long strides, leaving a cool breeze in her wake.

Shuji stood there for a moment before continuing toward the gate of the Mist Village.

(End of this chapter)