After appeasing the clan members, Shaoyu left the temporary residence with Shisui and Lianhuo.
He did not go back to rest, but walked directly in the direction of Raikage's Office.
Since we want to resettle the tribesmen, we must first settle the matter of the land.
The earlier the decision is made, the earlier the work can start, and the earlier the tribesmen can live in the place that truly belongs to them.
Raikage's Office's door is open.
As soon as Shaoyu walked to the door, he heard Third Raikage's iconic loud voice coming from inside.
"What? The military expenditure has exceeded again this month?"
"You guys, you spend money like water when you are fighting, and you spend money like water when you are not fighting. You have made all the money I made!"
"Lord Third..." an aggrieved voice sounded, "This is normal training loss..."
"Training loss? Training loss can destroy all three training grounds? Are you training or tearing it down?"
Shaoyu stood at the door, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.
He knocked on the door.
"Come in!" Raikage's voice was still loud.
Shaoyu pushed the door in and saw Raikage standing in front of the desk, holding a ledger in his hand. Opposite him stood a sweaty quartermaster.
In the corner of the office, a man wearing a black robe and a mask on his face was standing there quietly, holding a ledger in his hand, with a shrewd light in his eyes.
Kakuzu.
Kumogakure's financial advisor, former Takigakure traitor, the legendary "Immortal Ninja".
Since being recruited by Shaoyu, he has been responsible for the financial power of Kumogakure.
It is said that under his management, Kumogakure's fiscal revenue increased by 50%, expenditures decreased by 30%, and the balance doubled.
Of course, there are also rumors that he cares about every expenditure in private, and even if Raikage wants to approve more military expenditures, he will interrogate him for a long time.
"Shaoyu!"
Raikage's eyes lit up when he saw him.
"You've come just in time! Please help me judge. These guys have suffered too much from training. They spent the money of three training grounds in a month. Is this reasonable?"
Shaoyu glanced at the sweating quartermaster, and then at Kakuzu who was quietly settling accounts in the corner.
"Third." He said, "I don't know much about military expenditures. It's better to let Kakuzu handle it."
Kakuzu raised his head, glanced at Shaoyu, and nodded.
"I will take care of it." His voice was hoarse and calm, "I will make sure every penny is spent wisely."
Raikage snorted and waved his hand to ask the quartermaster to retreat.
"Okay, okay, you can go down. Think more about it when you spend money in the future, and don't be lavish."
The quartermaster quickly retreated as if he had been granted amnesty.
Raikage sat back on the chair and looked at Shaoyu.
"Tell me, what do you want from me?"
Shaoyu walked up to him and spread out the map.
"I have thought about the matter of clan and land," he said.
Raikage became interested and came over to take a look.
"Oh? How did you choose?"
Shaoyu's finger clicked on the map.
"Here. The existing clan land has been expanded to three times."
Raikage raised his eyebrows.
"Just three times? Not expanding to the central area?"
Shaoyu shook his head.
"No." He said, "Although the existing clan land is a little out of the way, it is enough. It can be expanded three times, enough to accommodate eight hundred people. And--"
He paused.
"Too close to the center is not good."
Raikage was stunned for a moment.
"Why? Wouldn't it be more convenient to be closer to the center?"
Shaoyu smiled.
"Third, think about it. Uchiha has just come to Kumogakure, and the foundation is unstable. If he occupies the central area right from the start, what will other ninjas think?"
Raikage was silent.
Shaoyu continued.
"They won't feel that this is what Uchiha deserves. They will only feel that Uchiha is taking advantage of my power and taking away their territory. When the time comes, they won't dare to say anything on the surface, but they will inevitably gossip behind the scenes."
He clicked on the existing clan land on the map.
"Although this place is a little out of the way, it was originally the territory of Uchiha. Now it has been expanded three times and it is still within the original range. Others can't say anything."
Raikage looked at him, with a trace of complicated emotions flashing in his eyes.
"You kid..." he murmured, "You think too far ahead."
Shaoyu smiled.
"It's not about thinking far, it's about thinking steadily."
He said, "If Uchiha wants to take root in Kumogakure, it cannot make enemies at the beginning. Take your time and wait a few years. After everyone gets used to it, it will not be too late to expand to the center."
Raikage nodded.
"That makes sense." He said, "Then I'll do as you say."
He waved his hand.
"I'll leave this matter to you. You can arrange the drawings, materials, and manpower yourself. If you need anything, just contact Kakuzu and he will take care of it."
Shaoyu nodded.
"Thank you Third."
"Thank you for everything." Raikage waved his hand, "Your succession ceremony will be in a few days. It would be better for you to familiarize yourself with Raikage's work first."
He stood up, walked to Shaoyu, and patted him on the shoulder.
"From now on, you have to make your own decisions about these things. I'm old and it's time to retire."
Shaoyu looked at him, and a warm current surged in his heart.
This old man has always trusted him, supported him, and given him opportunities since he first came to Kumogakure a few years ago. Now, he has to personally hand over the position of Raikage to him.
He kept this kindness in his heart.
Just then, a faint voice came from the corner.
"Master Shaoyu, the succession ceremony will cost a lot of money..."
Shaoyu turned around and found Kakuzu staring at him, with shrewd light shining in his eyes.
Raikage was stunned for a moment, then laughed.
"Kakuzu, you guy!"
He strode over and slapped Kakuzu on the back, making Kakuzu stagger.
"What a miser! Shaoyu Succession is such a big deal, do you still care about the money?"
Kakuzu grinned after being photographed, but still insisted on his position.
"Third, this is not a question of more money and less money."
He said, "The succession ceremony requires setting up the venue, banqueting guests, preparing gifts, and... everything costs money. Moreover, when the new Raikage takes office, he must provide some benefits to the people, right? That is another sum of money."
Raikage was stunned by what he said.
"This... this also costs money?"
"Of course."
Kakuzu said seriously.
"Money is not everything, but having no money is absolutely impossible. Although Kumogakure's finances are abundant, it cannot afford lavish spending. The succession ceremony must be carefully planned."
Raikage scratched his head and looked at Shaoyu.
"Shaoyu, what do you think?"
Shaoyu thought for a while, then smiled.
"Kakuzu is right."
He said, "The succession ceremony must be carefully planned. It cannot be too shabby or too extravagant. It should not only make the people happy, but also let other villages see the strength of Kumogakure."
He looked at Kakuzu.
"This matter is left to you. You make the budget and control it within a reasonable range."