The Third Hokage's vision went black.
So, Daimyo, you've run out of things to nag me about, have you?
I could put up with you saying in private that I should've stepped down long ago. No one else heard it, after all.
But now, you're saying this in front of all these people, in front of the heads of all the great shinobi clans?
Hadn't I spent all this time meekly groveling for nothing, then?
As he surveyed the conference table, the Third Hokage clearly saw that some clan heads, along with the jōnin seated farther back, had strange looks on their faces. Panic seized him at once.
The Daimyo had openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the Hokage. That meant this Hokage's days were numbered!
Couldn't he see that people below were already looking thoughtful?
But he couldn't argue back.
After what had happened with Danzo, the Third Hokage had learned his lesson.
The Daimyo and his son, Ye Ning, were both petty men. The only way to deal with them was to go along with them!
If he said anything confrontational now, he'd likely face retaliation before long.
So even though the Third Hokage had a thousand curses he wanted to spit out, all he could do was adopt a humble air and plaster on a smile as he placated the Daimyo:
"Your Excellency, you jest. The situation in the Shinobi World is tense, and war could break out at any moment. Changing Hokage during such a time might cause panic among the villagers!"
The Third Hokage racked his brains before finally coming up with this rather stiff excuse.
The Daimyo didn't say much. He just chuckled and shook his gunbai, holding it up in front of his face.
"The affairs of Konoha are yours to handle. I have