The Uchiha Clan's Sun

Minato Namikaze nodded and said, "So, the village will be distributing a total of about twelve taels of silver in compensation and subsidies, right?"

Nara Shikaku said, "That's right!"

Minato Namikaze looked up at the crowd and asked, "Where is the current head of the finance department?"

Konoha Village's finance department head and vice-head, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, are both currently hospitalized, so Minato Namikaze doesn't really know who is in charge of the finance department now.

"Lord Hokage, I'm here!"

Finance Department Director Masao Tsuyoshi wiped the sweat from his forehead and quickly stood up.

Minato Namikaze tapped the documents on the table with his fingers and asked in a deep voice, "What is the current financial situation of the finance department?"

"The funds in Elder Uchiha's possession were originally a subsidy from the Daimyo Prefecture. They weren't recorded in the village's accounts. Does the finance department really not have the capacity to come up with 1.2 billion taels now?"

"What should we do if Daming Prefecture doesn't provide this subsidy?"

Masao Utatane's forehead was covered in even more sweat, and he looked troubled as he said, "The Finance Department is in a difficult situation too! As you know, this war has lasted for ten years, and the Finance Department has been operating at a loss for the past ten years!"

Minato Namikaze remained calm upon hearing this and said indifferently, "Tell me the specifics."

Masao Utatane relaxed a little and said, "Lord Hokage, the village's funds come from roughly three sources."

"Firstly, there are the various taxes collected by the village. Secondly, there is the village's cut of the task pay. Thirdly, there are the financial subsidies from Daming Prefecture."

"Ten years ago, the village's total annual tax revenue was around one billion taels."

"Since the start of the war, because the village is one of the safest places in the world, the consumption environment has not been greatly affected, so various taxes have actually increased due to rising prices."

"The village's tax revenue this year will be around 1.5 billion taels."

"But also because of rising prices, this 1.5 billion taels is not as useful as it used to be!"

"More importantly, because of the war, the village's biggest source of funding, the commission from missions, has been almost zero in recent years!"

"The financial subsidies that Daming Prefecture provides to the village are uncertain, but on average they amount to about 3 billion taels per year."

"That is to say, over the past ten years, the village's annual income has been around 4.5 billion yuan."

"But the village's annual expenditures far exceed 4.5 billion taels!"

"Take the recent Battle of Kikyo Mountain as an example. The total value of all kinds of supplies consumed by the logistics department exceeded 500 million taels, and the medical department consumed more than 800 million taels of medical supplies to treat the wounded!"

"Thirteen billion taels have already been lost! And this is only a war that lasted a few days!"

Minato Namikaze frowned slightly upon hearing this and said, "1.3 billion ryo... is the consumption of resources that severe?"

Masao Utatane explained, "It's mainly because we're currently at war! During wartime, the prices of strategic materials like food, steel, and explosive tags skyrocket, often several times higher than normal!"

"Especially for various medical supplies, it's not impossible for the price of certain special medicinal materials to increase tenfold or even dozens of times!"

"If it weren't for Konoha's strong foundation, the village would have collapsed long ago!"

Minato Namikaze then inquired, "So what's the current situation with the Ministry of Finance? How much funding does it have left?"

Speaking of this, sweat beaded on Masao Utatane's forehead again as he said, "The village currently has about two billion ryo in available funds, thanks to the mineral compensation paid by Kumogakure a while ago, which gave the village a much-needed breather."

After a pause, Masao Utatane added, "Hokage-sama, although the village has enough funds to distribute pensions and subsidies, the accounts aren't calculated like that!"

"As you just heard, the logistics department is currently short of supplies. My finance department must allocate at least 500 million taels of silver to it for various materials, in case of unforeseen circumstances!"

"At the same time, during the war, the village paid the salaries of the ninjas almost entirely based on their mission rank, without taking a cut from the pay!"

"Each ninja who survived the Battle of Kikyo Mountain deserves a B-rank salary, which amounts to approximately 500 million ryo!"

"The rewards for the other tasks this month will add up to about three or four hundred million taels, which means another billion taels have gone!"

"Not to mention all the other big and small things, so the finance department really has no money and can only ask Elder Uchiha for money!"

Chapter 320 Orphans and Survivors!

Perhaps because he had adapted to the 'new' environment, or perhaps because the new Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was not as difficult to deal with as he had expected, Masao Utatane's words became more and more fluent, and he gradually relaxed, with all his answers being reasonable.

Minato lowered his head slightly, casting a questioning glance at Uchiha Jin.

Uchiha Jin shook his head, signaling him not to act rashly.

Departments like the finance department, which control the source of funds, will inevitably be controlled by those in power, regardless of the faction they belong to.

Otherwise, it would be difficult for the decrees of those in power to be implemented within their sphere of influence.

The finance department can make most things difficult to implement simply by saying "we don't have the money"!

The power of the Konoha Village Finance Department is currently held by two elders, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado. If Minato Namikaze wants to reclaim their power, he will definitely have to find a few 'faults' in the Finance Department as an excuse.

Is there anything wrong with the finance department?

There definitely is!

Despite how reasonable Masao's explanation sounds, the problems with it are quite obvious!

Take the procurement of war preparation materials and medical supplies as an example. It is normal for the prices of materials to rise during wartime, but the question is how much they will rise!

It's important to know that the largest merchants in Konoha Village are the Utatane clan, the Mitomon clan, the Sarutobi clan, and the Shimura clan.

Therefore, Koharu Utatane and Erokazu Mito could easily embezzle public funds with just a little manipulation, and the accounts could be made so neat that no one could find fault with them!

Therefore, even if Uchiha Jin and Namikaze Minato could see the problem, they would not be able to defeat Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura from this aspect!

After receiving Uchiha Jin's signal, Minato Namikaze gave up on making a fuss about the matter and instead looked at Uchiha Jin, saying, "Uchiha Jin, you've heard the dormitory head's complaints. What do you have to say about it?"

Uchiha Jin said calmly, "I'll say it again: as long as the process is correct, I'll definitely pay!"

After a pause, Uchiha Jin glanced at the Logistics Department Director Mitomon Jiro and the Finance Department Director Utatane Masao before saying, "However, when the Daimyo handed over the subsidy funds to our Uchiha clan, he also solemnly entrusted our Uchiha clan to ensure that every penny of these subsidy funds was spent effectively!"

"So I can give you the money, but the Uchiha clan will monitor every single transaction and every single drop of that money!"

Upon hearing this, both Mitomon Jiro and Utatane Masao changed their expressions, but since their superiors, Utatane Koharu and Mitomon Homura, were not present, they could not say much and could only remain silent.

Uchiha Jin didn't care about their thoughts and continued, "Since we're going to carry out reforms, let's set up the Inspection Department first!"

"The first task of this newly established supervisory department was to oversee the distribution of pensions and subsidies, as well as the procurement of various materials."

"I think everyone understands the importance of pensions and subsidies. Anyone who dares to reach for them will have their hands slapped!"

"The same applies to the procurement of supplies! It's understandable for prices to rise during wartime, but if I find out that someone is deliberately driving up prices and making a profit from the war, then don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"Anyway, let me be clear from the start: if there are no problems, great; but if there are... well, you'd better figure it out yourselves!"

Uchiha Jin's words were very blunt, but no one dared to object.

After all, Uchiha Jin is currently in a position of righteousness, acting in the best interests of everyone in the village. Those who truly care about the village will naturally not object; anyone who does object is definitely hiding something!

If anyone dares to object to this, the villagers will gang up on that person even without Uchiha Jin lifting a finger!

Minato Namikaze chimed in, "What Elder Uchiha said is exactly what I was thinking! Within the bounds of what is permissible, it's fine for everyone to earn some profit while working for the village. But if someone uses public office for personal gain and harms everyone's interests for their own sake, then naturally they become the village's enemy, everyone's enemy!"

After a pause, without giving anyone else a chance to speak, Minato Namikaze looked at Jin Uchiha and asked, "Elder Uchiha, what are your thoughts on the composition of the Inspection Department?"

Without hesitation, Uchiha Jin said directly, "The head of the Inspection Department will be Uchiha Setsuna, the eldest elder of my Uchiha clan. As for the two deputy heads... I recommend that Elder Hyuga Hiashi take on one of them concurrently. The law enforcement personnel of the Inspection Department can also be selected from the Hyuga clan ninjas first!"

"The Hyuga clan is a great clan with a history of thousands of years. Elder Hiashi Hyuga received elite education from a young age, so his character is absolutely impeccable. He will not be swayed by petty gains and can maintain fairness to the greatest extent possible!"

In Uchiha Jin's view, the candidates for the position of inspectorate should definitely be people from large clans, especially the Hyuga clan!

After all, with the Hyuga clan's wealth, they certainly don't lack money. Compared to profit, they definitely value fame more!

Furthermore, the Hyuga clan's family education is relatively rigid, and they place great importance on rules and doctrines, making them the perfect candidates for inspectors!

After a pause, Uchiha Jin added, "In addition, to supplement the investigation capabilities of the Inspection Department, elite ninjas can be selected from the Uchiha, Nara, Yamanaka, Inuzuka, and Aburame clans to serve in the department!"

The Sharingan of the Uchiha clan, the intelligence of the Nara clan, the Mind Transfer Technique of the Yamanaka clan, and the tracking, reconnaissance, and investigation abilities of the Inuzuka and Aburame clans.

The people from the clans that were named by Uchiha Jin are basically born to be inspectors.

Everyone could roughly guess what Uchiha Jin was thinking, so no one objected.

Those clans that were mentioned by Uchiha Jin naturally wouldn't pass up this windfall, so Uchiha Jin's proposal was approved after just a formality.

"What about the other deputy minister? Does anyone have a suitable candidate to recommend?"

This time, Minato Namikaze didn't look at King Uchiha anymore, but instead looked at everyone in the conference room.

This position was clearly reserved for commoner ninjas, so none of the clan ninjas spoke up.

However, choosing the right person for this position is not easy. After all, it is the second-in-command of a department, and it takes a lot of prestige and ability to hold the position!

After a moment of silence, Nara Shikaku spoke up: "I recommend Maruboshi Kosuke-senpai for this position!"

"Although Maruboshi Kosuke-senpai is only a genin at the moment, I think everyone has heard about his situation!"

"He is qualified for this position in terms of both experience and ability!"

Everyone's eyes lit up upon hearing this; Maruboshi Kosuke was indeed a good candidate!

In terms of seniority, Kosuke Maruboshi was a subordinate of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, and his Water Release ninjutsu was a true inheritance from Tobirama Senju!

In terms of strength, Kosuke Maruboshi was capable of becoming a Jonin decades ago, but he has remained a Genin due to some unresolved issues.

Moreover, Kosuke Maruboshi was a commoner ninja, and he had a very high reputation in the village!

only......

"Ahem, I have no objection to Maruboshi Kosuke taking on this position, but will Maruboshi Kosuke accept this appointment?"

"As far as I know, Senior Maruboshi Kosuke had an accident during his first mission, which left him with a deep-seated resentment. He no longer wanted to be a team leader and has maintained his status as a genin ever since."

"It would be very difficult to persuade him to take on the role of head of a department now!"

A ninja who was acquainted with Maruboshi Kosuke coughed and spoke hesitantly.

Nara Shikaku confidently replied, "Don't worry about that. I'm confident I can persuade Maruhoshi Kosuke-senpai to come out of retirement!"

After a pause, Nara Shikaku explained, "Firstly, the position of the deputy head of the inspection department does not require leading teams out of the village to carry out routine missions, so this does not contradict Maruhoshi Kosuke's idea."

"Secondly, one of the two vice ministers of the Inspection Department is in charge of logistics and archives, and Senior Maruhoshi Kosuke is getting old, so it's good to let him do some light work."

"Given Maruhoshi Kosuke's personality, I think as long as the situation is explained clearly, he won't refuse the village's appointment!"

Nara Shikaku's explanation was reasonable and well-founded, and everyone nodded in agreement.

Minato Namikaze did not make a decision immediately, but instead looked at Jin Uchiha.

Uchiha Jin remained silent, but his mind was filled with information related to Maruboshi Kosuke.

There's a saying that the strongest ninja in Konoha Village isn't the Hokage, nor the elite Jonin, but the Genin!

What's that saying again? When the Jonin of Konoha fight, they fight over pots and pans; when the Genin of Konoha fight, they fight to destroy the world!

The reason why Konoha's genin are so outstanding, besides the two overpowered characters Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, is because of the two perennial genin, Might Guy and Kosuke Maruboshi!

Might Guy used the Eight Gates technique to turn the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist into a bunch of hapless clowns, and Kosuke Maruboshi even outlived the Fourth Hokage, obtaining a part of their legacy and learning their signature ninjutsu!

Moreover, unlike Might Guy, who had been hiding his abilities for many years, Kosuke Maruboshi's strength was well-known, and fame and fortune were within his grasp!

Under these circumstances, the fact that Maruboshi Kosuke was able to work diligently and conscientiously in Konoha for decades speaks volumes about his character!

With that in mind, Uchiha Jin didn't hesitate any longer and nodded slightly to Namikaze Minato.

Seeing this, Minato Namikaze also spoke up, saying, "Then it's decided. I'll ask Class Rep. Nara to talk to Kosuke Maruboshi!"

Nara Shikaku nodded and said, "Understood, I guarantee I will complete the mission!"

With Nara Shikaku's words, the main points to be discussed at this Jonin meeting had been covered. All that remained was to put the resolutions made at the meeting into practice after it adjourned.

However, just as everyone was waiting for Minato Namikaze to announce the end of the meeting, King Uchiha spoke up again.

"Please wait a moment, everyone," Uchiha Jin said, drawing everyone's attention. "I have something to explain to you all."

Everyone turned to look, wondering what Uchiha Jin was going to say next.

Uchiha Jin didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "What I want to talk about is something related to the orphans in the village!"

Uchiha Jin had promised Yakushi Nonou that he would formally integrate the Konoha Orphanage into the village's administrative system, so naturally he wouldn't go back on his word.

Nara Shikaku asked with some doubt, "The village has always handled the resettlement of those heroes' orphans very well. Is there a problem with that?"

Nara Shikaku's doubts were shared by everyone in the meeting room; they didn't understand Uchiha Jin's intention in saying this.

Seeing this, Uchiha Jin also sighed slightly, his feelings were very complicated.

In this world, not all orphans are the same!

Konoha Village has always had a systematic approach to resettling orphans who have lost both parents and have no other living relatives.

Even if their parents died in battle outside the village, they usually still left behind a business in the village.