Mitokado Homura Personally Visits the Tea Country

In the Tea Country's capital, within the Daimyo Palace, Uchiha Feng was deep in thought.

Originally, he had only planned to use the Land of Fire to cause Konoha some trouble. He had never expected it to stir up something this big.

Even though everything was directed at Konoha, Feng could not feel happy about it.

In his original plan, once he had fully taken control of the Tea Country's army and court officials, he would put on a show of declining the offer three times before taking the Tea Country daimyo's seat for himself.

But looking at how nearly every country in the Ninja World was targeting Konoha together, Feng could foresee that if he really took the daimyo's seat, everything Konoha was suffering now would come for him a hundredfold, even a thousandfold, in the future.

If he had enough strength, like Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha, then there would be nothing to fear.

But the cheat he had received after transmigrating was not that powerful, and he himself was hopeless at ninjutsu. Unable to go invincible, Feng could only silently revise his plans.

Until he had properly developed, it was better to let Aiko remain the Tea Country's daimyo.

Likewise, his original plan of secretly controlling other countries in the future also had to be adjusted.

If he continued using the same method he had used in the Tea Country, it would only take a few more attempts before the wary daimyos of other nations discovered him. By then, forget leading the Uchiha to glory—he would be lucky if his clan was not wiped out ahead of time.

As for exactly how to adjust things, Feng could not come up with anything for the moment. He would have to think it over some more.

Meanwhile, in Konoha, inside the Hokage's office.

"Hokage-sama, Kumogakure has currently gathered at least three thousand shinobi in the Frost Country.

"Iwagakure has gathered shinobi near the Land of Grass, estimated at around three thousand as well.

"Although Sunagakure is our ally, under pressure from their daimyo, they have also gradually assembled roughly one thousand shinobi.

"However, judging by the speed of their mobilization, the war may be over before their men even leave the Land of Wind, so we need not pay them much attention.

"Kirigakure is the strangest. In the past, they were always the most enthusiastic about participating in shinobi wars, but this time, we have found no sign of any assembled shinobi forces.

"As for the other small countries and minor shinobi villages, they have currently scraped together three shinobi forces of roughly one thousand men each. They are joining up with Kumogakure's, Iwagakure's, and Sunagakure's shinobi forces respectively.

"That concludes all intelligence the Anbu has gathered regarding shinobi forces targeting Konoha."

An Anbu knelt on one knee as he reported to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Not far from him sat the other three members of Konoha's upper echelon: Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura.

"Tell me, what should we do now?

"This situation is more dangerous than any previous Ninja World War."

After taking several deep drags from his pipe, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage, spoke first.

At that moment, his face was full of worry, and the dark circles beneath his eyes were deeper than a panda's.

He had thought for three days and three nights without understanding how Konoha had suddenly become the target of the entire Ninja World again, besieged by all sides.

The Third Shinobi World War had only ended recently. Shouldn't every country and shinobi village be like Konoha, licking their wounds, recovering and developing, waiting for the next generation to grow up?

"Hmph. What is there to discuss? If they want to fight, then we will fight them.

"Konoha fears no one."

The aggressive Shimura Danzō was the first to respond, and his words were even more aggressive than he was.

"Shut up. Fight?! Fight with what? The village's younger generation was practically wiped out in the war a few years ago.

"If we fight now, will you go? Will I go? Or will Koharu and Homura go?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi instantly flew into a rage and started berating him.

Even if you were going to be aggressive, you had to look at the situation. What could Konoha possibly use to fight the entire Ninja World's allied forces? Was that not simply courting death?

"Then are we supposed to just watch the village get invaded and let others destroy Konoha?!"

Danzō was unhappy as well. If they did not act, were they supposed to wait to die?

"Enough. Get out and wait for instructions."

Hiruzen Sarutobi no longer wanted to deal with him.

At the same time, he could not help sighing inwardly. Sure enough, Sensei was right to choose me as Hokage. Danzō is only suited to pulling petty tricks in the shadows. When something serious happens, he charges in without using his brain.

Danzō: You'll regret this.

Hiruzen: I'm the Hokage!

Bang!!

Another office door was ruined, but no one paid it any mind.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked toward Mitokado Homura, who was in charge of administration and diplomacy.

"Konoha definitely cannot defeat the Allied Shinobi Forces. That would be like smashing an egg against a rock.

"We must start from another angle.

"The alliance was assembled on the grounds that Konoha conspired against the Tea Country's daimyo.

"So we will start there.

"Homura, personally take men to the Tea Country. Apologize face-to-face to the Tea Country's daimyo and the daimyo's husband, and seek their forgiveness.

"As long as they stop making trouble, the Allied Shinobi Forces will have no reason to gather.

"Konoha's crisis will naturally vanish."

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura's eyes immediately lit up after hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's words.

In the face of this village-destroying crisis, when the vast majority of Konoha's people believed the village was doomed and had fallen into despair,

Hiruzen had seen through the surface to grasp the essence, found the root cause, and easily resolved this crisis with a simple diplomatic approach.

At that moment, both of them could not help thinking in admiration:

With a mind like that, Hiruzen really has to be the Hokage.

Smack!!

Mitokado Homura even excitedly slammed his hand on the table and rose to his feet.

"Good. I will leave immediately. I will definitely obtain the Tea Country daimyo's forgiveness before the allied forces finish assembling."

With that, he hurried off.

He just seemed a little too excited, putting a bit too much force into closing the door.

Bang!!

Clang!!

Thus, the Hokage's office door, already damaged to begin with, completely parted ways with its frame.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Utatane Koharu, the two people left behind, looked at the now-doorless office and each gave a helpless smile.

There was no way to continue working here, but the village's trivial affairs still needed handling, so they could only take their work home.

Their warm harbor, their home, had become a torturous workplace. What a feeling.

In just one day, Konoha's administrative and diplomatic advisor, Mitokado Homura, arrived in the Tea Country's capital.

He had arrived so quickly thanks to the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

Using a simplified Flying Thunder God jointly performed by Genma Squad—Shiranui Genma, Namiashi Raidō, and Tatami Iwashi—the three guards of the late Fourth Hokage and the technique's developers, Mitokado Homura was directly transported from Konoha to the border between the Land of Fire and the Tea Country.

If not for fear of causing trouble, he would have wanted to teleport directly to the Tea Country's capital in his desperation.

When Feng, who was diligently training in the Daimyo Palace, heard that Konoha's administrative and diplomatic advisor was requesting an audience with the daimyo, he was startled as well.

Although no name had been given during the formal diplomatic request, only the official title,

Feng himself was originally from Konoha, so naturally he knew that the administrative and diplomatic advisor was Mitokado Homura.

That old man might have been cowardly and slippery, but there was no questioning his strength or capability. In the anime, he had been officially recognized as a Kage Level expert and a shrewd old fox.

Even if that Kage Level referred to his prime rather than his current old age,

Kage Level was still Kage Level. Even the weakest Kage Level expert was stronger than Feng, who was still only a genin.

If Feng dared meet him face-to-face while relying on the Transformation Technique, he would be exposed without fail.

And given what Feng had done in Konoha when he had first transmigrated, once his disguise failed and he returned to his true form, he would definitely be recognized.

Then it would be a genin against a Kage. Heh...

Therefore, to avoid exposing himself, Feng could not go meet that old man Mitokado Homura.

But he could not leave the man waiting outside either. His strength was there for all to see. If he forced his way in, no one in the Tea Country could stop him.

Fortunately, the other side was now the one seeking something from them. After thinking for a moment, Feng came up with an idea.

"Someone, summon the Grand Minister. Tell him that a Konoha advisor has arrived and instruct him to receive the guest properly."

He gave the order to an attendant in the distance.

But inwardly, he could not help feeling fortunate that he had not yet removed the Grand Minister from office.

As the head of the civil officials, that old man was just like Mitokado Homura: cowardly and slippery, yet always wearing the appearance of unwavering loyalty.

After taking control of the Tea Country, Feng had wanted to deal with him many times, but he had never found a suitable excuse.

This was perfect. He could drag the old man out to bicker with Mitokado Homura.

Konoha had sent an advisor second only to the Hokage. The Tea Country was receiving him with a Grand Minister second only to the daimyo. It was entirely proper.