The Squeeze Storm

When the Daimyo arrived, the bank's doors had already been broken down. The security guards were flushed and red-faced, and the human wall they had formed was caved inward.

He swallowed hard. Ever since he took charge of the Land of Lightning, he had never seen such a scene. If this were to impact...

He quickly banished the dangerous thought. He had initially thought the bank manager was incompetent, but now it seemed the situation was more complicated.

"The Daimyo has arrived~"

The chamberlain shouted loudly, and the frenzied crowd seemed to have found a pillar of support, kneeling before him.

"My Lord, you've finally come! This scoundrel stole all our money!"

"My Lord, all my savings were in there! If I don't get it back, my life has no meaning!"

"My Lord, you must uphold justice for us!"

"My Lord!"

"..."

The Daimyo looked at the crowd kneeling not far away and then at the several guardian ninjas beside him, feeling somewhat uneasy.

These weren't the poor from the lower classes. After all, how could they have money to deposit in a bank? Most of the depositors were Chunin-level ninjas or higher, as well as some established merchants.

Not to mention, several of the ninjas kneeling before him were familiar faces. If this was handled poorly, these people might turn violent, posing a great threat to both himself and the Land of Lightning.

"Don't worry, I will give you a satisfactory answer."

The Daimyo first calmed them down and then walked into the bank.

"You're finally here."

The bank manager, wiping sweat from his brow, hurried over to the Daimyo.

Naturally, the manager of the nation's bank wouldn't be an outsider. This fat, big-eared fellow was actually his cousin and one of his trusted confidants.

"What's going on? Why are they delaying withdrawals?"

Considering he had guards around, he still gave his relative some face.

"My Lord, it's not that I don't want to, it's just... it's just that the bank is out of money!"

"Nonsense! How could the bank..."

The Daimyo started to speak, then seemed to recall something and looked at the manager, whose gaze was evasive.

This wasn't entirely the manager's fault. He himself had ordered the manager to allocate funds to Kumogakure. Moreover, the manager had warned him that this would leave the bank's reserves depleted. But he had his own difficulties!

One must understand that in recent years, the Cloud Ninjas had not only plundered treasures and secret techniques. They had also supported friendly regimes and assassinated ministers in other countries who were hostile to the Land of Lightning. They had also engaged in activities similar to what the Stone Ninjas were doing in secret, though their methods were crude and they were always exposed.

It was conceivable that once Kumogakure declined, the countries they had offended over the years would retaliate fiercely.

So, when the Raikage told him they needed to pay twelve billion in supplies and currency to ransom the hostages, his heart stopped. He cursed loudly, smashed his beloved amber coral to pieces, and beat his concubine half to death.

Ultimately, after just one night, he gritted his teeth and agreed.

This was because assassins had appeared in the Daimyo's Mansion again, making him realize how many people wished him dead.

He also realized how important a strong Kumogakure was to him.

Of these twelve billion in supplies, ten billion came from the Land of Lightning. After all, Kumogakure's annual income, after deducting expenses, was only twenty to thirty million, so they certainly couldn't afford such a massive sum.

After a long silence, the Daimyo spoke with some difficulty, "How much money does the bank have left?"

"No, less than one hundred million."

"How much is in the inner treasury?"

A chamberlain stepped forward and said in a low voice, "There are about two hundred million in the treasury, but most of it is food and weapons. It will take time to sell."

"How much do those people who want to withdraw money need?"

"Seven, about seven hundred million."

The Daimyo's vision went black. He had never hated his subjects for being so wealthy.

With so much money, he couldn't even cover it by borrowing from other countries, let alone whether any country would be willing to lend money to the Land of Lightning, given its reputation.

He even wondered if he would ever be able to return if he told the people outside the truth.

Just then, there was a commotion behind him. He flinched in fear, thinking the impatient crowd outside had broken in.

"My Lord!"

Hearing the voice, the Daimyo turned around and saw the person approaching. His heart finally settled, and he calmly let his guards bring the person in. "Daigo, what do you need me for?"

Shikano Daigo immediately knelt on the ground and said anxiously, "My Lord, our Shikano family's business is in urgent need of capital turnover, but all our money is in the bank and we can't withdraw it. Please order that the Shikano family's money be returned to us first!"

Shikano Daigo saw the displeased bank manager and didn't want to offend him. However, his family had deposited a large sum of money in the bank for business, and they couldn't delay any longer. He had no choice but to brace himself and come.

The Daimyo looked at his capable subordinate with an awkward expression. "This, well, firstly, it's not a simple problem. It's complex, contradictory, and a matter worthy of deep thought. How about this, you go home first, and I'll discuss it with the bank manager and give you a reply as soon as possible."

If it were in the past, he could still use the inner treasury, but now he didn't dare to touch the money in the inner treasury carelessly.

"...Yes."

Daigo had been by the Daimyo's side for a long time, so he understood the general situation as soon as the Daimyo spoke. He forced a smile and left. But as soon as he stepped out of the door, he could no longer hide his embarrassed expression.

Many people at the entrance knew that Daigo had gone in to ask for money. Some families had even sent people to monitor the situation. Seeing that even Daigo couldn't get his money, everyone knew something big had happened.

The Land of Lightning is out of money.

"Something's wrong. Why would they all suddenly come to withdraw money?!"

After finally calming everyone down and returning to the Daimyo's Mansion, the Daimyo suddenly realized the strangeness of the situation. He quickly ordered his attendants to find out why people were withdrawing money today.

About half an hour later, the attendant returned to report to the Daimyo.

Before he could finish listening, the Daimyo angrily grabbed a vase beside him and smashed it to the ground, his face contorted as he roared:

"Damn the Land of Fire!"

"Go! Connect me to the Raikage via video call!"

The old, bulky display screen had a rough, matte texture. This was already the most advanced communication device in the ninja world. Hoshino Maki had initially thought of this technology, but A had rejected it.

"Raikage, merchants from the Land of Fire are collectively selling goods in the Land of Lightning and spreading rumors about the Land of Lightning's bank, causing it to be on the verge of bankruptcy. Do you know about this?"

The burly Third Raikage on the screen shook his head. "Sorry, I've been busy with village affairs these past few days and haven't paid attention to the outside world."

As he spoke, the iron pagoda-like man's expression revealed an unconcealable fatigue.

Orochimaru had killed Fukai and released the Eight-Tails. This news had somehow spread throughout Kumogakure, causing a huge uproar.

The Eight-Tails Incident could be said to be the most destructive event caused by a Tailed Beast to a village in the history of the ninja world.

Even the Nine-Tails' two attacks on Konoha in the original history did not cause as much damage as this.

The first time Madara Uchiha attacked Konoha with the Nine-Tails, his main target was Hashirama Senju, not Konoha. Therefore, he voluntarily led it outside the village to the Valley of the End. The second time, the Nine-Tails was halfway through its rampage when the Yellow Flash took it away using the Flying Thunder God. It could be said that the village was not critically damaged.

But the Eight-Tails was different. It was unsealed by Orochimaru directly in Kumogakure. No one in Kumogakure knew Space-Time Ninjutsu. Kumogakure directly became the main battlefield, resulting in countless casualties.

Innumerable people lost loved ones because of this incident. Many of them have now become the backbone or even the elite forces of the village. How could they not seek justice for their friends and relatives upon hearing this news?

Especially since the rumors were so detailed, even knowing that Orochimaru had killed a doctor and then impersonated him to drug the Jinchuriki made the rumor more believable.

Of course, given the Cloud Ninja's style, whether the rumors were credible or not didn't really matter. What mattered was that if I suspect you, you have to give me an explanation.

But this time it was Konoha.

The Raikage was not an impulsive person. He instinctively felt something was amiss, but he no longer had time to investigate. The village was in an uproar, demanding that Orochimaru be brought over for interrogation. Facing the anger of the entire village, he truly couldn't refuse.

But anyone with a brain could tell it was impossible. No matter how much Sarutobi, the dove, advocated for peace, he wouldn't let his disciple go to Kumogakure. That wouldn't just be slapping Konoha's face; it would be grinding their face into the dirt!

So, he wanted to stall for time, wait for the people's anger to subside a bit, and then decide whether to fight or not after clarifying the situation. But this required the Daimyo's support, because Kumogakure was out of money again.

Although the Land of Lightning bore the brunt of the compensation, the village also contributed a significant amount. Finances were strained. Without the Daimyo's support, this winter would be very difficult.

Especially since the Land of Lightning was located in a mountainous region, it was already colder than other places. Some areas started snowing in August or September. The supply of materials was heavily reliant on the outside world. Kumogakure had already been struggling to cope, and now, after paying a large sum of money, they could only rely on the Daimyo's help.

After the Raikage reported the situation to the Daimyo, the Daimyo's expression was uncertain. "I'll give you an answer in an hour."

One hour.

Two hours.

Just as the Raikage was about to make the call, the display screen lit up. The Daimyo's expression was serious and resolute. "We have supplies, but prepare for war!"