Ninja Blades Were Made for Stabbing Godfathers!

Inside the Hokage's office.

"White Dove, there's an intelligence outpost belonging to Kumogakure near the border of the Land of Hot Water. I'd like you to deal with it. Consider it the Uchiha clan's first S-rank mission!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen took out a mission scroll and placed it on the desk.

The mission had been agreed upon in advance by the F4. It was a test, but also a "deal" meant to recover the Sharingan.

Kakashi would be assigned to assist. Whatever happened, as long as the other party wasn't harmed, they would make a big deal into a small one and a small deal into nothing.

"Lord Hokage certainly thinks highly of the Uchiha. We haven't taken a mission in years, and our first one is S-rank!"

White Dove didn't rush to accept the mission.

It was true that he needed a mission to leave the village and take care of his own business, but that didn't mean he would let the village push him around.

"Oh? Is there some difficulty?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen understood that White Dove wasn't trying to refuse the mission. He simply had some terms he wanted to discuss.

As far as Hiruzen was concerned, he wasn't afraid of the other party negotiating. He was afraid they wouldn't negotiate at all.

"Of course, I'd like to contribute to Konoha, but the Military Police Force has been unsettled lately because of unpaid wages. I'd like to wait a little while before carrying out this mission!"

White Dove laid out his terms.

He put it so tactfully because he was only at Kage Level right now. He hadn't yet earned the right to "refuse to eat beef," so everything had to be done by the rules.

Once he had the strength to refuse to eat beef, naturally it would be, "Whoever has the strongest army becomes Hokage."

Before transmigrating, he'd always looked down on those transmigrators in novels who were clearly weak yet acted all domineering and flashy.

Where were their brains?

In the Shinobi World, where backstabbers were everywhere and schemes ran rampant, acting tough without the strength to back it up was practically asking someone to kill you.

"Actually, we've already gathered three hundred million ryō toward the Uchiha's relocation compensation. Why don't you use that money to settle the Military Police Force for now?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen had "suddenly" remembered the money.

Fifteen hundred million ryō was no small sum. They had originally planned to pay the Uchiha later, but paying them three hundred million in advance in exchange for White Dove carrying out the mission right away wasn't out of the question.

"Carrying out missions for Konoha is the Uchiha's duty. Don't worry, Lord Hokage. I'll get ready and leave shortly!"

White Dove's reluctance vanished, and he declared his resolve.

He was practically ready to shout, "Loyalty!"

Honestly, when he heard that the other party was willing to hand over three hundred million ryō ahead of schedule, he felt an urge to call him "Godfather."

His ninja blade might not be a halberd, but it was still made for stabbing godfathers.

"Good. Kakashi will guide you. You can also get to know each other better."

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke with a meaningful look.

The mission wasn't important. Kakashi was. This also meant they had chosen to protect the Sharingan in Danzo's eye.

They all believed Danzo's right eye was definitely Shisui's Mangekyo. Otherwise, Danzo wouldn't have clung to it so stubbornly. So, trading it for the three-tomoe Sharingan in Kakashi's eye would be an excellent deal.

The meat was still in their own pot, so however they divided it, the benefits stayed within the family. That was why Sarutobi Hiruzen and the two advisors had tacitly agreed to use Kakashi as the bargaining chip.

"Then thank you for your 'kindness,' Lord Hokage!"

White Dove understood Sarutobi Hiruzen's hint, so he nodded.

That was the tacit understanding between them.

The other party had created an opportunity. If White Dove's side failed to seize it, they couldn't blame the other party for not helping.

After they finished discussing things, White Dove took the mission scroll and left.

Their relationship was all smiles on the surface and discord underneath, so there was no reason for him to stick around and pretend.

Of course, he took the money with him when he left.

It was packed in a sealing scroll, and someone brought it over while he was on his way out.

White Dove headed straight for the Military Police Force.

Time to hand out money!

He was a professional when it came to giving money away.

When he arrived at the Military Police Force, he saw a notice on the bulletin board announcing that they were hiring two hundred "temporary workers."

Of course, "temporary workers" was what White Dove called them in his head. Their official title was City Management.

There was no way these ordinary people could be called "police officers." Their job was simply to handle everyday minor issues, like village administrators, so the name wasn't inappropriate.

When White Dove entered the Military Police Force, he didn't go to the chief's office. Instead, he went straight to the middle of the hall.

"Bring over a few tables!"

He directed several Uchiha to help.

At his command, the Uchiha clerks got to work without a word.

Whoosh!

They pushed several desks together, forming a small platform.

"Get the Military Police Force's payroll records and tally how much the village owes. I'll settle it all today, and I'll also give each of you an extra twenty percent in interest!"

White Dove announced generously. At the same time, he formed Hand Seals and took the money out of the sealing scroll.

Poof!

When the white smoke cleared, a pile of money appeared on the desks.

It was three hundred million ryō, mostly in small denominations—the various Konoha departments had pooled it, after all—so it formed a small mountain.

Gulp!

Quite a few Uchiha swallowed nervously.

They had already received a share yesterday, based on the number of people in their households. Now they could get more. At that moment, they had only one thought:

"Loyalty!"

One Uchiha clenched his right fist and pounded it against his chest, as if nothing else could release the excitement he felt.

It was like a signal.

"Loyalty!"

"Loyalty!"

A thunderous chant rang out.

White Dove's reputation was already strong, and now he was handing out money again and again. How could they not be loyal?

Even if he told them to go chop down the Hokage, the Uchiha would only ask, "Where is he?"

He had Uchiha Tomohiko, the Fourth Squad captain who had once been his superior, help distribute the wages they had tallied.

A salary of fifty thousand ryō was already low for a ninja, yet the village had kept delaying payment with one excuse after another. No wonder the Uchiha were unhappy.

An ordinary Genin who worked hard could earn fifty to a hundred thousand ryō a month, while an average Jonin made a million a month. Even considering the risk to their lives, the difference was enormous.

So, this salary really wasn't enough.

White Dove simply didn't want to feed the Uchiha everything all at once. Otherwise, he would have reformed the pay system too.

But that could be done gradually. First, he had to get their finances in order.

There were several hundred Uchiha. On average, each was owed several hundred thousand ryō, which showed that the village hadn't been behind by just a day or two.

After they paid the overdue wages, more than half of the three hundred million in cash was still piled on the desk, making countless Uchiha stare at it enviously.

Thump!

White Dove jumped onto the pile of money and looked out at the hall packed with his clansmen. He made them a stirring promise.

"My fellow Uchiha, I've said before that I won't keep this glory to myself. Follow me, and you'll only gain more in the future!"

If Uchiha Fugaku had said that, no one would have paid him any attention.

But when White Dove said it, not a single Uchiha doubted him. They all cried out with fervor.

"Loyalty!"

Their voices even drew the attention of many people nearby, but because of the Uchiha's "fearsome reputation," no one dared come to the Military Police Force to investigate.

"Captain Tomohiko," White Dove said, hopping down from the pile. He quietly instructed Uchiha Tomohiko, who was sharp and levelheaded, "I'm going on the village's S-rank mission this afternoon. Send the remaining money back to the One Heart Chamber of Commerce, and pick out promising clansmen. I'll provide resources later to help train them into ninjas!"

He was leaving these matters to Tomohiko partly to lighten Yashiro's workload, but also to put Tomohiko to the test.

If he did well, he could help White Dove in the future.

"Yes, Chief!" Uchiha Tomohiko accepted the assignment. He strongly approved of and admired White Dove's actions, though he couldn't help asking with some concern, "How many people are you taking with you this time? Wouldn't it be better to bring a few more?"

They had finally gotten a capable and reliable clan leader. He didn't want anything to happen to White Dove during a mission.

"Don't worry. This mission does have a few 'surprises,' but I have a way of handling them!"

White Dove let a little of the truth slip.

He knew the mission was bound to be problematic. After all, "the enemy is F4" wasn't just a meme.

And the Mangekyo he'd kept hidden would definitely surprise anyone plotting against him.

Of course, part of him also wanted to fish for trouble.

Who was he trying to catch?