Countless people looked at each other, then turned their gaze to Ryun Uchiha. Seriously, big brother, you are playing for such high stakes. You are even going to supervise your own wife.
Ryun's action also extinguished the desire of some smaller clans to misuse public funds. There was no other way. Some things simply could not withstand scrutiny. Once many matters were investigated, major problems would emerge.
Simultaneously, this made the leaders of the major shinobi clans nod in approval. This could also be considered good news. They believed this large sum of money would definitely be used for village construction.
"Who else wishes to apply for funds? Raise your hands enthusiastically." Ryun's words carried encouragement and expectation as he looked at the crowd. Wasn't this also a moment to select talent?
In his view, Konoha's public officials were still too few. They could not achieve having dedicated personnel for specific tasks, nor could they ensure that matters raised by the common people would be immediately undertaken and handled by someone.
This was not good. So today, based on the problems raised by the various clan leaders, he would conduct selection and appointments. This was something Ryun had thought of on his way back.
Izuna Uchiha raised his hand, which surprised Ryun a bit. Did his grandfather have some good idea?
"Please state the amount of funds applied for and their intended use, Izuna Uchiha," Ryun said calmly.
Izuna Uchiha stood up, went to the podium, first bowed slightly to Ryun, then bowed to the clan leaders and civilian representatives below.
"I have a suggestion. To improve everyone's quality of life, enhance the transportation speed and connections between Konoha Village and the various surrounding villages within Konoha's territory, and accelerate economic prosperity, we should build roads." Once Izuna said this, it caused some confusion among the crowd.
Everyone were shinobi. Running errands on foot did not seem particularly necessary.
Ryun took in everyone's expressions and sighed inwardly. This group really was short sighted. He could roughly guess what they were thinking.
But it must be remembered that not everyone in Konoha was a shinobi. A large portion were civilians, engaged in various industries, textiles, food, etc.
And were their raw materials sourced only from Konoha? Impossible. That would not be enough to support the entire village. So what should be done?
They needed to negotiate with nearby towns and villages, finally settling on a purchase price and shipping costs.
Izuna smiled and explained the pros and cons. After he finished, the vast majority of shinobi understood the importance of this measure.
Only a small portion, those not very sensitive to economic development, held skeptical or negative views.
"Izuna, how much funding are you planning to apply for?" Ryun asked calmly. He looked at his grandfather, Izuna Uchiha, and couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive. This amount of money was huge.
Izuna smiled and said, "I only need fifty billion." As soon as Izuna said this, everyone was stunned. They hadn't expected it to require so much funding, even more expensive than the hospital's equipment.
But what left them even more bewildered was that Ryun was standing off to the side, thinking. He shook his head, and just as everyone thought he didn't want to approve the suggestion…
Ryun spoke. "Fifty billion is not enough. If we want to implement this policy, we need at least one hundred billion. Izuna Uchiha, I will give you one hundred billion. The Senju and Hyūga clans will supervise and cooperate. You will complete it together."
"Report on the road construction progress every five days with a minor report, and every ten days with a major report. The information must be detailed. The flow and destination of every fund must be written inside."
Everyone was shocked. One hundred billion? A full five times the hospital's amount, just to build roads. Was it really worth it?
Ryun spoke. "If you want to prosper, build roads first. Izuna's idea can be said to be a hundred years ahead of the entire shinobi world." Ryun made the final decision and set the direction.
Everyone had no further objections. The specific details would be decided by the Uchiha, Senju, and Hyūga clans themselves after the meeting.
Just like that, 120 billion was gone. Ryun sighed. Indeed, spending money was like running water. But this was beneficial for Konoha. No matter how expensive, it should be spent!
Shikaku Nara raised his hand. Ryun nodded. "Shikaku, if you have something to say, speak freely."
Shikaku went to the podium and, like Tsunade and Izuna before him, bowed, then stated his suggestion. "I believe that among clothing, food, housing, and transportation, transportation has already been covered by Lord Izuna. So let's talk about housing."
"Currently in Konoha, the buildings of the various clans are mostly one or two story dwellings. They occupy a large area, but the number of people living in them might not be that high, I think. If we could construct taller buildings, wouldn't that accommodate more people and make Konoha more prosperous?" Shikaku said seriously.
This touched a sore point for many clans. Many clan shinobi took pride in such large houses, villas, symbolizing their clan's strength, economy, and status.
Shikaku's proposal was undoubtedly cutting into their interests. How could this be allowed!
"Shinobi clans have had this type of architecture since ancient times, Lord Shikaku. Isn't what you are doing somewhat inappropriate?"
"Exactly. The current houses represent a clan's public image. How can they be abolished just like that!"
"I disagree. I absolutely disagree!"
Shikaku glanced at the speakers and found they were all from some smaller clans. The expressions of the major clans, while not good, would not personally speak up.
Ryun looked at Shikaku. This was about getting into real estate. Those involved in real estate have dirty hearts. Presumably, since Shikaku proposed this, he must already have countermeasures for various situations. He would just wait and see.
Shikaku took a deep breath. "Everyone, building new houses will compensate you with double the value of your original house. You can also choose to receive a new house for free."
"This not only increases the population Konoha can accommodate but also allows your relatives and friends to live together, sharing family happiness." Once Shikaku said this, the civilian shinobi were visibly tempted.
They, the civilian shinobi, were not from clans. What they cared about was just relatives and friends. And the new houses seemed to meet their needs.
However, facing so many clans, they were only tempted. No one jumped out, wanting to observe further.
Shikaku spoke again. "Those who support this now can enjoy a twenty percent discount."
The civilian shinobi immediately raised their hands. Enough! A house cost a lot of money, and this twenty percent discount could precisely reduce their pressure. Besides, just raising their hands wouldn't hurt.
The clan shinobi's faces were gloomy. Shikaku looked at them and said, "Demolition and reconstruction must be agreed upon by the clan head to proceed. Forced demolition will not be carried out. Everyone can also wait and see the style of the new houses before deciding."
At this, all the shinobi clans reached a consensus and raised their hands in agreement. After all, everyone was part of Konoha. Who wouldn't want Konoha's population to grow?
The larger the population, the more prosperous Konoha would become.
Ryun nodded and spoke. "Then how much funding are you planning to apply for?"
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