Huo Ying, Konoha Village.
After Mirai went to Inuyasha, Rock Lee followed Huo Ying's instructions and went with Kakashi's group to Tea Village.
The mission was simple: negotiate with Tea Village over nominal compensation related to Tea Village's assassination of Konoha ninja.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's demand was for Tea Village to pay Konoha 3% of its total profits, along with the 120 million it had previously promised Konoha. After that, the discord between Tea Village and Konoha would be resolved, and if Tea Village faced danger, Konoha would provide the promised assistance.
This demand was no small one, especially the first condition. Three percent of the profits looked insignificant, but Tea Village earned billions every year from exporting tea and doing business with the villagers. That 3% amounted to at least several billion ryō. In other words, from now on, Tea Village would have to pay Konoha hundreds of millions of ryō in protection money every year. It was practically highway robbery!
Yet in Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes, this was still going easy on them. If the other villages had not been eyeing Tea Village hungrily, especially Konoha, he would have wanted to swallow Tea Village whole.
Worried that delay might bring trouble, Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered Kakashi to lead the team and negotiate with Kinomoto Sakura, Sasuke, and Rock Lee that very day.
After Kakashi and his team departed, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned his attention back to his other work. However, a question suddenly surfaced in his mind.
"Tuan Tuan and his Root have been unusually quiet lately. When Mirai left the village, he did not make a move at all. Is his relationship with Mirai not as bad as I imagined?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen realized that he could not see through things very clearly today. The discovery made cold sweat break out on