This Is a Tough Spot!

"Imagine that! A Konoha ninja actually came here to assassinate the Daimyo. I don't think there's any need to send you your funding this year!"

The Daimyo snorted and immediately put pressure on the Third Hokage.

"We can't!"

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, who were in charge of Konoha's finances, cried out in alarm, their faces grim.

Konoha had only just finished fighting the Second Shinobi World War and was in desperate need of money. If the Daimyo really cut off their funding, a village as vast as Konoha would be plunged straight into crisis.

It was true that Konoha had never lacked missions, thanks to the reputation it had earned in the past. But compared with the needs of the enormous village, the meager mission fees were nothing more than a drop in the bucket.

Without the Daimyo's funding, Konoha's development would grind to a halt, or even go into reverse.

Sunagakure was a prime example.

The Daimyo of the Land of Wind had cut Sunagakure's funding again and again. With no other choice, the village had been forced to focus on cultivating elite ninja and reduce their numbers. Even the mighty Kazekage had to go digging for gold in the desert. Sunagakure's strength had fallen to the bottom of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, leaving it weaker even than Kirigakure, despite the Bloody Mist Era and all its coups.

With just one sentence, the Daimyo had struck at Konoha's most vulnerable point and seized it by the throat.

Even Danzo's gloomy expression eased slightly, and, quite unusually, he began to offer an explanation:

"They're only two rogue ninja. There's no need to drag all of Konoha into this, is there?"

"So the Hokage Advisor agrees that the Third Hokage has failed in his duty to keep his subordinates in line?"

The Daimyo let out a sarcastic laugh, but his words were especially sharp:

"If he can't keep his subordinates in line, then I think the Third Hokage should find a successor as soon as possible. Lord Advisor, what do you think?"

Ye Ning was dumbfounded.

Damn...

His cheap old man had some real skill with those two sentences!

It wasn't that this nitpicking attack was particularly clever. It was the final question he'd put to Danzo that had been truly damning.

And there seemed to be an unspoken meaning behind his cheap old man's words, as though he were saying, I think you'd make a good successor.

It was a fairly clever attempt to drive a wedge between them, but it might not work on Danzo.

Danzo and the Third Hokage had been close friends for their entire lives. Ye Ning didn't think Danzo would seize this chance to criticize the Third Hokage.

Sure enough, Danzo's face darkened, and he shook his head without hesitation.

The Third Hokage was afraid Danzo might say something disrespectful in a fit of anger, so he hurriedly spoke before him, offering a kindly smile:

"You're right, Lord Daimyo. This was indeed a failure on my part. I'll have the two rogue ninja locked up in Konoha Prison, where they'll remain for the rest of their lives."

"Also, I'll assign more people to hunt down every ninja who defects from Konoha. I'll make sure nothing like this happens again and causes you any further trouble. What do you think?"

The Daimyo didn't answer. He waved his feather fan, smiling faintly. "What? Does the Third Hokage intend to keep discussing this with me here? Won't you invite me to sit down?"

"My apologies, Lord Daimyo. That was an oversight on my part."

The Third Hokage smiled apologetically and gestured for him to come in, while signaling the clan leaders and high-ranking ninja to leave.

The Hokage's office was larger than Ye Ning had seen in the anime. Besides a desk piled with all kinds of documents, there were two sofas set beside the window and several potted plants in the room.

Once they had taken their seats in the Hokage's office, Utatane Koharu couldn't hold back any longer and spoke first:

"Lord Daimyo, do you agree with the Third Hokage's proposal?"

"Of course I agree. The rogue ninja will be held in your own prison, after all. That puts my mind at ease."

"And the funding..."

"The funding? What funding?" The Daimyo first looked confused, then nodded as if he'd suddenly remembered. "You mean Konoha's funding for this year..."

The Daimyo kept smiling but gave no definite answer. Instead, he changed the subject:

"I didn't come to Konoha this time to hold anyone accountable. I have only one son, you see. His name is Ye Ning."

What... did he mean by that?

Was he introducing his heir to them?

But the Daimyo was their age. Surely it was too early for him to introduce his heir to them?

The Third Hokage and the others couldn't figure out what the Daimyo meant, and they all watched Ye Ning with uncertainty.

"My son has wanted to be a ninja ever since he was little. He even spent two and a half years at the Fire Temple for that. I simply couldn't talk him out of it, so I had no choice but to bring him before the Third Hokage."

"We've only come this time to borrow the Scroll of Seals. What do you think, Third Hokage?"

The Scroll of Seals again!

The Third Hokage and the others exchanged glances. At last, they understood why the Daimyo, who had always released their funding without fuss and never interfered with Konoha, had suddenly turned against them.

But the Scroll of Seals contained forbidden techniques. Lending it to someone so easily would be absurd.

Danzo's expression hardened, and he said coldly:

"Lord Daimyo, I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but the techniques recorded in the Scroll of Seals are all forbidden techniques created by the Second Hokage. They're called forbidden techniques because they're extremely difficult to master, and the slightest mistake could cost you your life."

"So we cannot agree to your request, Lord Daimyo. Please consider His Highness's safety and abandon this unrealistic idea."

Although Danzo had done his best to restrain his anger, his words were still merciless, openly insulting the Daimyo.

The Daimyo wasn't angry. He simply smiled as he lifted his tea.

"In that case, I'll have to give the funding more thought. You know the war has only just ended, and other parts of the Land of Fire need money too. As Daimyo, I'm in a tough spot myself!"

A threat!

A blatant threat!

And yet it had struck right at the Third Hokage—or rather, all of Konoha's—most vital point.

Ye Ning was thoroughly enjoying the whole scene, and at the same time, he'd gained a new impression of his cheap old man.

Maybe... he wasn't as useless as Ye Ning had imagined. He wasn't just an incompetent fool who spent his days eating, drinking, and having fun!

At the very least, he knew how to make full use of the Daimyo's authority.

The rules of the Naruto world really didn't make sense!

How could an ordinary man, utterly incapable of defending himself, hold power over the leader of an entire village, when even that leader had no effective way to resist?

One sentence—No more funding—and he could choke off Konoha's lifeline.

If Ye Ning had been the Hokage or the Hokage's advisor, he would have cursed this ugly system.

But now, he was one of its beneficiaries.

All he could say was: This position is great!