bookbashuk Chapter 513 The Third Generation's Late-Night Overtime: So Sour It's Deformed
Chapter 513 The Third Generation's Late-Night Overtime: So Sour It's Deformed
The interior of the tent was much more elaborate than I had expected.
A thick military rug was laid on the ground, and it felt soft underfoot.
A simple bed was placed on the inner side, with the bedding neatly folded.
In the center of the tent was a low table, and on the table—
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused for a moment.
A wooden fruit plate, piled high with fruit, sat on a low table.
Apples, pears, and a few bunches of purplish-red grapes, washed clean, gleamed with a moist sheen in the candlelight. Next to the fruit platter was a pot of hot tea, wisps of steam rising from its spout.
On the other side, there was a dish of pickled plums and two rice balls wrapped in oil paper.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood there for three seconds.
Then the curtain fell behind him.
The footsteps of the Cloud Village ninja outside gradually faded into the distance.
Hiruzen Sarutobi walked to the low table, bent down and sat down, his knee hitting the cot with a dull thud. He picked up an apple, flipped it over in his hand, and then took a bite.
Crispy. Sweet. The juice bursts in your mouth, seeping into the back of your tongue through your teeth.
"I didn't expect it to taste so good..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi took another bite of the apple, chewed it a couple of times, and then pulled out a scroll sealed with three layers of sealing wax from his pocket.
This was given to him by Lu Jiao before he left. On the cover, four words were written in the man's usual messy handwriting: "Village Newspaper".
Once the sealing wax is removed, the scroll is unrolled.
Page 1, Monthly Financial Report.
"...Tax revenue this month increased by 1.2% compared to last month, with the main growth drivers being the thirteen newly opened shops in the southern section of the commercial district, as well as tram ticket revenue..."
Tram.
Hiruzen Sarutobi swallowed the apple in his mouth and continued reading.
"...The chakra-storage light bulbs, spearheaded by Research Team Zero, have completed their third batch production and are expected to cover the entire Hokage Avenue and the Ninja Academy teaching buildings by the end of this month... Orochimaru's team has submitted a test report for the new generation of Lightning Release energy storage batteries. The continuous power supply time of a single battery has been increased from eight hours in the first generation to eleven hours. See the attachment for details..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi scrolled to the attachment.
It was written by Orochimaru himself. The handwriting was sharp, as precise as the skeleton of a snake—every stroke was exactly in place, not a bit more or less.
"...In conclusion, if the fourth-generation improved version of the Lightning Release energy storage battery passes the stress test before this winter, Konoha will have the basic conditions to lay out a small-scale household power grid throughout the village. At that time, each household will be able to obtain stable lighting and basic heating. The budget for this project—"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's lips twitched.
Turn it over.
I won't look at the budget. I won't look at it. My heart can't take it.
The second report comes from Danzo.
"The Konoha Avenue project was completed on the 15th of this month, with 92% of the shops along the route already occupied. The third expansion of the Namaka River Reservoir has been completed, increasing the daily water supply by 10%. Also: the Konoha Line 1 tram has been in trial operation for 918 days with zero accidents. However, Akimichi Torifu was eating barbecue on the tram and burned a hole in the seat; he has been ordered to pay compensation."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's lips twitched.
My car! Is this thing still eating barbecue in the cargo compartment?
"...Eleven new residential buildings were constructed this month, six of which are apartments for retired ninjas..."
How many buildings?
Hiruzen Sarutobi mentally calculated how many houses Konoha had built over the years, but gave up halfway through.
Too much.
Once Danzo found his footing in infrastructure, he went on a crazy spree of building skyscrapers.
He continued reading.
The third page contains Sakumo Hatake's quarterly agricultural report.
"The No. 3 greenhouse of the Constant Temperature Barrier Farm has been put into use, resulting in a 10% year-on-year increase in winter vegetable production. The new pollinator bred by the Aburame Clan has completed field testing, demonstrating an efficiency seven times that of artificial pollination. In addition, Uchiha Shisui proposed to develop a rooftop lawn on the top floor of the Tongtian Wooden Building for cultivating foxtail grass. This proposal has been submitted to Orochimaru for review. Attached: See page 3 for this month's farm net income report."
"...The total autumn yield of the Hengwen Barrier Farm Cluster increased by 3% compared to the same period last year, and the first batch of strawberries has been transplanted in the newly opened No. 3 greenhouse. The sauce-flavored products from the sand scorpion breeding base have received a warm response in the southeastern market of the Land of Fire—"
The third page unfolds, revealing a dense array of numbers arranged neatly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at it and silently did the math—this number was about three times the entire Hidden Leaf Village's half-year fiscal revenue more than a decade ago.
A farm.
three times.
Hiruzen Sarutobi watched it twice to make sure he hadn't misread it.
He put down the apple core, picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup, and took a sip.
The temperature is just right.
Page four is Tsunade's quarterly medical report.
"...Konoha Hospital's outpatient volume declined by 10% year-on-year this quarter, while two new inpatient departments were added. The third training program concluded, with a total of seventy-six intermediate-level medical ninjas passing the assessment. Director Tsunade specifically noted: 'Please, Hokage-sama, postpone the expansion of the fourth training program, because I want to rest...'"
These are Tsunade's original words.
Hiruzen Sarutobi could picture her writing those words—one hand supporting her chin, the other forcefully scribbling the words into the paper, with half-finished sake on the table.