The Envoy's Visit

News of the Daimyo's envoy arriving reached the Hokage Building three days in advance. When Homura Mitokado placed the Daimyo's handwritten letter on the Third's desk, he said nothing extra. There were only a few lines on the letter, politely worded but clear in meaning: more than a year had passed since the war, the Daimyo remained deeply concerned about Konoha's recovery, and had specially dispatched an envoy to inspect it.

"Who is it?"

"The Daimyo's chief aide, Sakyo." Homura Mitokado paused. "The last time he came to Konoha was when the Second was still alive."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand paused as he smoked.

Sakyo, the Daimyo's chief aide, had not come even once during all his years in office. His sudden visit this time carried profound implications.

"You and Koharu come up with a reception plan."

Over the next two days, more figures in ornate robes appeared in the corridors of the Hokage Building. Sakyo's attendants had arrived ahead of time to make preparations, booking out the entire second floor of Konoha's finest inn. The colors of their clothes stood in stark contrast to the drab combat uniforms of Konoha's shinobi, and whenever they walked the streets, the eyes of pedestrians on both sides were drawn to them.

Bai Ye spotted them during a break while handing over an ANBU mission. Squad Three had just returned from a border patrol. Bai Ye followed behind Tie as they exited the side entrance of the Hokage Building, only to run straight into two young men wearing dark-blue ceremonial robes. The pair paused when they saw the ANBU uniforms, but quickly resumed their composure.

The reception schedule was finalized the day before the envoy's arrival.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, with a densely written itinerary spread before him. Homura Mitokado sat opposite him, explaining the rationale behind each arrangement one by one. On the first day, the Third would formally receive the envoy in the main conference hall, with Koharu Utatane accompanying him, and present the village's overall postwar recovery. On the second day, Sakyo would inspect the postwar reconstruction projects in person, with Koharu Utatane responsible for coordinating. On the third day, there would be a military presentation: an ANBU live combat drill, ninjutsu demonstrations by elite jonin from the major clans, and a swordsmanship exhibition by Hatake Sakumo.

The Third looked up at Homura Mitokado when he heard the last item.

"Does Sakumo know?"

"Not yet. You need to tell him yourself."

The Third did not respond.

Homura Mitokado waited for a while. Once he confirmed that the Third had no further questions, he rose and left.

"Hiruzen, next year's military appropriation rests on Sakyo's word."

The weather was exceptionally fine on the day the envoy arrived. Konoha's summer sky stretched cloudlessly overhead, blue as a glazed roof tile polished with sandpaper, without a single wisp of cloud.

When Sakyo's procession entered through Konoha's main gate, the Third personally stood at the steps of the Hokage Building to receive them. This was the first reception of such scale since the war. Bai Ye stood at an ANBU guard post, watching through the eyeholes of his mask as the group slowly approached from the far end of the street.

Sakyo walked at the front. He was over sixty, his hair graying but combed immaculately. He was lean, with a perfectly straight back. His robes were deep purple, embroidered with the emblem of the Land of Fire, and a jade pendant hung from his belt. As he walked, the jade and belt clasp produced faint, crisp clinks. He possessed none of a shinobi's presence, and there was no trace of chakra fluctuations from him, but his eyes were sharp and bright.

Hiruzen Sarutobi descended the steps and went to meet him.

"Mr. Sakyo, you have traveled a long way. You must be tired."

Sakyo gave a slight bow, at just the right angle—neither humble enough to seem servile nor restrained enough to seem arrogant. His gaze swept over Hiruzen Sarutobi and settled on the people behind him: Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, Danzo, Hiashi Hyuga, Uchiha Masaki, and then the ANBU stationed around the area.

"You are too courteous, Third." Sakyo's voice was steady and unhurried, yet everyone in the spacious square could hear it clearly. "With so much needing to be rebuilt after the war, for Konoha to recover its strength in such a short time is a great achievement of yours."

The Third smiled but did not take the bait.

The reception ceremony was held in the main conference hall. The long table had been removed and replaced with rows of chairs facing the podium. The Third sat on the stage, Sakyo to his right, while Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane sat to his left.

The Third's report was measured and proper: the village's postwar recovery, the reconstruction progress of each major clan, the ninja academy's enrollment expansion plans, and measures to reinforce the border defenses. The data was detailed and the wording prudent. Sakyo listened throughout, occasionally nodding and occasionally lifting his teacup for a sip, his expression never changing.

The military presentation took place at the Third Training Ground. The grounds had been leveled again, a layer of fine sand spread over the earth, and temporary stands erected around the perimeter. Sakyo sat in the front row, with the Third to his right and Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane seated on either side. The seats of several clan heads were arranged behind them.

The ANBU live combat drill came first. The exercise simulated an infiltration and capture operation—an enemy stronghold was set up, and an ANBU squad had to complete the entire process of infiltrating, securing the target, and withdrawing within a limited time. Masks concealed everyone's faces. Their movements were clean and decisive, and their coordination required almost no words. Bai Ye handled flank security during the drill, his Sharingan fully activated as he moved soundlessly between the abandoned structures in the training ground. Sakyo watched intently from the stands, leaning slightly forward.

"Are these children all ANBU?" Sakyo asked.

"Yes." The Third's tone was calm. "They have flawlessly carried out numerous missions ranked A and above."

Sakyo said nothing.

The demonstrations by the major clans then brought the atmosphere in the stands to a peak. The Hyuga displayed their Byakugan reconnaissance techniques. Hyuga Sosuke stood in the center of the field, activated his Byakugan, and reported the chakra distribution of every concealed target in the distant valley. The Aburame's parasitic insects and the Inuzuka's ninja hounds demonstrated tracking: the insects swooped down from above and forced their target out of cover, while the hounds seized them from the ground and refused to let go. Ino-Shika-Cho's coordinated technique was the finale. Inoichi Yamanaka used the Mind Body Switch Technique to lock onto the target, Shikaku Nara immobilized it with the Shadow Imitation Technique, and Akimichi Choza's Human Bullet Tank delivered the final blow.

Applause rose from the stands from time to time, but the true main event was still to come.

When Hatake Sakumo entered from the training ground's gate, a gust of wind seemed to scatter the voices in the stands. He wore a dark combat uniform, a short blade at his waist, and his silver-white hair gleamed almost white beneath the afternoon sun. His pace was neither fast nor slow, yet the silence of the Third Training Ground magnified the sound of every step sinking into the fine sand countless times over. He stopped at the center of the field and gave a slight bow toward the stands.

The short blade left its sheath.

Bai Ye stood at a guard post in the inner perimeter behind the stands, watching the figure in the center through his mask's eyeholes. He was already intimately familiar with Sakumo's swordsmanship. The core of Hatake-Style Swordsmanship was precision. Every strike of Sakumo's landed in exactly the same spot. His short blade cut through the targets on the training ground one after another, and with every slash, the head of a wooden dummy fell.

Sakyo leaned back in his chair in the front row, tapping his fingers against the table again and again.

When the display ended, Sakumo sheathed his blade, gave another slight bow toward the stands, then turned and left.

The delegation's rooms were on the second floor of Konoha's finest inn. Sakyo occupied the largest room at the end of the corridor, its window facing Hokage Rock, where three stone faces glowed gray-white beneath the moonlight.

Danzo stood outside Sakyo's door. Root shinobi had placed hidden sentries at both ends of the corridor and at the stairway. The entire floor was like someone had pressed mute. Sakyo's attendants had long since been asked to leave, leaving only two people in the room.

Sakyo leaned back in his chair. Several documents lay on the table before him, while Danzo sat across from him.

"Mr. Shimura, what brings you here so late at night?"

Danzo did not exchange pleasantries. He pushed a document toward Sakyo. Its edges were frayed, clearly having been read many times.

"Mr. Sakyo saw Konoha's postwar reconstruction plan today. The figures provided by the Third are real, but I would like to add a few things not included in that plan."

He opened the first page and pointed to a line of figures with his fingertip.

"Konoha's current fiscal spending structure has allocated more than sixty percent to military expenditure for three consecutive years. Border fortifications, ninja tool replacements, and the expansion of mission forces—these three items consume the bulk of the Daimyo's funding. But there is room for optimization."

Sakyo said nothing and waited for him to continue.

"First, the organization of mission forces. Konoha's current jonin units use four-person squads as their standard structure, but the postwar mission structure has changed. The number of S-rank missions has declined, while B-rank and C-rank missions now account for more than seventy percent. Using four-person units for B-rank missions wastes roughly one-third of manpower. I propose implementing flexible staffing: retain full squads for high-difficulty missions, but reduce regular missions to three-person or two-person teams. This alone could save twelve to fifteen percent in personnel expenditures every year."

Danzo turned to the second page.

"Second, ninja tool procurement. Konoha's current ninja tool supply chain is monopolized by three long-established firms, whose prices are twenty to thirty percent above the market average. Each of these firms has marriage or shareholding ties to one of Konoha's three clans. If the monopoly is broken and competitive bids are introduced, procurement costs can be reduced by at least twenty percent. This is something the Third is not in a position to do, but I can."

"Third, the border fortification project. The current plan spreads resources across the board, with construction underway at all twelve outposts simultaneously. But in reality, the threat level from the Hidden Cloud is far higher than from the other three directions. I propose concentrating resources on the northeastern border, while changing the outposts in other directions from permanent garrisons to rotating deployments. The total construction workload would be reduced by forty percent, while defensive effectiveness would instead improve."

He closed the document.

"Together, these three measures could save Konoha roughly twenty percent of its annual fiscal expenditure."

Sakyo was silent for a moment.

"Mr. Shimura did not come to see me tonight merely to give me a lesson in finance, did you?"

"I only wish to tell Mr. Sakyo one thing." Danzo's voice was utterly flat. "The Daimyo's money, when spent on Konoha, requires someone who can ensure that every coin is spent where it matters most. The Third has his own considerations, but fiscal implementation requires a different set of abilities. I possess those abilities, as well as a set of proven plans. If the Daimyo's office considers supporting a candidate in the future, I hope that candidate will possess the executive ability to make Konoha's finances operate more efficiently."

Sakyo lifted his teacup and gently swirled it. The amber tea rippled faintly.

"I will convey Mr. Shimura's words to the Daimyo."

Danzo rose and gave a slight nod. He did not say another unnecessary word before turning and leaving the room.