The Daimyo Arrives

"Have we arrived?"

The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a richly dressed, dignified middle-aged man seated inside.

It was an exceedingly luxurious convoy, attended by several hundred people before and behind. Around the most lavish carriage stood twelve ninja, each with a sash bearing the character for "Fire" tied around their waist.

The middle-aged man stepped down from the carriage using a human stool. Looking at Konoha's gates before him, he found them far more imposing than those of an ordinary town.

"Lord Gen."

The Third Hokage had already been waiting here with a group of ninja. Upon seeing the middle-aged man, Sarutobi immediately stepped forward to greet him.

"Third Hokage, it has been quite some time," the middle-aged man said with a faint smile.

"The Daimyo's personal visit brings great honor to Konoha."

This middle-aged man was the current Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

Sarutobi had been quite surprised when he learned that the Daimyo intended to visit Konoha, but he had immediately made preparations to receive him.

"No need for such formalities." Lord Gen waved a hand, a folding fan still held in it.

He turned to the entourage that had come with him. "Konoha's finances are tight right now, so they won't be hosting you. Go rest in a nearby town."

Sarutobi felt somewhat awkward upon hearing this.

Other than the Twelve Guardian Ninja, the rest of the accompanying convoy changed direction and departed.

"Come, Third Hokage. You must give me a proper tour of Konoha."

"Of course."

News of the Land of Fire Daimyo's arrival in Konoha quickly spread throughout the village, leaving many people puzzled.

Why would someone as exalted as the Daimyo come to such a remote place as Konoha? He had even said he wanted to pay respects to heroes who had died for their country. Such a thing had never happened before.

Aside from the Hokage and a small number of Konoha's higher-ups, members of Konoha's major clans rarely had the chance to interact with the Daimyo at close range. Their feelings toward him were complicated. They regarded him only as the lofty ruler of the nation, governing the vast Land of Fire and overseeing the affairs of the country.

But earning the Daimyo's favor was naturally a good thing for Konoha, especially at a time like this.

At the Daimyo's request, the Third Hokage took him directly to the Memorial Stone.

Looking at the surrounding graves and the densely packed names on the Memorial Stone, Lord Gen could not help but feel emotional. He stood there quietly with his hands behind his back, opening and closing the folding fan in his hand.

"Third Hokage."

"Lord Gen."

"I heard that Konoha originally held the advantage in its war against the Stone Ninja."

Sarutobi was abruptly startled, and a bad feeling rose within him.

He could only say, "Lord Gen should understand as well that the situation on the battlefield changes in an instant. Temporary victories and defeats do not represent everything."

"Is that so?" Lord Gen turned to look at Sarutobi, the meaning of the smile on his lips impossible to discern.

"Why have I heard that Konoha suffered so many defeats because of a traitor causing trouble?"

Sarutobi could no longer sense any goodwill in his words. He forced himself to respond, "Lord Gen sees everything clearly."

Lord Gen pressed on. "Third Hokage, tell me—if these people who sacrificed themselves knew they had died because of that, how would they feel? Who should bear responsibility?"

Sarutobi's heart sank. He then said, "It was my failure to govern properly. I should naturally be held responsible. Once the Mist is driven back, I will relinquish my position as Hokage and accept whatever punishment Lord Gen sees fit."

Lord Gen watched as Sarutobi took all the blame upon himself. After observing him for a while, he suddenly smiled. "Third Hokage, you are taking this too seriously. No one wishes to see a traitor emerge. How can we punish ourselves for someone else's scheme? Wouldn't that be exactly what our enemies want?"

"Konoha still needs your leadership, and the war against the Mist will need to rely on you as well, Third Hokage."

"Thank you for your understanding, Lord Gen." Sarutobi bowed.

Lord Gen walked up to Sarutobi, still wearing a gentle smile. "However, it would be best to resolve the matter of this traitor as soon as possible. If it affects the war with the Mist again, then even death ten thousand times would not absolve you of blame."

"Please rest assured, Lord Gen. We are doing everything we can to investigate the traitor."

"Good." Lord Gen nodded in satisfaction.

He stood there and looked over the scenery. Dense, lush forests surrounded the graveyard, and beyond the red torii gate behind it lay Konoha's main road.

"Third Hokage, I intend to stay in Konoha for several days. What do you think?"

"You jest, Lord Gen. Konoha is also under your rule. You may stay as long as you wish; there is no need to ask my opinion. I only fear that a humble place like ours may inconvenience you."

"Hahaha, then it's settled."

The arrival of such an august figure in Konoha filled Sarutobi with intense unease. He did not know why the Daimyo had set aside his national affairs to come to this small village, yet he could not afford the slightest neglect. The war against the Mist currently depended entirely on Lord Gen's support from the rear.

As for the traitor, Sarutobi had very few leads. All he could determine was that this person held no low position in the village and had cleaned up every trace thoroughly, leaving him with nowhere to begin.

He had gone over the list of village higher-ups in his mind countless times, placing certain names under suspicion and then removing them again.

Some people had privately hinted at who might be involved, but without the slightest evidence, he was unwilling to believe it.

Now that even the Daimyo had come to pressure him over this matter, he had to produce results as soon as possible.

News came from the front lines that Minato's forces had encountered Mist Ninjas. However, it had only been a small unit, and they had easily crushed it.

Minato took the initiative to lead people out in search of the enemy, but the Mist Ninjas merely ran circles around him, constantly avoiding a direct confrontation with Konoha.

Unlike the Stone Ninja, the Mist Ninjas had the sea at their backs. This made it impossible for Minato and his forces to advance too deeply, leaving them to play a game of cat and mouse with the Mist Ninjas along their own border.

Though the Mist ninja had been constantly hiding and evading them, they were not easy to deal with. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, famous throughout the ninja world, had caused Konoha's ninja enormous trouble. Many times, Minato had failed to encounter them.

But ordinary squads were in for misery if they did meet them. They were no match for those seven at all.

This situation left Minato feeling as though his strength had nowhere to go.

He wrote back to the village, stating that he intended to establish a temporary camp at the border and requesting support from the village.

The letter reached the Daimyo, and Lord Gen immediately sent people to have the ministers prepare supplies.

This made Sarutobi somewhat emotional. Perhaps the Daimyo's arrival was a good thing. In the past, he had been too embarrassed to ask for things directly in his letters. Now, he could explain the situation to him face-to-face.

The Daimyo did not involve himself in Sarutobi's command of the war or the village's internal affairs. In Konoha, he served only as a moneybag and a figurehead.

It was just that whenever he was bored, he would occasionally summon theater troupes, geisha, dancers, and the like into the village.

Sometimes he even invited Sarutobi to enjoy the singing and dancing with him, making Sarutobi occasionally sigh at the decadence of rulers.

How nice.