Tobirama Senju glared at Uchiha Ren, his patience long since worn thin.
He had already lost count—
How many times tonight he'd been pushed to the edge.
This brat…
Was born to torment him.
"Enough."
Tobirama waved his hand impatiently.
"I'm done arguing."
"Get me paper and a brush."
"I'll write a list—equipment, materials, everything needed for proper research."
Ren raised an eyebrow but complied.
Soon—
The scratching of a brush filled the room.
At first—
Ren didn't pay much attention.
Five minutes passed.
Ten.
Then—
He noticed something was wrong.
Tobirama…
Was still writing.
And not slowing down.
"Culture medium… expensive, about five thousand ryō per unit… let's start with fifty…"
"This reagent—only available in the Land of Demons… rare, but I'll list it anyway…"
"Seed cultivation… perhaps sourcing from the Land of Rice Fields…"
Ren's fist tightened.
…This bastard.
Thirty minutes later—
Tobirama finally handed over a thick stack of papers.
Ren scanned it.
His eye twitched.
Equipment from the Land of Wind.
Custom instruments from the Land of Lightning.
Rare chemical solutions from obscure nations he'd never even heard of—
Some priced per gram.
Per gram.
His Sharingan snapped open unconsciously.
A quick mental calculation—
Thirty billion.
At least.
And that didn't even include ongoing costs.
"…You senile old fossil—are you doing this on purpose?!"
Ren finally snapped.
This wasn't a list.
This was extortion.
"You wouldn't understand."
Tobirama folded his arms calmly.
"Do you even know what research costs?"
"Every advancement is built on burning money."
His tone was cold.
Dismissive.
And entirely serious.
Because he wasn't lying.
These—
Were the best.
Top-tier equipment.
Perfect conditions.
Of course—
There were cheaper alternatives.
But those came with compromises.
And in the past—
He hadn't been able to afford any of this.
Even Hashirama had told him—
To cut back.
Because it was too expensive.
"…You don't have the money, do you?"
Tobirama smirked faintly.
Just moments ago—
Ren had boldly declared he'd pay any price.
Well?
Here it was.
"…I…"
Ren choked.
Konoha's finances were already strained.
Hundreds of millions missing.
Even squeezing the clans hadn't been enough.
And the funds—
Were now under strict oversight.
Transparent accounting.
Public scrutiny.
This wasn't wartime anymore—
No hiding behind military expenses.
If even a small discrepancy appeared—
The clans would tear him apart.
Thirty billion?
Impossible.
"…The Hokage of Konoha can't even afford this?"
Tobirama pressed further.
Relentless.
"It seems you spoke too boldly."
"Young Uchiha… you're still too naive."
Ren's eyes narrowed.
"…So this is why you embezzled funds?"
Tobirama froze.
"…What?"
"You skimmed ten billion from this budget, didn't you?"
Ren's voice turned sharp.
"You're Hokage."
"And yet you embezzled."
"If I dig deeper—how much more will I find?"
"And if word gets out…"
Tobirama's composure cracked.
Just slightly.
The letters.
The records.
Still in his office.
He hadn't destroyed them.
He died too suddenly.
It was like—
Forgetting to clear your history before dying.
"…Cough."
He straightened.
Face calm again.
"…There are substitutes."
"I'll revise the list."
He grabbed the papers and began editing.
Cutting costs.
Replacing items.
Downgrading equipment.
Ren watched silently.
Cold smile in his eyes.
Just as expected.
This black-hearted old man—
No different from Orochimaru.
Trying to scam research funds.
When Tobirama finished—
Ren recalculated.
…Still astronomical.
But reduced.
"Don't look at me like that."
Tobirama said flatly.
"This is already the cheapest configuration."
"Research costs money."
"I know."
Ren exhaled.
Frustrated.
But he understood.
Good results required investment.
The problem was—
He didn't have it.
"…Then we start smaller."
Ren muttered.
"Steel production."
"Crop yield improvements."
"Power generation…"
Then—
He remembered.
The items from the system.
With a thought—
They appeared.
A refrigerator.
A television.
An air conditioner.
A radio.
Tobirama's eyes narrowed immediately.
"…What are these?"
"Special ninja tools?"
He stepped closer.
Examining them.
Curiosity rising.
As a researcher—
He wanted to dismantle them immediately.
"Study them."
Ren said.
"Understand them."
"We can make a fortune."
His tone was firm.
These—
Would be the foundation.
Sell them first—
To the Daimyō.
They had money.
And taste.
An air conditioner alone—
He could sell for hundreds of thousands of ryō.
Then scale production.
Lower costs.
Dominate the market.
Tobirama nodded slowly.
"…Interesting."
Then he glanced around.
Frowning.
"This place is too small."
"We need a proper facility."
He paused.
"Somewhere outside Konoha would be ideal…"
His tone was casual.
But inside—
He was waiting.
Hoping.
Say yes.
If he could leave—
He might find an opportunity.
To act.
"To escape."
"No need."
Ren cut him off instantly.
"There's an unused underground prison in the Uchiha compound."
"Originally for interrogations."
"Perfect for a lab."
Tobirama's expression stiffened.
...Of course.
That system—
He had set it up himself.
And now—
It worked against him.
"Alright."
Ren turned to leave.
"That's enough for today."
"Stay here."
"I'll come by regularly."
Then—
Command seals activated.
Restrictions layered over Tobirama.
No movement.
No ninjutsu.
Total confinement.
His face darkened.
"…You really are cautious."
"Of course."
Ren didn't look back.
"You're Tobirama."
"I'd be a fool not to be."
With that—
He left.
The door closed.
Silence returned.
Outside—
Night had deepened.
Ren walked alone.
Expression troubled.
…Money.
Over twenty billion short.
The Uchiha couldn't cover it.
And shouldn't.
This was for Konoha.
So where—
Could he get it?
Shift funds?
Reallocate budgets?
He frowned.
For the first time—
Becoming Hokage didn't feel powerful.
It felt—
Expensive.
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