Ancestral Estate and Asset Recovery

"Brat, now that you've got the money, shouldn't you treat us tonight?"

Tsunade crossed her arms and glanced sideways at Chiba, an irrepressible smile lingering on her lips.

"Of course I will." Chiba brushed the wood chips from his clothes and turned to Hiruzen Sarutobi, whose face was livid behind the desk. "But that depends on when our Lord Hokage gets those thirty million ryō into my hands. If he drags it out until midnight, then we can only have a late-night snack."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyelid twitched as he slammed his fountain pen onto the desk. The desk, half destroyed by Tsunade's slap, let out a pained groan and nearly fell apart on the spot.

"Chiba, thirty million ryō is no small sum." Mito Kadoyan hurriedly interjected, his voice full of anxiety. "The village's financial budget is approved in advance. Where are we supposed to scrape together that much cash right now? The transfer of the deeds also needs to be registered with the Daimyō's estate. That takes time."

"Needs time?" Chiba sneered and pulled his chair closer. "Elder Mito, do you take me for a three-year-old? Those five shops on South District Commercial Street—do you not know how much tax they bring the village every year? And as for the deeds, when my granduncle founded the village, the Senju Clan's deeds were stored in the Hokage Building's classified vault. Registered with whom? Who does the Daimyō think he is, daring to interfere with the Senju Clan's land?"

"Senju Chiba! You are being disrespectful to the Daimyō!" Koharu Utatane shrieked.

"Shut up, old hag." Chiba swept a cold glance over her. "Say one more word, and I'll have Wood Release take root in your house. I heard your place was just renovated last year with the finest lumber. It should make excellent fertilizer."

Koharu Utatane's face turned ashen. Her lips moved, but in the end, she did not dare make another sound.

The terror brought by Wood Release still hung in the room. The ANBU ninja who had just struggled back to their feet were all wounded, standing with lowered heads in the corners, barely daring to breathe.

"Hiruzen, look at him! Is this any way to behave?" Koharu Utatane could only turn to Hiruzen Sarutobi and complain.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep drag from his pipe, and the smoke was scattered by the wind blowing through the shattered window. He looked at Chiba, then at Tsunade standing behind him with an expression that said this was only natural. He understood that if he did not settle this account today, these two from the Senju Clan really would tear down the Hokage Building.

"Go to the Finance Department and transfer the reserve funds allocated to Root this year," Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered the ANBU in the corner.

"Hiruzen!" Mito Kadoyan was shocked. "That money is for Danzō..."

"Go get it." Hiruzen Sarutobi cut him off, his voice terrifyingly low. "Also, go to the classified vault and bring me the original deeds for the Senju ancestral estate and the five properties on South District Commercial Street."

The ANBU accepted the order and vanished in a flicker from the office, which now resembled ruins.

"Old man, at least you know what's good for you." Tsunade snorted and sat back down. She casually pulled a stack of IOUs from her pocket. "Now that the big account is settled, let's settle the smaller ones. The salary I've accrued over the years while holding a position at Konoha Hospital in the name of the Senju Clan, as well as the rent you collected while managing the Senju Ancestral Land—shouldn't those be settled too?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand shook, and his pipe nearly fell again.

"Tsunade, all that rent was used to build the village orphanage." Hiruzen Sarutobi tried to invoke the greater good to suppress her.

"Orphanage?" Chiba gave a cold laugh. "Was it used for Nonō Yakushi's orphanage, or for Danzō's Root base, where they specifically raise murder tools? Old man, don't treat everyone in the village like idiots. Not one ryō of today's thirty million can be missing. As for Auntie's salary, we'll be generous and consider it a donation to the village for medicine."

"You..." Mito Kadoyan trembled with rage, pointing at Chiba without being able to say another word.

"What about me?" Chiba raised a brow. "If Elder Mito thinks this is unfair, then gather the ninja of the Mito Clan right now and have a reasonable discussion with my Wood Release."

The office fell silent once more.

Shizune stood in the back holding Tonton. Watching Chiba force Konoha's three highest-ranking officials into helplessness with just a few words, her eyes were filled with admiration.

"Chiba, you're amazing," Shizune whispered as she leaned toward Tsunade's ear.

The corners of Tsunade's lips rose slightly, and a trace of pride flashed in her eyes, though she said, "Hmph, this brat is just a rogue. But rogue tactics work best against these old geezers."

Chiba's sharp ears caught their whispering. He turned around and winked at Tsunade.

Tsunade's face reddened slightly as she awkwardly turned away. The red mole on the tip of her ear looked especially striking beneath the fading light of sunset.

Not long afterward, several ANBU carried in three heavy boxes and set them on the floor. The lead ANBU handed a thick stack of black scrolls and several bronze keys to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at those deeds, and a flash of pain crossed his eyes. Once these were handed over, the Senju Clan's influence in Konoha would rise again, and in a completely uncontrollable manner.

But he had no choice.

"These are the keys to the Senju ancestral estate, along with the deeds to the five properties on South District Commercial Street." Hiruzen Sarutobi pushed the black scrolls to the edge of the desk. "The thirty million ryō in cash is here. Check it."

Chiba stepped forward, grabbed the deeds, and gave them a quick look. They bore the seals of the First Hokage and the first Daimyō. They were indeed genuine.

He then crouched down and opened the three boxes. Inside were neatly stacked bundles of high-denomination banknotes, their seals intact.

[Detected that the host has successfully reclaimed the Senju Clan's core assets, reversing the Senju Clan's declining fortune.]

[System mission completed. Tsunade's favorability has increased.]

[Tsunade's current favorability: 90]

[Reward unlocked: Monster Strength Technique (Mastery).]

In an instant, a violent yet pure surge of chakra erupted within Chiba's body. It was the ultimate technique of instantaneous chakra explosion and control. Every cell in his body seemed to learn how, within one hundredth of a second, to gather all the chakra inside him at a single point and release it.

Chiba took a deep breath and suppressed the surging power within him, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

He stood, closed the boxes, and beckoned to Shizune. "Shizune, move the stuff."

"Ah? Oh, right!" Shizune hurried over and skillfully sealed the three large boxes into a scroll.

"Old man, I'll take the deeds and the money." Chiba tucked the deeds into his clothes and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi. "But the matter with that old dog Danzō isn't over. Once I've cleaned up the ancestral estate, I'll personally pay Root a visit and have a talk with him."

"Chiba, the village needs stability," Hiruzen Sarutobi warned gravely.

"Stability is built on fairness, old man." Chiba took Tsunade's hand and headed toward the office door. "Stability without fairness is just you higher-ups entertaining yourselves. We won't disturb you tonight. Take your time repairing your office."

Tsunade let Chiba pull her along without resisting. Their palms pressed together, warm chakra flowing between them and giving Tsunade an unprecedented sense of security.

By the time they left the Hokage Building, the sky outside had already darkened.

The villagers on the street watched the three of them swagger out, with Shizune following behind while carrying a pile of scrolls, and began pointing and whispering.

"Look, that's Lady Tsunade. They really came out of the Hokage Building."

"That kid from the Senju Clan wasn't arrested?"

"I heard he awakened Wood Release. Even Lord Third compromised..."

The murmurs rose and fell, but Chiba ignored them, leading Tsunade straight toward the depths of Konoha's northern district.

That was where the Senju Clan had gathered when Konoha was first established.

After passing through the bustling commercial street, the buildings around them gradually grew sparser while the trees became denser. At the edge of a thick forest, a tall wall blocked their way.

The wall was covered in moss and ivy. The vermilion gates had long since lost their paint, and a rusted iron lock hung from them.

Above the gate, the place where a plaque had once been hung was completely empty, leaving only several deep marks.

This was the Senju ancestral estate, once Konoha's most glorious place, now resembling a desolate ruin.

Tsunade stood before the gates, looking at the rusted iron lock with a distant expression in her eyes.

"How many years has it been? I thought I would never return here in this lifetime." Tsunade murmured softly, a barely noticeable sorrow in her voice.

Chiba stepped forward, took out the bronze key, and inserted it into the lock.

Click.

With a harsh sound of metal scraping, the rusted lock opened.

Chiba pushed open the heavy gates, and a cold wind carrying the scents of earth and mildew rushed toward them. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, while the distant corridors and houses looked somewhat eerie in the night.

"Auntie, don't be sad." Chiba turned back to Tsunade with a smile. "Starting today, this place belongs to the Senju again. We'll make do for tonight. Tomorrow, I'll use Wood Release to renovate the whole place."

Tsunade looked into Chiba's bright eyes in the darkness, and her heart trembled slightly.

"You make it sound so easy, brat. This place is huge. Just cleaning it will be exhausting." Tsunade rolled her eyes at him and stepped through the gates.

Shizune followed behind with Tonton in her arms. Looking at the desolate courtyard, she frowned in worry. "Chiba, there isn't even a bed or blanket here. How are we supposed to sleep tonight?"

"That's easy." A mischievous grin appeared on Chiba's lips as he looked at Tsunade. "Auntie's Hundred Healings Chakra is so warm. If we squeeze together, won't we be warm enough?"

"Get lost!" Tsunade spat at him irritably, though her cheeks were slightly hot in the night.

Chiba laughed heartily and pointed toward the main house. "Come on, let's go to the main house first. We've got all night to talk."