Nawaki was still young, filled with a boy's fiery passion and an unpolished sense of justice.
He had once declared that he wanted everyone in the world to have enough food—and he had devoted himself to making that dream a reality.
When the two advisers proposed selling the grain produced from his research, Nawaki resisted. He had even opposed Kizaru's suggestion to sell the improved seeds themselves.
The idealistic young man had wanted to distribute every seed he cultivated for free.
Kizaru respected that desire.
But his answer was still no.
Giving away the seeds might help people in the immediate future, but it was not a sustainable plan.
The experimental fields Nawaki used belonged to the Senju clan, but most of his formal research had been conducted in the laboratories of Konoha's Research Institute.
Orochimaru and several other research-oriented shinobi had also participated, offering guidance and technical assistance.
The village stood behind all of them.
It provided the laboratories, equipment, personnel, funding, and protection necessary for Nawaki's work. In other words, Konoha itself had invested heavily in his research.
Now that the project had finally produced results, the village naturally deserved a return on that investment. Otherwise, it would become difficult to justify continued support for Nawaki's future research.
There was another problem as well.
Without an organized commercial network, promoting the improved seeds across a world still ruled by daimyō, aristocrats, and feudal landowners would be nearly impossible.
More importantly, although Nawaki's seeds could substantially increase the yield of farmland, there was a consequence he had either overlooked or had never imagined.
As the total supply of grain increased, its market price would fall.
The landlords and nobles who controlled vast stretches of farmland would not necessarily welcome such a development.
A good or poor harvest made little difference to whether those people could fill their stomachs. They would continue holding banquets, drinking expensive liquor, and living comfortably regardless of how the common people suffered.
A drop in grain prices, however, was different.
That would directly reduce their profits.
Based on Kizaru's understanding of those people, if Nawaki distributed improved seeds freely throughout the Land of Fire, the most likely result was not that ordinary families would suddenly live without hunger.
Instead, the nobles and great landowners would simply accumulate larger stores of grain.
They would rather allow the excess to rot inside their warehouses than release too much onto the market and drive prices down.
Reality was cruel.
Human greed had no limit.
That was something Nawaki had not yet truly seen.
When Kizaru explained those realities to him without hiding anything, the light in the boy's eyes almost vanished.
Nawaki returned home without saying a word and shut himself inside his room.
He remained there for a long time.
No one knew what he had been thinking during those hours—not even Kizaru.
The only thing Kizaru knew for certain was that Tsunade's fist hurt.
There had been little he could do about it. His explanation had been far too direct, and with only a few sentences, he had crushed Nawaki's enthusiasm and left the boy deeply discouraged.
After spending an entire day in his room without eating or drinking, Nawaki finally emerged.
The first person he went to see was Kizaru.
He agreed to Kizaru's proposed business model, but he had one condition.
They would earn their profits from the nobles and wealthy landowners while providing greater subsidies and support to ordinary farmers.
In Nawaki's own words, he was not especially clever. He did not understand complicated schemes, political maneuvering, or business strategies.
He only knew what he believed was right and what he believed was wrong.
He intended to devote all his time and energy to cultivating better crop varieties. He would leave the business operations and distribution network to Kizaru.
Nawaki trusted him.
He believed that the man his sister had chosen was a good person, someone who also wished to bring a little warmth and hope into this cruel world.
Faced with Nawaki's request, Kizaru gave him a solemn promise.
He believed that the ideals of an honest person deserved support.
Not simply because that person was Nawaki, but because the ideal itself was worthy of respect.
After giving his word, Kizaru personally established a new trading company.
He transferred Shintaro from the Bandai Chamber of Commerce and placed him in charge of the new operation.
Over the past three years, Shintaro had transformed Bandai Toys from a modest shop into a medium-sized chamber of commerce. In doing so, he had demonstrated considerable business talent and accumulated more than enough practical experience.
Once Kizaru had explained his intentions and the principles behind the company, he confidently entrusted its daily management to Shintaro.
The evening's banquet had been organized to celebrate the opening of this new chamber of commerce.
Its primary product would be the Improved Wheat Seed No. 1, developed by Nawaki.
Jiraiya's unexpected return to the village had been a pleasant surprise, so he had naturally been invited to join the celebration.
During the banquet, Jiraiya was delighted when he heard about Nawaki's achievement.
After spending years traveling outside the village, he had witnessed countless forms of suffering. He understood better than most how many lives Nawaki's research might one day save.
The news even swept away the gloom Jiraiya had been carrying since the unsuccessful release of his first novel, The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi.
Later that evening, after drinking heavily, Jiraiya slapped his chest and declared that he would begin writing another book.
He had already found his inspiration.
According to him, his next work would certainly become a tremendous success—a masterpiece sought after by readers everywhere.
Everyone present who had read his first novel offered polite words of encouragement.
Only Kizaru appeared to believe him completely.
He expressed genuine anticipation for Jiraiya's next book.
Seeing Kizaru support him so sincerely, Jiraiya's eyes filled with emotional tears. He loudly proclaimed that Kizaru was his closest friend and his truest brother.
By the time the banquet ended, Kizaru had also consumed a considerable amount of alcohol.
He made his way unhurriedly back toward the Shimura clan residence.
"Oh?"
As he approached the entrance, he saw Danzō standing outside, apparently waiting for him.
"Uncle."
Before Kizaru had even reached him, Danzō caught the strong scent of alcohol.
His brows immediately drew together.
"Where is Tsunade?" he asked with visible displeasure. "Why did she not bring you back?"
"She drank too much," Kizaru replied as he approached. "So I took her home first."
The smell of alcohol on Kizaru's breath forced Danzō to take several steps back.
"Come inside and sober yourself up. There is something I need to discuss with you."
Kizaru narrowed his eyes as a tear from a yawn gathered at the corner.
"Ooh… can't it wait until tomorrow?"
"I am leaving for Sunagakure tomorrow."
At the mention of Sunagakure, Danzō seemed to remember something unpleasant. His expression darkened even further.
"Sunagakure?" Kizaru repeated as he followed Danzō into the estate. "Isn't everything over there going rather smoothly?"
"Sunagakure has been obedient. The problem was caused by the Konoha shinobi stationed there."
Danzō stopped walking.
His expression had become so grim that it nearly blended into the night around them.
Kizaru's curiosity was stirred.
Something serious must have happened for his uncle to look this furious.
Had Konoha's forces begun behaving like an undisciplined occupying army?
"Several of our shinobi became involved with women from Sunagakure," Danzō said coldly. "Disgraceful. They have brought shame upon Konoha."
Although Danzō's methods were ruthless and his hands were far from clean, he had never allowed money or beauty to compromise his discipline.
He despised shinobi who lost themselves in pleasure, particularly those who formed illicit relationships while carrying out official missions.
Kizaru raised a hand and scratched the back of his head.
The alcohol clouding his thoughts seemed to fade slightly.
He had not expected his guess to be so close to the truth.
"If both sides entered the relationships willingly, couldn't they simply bring the women back and marry them in Konoha?"
"Willingly?"
Danzō gave a contemptuous snort before turning an angry gaze upon him.
"One fool from the Uchiha clan impregnated the daughter-in-law of a Sunagakure elder. You expect him to bring her back to Konoha and marry her? He already has a wife here!"
Kizaru fell silent.
What exactly had those people been doing?
The Uchiha involved had certainly managed to create an impressive disaster.
"No one was killed, were they?"
"There are several other offenders involved as well. Kazekage Chiyo has temporarily suppressed the matter while she waits for Konoha to send someone to resolve it."
"And this year's negotiations?"
"The village will be forced to make concessions because of those fools. Do you have any idea how much this may cost Konoha?"
The more Danzō spoke, the angrier he became.
A vein throbbed against his temple as if his blood pressure might burst through his skull.
All because a handful of shinobi had been unable to control themselves, Konoha might now be forced to surrender important benefits at the negotiating table.
What an embarrassment.
They were incompetent fools who had disgraced the very title of shinobi.
"Hiruzen and I have already agreed," Danzō said. "This matter will be dealt with severely."
"I agree."
On this issue, Kizaru fully supported both his uncle and his teacher.
No grand justification or moving tale of forbidden love could excuse what those shinobi had done during an official assignment.
A hidden village served as the military power of its nation, and the shinobi of Konoha were its soldiers.
Engaging in such relationships while stationed abroad was an obvious violation of discipline.
Those responsible had to be punished.
"However, that is not what I wished to discuss tonight," Danzō continued. "Come with me."
He resumed walking and led Kizaru toward his private residence.
After entering the house, they proceeded directly to Danzō's study and sat across from one another.
Danzō studied Kizaru in silence for several moments before finally speaking.
"Tsunade's younger brother, Nawaki, came to see me two days ago."
Kizaru's relaxed expression faded slightly when he heard Nawaki's name.
"What did Nawaki want from you?"
"I represent the hard-line faction within the village. I have always supported strengthening Konoha and eventually unifying the shinobi world."
Kizaru gave a small nod.
He was already well aware of that.
"Nawaki wishes to join my faction. He supports my goal of unifying the shinobi world."
Danzō seemed to recall their conversation, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
"That innocent boy intends to abolish the daimyō and the aristocratic class once the shinobi world has been unified. He wants to divide their lands among the common people so that every family will have fields to cultivate, food to eat, and clothing to wear."
Danzō looked directly at Kizaru, an unreadable smile lingering on his face.
"Quite an admirable ideal, would you not agree, Kizaru?"
Danzō had survived countless conflicts and spent much of his life carrying out Konoha's dirtiest work from the shadows.
He understood exactly how naïve Nawaki's dream was and how difficult it would be to accomplish.
Even so, he could not deny that it was a magnificent ideal.
Kizaru rubbed his forehead in frustration.
He had not expected his brutally realistic explanation to affect Nawaki so deeply.
The boy had gone from wanting to distribute seeds freely to envisioning the destruction of the feudal aristocracy and the redistribution of all privately controlled land.
"You agreed to help him?" Kizaru asked.
Danzō first shook his head, then gave a slight nod.
"I told him that such things must be accomplished one step at a time. For now, the first step is unifying the shinobi world."
"Ooh… that sounds troublesome."
Kizaru leaned back in his chair, his voice carrying its usual languid drawl.
"Kizaru, I know what you truly believe," Danzō said. "You also wish to unify the shinobi world."
His gaze sharpened.
Danzō no longer wanted to wait.
The purpose of tonight's conversation was to lay everything openly before Kizaru and convince him to assume the position of Hokage.
Danzō had watched Konoha's reforms over the past three years.
He had seen the prosperity they brought to the village.
Under Kizaru's leadership, Konoha had already established the foundations necessary to unify the shinobi world.
Hiruzen had even privately informed Danzō that he was prepared to surrender the position of Hokage to Kizaru immediately.
Several days earlier, Kizaru had spoken with Hiruzen about assigning Hatake Sakumo to the Anbu.
Both Hiruzen and Danzō had interpreted the request as a sign that Kizaru was finally preparing to take command.
The shinobi world was currently at peace.
Kizaru had already proven that he possessed more than overwhelming strength. His reforms had demonstrated exceptional talent in administration, economics, and management as well.
He had the ability to become Hokage.
More importantly, he had already proven that he could lead the village successfully.
Under such circumstances, what reason remained to delay?
He should take the position immediately.
Everyone was waiting for him.
"For Konoha, the greatest obstacle to unifying the shinobi world is not military strength," Kizaru said. "The true problem would come afterward—maintaining order and governing every territory under our control. We don't have enough people."
At this point, he could no longer continue avoiding or denying the matter.
If he did, he suspected his uncle might genuinely be driven mad.
"Then we will train more people," Danzō answered without hesitation. "We can also recruit shinobi and nobles who willingly surrender."
He paused before continuing.
"Kizaru, do you know what happened at the beginning of this year?"
"Hmm?"
"When Yūsha and Murasaki returned from visiting their family in Sunagakure, they came to see me. They carried a message from Chiyo."
Danzō's expression turned serious.
"As long as Konoha can properly accommodate the shinobi of Sunagakure, Chiyo is willing to surrender the village completely and allow its people to become part of Konoha."
Kizaru stared at him.
For once, even he could not conceal his surprise.
Chiyo—the acting Kazekage—was offering to surrender her own village?
During the past three years, Kizaru had mostly taken things easy while directing the village's economic growth and helping everyone earn money.
Just how many things had Danzō been arranging behind his back?
And what were Yūsha and Murasaki thinking?
Kizaru had allowed them to take Sasori back to Sunagakure to visit their family.
Somehow, that simple family visit had ended with them persuading Chiyo to consider surrendering the entire village.
"Chiyo is exhausted," Danzō explained after noticing Kizaru's confusion. "She has become completely disillusioned with Sunagakure's leadership."
In truth, Danzō could understand her feelings.
Had Kizaru never appeared and given Danzō someone capable of carrying forward his political ideals, he could not say what he might have done after years of watching Hiruzen and the two advisers govern the village.
How could anyone properly lead a village while surrounded by parasites?
Danzō's guess was correct.
That was precisely how Chiyo felt.
Sunagakure was already in danger and gradually losing its ability to act independently.
Despite that, its elders and senior officials continued scheming against one another and fighting over authority.
Those fools still wanted to reclaim the position of Kazekage and place Rasa, the disciple of the Third Kazekage, in power.
For three years, Chiyo had struggled to protect Sunagakure and prevent the village from collapsing.
At the same time, she had been forced to remain vigilant against betrayals from her own people.
She was exhausted.
Not merely physically, but in her heart.
If her younger brother Ebizō had not remained hidden in the background to support her, Chiyo would have abandoned the position of Kazekage and withdrawn from public life long ago.
Then, when she had reached the limits of her endurance, her dead son and daughter-in-law had returned to Sunagakure with her grandson, Sasori.
After learning that Yūsha and Murasaki had a genuine chance of being completely resurrected, that the family was living comfortably in Konoha, and that they even operated their own chamber of commerce, Chiyo came to a realization.
What did Sunagakure truly mean to her?
Was the village more important than the possibility of restoring her son and daughter-in-law to life?
Was it more important than allowing Sasori to grow up safely and happily?
Chiyo looked at Sunagakure's senior officials—people obsessed with authority who cared for nothing except their own political struggles.
She then thought of the daimyō and nobles of the Land of Wind, who lived in luxury while demanding sacrifices from others.
Why should she continue protecting those people?
Several decades earlier, the relationship between shinobi clans and the feudal nobility had been little more than a business arrangement.
When commissions became scarce in one region, shinobi simply moved elsewhere to seek work.
Chiyo had been born in the Land of Wind, but there was no reason she could not become a citizen of the Land of Fire.
A mere village could never be more important than her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson.
Once she had reached her decision, Chiyo concealed the news that Yūsha and Murasaki had returned.
She then instructed them to carry a secret message to Danzō in Konoha.
After all, the promise to resurrect them had come from Kizaru.
Danzō was Kizaru's uncle by blood, so Chiyo naturally assumed that the two belonged to the same political faction.
That was the true reason Danzō had received Chiyo's offer of surrender.
"So the real purpose of your visit to Sunagakure is to determine whether Chiyo's intentions are genuine?"
Remembering that Danzō was leaving for Sunagakure the next morning, Kizaru immediately understood.
"Yes."
Danzō nodded calmly.
"Hiruzen believes I am going there solely to restore discipline among our stationed shinobi. He knows nothing about Chiyo's offer."
"Ooh… impressive, Uncle."
Kizaru's praise was sincere.
"No. Everything I have accomplished was only possible because of you."
Danzō looked directly into Kizaru's eyes.
His usual guardedness disappeared, revealing the sincerity beneath his words.
"Whether it is Nawaki or Chiyo, their willingness to support Konoha's unification of the shinobi world exists because of you."
His voice grew more forceful.
"Because you have become the new God of Shinobi."
"The First Hokage created the hidden-village system and brought a brief period of peace to this world. Your appearance may allow us to end the age of conflict completely and bring lasting peace to the entire shinobi world."
The longer Danzō spoke, the more impassioned he became.
At last, he rose from his seat.
His eyes were filled with expectation, and his voice carried a rare, unmistakable sincerity.
"For the sake of this world, become Hokage, Kizaru."
"Lead the shinobi of Konoha and bring this age of conflict to an end once and for all!"
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