The words fell one by one, quiet and even, yet they thundered through the center of the hall.
Whoosh!
The Daimyo sprang from his throne. His teacup tilted, spilling scalding tea down the front of his robe, but he did not even notice.
"Five billion ryo?!!"
His voice cracked. He pointed at the boy in the center of the hall, his fingertip trembling.
"You're asking for the moon!"
"I only approved one billion ryo for Konoha's expedition! You're protecting a single capital, and you want five billion?!"
"Uchiha En! You're looting a burning house!"
The elderly ministers went pale, their expressions shifting in shock.
Five billion ryo was almost an entire year's treasury revenue for the Land of Fire!
The military fee was so astronomical that no one could believe it.
The hall erupted, but Uchiha En stood motionless, his expression calm. He barely even lifted his eyelids.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he spoke unhurriedly, his tone as mild as ever.
"There's no need to be angry, Daimyo."
"When Konoha Ninja enter the Capital, they protect more than the person on the throne."
"Every minister, every aristocratic house, every noble estate falls under that protection."
"When the Akatsuki slaughter a city, they make no distinction between high and low, noble and common."
He paused briefly. His matter-of-fact words struck straight at the heart.
"Naturally, you shouldn't have to pay this sum alone."
"Let all the nobles in the city share the cost, each household paying to preserve their lives. Does it still seem excessive to you, Daimyo?"
The Daimyo stood frozen, his mouth hanging open.
His rising fury caught in his throat.
Instinctively, he began calculating.
Ministers, noble houses, aristocrats... there were at least two hundred established families with substantial wealth...
*Five billion split between more than