What a dilemma!
Uchiha Nan's desire for strength was beyond question. Those quests with golden rewards were currently impossible to complete due to various restrictions.
But these quests rewarding ten draws could be completed just by sacrificing his dignity.
Uchiha Nan fell into thought. That was ten draws—nearly a year's worth of chances he would have to save up. Maybe he could pull something good.
Someone had to get ridiculously lucky. Why couldn't that European Emperor be him?
Uchiha Tomita, standing outside, heard the table-pounding inside stop. He tiptoed in and saw Uchiha Nan sitting there with his eyes tightly shut, clutching his head in deep thought.
"Lord Uchiha Nan, the luggage has been packed."
"Ah, Tomita! Everything's packed?"
"Well, um..."
"Are the widows in the clan doing all right?"
Uchiha Nan coughed once or twice and asked in a low voice, his inner shame nearly exploding.
"Widows?"
"Rest assured, Lord Uchiha Nan. When Uchiha Clan warriors die in battle, the clan naturally takes care of their wives. Though the clan isn't wealthy, we can at least ensure they have meat with all three meals."
Though Uchiha Tomita had no idea why Uchiha Nan was suddenly asking this, he honestly answered him.
"That's good, that's good!"
"We absolutely can't let Konoha's heroes bleed and cry!"
Uchiha Nan really wanted to slap himself. How could he say something like that?
His clansmen had sacrificed themselves for Konoha, and he was thinking about their wives. He was truly a beast!
Uchiha Nan decided to put those quests for ten draws aside for now.
To break this damned awkwardness, Uchiha Nan changed the subject and planned to search the room with Uchiha Tomita for important materials Tobirama Senju had left behind.
After a round of rummaging through boxes and cabinets, Uchiha Nan successfully found the Scroll of Seals.
He also found a large pile of correspondence between Tobirama Senju and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, clearly recording the funds Tobirama Senju had negotiated with the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
The total was 31 billion Ryo, but only 30 billion Ryo had been reported to Konoha's treasury.
That bastard Tobirama Senju really had been lining his own pockets!
He just didn't know whether the extra 1 billion Ryo had gone to the Senju Clan, or whether that old bastard had pocketed it himself to fund his experiments.
Experimental funding wasn't cheap, especially for high-end experiments. In later years, Orochimaru had even directly run his own ninja village just to earn funding for his experiments.
"Lord Uchiha Nan, this 1 billion...?"
Uchiha Tomita's eyes had already reddened. If they swallowed this enormous sum, wouldn't all the clan's debts be paid off?
And there would even be some left over!
This was the benefit of having a Hokage emerge from the clan!
"Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know!"
Uchiha Nan smiled. This money should stay with the Uchiha. Who knew how much funding Tobirama Senju had embezzled during his years as Hokage to conduct experiments?
"Got it!"
After giving Uchiha Tomita all the necessary instructions, Uchiha Nan planned to set out the next day for the Capital of the Land of Fire to demand money from the Daimyo!
The next day.
Uchiha Nan set out alone, traveling light without bringing a single guard. He intended to go quickly and return quickly.
With Uchiha Nan's strength, any enemy he couldn't handle would make those guards nothing more than dead weight. He didn't want to imitate Tobirama Senju by bringing a bunch of Shadow Guards, only to die himself in the end.
After traveling tirelessly, Uchiha Nan arrived at the Capital of the Land of Fire.
A long, drawn-out war had dealt the Land of Fire a devastating blow. Along the way, Uchiha Nan saw large numbers of refugees struggling to survive everywhere. There were also bandits and rogue ninjas blocking the roads to rob travelers, all of whom he casually dealt with.
The Land of Fire was still essentially an agricultural nation. Technology showed signs of development, but who knew how far it had progressed? It was surely a complete mess.
People still relied on human and animal labor to plow fields, and traveled by horse-drawn or ox-drawn carts. It was no different from an ancient feudal society. Its productive capacity was probably around the Ming and Qing dynasties, perhaps even worse.
Yet some technologies had somehow surpassed the era. Konoha actually had electric lights, with a few scattered utility poles planted throughout the village, utterly out of place with Konoha's overall aesthetic.
By Naruto's era, refrigerators, televisions, electric lights, and all kinds of modern appliances had appeared. It was only a few decades from this era—such an outrageous rate of technological development.
Once he reached the Capital of the Land of Fire, Uchiha Nan no longer saw many refugees. The officials probably couldn't bear to see refugees all over the place out of the kindness of their hearts, so they had dealt with them all.
But Uchiha Nan had no time to concern himself with that. Such was the world: when poor, one cared for oneself; when prosperous, one helped the world. Uchiha Nan did not yet have the ability to help the world.
Uchiha Nan arrived at the Imperial Palace and presented his calling card. The moment they saw him wearing the Hokage's Haori, they knew he was the new Third Hokage.
No one questioned Uchiha Nan's identity. After all, impersonating Konoha's Hokage in the Capital of the Land of Fire to deceive the Daimyo was a crime that would ensure one never saw the next day's sun.
Uchiha Nan was then directly led into the Imperial Palace, where he met a broad, fat attendant. The attendant arranged for him to wait in a side hall and told him the Daimyo would arrive shortly.
Extravagant!
Far too extravagant!
Uchiha Nan considered himself well-traveled, but even he was intimidated by the grandeur of the Imperial Palace.
The Imperial Palace covered nearly half the area of Konoha. Its palace courtyards, formed by towering railings and walls, had nearly made Uchiha Nan lose his way when he entered. Without someone leading him, he would not have found this side hall.
The side hall was decorated so extravagantly that any random beam of wood could be sold for over a hundred thousand Ryo. There were also all kinds of jewels Uchiha Nan did not recognize.
As expected of a monstrosity born from the combination of a feudal society and a supernatural world. They had become this corrupt and degenerate, yet could still sit securely in power.
Kishimoto, you have no conscience!
A rebellion made up of refugees was simply no match for ninja. An Elite Jonin leading a team could easily slaughter them all.
What? I was also a beneficiary of the system?
Then never mind!
Uchiha Nan's thoughts wandered as he waited. Before long, he saw a strangely dressed middle-aged man approaching him, surrounded by a crowd of guards.
"What a remarkable young hero. The Uchiha Clan has produced a Hokage as well!"
"This is truly cause for celebration!"
The Daimyo wore an eager smile as he showered Uchiha Nan with praise.
Uchiha Nan skillfully exchanged pleasantries with the Daimyo, his tone neither servile nor overbearing.
There was still a nominal relationship between ruler and subject between him and the Daimyo. After Konoha selected a Hokage, the appointment required the recognition of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire for the process to be considered complete.
However, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire understood the situation well and had no intention of interfering with Konoha's Hokage election. Whoever was chosen as Hokage, he merely had to nod in approval.
After all, they were all thugs raised by his own household. As long as they were useful, that was enough.
"Hokage, you've come from far away. You must attend tonight's banquet."
"I will host a feast in your honor!"
I fell asleep halfway through, haha. Please vote with your monthly tickets!
Before you continue