The Melancholy Daimyo / A Message from Uchiha Madara?

As the monarch of the most powerful nation in the world, the entourage accompanying the Fire Daimyo reached a scale of nearly 10,000 people.

This is actually a significant reduction.

Because the Fire Daimyo felt that having too many people would cause trouble for Lord Shingen, whom he valued most, this trip was the smallest Fire Daimyo's trip to date.

Even before the person arrived, the Fire Daimyo's unwavering trust in the Fifth Hokage was already felt by everyone.

Even so, the Konoha Ninja stationed on the high walls were still awestruck by the long, serpentine procession winding its way in from afar.

The visual effects are top-notch.

There have been instances of Konoha Ninja engaging in battle with tens of thousands of soldiers, but they would not form such a formation.

On the high wall, Sarutobi Hiruzen had served as the previous Hokage for many years, and Namikaze Minato, who had just received the title of the previous Hokage, were also watching this scene.

"This is the first time I've ever seen a Daimyo travel." Namikaze Minato with great emotion.

He was a man whose Fire Daimyo.

But he could sense that Fire Daimyo's kindness towards him was somewhat distant.

The Fire Daimyo valued Leaf Village and the Yellow Flash, but that was all he could do.

"Yes." Sarutobi Hiruzen's feelings were even more complicated.

As Leaf Village's first generation of bear cubs, Sarutobi Hiruzen saw it twice.

My memory of the first time is very vague.

The second time, I remembered it very clearly.

But when he became Hokage, the Fire Daimyo stopped coming to Leaf Village. That's when he realized that within the Fire Daimyo clan, Sarutobi Clan Senju Clan Uchiha Clans.

Even though Sarutobi Clan and Shimura Clan were among the first major ninja clans to join Leaf Village.

It's understandable; the original alliance agreement, in black and white, only listed the names of three families.

The Tobirama Squad didn't have a good start, partly due to the decline in support from the Fire Daimyo.

It's still a partnership, but it's only a partnership left.

The master-disciple relationship was acknowledged verbally by the famous family, but in their hearts they did not truly accept it.

Shimura Danzō simply disliked the Fire Daimyo.

"Where is Shingen?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked.

"Oh, Shingen has already gone to greet him." Namikaze Minato didn't care about that; he didn't have the same complicated thoughts as his master. Right now, his mind was full of ideas for slacking off. "The Fire Daimyo likes him, doesn't he?"

"That's true." Sarutobi Hiruzen. "The Fire Daimyo will invite him to come along. The relationship between the village and the Daimyo's Court can be considered to have returned to what it was before."

"Huh? Wasn't everything fine before?"

"It's good, but not the kind of good."

First Shinobi World War, the Daimyo's Court's support was so proactive and timely, it was like they were on their own.

If he could get this level of support during his time in power, he would definitely beat the other Bian villages to a pulp!

Sand Village wants to conquer Kikyo Pass? What a pipe dream! He's not even singing "Conquer" on the mountain in Sunagakure, let alone eating his fill.

Tsk! This famous family is really biased to an extreme!

Criticism is warranted!

Putting everything else aside, this kind of showmanship is only good because there was no suspense this time; otherwise, everyone would be so embarrassed they'd dig out a second Hidden Leaf Village with their feet.

While Sarutobi Hiruzen was feeling jealous, the Fire Daimyo in the daimyō's entourage had already alighted from his sedan chair and was walking side by side with Uchiha Shingen on the Kitsuchi road.

When he first did this, even though everyone knew how delighted he was that the Fifth Hokage would take the surname Uchiha Clan, they were still quite taken aback.

Let's not even talk about those illustrious names whose feet are firmly planted in the Kitsuchi.

We haven't even entered Hidden Leaf Village yet! We're still outside! What if there are assassins hiding in the forest?

However, seeing Uchiha Shingen beside the daimyo, everyone felt relieved.

Not to mention that the daimyo was surrounded by no fewer than a hundred Leaf Village ANBU, and an even larger number of Konoha Military Police Force were scattered throughout the forest.

Especially the young Uchiha Clan with the stern face, who was also present.

The lord's attendants had a vivid memory of that Sima-like face.

This guy is none other than the infamous Leaf Village Killer Ghost, living up to his reputation. He's incredibly socially inept and shows absolutely no respect.

This guy took over the daimyo's personal protection duties as soon as he arrived, and even created a new set of rules. One of the attendants was given a Sharingan scan with a knife to his throat for simply uttering a word.

But Fire Daimyo didn't mind; on the contrary, he was very friendly to Sima Lian, which made his attendants feel complicated.

Sima's face showed some decorum when facing a powerful figure, instantly transforming into that of a well-behaved young man.

Pshaw! So it's because we're not worthy of your emotional intelligence?

And... Your Highness! You're way too fond of the Uchiha Clan!?

Chapter Four: A Heartbreaking Name

If Fire Daimyo knew what his attendants were thinking, he would definitely say something in response.

I don't like the Uchiha Clan, so why would I like you guys?

The term "close attendant" can, in most cases, be replaced by the term "hostage."

If Hidden Leaf Village's rivals are the four great ninja villages, then the Fire Daimyo's rivals are not the daimyo of the other four countries.

Ninjas openly confront their opponents, but the Fire Daimyo cannot do the same with his rivals.

Therefore, whether the Hokage's surname is Senju Clan or Uchiha Clan is of paramount importance to the Fire Daimyo.

When the Hokage's surname Sarutobi Clan or something else, the Fire Daimyo considers whether another alliance will one day emerge and replace the clan's position.

This is not impossible. When the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, there were ministers in the Daimyo's Court who asked him, the Fire Daimyo, to "agree" with the Hokage selection as soon as possible.

It was as if he really would say "I refuse".

This action had no real meaning, but it was disgusting, and for Fire Daimyo at the time, it even terrified him.

Those ministers were also written down one by one by Fire Daimyo in his little notebook, and in the days that followed, he was tasked with getting rid of them.

As for Leaf Village, although both Sarutobi Hiruzen and later Namikaze Minato maintained a sufficient distance from their ministers, what if one day a successor Hokage didn't?

After all, Hidden Leaf Village needs is the Fire Daimyo.

As the group approached the gates of Hidden Leaf Village, stepping onto the Kitsuchi road, the Fire Daimyo sighed with deep emotion.

There was a sense of melancholy, but more than that, there was contentment.

"Shingen, if you think about it carefully, the last Fire Daimyo to come to Leaf Village was my grandfather."

"I see. Your Highness, you are a very sensitive person as well," Uchiha Shingen said with a smile.

He had met that Fire Daimyo before.

Today's Fire Daimyo has a face that immediately gives people the impression of being a good person, making them feel naturally at ease and comfortable.

Back then, Fire Daimyo had a face that made people want to defend themselves. Although the art style was rather abstract, it made people feel very approachable.

The Fire Daimyo family has only been around for three generations, but the changes in their appearance have already crossed the dimensional barrier.

Therefore, when looking for a wife, it's best to choose a good-looking one; you won't regret it.

This way, even if things have hit rock bottom, you can slowly climb back up.

"Your Highness, regarding what was mentioned in the letter..." Uchiha Shingen was very curious about what Uchiha Madara had said to the Fire Daimyo.

Going out to greet the daimyo was both a matter of etiquette and a result of curiosity.

"Oh, that Leaf Village Asura, wow, I was really startled at the time." Fire Daimyo looked like he hadn't had enough. "As expected of a legend, his demeanor was exactly as recorded in the clan's records."

However, Fire Daimyo still didn't mention it.

There are many people and a lot of opinions here.

"Lord Shingen, let's enter Leaf Village first. I can't wait to witness the magnificent scene that my grandfather saw back then."

"Your Highness is too kind. It is an honor Leaf Village that you have come." Seeing the Fire Daimyo's expression, Uchiha Shingen knew that it was not appropriate to talk about this outside, so he continued to chat with the Fire Daimyo about trivial matters.

Ahead, the tall doors slowly opened.

The Fire Daimyo, protected by a group of Konoha Ninja, finally entered the large city that his clan had poured so much effort into for three generations.

Behind him was a densely packed entourage, but Fire Daimyo didn't even glance at them.

From that moment on, his personal safety was fully guaranteed.

For the Fire Daimyo, the safest place in the world is not the Daimyo's Court, but Hidden Leaf Village.

Suddenly, Fire Daimyo stopped in his tracks.

Ahead, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato greeted him with smiles.

Fire Daimyo laughed heartily and stepped forward.

"It's been a long time, Hokage!"

"Daimyo, you still look as well as ever." Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled as kindly as ever.

He was older than the Fire Daimyo. When he succeeded to the Hokage Position, the daimyo in front of him had also just taken office. At that time, the daimyo was not yet very shrewd. When they first met, the young Fire Daimyo had an undisguised wariness in his eyes towards the Third Hokage.

Sarutobi Hiruzen remembered clearly that the first thing the Fire Daimyo said to him was, "Have the Senju Clan and Uchiha Clan already declined?"

At the time, Sarutobi Hiruzen did not feel displeased. He too had been forced into this situation and had also lost his greatest support, so he could understand the young daimyo's confusion and fear.

He simply didn't anticipate that, as time went on, this Fire Daimyo's opinion that the Hokage wasn't surnamed Senju Clan or Uchiha Clan not only didn't diminish, but actually intensified.

Especially after Namikaze Minato succeeded as Hokage.

However, after the Uchiha Clan's resurgence, the daimyo's attitude underwent a significant reversal, and he appeared less tense.

To be honest, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't quite understand this mentality.

Surname, really.

"Thanks to you." Now that his mindset had stabilized and he no longer felt threatened, Fire Daimyo looked at the now very old Shinobi Hero and recalled the days when he had been protected and supported by him, both openly and secretly. He felt quite sad. "If it weren't for your protection, I, young and naive at the time, might have died quietly in the palace."

"Your Highness, that's too much." Sarutobi Hiruzen his head repeatedly, not taking credit for it. "You are such an outstanding daimyo, the whole world can see that."

"Hiruzen is still so humble. Alright, let's not talk about this anymore." Fire Daimyo's emotions were somewhat genuine at this moment. "Please take care of your health. If possible, I hope that in the next ten years, we can still drink tea and play chess together."

"Haha, don't worry, I'm in good health." Sarutobi Hiruzen laughed happily.

It has always been his regret that he could not gain the genuine recognition of this great man.

He genuinely hoped to become a supportive partner with this daimyo.

But at this moment, he felt that Fire Daimyo was sincere towards him, and there was no longer any distance between them.

Uchiha Shingen watched this scene silently from the side.

The fact that the monkey is accepted by the Yamato and second eldest brothers means he's really not a bad person.

A person who possesses the title "Shinobi Hero) is neither an evil person nor a petty person.

In the parlance of Blue Star, Sarutobi Hiruzen was a man full of chivalrous spirit, and among the Legendary Sannin, only Jiraiya inherited this spirit.

Of course, both master and apprentice were quite smug.

However, Sarutobi Hiruzen did not truly understand the ties between the Daimyo family and the Senju of the Forest and Uchiha Clan.

The alliance of the three families is not simply a combination of interests.

After all, getting Uchiha Madara to accept a noble family is much harder than getting him to accept a ninja.

Fire Daimyo and Sarutobi Hiruzen reminisced about their past hardships, and then he also chatted with Namikaze Minato for a few minutes.

There's no question of reminiscing about past hardships between Namikaze Minato and the Fire Daimyo; after all, their relationship was purely a business partnership.

After exchanging a few polite greetings, the two Hokage joined the group accompanying the Fire Daimyo and headed towards the main area of Hidden Leaf Village.

Chapter 5: Uchiha Madara's Message?

When Fire Daimyo entered the main urban area, he was greeted with enthusiastic stares and loud cheers from the villagers.

Their joy was undisguised; the villagers freely expressed their excitement.