The situation was out of their control, and Tsunade had no intention of listening to them or granting them more power.
Continuing to press the issue would only increase the risk of becoming scapegoats.
With darkened expressions, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado prepared to leave, their attempt to persuade Tsunade having ended in failure.
But before they could step out of the Hokage's office, Tsunade spoke.
"Elders, I've promised the old man not to pursue certain past matters, but please don't make things harder for me.
Don't give me a reason to revisit old issues, and don't hand me an excuse to start digging. Some things can't stay hidden forever—I hope you understand that."
Her message was clear: she had let bygones be bygones, but if they pushed her too far, there would be no turning back.
The pair hesitated for a moment, then left in silence, their faces grim.
Takuya jumped in through the window, landing gracefully.
"Those two old fools really don't know when to stop. Even the Third Hokage has washed his hands of this, yet they still think they can stir things up.
If worse comes to worst, we could make an example of them. I'd actually love to see how much of the village's wealth they've pocketed over the years."
The clans behind Koharu and Homura weren't particularly large or small. These days, they were decently prominent, but in the past, they had been utterly insignificant.
As the saying goes, "When one rises to power, their kin benefit." Relying on their authority and collusion with the Third Hokage, these two had seized plenty of resources for themselves.
If pushed too far, cutting them down wouldn't be a bad option.
Targeting the Sarutobi or Shimura clans would be too risky due to their scale, but these moderately sized, dirtied clans? They were perfect candidates.
Tsunade wasn't eager to escalate matters, especially with the looming threat of war hanging over the village.
"What about the negotiations?"
"They hit a wall. I'm letting them stew for a couple of days before resuming talks. The longer this drags on, the more it benefits us."
"I pegged Kumogakure and Iwagakure at two hundred million each and gave the others half that price—one hundred million. Only accepting resources, no cash."
Tsunade, sipping tea, spat it out in shock. She stared at Takuya, her voice raised in disbelief.
"How much did you say?!"
"Two hundred million. One hundred million. Why? Too little?"
Wasn't that a lot already?
If it was still considered insufficient, the other villages definitely wouldn't buy. Money didn't grow on trees, after all. Besides, Takuya was only accepting resources, not cash.
At this point, the entire shinobi world was dealing with resource shortages due to the war. Prices were sky-high, and bartering with resources was a costly endeavor.
This strategy hit Kumogakure and Iwagakure particularly hard as they were actively preparing for war. Forcing them to part with significant stockpiles of resources would undoubtedly impact their war efforts.
Tsunade looked at Takuya with a mix of amusement and disbelief.
You really are a natural negotiator, aren't you? Charging that kind of price, giving them a hard time, and then walking out?
What if they get fed up and decide not to buy?
Two hundred million, three hundred million—even if it was just resources, that kind of supply could make Konoha well-prepared for any war.
Even a cash transaction at that scale would be thrilling for Tsunade.
Her heart raced. Was this the feeling of excitement? Could Konoha really score big from this deal?
But after a moment's hesitation, Tsunade voiced a concern that dampened her excitement.
"But we don't actually have any reliable intel on perfect Jinchūriki. Is it really worth this much?"
Takuya's eyes widened in mock indignation.
You silly woman. Most people would fabricate something to rake in the money, but here you are, hesitating even when the money is practically in your hands.
"If I say we do, then we do! Take it or leave it—simple as that."
The difference between an ordinary Jinchūriki and a perfect Jinchūriki was immense. Takuya was confident that these villages would pay up to obtain that edge.
And if they acquired the intel but still couldn't turn their Jinchūriki into perfect ones?
Well, that was their own failure. Who could they blame for that?
Claiming the intel was fake?
Yagami Takuya never lies.
Tsunade rubbed her forehead. "Fine, you win. If you're that confident, I'll leave it to you. I just want results."
"That's all I needed to hear. Now, let's let the clan ninjas stew in their own troubles. If they can't handle the pressure, they'll come around. Those who won't cooperate? Let them keep taking the heat."
Such an approach might strain relationships between Konoha and certain clans, but neither Takuya nor Tsunade cared much.
A few disgruntled clans, even large ones, couldn't change anything on their own.
They couldn't even afford to openly rebel—at most, they'd grumble in private.
As more clans, such as the Uchiha, Ino-Shika-Chō, and Hatake, completed their censuses and the results were announced, the villagers finally got a glimpse of the sheer power held by these ninja families.
The Uchiha in particular stunned everyone with their numbers: dozens of jōnin and hundreds of chūnin.
Who would have imagined a single clan could wield such an enormous force?
While genin numbers were less noteworthy, the number of chūnin and jōnin was what truly mattered—and the Uchiha stood leagues ahead.
Following the Uchiha's lead, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio and the Hatake clan also complied.
Compared to the pitifully small Hatake clan, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio was far more impressive in size, though they still couldn't rival the Uchiha.
In terms of high-ranking members, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio paled in comparison to the Uchiha.
For example, the Uchiha's number of jōnin alone was several times that of the Ino-Shika-Chō clans combined.
As these figures were made public, the praise for clans like the Uchiha, Ino-Shika-Chō, and Hatake spread across Konoha.
This indirectly improved the Uchiha's image among the villagers.
Although the Uchiha still carried themselves with their usual arrogance, the explanations and transparency helped shift public perception.
Some villagers even began comparing them to the Hyūga clan, noticing that the Hyūga were even harder to approach than the so-called "mad Uchiha."
As the saying goes, "comparison breeds resentment." This newfound comparison made the Hyūga clan anxious.
Why compare us to the Uchiha, that reckless clan? We're not lunatics!
Under increasing pressure, some smaller clans began to cave in, opting to cooperate and align themselves with Konoha.
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to 50+ Chapter at com/ Emik01.
DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING