"Yes, we need to confirm it for ourselves. Who knows if you faked it!"
The other man finally reacted as well, his eyes glaring at Genya with barely contained rage.
Seven hundred and twenty thousand ryo... even selling the two of them wouldn't be enough to repay that amount!
Even the Sarutobi clan wouldn't dare promise full reimbursement. It was simply too much.
Even if they covered just half, that would still be three hundred and sixty thousand ryo — not a small sum by any measure!
"You want confirmation? Sure." Genya nodded confidently. His meaning was clear — if they wanted to investigate, they were welcome to.
"Let's go. We'll head there right now!"
The two men checked the time. It was nearly the end of the workday, so without hesitation, they shut down the mission hall.
They were going to investigate personally.
After all, if Genya and his team were given time to prepare, they might not be able to find anything suspicious.
"I'll guide you." Genya glanced at the two men, who were staring at him with hatred in their eyes, and took the lead.
The two looked at each other, then silently followed.
However —
At this moment, the way they looked at Genya was as if they wanted to devour him alive.
Hmph.
If it weren't for Genya, they wouldn't have gotten dragged into this mess in the first place!
Even if his mission hadn't been published, there'd be no need for compensation.
But now, all because of him, they were facing an enormous loss!
And so, the three walked without a word.
Genya led the two directly to a livestock farm on the outskirts.
The moment they stepped into the breeding zone, both men quickly pinched their noses and covered their mouths — as if doing so would keep them from breathing in the stench.
Disgust was written all over their faces.
"That over there is our employer's house," Genya said, pointing toward a rundown thatched hut and a tiny pigpen beside it.
"That… shack?"
The two members of the Sarutobi clan finally spoke, staring at the shabby little house and the modest pigpen.
They seemed to latch onto it like it was proof of Genya's deception.
"A place this small doesn't look like it can hold 180 pigs and 18 cows, does it?"
"You trying to scam us, Genya?! If you are, don't blame me for reporting you to Lord Hokage!"
The anger in their eyes was almost tangible—blazing with suspicion—but at the same time, there was a hint of relief.
At least Genya was trying to deceive them. If they'd really been asked to cough up 360,000 ryō, the Sarutobi clan might've kicked them out of the clan entirely.
"You've misunderstood," Genya said, his voice calm as ever. "That pen's for raising cattle. The pigpen is behind the house. Look—see that broken fence back there? That's the one."
He met their fiery glares without flinching, still wearing that teasing smile on his face.
"Just look in the direction I'm pointing."
Behind the house?
They followed the direction of Genya's finger. As skilled ninja, their eyesight was excellent. Sure enough, about half a kilometer away, they spotted a large, rundown pigpen.
Judging by its size, it could hold at least a hundred and eighty pigs.
The moment they saw it, the tension in their hearts tightened again.
It seemed... Genya had come prepared.
Talking as they walked, the group headed toward the pigpen.
When they reached the gate, they saw a boy—only three or four years old—sweeping the floor inside. The moment he spotted Genya, the child's little face lit up with joy.
"Brother Genya! You're back again?"
The boy looked genuinely excited.
"Toraki, where's your grandpa?" Genya asked with a warm smile.
"I need to speak with him."
"My grandpa's cooking right now! Wait here—I'll go get him!" Toraki tossed the broom aside and sprinted toward the house.
As he ran, he shouted, "Grandpa! Grandpa! Lord Genya's back!"
Moments later, an elderly man rushed out of the house, wiping his hands.
When he saw Genya, a smile immediately spread across his wrinkled face.
"Lord Genya! You're back? Please, come in, come in!"
"We won't go in this time." Genya smiled at the old man and pointed to the two members of the Sarutobi clan who had followed him.
"These two want to assess your losses and compensate you accordingly."
"Losses?" The old man was initially confused, but after seeing Genya and recalling his warning from their last meeting, he finally responded. "Didn't I already give you a report?"
"Old man, I'm asking you," one of the Sarutobi men couldn't hold back his impatience and cut in. "How many pigs and cows did you lose this time?"
"I lost 180 pigs and 18 cows." The old man replied solemnly.
"You alone can raise that many pigs and cows? Can you even handle that much livestock?" One of the Sarutobi men frowned and continued sharply.
"Do you know what happens if you falsify data? Both you and your grandson will be punished!"
"No... That really is my loss." The old man wasn't afraid of the threat at all. He stared straight into the man's eyes.
"As for how I'm able to raise that many, it's thanks to the Uchiha clan. They've been very kind to us. Seeing that I'm just an old man, they often helped me with the feeding and care."
"What? The Uchiha farmhands helped you raise them?" The Sarutobi man roared, then turned to Genya. "You Uchihas are so generous!"
The last sentence was practically spat out through gritted teeth.
From the conversation alone, they were already sure that Genya was trying to screw them over.
So... their expressions toward Genya grew even colder.
"Don't look at me like that. Helping others is one of the Uchiha clan's finest virtues." Genya shrugged with a perfectly innocent face, completely unfazed by their glares.
"How very noble of you!" The two men ground their teeth and turned to leave.
"Hey~~ Wait a minute." Genya called after their backs. "When are you planning to pay the compensation to the old man?"
"If you don't," he added with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "don't blame me for being impolite."
"We'll pay the compensation. We'll notify you when the time comes." The two men left quickly. They didn't want to see Genya again.
Besides, they had another idea in mind—ask around among the local farmers and see for themselves if the old man really did raise 180 pigs.
After they left the old man's house, they headed straight to the nearby livestock farm.
If the neighbors didn't know the truth, then hmph, that would be proof enough that Genya was trying to deceive them!
The owner of the farm was a burly man who was feeding his pigs when they arrived.
Even a strong man like him could only manage about sixty pigs on his own.
There was no way they could believe that an old man, dragging around a four- or five-year-old kid, could take care of even more than that!
"Who are you people? Who are you looking for?" the man shouted, startled by the sight of the two sneaky strangers.
"We're from the Sarutobi Clan," one of them said, revealing their identity before cutting straight to the point.
"I want to ask you something. That old man next door — how many pigs does he raise?"
"How should I know?" the man replied, eyeing the two of them suspiciously.
"Anyway, the front pigsty and the large one in the back both belong to him. I don't know the exact number, but there's definitely a lot!"
The two exchanged glances, finally showing signs of doubt.
"So it really is the old man's?" one of them muttered.
But the other still couldn't understand.
"How can he possibly manage that many? How does he even do it?"
****
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