Reform Is Not a Dinner Party

The Hokage had many advisors, such as Foreign Affairs Advisor Mitokado Homura, ANBU Advisor Shimura Danzo, Internal Affairs Advisor Utatane Koharu, and Kyoto Advisor Senju Takeoto.

Among them, the Kyoto Advisor was rather special, serving as the bridge between the village and the Daimyo.

Any opinions the Daimyo had were first conveyed to the Kyoto Advisor. The annual funding details the Daimyo provided to Konoha were reviewed by the Kyoto Advisor. Missions personally issued by the Daimyo were also overseen by the Kyoto Advisor.

From Konoha's founding until now, the position of Kyoto Advisor had always belonged to the Senju Clan.

The Daimyo family of the Land of Fire trusted only the Senju Clan. This was a solid trust built through centuries of cooperation, beginning in the Warring States Era.

Hiruzen Sarutobi said:

"Daimyo, the Senju Clan is rather weak at present, and although Senju Takeoto is skilled in medical ninjutsu, her overall strength is still somewhat lacking.

As the Hokage of Konoha Village, I still recommend replacing the Kyoto Advisor. I recommend Mitokado Homura. He is powerful and capable of handling complicated affairs."

However, the Daimyo shook his head and said:

"Third Hokage, I acknowledge that the Senju Clan is currently very weak.

I have read the history books. The Senju Clan has been weak many times throughout history. Every time either the Senju Clan or the Daimyo family was weak, we stood firmly together and supported one another.

This is our tradition. My father taught me from childhood that the Senju Clan can be trusted.

The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, and I succeeded to our respective positions one after another, and we were also pen pals with a very good relationship.

The Kyoto Advisor usually remains in Kyoto and is practically no different from one of my ministers.

Senju Takeoto is the best candidate. Besides, Princess Tsunade has been traveling throughout the Land of Fire. Whenever I have matters to attend to, I can also contact Princess Tsunade."

Only then did Minato understand that Tsunade's travels through the Land of Fire were a form of support for the Senju Clan.

Wherever Tsunade went, she treated the nobles there and maintained the bond between the Senju Clan and the Land of Fire.

Faced with the Daimyo's insistence, Konoha's higher-ups looked at one another. After exchanging glances and opinions, they had no choice but to compromise.

The Daimyo was right. In Konoha Village's other affairs, the Daimyo was merely a nominal leader, but for the position of Kyoto Advisor, the Daimyo had to choose someone he trusted absolutely.

In terms of military power, the Daimyo valued three people most: the Kyoto General, the captain of the Guardian Ninja Twelve, and Konoha Village's Kyoto Advisor.

On the matter of the Kyoto Advisor, the Daimyo would not yield or make any compromise.

Hiruzen Sarutobi finally said, "I understand. I will have Senju Takeoto head to Kyoto as soon as possible."

The Daimyo nodded and said, "Very good."

The Daimyo stood, and Konoha's higher-ups stood as well.

At that moment, the Hawk Guard General said, "Daimyo, something strange has happened within my fief. It concerns Minato Namikaze, the top-ranked participant in today's Chunin Exams. I will not return to the Noble Residence just yet. I will speak with him."

"Very well."

As the Daimyo passed Minato Namikaze, he stopped and said, "Your Petal Technique and Gold Foil Technique were both quite good. What were those two techniques called again?"

Minato said excitedly, "Ninja Art: Love Rises in the East and Falls in the West, Petals Dance with Love, Romance Until Death, Eternal Devotion Secret Technique! Ninja Art: Kite Draws Lightning Franklin and Gold Foil Secret Technique!"

The Daimyo froze for a moment, then said, "Hehe, what very distinctive techniques. Extremely distinctive..."

After the Daimyo and the higher-ups had all left, Minato looked again at the Hawk Guard General, only to find twelve ninja suddenly appearing behind him.

The Hawk Guard General had an inherited hooked nose, making him look somewhat sinister.

Beside him stood four or five officials from the General's Residence, while behind him were the Eagle Guard Clan's Guardian Ninja Twelve.

Not only did the Daimyo have guardian ninja; each of the six great noble families had their own guardian ninja as well, equal in number to the Daimyo's, recruited by the noble families themselves.

The Hawk Guard General looked at the very young Minato Namikaze and said:

"On my way here, I considered asking the Third Hokage to give you a severe punishment.

Do not look at me with such confusion. If you were not a Konoha ninja, what you did would have been enough to earn you the gallows.

But after watching the Chunin Exams, I realized that perhaps you had not deliberately created a hidden danger. Rather, you are powerful, but naturally fond of fooling around."

Minato asked, "May I ask, Hawk Guard General, how exactly was I fooling around? Why should I be punished?"

Faced with the newly crowned top-ranked participant of the Chunin Exams, the Hawk Guard General was very patient as he said:

"The ninjutsu you taught my farmers is why you deserve punishment. I had previously executed everyone who spread ninjutsu.

You should thank yourself for your outstanding performance in the Chunin Exams. You should also thank me for recognizing talent."

Minato looked thoroughly confused, scratching his head as though he could not understand.

The Hawk Guard General continued:

"Young ninja, you still do not understand the rules by which the Land of Fire and the ninja world operate.

Teaching ninjutsu to farmers, even low-level D-Rank Ninjutsu, is wrong.

Who can guarantee that there are no geniuses among those farmers, who might develop C-Rank, B-Rank, or even A-Rank Ninjutsu on their own?

These farmers with wild ideas are an unstable factor in every General's Residence and must be curbed as soon as possible.

The nobles, led by the Daimyo, and the ninja, led by the Hokage, jointly rule the Land of Fire.

The noble system is responsible for the Land of Fire's daily governance, making ninja serve as professional warriors.

The ninja system is responsible for safeguarding the Land of Fire, allowing the nobles to govern their territories without worry.

If ninjas wanted to become regional lords, they needed the support of the nobles. Otherwise, the nobles would hire ninjas to eliminate these new lords.

The dual structure of nobles and ninjas was the foundation of the Land of Fire.

The Warring States period of the past had been chaotic, but the principle had been the same. The era of one country, one village was somewhat more stable, yet it had not escaped this dual structure.

"Teaching ninjutsu to my farmers is a challenge to my authority. If you weren't only eleven years old, and if you weren't so playful, I would have issued a B-Rank mission to have you executed."

Minato tried to explain. "But after learning the simplest D-Rank Ninjutsu, those farmers' lives improved greatly. They could finish their farm work in less time and with less effort. I don't think I did anything wrong."

"That is one of the problems." The Hawk Guard General's voice was cold.

"Weak, exhausted farmers are good farmers.

"A farmer's daily income should ideally be just enough to fill his stomach. That way, he can only spend every day struggling to feed himself.

"Ninjas like you have a hard time understanding the secrets of rule. You only need to know one principle: only when farmers do not starve to death yet can never eat their fill can a regime remain stable for generations."

Minato froze for a moment, then thought of those politicians throughout history who advocated weakening and impoverishing the people. He understood the Hawk Guard General's logic.

There was simply no basis for communication between him and the Hawk Guard General. There could be no compromise.

"I understand, Hawk Guard General. I know where I was wrong."

The Hawk Guard General was greatly pleased. "Good. As expected of the Third Hokage's disciple's disciple. You have excellent comprehension."

After bowing, Minato turned and left.

The moment he turned away, his gaze became cold.

When he said he knew where he had gone wrong, he did not mean he would yield. He had simply recognized his own naivety.

Reform was not a dinner party. Reform was cruel and cold. Reform required bloodshed.

The Hawk Guard General was in his thirties, at the height of his strength. Such a powerful Hawk Guard General was unfavorable to the growth of the Autumn Fruit Organization.

Should he do what ninjas were good at? Assassination? Send the Hawk Guard General to meet the old daimyo?

On second thought, he should be more cautious. His foundation was still too weak. One wrong move, and he could easily end up becoming a rogue ninja.

Even if he were to become a rogue ninja, he should wait until after learning the Flying Thunder God.

That very night, Minato went to find Jiraiya.

"Teacher, I want to leave the village."

"Two million ryo. I know you have the money."

"That's outrageous! One million two hundred thousand ryo. Not a single ryo more."

"One million five hundred thousand ryo! Can ninjas leave the village whenever they please? I'm breaking the rules for you. Do you think that comes without a cost?"

"Deal! I really don't understand why the village restricts ninjas' freedom so much. They won't even let ninjas leave the village freely."

Jiraiya said, "We are ninjas. Ninjas must obey orders and complete missions. I really envy Tsunade. She can give up being a ninja whenever she wants and live as a free person."