All the Talents Under Heaven, Caught in My Net

Three days after the coronation, order in the Land of Fire Capital quickly recovered.

The heads still hung from the city gates, their dried blood telling the tale of that day's iron resolve.

Yet the streets had already returned to prosperity.

The fear on the people's faces had been replaced by fanatical worship of the New Daimyo.

In their simple minds, the young lord had executed the rebellious nobles and thus protected them.

That was enough.

The Daimyo Manor's authority loomed over every corner of the Land of Fire.

The old order was shattered; new rules were taking root.

The three-day deadline had arrived.

Minato Namikaze stepped into the Daimyo Manor once more.

This time, he came alone.

He wore no Hokage Robe, only a simple Konoha uniform, looking crisp and efficient.

On the way to the study, he saw many unfamiliar faces.

New maids and guards—their eyes held no reverence for him anymore.

He also noticed several young women in luxurious clothes, their features beautiful.

These women gathered in small groups, pretending to admire the flowers, but their gazes toward the depths of the inner courtyard were filled with undisguised ambition.

A new king enthroned, the harem left empty.

For any ambitious family, this was a golden opportunity to rise.

Minato Namikaze understood in his heart—everything here had changed.

He withdrew his gaze and continued forward.

Inside the study, Chiba Ran leaned by the window, flipping through a business report, utterly uninterested in the spectacle of competing beauties outside.

The afternoon sunlight fell on him, making him look more like a pampered young master from a noble clan.

"You're here."

Hearing footsteps, Chiba Ran didn't even lift his head, responding casually.

"Daimyo-sama."

"Sit."

Minato Namikaze bowed respectfully, took a seat to the side, and presented a scroll.

"This is what you requested—the results of handling internal Konoha affairs, and the preliminary plan for the Genius Training Special Fund."

Chiba Ran gestured for him to place it on the desk, his tone relaxed. "All cleaned up?"

"Yes." Minato's answer came with some difficulty. "All Root members involved in the rebellion have been purged. The remaining personnel have been disbanded, pending further review."

"Hmm."

Chiba Ran finally set down the report and sat up straight.

He didn't even glance at the Root handling results, as if it were a trivial matter.

His eyes fell on the plan. "Tell me your thoughts."

"Yes."

Minato Namikaze steadied himself and began to explain.

His plan was thorough and fair.

The funds were divided into three parts: supporting outstanding graduates of the Ninja Academy, rewarding young Chunin who excelled on missions, and serving as a research fund for developing new jutsu.

The entire proposal was rooted entirely in the village's long-term development, aimed at comprehensively strengthening Konoha's new generation, with no selfish motives.

He spoke in detail, with earnest sincerity.

Chiba Ran listened quietly, his expression calm.

Only when Minato Namikaze finished did he pick up the plan, flip through it casually, and let out a light laugh.

"Minato, your plan is good. Very thorough."

Minato Namikaze's heart relaxed slightly.

But Chiba Ran's next words made his chest tighten.

"But it's still too conservative, and too scattered."

Chiba Ran set the scroll gently on the table, his movements mild, yet he negated its entire value.

"What I want isn't equal distribution."

He looked at Minato Namikaze, speaking as if guiding a student.

"Minato, think about it. The Land of Fire's resources are limited."

"If nutrients are distributed equally to everyone, the result is universal mediocrity."

"The correct approach is to concentrate resources, letting the most promising individuals grow at the fastest speed."

"When they become strong enough to hold up the sky for others, only then can the weak gain a safe and stable environment to grow in."

"The strong advance first, pulling the weak along behind."

"Only by letting some become true powerhouses first can they shelter more people."

"This is the best way to rapidly prosper the entire Land of Fire."

These words left Minato Namikaze stunned.

He instinctively felt something was off.

But the other's theory of the strong protecting the weak sounded perfectly reasonable, leaving him unable to argue.

"So," Chiba Ran concluded, "this investment should be more strategic. We must pour the finest soil onto the most exceptional seeds."

He extended a finger, tapping lightly in the air.

"Yūhi Kurenai—her talent in genjutsu is a once-in-a-century find."

"Might Guy—a pure taijutsu fanatic. Give him enough support, and no one can say where his limits lie."

"And then there's Shiranui Genma, Ebisu... these people are all treasures of our Land of Fire."

Finally, his finger paused.

"Oh, and the Third's son, Asuma Sarutobi."

Hearing that name, Minato's heartbeat stuttered.

Asuma was in his rebellious phase, even at odds with the Third. How could the Daimyo be paying attention to him?

"This young man is very interesting." Chiba Ran's smile carried appreciation.

"He longs to protect, yet feels lost toward the existing order. A rough gem like that is most worth polishing."

"We should guide him, make him understand that what he truly ought to protect is the entire Land of Fire."

A chill crept up Minato's spine.

He finally caught that sense of wrongness.

Every word from the Daimyo stood on the high ground of national righteousness, full of care for the younger generation.

But strung together, they reached directly for Konoha's next generation.

"Daimyo-sama!"

Minato couldn't help speaking up, his tone urgent. "Asuma and the others are still young, their hearts unsettled."

"The path of a shinobi requires the tempering of will."

"Giving them too much external support too early might..."

"Might what?"

Chiba Ran interrupted him, asking gently in return: "Might make their path to growth smoother? Or let them serve the nation sooner?"

"Minato, you're a genius, but sometimes your thinking is too idealistic, just like Sarutobi's."

"Will is important, but can a starving will stop an enemy's kunai?"

"A shinobi who can't even support his family in comfort—how long can his will truly last?"

"The times have changed."

"What I want to cultivate are blades of the nation, representing our Land of Fire's strongest combat power."

"They must not only have unyielding will, but also the strength to match that will, and... absolute loyalty to the nation."

Minato's lips moved, but he found himself speechless.

Every word from the other was flawless.

"Of course, I'm not forcing you either." Chiba Ran seemed to sense his struggle, shifting the topic.

"Consider this plan as a reserve for another option."

"The Guardians of the Twelve—that title isn't unfamiliar to you, is it?"

Minato knew it well.

It was the Daimyo's personal elite guard, the highest honor a shinobi of the Land of Fire could attain!

Minato spoke instinctively: "But Daimyo-sama, isn't your safety already handled by the Hidden Guard?"

That mysterious, powerful unit had left a deep impression on him during the ceremony.

"Good question, Minato."

Chiba Ran showed no displeasure; instead, he gave an approving look. "This shows you're thinking."

"The Hidden Guard—their duty is to protect the entire Land of Fire, to be the blade hanging over our enemies' heads, the scalpel to excise the nation's internal tumors. They shouldn't be tied to my side, merely acting as personal bodyguards."

Chiba Ran's voice carried a kind of overwhelming force.

"My selection of the new Twelve Guardian Ninja is precisely to free the Hidden Guard from the burden of my personal safety."

"So they can focus wholeheartedly on carrying out more important tasks—do you understand?"

"This isn't for me alone, but to optimize the top-tier combat power of our entire Land of Fire."

Minato Namikaze fell completely silent.

The other party's logic was flawless.

Turning the formation of a personal guard into a means of better protecting the nation.

He felt as though he had fallen into a net woven from righteousness, profit, and honor.

He couldn't see the full shape of the net, but he could feel it slowly tightening.

Refuse?

With what could he refuse?

Refuse a massive sum that could greatly ease the village's finances?

Refuse an opportunity that could elevate a Konoha genius to the heavens in a single step?

If he refused, without the Daimyo even needing to speak, the clans and ninja of the village would tear him apart.

"...I understand."

After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice hoarse and dry.

"I will revise the plan according to your wishes."

"Good." Chiba Ran nodded in satisfaction and settled back into his recliner. "I hope to see a brand-new plan that reflects the strategic vision of the Land of Fire."

"Go and do it."

"...Yes."

Minato Namikaze bowed once more, then turned and withdrew.