21 Chapter 21

"And before you say anything about it being Naruto's inheritance, don't worry. I have already handed over all the original copies and the related items to my master. As Mito-sama's granddaughter, she is part Uzumaki and qualified to be Naruto's guardian. Until he is ready, she will hold onto these items on the Uzumaki clan's behalf," Kazuki stated, outsmarting the cunning old man, leaving Tsunade chuckling at the exchange.

"Sigh, fine. Both my disciple and grand disciple hate me. Shikaku, what the village is most interested in are those medical scrolls. What would it take for the Nara clan to part with the creation method of these scrolls?" Hiruzen redirected his attention to Shikaku, hoping to gain some advantage.

"Old man, are you ignoring me? I am the creator of those scrolls. You don't expect the Nara clan to hand over the golden egg-laying goose for a chump change, do you?" Kazuki questioned, fully aware of Shikaku's respect for Hiruzen.

"Kazuki, quiet down. I apologise on the kid's behalf, Sandaime-sama. However, the Nara clan has no intention of handing over the creation method, as this is something that would help us strengthen our family's foundation. I have already decided that the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi families will be establishing a joint venture to sell these scrolls directly. As for the village, we are able to provide a set number of scrolls each year as a tribute. There are different levels of scrolls, and we can discuss the specific number at a later time. As an added benefit, we can provide the scrolls for purchase for village use and the Sarutobi clan at a discounted price," Shikaku explained, having already discussed these matters with Kazuki.

"Fine, that's doable. I hope Nara will provide an agreeable price. Now, let's talk about those special medicines that I have heard about from Taiki. Other than the highest versions, I suggest the Nara clan share the recipes for the lowest and mid-level medicines for the benefit of the village. This way, I can even defend the Nara clan when the other clans accuse the Nara of monopolising business and acting against the self-interest of others," Hiruzen proposed. Shikaku nodded in agreement, recognising the necessity of such concessions in a village structure where mutual benefits were crucial to maintaining harmony among clans.

"Old man, so tell me, what is the village willing to exchange? You have only been taking from the Nara. I don't see you offering anything in return," Kazuki challenged Hiruzen as if trying to defer payment for goods already procured.

"Kid, you lack patience. How greedy can you be? Here, take a look at this," Hiruzen said, passing a scroll over to Shikaku. Meanwhile, Kazuki took out an old, tattered scroll and handed it to Hiruzen.

"While my uncle goes through the terms, tell me, old man, what can you provide in exchange for this?" Kazuki inquired, his tone suggesting a business transaction. Hiruzen, waiting for Shikaku's assessment, was intrigued by Kazuki's actions. Tsunade, too, was curious about the ancient-looking scroll.

As Shikaku carefully reviewed the terms, Hiruzen opened the scroll Kazuki had handed him. To his surprise, the scroll contained an entire lineage of fire-related jutsu—a valuable treasure that likely belonged to a specific clan.

"Kid, where did you get this? Do you know the value of this scroll? Why not give this to Grandpa Hokage as a gift?" Hiruzen tried to coax Kazuki with a kind smile.

"Come now, old man, do you think I would have taken out this scroll if I didn't know its value? I want the entire copy of the personal notes of the Second and Fourth Hokage—no omissions—as well as two jutsus from the Scroll of Seals," Kazuki stated his request plainly. Hiruzen, taken aback, widened his eyes at the steep demand.

"Kid, you must be joking. Even with the best sealing masters on my end, I can barely extract two dozen jutsus from this scroll. I'm not even sure if I can get an S-class technique. Why would I exchange this for what you asked? This is too much, kid. Change your request; although I would like to add such a complete lineage to the village's archive, the price you ask for is too high," Hiruzen countered, showing his reluctance.

"I understand that you are a sealing master. Why don't I provide you with a complete copy of the Leaf's Fuinjutsu record? I'm sure it would help increase your knowledge," Hiruzen suggested; however, Kazuki was unimpressed by Hiruzen's offer. Hiruzen looked confused; although the Leaf's Fuinjutsu knowledge was not equal to the Uzumaki's, it still held a respectable amount of information about seals.

"Old man, just so you know, my master has provided me a copy of Grandma Mito's entire collection of knowledge about fuinjutsu and also the complete copy of the Senju clan's fuinjutsu. Do you still think that the leaf's sealing arts hold much exchange value for me?" Kazuki expressed the truth with a nonchalant expression, leaving Hiruzen feeling betrayed and reflecting on the unfairness of the situation.

Hiruzen looked at Tsunade with a betrayed look. These things were treasures that any village would fight tooth and nail for, and back when Hiruzen personally requested Tsunade to share a bit of this information, Tsunade had grown so angry, stating that it was her clan's legacy and no one would have access to it under any circumstances, and now she just casually passes them over to a five-year-old as a meeting gift. The world seemed so unfair to him.

"Ahem, Kazuki No matter what, he is still your master's sensei. Why not provide the old man with a few more things in exchange?"

Even Tsunade felt sorry for her sensei as her little prodigy tried to extort the old man for all he was worth.

"Fine, fine. Just because you requested it, Sensei. Fine, old man, on behalf of you being my Sensei's master, here you go." Kazuki said, pulling out two large scrolls from his storage scroll and passing them over to Hiruzen.

He explained in a casual manner, "This is the complete sealing formula for the 'Sixteenfold Restriction Seal' (Jūroku Jū Sei Fūin) and the 'Sixteen Lotus Harmony Seal' (Jūroku Renge Chōwa Fūin). Both of these seals are much more advanced than any seals that the Leaf currently has access to. Maybe the 'Reaper Death Seal' (Shiki Fūjin) is an exception, but they have varied functions, so I am not sure."

Except for Shikaku, both Tsunade and Hiruzen gasped at Kazuki's words. He casually mentioned that he was offering two seals of equal calibre to the "Reaper Death Seal." One has to know that the "Reaper Death Seal" was one of the highest-level kinjutsu that the Leaf village currently possesses. To casually take out two sealing formulas of the same level meant that Kazuki was simply a god-level talent when it came to sealing arts, and his proficiency must have long surpassed mere mastery.

With these two seals on the table, Hiruzen couldn't say that the value of the exchange was not enough. But as Hokage, he could only shamelessly ask his grand disciple for more benefits.

"Well, in that case, I can agree to the deal if you can provide me with the complete list of ninjutsu that you have extracted from this ancient scroll. Also, I would like you to design and provide me with a complete blueprint for the village barrier along with the defences, and I want you to do your absolute best when you design this defence blueprint for the village."

Hiruzen made a decision, knowing he was beaten. He really didn't have much to offer the kid in exchange, so he could only shamelessly ask Kazuki to help him with the village's defences.

Tsunade couldn't help but speak up: "Sensei, are you sure about letting Kazuki design an entire defence for the village? Don't you think it's too much? He is just five years old."

"Tsunade, you are underestimating the kid. If I am not wrong, the kid must have already reached the Grandmaster realm in Fuinjutsu, and the last one I personally knew who reached that stage was your grandmother; however, even she was only able to reach that stage in her sixties. Honestly, it would be simply a blessing for Konoha to have such a defensive barrier around it if the kid designed it. And are you by any chance doubting your own student's capability?" Hiruzen countered, as he could vaguely guess that the kid's knowledge of sealing arts was so profound that not using it for the benefit of the village would be beyond stupid.

Before Tsunade could respond, Shikaku interjected, "Sandaime sama, it would be an honour for the Nara clan to contribute to the village's safety. The kid will diligently work on the plans as per your request." Shikaku simply sent a glare in Kazuki's direction because he knew his nephew was planning to extort the old man again in the name of payment. If the village genuinely wanted to employ a Grandmaster-level sealing master, then the old man would have to dig deep into the village coffers.

"Fine, fine, Uncle. I will forego my salary on behalf of the Nara clan. However, are you sure about your earlier words, old man? Doing my best means that the resources needed to construct such a defence system will not be a simple matter. Are you sure the village can handle such a financial burden?"

Kazuki knew about the village's current financial status. Even though, with the help of the village's clans, they had no current financial problems, taking on such a project might be too much for the village to handle. Hiruzen couldn't help but waver.

"This... I am not sure."

Even though Hiruzen knew that the kid was wealthy, he couldn't shamelessly take advantage of the kid's generosity, as he had already waived off the fees for employing him to design the defences.

However, before he could retract his plans, his student, Tsunade, and the Jonin commander came to his rescue.

"The Senju clan will bear 20% of the total expenditure. I will also discuss this with the Uchiha to see if they can provide financial aid for the project. I am sure that they will agree to help."

Tsunade, who had the entire Senju fortune on her back, decided to help her sensei out of his awkward predicament. Even after the decline of the Senju bloodline, the Senju clan still had various establishments and businesses under its name, so the family still had a substantial amount of income each year. The Senju princess normally never touched this money for her personal expenses, as she had planned to assign this fortune to the village after her time.

"The three clans of Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi will jointly bear 20% of the total expenditure," Shikaku quickly added to the Senju's words, seizing the opportunity to contribute willingly to endeavours that benefit the village. It would be a significant boost to the prestige of these clans and increase their standing within the village. With the recent influx of fortune, the three clans combined should be able to contribute the said amount. Shikaku knew for a fact that the other two clan heads would only blame him if he missed such a good opportunity to increase their clans' standings within the village.

Hiruzen was genuinely moved. With the likes of Danzo, whom he had always trusted, betraying him, he realised he still had people in the village he could rely on and turned his soft gaze towards Kazuki.

"What are you looking at, old man? I have already waived off my wages. I am not sparing you one more Ryo out of my pocket," Kazuki stated as if he were being wronged by the three adults. The others couldn't help but laugh at his actions.

"It's not that, kid. I just wanted to know if you would like these contributions listed personally under your name or that of your clans. And can you also tell me the detailed number of jutsus that you have extracted from the scroll? I am sure that you have already done so. And kid, don't hide any jutsu. You have to give me the complete list."