Sacrificing Himself to Feed the Tiger

At the entrance of the forging shop, Taiichi and his two companions looked at each other in bewilderment, as did the other members inside the shop.

Master Kriz had just returned and immediately went into the Forge Room, ignoring all worldly affairs. However, they had been instructed by the shopkeeper to invite the master to their residence for a talk once he returned!

Fortunately, this didn't keep people waiting long.

About 20 minutes later, the shop's owner, who was also the person who commissioned the task, finally sent someone to the foundry.

After learning the whole story, he readily signed the mission confirmation for Taiichi.

What happened next had nothing to do with Taiichi and the others.

"Taiichi, what kind of weapon do you think the master wants to forge?"

Yohei's face was full of gossip, and he kept looking back at the foundry that was getting further and further away.

"What, you also want a master craftsman to forge a weapon for you?" Taiichi stopped and turned to look at Yohei beside him. "But Yohei, your swordsmanship isn't very good!"

While talking to Yohei, she glanced out of the corner of her eye at the shop behind Yohei, where a waiter-looking person had just flashed by.

If Taiichi remembered correctly, this was the third time this person had appeared around Taiichi, and this was the same servant who had secretly greeted him when he went to the Daimyo's Mansion last time.

As expected, there are capable people in the Daimyo's Mansion. I've only been in the Kyoto City for less than half a day, and someone from the Daimyo's Mansion has already come looking for me.

Taiichi's heart skipped a beat. The Daimyo really hadn't missed any opportunity to make contact. Fortunately, he knew he was coming to Kyoto City and had made preparations in advance.

"If I can't do it, then we still have you, right?" Yohei said excitedly. "With this connection, won't you give us a discount when we find a master swordsmith to forge swords in the future?"

As he spoke, Yohei looked up at the Sun Barrier. "It's almost noon. Shall we find a place to eat?"

Looking at his two companions and thinking about the contact person from the Daimyo's Mansion who was not far away, Taiichi felt a strange thrill. Is this what life is like for a spy? It's not a life for ordinary people. It's better to go to the battlefield and fight.

Taiichi quickly adjusted his expression, revealing a relaxed smile, "Okay, I think that place up ahead looks good, let's go eat there!"

He pointed to a small shop with red lanterns hanging not far away, but out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of a waiter pretending to be a passerby and slowly moving towards the restaurant.

The three entered the restaurant, the wooden floorboards creaking. Taiichi deliberately chose a seat by the window so he could keep an eye on what was happening outside.

Saori curiously flipped through the menu, while Yohei eagerly ordered several signature dishes.

"I'm going to the restroom first." Taiichi stood up as soon as all the dishes were served. "You guys eat first, don't wait for me."

"Taiichi, you'd better hurry, or I'll eat all the good food!"

Yohei's laughter came from behind. At this moment, Taiichi had already walked out of the restaurant's back door and quickly turned into a narrow alley.

The waiter was already bowing and waiting there, as if he knew Taiichi would definitely come out.

"Daimyo is very concerned about Konoha's recent movements," the waiter First Gate, his voice extremely low. "So much time has passed, and you haven't even reported a single person of value."

Taiichi ignored the waiter's complaints and directly took out a scroll the size of a thumb from a hidden pocket inside his Ninja Tool Pouch: "This is what the Daimyo wants."

He cautiously glanced around. "Recently, Konoha's mission workload has surged, with a large number of ninjas being recalled for missions. Is the Daimyo planning something? I need to know the details to gather targeted intelligence."

The waiter didn't answer, but quietly took the scroll without even checking it, then turned and disappeared into the alley.

Taiichi stared silently at the spot where the waiter had disappeared. It seemed the Daimyo had no trust in him at all; even the messenger he sent was such an insignificant tool.

I wonder if the Daimyo will be satisfied with the intelligence this time. Hopefully, he'll send someone more influential next time!

However, thinking about the list of Konoha geniuses he had handed over to the Daimyo this time, Taiichi couldn't help but shudder. The Hokage really dared to dream Hokage!

Let's rewind to the day Taiichi received the mission.

After Yohei and Saori decided on the destination of their mission— Kyoto City— Taiichi remembered that he also had a mission as a spy for his superiors.

That's just being unprofessional. Almost two months have passed and there's still no sign of anything happening on our side. I wonder if Daimyo will start to get suspicious.

With a "let's give it a shot" attitude, Taiichi used the excuse of going back to Resupply supplies to leave Yohei and Saori's sight and went to the Hokage's Office.

After Taiichi explained his purpose, he clearly saw the Hokage-sama's helpless expression, as if he had just let his own son make a mistake but was holding back from giving him a good beating.

"Well, Hokage!" Taiichi knew this was clearly his fault, and at this moment he could only rely on their close relationship and youth to resort to shamelessness, "You know, there have been a lot of missions lately, and our Captain is often away, so—"

Taiichi, unable to continue his Taiichi, stared awkwardly at Hiruzen Sarutobi. He had already taken all the mission rewards, yet now he was just getting paid without doing any work.

Seeing Taiichi scratching his head in frustration, Hiruzen Sarutobi decided not to press him any further.

This kind of spy mission requires certain training to be carried out, and the fact that Taiichi hasn't been exposed is already quite good.

Thinking it over, he stopped being coy and took out a pre-prepared list from the drawer, handing it to Taiichi.

"The people on this list will be reported to the Daimyo in batches, in order. You will have three opportunities to report to him. See if you can get any useful information back from the Daimyo during these three meetings."

Taiichi took the list, unfolded it, and his pupils contracted. He picked up the list and looked at it carefully to make sure he hadn't misread it. Then he looked up at the Hokage and collected Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, is this Sarutobi Asuma a misspelling, or is it not the Asuma I know?"

Good heavens, the Hokage is so selfless! He even put his own son on the list. Isn't he afraid of messing things up?

"That's right, it's the Asuma you know." Hiruzen Sarutobi took a couple of puffs of his cigarette, his gaze fixed heavily on Taiichi: "What, other people's kids can be on this list, but mine can't?"

"No, Sarutobi is a man of great wisdom and understanding. I was merely surprised!"

How can you not be surprised? In the original story, Asuma didn't have this incident, and he later sided with the Daimyo. Now, the Hokage is deliberately pushing him towards that side. I really hope Asuma can stick to his Force Field and not waver!

Looking at another name on the list, Hatake Kakashi, Taiichi felt another headache coming on.

If Hatake Sakumo were to live a peaceful and stable life, then providing Kakashi's name would be no problem.

The crucial point is that if the "White Fang Suicide Incident" were to actually happen in this lifetime, then the future "50/50 ninja" would be truly unpredictable.

"Sigh, in the end, all the pressure has fallen on me!" Taiichi sighed inwardly, feeling the pressure on his shoulders grow heavier again.

Taiichi lingered in the alley for a few more minutes, making sure no one had seen him, before returning to the restaurant as if he had just finished using the restroom.

Yohei was wolfing down his tempura, while Saori thoughtfully left an untouched sashimi platter for Taiichi.

"Why did you take so long?" Saori asked with concern. "The food was getting cold."

"My stomach's a little upset." Taiichi smiled as he sat down, picking up a piece of sashimi. "I probably ate something bad this morning."

Yohei his mouth full of food, Yangping mumbled, "That's a real shame. You missed out on so much delicious food. If Saori hadn't specially saved it for you, I would have eaten it all!"

"How dare you say that!" Saori berated Yohei from the side, "You look like a starving ghost reincarnated—"

Listening to Yohei and Saori's bickering, Taiichi's thoughts drifted far away. He wondered what the Daimyo would do after seeing that list, and how long it would take for him to gain their trust.

He looked up at the window; the sun was shining brightly, and the streets were bustling with pedestrians. But beneath this seemingly calm surface, a power struggle was brewing beneath the surface.

After lunch, the three-person team didn't linger and headed straight for Konoha.

Meanwhile, the list that Taiichi had been longing for had already been handed over to the Daimyo.

"Did Taichi Matsushita ask anything when the intelligence was handed over?" The Daimyo asked the returning waiter casually, fiddling with the small scroll in his hand.

"Sir, he only asked about recent operations so he could gather intelligence accordingly." I followed his instructions and said nothing more, and he didn't ask anything else after that.

"Alright, you can go now!"

After the waiter left, only the Daimyo and the Minister of Finance remained in the large reception Reception Hall.

"Tell me, is this Taiichi trustworthy?" The Daimyo's face was uncertain, and his voice revealed a hint of gloom.

"Whether it's credible or not, we can find out by looking at the intelligence." The Minister of Finance pointed to the scroll in the Daimyo's hand. "The more valuable the intelligence he provides, the more credible it is!"

"Haha, you're right!" Daimyo laughed, pointing at the Minister of Finance, his gloomy expression vanishing. "When he provides enough information, it's no longer a matter of whether he's trustworthy or not!"

Without further hesitation, Daimyo opened the scroll in his hand.

Hatake Kakashi graduated at age 6 and is now 7 years old, already a Chunin.

Sarutobi Asuma, son of the Hokage, is a student at the Ninja Academy, ranking first in his grade, and inheriting the wind and earth techniques of the Third Kazekage.

Fire Chakra Nature Transformation ----

Nakamura Ryota, a Ninja Clan, graduated two years ago and has participated in numerous A-level missions, all with outstanding performance.

Looking at these three names and the descriptions below them, Daimyo couldn't help but frown.

Hatake Kakashi and Nakamura Ryota are indeed very good; they are both Jonin future Jonin with enormous potential.

But isn't this Sarutobi Asuma a bit too outrageous? He's trying to poach the Hokage's son! Leaving aside whether he'll succeed, the Daimyo's Mansion 'Hokage reaction alone will be enough to give the Daimyo a run for his money!

"Daimyo, is there a problem with this list?" Seeing the Daimyo's worried expression, the Minister of Finance stepped forward to offer his assistance.

"Take a look too!" The Daimyo handed the scroll to the Minister of Finance. "Help me analyze how to win these people over!"

The Minister of Finance took the scroll, and even a quick glance at it caused his pupils to shrink and his lips to twitch involuntarily.

He hadn't expected Taiichi to reveal the name of the Hokage's son. Did he think the conflict between the Daimyo's Mansion and Konoha wasn't intense enough and needed to be further fueled?

But as the name lingered in his mind, a brilliant idea suddenly came to him.

"Daimyo lord, this Sarutobi Asuma might actually be worth trying to win over."

"Oh, what brilliant idea do you have, sir? Tell me quickly." The Daimyo's face was full of curiosity. Could he possibly win over such a sensitive person to his side?

"Actually, this can't be called winning someone over. After all, if we actively try to win over someone like that, it would be a challenge to the Hokage's authority. If things are exposed, Konoha will settle accounts with us for whatever reason."

The Minister of Finance's tone was quite somber, which served as a reminder to the Daimyo that his side only held the moral high ground and did not actually possess much military strength.

If the Hokage were to turn against me, even if it wasn't through open warfare to overthrow the Daimyo, but rather through assassination, what would be the point of anything else after my death?

The Daimyo naturally understood the unspoken meaning in the Minister of Finance's words, but he became even more interested in the Minister of Finance's plan and urged the minister to continue explaining.

"First of all, Sarutobi Asuma is still a student at school, so we have plenty of time and there's no need to rush."

Secondly, we don't need to specifically try to win him over, much less make him join us. We just need to influence him indirectly, for example, by emphasizing his status as the son of the Hokage and ignoring his own efforts, so that he gradually comes to hate his origins.

Then, we can convey our ideas to him, allowing him to gradually understand us and draw closer to us.

Of course, all of this requires a gradual and subtle influence, which is not only time-consuming but also necessitates the use of our spies planted in Konoha. All of this depends on the Daimyo's decision."

After hearing the Minister of Finance's plan, the Daimyo was quite tempted. The plan not only had low risk, but if it succeeded, the rewards would be enormous.

Imagine, the Hokage's son is a supporter of the Daimyo —what could be more ironic?

The only difficulty is the huge time cost, which is estimated to take several years or even more than a decade, but when he thought about the potential gains, Daimyo made up his mind without hesitation.

"Qing, I'm entrusting this matter to you. I'll arrange a few suitable informants to follow your orders." The Daimyo displayed his characteristic decisiveness. "But remember, this plan isn't about achieving great success, but about avoiding mistakes. Under no circumstances should it be obvious that someone is deliberately orchestrating this."

"Yes, Daimyo."

"As for the other two, have someone observe them first to determine if their personalities and abilities are worth making contact with."

"Yes!"

A plan that had been in the works for several years was decided in this brief meeting.

Perhaps even Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't expect that the genius Hatake Kakashi wouldn't attract the Daimyo's attention, but instead, it was his son, who shouldn't have caused any problems, who ended up causing trouble upon entering.

However, all of this was meaningless to Taiichi Squad as they left Kyoto City. Unlike their slow journey there, Taiichi return trip only took them two days.

"Alright, that's enough for today. Let's rest for a day and then train again tomorrow."

Yohei and Saori nodded at the same time, and the three of them then went their separate ways to their respective destinations.

The Hokage's Office.

"---- Hokage-sama, that's how the mission went." Taiichi stood obediently at the desk, reporting on the details of his spy mission.

"Oh, so the Daimyo is very interested in the current personnel movements in Konoha."

Hiruzen Sarutobi his head in deep thought, but he couldn't figure out what the Daimyo wanted to do. At this critical juncture, did the Daimyo really want to hold Konoha back? Surely the Daimyo wouldn't be foolish enough to do something that would hurt his own people and please his enemies.

It seems we still need to strengthen our intelligence Scout on the Daimyo's Mansion. We can't always wait until the Daimyo makes a move before we belatedly take action.

Hiruzen Sarutobi made up his mind, but when he looked up, he saw Taiichi still standing there, looking like he wanted to say something but couldn't. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Taiichi, is there something else you need?"

Taiichi had been waiting for Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, and hesitantly asked, "Hokage-sama, is Asuma really alright?"

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression hardened, and he feigned anger, saying, "Why is it that other people's children are fine, and you yourself have become a spy, Asuma can't? Don't forget, he will also become a formal ninja of Konoha in the future."

"Yes, I understand." Taiichi looked ashamed, as if he were embarrassed to have such thoughts. "Hokage-sama, then I'll be leaving."

Only when the office door closed did Taiichi's guilty expression fade, and he let out a long sigh.

It's finally over. If Asuma really does pledge Daimyo to the Asuma in the future, then what he said today could be the key to avoiding being held accountable later. Taiichi can't afford to be careless.