The Daimyō's Palace—
Located just beneath the left side of Konoha's Hokage Rock, it stood a mere two streets away from the Konoha Hospital at the center of the village.
Enclosed by a three-meter-high perimeter wall, only a portion of the palace-style building protruded above the wall from the outside. Standing three stories tall, its overall height was only slightly lower than the Hokage Residence. Within its grounds lay pavilion terraces, water features, and carved beams with painted rafters—a scene of utmost luxury.
Previously, Hyuga Yu could only cast envious glances toward it while on his way to work, never having actually stepped foot inside. He could only watch as wealthy merchants came and went, alongside stylishly dressed landlords and nobles.
But now—
"Lord Tennin!"
"Lord Tennin!"
"Lord Tennin, please step inside! The esteemed lords are waiting for you!"
The pompous, pot-bellied wealthy merchants who used to act arrogantly now lined up at the entrance of the Daimyō's Palace, bowing and scraping, offering deep 90-degree bows to Hyuga Yu. Yet, they didn't even possess the qualification to strike up a conversation with him.
The various landlords and nobles—big and small—who used to be insufferably arrogant and look down on everyone else, now did a complete 180-degree turn in attitude. They appeared even more clingy than a woman in the honeymoon phase of love, every single one of them practically desperate to grovel at Yu's feet and polish his shoes.
Maintaining a expressionless composure, Yu remained utterly calm and impartially ignored everyone present. He cut straight through the crowd of flattering, bowing figures trying to strike up a conversation, guided by a servant past the high gates and into the main hall.
Soon, he arrived at the council chamber inside the palace.
Seated along one side of the long table in the council chamber were Konoha's current high command.
There were six people in total. Aside from the four fixed members of the Hokage Council of Elders—Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzō Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado—the Fourth Hokage candidates, Minato Namikaze and Orochimaru, were also seated among them.
In the middle of that side, right next to Danzō Shimura, an empty seat was reserved. That was Hyuga Yu's seat.
On the other side of the long table sat five high-ranking officials of the Land of Fire, dressed in black kimono and tall bureaucratic hats.
At the very head and center of the long table sat a middle-aged man around forty years old, dressed in a white kimono and holding a folding fan, his facial features carrying a slightly mean, harsh edge.
This was the current leader of the Land of Fire, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, whom Konoha nominally revered.
Yu's arrival drew the attention of everyone present. He said nothing, simply taking the seat next to Danzō upon a signal from Danzō's eyes.
"Well, now that everyone is here, let us speak of the topic for today's meeting—"
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke up first, looking toward the Daimyō of the Land of Fire.
The Daimyō nodded, gesturing with his folding fan toward the top-ranking Land of Fire official seated on the opposite side. Yu had an impression of this man; Terai had shown him intel on him upon his return to the village. He was the Minister of Finance of the Land of Fire, named Shōta Ōnishi.
At this moment, Shōta Ōnishi spoke up:
"We have summoned you all here today due to a sudden emergency—"
"Intel received today indicates..."
"Following the Land of Wind's announcement to close its borders and isolate itself several days ago, the Land of Fire's second-largest export partner, the Land of Water, also announced yesterday that it is closing its borders and entering isolation."
"Now, maritime trade is severed. Domestically produced timber, raw mineral materials, handmade textiles, and basic industrial goods are all piled up at the ports, completely unsold."
"On the other hand, to the northeast of the Land of Fire, the 'electrification' of the Land of Lightning has spread rapidly, drastically reducing its economic dependence on the Land of Fire..."
Listening to all this, Yu's expression remained unchanged.
Translating this simply in the context of the current situation in the ninja world:
Right now, the Land of Wind and the Land of Water have shut their doors and refused to play with you anymore;
Over in the Land of Earth, because a treaty has yet to be signed, a state of wartime hostility still persists, and trade routes are strictly blockaded;
The Land of Lightning itself has no reliance on the Land of Fire;
As a massive light-industrial nation, the Land of Fire has unexpectedly tumbled into a plight where it has lost virtually all of its markets.
At this point—
Koharu Utatane, who was responsible for auditing and appropriations on Konoha's end, vaguely caught the underlying meaning behind Shōta Ōnishi's words—
Namely, having fought the Third Shinobi World War to this point, Konoha had won; they had emerged victorious.
However, the Land of Fire had not.
Frowning, she glared at the official and demanded, "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"If this trend continues, our nation's currency system will collapse, our social fabric will be torn apart, and a massive wave of unemployment will erupt centered around the various feudal domains of the nobility..."
Shōta Ōnishi adjusted his glasses, speaking with a severe expression:
"In other words, although our nation has militarily defeated the entire world, in terms of our economic structure, we are on the verge of degrading into a 'traditional agricultural nation surrounded by new technology'. Can you understand what I am saying when I put it like this, Elder Koharu?"
Koharu Utatane let out a cold snort: "And what does that have to do with my Konoha?"
"When all is said and done, isn't it simply because you lot were too useless, losing repeatedly to the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth in the competition over industrial technology?"
Shōta Ōnishi did not snap back; he knew there would be no outcome to arguing over this point. Taking a deep breath, he looked at Konoha's leadership and said in a heavy voice:
"Our agenda for today is not about assigning blame—"
"Judging strictly by results, if this trend continues, the funding the Land of Fire pledged to Konoha will be reduced to 60% over at least the next five years. At the same time, in order to weather this crisis, the initial funds originally designated for Konoha—intended for the village's post-war economic reconstruction and post-war mission system allocation—will be recalled and replaced directly in the form of freely issued missions."
"This is a result calculated with extreme caution after consolidating all the assets of the various small-to-medium nobles within the Land of Fire."
Hearing this, the expressions of everyone present turned solemn.
Among them, Orochimaru revealed a look that clearly said, "Just as I expected."
None of the people sitting here were fools.
The reduction in funding and the recall of initial funds mentioned by Shōta Ōnishi were merely the smaller issues.
Because no matter whose salary the Land of Fire defaulted on, it was impossible for them to default on the salary of Konoha, the largest military faction.
The so-called "replaced directly in the form of freely issued missions" actually meant—
The Land of Fire would lift its controls over the market, leaving low-level merchants to compete freely without restricting their methods.
In order to acquire enough funds to weather the economic crisis, the Land of Fire would undergo a terrifying top-to-bottom reshuffling.
Through such an expanded purging operation, they would pay the funds owed to Konoha while facilitating the harvesting of property from middle-to-lower nobles and merchants by big capital, large landowners, and high nobility.
During this reshuffling process, the Konoha ninja population would serve as hitmen for the various factions, accepting missions, slaughtering one another, and earning commissions from it.
From this perspective, it was actually favorable for the ninja.
The mission market for ninja would expand further, and the income of the ninja population as well as the village's commission cuts would experience unprecedented growth.
And the price for this—
The Land of Fire would plunge into a period of extreme chaos and disorder until the free market completed a new round of capital reshuffling and established a new economic order.
Everyone present quickly thought of this layer, but their reactions varied greatly—
Hyuga Yu and Danzō Shimura frowned slightly;
Hiruzen Sarutobi was filled with deep anxiety;
Minato Namikaze's gaze remained calm, taking only a deep breath;
Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane exchanged a glance, their eyes communicating for a brief moment as if calculating something;
As for Orochimaru, he licked his lips in a circle, quietly exposing a sinister, chilling smile.
Yu quickly realized that this would directly impact the interests his faction was originally entitled to. The most direct manifestation was—
The funds that should have landed in his hands would be drastically reduced.
Because the assets of middle-to-lower nobles and merchants that the Land of Fire high command intended to harvest were precisely the foundational base of the Foundation and Hyuga Yu at this moment.
The first to react was Danzō Shimura, who had quickly realized this point.
Looking coldly at Shōta Ōnishi, he asked in a harsh tone:
"According to your line of thought, we can choose how this chaos begins, but no matter who is sitting here, none of us can likely predict in what manner this chaos will end!"
"Since you've raised this point, you should have a solution in mind, yes?"
Shōta Ōnishi nodded.
"This is precisely the core topic we are to discuss today—"
"Disrupting the existing order, while capable of providing temporary relief, cannot fundamentally solve the problem."
"The Daimyō's Manor hopes..."
"The Third Shinobi World War will continue."
"Konoha must break through from both the east and west directions—at the very least opening the trade routes and commercial shipping lanes with the Land of Wind and the Land of Water, allowing us to complete the liquidation of goods stockpiled over the past three years."
"Otherwise, under the prerequisite that the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth have taken the lead in completing their industrial revolutions, the Land of Fire will soon enter a vicious cycle of 'selling raw resources at low prices and purchasing industrial goods at high prices'."
"The spoils of war Konoha achieved in the Third Shinobi World War will become completely meaningless!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow furrowed deeply.
"Open trade routes with the Land of Wind and the Land of Water?"
"But..."
"No problem." Danzō Shimura bypassed Hiruzen Sarutobi, agreeing directly to the proposal.
His eyes were sinister and deep as he spoke coldly:
"Those two nations shouldn't have closed their borders at a time like this anyway. This violates the armistice alliance treaty we previously agreed upon!"
No one said a word, nor did anyone stop Danzō Shimura.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze, who wished to enter an era of peace as soon as possible, did not voice opposition at this moment.
Because circumstances had changed.
Konoha and the Land of Fire shared honor and disgrace together. After all, under the current system, to put it plainly, the Land of Fire was working for Konoha. If the worker couldn't generate value, then even if Konoha sold its own kidneys to keep itself looking pretty, it wouldn't last in the long run.
Of course, looking at it from a different perspective, stating this relationship in reverse held true as well.
Regarding this, Hyuga Yu had no objections. Danzō Shimura's stance aligned with his own. Seeing that an agreement had been reached, he was planning to leave and continue advancing the work in his hands.
Faced with the visible threat of visitors from outer space, he had no time to engage in any revolution within the ninja world right now. After all, as long as a system could function normally and provide him with the things he needed, the best course of action at the moment wasn't to tear it down out of boredom just to flaunt some self-righteousness, but rather... to leave it untouched.
Right at that moment—
At the council table, Orochimaru suddenly raised his hand, licking his lips as he gave a raspy laugh:
"Since that is the case, I have a proposal—"
Shōta Ōnishi looked toward the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, who currently seemed to be dozing. Sensing his gaze, the Daimyō immediately snapped back to reality. Snapping his folding fan open, he looked at Orochimaru and smiled leisurely:
"Yo-ho-ho~ I remember you! You are the Third's disciple, one of the Legendary Sannin who made quite a name for himself during the Second Shinobi World War—Orochimaru, right?"
"Hee, I really didn't expect that the little kid back then would grow up to become a high-ranking member of Konoha in the blink of an eye."
"Yes." Orochimaru nodded, chuckling softly. "My greetings to you, Lord Daimyō."
The Daimyō laughed softly and asked, "What proposal do you have? We might as well take this opportunity to discuss it together."
Orochimaru placed both hands on the table, speaking fluently and eloquently:
"The core factor behind the Land of Fire's current predicament stems from the impact of industrial technology innovations in the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth."
"And according to my observations, the Land of Lightning is currently undergoing an information technology revolution. Their technical reserves—which are rapidly catching up to and even surpassing the Land of Earth's—are derived precisely from this."
"If our side wishes to fundamentally resolve this issue, I believe starting from this entry point is the proper path!"
"Information technology revolution?"
The Daimyō raised an eyebrow in surprise, covering his nose with his fan as his gaze flickered. After reflecting for a moment, he asked in a somewhat sarcastic tone:
"Then Orochimaru, what do you mean by that?"
Orochimaru let out a raspy laugh, standing up to address the crowd:
"Though lacking talent, I have conducted extensive research into the Land of Lightning's technology. If the village and the Land of Fire can throw their support behind me, in the upcoming technological revolution that will affect the entire ninja world—"
"I believe the Land of Fire will surely catch up from behind!"
Hearing Orochimaru's words, several Land of Fire officials exchanged glances, conversing in low voices for a moment as if verifying the truth of his statement.
Finally, in a tone akin to treating a dead horse as if it were still alive, Shōta Ōnishi asked Orochimaru:
"What kind of support do you want?"
The corners of Orochimaru's mouth hooked up, revealing a look of complete confidence as he smiled:
"The budget allocated by our nation to Konoha for post-war rearmament."
"I only need 50% of it, and I am confident that by introducing the Land of Lightning's technical equipment as a foundation, I can develop technology even more advanced than theirs!"
The moment Orochimaru's words fell—
The entire council chamber fell dead silent in an instant; one could hear a pin drop.
Everyone present—even including the Daimyō and Hiruzen Sarutobi—turned their eyes together toward Hyuga Yu, who sat separated from Orochimaru by Minato Namikaze, his gaze as still as a tranquil lake without the slightest ripple.
The Land of Fire had three upcoming investments for Konoha:
First, the initial investment for rebuilding the allocation weight of the post-war mission system.
Second, the assistance funds used for the village's post-war economic reconstruction.
Third, was precisely what Orochimaru mentioned: 'the budget allocated by our nation to Konoha for post-war rearmament'.
The first and second items were a redistribution of power.
As for the third type, to put it in a way that was easier to understand—
It was political donations.
It was a massive sum of money that could immediately be used freely without any restrictions—tribute money.
Originally, it was meant to be divided among Hiruzen Sarutobi and the rest of the high command beneath him. Now, however, this portion—including the former two—had all been implicitly transferred under Tennin's name due to Danzō Shimura's political maneuvering, to be allocated at Tennin's discretion.
In other words—
Orochimaru saying this right now was equivalent to snatching Tennin's money right in front of his face!
At this moment, Hyuga Yu was just like the elephant in the room. When the elephant didn't utter a sound, everyone could close their eyes and pretend he temporarily didn't exist, even if they were squeezed into the corners to negotiate. As long as the subsequent feedings were handled properly, everyone would remain in peace.
Prior to this, Shōta Ōnishi had only dared to mention the mobilization of the first two funds.
He had acted as if the third item didn't exist at all, keeping completely silent about it.
However—
Orochimaru bringing this up was a case of bringing up the exact topic that shouldn't be touched.
Everyone present could no longer ignore Hyuga Yu, shifting all their eyes onto him. Yet at the same time, they couldn't find a good excuse to ask for his opinion.
After all, political donations weren't exactly honorable things that could be brought out into the open...
Yet right at this moment—
Orochimaru turned his head slightly, looking at Yu with a shadowy gaze as he licked his lips and asked raspily:
"Well, Tennin... what do you think?"
Only now did Hyuga Yu—who had remained tight-lipped and silently listening ever since entering the council chamber—finally raise his head.
He looked at Orochimaru, his gaze so calm it was downright chilling.
————
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