Resignation, Forcing His Hand

"...All right, Genya. From now on, you'll be the commander of the Konoha Guard Force."

"I hope you'll put your talents to good use in this position."

Sarutobi Hiruzen ultimately compromised. After all, this was hardly a major issue.

Genya immediately stood at attention and declared righteously:

"Of course. Protecting Konoha's peace and justice is the bounden duty of every ninja."

"Wherever the leaves of Konoha dance, the flames shall burn without end!"

Although Sarutobi Hiruzen often used such words to fool those beneath him, hearing them come from an Uchiha—an Uchiha who had just threatened him—made him feel that something was off.

Only after Sarutobi Hiruzen signed and stamped the appointment letter, confirming that it had taken effect, did Genya put it away in satisfaction. At the same time, he produced another document and motioned for Sarutobi Hiruzen to sign it.

"What is this?"

"Nothing much. It's simply a reform proposal for the Konoha Security Division, submitted in my capacity as its director."

"First, the Security Division will be expanded threefold, and we will be permitted to recruit members from civilian ninja and ninja clans."

"Of course, we will uphold the principles of fairness and justice, ensuring that every member joins the Security Division voluntarily. There will absolutely be no coercion or abduction."

When he mentioned coercion, Genya looked directly toward Danzo. The meaning was obvious.

Seeing that look, Danzo was so furious that he nearly jumped up.

What does a wicked Uchiha brat like you know? Everything this old man has done has been for the village!

"Humph!"

But the moment Fugaku's Mangekyō gaze fell upon him, Danzo obediently lowered his head and played ostrich.

It wasn't that this old man feared you, Fugaku. It was just that Konoha absolutely could not do without him right now!

This time, Sarutobi Hiruzen did not rashly state his opinion. Instead, he carefully read through every document Genya had submitted.

The entire report contained only one demand: more money.

Recruiting ninja cost money. Paying ninja salaries cost money. Upholding Konoha's fairness and justice, as well as providing basic training facilities for Security Division members, also cost money.

Tripling their expansion did not mean recruiting three times as many people. It meant demanding three times the Security Division's original operating budget.

And that was not all. There were also various venue repair fees, ninja training costs, and ninja tool wear-and-tear expenses. The village would need to reimburse all of them.

Altogether, the demand came to roughly four to five times the Security Division's previous expenditure.

Sarutobi Hiruzen instinctively reached for his pipe, but after glancing at Genya, he instead put on a kindly smile.

"Genya, you're a good child. You should know that the Third Great Ninja War has only just ended, and the village needs money everywhere."

"You're asking for triple the funding. Konoha truly cannot afford it."

"How about this? I can allow you to expand your manpower, but as for the funding, Konoha will make it up to you when there is an opportunity in the future."

Genya sneered inwardly, nearly snorting like Fugaku had.

Not enough money?

Excuses. Nothing but excuses.

They clearly wanted to keep draining the Uchiha's reserves, preferably making the Uchiha pay this sum themselves.

Triple the funding was no joke.

And the other ninja clans might not be as easy to reason with as the Uchiha. Recruiting them into the Security Division would likely cost even more.

After all, the Security Division was not exactly a well-liked department. They had to be given some compensation for emotional distress, at least.

However, Genya had already anticipated this and pulled out another report.

"What is this now?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyelid twitched. He had a bad feeling about this.

Why did he feel as though Genya had been waiting for this all along?

Genya said with a smile, "Since Konoha is facing difficulties, we understand on our side as well."

"As it happens, I have collected the signatures of every member of the Konoha Guard Force. Now, as long as I sign it as commander, this resignation letter will officially take effect."

"After all, our Security Division is also trying to save Konoha some funding."

"A resignation letter?" Sarutobi Hiruzen froze for a moment, unable to understand what Genya was trying to pull.

He had just become the director of the Security Division and was already resigning? Was he deliberately making a mockery of him?

But he quickly understood, because Genya had said every member of the Security Division.

What was he trying to do? Force his hand right in front of him?

If he did not agree to their demands, the entire Guard Force would resign.

No matter what, the Security Division was the massive pit the Second Hokage—his teacher—had dug for the Uchiha. He absolutely could not allow the Uchiha to escape this trap.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had another concern as well: the Uchiha clan's combat power was far too excessive.

Even if they did nothing but honestly accept missions, they could still squeeze out the ninja mission market and take all the work from the other great clans, including the Sarutobi clan.

The Uchiha were famous for their formidable combat strength. Everyone who had hired them spoke highly of them.

Meanwhile, the Senju clan, once as renowned as the Uchiha, had now all but vanished in name.

Looking at the two documents on the table, Sarutobi Hiruzen fell into a dilemma.

One option was to agree to Genya's demands, have the clans of several old friends receive a little less money, and fill the Uchiha's appetite.

The other was to let the Uchiha completely climb out of the Security Division's mire. In the future, Uchiha ninja would be entirely beyond his control.

Though they were somewhat uncontrollable even now, at least this young man was still willing to negotiate.

As the saying went, of two evils, choose the lesser. Although Genya had made a demand that put Sarutobi Hiruzen in a difficult position, he had also offered another demand that Sarutobi Hiruzen absolutely could not accept.

By comparison, simply increasing the Security Division's funding and expanding its scale no longer seemed quite so unacceptable.

Besides, perhaps he could place a few of his own people in the Security Division and keep an eye on Fugaku and Uchiha Genya.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had never expected that he was being played by the very tactic he used most often.

Fugaku played the bad cop while Genya played the good cop, and together they had Sarutobi Hiruzen completely in the palm of their hands.

Having thought it through, Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately revealed a benevolent smile.

"Since the Uchiha are willing to share Konoha's burdens, I approve the expansion of the Security Division."

Upon hearing this, Shimura Danzō was so furious that he wanted to leap out on the spot.

I think you really have grown old. You would actually do something as foolish as loosening the Uchiha's restraints.

Yet beneath the gaze of a pair of blood-red Mangekyō eyes, Shimura Danzō ultimately did not dare step forward.

It was not that he was too cowardly. This distance was simply too dangerous for him.

Konoha could do without Sarutobi Hiruzen, but it absolutely could not do without him, the Darkness of the Shinobi!

Watching Sarutobi Hiruzen sign his name, Genya happily put away the document and immediately prepared to head to the Finance Department for the money.

Sarutobi Hiruzen still cared somewhat about his reputation. He could not deny a document he had just signed.

But after some time had passed, that might not be the case.