Nara Rokumei was meticulously reviewing the documents, oblivious to the passage of time or how long the visitors had to wait for him. As the Hokage's assistant, and working for Uchiha Kō, he naturally had to do his job well.
It wasn't until noon that Nara Rokumei put down his pen, stretched, and let out a contented yawn. Then, looking at the sofa, he suddenly froze. "Lord Hokage, you... why are you here! Why didn't you say anything earlier?"
Nara Rokumei quickly stood up and went to Uchiha Kō's side, asking after him with concern. Uchiha Kō smiled and said, "Lu Ming's work is so captivating that I don't want to disturb you. Please sit down; you must be tired after a long morning."
Uchiha Kō was quite pleased with Nara Rokumei and gestured for him to sit down. Nara Rokumei nodded and then sat down. After less than a second of silence, Uchiha Kō smiled and said, "Lu Ming, I want to ask you for a favor."
Nara Rokumei jumped up, rolling his eyes. He thought the Lord Hokage was showing concern for his hard work and wanted to be considerate of his subordinates, but instead of showing much consideration, the Hokage started assigning him more work! What a scoundrel! What a tyrant!
"A raise, three times the normal rate," Uchiha Kō said calmly.
"It is my honor to share the burden of the Lord Hokage." Nara Rokumei sat down instantly, his eyes burning with fervor as he looked at Uchiha Kō. He thought to himself, "Wise ruler, this is a wise ruler! Your subject Nara Rokumei offers you his loyalty!"
Uchiha Kō looked at Nara Rokumei with amusement. This kid was particularly interested in money. If you couldn't persuade him, it wasn't because he was lazy, but because you hadn't negotiated the price properly.
"Hehe." Uchiha Kō chuckled, then told Nara Rokumei about the matter he had previously discussed with Uchiha Hirotomo. Nara Rokumei's eyes lit up. "Great news! Lord Hokage, accomplishing this will be a good thing for both Konoha and the people of other villages."
"But the amount of tribute and negotiating with the villages won't be easy!" he reminded him, frowning.
Uchiha Kō, looking quite pleased with himself, said, "So, please, our dear Hokage, assist Nara Rokumei- sama with some hard work! Decide on the amount, and then, once the meeting is approved, proceed with the negotiations with the other villages."
"Born!" Nara Rokumei cursed inwardly, his lips twitching. "You're not even human, you big-eyed Uchiha Kō! I'm utterly speechless. How am I supposed to work for you? Even the donkeys in the production team wouldn't do this!"
"This..." Nara Rokumei looked troubled, trying to figure out how to refuse. The money he earned and the salary he paid were not equal!
Uchiha Kō smiled. "After it's done, you'll get two months of paid leave."
Nara Rokumei's expression instantly hardened. He looked at Uchiha Kō and said, "I'll take this job. Let me make this clear first: I'm not doing this for the money or for paid leave, but for the sake of those suffering villages and the happiness of the people of Konoha!"
Uchiha Kō nodded. "That's right, that's right, I believe you, so this is troublesome! Lord Lu Ming!" After saying that, he stood up and patted Nara Rokumei on the shoulder, then seemed to have thought of something.
"By the way, let Nara Shikaku come to your office to learn from you from now on. I think he's very good and talented. Let him get a taste of government affairs in advance, and let him take over your work when you're not around!" Uchiha Kō smiled slightly.
Nara Rokumei's expression changed, and he was about to curse, "Go..."
"Hmm?" Uchiha Kō glanced at him and retorted to Nara Rokumei's words.
Nara Rokumei smiled and said, "May you have a safe journey!"
"Okay! Do a good job!" Uchiha Kō smiled, then left the Hokage Office, only to hear a loud shout from inside, "Aaaaaaah! You bastard!!!!"
However, he didn't pursue the matter further. What he did was Earthly Dao; it was tantamount to using the emperor to command the nobles. "Your son is working here, and I'm giving you time off. Would you dare rest? If something goes wrong, I'll punish your son. Would you be willing to do that?"
Nara Rokumei understood Uchiha Kō's intentions perfectly well. At this moment, he clenched his teeth tightly. This two-month vacation was practically no vacation at all. He only had this one precious son. If he really did something wrong and was punished, it was impossible for him not to feel heartbroken.
However, if his son makes no mistakes during this period, or if he makes no mistakes with his secret help, then this will be a significant achievement in his son's political career.
Nara Rokumei calmed down and realized this as well. So, for his son's future and for those several times the salary, he did it! But is it too much for me to curse Uchiha Kō a few times in my heart?
Good, good, good! Using Xiao Deng to command Lao Deng! I've learned that trick. Uchiha Kō, you're ruthless!
The reason why Uchiha Kō didn't confront Nara Rokumei was because he also felt that what he had done was a bit Earthly Dao. So he went to the National Style Restaurant, bought two takeout meals, and had one delivered to the Hokage Office.
He also instructed, "This meat is extremely delicious. Take the stove with you and deliver it to the Hokage Office. Tell him it was a gift from Uchiha Kō to Nara Rokumei, and that he absolutely must try it. Wait! Send this fine wine along with it!"
Deliveryman Namikaze Minato nodded, "Okay, teacher, I'll deliver the food to Lord Lu Ming as quickly as possible!"
Uchiha Kō was very pleased. "When you're a little older, I'll give you a Ninjutsu. I guarantee you'll rise to the top and become the king of the food delivery industry!"
Namikaze Minato instantly felt his future was bright, and he smiled, "Sensei, I will work even harder!"
Uchiha Kō left the National Style Restaurant, wondering if the future scenario of Minato using the Flying Thunder God to deliver food would be that the food is ordered one second and appears outside the customer's home the next!
He carried the food home. With everything resolved, he felt much better. At home, he ate and chatted with Tsunade, recounting what had just happened.
Tsunade twitched. "Being your official, they must be incredibly unlucky!" Damn it, Uchiha Kō doesn't do any decent work at all!
"Hey, honey, you can't say that. The leader controls the overall direction, but how to implement it depends on how the subordinates carry it out."
"Besides, this matter can resolve a tragedy that has existed since ancient times, which is a service to the people. Both Konoha and the village have benefited from it, so how can it be considered unlucky!" Uchiha Kō argued logically.
Tsunade rolled her eyes at him and said, "I'm going to take a shower. You know what to do later."
Uchiha Kō was stunned. He sighed, started tidying up the table, and then headed towards the bathroom in another room. "What? You're asking what they're doing?"
Sorry, those who know, know the answer to this question!
As night fell, the concert began, with various instruments playing and melodious vocals captivating the audience.
It's been several days since I updated three chapters in a row.
It's not too much to ask for more updates, is it? My dear readers, it's not too much to ask for your support!
From now on, I'll be posting a thank-you message every two days in the Author's Note section. Please show your support for the author!