Naruto: Starting from Eating the Gold Fruit

Chapter 128 Oh no, we've been exposed?!

On this day at the end of February in Konoha Year 28, Yua, unusually, did not sit at the Hokage's desk to work. Instead, he held a cigarette in his mouth without lighting it and just looked out the window at the scenery.

He was in a good mood at the moment, but when he saw the group of clan leaders from various families who wanted to see him downstairs in the office building, his mood soured.

With a helpless sigh, You Ya calmly said, "Uncle Jing, let these clan leaders come in."

Uchiha Kagami appeared from behind, nodded, and went out.

Logically speaking, Uchiha Kagami is already a captain in the Anbu, so he shouldn't have had so much time to follow Yua around.

However, it is obvious that Uchiha Kagami is a master of slacking off and understands that as long as he is there behind Yua, he doesn't need to do any work.

But once he's no longer following Youya around, a whole host of troubles will come.

Rather than dealing with those endless official duties, Uchiha Kagami felt it was better to protect Yua in secret.

He didn't believe he had the ability to solve a problem just by looking at it once, like You Ya.

You Ya stretched and then sat down in his office chair, waiting for the heads of various families to come and see him.

The reason these clan leaders came is actually quite simple.

When Yuya first took over the affairs of Konoha Village ten years ago, he issued a policy. Of course, at that time, because Tobirama Senju was fighting on the front lines, those policies were only on trial and not implemented.

After becoming the Third Hokage, Yuya immediately put all his trial policies into practice.

It's normal that the patriarchs of these families don't care about this, and since it doesn't affect their interests, why should they oppose Youya?

However, this time it didn't work.

Because they belatedly realized...

More and more ninjas from their own clans are leaving to live in the inner city of Konoha.

If there were only one or two, they wouldn't care, and might even think it would be good to use them as a bargaining chip to curry favor with Youya, since they didn't actually need to do anything.

However, the fact that more than a dozen ninjas left their clans together immediately triggered the fragile nerves of those clans.

The reason why this phenomenon has occurred is actually quite simple.

A few days ago, a young Chunin couple from the Nara clan had a baby named Nara Yoshino. The couple were happily preparing to register their little princess's birth.

There they ran into Musashi Umino, who was on his way to handle the division of the family property.

In other words, one household became two because his son got married. His wife was from an ordinary family in Konoha's inner city, and he was quite satisfied with it. Moreover, at this time in Konoha, marriage is simply a matter of finding someone you like; there are no dowries or wedding houses involved.

Oh, there is a wedding house, but now the average person in Konoha's inner city owns two houses, so there's no shortage of them.

It's perfectly normal for Musashi Unno to register his son's household registration separately, since it's impossible for his son to register his grandchildren under his name in the future.

It was this division of household registration that made the Nara clan ninjas realize something was wrong.

Because they heard the Uchiha clan girl tell Musashi Umino that because his son had gone independent, he was eligible to buy a house at half price, and the loans he was currently carrying could be halved if his son agreed.

Musashi Umino was taken aback, but after thinking about it, he decided not to use it. He felt that he could pay off the debt in another ten years or so, and he would let his son use the money to buy a house for his grandson.

What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener.

The young Nara couple asked the Uchiha clan staff why their Nara clan didn't have this question, since their Nara clan was divided into many branches!

The Uchiha girl looked at the couple with a strange expression, saying, "Of course it's because they are ordinary villagers in Konoha's inner city, while you are from the Nara clan."

How dare you, a member of a ninja clan, compare yourself to ordinary people?

So the young couple continued to ask: What about the ordinary ninjas in the inner city?

Miss Uchiha: Oh, of course they are qualified. After all, they don't have the resources their clans provide. What's wrong with getting some benefits from other sources?

The young couple fell silent. After returning home, they carefully studied the subsidies that Konoha Village provided to ordinary people, and what they found was astonishing.

Konoha offers a three-year interest-free loan to ordinary families. If, during this period, the village is attacked by a tailed beast, the loan will be extended for another year.

The couple were quite upset upon seeing this regulation.

A three-year interest-free loan is essentially like using money from three years in the future now.

As for the natural disasters and tailed beast attacks on the village, the young couple didn't believe it was possible at all.

Upon further investigation, wow, not only are there subsidies for buying a house, but if you start a business, you'll be exempt from taxes for the first year. If you farm, you'll also be exempt from taxes for the first year. If you're a commoner ninja willing to cultivate land, you'll be given a five-year usage right. After five years, the land will belong to the state, and taxes will be levied. During these five years, no one will care what you do with the land you've cultivated.

This is only part of the support; there are countless other small favors, such as the annual year-end gift box of candy and cookies that ordinary people receive.

The young couple from Nara then realized that the shopping street was in the center of the inner city, and they would have to walk a long way from Nara to go shopping, not to mention that so many families in the inner city were doing business.

You can buy whatever you want.

and……

Most importantly...

The land allocated to the Nara clan when Konoha was first established seemed quite good, but now, 28 years into Konoha, many second-generation members have already been born.

These kids are too young to tell now, but what about when they grow up?

Unless they raise the building height like the Hokage did in transforming the South District, but then another problem arises.

The water plant is in the hands of the Uchiha clan, and the power plant is in the hands of the Hokage. If they want to connect water and electricity, they must obtain their consent. Not to mention, if they choose to build this kind of house, the sewer system must be connected to the sewer system of Konoha Village. Otherwise, they will have to be responsible for all the excrement themselves. How can they tolerate that?

Currently, Konoha has dedicated cleaning staff to handle the cleaning. If they were to build high-rise buildings, they would have to take full responsibility for everything themselves, which would be enough to make anyone want to die.

the most important is……

Their daughter, barring any unforeseen circumstances, will likely marry someone from within the family.

It's not that I have any negative feelings about it; the clans in Konoha are quite good at winning over their own people. Hiruzen Sarutobi, who isn't particularly fond of his clan, is ultimately an exception.

Rather, it's more about the practical point:

Where will their daughter live after she gets married?

It's impossible to live with your in-laws, right?

You might not have thought much of it before, but ordinary people in Konoha's inner city can now be allocated housing and even get a 50% discount on home purchases!

The original price of eight or nine million taels of silver was suddenly reduced to just over four million taels!

This price is something that the couple can afford with their annual salary!

Then why not move out?

It's just moving out of the inner city. I didn't say I was betraying my family. As long as I move out, my daughter will be able to enjoy this benefit. When she gets married, wouldn't it be better to just buy her a house as her wedding home?

Anyway, with a 50% discount, it's easy to afford anything.

Moreover...

Moving out to the inner city is definitely much more comfortable than living in the family compound!

So, after comparing and contrasting, the young couple couldn't find any reason to continue staying in the family.

Although their generation won't enjoy preferential treatment after moving out, once their daughter separates from the family and moves out, she will be able to enjoy the same preferential treatment that Konoha gives to ordinary villagers.

The ninjas of these clans weren't stupid. One of them would casually ask during a chat: "Hey, why did you leave the clan territory? What were you thinking?"

Then this guy chimed in: "Hey, I'm just leaving the clan's territory, not betraying the clan. Don't you think the clan's territory is too crowded? Let me do the math for you. If I move to the inner city, there are these... advantages. Why don't you tell me why I don't go to the inner city? It'll free up all these houses in the clan's territory for you guys."

When others hear that it's not because you're so kind and considerate of the family, their first reaction will definitely be: "Yeah! How come I didn't think of that?!"

Then he went home and discussed it with his wife. They realized that even if the houses on the family land were enough for their sons and daughters, the infrastructure was not as good as that in the inner city!

In the inner city, the houses all had both Western-style toilets and squat toilets!

So, all these ninjas left their clans. Since it wasn't considered betraying their clans, they didn't feel any psychological pressure.

The patriarchs of these families naturally sensed something was wrong, and after careful investigation, they quickly understood what was going on.

Once they understood, and looked back at Youya's policies, they felt like vomiting blood.

So, back in those so-called trial years ago, Youya was already thinking about today?!

Is Yuya really that confident that he can govern Konoha's inner city better than their clan's territory, thereby attracting their clan's ninjas to settle there?!

It was at this time that the patriarchs of these families finally understood why Youya had made the ordinary residential buildings three or four stories high during the first renovation. But ordinary people only had one floor with two rooms, so what were the two or three empty floors for?

Damn it, Yua was originally prepared for these ninjas who came from clans!

Now Youya has increased the number of floors to ten, with six rooms per floor!

Unstoppable, unstoppable, their only chance was when Yuya piloted the so-called preferential housing policy for ordinary people splitting their families, ten years ago when Yuya had just taken over Konoha, and ordered his clan's ninjas to rush out and overwhelm Konoha's housing.

That was their only chance.

After that, once the first phase of housing renovation was completed, they would never have another chance.

It's laughable that they previously thought the empty houses Youya built were intended for the lackeys who gained entry into the inner city from the outer city.

Only one hundred households qualify each year, and even if it takes a hundred years, it will only be ten thousand households!

At Yuya's rate of renovation, by the time he's done it in a hundred years, the houses will probably be built to the heavens! These empty houses are basically for the ninjas from his clan who have gone out to work!

At that time, the infrastructure of the inner city had not yet been built, and the facilities and entertainment activities in the inner city had not yet been developed. Strictly speaking, the clan lands of each family were still better than those in the inner city.

but now……

These clan leaders never imagined that the village would change so much in just ten years. Now that Youya wants to dig up their roots, what should they do?

Oh no, it's not that we need to do it now, it's that we've been digging into their roots for a long time, but they just didn't notice.

I've been infected. This time I'm really infected.

But what can they do?

The ninja from their clan is right. They just felt that life in the inner city was better than in the clan's territory, so they moved there. They didn't betray their clan. We're all from the same village, so why distinguish between you and me?

What could these clan leaders possibly say?

Tobirama Senju isn't dead yet!

Even if Tobirama Senju were to die, as long as they dared to say this, they had no doubt that Yua would dare to kill him.

Although the Third Hokage was not very old, he was extremely petty!

Moreover, their methods are extremely ruthless and their bottom line is unfathomable.

Why are the Sand Village and the Land of Rain still fighting now?

It's all because this bastard is secretly funding the Land of Rain; otherwise, the Land of Rain would have been gone long ago.

As for those who died in the war...

In any case, these clan leaders didn't see any remorse or unease on You Ya's face.

Unfortunately, these clan leaders had no choice but to come.

Since it's already a fait accompli, let's try to gain some benefits.

"Knock knock"

"Enter."

Uchiha Kagami pushed open the door and entered: "Hokage-sama, they have already gone to the conference room."

You Ya nodded, opened the drawer next to him, and took out a stack of toilet paper.

Well, this toilet paper actually appears quite often in the news.

Upon arriving at the conference room, this time the family patriarchs dared not put on airs, and they all stood there obediently when You Ya entered.

When Tobirama Senju brought Yua here before, some of these clan leaders dared to sit there.

Youya is quite pleased that no one dares to sit down before her now.

This shows that these people are gradually learning how to play the game.

It's good if you know how to play; it's too boring if you don't.

You Ya waved cheerfully, signaling everyone to sit down, but the clan leaders just watched without making a move.

You Ya took the lead and sat down first, and then the other clan leaders slowly followed.

"I am truly flattered that all the clan leaders have come to see me so suddenly. Isn't our Konoha Village thriving? What could possibly warrant such a visit from you all?"

The head of the Shimura family turned red with anger upon hearing Yuya's words.

You don't know? How dare you say you don't know?

How can someone be so shameless?!

Soul pale!

That's what he thought, but what the clan head Shimura actually said was: "Konoha's future is very bright right now, and that's naturally because of your excellent leadership, Third Hokage. Everyone has made a lot of money as a result..."

There's no way around it; the money Youya gives out every year is real cash. It's the end of February now, and the money was just distributed last month. Basically, none of the families have spent it all yet.

Everyone understands the principle that "he who takes a bribe is beholden to him."

You Ya happily pricked up his ears.

After thinking for a moment, the clan head Shimura continued, "So, we've discussed it and decided that we should keep up with the village's pace. Our clan's buildings and houses really do need replacing. Third generation, what do you think..."

Yuya narrowed his eyes after hearing this, then smiled and nodded: "That's great! Why didn't the Uchiha clan head come? Since you want to renovate the clan, how could you not invite them? They're in charge of everything at the water plant."

Clan Chief Shimura was speechless. Uchiha…

Who would take them out to play all the time...?

But what Youya said is indeed true.

Therefore, Chief Shimura was momentarily speechless and didn't know how to respond.

The head of the Sarutobi clan sighed and continued, "Third Hokage, you misunderstand. What Clan Head Shimura meant was that Konoha is now thriving, and it is only right that our clans should also contribute."

Yuya immediately looked at Chief Sarutobi: "You mean...?"

Chief Sarutobi clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "If there are any other projects in Konoha that need development, you can entrust them to us."

You Ya immediately laughed. Who said that the patriarchs of these families were not smart?

Aren't they all incredibly shrewd?

(End of this chapter)