Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō's Worldviews Were Challenged

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Time passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, it was time for the banquet to begin.

During this time, the Daimyo found a moment to send Uchiha Makoto a letter informing him that he planned to discuss with Uchiha Makoto whether he should fund Konoha.

The Daimyo naturally did not want to fund Konoha. Once Konoha became powerful, he would be in danger.

However, considering Hashirama Senju's iron fists, he still wanted to preserve his dignity.

If Uchiha Makoto could resolve this matter, that would naturally be for the best. If he could not, the Daimyo planned to pay up directly.

At the banquet

The Daimyo wore a kindly smile as he warmly entertained Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō.

The two were sons of Clan Leaders, so he had to win them over!

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō both wore expressions of being flattered beyond belief.

In their eyes, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was extremely noble. He could be said to be the noblest person in the entire Ninja World!

However, their attention was soon diverted by the food.

Plate after plate of exquisite delicacies was placed before Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō, making their stomachs growl loudly.

"I'm digging in first!" x2

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō did not hesitate in the slightest. They swept across the food on the table like a storm, eating like ravenous beasts.

"Young men at that age can eat a family out of house and home" was not an empty saying.

They were at the age when their bodies were growing, and they were ninjas besides. They needed to refine chakra regularly, so their appetites were even more terrifying.

The nobles attending the banquet stared at the scene in dumbfounded shock.

The entire table of delicacies was soon emptied. The Daimyo waved his hand, signaling for another table to be served.

"Thank you, Your Highness." x2

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō, the two young men, focused on the food, while the nobles attending the banquet pursued something more. They had not come here just to eat!

For the nobles, the more important purpose of attending a banquet was socializing: meeting more people and broadening their networks!

Naturally, showing off was indispensable as well.

The nobles gathered in groups of several to chat. One noble took out a precious Tulip he had prepared.

It was currently the most elegant flower in the Land of Fire, and the one that best displayed one's status. He instantly became the most eye-catching and dazzling person in the crowd.

All the nobles in the hall unconsciously moved toward him, wanting to see the splendor of this precious Tulip.

"This Tulip is actually a precious red-and-white variety!"

"It's beautiful!"

"Where did you buy it? It must have cost a fortune!"

"."

The nobles chattered among themselves, lavishing the precious Tulip with the highest praise.

"Money?"

"Only five million ryō!"

"What does that amount matter? I'm a man of status... and refinement."

The noble spoke like this, but five million ryō was indeed no small sum. Even he felt a little pained by it.

But the money had been well spent!

Not only had he earned everyone's admiration, but it had also displayed his refined taste.

Most importantly—

He had bought this precious Tulip relatively early. Precious flowers like this were now sold on the market for tens of millions of ryō.

And even then—

You could not necessarily buy one just by having the money. It was a valuable item with a price but no supply!

"After I finish showing off with it, I'll find a chance to sell it. That makes it an investment!"

The noble enjoyed the flattery of the crowd as he thought this.

Tulip prices were still steadily rising. Great Nobles used entire rooms filled with Tulips to display their status and position, while more and more nobles continued to join in.

The Wealthy Merchants, meanwhile, hoarded large quantities of them, hoping to buy low and sell high for a huge profit!

"What are all those people gathered together for?"

After eating and drinking their fill, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō looked at the gathered nobles and stood up in confusion.

Soon.

Listening to the nobles' discussions, they understood.

It was all for a flower.

"It's only a flower. What's so strange about that?"

Shimura Danzō spoke dismissively. He was a pure Warring States-era ninja and had no interest whatsoever in the nobles' hobbies. Rather than waste precious time staring at a flower, he would be better off using it to train his chakra, practice shuriken throwing, or study ninjutsu.

"That fellow really got lucky. He bought this precious Tulip for only five million ryō."

The whispers among the nobles reached the ears of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō, who were watching the spectacle. As excellent ninjas, both their eyesight and hearing were extremely sharp.

"How much?"

"Five million ryō!?"

" Hiruzen, I didn't hear wrong, did I? This red-and-white flower is actually worth five million ryō!"

Shimura Danzō's previously indifferent expression instantly changed to one of shock. His eyes widened, and his heart filled with disbelief.

This single flower was actually worth five million ryō?

When the ninjas of their clan carried out highly difficult missions, even missions that threatened their lives, they rarely had a chance to earn five million ryō in payment. The flower before him was already shaking Shimura Danzō's worldview.

"Danzō... Hmm... I probably didn't hear wrong. I heard the same number. It really is five million ryō."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was equally dumbfounded, and the shock in his heart was no less than Shimura Danzō's. How could this flower's price be so outrageous?

While the two were still astonished, the whispers continued.

"Yes, he really got lucky."

"Conservatively, this precious Tulip should be worth ten million ryō."

"Ten million ryō? I think that's too low. It should at least double. And that's only the current market price. In the future, I estimate..."

"About Tulips these days—you know, I understand the Tulip market extremely well. Not long ago, I spent several million ryō hoarding a batch of Tulips. Guess how much I've made now?"

"How much?"

"I'll scare you when I tell you! Nearly thirty million ryō. Even so, I still feel like I'd be selling at a loss. I'm wondering whether I should hurry and hoard another batch. The price of Tulips is going to keep rising!"

"You really made a killing, kid. I was actually planning to hoard a batch too. Want to pool our money and hoard some this time? The current market is practically handing out money. Even a dog could come and make several million ryō!"

Listening to the whispers beside him, Shimura Danzō could not help reaching over and pinching Hiruzen Sarutobi's thigh.

"Danzō, why did you pinch my leg?"

"I wanted to test whether I'm dreaming right now."

"Then why didn't you pinch your own thigh?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his leg and spoke crossly.

"The price of these Tulips is way too outrageous!"

"Two million ryō for a single flower?"

Shimura Danzō said this with an expression of utter disbelief.

"Indeed... It's simply shocking."

Hiruzen Sarutobi also found the price absurd, clicking his tongue repeatedly.

"Wait, Hiruzen, did you hear that just now? Tulips are practically free money. Even a dog could come and make several million ryō."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Shimura Danzō. From the astonishment on Danzō's face, he read greed and desire.

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