Sarutobi Hiruzen felt like something was off!
He gradually turned his suspicious gaze towards Haruto Saito, who looked harmless, squinting slightly as he asked, "Who taught you this?"
"Self-taught!" Haruto Saito replied firmly. After a pause, he added, "Believe it or not!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyelid twitched.
"Hokage-sama, if you don't believe me, you can have someone investigate!" Haruto Saito continued, "Look at the current ninja world. Which country, which village, has an administrative system like the one I described? I dare say, none of them! The ones that exist, including Konoha's, are too primitive!"
"Hmph!" Sarutobi Hiruzen snorted. He didn't need to investigate; he knew that what Haruto Saito described had never appeared before. Otherwise, he would have known about it.
"Alright, Hokage-sama, make your decision! What do you think of what I said?" Haruto Saito urged.
After a brief silence, Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, "So, what kind of department do you want to establish? What would be its main responsibilities?"
"I want to..."
Haruto Saito and Sarutobi Hiruzen engaged in a "friendly and cordial" negotiation, discussing the establishment of a department, its jurisdiction, and how much Haruto Saito needed to compensate Konoha.
---
That evening—
In the deepest part of Konoha's Anbu base, the door of an ultra-luxurious VIP prison cell opened once again. Sarutobi Hiruzen and Haruto Saito walked out one after the other, heading toward the exit of the Anbu base!
The two had reached an agreement!
Haruto Saito was finally free!
An hour later—
Konoha Village, Hokage Office Building, High Council Meeting Room!
Sarutobi Hiruzen, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Shikaku Akimichi had already arrived. The meeting room had an unexpected guest—Haruto Saito! He wasn't part of Konoha's high council and had no right to attend such a meeting, but this time, he had to be there!
Creak—
The door opened again, and Danzo Shimura was the last to enter. His normally calm expression shifted the moment he saw Haruto Saito, his pupils shrinking slightly!
Danzo hadn't known the purpose of this emergency meeting before—
But now he did!
He couldn't guess the exact details, but he was sure it was about Haruto Saito!
Danzo took his seat to Sarutobi Hiruzen's right.
"Let's begin!" Sarutobi Hiruzen tapped the table, sat up straight, and scanned the attendees. "I have decided to establish a new department to unify the management of Konoha's commerce, taxation, and other business-related matters. Any objections?"
Everyone except Haruto Saito was stunned!
This proposal came out of nowhere!
Weren't they supposed to discuss Haruto Saito? Why was this suddenly brought up?
"Hiruzen, why? Why did you suddenly decide to establish a new department?" Koharu Utatane asked.
"Because our current administrative departments overlap too much, leading to frequent conflicts, especially between the Administration Department and the Finance Department. Disputes over business planning and tax management have occurred more than once!" Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at Koharu Utatane. "That's why I believe it is necessary to establish a new department!"
"Hiruzen, the timing isn't right," Danzo spoke in a deep voice. "A war could break out at any moment. We shouldn't be distracted by such matters!"
"War is an external matter. Administrative management is an internal matter. The two don't conflict, do they?" Haruto Saito interjected.
All eyes turned to Haruto Saito!
He dared to speak on this matter?
Did he have the right to?
"Insolence!" Danzo slammed the table. "Brat, do you have the authority to voice your opinion here?"
"Don't I?" Haruto Saito smirked.
"Anyone present has the right to express their views on today's topic," Sarutobi Hiruzen said calmly.
Everyone once again turned to look at Sarutobi Hiruzen!
What was going on today?
Allowing Haruto Saito to participate in a high-level decision-making meeting? This was ridiculous!
"Homura, what's your opinion?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, not giving others a chance to question him.
"I don't think it's necessary. At least not for now," Homura Mitokado shook his head. "Our current administrative structure has flaws, but Konoha operates well overall. The occasional conflicts don't cause major problems. As Danzo said, with war looming, we shouldn't make unnecessary changes that could cause major disruptions!"
"Homura-sama, that's not right!" Haruto Saito jumped in again. "If there's a mistake, we should fix it before it becomes irreversible! Establishing a new department is imperative! Konoha has enough personnel. Why not improve things?"
Homura Mitokado gave Haruto Saito a sideways glance but didn't argue.
He considered Haruto Saito's words unworthy of response, treating them as nonsense.
Koharu Utatane, however, couldn't hold back due to her personality.
"Brat, what do you know?" she said sharply. "Konoha has been running for thirty-two years without major administrative failures. Especially after the First Great Ninja War, we made improvements, and the system runs smoothly. Change? Easier said than done! This is a matter of great complexity—one mistake and everything could collapse! Even if it succeeds, there's no guarantee it will benefit Konoha!"
"Whoa, Koharu-sama, that's incorrect! What do you mean by 'collapse'?" Haruto Saito spoke quickly. "We're just forming a new department and reallocating some authority from the Administration and Finance Departments. For Konoha's citizens, it would make things easier and reduce unnecessary conflicts. Where's the collapse? Koharu-sama, are you reluctant to give up your power?"
"Brat!" Koharu Utatane scolded, narrowing her eyes. "You can't just say whatever you want!"
"What did I say that was wrong?" Haruto Saito retorted. "This is something beneficial for the village and its people, yet you oppose it. Do you have a valid reason? You claim there's no benefit, but that's nonsense! Konoha's tax system is flawed—we don't even know how much money we've lost!"
"Brat, you seem to know a lot?" Danzo sneered. "You, who have never been involved in administrative management, dare to lecture someone with over ten years of experience?"
"Oh, Danzo-sama, could you shut up? Seriously? I won't deny your military expertise, but that's all you're good at. Do you understand administration? Taxation? Commerce? Have you ever managed it? Do you have experience? No? Then keep your mouth shut, thanks…"
"Insolence!" Danzo slammed the table, standing abruptly, his anger leaking out.
"Ahem!" Sarutobi Hiruzen coughed lightly and tapped the table, glancing at Danzo.
Danzo, suppressing his anger, let out a cold snort and sat back down.
"Brat, you claim there's an issue? Prove it!" Koharu Utatane challenged.
"Fine! The commercial approval process requires redundant approvals from multiple departments. And taxation? Does Konoha even have personal income tax? Do you know how much we've lost?"
Silence filled the room.
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