Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

"Monkey, why is this different from what we agreed on?"

Mitokado Homura quietly nudged Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was feigning death beside him, and asked in a low voice,
"It must be because you didn't wipe your butt properly."

"Now what?"

Seeing how skillfully Hiruzen Sarutobi shifted the blame, Mitokado Homura, whose expression grew increasingly grim, lost interest in arguing with him and instead inquired about countermeasures.

"Don't worry, the sealing team has done a good job over the years. There has never been a problem with the village's barrier. It shouldn't be a big issue."

Hiruzen Sarutobi knew Tobirama Senju well. This strict teacher was a complete results-oriented person; regardless of the process, as long as the final result met his expectations, he wouldn't delve into the experiences along the way.

“It better be this way”

The well-reasoned reassurance eased Mitokado Homura's mind considerably. Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi had said, his sealing squad had won the Outstanding Unit Award for five consecutive years, and their contributions to the village were evident to everyone.

Is the sealing squad leader present?

On the other side, following Tobirama Senju's angry summons, Mitomon Kō, drenched in sweat, stepped out of the crowd, shakily adjusted his glasses, and replied with a forced smile.

"My subordinate is here."

"Mitomon Koki, report on the daily main tasks and deployment of the sealing team members."

Glancing at Mitokado Homura's ashen face out of the corner of his eye, Tobirama Senju asked expressionlessly,
"Ah this."

This question left Mitomon Kō completely bewildered. He was merely a stamp-issuing tool; ever since assuming the position of seal-issuing squad leader, aside from collecting rice, flour, oil, and other benefits from the unit during holidays, he basically never went to the office for tea.
"The sealing team is mainly responsible for maintaining the village's defensive perception barrier. All members work in shifts 24 hours a day to maintain the array eyes at four confidential locations to ensure the effectiveness and timeliness of the barrier."

Under Tobirama Senju's invisible pressure, he managed to recall the content he had casually glanced at, relying on his ninja's memory.

"call"

Seeing this, Mitokado Yan, whose palms were sweating profusely, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh."

Tobirama Senju gave a nonchalant "oh," and just as Mitomon Kiyo thought he had escaped unscathed, he continued,

“According to your records, the sealing team has a total of 88 members. Excluding the cooks, cleaners, and security personnel, there are 80 people left responsible for the maintenance of the barrier. The number of people has remained the same for several years, but why are the fees you are asking for getting higher and higher?”

"this."

Mitomon Kyou was momentarily speechless, and couldn't help but steal a glance at her cousin, her eyes pleading for help behind her glasses.

He was just a stamper; how would he know why so much funding was needed?
Seeing this, Mitokado Homura knew he could no longer stand idly by, so he stepped forward and solemnly explained to Senju Tobirama,

"Teacher, you may not know this, but inflation has been severe in recent years and prices have soared. If wages and benefits do not increase in line with these increases, it may discourage grassroots workers in the village."

Is that so?

Tobirama Senju glanced indifferently at his impatient disciple, nodded slightly, and then looked at Mitomon Kyou, whose face was filled with relief.

"Let's put the funding issue aside for now and ask you another question."

"Please speak, esteemed advisor."

As long as it's not a matter of money, everything is negotiable.

"I need a list of the sealing team members. Can you write it up for me on the spot?"

Seeing the paper and pen land steadily in front of her, Mitomon Koji's face instantly turned even paler than the paper.

"My esteemed advisor, this..."

"Hurry up and write it down. As the leader of the sealing squad, you don't even know the names of your subordinates, do you?"

Mitomon Kō shakily picked up the pen, but the pen tip, suspended high in the air, simply wouldn't move.
It wasn't that he didn't know the list of members, but rather that he knew the actual situation all too well.

The sealing team recorded in the archives as consisting of 80 people actually didn't have 80 people at all; in fact, they couldn't even muster eight people. The professional team was smaller than the logistics team.

"Monkey! Didn't you just promise that nothing would happen?"

Mitokado felt like her scalp was about to explode. How could the teacher know that the Sealing Class was just an empty shell?
Someone is definitely setting him up!

"I swear, it wasn't me."

Overwhelmed by a storm of emotions, Hiruzen Sarutobi could no longer maintain his composure; beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

At the same time, his suspicious gaze subtly swept over the people around him.
Only a handful of people know about the Sealing Squad, and the mole is among them!

"Write it! You can't write it, can you?"

Senju Tobirama coldly stared at Mitomon Akira, who remained motionless with his pen, then slammed the document in his hand in front of him.
"This is."

Looking at the confidential business outsourcing contract that had passed through his hands, Mitomon Kiyo nearly fainted.
"Who gave you the audacity to outsource the village's most core responsibilities to a foreign company that isn't even a local enterprise?"

"what?"

"Nani!"

"Sealing Team? Outsourced?"

Tobirama Senju's words were like a bombshell, leaving all the unsuspecting Jonin representatives stunned. They stared in disbelief at Mitokado Kiyo, who was slumped on the ground, their eyes filled with horror.

"The Sealing Squad could actually do something like this?"

Even though Uchiha Lucha thought he had weathered many storms and possessed excellent composure, he was still shocked by this news, his eyebrows twitching.
"Tsk tsk tsk, this is serious! Overstating project personnel, falsifying personnel and financial records, outsourcing core departmental operations—this time, Minion is probably going to be in jail for life!"

Uchiha Gin, standing to the side, wore an expression of schadenfreude, his dead fish eyes darting back and forth between the two Mito brothers, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Uchiha Setsuna, whose expression remained as calm as still water, and a strange look of contemplation appeared in his eyes.

"Setsuna, you don't seem very surprised?"

"Didn't I look surprised enough?"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Setsuna turned his head away, forcefully tugging at the corners of his mouth, feigning shock in a way that couldn't be more convincing.

This undoubtedly confirms Uchiha Gin's conjecture: the revelation of the sealing team's secrets is almost certainly related to Uchiha Setsuna.
Although it's unclear why Uchiha Setsuna would sabotage his former protector, Uchiha Gin, who knows him well, knows that this isn't the end of the story.
"Your expression is great!"

After teasing the fake-startled boy Setsuna in a strange tone, Uchiha Gin pulled out a large bag of popcorn from the four-dimensional chrysanthemum behind him and began to eat it with relish.

"Teacher, there must be some misunderstanding here. It's better to wait until we investigate before making a decision."

Even with irrefutable evidence, Mitomon Homura still wanted to make a final stand; she couldn't just watch the Mitomon clan's cash cow wither away.

"Yan, I remember the Sealing Class was also under your management. Were you aware of this?"

However, Tobirama Senju was not fooled by his delaying tactics and instead questioned him, the actual leader of the sealing team.
"This disciple is completely unaware of this."

How could Mitokado Yan possibly admit it in front of so many people? Leaving aside the serious violations of regulations such as falsifying project personnel and financial expenditures, the mere fact that he outsourced core village operations is enough to land him in jail for life.

Entrusting the responsibility of maintaining the barrier to others is tantamount to betraying the village.

"So, you did all of this?"

Tobirama Senju gave his righteous disciple a deep look, then turned to Mitomon Kyou, who was slumped on the ground with lifeless eyes, and asked,

"Subordinate"

Despairing, Mitomon Kō didn't dare raise his head. He knew he absolutely couldn't betray his cousin, otherwise the entire Mitomon clan would be implicated.
The only way to save the family now is for him to shoulder all the responsibility alone.
"This was done by one of my subordinates."

call.
Upon hearing this, Mitokado Homura breathed a sigh of relief, but his face wore an expression of deep sorrow.

"Little Huang, how could you be so foolish!"

"Hmph! Drag him away and throw him into the dungeon."

Seeing the resolute expression on Mitomon Kō's face, and then glancing at the affected disciple, Senju Tobirama snorted coldly. He didn't expose her, but instead gestured for someone to escort her away.
But after waiting for a long time, no ANBU members came forward. Tobirama Senju's face instantly turned extremely gloomy. It seemed that the ANBU he had once established to serve the village had become someone's private army.
Seeing the somewhat awkward atmosphere, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a pang of anxiety, inwardly cursing his trained subordinate for lacking any sense of propriety, allowing his teacher to embarrass himself at a time like this.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up!"

"Yes, sir!"

However, before he could order the lurking agents to advance, a cold voice rang out from the crowd.

"Crack!"

Then several bloodshot-eyed ninjas appeared and skillfully handcuffed Mitokado Kyou, who was lying on the ground.

"The security force?"

"Isn't this overstepping one's bounds?"

The sudden turn of events startled everyone present. Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others turned deathly pale, while only Tobirama Senju, after a brief moment of stunned silence, revealed a satisfied smile.

"Captain Setsuna, thank you for your help."

"Apprehending suspects and maintaining security in Konoha is the duty of our security force."

Following Tobirama Senju's voice, Setsuna Uchiha, having straightened his clothes, stepped gracefully out from the crowd. He gave a respectful but firm bow, then turned to look at his security detail.

"Take him away and keep him under strict guard, awaiting the advisor's decision."

"Oh my gosh~ How did these two get together?"

This scene also stunned Uchiha Gin, who was just watching the show. He had thought that Setsuna was setting a trap for Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others, but he never expected that these two mortal enemies from the original timeline would actually join forces in secret. He was so shocked that he almost dropped his popcorn.

"Teacher, while investigating the truth is important, the safety of the village's barrier cannot be compromised. Perhaps we should temporarily suspend the meeting and deal with the barrier issue first." Sensing an impending conspiracy, Hiruzen Sarutobi exchanged a glance with Homura Mitokado beside him, then stepped forward, their faces filled with anxiety, and suggested.
"The Hokage is right. Mitomon Hiroshi actually outsourced the barrier work to ninjas from other countries. Doesn't that mean the village is constantly in extreme danger?"

"Maybe the village is already full of spies by now!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's words ignited the anxiety of everyone present. What difference was there between Mitomon Kō's behavior and handing over the key to his wife's chastity belt to someone else for safekeeping?
"quiet!"

Just then, Tobirama Senju raised his hand to silence the noisy crowd and held up a backup copy of the outsourcing contract.

"Things aren't actually as bad as you think. Mitomon Yoro does have some brains. Although he outsourced the maintenance of the barrier to ninjas from other countries, at least those ninjas won't do anything to harm Konoha."

"what?"

Seeing the bewildered looks on everyone's faces, Tobirama Senju revealed the cover of the contract in his hand, revealing a large swirling national emblem.

"The business was outsourced to the Land of Whirlpools?"

"That's right, they are the true authorities when it comes to sealing techniques."

"Hey, so you're a cousin of the First Generation Lord. I was worried for nothing."

Upon learning that the ninja who accepted the outsourcing contract came from the Land of Whirlpools, all the Jonin representatives present breathed a sigh of relief.
As is widely known, the Uzumaki and Senju clans were once close relatives who supported each other, and Konoha and the Land of Whirlpools have maintained a long-standing exchange of resources.
The village not only boasts the famous Uzushiogakure-style street, but even the current ninja academy was built with donations from Uzushiogakure, demonstrating the close relationship between the two countries.

"But what angers me the most is that the village has allocated so much funding to train sealing arts talents, but after so many years, there isn't even one person who can stand on their own."

With a cold expression, Tobirama Senju slammed the contract in his hand onto the table.
"The Land of Whirlpools only sent four people, yet they did a job that would have required 80 of yours perfectly!"

Indeed, the lack of ambition of the sealing class was what Tobirama Senju found most frustrating. Money can be earned back, but if the will to improve is lost, the village will be ruined.

"Teacher, please calm down. Sealing techniques are a difficult skill to master. Mitomon Yoro was worried that the village's barrier would malfunction, so he took it upon himself to hire experts from the Land of Whirlpools. Although his actions were inappropriate, his intentions were good!"

Seeing this, Mitokado En quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, attempting to subtly shift the narrative and portray Mitokado Kiyo's illegal actions as a disguised expression of love for the village.

"Shut up. I will investigate this matter thoroughly. Right is right, wrong is wrong. I will make my own judgment."

Looking coldly at his increasingly unfamiliar disciple, Tobirama Senju took a deep breath and opened another file.
"Next up is the medical department."

"what?"

Koharu, who had been keeping a low profile the whole time, trembled upon hearing this, her beautiful black eyes filled with astonishment.

"Xiaochun, explain to your teacher why the outer packaging of the Konoha first aid kit that your medical department independently developed has a label from the Land of Waves?"

"Aren't the Konoha first aid kits sold by the medical department manufactured in Konoha?"

"Are all those claims of being far ahead just OEM products?"

A heated discussion erupted from the crowd. They were all Jonin on missions, and minor bumps and scrapes were inevitable; almost everyone carried a Konoha first-aid kit.
Even though it's expensive, every ninja who believes in the Will of Fire will grit their teeth and support this "country-made" product, given its advertised selling point of being independently developed. Besides, its healing effects are indeed quite good.

Now you're telling them that the expensive first-aid kits they've used for so many years are actually just medical kits from the Land of Waves, costing less than a third of that price. No one can accept being treated like dirt by their own people.
"Teacher, please let me explain. We did use some parts from the Land of Waves, but the core technology of the Konoha First Aid Kit has always been firmly in our hands."

Pale-faced Koharu stepped forward, attempting to mislead the audience with her professional insights.
"Oh? Then tell me, what exactly is this core technology?"

"Uh, this technology involves village secrets, so I cannot disclose it. If you really want to know, I can submit a detailed document to you later."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Koharu Utatane couldn't very well say that her core technique was the Will of Fire, and that carrying a Konoha first-aid kit would automatically increase the effectiveness of her treatments by 30% each year.

"Good, good~ Xiaochun, you've really grown up."

Tobirama Senju had already investigated and found that the Konoha First Aid Kit project, from its inception, was a shell company designed to siphon off village funds.

The research and development funds were all collected by Xiaochun through various channels and given to the dormitory residents. Only one percent of the funds were used to replace the packaging, and the villagers were deceived by the use of OEM products.

"Captain Setsuna, send men to seal off the medical department's warehouse immediately, confiscate all Konoha first aid kits, and await professional testing."

"Yes!"

Seeing how cooperative Uchiha Setsuna was, Tobirama Senju suddenly felt that the Uchiha weren't so bad after all.

Indeed, obedient Uchiha are the good Uchiha.

"Oh no, monkey, am I next?"

Seeing Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu fall from grace one after another, Akimichi Torifu, feeling somewhat uneasy, said to Sarutobi Hiruzen with a bitter expression in a low voice.
"You embezzled too?"

Looking at the chubby-faced Akimichi Torifu with a face full of surprise, he didn't expect that his honest and kind old classmate would make the same mistake as them.
"I bring several meals home from get off work every day for a late-night snack. What if my teacher finds out?"

"."

"logistics department."

Before Akimichi Torifu could finish speaking, Tobirama Senju's roll call rang in their ears. Startled and feeling guilty, Tobirama immediately stood at attention, his belly fat nearly sending Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was listening intently, flying.
"To!"

"Taking the wind. Haha~"

Seeing his disciple's pale and distressed face, Tobirama Senju, whose expression was serious, suddenly chuckled a few times and beckoned him to sit down.

"You've done a great job. The purchasing accounts are clear, and every expense is traceable. You deserve praise."

Compared to the impeccable work results, the dirt that Uchiha Setsuna presented, including the fact that Tofu regularly brought out his own meals for work, seemed harmless, even a little bit heartbreaking.

"Hiruzen, huh?"

A bewildered Akimichi Torifu sat back down, intending to continue his discussion with Hiruzen Sarutobi beside him, only to find the latter staring intently at him with a look full of suspicion, as if trying to pierce through his thick layer of fat.
"Qu Feng, tell the truth, did you betray us?"

"Betray you? What kind of person do you take me for!"

Seeing that Akimichi Torifu's resentment didn't seem fake, Sarutobi Hiruzen subconsciously shifted his gaze to Kagami not far away, but he quickly dismissed the idea that Kagami was the mole.

Uchiha Kagami, who was often away on patrol, rarely returned to the village and was completely unaware of their deliberately concealed corrupt practices.

But besides that, who else is there?
Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his goatee, his eyes filled with confusion.

and many more!

Suddenly, he turned sharply to look at Danzo, who was silent beside him. At times like these, the one who doesn't speak is the most suspicious!
"Is it you?"

"Tailed Beast Rider Management Department".

Just as he was about to ask questions, the name of a somewhat unfamiliar department echoed in everyone's ears.

"Huh? Does the village have such a department?"

"I vaguely remember it, but I've never seen it before."

Seeing the murmuring crowd, Danzo, as the department head, slowly rose to his feet, and Tobirama Senju nodded.

"Danzo, I can leave everything else aside for now, but there's one thing: Hisana has been a Tailed Beast Knight for so many years, working diligently for the village. Why haven't she received the benefits and treatment she's entitled to?"

Upon hearing this, everyone instantly realized that the advisor was seeking justice for his daughter.

Do you really want me to say it?

When this issue was raised, Danzo appeared unusually conflicted.
"Just say it."

Tobirama Senju sneered inwardly. Ever since she became the second Nine-Tails Knight after her gender-swapped transformation, she had been living a life of hardship.

Not only do they have to do S-level missions for the village for free, but they also have to hand over the loot they collect during the missions to the department. They can barely make ends meet all year round and rely on their younger sister for support.
"Alright, since you insist, Master, then I will no longer hide it."

As Danzo spoke, he slowly took out a long-forgotten ledger from his ninja tool pouch behind him and presented it with both hands.
"This is?"

With a puzzled look, Tobirama Senju opened the yellowed cover. His expression shifted several times in a short period as he read the contents, finally settling on a look of deep apology.

"Danzo, you..."

"This is what a disciple should do."

Danzo didn't say much, just stood there quietly, but in Tobirama Senju's eyes, he appeared exceptionally tall.
The reason was simple: the ledger in his hand contained records of Danzo repaying the debts owed by the Land of Waves Bank to Senju Hisami, dating back to the time when the Senju clan disintegrated.

No wonder she received far fewer bank collection letters after becoming a Tailed Beast Knight; it turns out Danzo was systematically and regularly repaying most of his debts.
Seeing Tobirama Senju staring intently at him, Danzo suddenly scratched his head a little embarrassedly.

"I was worried that Miss Hishin was too young and might easily lose herself if she suddenly had a large sum of money, so I took it upon myself to withhold her salary and bonuses to repay the debts owed by the Senju clan back then."

Senju Hisama is, after all, his teacher's orphan. He can't just watch her become homeless, can he?
"You're very kind. I'll bring Fei Zhen to thank you in person when I get downstairs."

Although he ultimately had to use his own money to pay off his debts, Danzo had done an extraordinary job to have gone this far and persisted for so long. So, he decided to put aside the issue of Root's funding for now.

"That Danzo guy, he actually pulled this stunt behind our backs!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi, standing to the side, was furious as he watched Danzo chatting happily with Tobirama Senju. He almost choked with rage. "We agreed to embezzle and corrupt together, how come you're secretly running Project Hope?"
"The last one, the Dark Division."

"what?"

the last one?
Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was biting his handkerchief, froze. This wasn't the scene he had imagined. Shouldn't it be the Konoha Police Force that was being investigated and punished? Why hadn't they been mentioned at all?
"Anbu? That's a department directly under the Hokage's jurisdiction!"

"Could it be that the Hokage also has a problem?"

"Shh, are you out of your mind? Those guys are nearby."

This single act caused a huge stir. The Jonin representatives, who hadn't expected the Anbu to have problems, exchanged bewildered glances, all seeing the same look of utter confusion in each other's eyes.
"Teacher, is there a problem with the Dark Division?"

Amidst the skepticism, Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly regained his composure, raising his head and looking resolutely at Tobirama Senju. He was certain that the Anbu's budget was absolutely impeccable.

Tobirama Senju shook his head and slowly pulled a blurry photograph shrouded in ambiguous neon light from an envelope on the table.
"A problem? I wonder if a matter of conduct counts as a problem." (End of Chapter)