The Auction

The plain stone tables and chairs in the Elder Council Hall had been replaced with marble ones. Each elder's chair back and place at the table was inlaid with a different-colored gem to distinguish their seat and highlight their status.

This was the first resolution the Elder Council had passed by an overwhelming majority after the agreement was sent back to Sunagakure.

The second was to erect life-size golden statues in their honor, but Chiyo had firmly vetoed that proposal.

By the time Moyuzi and the others arrived at the Council hall, everyone else was already seated. Hoshino Maki stood by the round table, reading through some documents. When he saw Moyuzi come in, he smiled and nodded to her.

"Take care of yourself, too. You just got back, and you're already running to the hospital. Those patients' conditions aren't that urgent."

Moyuzi stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder, speaking with concern.

As the one who had recommended Hoshino Maki, she cared a great deal about how he was doing. She had even cleared out all the little nurses on his floor and replaced them with burly male nurses, just to make sure he had a comfortable place to rest.

That was entirely a senior's concern for a younger person. It had absolutely nothing to do with him saying he was thirty and single.

"Thank you for your concern, ma'am. I'm in pretty good shape. I didn't have many chances to use Medical Ninjutsu while I was away, so now that I'm back and have some free time, helping out at the hospital is a good way to brush up."

Aside from Konan, Hoshino Maki hadn't had many opportunities to use Medical Ninjutsu lately. His affection points had stalled, which meant he still hadn't been able to learn the Eight Inner Gates he had unlocked.

The Eight Inner Gates, an A-rank technique, required a whopping 50 upgrade points. Now that the war was over and there were hardly any injured left, he had no idea how long it would take to reach that total by relying on saving people.

Chiyo's grain distribution, on the other hand, had given his affection points a huge boost and shown him there were other ways to earn them.

He was only a little short now. He'd probably reach 50 before long.

While Hoshino Maki and Moyuzi exchanged pleasantries, Chiyo, seated at the head of the table, spoke up. "Now that everyone's here, let's begin."

Hoshino Maki nodded to the elders and went through the results of the negotiations, explaining point by point what the village had gained and what it had paid in return.

But the elders weren't very interested. Some were thinking about other matters, some exchanged silent words with those nearby, and others simply closed their eyes to rest.

They already knew everything he'd just covered. That wasn't what this meeting was about.

"That concludes the Sand-Cloud War."

Hoshino Maki closed the file in his hands and spoke calmly.

The elders perked up. The main event was finally here.

The Elder Council Meetings looked like ordinary gatherings, but everything discussed at them had already been decided behind closed doors. The real meeting came afterward, during the conversations.

Usually, that was when the elders presented their requests to the Kazekage. One might say that his son needed a kunai made from a special material and ask the Kazekage to send someone a thousand miles away to collect it. Another might point out that a ninja in his clan had a special talent, then remind everyone that there was a Special Jonin position open in some unit and suggest that the Kazekage make room for him.

Things that seemed momentous to ordinary people were decided with a few laughs and a handful of words.

The Kazekage?

Just an executor.

That was the real purpose of the elders' meetings: a naked contest of self-interest.

And they never had to shoulder the blame. The Kazekage issued every order, so what did any of it have to do with them?

But the Kazekage wasn't here to take the blame this time, so this part had to be brought into the formal meeting.

"Haha, we have Chiyo and Hoshino Maki to thank for the war against the Cloud Ninja. They won us a victory and brought so much back to the village. Everyone's lives will be a lot easier now."

One elder spoke first, but Chiyo didn't respond. She didn't even look up at him.

He did his best to hide his ulterior motives, but his greed showed through all the same.

Everyone?

Who did he mean by everyone?

It certainly wasn't the ordinary villagers or the lowest-ranking ninja.

In fact, if the supplies hadn't been delivered directly to the Chiyo Clan, Chiyo would never have been able to bypass the Elder Council and release some of the grain from the storehouses ahead of time. For ordinary people, whether they'd receive any grain at all—and when—would have been anyone's guess.

Still, even though Chiyo looked down on the man, his words resonated with many of the others. They chimed in one after another.

"Exactly. Chiyo and Hoshino Maki have worked hard for the village. As elders, we must shoulder the responsibility of restoring Sunagakure and live up to their efforts!"

"Our clan is experienced in sales. We can bring in a good profit for the village."

"Our clan is just as capable. You can leave it to us, Chiyo."

"Modu, are you challenging me?"

"Let's compete fairly. Our clan already has an advantage."

"..."

The moment they started discussing how to divide the spoils, the friendly atmosphere turned combative.

Chōjūrō watched in silence. He knew no one would listen to him when the stakes were this high, so he kept his mouth shut.

Chiyo waited until the argument grew so heated that people were on their feet, nearly coming to blows. Then she gave a couple of light coughs. The elders snapped to attention as if someone had doused them with cold water, and they sat back down with stern expressions.

"Since everyone is capable of handling these supplies, why don't we do this?"

Chiyo waved a hand. Moyuzi rose and placed a stack of envelopes and a list in front of each person.

"We'll auction off the supplies by category, keeping 10% in reserve for village emergencies. For each round, write your bid in an envelope. The highest bidder wins. Each clan may win a maximum of three categories, and whatever remains will go to the Chiyo Clan. The Elder Council will manage the proceeds and use them to develop the village."

"The opening bid must be at least 40% of an item's value. You'll submit an envelope with your bid each round. After winning supplies, you may not sell them for more than 30% above the price you paid."

The elders' expressions grew darker and darker. They were all opposed to this novel method of dividing the spoils, because it meant they would have to pay.

They were used to taking money out of other people's pockets. Who dared to take money out of theirs?!

But since Chiyo had proposed it, no one dared oppose her openly.

"Don't worry. The details of this auction will be posted on the public notice board. It'll all be open and transparent, with no funny business."

Hoshino Maki smiled as he spoke.

But the elders' expressions remained grim.

If there was no funny business, what was the point of holding a meeting?

Funny business was the whole point!

How could the Elder Council possibly be open and transparent?

"E-Elder Chiyo, we've never done anything like this before."

One elder forced a smile.

"We have now. Sunagakure never had anyone from outside the village join the Elder Council before, either. But look at you—you're the precedent."

The elder had no answer to that.

He was from the Land of Grass and had married into a Sunagakure clan. After a few twists of fate, he'd proved himself capable and eventually become the clan leader.

The room fell silent. Then Chōjūrō, who had remained quiet until now, suddenly spoke. "I think an auction is a good idea. It's fair and open, so no one can complain. But..." He changed tack. "As a new way to manage the village, it ought to stand the test of time first. Using it without due consideration to make decisions about the village's future development is questionable."

Though he hadn't expected his own clan to be included, he still wanted to undermine Chiyo.

Chiyo suddenly smiled at his words and nodded. "All right. I think it's a hassle, too. I'll tell the villagers that the money for developing the village is waived, thanks to Elder Chōjūrō's careful consideration."

Chōjūrō's face turned green. If she really said that, his reputation would be ruined!

His representative had already performed so poorly that people were calling him incompetent at choosing subordinates. If he opposed raising funds for the village's development now, he would become a sinner in the eyes of the entire village!

And if he lost his position as clan leader, would anyone still listen to him?

Chōjūrō quickly forced a smile. "I was only raising a small concern. I'm sure you already have a sound plan, Chiyo."

Chiyo's words seemed directed at Chōjūrō, but the other elders weren't children. They knew she could just as easily have said any of their names instead. They immediately voiced their support for the proposal.

Chiyo looked around and nodded, satisfied. "Since everyone agrees, Hoshino Maki will run the auction."

Hoshino Maki cleared his throat. "Before we begin, I have one small suggestion. The Cloud Ninja paid two hundred million ryo in compensation. After the rewards for those who distinguished themselves, compensation for the families of the fallen, and funds for village development, there's still a hundred million left. Considering how hard the Elder Clans have worked and how much blood they've spilled for the village, I propose that the elders split it evenly."

Only then did everyone remember the cash was still there to be divided.

If he'd suggested this from the start, they definitely wouldn't have agreed.

How much could rewards and compensation possibly cost? A million or two would be more than enough.

But now they had to pay to bid on the supplies. An extra ten million ryo for each clan, free of charge, didn't sound so bad!

The elders all looked toward Chiyo. She frowned, but said nothing.

Chōjūrō saw that the two of them were playing good cop and bad cop to win people over. He didn't dare say another word. If he made his clan lose out on a large sum of money they could have gotten for free, the backlash would be too much.

With Chiyo's tacit approval, the proposal was quietly accepted. When the auction began, the elders were much less resistant.

After two hours of bidding, everyone had managed to get most of what they wanted. After all, each clan had its own established holdings, and the divisions had been clear for years.

Only Chōjūrō looked miserable. He'd won just one category.

In an open auction, the other elders might have been too intimidated by Chōjūrō to compete. But put a pen and an envelope in their hands, and they turned into Liang Jingru—suddenly full of courage.

I'll just write down a number at random. I didn't realize you'd bid so little!

Chōjūrō could already imagine how they'd defend themselves.

Damn it!

As he watched the room return to its earlier good cheer, he felt increasingly out of place.

Thanks to @I Love Eating Chocolate Most for the Monthly Ticket!

I'll write a Q&A later to answer some of the readers' questions.