Chapter 83: The Old Men Get a Bill

Ren returned to the estate just after sunset, deeply offended that Tsunade had medically prohibited him from using his own eyes.

Kakuzu was already standing by the mahogany desk, holding an open ledger.

"Tsunade threatened to remove your spleen," Ren announced, tossing his suit jacket over the back of a chair.

Kakuzu did not look up from the numbers. "For billing the hospital for the blood samples?"

"Yes," Ren said.

Kakuzu considered this for a moment, the steady scratch of his pen pausing on the parchment. "Then she understands their value."

"We are not billing the hospital, Kakuzu."

Kakuzu finally looked up, his green eyes narrowing beneath his hood. "Giving away premium medical assets for free is medical corruption."

"It is self-preservation," Ren corrected, pouring himself a glass of water. "I am officially grounded. Increase the estate patrols until Tsunade clears me," Ren told her.

Pakura caught the falling kunai. "Already done."

From the dark corner of the study, Pakura stepped out of the shadows, casually tossing an unlit kunai in the air.

"Welcome to fighting like everyone else," Pakura noted, leaning against the bookshelf.

Ren took a sip of his water. "I built a company specifically to avoid that."

Before Kakuzu could calculate the cost of hiring extra perimeter guards, the study door opened.

Lady Biwako Sarutobi stepped into the room. She had come without an escort and without announcing the visit through Hokage Tower. She looked exhausted. Whatever had happened in Hokage Tower had clearly lasted too long, bitter day of village politics.

She didn’t waste time on pleasantries.

"Danzo is forcing an emergency reconstruction review tomorrow morning," Biwako warned quickly, her dark eyes locking onto Ren. "He wants your supply routes declared vital to the village. He plans to put Hokage Tower clerks inside your warehouses, cap your civilian rates, and take control over the distribution."

Ren placed his glass on the desk. "Good. He is learning to fail through paperwork."

Biwako’s expression tightened, clearly irritated by his lack of concern. "This is not a negotiation, Ren. Hiruzen is too tired to fight him, and the advisors are panicking over the village’s debts. They will sign the mandate."

"I know," Ren said smoothly.

Biwako blinked. "You knew this was coming?"

"Danzo lost money trying to burn my lumber," Ren replied. "Of course he ran to the Hokage to change the rules."

Ren studied her for a moment.

"You look terrible, Lady Biwako," Ren noted.

Biwako glared at him, her spine straightening defensively. "Your manners remain appalling."

"I was going to offer tea," Ren countered smoothly, "but honesty has apparently already offended you."

"I am warning you about a political ambush that will strip your assets by tomorrow noon," Biwako hissed, stepping closer. "Take this seriously."

"I already have tomorrow handled," Ren said. He tilted his head, his familiar merchant’s smile slowly returning. "Besides, you came to my private study alone after sunset. People will begin to misunderstand our relationship."

Biwako didn’t flinch. "People will assume I came to arrange your funeral."

Ren chuckled quietly. "A private appointment with the Hokage’s wife still sounds prestigious. Kakuzu could probably charge admission."

Biwako’s mouth twitched. She caught it before it became a smile. She gathered her traditional robes and turned toward the door.

"Do not underestimate Danzo," she warned one last time over her shoulder.

Ren adjusted his cuffs. "He sent masked men to burn rotten wood. I am trying very hard."

Biwako left without smiling, though her steps were less rigid than when she had entered.

The emergency reconstruction review took place the next morning in a sealed meeting room inside Hokage Tower.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at the head of the long wooden table. Danzo sat to his right, his single visible eye cold and expectant. Koharu and Homura sat across from them with the latest treasury report open between them.

The heavy doors opened.

Ren walked in, wearing a perfectly tailored charcoal suit. Kakuzu followed closely behind him, carrying a towering stack of ledgers.

Ren took a seat at the end of the table without waiting for an invitation. Kakuzu stepped forward and silently placed a neatly written invoice in front of every seat at the table.

Hiruzen picked his up, his brow furrowing. "What is this?"

"Emergency consultation fee," Kakuzu stated flatly.

"You were summoned, Ren," Hiruzen sighed, rubbing his temples.

Kakuzu crossed his arms. "Urgent summons cost extra."

Danzo’s cane struck the floor with a sharp crack, his face darkening with anger. "Enough of this merchant theater. We are here to address a crisis."

"The theater has an attendance fee," Kakuzu noted.

Danzo ignored the treasurer completely. He turned to the advisors, laying out his trap with blunt precision.

"Your rates are draining what remains of the treasury," Danzo said, staring coldly at Ren. "Your warehouses now feed the shelters, supply the hospital, and rebuild entire districts. No civilian should hold that much power during an emergency. Your warehouses will be placed under village supervision by noon."

Ren leaned back in his chair. "That sounds expensive."

"You are not being paid for the privilege," Danzo snapped. "This is a matter of village security."

Kakuzu opened a ledger. "Then it is theft."

Danzo looked at Koharu and Homura, who were both nodding slowly in agreement.

"I agree," Ren said suddenly.

The room went still. Koharu blinked. Danzo’s eye narrowed in deep suspicion.

"At dawn, I froze interest on civilian housing repairs," Ren said, pulling a crisp, officially sealed document from his inside pocket and sliding it across the table. "I delayed payments for small shops, and suspended repayment on civilian hospital debts for six months."

Homura stared at the document. "Zero percent?"

Kakuzu flinched. "Please do not repeat it."

Ren folded his hands on the table, looking directly at Danzo.

"Every agreement is already filed with the Daimyo’s trade office and tied to the warehouses supplying it. Take the warehouses, and Hokage Tower inherits the contracts," Ren explained smoothly. He leaned back in his chair. "You can honor the relief yourselves out of the village’s empty treasury, or put the debts back and explain to every merchant in Konoha why the tower took away what I gave them."

Koharu and Homura stared at the paper as if Ren had placed an explosive tag between them.

"Then we will honor the civilian terms," Danzo said, refusing to yield. "The warehouses still come under village control."

"The relief contracts are backed by Ren’s private reserves," Kakuzu said flatly. "Take the warehouses, and the reserves remain with him. Hokage Tower inherits the debts, not the money covering them."

Danzo’s eye hardened. "Then the reserves will be taken as well."

Kakuzu turned one page in the ledger. "That requires declaring a private treasury village property."

Ren smiled. "Please make that argument to the Daimyo’s merchants. I would enjoy watching."

Koharu read the first page twice. Homura reached for the mandate, then slowly pushed it back toward Danzo.

"We cannot sign this now," Koharu said.

Danzo’s grip tightened on his cane. "Why?"

"Because every merchant in Konoha will believe we seized the warehouses to restore their debts," Homura pointed out.

They immediately leaned away from Danzo, abandoning the security mandate without a second thought.

Hiruzen let out a long, slow exhale. A faint, genuine smile of relief touched his lips. The civilians were safe.

"Do not smile yet," Ren said, cutting the Hokage off. "You are not a civilian."

Hiruzen’s smile vanished.

"Military storage debts remain active," Ren listed, his usual shameless smile returning in full force. "ANBU supplies remain active. Barrier repairs remain active. Hokage Tower’s emergency loans remain active. Every shinobi department still pays the full rate."

Kakuzu stepped forward and handed Danzo a specific, separate page.

Danzo stared at the page. "Why are the classified requisitions marked in red?"

"High-risk borrower," Kakuzu answered.

Danzo looked up at the young Uchiha tycoon, his knuckles white against his cane.

"This is manipulation," Danzo hissed.

"Yes," Ren agreed.

Danzo’s eye twitched. "You admit it?"

"I thought that part was obvious," Ren said smoothly, standing up from his chair.

Hiruzen cleared his throat, looking at the zero-percent civilian documents with a mix of awe and dread.

"You have given a great many families room to breathe," Hiruzen said.

"Send the gratitude with the military payment," Ren said, adjusting his suit jacket. "We charge late fees."

Outside Hokage Tower, the morning sun was warming the bustling streets.

Fugaku Uchiha was standing near the stone steps, his arms crossed over his chest. He had expected Ren to leave under ANBU escort. The two quiet Police captains flanking him made it clear Fugaku had not planned to let that happen quietly.

Instead, Ren walked out the front doors looking entirely unbothered, with Kakuzu trailing behind him meticulously organizing his ledgers.

"What happened?" Fugaku asked, stepping forward.

"I gave the civilians six months to breathe," Ren replied casually.

Fugaku stared at him for several seconds. "You threw away six months of interest?"

"Civilian interest," Ren corrected. "Hokage Tower still pays."

Ren sighed softly. "Try to keep up, Father. This is exactly why the clan has no finance division."

Fugaku’s jaw tightened. "The clan does not need a finance division. The Uchiha are shinobi, Ren. We are not shopkeepers and clerks."

Ren stopped walking. He looked past his father toward the market district, where a group of civilian merchants were actively cheering as an Uchiha-stamped supply cart rolled in, carrying heavily discounted, premium lumber.

"That distinction has clearly made us popular."

He turned back to Fugaku, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"Call a clan meeting," Ren instructed. "I’m opening a school."

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