March 5th.
It had been seven days since Hyuga Yu took over the Technology Development Headquarters and the Foundation.
After resolving the issues surrounding Orochimaru and the Uchiha clan, Yu met with representatives of the Daimyō and the nobility, as well as the heads of various large and small clans within Konoha, over the course of several days.
By taking the high-ranking members of Konoha Hospital—with whom he already possessed a sufficiently close and stable relationship—and scattering them into the Technology Development Headquarters to occupy key positions, this newly formed organization, initiated by Danzō, governed by the Foundation, and joined by the nobles and elites of the Land of Fire, which could indirectly influence the overall financial power, development direction, and Konoha's fund allocation, completed its first round of power structuring under Yu's series of maneuvers.
Through the "Headquarters," Yu was able to indirectly grasp the cash flow and industrial dispatching of the Land of Fire.
Of course, it was merely grasping it, not completely controlling it.
Yu did not have many personnel directly under his command at the moment, so he initially had to rely on these "seniors" from Konoha Hospital, who were relatively close to him, to accomplish this.
Under the current interest groups, this organization still required Yu to take the lead in redistributing resources once actual benefits were generated, continuously replacing its personnel until he could achieve total and absolute control of its power.
The same logic applied to the Foundation.
Even though Danzō was actively cooperating with the handover of power, the Foundation was currently filled almost entirely with Danzō's loyalists. With a single order from Danzō, the system Yu had painstakingly built would instantly collapse.
This was not something that could be easily resolved simply by having a good relationship with Danzō, holding the status of master and disciple, or wearing the title of heir.
Having rich experience in the struggles of workplace rat races, Yu understood this crystal clear.
Using the same method applied to the Uchiha clan—where upon completing his studies at the Ninja Academy, the clan head's son, Itachi Uchiha, would be sent to serve under Yu—Yu had visited various clans in Konoha over the past few days. He discussed the matter with numerous clan heads, establishing that these clans would successively send talented juniors from their ranks into the Foundation to serve Tennin.
All in all, through the dual-track operation within the Foundation and the Headquarters, Yu had barely managed to lay the initial framework of his own faction in Konoha and the Land of Fire.
An organization that integrated the previously separated political and financial powers of the Land of Fire, alongside the military power of Konoha, was beginning to take shape.
Once this batch of young talents grew up, Yu would be able to achieve complete control over the Foundation, the Headquarters, and even the entirety of the Land of Fire and Konoha.
However, no matter how one looked at it, the number of trustworthy personnel currently gathered around Yu was still far too small.
In the end, as expected, a few problems inevitably arose—
In the center of the Forest of Death, at the top of the Black Tower, inside the Chief's Office of the Technology Development Headquarters.
Yu sat behind an office desk piled high with mountains of documents, carefully reviewing a procurement quotation worth up to 200 million ryo against intelligence collected by the Foundation.
Just then, Kakuzu, whom Yu had appointed to oversee the general administrative affairs of the Technology Development Headquarters, pushed open the door and entered.
"Tennin, something happened."
Yu let out a sigh, pushing aside a stack of paperwork on the desk to poke his head out from behind the mountain of documents. He asked with a hint of helplessness:
"What's the situation?"
Kakuzu let out a cold snort, tossing a file over:
"Three days ago, the procurement funds for the equipment from the Land of Lightning that you approved—totaling twenty-three million ryo—were supposed to be disbursed by the Headquarters' Finance Section to the coastal merchant guilds, who would then pay the Land of Lightning agents through secret channels."
"However—"
He paused:
"That money is still in Konoha right now."
Yu took the file, glanced at it, and immediately felt a headache coming on:
"Why?"
"Finance Section Chief Morimoto said he needs to verify the actual value of this equipment," Kakuzu pointed at the document. "He believes the quotation from the Land of Lightning agents is on the higher side and wants to request a re-quote using Konoha Hospital's old connections in the Land of Lightning."
Yu fell silent for two seconds.
Morimoto—he actually knew the man. The former Finance Chief of Konoha Hospital, 48 years old, a veteran who had worked in the medical system for twenty years. Yu had arranged for him to go to the Headquarters' Finance Section with the original intention of letting him use his specialty of "meticulous calculation" to guard the purse strings.
Now it seemed this specialty was being taken a bit too far.
"Does he know what that equipment is used for?"
"He knows," Kakuzu said flatly. "Orochimaru urged him three days ago, saying the genetic cloning project urgently requires one of the high-precision micromanipulators, otherwise the experimental progress will be delayed by at least a month. But Taro Morimoto said—"
"Said what?"
"He said: 'I understand the research Lord Orochimaru is doing, but twenty-three million ryo is no small sum. If we buy it at an inflated price, how am I supposed to account for it to Lord Tennin? Once the re-quote results from the other side come out, it will only delay things by ten to fifteen days at most. Lord Orochimaru should be able to understand.'"
Yu closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.
Orochimaru could understand?
Orochimaru, having his progress delayed, probably couldn't wait to dissect that fellow on the spot.
"Leave the document with me, I'll handle it." Yu shook his head, picking up a pen to process the file, then raised his head to look at Kakuzu. "Is there anything else?"
Kakuzu hesitated for a moment, glanced at the mountain of documents piled high on Yu's desk, but opened his mouth anyway:
"Two more things."
"Speak."
"First thing: timber merchants from the eastern port of the Land of Fire jointly sent a letter, claiming that the supervisor dispatched by the Headquarters knows nothing about timber grading. He inspected grade-one timber as grade-three and pushed prices down too ruthlessly. They would rather let the timber rot at the port than sell it. The transport of construction materials to Konoha from that side has already been halted for three days."
Yu rubbed his temples and asked, "Who sent the supervisor?"
"The Logistics Section of Konoha Hospital—a guy named Ishikawa, who previously managed the hospital warehouse."
Yu didn't say anything.
"Second thing," Kakuzu continued, "Shōta Ōnishi, Minister of Finance of the Land of Fire, sent someone to bring a message yesterday, hoping that next time you send someone to liaise with the Ministry of Finance, you could pick someone who 'understands financial statements slightly better.' Supposedly, during the meeting the day before yesterday, our person confused the 'balance sheet' with the 'cash flow statement,' making a fool of himself right in front of five nobles of the Land of Fire."
The office fell into a dead, suffocating silence.
After a long time, Yu spoke, his voice lower and deeper than usual:
"Anything else?"
Kakuzu shrugged and shook his head: "That's all for now."
Yu walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window of the top-floor office, looking outside.
Outside the Black Tower, the area flattened during the battle against the Giant Tenseigan had been designated as the campus for the Technology Development Headquarters.
At this moment, a large number of Konoha Genin and villagers were gathering below, constructing a rudimentary "urban district" centered around the Black Tower. From time to time, one could see Yamato's figure jumping between scaffolds while holding blueprints.
Yu withdrew his gaze, picked up the files, his brow slightly furrowed.
Morimoto's issue appeared to be "excessive caution" on the surface, but in reality, it was a mismatch of capabilities—
The largest sum he had ever handled in his life was the annual drug procurement for Konoha Hospital, worth two to three million ryo. Now asking him to approve a transnational trade deal worth twenty-three million ryo, he simply had no idea how to proceed.
The so-called "re-quoting" was nothing more than an instinctive delay born out of the fear of making a decision error.
The port timber issue was a classic case of an amateur trying to manage professionals. Ishikawa indeed had a way with managing medical equipment warehousing in Konoha Hospital, but switching professions was like crossing a mountain. He hadn't even grasped the basics of timber grading. The fact that those merchants hadn't spat in his face was already out of respect for Konoha's prestige.
The financial statement issue was even more fatal—who was Shōta Ōnishi? The Minister of Finance of the Land of Fire, whose hands processed money counted in hundreds of millions of ryo every day.
Sending someone from his side who couldn't even read financial statements to liaise with him—in the other party's eyes, that wasn't called "dispatching a representative," it was called an "insult."
And the root cause of all this was just one thing—
A lack of usable people.
Most of the Foundation's personnel had already been scattered outward.
Infiltrating intelligence in the nations of Wind and Water, gathering technical intelligence on the Land of Lightning, monitoring major domestic noble merchant guilds—every single task required people, and elite ones at that. Yu had only taken over the Foundation for a week; he couldn't just pull everyone back immediately just to assign a few reliable supervisors to the Headquarters.
As for the group from Konoha Hospital...
The reliable ones were stuffed into three main research projects, while the rest were originally administrative staff from Konoha Hospital. Having to handle affairs for both the Headquarters and the hospital simultaneously, making mistakes was inevitable.
Yu turned around to look at Kakuzu:
"Can we draw any more personnel from the Foundation's side?"
Kakuzu shook his head: "I asked that kid from the Yamato family. We can't draw any—not a single one."
"What about the other clans? Didn't they say each clan would send their juniors in?"
Kakuzu was amused: "Those sent by the major clans—the oldest is only twelve, and the youngest just learned how to crawl. What do you expect them to do if you bring them to the Headquarters? Serve tea and pour water?"
Yu fell silent.
Of course he knew that this batch of people needed time to grow. But right now, what he needed was people who could take over immediately—even if they weren't elites, they at least had to know the trade and be people he could put his mind at ease with.
But where were such people?
He raised his head, his gaze unconsciously scanning the map of the Land of Fire marked with various symbols on the wall. The outline of this country was clearly visible in his eyes: eastern ports, western mines, southern trade routes, northern industrial zones—every single node needed people to keep an eye on it.
Yet he had no one.
The Foundation's personnel were outside and couldn't return;
Konoha Hospital's manpower was stretched to its limit;
Many of the children sent by various clans were still wearing diapers;
Orochimaru, Sasori, and Hiruko each had their own subordinates, but they already held ultimate authority over their respective projects. Demanding people from them would only make the administration of this department even more chaotic.
Yu suddenly felt a sense of helplessness, like a clever homemaker trying to cook a meal without rice.
The office was terribly quiet.
Kakuzu glanced at Yu, calculating in his mind that as soon as Yu asked, he would take the opportunity to stuff his own subordinates from the "Pawnshop" into the organization.
After a long silence, Yu suddenly spoke:
"Mr. Kakuzu."
"Hmm?"
"What kind of person do you think we are lacking right now?"
Kakuzu thought for a moment, the corners of his lips curving slightly beneath his mask, his eyes shifting as he said:
"Usable people. Ideally, someone who understands a bit of finance, or at least knows management and can hold down the fort. Most importantly—someone who can be trusted."
He was short of saying outright, Just use the people from my Pawnshop!
"Someone who can be trusted," Yu repeated these five words, lost in thought.
Kakuzu continued: "That group from Konoha Hospital—it's not that they aren't loyal, but their loyalty is given to 'Konoha Hospital,' not to you personally. Once they gain a firm foothold in the Headquarters, the first thing they'll think about is forming cliques and installing old subordinates, not getting things done well."
Yu nodded.
This was also something he had observed recently—after entering the Headquarters, that group of people had already begun communicating with one another and forming cliques to huddle for warmth. On the surface, they were respectful to him, but in private, they were muttering things like, "Tennin is young after all, he still needs to rely on us seniors."
"Then tell me, what kind of person can be completely trusted?"
Kakuzu thought for a bit, testing the waters: "Someone who shares common interests and a common stance with you."
Yu's eyes shifted slightly.
Common interests, common stance...
He suddenly remembered someone.
Someone who, since the day of the upheaval within the Hyūga clan, had silently been handling clan affairs, auditing assets, and stabilizing the people's hearts for him.
Someone who, from start to finish, had never claimed credit from him, complained to him, or even actively shown her face in front of him.
Someone who could have clearly come before him to build up her presence, yet chose to stay at her post, cleaning up his messes.
The corners of Yu's mouth curled up slightly.
Seeing this, Kakuzu felt a burst of joy in his heart and asked:
"Tennin, do you have a lead?"
Withdrawing his gaze from outside the window, Yu looked back at Kakuzu and said calmly:
"Hyuga Natsu."
Kakuzu was stunned: "...?"
Wait, are you really being this nepotistic? Didn't you offend the Hyūga clan to death, and you still dare to use them?
Yu then asked: "What has she been doing these past few days?"
Yu currently had two workplaces:
One at the Foundation, one at the Headquarters.
Previously, he had been processing Foundation affairs. On the Headquarters' side, only a portion of important matters were relayed through Terai. It was only today that he arrived at the Headquarters to process the accumulated affairs here.
After the Giant Tenseigan incident, he had entrusted the Hyūga clan's affairs to Hyuga Tetsu and handed them over to Hyuga Natsu to handle. The receipts received were not sent to the Foundation, but to the Headquarters, so this matter should be asked of Kakuzu.
Kakuzu thought for a moment, quickly recalling the files he had taken over these past few days:
"We did receive receipts sent from the Hyūga side—that little partner of yours seems to be auditing the land deeds, real estate, and shops left behind by the Main House, re-registering the assets of the Branch House members, and discussing new clan rules following the abolition of the Main House."
Yu listened quietly without speaking.
Kakuzu continued: "If there's something particularly special to mention, she also did one thing—"
"What thing?"
"She did a complete inventory of the more than two hundred shops left by the Main House and discovered that five of them had been secretly transferred to the stewards' own names. She has already arrested those stewards and recovered the land deeds."
Yu's eyes brightened slightly.
Auditing assets and recovering embezzled shops—this was something even he hadn't found time to handle yet. Natsu had not only done it, but had done it cleanly and decisively.
"How many people does she have under her command?"
"Supposedly, she temporarily mobilized a hundred clan ninja from the Branch House, all of whom have been on the battlefield. That young girl divided them into five groups, each responsible for auditing assets in one area. Currently, seventy percent has been completed, but she didn't dissolve the idle personnel."
Yu fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked:
"During these past few days, did she make any demands?"
Kakuzu shook his head: "None. Not even once."
"No complaints about insufficient manpower or too many affairs?"
"None."
"No messages sent through others saying she wanted to see me?"
Kakuzu shook his head once more.
Hearing up to this point, Yu's heart suddenly thudded heavily! He swallowed a hard mouthful of saliva, as his constantly active "sixth sense" had already allowed him to sense that things seemed to be taking a turn for the worse...
Hyuga Natsu was no obedient, gentle girl like Yamato Nadeshiko.
If one had to use an inappropriate description, she was a ruthless, toxic woman who was just as hypocritical, unscrupulous, and viper-hearted as himself!
Most importantly, when it came to romantic matters, this woman's heart was probably narrower than the eye of a needle!
Previously, for the sake of the Hidden Stone affairs, he had run across half the ninja world to rescue a classmate he barely knew, Rin Nohara. Although there was a valid reason behind it, having offered no explanation for such a long time, in Natsu's eyes, this matter had likely already taken on a whole different flavor.
Add to that the fact that since returning to Konoha on February 25th, he had only met Natsu briefly during the Giant Tenseigan battle. Ever since then, Yu had been so busy his feet hardly touched the ground, and he hadn't returned home even once.
Yu suddenly realized:
Natsu's anger had probably already accumulated to the absolute brink of a volcanic eruption!
His cheek twitched slightly, and a rare expression of inner conflict crossed his face, breaking his usually calm, lake-like demeanor:
"Mr. Kakuzu."
"Hmm?" Kakuzu raised an eyebrow, looking at Yu.
Yu gave a dry laugh. "Tell me... for lovers who haven't seen each other for a long time, what kind of gift is better to give?"
"...?"
Kakuzu fell silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a cold snort:
"What gift? Based on your schedule, five minutes from now, you are to head to Konoha Hospital to perform a surgery to fulfill the agreement reached with Minato Namikaze."
"Rin Nohara's surgery."
"That... I suddenly have something to attend to." Yu felt he really ought to explain things, otherwise this matter was bound to become impossible to clear up.
"This old man can't tell you have anything to do at all."
Kakuzu's eyes moved slightly, falling outside the window onto two figures—one tall and one short—who had suddenly appeared at the entrance of the Black Tower.
They were none other than the master-and-disciple duo, Minato Namikaze and Kakashi Hatake, who had come as agreed to invite Yu for Rin Nohara's matter.
"There, the people have arrived. It's time for you to move."
Yu swallowed his saliva, his right eyelid—for reasons unknown—suddenly beginning to twitch wildly.
————
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