14: The Deal

"So it's settled, then. Tomorrow morning at six, all of Team Five will meet at the lakeside training ground for a mock battle. Understood?"

"Yes, sensei!"

"Good. That's all for today. Dismissed."

"Thank you for your hard work."

After enjoying a sumptuous sushi feast, Soji first said goodbye to Akimichi Todo, then walked Sarutobi Erina home.

Once everything had been taken care of, he pocketed the newly acquired Flash Tags and Explosive Tags, then headed back to his apartment.

Keeping such dangerous items in an ordinary residence wasn't ideal, but the hospital's experimental facilities were open to all practicing doctors. For now, Soji couldn't find a more suitable place to store his personal belongings.

He was pondering when to seize the right opportunity to claim a generous slice of the hospital's annual project budget and establish a private laboratory, when a shadow suddenly darted into his empty living room.

The figure moved incredibly fast, but it wasn't simply the Body Flicker Technique.

From Soji's perspective, it was more like a monster dwelling in the shadows had suddenly split off a body.

"Dr. Yamada, did everything go smoothly at today's graduation ceremony?"

"There were a few unexpected incidents, but overall, things stayed within acceptable bounds."

Faced with his sudden visitor, Soji showed no sign of alarm.

After all, this wasn't the first time Director Inoue Hisahide had approached him in private. In fact, long before his falling-out with Director Chosokabe, Yamada Soji had already been making friends throughout the hospital and actively seeking out potential partners.

It went without saying that he'd sought out promising young doctors whose views aligned with his. He'd even considered trying to poach a few of the Conservative Faction's old guard.

Having lived two lives, Soji had thirty years' more experience than an ordinary youth, giving him a unique perspective on Konoha's tangled political landscape.

Human methods of communication and physiological limitations imposed an objective ceiling on how many people any one individual could mobilize...

Getting others to wholeheartedly understand your ideas and support your views took a tremendous investment of time. It also required the two sides to naturally share compatible values and beliefs, making coexistence possible.

So if Soji really wanted to build a political faction through persuasion alone, he'd be chasing moonlight reflected in water—nothing more than a pipe dream.

In Soji's view, any group with genuine cohesion and the ability to act had to represent the interests of a particular class of people, from which more concrete platforms and ideals could then emerge.

In other words, what kept a large group together wasn't "shared ideals," but "shared interests." The economic base determined the superstructure. (I really can't be bothered to argue when I can't see the quotation marks or the context.)

So even as the conflict between Konoha's Conservative Faction and the younger generation grew increasingly bitter, the youth remained convinced that as long as their basic interests aligned, the hospital's old guard could still find common ground with Yamada Soji and form a stable partnership.

Following this approach, Soji had indeed managed to uncover potential allies within what had seemed like a united front of old-timers...

Aside from Chosokabe Masayuki, Inoue Hisahide was the most respected and accomplished surgeon in the hospital. This old fox was skilled not only at reading people and coordinating organizational relationships, but also had far better strategic vision than his colleagues.

While most of the Conservative Faction believed that their advantage in the administrative sphere would let them stand toe-to-toe with the small cabinet led by the Third Hokage, Director Inoue had long since seen the irresistible course of history.

Hinges that turn don't rust; flowing water doesn't go stale. Out with the old and in with the new—this was an eternal, irreversible truth! Any individual or group that defied objective laws would ultimately be crushed beneath history's wheels, with no chance of survival...

And as war drew nearer, this process would only accelerate.

The sudden increase in external pressure would inevitably strengthen Sarutobi Hiruzen's position as leader, while the younger generation, now in control of the machinery of violence, would ultimately win the power struggle with overwhelming force!

So despite his outward image as a steadfast member of the Establishment Faction, Director Inoue had long been flirting with the Sarutobi faction behind the scenes.

Years spent in high office had taught him that those who tried to straddle both sides rarely met with a good end. So before meeting Yamada Soji, he'd had no proper channel through which to turn his goodwill into a concrete offer of allegiance...

With that in mind, it wasn't hard to understand why the two had hit it off in just six months and steadily deepened their partnership to its current level. The young man had offered Director Inoue the olive branch in mature, seasoned political language, hinting that he was willing to serve as a buffer and a channel for communication.

To Inoue Hisahide, the young Yamada-kun was both an investment and a final safeguard—a way to ensure his family could make a soft landing if things went wrong.

So when it came to earning merit and building influence, Director Inoue was even more invested than the youth himself...

That was why Soji remained so calm and composed when meeting in private with a messenger sent by the other man, showing no trace of unease.

"According to our team leader, Team Five will soon be sent to carry out a mission at the border."

"My lord has already heard about this. He believes that with your wisdom and ability, you'll seize the opportunity and distinguish yourself."

The messenger, his face hidden behind a black cloth, knelt before Soji and conveyed Director Inoue's words truthfully. "My lord instructed me that, for the time being, you can give me any orders you need. I'll do everything in my power to fulfill them."

"Very well. As for the materials I ordered for the techniques, I'd like a batch of Summoning Scrolls prepared and delivered as soon as possible."

"How many, specifically?"

"The more, the better."

"Understood..."

As the saying went, public funds weren't really money.

Ordinary doctors had limited reimbursement allowances, nowhere near enough to meet Soji's daily needs. Now that he'd finally found a legitimate channel for expenses, he naturally had to make the most of it.

But the benefits of working with Director Inoue clearly went beyond financial support.

Though Inoue Hisahide didn't have the standing to join the management inner circle, the director had his family's resources behind him and was undeniably an influential figure.

With him discreetly passing along information, Soji had finally managed to broaden his otherwise limited sources.

This had also helped narrow the gap between him and the great clans, allowing the youth to avoid pitfalls and seize opportunities.

"Do your best to hurry the scrolls along. Besides that, I'd like to know the specific objective of Team Five's upcoming border mission so I can prepare in advance."

"On that point... clashes between Konoha and Sunagakure have become increasingly frequent of late. For now, most of the fighting is still taking place in the Land of Rain. But to prevent the enemy from taking a route through the southwest and bypassing the main battlefield, the Third Hokage has ordered the construction of border defenses and the protection of supply routes.

"To support this policy, Konoha Hospital is also preparing to establish a Field Medical Center near the border in advance, so that wounded soldiers withdrawn from the front can receive timely treatment and casualties can be kept to a minimum."

"I see..."

Soji simply nodded, showing little surprise. In fact, the youth had already sensed that such an arrangement was coming from the hospital's recent personnel transfers.

Given his relationship with Director Chosokabe, it was hardly surprising that he'd been assigned to the frontline support roster.

He collected himself and continued to ask for details. "How large will the Medical Team be?"

"The first group of support staff will make up about one-fifth of the hospital's total personnel."

"Will they be volunteers?"

"Some volunteered, while others were personally selected by the director." At this, the messenger shot Soji a subtle glance. The implication was clear.

The youth had been prepared for this, so his expression didn't change. Nor did he foolishly ask Director Inoue to plead on his behalf.

He collected himself and continued, "Who will lead the team? Director Kobayakawa?"

"No. Director Kobayakawa will help Director Inoue manage affairs at the rear."

"You mean..." Soji paused, then caught on. "Director Chosokabe is going himself?"

"Yes."

"Tsk... The old man's got plenty of energy."

In all fairness...

Judging purely by universal moral standards, the upright Chosokabe Masayuki was unquestionably more trustworthy than the scheming Inoue Hisahide.

But a clash of ideals wasn't child's play.

Given the realities of the situation, the old man and Yamada-kun could only be opponents! Whether they wanted to be or not.