This ninja in Naruto is unscientific

Chapter 421 Methods to Accelerate Negotiations

It's 11 p.m.

"Regarding Article 5, Paragraph 3, concerning the calculation method for the depreciation rate of deep groundwater exploration equipment, Sunagakure believes that due to the harsh geological environment of the Land of Wind, the depreciation rate should not be calculated according to the conventional standard, but must be increased by 15%, and half of this depreciation cost must be borne by Konoha's aid fund!"

The special advisor of Sunagakure Village, a gaunt old man with sunken eyes, was arguing vehemently with Yoshida Kazushima, his spittle flying everywhere.

Yoshida Kazushima suppressed the urge to yawn, opened the thick ledger, and prepared to launch a counterattack with a series of complex data.

And at the head of the conference table.

Minato Namikaze maintained his gentle smile, but if you looked closely, you would see that his deep blue eyes were filled with fine red blood vessels, and his smile appeared somewhat stiff.

As for Nishikawa Tetsu sitting next to him...

Nishikawa Tetsu rested his chin on his hands, seemingly listening attentively, but his gaze was unfocused and his mind was practically shut down.

"A 15% depreciation rate means millions of taels of bad debt every year. These guys who eat sand in the desert are more shrewd than Lu Shou."

Nishikawa Tetsu was wailing in his heart.

It's been a full ten days!

These village advisory groups are like tireless machines, arguing from eight in the morning to eleven at night every day, and they can argue for hours over the interests of two decimal places.

"These old fogies, don't they ever get any sleep?!"

Nishikawa Toru glanced at the special advisory groups of Iwagakure and Kumogakure across the way.

Huang Tu closed his eyes to rest, seemingly conserving his energy for the next round of debate.

Tsuchida, meanwhile, was holding a pen and rapidly calculating something in his notebook, his earnestness suggesting he was trying to extract a mountain of gold from Konoha's ledgers.

"No, if I keep going like this, I'll collapse and die in this conference room sooner or later!"

Nishikawa Tetsu suddenly sat up straight, a resolute glint in his eyes.

In order to leave work on time and get a good night's sleep, he had to resort to some "unconventional" methods to speed up this agonizing negotiation.

"Cough cough."

Nishikawa Toru cleared his throat, interrupting the argument between the old man from Sunagakure and Yoshida Kazushima.

"Everyone, it's getting late, and you're all tired. How about we take a ten-minute break, have some tea, and have a late-night snack to perk ourselves up?"

Nishikawa Tetsu smiled and pressed the service bell on the table.

A short while later, several Konoha staff members pushed a food cart in.

"Everyone, this is our Konoha-made invigorating and health-preserving tea, as well as a freshly made midnight snack."

Nishikawa Tetsu personally picked up a cup of tea with an eerie dark brown color and was still steaming, and handed it to the old man from Sunagakure.

"Please use it."

The old man from Sunagakure, unsuspecting, was still parched from arguing when he picked up his teacup and took a big gulp.

"Pfft—cough cough cough!"

The next second, the old man's eyes bulged out, his face instantly turned a deep liver color, and he spat out a mouthful of tea.

"What...what the hell is this?!"

The old man clutched his throat, feeling as if his taste buds had been subjected to a brutal attack.

It was a taste that was a mixture of bitterness, spiciness, and sourness, which went straight to the top of one's head.

"Oh my, this is good stuff."

Nishikawa Tetsu explained with an innocent look:

"This is a super-energizing tea made by our Konoha Hospital Medical Department, with a formula personally improved by Lady Tsunade. It contains extracts of Coptis chinensis and peppermint, as well as some special herbs. Although the taste is a little unique, its energizing effect is absolutely top-notch."

Nishikawa Tetsu pointed to the other consultants who were also grimacing in pain.

"Look everyone, doesn't it instantly dispel sleepiness?"

"This is clearly poison!" Tu Tai said with a bitter face, pushing the teacup far away, feeling that his tongue was already numb.

"Good medicine tastes bitter."

Nishikawa Tetsu shrugged, then changed the subject.

"Now that everyone's awake, shall we continue?"

Nishikawa Tetsu picked up a document from the table.

"Regarding the depreciation rate issue, Konoha's bottom line is: we will never compromise."

Nishikawa Tetsu's voice suddenly turned cold, no longer the agreeable and reasonable tone it had before.

"Since Sunagakure feels that the environment in the Land of Wind is harsh and causes significant wear and tear on equipment, then we in Konoha can understand. In order to minimize losses..."

Nishikawa Tetsu threw the document on the table, on which were written alternative plans for transferring the project to the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass.

"I think the lands of the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass might be more suitable for Konoha's technology. After all, there is plenty of rain there, the depreciation rate is low, and... the cooperation terms they have proposed are much more generous than yours."

Nishikawa Tetsu leaned back in his chair, his fingers interlaced, his gaze sweeping over each of the advisors present.

"Everyone, Konoha's plan to create a community of shared destiny is for everyone's benefit. But please remember, Konoha is not a charity."

"If everyone feels that Konoha's conditions are too harsh, we can terminate the negotiations at any time. Anyway, there are plenty of villages waiting in line for these technologies."

These words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

The advisors, who had been arguing endlessly over a tiny bit of profit, suddenly fell silent.

Looking at the alternative plans on the table, and then at Nishikawa Tetsu's arrogant "sign or don't, it's up to you" attitude, they all felt a strong sense of crisis.

Yes, Konoha's technology is unique.

If Konoha really gives these projects to those small villages, then the advantage of the five great ninja villages will be completely lost!

"Vice Minister Nishikawa, this is... this is..." The Sunagakure member pointed at Nishikawa Tetsu in anger, but couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.

"I'm just stating a fact."

Nishikawa Tetsu yawned and glanced at the clock on the wall.

"It's 11:15 now, and I only have 45 minutes left to spare."

"If everyone cannot reach a consensus on these details before midnight tonight..."

Nishikawa Tetsu stood up and straightened his clothes.

"Then, tomorrow's meeting is canceled, and I will formally submit the alternative plan to the Hokage."

"Now, the choice is in your hands."

Looking at the village advisors across from him, who were staring at each other and had finally stopped their endless arguing, Nishikawa Tetsu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phew... We've finally managed to keep those old foxes in check."

He maintained his cold expression on the surface, but only he and Minato Namikaze sitting next to him knew that the alternative plan he had arrogantly thrown on the table was actually just an empty shell.

During the ten-minute break just now, Nishikawa Tetsu suddenly had an idea. He grabbed a stack of blank papers and wrote a title on the top sheet in a flamboyant style.

As for the following content?

Apart from a few drops of tea that were accidentally splashed on, there wasn't actually a single word.

If Tutai or Huangtu had even the slightest suspicion at this moment, and reached out to flip through that document, Nishikawa Tetsu's act would be exposed on the spot.

Fortunately, the terrifying strength that Konoha had previously displayed and Nishikawa Tetsu's natural aura successfully intimidated everyone.

Minato Namikaze used the act of drinking tea to conceal the smile on his lips, and subtly gave Nishikawa Tetsu a thumbs up. Tetsu really knows how to handle things.

Just then.

A muffled "bang" was heard.

Nara Shikaku, who was sitting next to Minato and was in a semi-conscious state, bumped his head on the table.

Shikaku suddenly raised his head, his pineapple-shaped haircut looking a little messy.

He opened his bloodshot, bewildered eyes, looked around the suddenly quiet conference room, then at Nishikawa Tetsu, who had stood up, and asked in a hoarse voice:

"What happened? Everyone's silent... Has the negotiation finally broken down? Can I go back to sleep now?"

Lu Jiu had been working through two consecutive nights calculating data, and his brain was completely shut down. His only wish was to lie down on a soft bed and get a good night's sleep.

Nishikawa Tetsu looked at Shikaku's miserable state and wanted to laugh, but he had to hold it in in order to maintain his persona.