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Chapter 277 - 277.Why Can’t the Sarutobi Do the Same?

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There's a saying that holds true: It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but hard to go from extravagance back to frugality.

Ever since the Third Hokage took office, the Sarutobi clan has reaped countless benefits. The various privileges and preferential treatment they received allowed the entire clan to live in abundance. 

Otherwise, how could a once mid-tier clan like theirs have grown into Konoha's largest family in terms of ninja numbers? 

"Thousands of ninjas!! That's even more than the Uchiha and Hyūga combined on paper. As far as I'm concerned, the only clan in the entire shinobi world that can truly be called a 'great clan' now is the Sarutobi." 

Just bringing this up made it impossible for Kazuki to resist a few sarcastic remarks. 

And yet, the Third Hokage still has the audacity to claim that the Sarutobi are just a "commoner clan." 

If they're really just commoners, then why maintain a clan structure at all? 

Why not follow the Senju's example and fully integrate into the civilian population? 

If the Third Hokage had actually done that, Kazuki might've even admired him. 

Unfortunately, the Sarutobi only pay lip service to being a "commoner clan"—in reality, they've expanded more aggressively than anyone else. 

The Sarutobi's rapid growth came at a cost: the village's resources were heavily drained, and their lack of deep-rooted foundation began to show. 

Clans like the Hyūga and Uchiha can sustain themselves through internal economic cycles, relying on their own industries even without village funding. 

At worst, their members might live a little less comfortably, but they'd never starve. 

The Hyūga and Uchiha can manage this—but the Sarutobi can't. 

With almost no clan-owned businesses to fall back on, the moment they lose the village's support—the moment they can no longer leech off Konoha—problems start cropping up. 

The first to disappear are the high benefits and privileges. Then, the corrupt ninjas who enabled this system are stripped of their key positions. 

Not only do these people lose their jobs, but their high incomes vanish too, triggering a chain reaction. 

For a while, it's manageable—most have some savings to rely on. 

But over time, or when a major crisis hits, the underlying tensions erupt. 

This time, the Third Hokage's loss of over a hundred elite ninjas in the Land of Rain will undoubtedly deal a heavy blow to the Sarutobi. 

Thud!!! 

The phrase "thousands of ninjas" seemed to strike a nerve in Tsunade. 

Already somewhat drunk, she slammed her bottle onto the table, startling Shizune beside her. 

Blinking in confusion, Shizune looked up—Weren't things fine a second ago? Why the sudden anger? 

"Feeling like another mess just landed in your lap? Like the pit you just finished filling has been dug open again?" 

Kazuki couldn't help but laugh at Tsunade's frustrated, irritated expression. 

If the Sarutobi can't resolve their own issues, the problem will inevitably land on Tsunade's desk. 

After all, she's the Hokage now. 

If she doesn't handle it, who will? 

"Just kill me already." 

Tsunade grabbed fistfuls of her golden hair in agitation before slumping onto the table with a groan: 

"I don't have a mountain of money lying around to plug the Sarutobi's financial black hole. I never should've let the old man go to the front lines. I'm such an idiot." 

Regardless of how or why the Sarutobi elites died—regardless of whose fault it was—their deployment was an official village order. 

Meaning, the village has to take responsibility. 

At the very least, compensation and death benefits must be provided to the families of the deceased. 

Compared to those hundred-plus Sarutobi elites, Kazuki would've preferred if the one who died in Amegakure was the Third Hokage himself. 

That old bastard's death would've solved everything. 

Unfortunately, the Third Hokage isn't so easy to kill. 

After fuming for a while, Tsunade lifted her head, staring at Kazuki with pleading eyes: 

"Got any solutions?" 

"I don't handle finances." 

Kazuki shrugged helplessly. 

'You deal with it—I'm not touching this mess. Otherwise, people would accuse Uchiha Kazuki of abusing his authority as Hokage's aide to retaliate against the Sarutobi.' 

"You're the Hokage's aide!!" 

"And you're the Hokage." 

Trying to pass the buck? Not happening. 

Kazuki had no intention of taking on this headache. If he did, he'd be the one losing sleep over it. 

Let Tsunade suffer for a while first. 

Still, while he wouldn't shoulder the burden, he could offer advice. Kazuki wasn't about to leave her completely stranded: 

"Here's an idea: don't intervene yet. Let the Third handle it himself. If he can't, then the village steps in. At worst, just provide the standard compensation. The village's finances are tight—I'm sure the Sarutobi will understand. And if they don't, let the Third deal with that too." 

"But the Sarutobi's resentment will be..." Tsunade began reflexively. 

"The Uchiha put up with the same treatment back then. Did anyone care about our resentment?" 

Kazuki cut her off coldly, 

"What, is it fine if the Uchiha swallow their grievances, but the Sarutobi can't? Speaking of which, when the Uchiha were forced to relocate from the village center, the Third promised substantial compensation—which still hasn't been paid. Maybe you could look into that, Hokage-sama?" 

Tsunade: "..." 

"Meat. Eat your meat. Let the old man deal with his own mess—he's good at this." 

Tsunade immediately backed down. 

Compensation? 

Are you kidding me? Where the hell would I even get that kind of money? Just kill me now, Kazuki. Or sell me off—see how much I'm worth. 

After the Nine-Tails incident, due to suspicion and distrust, the Uchiha were relocated from the village center to its outermost edge. 

To placate them, the Third Hokage promised compensation, urging Fugaku to cooperate for the sake of stability. 

Fugaku did cooperate—suppressing dissent within the clan to enforce the move. 

But the compensation? It was indefinitely delayed under the excuse of "village financial difficulties." 

Eventually, even the Uchiha stopped bringing it up. No point—the village wouldn't pay, couldn't pay. 

To his credit, the Third didn't leave them completely empty-handed. The Uchiha's former compound became a bustling district, and the clan received a few mediocre shops there as "compensation"—effectively offsetting the promised funds. 

Stuffing her face with meat, Tsunade grumbled internally: 

'Old man, it's not that I won't help—this pit's just too damn deep. You're on your own. I can't handle this.' 

After barely filling one financial crater after another, another massive one had opened up. Tsunade admitted defeat—she had no way to scrounge up the funds needed. 

Either the Third fixes it himself, or the village pays the bare minimum. 

That's it. Nothing more to give. 

Once the meal ended, Kazuki stretched, ready to settle the bill and leave. Noticing this, Tsunade hurriedly signaled Shizune. 

"Kazuki, wait." 

"Hm?" 

Kazuki sat back down, eyeing the two curiously. Unfinished business? 

"It's this." 

Shizune reached into her clothes and pulled out a scroll, handing it to Kazuki. He glanced at the scroll, then at her chest. 

"Impressive. You girls can really stash that much in there?" 

"Eh?!" 

Shizune's hands jerked, nearly dropping the scroll as her brain short-circuited. 

Was that a tease… or straight-up harassment?! 

Can it really hold that much? 

Unconsciously, she looked down at herself.

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