It's Difficult for Me!

"As a dignified ninja of Konoha, to actually come here and attempt to assassinate the Daimyo? I see no reason why this year's funding should be allocated to you at all!"

The Daimyo let out a cold snort, directly applying pressure onto the Third Hokage.

"You cannot!"

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, who were responsible for Konoha's finances, exclaimed in alarm, their expressions turning ghastly.

Konoha had just emerged from the Second Shinobi World War and was in dire need of funds; if the Daimyo truly withheld the budget, a village as massive as Konoha would likely be plunged into an immediate crisis.

Although Konoha never lacked for missions due to the reputation it had built, those mission fees were merely a drop in the bucket compared to the colossal expenses of the entire village.

Once the Daimyo's funding was lost, Konoha's development would undoubtedly stagnate, or perhaps even regress.

Sunagakure was a vivid example of this.

The Daimyo of the Land of Wind had slashed Sunagakure's budget time and again, forcing the village to adopt an elite-only policy and reduce its number of ninja. Even the village's Kage had to go out into the desert to pan for gold, and the village's overall strength had plummeted to the bottom of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, falling even behind Kirigakure, which had suffered through the Bloody Mist and various coups.

The Daimyo's words were like striking a snake at its seven-inch mark, seizing their very lifeline.

Even Danzo's gloomy expression softened involuntarily, and he offered a rare explanation:

"They were merely two rogue ninja; there is no need to implicate the entire village of Konoha, is there?"

"So, are you saying that the Lord Advisor acknowledges the Third Hokage's failure in managing his subordinates?"

The Daimyo smiled with a mocking, sinister tone, his words particularly sharp:

"Since he is incompetent in managing his subordinates, I think it would be better for the Third Hokage to find a successor as soon as possible. Lord Advisor, what do you think?"

Ye Ning was stunned.

Hiss...

My cheap old man actually has some skill with these words!

It wasn't that this nitpicking provocation was particularly brilliant, but the final question posed to Danzo was a masterstroke of psychological warfare.

Moreover, there seemed to be a subtext in the old man's words, carrying the distinct air of "I favor you."

The tactic of sowing discord was clever, but it might not be effective against Danzo.

Danzo and the Third Hokage were lifelong "best friends," and Ye Ning didn't believe Danzo would take the bait and criticize the Third Hokage just because of the Daimyo's words.

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

Fearing that Danzo might say something disrespectful in a fit of anger, the Third Hokage quickly stepped in, flashing a friendly smile:

"The Daimyo is right; this is indeed my failure. I will have these two rogue ninja thrown into Konoha Prison, never to be released for the rest of their lives."

"Furthermore, I will increase our manpower to hunt down any ninja who defects from Konoha with all our might. Such an incident will never happen again to cause you trouble, Lord Daimyo. How does that sound?"

The Daimyo did not answer. He flicked his folding fan, his expression unreadable as he said, "What? Does the Third Hokage intend to keep discussing this here? Will you not invite me to sit?"

"My apologies, Lord Daimyo. That was my oversight."

The Third Hokage offered a sycophantic smile and gestured for him to enter, while simultaneously signaling the clan heads and high-ranking jonin to leave.

The Hokage's office was larger than what Ye Ning had seen in the anime. Aside from a desk piled high with various documents, there were two sofas placed by the window and a few potted plants in the room.

After everyone took their seats, Utatane Koharu could no longer contain her impatience and spoke first:

"Lord Daimyo, regarding the proposal the Third Hokage made... do you agree?"

"Agree? Naturally, I agree. Keeping rogue ninja locked up in your own prison gives me peace of mind."

"Then, about the funding..."

"Funding? What funding?" The Daimyo first feigned confusion, then nodded as if suddenly enlightened. "Ah, you mean the funding for Konoha this year..."

The Daimyo wore a cheerful expression but offered no definitive answer, instead changing the subject:

"I didn't come to Konoha to hold anyone accountable this time. You see, I have only one son, named Ye Ning."

What... is the meaning of this?

Is he introducing his heir to them?

But the Daimyo was of the same generation as them; it shouldn't be time to introduce an heir yet, right?

The Third Hokage and the others were momentarily unsure of the Daimyo's intentions, all observing Ye Ning with hesitant expressions.

"My son here has loved being a ninja since he was a child. He even spent two and a half years at the Fire Temple for it. I simply couldn't say no to him, so I had to bring the child before the Third Hokage."

"We are here today only to borrow the Scroll of Seals. What does the Third Hokage think?"

The Scroll of Seals again!

The Third Hokage and the others exchanged glances, finally understanding why the Daimyo, who had always been generous with funding and never interfered with Konoha, had suddenly turned on them.

But the Scroll of Seals contained forbidden jutsu. If it could be lent out so easily, wouldn't that be sheer madness?

Danzo's expression turned stern, and he said coldly:

"Lord Daimyo, it is not that I wish to be difficult. The jutsu recorded in the Scroll of Seals are forbidden techniques created by the Second Hokage. They are called forbidden precisely because they are extremely difficult to master, and one might lose their life with the slightest mistake."

"Therefore, we cannot agree to your request, Lord Daimyo. I ask that you consider the Prince's safety and abandon this impractical idea."

Although Danzo had tried his best to restrain his anger, his words remained merciless, ruthlessly slapping the Daimyo in the face.

The Daimyo did not seem annoyed, merely smiling as he picked up his tea:

"If that is the case, then the matter of the funding will require further consideration. As you both know, the war has only just ended, and other parts of the Land of Fire are also in need of money. It is very difficult for me, as the Daimyo, to manage these things!"

A threat!

A naked, blatant threat!

Yet, it was one that held the Third Hokage—or rather, the entire lifeline of Konoha—firmly in its grip.

Watching the entire process, Ye Ning found it immensely satisfying, while simultaneously gaining a brand-new impression of his cheap father.

It seemed... he wasn't as useless as he had imagined? He wasn't just a dim-witted fool who only knew how to eat, drink, and make merry!

At the very least, he wielded the power of the Daimyo to its fullest extent.

As expected, the setting of the Hokage was truly unreasonable!

A powerless, ordinary person could actually stand above the shadow of a village, and the shadow of that village had no effective means of resistance.

A single sentence about withholding funds was enough to strangle their lifeline.

If Ye Ning's current identity were the Hokage or an advisor to the Hokage, he would surely curse the ugliness of this system.

But as it stood, he was a beneficiary of this very system.

He could only say, this status was truly sweet!