No Way, No Way?

Done!

Looking at the scroll in his hand, Ye Ning revealed a satisfied smile.

Although the ninjutsu recorded inside did not include heavy hitters like the Eight Inner Gates or the Flying Thunder God, the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique, Multi-Shadow Clone Technique, and Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags he wanted were all included. That was already enough.

Given the temperaments of the Third Hokage and Danzo, Ye Ning was already quite satisfied to have obtained so many ninjutsu.

"Since the Scroll of Seals has been handed over to His Highness, then this year's funding for Konoha..."

"There is one more thing..."

The Daimyo nodded in satisfaction while holding up a finger, his face still wearing a beaming smile.

One more thing?

Danzo, standing to the side, instantly showed a look of anger, and even the Third Hokage couldn't help but feel a hint of resentment.

"Well, it's a simple matter. My son has wanted to be a ninja since he was a child, so giving him a ninja identity should be a piece of cake, right?"

"Also, Princess Tsunade should be in the village, right? Come to think of it, this child hasn't seen Princess Tsunade in a long time, so there shouldn't be any problem with him staying in your Konoha to strengthen the bond between sister and brother, right?"

Hm?

Just this?

The Third Hokage and Danzo exchanged glances, both stunned.

When the Daimyo said there was one more thing just now, they had assumed the Daimyo was looking for another excuse to make things difficult for them. They never expected it to be such a simple matter.

Leaving his only son in Konoha...

Although he didn't understand the Daimyo's train of thought or what he was up to, the Third Hokage agreed cleanly and decisively. Compared to borrowing the Scroll of Seals, this was indeed a piece of cake.

It's just that Princess Tsunade's current state...

A hint of worry rose in the Third Hokage's heart.

Princess Tsunade's emotions were not very stable right now; even he, as her teacher, didn't dare to linger in front of her for fear of being caught in her crossfire. If Ye Ning's appearance could help Princess Tsunade walk out of the shadows, that would be a good thing, and it would be even better if he could cure that illness.

Otherwise, the Medical Department would truly be leaderless.

Ye Ning had no objections to this either, as it was something they had already agreed upon before coming.

Born into the Daimyo's family, Ye Ning had learned many details that were never even mentioned in the original story.

For example, Princess Tsunade's background.

Ye Ning never expected that the title Princess Tsunade was not just an empty title bestowed by the Daimyo, but that she was a true princess.

The son of Senju Hashirama, who was never revealed in the original story—that is, Princess Tsunade's father—had married the only daughter of the previous Daimyo, the current Daimyo's sister.

And as their only daughter, Princess Tsunade naturally inherited her mother's title of princess as a matter of course.

And he was, in fact, Princess Tsunade's younger brother.

When he first learned of this, Ye Ning was surprised for quite a while.

"Then, Your Excellency the Daimyo, when do you intend to return to the capital? To avoid a repeat of the last incident, I will dispatch elite ninjas to escort you back all the way."

"Wait."

Ye Ning raised his hand, interrupting the Third Hokage.

For a moment, everyone's eyes were fixed on Ye Ning, and even the Daimyo's eyes revealed a look of confusion.

What is he trying to do?

This wasn't in the script!

Although the gazes of the Third Hokage and Danzo were both fixed on him, Ye Ning, having the Daimyo as a protective talisman behind him, was not afraid at all. Instead, he revealed a faint smile:

"Actually, I have a question I would like to ask the Third Hokage. I wonder if the Third Hokage could answer it for me?"

Although the Third Hokage was a bit puzzled, he still wore a kind smile. "Of course."

"I heard back in the capital that there seems to be a very powerful ninja in Konoha. It seems to be called... what was it again?" Ye Ning feigned thought and tapped his head, then suddenly realized. "I remember now, Hatake Sakumo. There is such a ninja, right?"

The Third Hokage vaguely sensed something was wrong and subconsciously replied, "That's correct."

"I heard that this Hatake Sakumo... he was a hero who won the ninja war, right? It seems he made great contributions in the war against the Land of Wind?"

These matters were no secret to the Daimyo.

After all, wars against other ninja villages were only launched after reporting to the Daimyo, and a report on the battlefield situation would also be submitted to him. It was just that the Daimyo had never paid attention to these things in the past.

"That's right, Hatake Sakumo did indeed make significant contributions on the battlefield of the Land of Wind."

Hearing this, the corners of Ye Ning's mouth curled up slightly into a subtle arc. "Then that's strange. There is one thing I find very puzzling!"

"Just now, on my way from the main gate to the Hokage building, I heard quite a few rumors. It seems everyone is criticizing this Hatake Sakumo? Why would a hero on the battlefield be gossiped about by villagers and even other ninjas?"

"Those words didn't sound like anything good!"

Ignoring the increasingly dark expressions of the Third Hokage and Danzo, Ye Ning continued on his own: "Could it be that Konoha wants to discard the horse after crossing the river? Or is this the unique way Konoha treats its heroes? Or perhaps... is it that this Hatake Sakumo offended the Third Hokage in some way, so you have to suppress him in this manner?"

"No way, no way! The dignified Third Hokage... shouldn't have such a small capacity, right?"

The Daimyo, who had originally intended to leave, suddenly grew interested, watching his son's performance with the same excitement one might show for a juicy piece of gossip.

As for the Third Hokage and Danzo, their faces had already turned as black as coal.

Such tactics were, naturally, Danzo's handiwork.

Although the Third Hokage had rebuked Danzo for such despicable conduct a few days prior, after much deliberation, he had ultimately acquiesced to Danzo's methods.

It just so happened that Hatake Sakumo had returned to the village yesterday and abandoned a mission, providing Danzo with the perfect opportunity to strike, which was why rumors regarding Hatake Sakumo were circulating through the village today.

He never expected that they would be caught red-handed by the Daimyo and his son!

Such behavior, no matter how many excuses were made, was ugly and base!

As the Third Hokage, it would be all too easy for him to be branded as someone who envied the talented and feared the capable.

Furthermore, the sarcastic tone and phrasing Ye Ning used were truly grating.

His composed expression was nearly cracking, struggling to maintain a facade of indifference.

Observing the Third Hokage's reaction, Ye Ning couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

I've only thrown two sarcastic jabs at you, and you're already losing your cool?

I haven't even ramped up my attack power yet; Third Hokage, you're really not much use!

In truth, Ye Ning brought this matter up entirely due to his own personal preferences. In his view, the suicide of Hatake Sakumo was an utterly ridiculous affair; that an elite ninja who had just performed a great service could be driven to death by the two disgusting individuals standing before him—how tragic was that?

For such low-handed tactics, there was no need to overthink it; he could simply dump the blame squarely on Danzo.

However, Ye Ning did not believe for a second that the Third Hokage was completely unaware of the matter; perhaps he had even been fanning the flames from behind the scenes.