Benefits Smuggled into the Overseas Posting List and an Open Promotion, Hidden...

The air in the conference room froze once more because of the abrupt list Utatane Koharu had presented.

The undercurrent Baishi had just suppressed with "combat readiness takes priority" surged back in a more covert manner.

Everyone's gaze converged on the seat at the head of the table.

Baishi did not immediately reach out to take it.

He lifted the cup of tea before him, which had long since stopped steaming, and took a light sip, as though savoring its lingering taste—or weighing something deeper.

Mitokado Homura closed his eyes again, as though none of this concerned him.

Utatane Koharu maintained her posture of offering the document, her face bearing an earnest expression of "sharing the village's burdens."

At that moment, time seemed to stretch endlessly.

"Advisor Koharu, that is very thoughtful of you."

Baishi finally set down his teacup, his calm voice breaking the silence.

He reached out and accepted the list.

The list was short, only a single sheet of paper with a dozen or so names on it.

Baishi's gaze slowly swept down it from top to bottom.

His fingers were steady as he held the edge of the paper, without the slightest tremor.

He recognized most of the people on the list.

They were neither famous Jonin nor promising rising stars. Most were Chunin around forty years old who had spent many years in unimportant village departments. Their records were ordinary, and their abilities were ordinary. Their sole common trait was that their surnames had countless ties to the old nobles of Kyoto who had yet to be thoroughly purged.

This was a list smuggling in private interests.

Under the guise of "putting their remaining years to use," they wanted to stuff these nepotistic connections into overseas offices, allowing them to escape Konoha's cleansing storm while