"Raizen… who are these people?"
Uchiha Ren had officially taken over the clan head's office—formerly Uchiha Raizen's—and was beginning his new life in the role.
Raizen gestured toward a row of individuals standing neatly before them.
"Clan Head-sama, these are the clan's accountants."
They were all professional accountants hired by the Uchiha.
All civilians from Konoha.
As for why none of them were Uchiha—
The reason was simple.
The Uchiha were good at killing.
Not bookkeeping.
Ledgers and numbers gave them headaches.
At Raizen's signal, the accountants began reporting.
"Clan Head-sama, as of now, the clan's weapons industry is operating at a loss. Konoha currently owes over 530 million ryō for purchases of shuriken, kunai, explosive tags, and related supplies…"
"Clan Head-sama, the clan's commercial properties are also underperforming. Over 30% of tenants have overdue payments exceeding six months, totaling 130 million ryō…"
"Clan Head-sama, compensation for fallen clan members remains unpaid. Many families have begun to protest…"
"—"
One after another.
Relentless.
Like chanting scriptures.
The meaning was simple.
Pay.
Pay now.
Pay more.
Ren's expression darkened.
First day on the job—
And this?
"…Enough."
He raised a hand.
"Just give me the bottom line."
"How much cash do we have left?"
"And how long can we last?"
The accountants exchanged glances before answering.
"Approximately 150 million ryō remaining."
"If we exclude compensation payments… roughly one month."
Ren sucked in a sharp breath.
"One month?"
"That's it?"
His gaze shifted to Raizen.
"…It's this bad?"
Raizen nodded calmly.
"You know how long this war has lasted."
"It's not just the Uchiha. Every clan in Konoha is in the same position."
The explanation was simple.
For a long time now—
Konoha's shinobi hadn't been taking missions.
All had been deployed to the front lines.
A major source of income—
Gone.
The village had been sustained by the clans bleeding resources.
Money.
People.
Everything.
Ren clicked his tongue.
"Where's the Fire Daimyō?"
"Didn't he send funds?"
Raizen replied:
"He provides 20 billion ryō annually. The past three years, it was increased to 25 billion."
A pause.
"But…"
Ren understood immediately.
Gone.
All of it.
War wasn't just expensive.
It was ruinous.
A single explosive tag cost thousands.
A single battle consumed countless.
Add in food, medicine, logistics—
It wasn't war.
It was burning money.
Even burning money wasn't this fast.
Konoha—
Couldn't keep fighting.
Not financially.
Not materially.
Not even in manpower.
An entire generation—
Was nearly gone.
"…Then what now?"
Ren muttered.
Raizen gave a small smile.
"There's still hope."
"The Daimyō has agreed with Tobirama-sama to allocate a large reconstruction fund."
Ren raised an eyebrow.
"How much?"
"…Confidential."
Ren's expression twisted.
Of course.
The money—
Would be controlled by the next Hokage.
Whoever took that seat—
Would decide everything.
Distribution.
Allocation.
Benefits.
Who gained.
Who lost.
All in one person's hands.
And this time—
The Uchiha could not fall behind.
Raizen stepped closer.
His gaze intense.
"Ren-sama… you must become Hokage."
There was no hesitation.
No disguise.
This was the truth.
What did clans want from the Hokage position?
Power.
Resources.
Control.
The ability to take from the Daimyō—
And redistribute.
To strengthen their own.
To grow.
To dominate.
That was the cycle.
That was survival.
And if the Uchiha gained that position—
They would feast.
"…"
Ren was silent for a moment.
Then—
"I will become Hokage."
Not just for himself.
But for the clan.
And for Konoha.
Because he had already seen the alternative.
In another future—
Under Hiruzen Sarutobi—
The Senju faded.
The Uchiha were destroyed.
And those who benefited most—
Were the Sarutobi.
Feeding their own—
While Konoha weakened.
"…I believe you."
Raizen nodded.
With the Mangekyō Sharingan—
Who in Konoha could stop him?
"Ren-sama, these are the documents you'll need to handle."
He placed a thick stack of files on the desk.
Everything.
Police force promotions.
Village patrol assignments.
Spy investigations.
Clan businesses.
Important guests.
Wealthy merchants.
Nobles of the Land of Fire.
One in particular—
Was arriving the day after tomorrow.
A major supplier.
Provider of iron for Uchiha weapons.
And—
A creditor.
The clan had delayed payment for nearly half a year.
Last time—
Raizen had drunk with him deep into the night just to stall.
Now—
That problem belonged to Ren.
Ren stared at the pile.
Then leaned back slightly.
"…So this is what being clan head looks like."
Not glory.
Not power.
But—
Debt.
Pressure.
Responsibility.
And a ticking clock.
His fingers tapped lightly against the table.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Then—
A faint smile appeared.
"Good."
"Let's start from here."
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