Can't Even Afford to Eat

Uchiha...

Hearing that Tokugawa Shigemomo intended to use the Uchiha to brush off these negotiations, Ryosuke found it rather strange.

Others might not know, but he understood it very well.

The relationship between the Uchiha and the village was now utterly irreconcilable. Since the Nine-Tails Rebellion, the higher-ups' vigilance toward the Uchiha had risen time and again, and it had now reached its peak.

If he, this little butterfly, had not flapped his wings and changed a few things, then in less than half a year, this competitor might be gone.

No one could have guessed that the mighty Uchiha, a powerful Bloodline Limit clan that had remained strong since the Warring States Period, would nearly be wiped out, leaving only a few kittens to fight among themselves in the end.

However, Ryosuke had no intention of interfering too much in this matter for the time being. There was still quite a long time left.

What mattered now was securing an expansion of their share of benefits from the Daimyo right in front of them.

Looking at Tokugawa Shigemomo's bitter expression as he claimed the country had no money, Ryosuke softly asked, "Lord Tokugawa, when Kumogakure sent envoys to the Land of Fire some time ago, did they happen to visit you as well?"

"Kumogakure?"

Tokugawa Shigemomo, who had still been putting on an act, froze for a moment before nodding. "They did indeed come. They even brought me some gifts from the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning."

He did not quite understand what Ryosuke meant.

"Gifts? How very courteous of them."

Ryosuke smiled as he watched Tokugawa Shigemomo. "Actually... they prepared a gift for us in Konoha as well. They intended to launch a night raid on the Hyūga Clan, kidnap someone, and seize our Bloodline Limit for research. In the end, we caught them red-handed, with both the culprits and the evidence."

"...A night raid?"

Tokugawa Shigemomo's bitter expression immediately turned ugly. The dark face he wore now was entirely different from before; this was genuine, no longer an act.

Because Hiruzen Sarutobi had never informed him of this matter.

Konoha's Hokage and the Land of Fire's Daimyo were two separate power structures. Most of the time, they benefited each other and did not interfere in minor matters.

Only major matters that had been settled internally by either side would be communicated to the other.

And for something involving war, Hiruzen Sarutobi should have reported it to him. Yet the reality was that the old man had not informed him!

Had that old man become senile? Did he really think that if war broke out, ordinary people like them would not need time to prepare?!

Tokugawa Shigemomo's anger shot straight to his head.

But he still needed to get the facts straight. Forcing himself to calm down, he solemnly asked about the possibility of war. "Are we going to war again?"

Something like this had happened, and they had been caught on the spot. They would surely be going to war again.

He was deeply indignant. It had not even been that long since they had finally stabilized the situation within the country. Were they going to war again already?

Why could these shinobi never settle down?!

"Third-sama instructed the Hyūga Clan not to make a big fuss of it and hoped to resolve this matter peacefully."

Smiling, Ryosuke picked up the teacup on the table and took a light sip. "As a condition, he will secure some benefits for the Hyūga Clan as compensation. At present, the village's advisory elders are negotiating the specific compensation with Kumogakure."

"Resolve it... peacefully?"

Tokugawa Shigemomo froze again, then delight filled his heart. "Hiruzen has been quite sensible this time. He knows that the Land of Fire's national strength no longer supports starting another war."

He had thought that these barbaric shinobi would launch another war at the slightest provocation.

But now it seemed all right. Hiruzen Sarutobi could still see the situation clearly.

Still, that old man was ultimately getting old. In the past, if someone had dared to enter the village and cause such destruction, he would certainly have sent troops to strike back.

With only a single sentence, Tokugawa Shigemomo had heard far too much.

Including how the Third Hokage's thinking and goals had changed with age.

"Sensible...?"

Ryosuke stared fixedly at him. "So the Daimyo also thinks that when others come to bully us at our doorstep, taking the initiative to seek a peaceful resolution is a sensible thing to do?"

The warmth had vanished from his tone at just the right moment.

Even his form of address had changed.

"This..."

Tokugawa Shigemomo snapped out of his delight and finally remembered that the representative of the most victimized faction in this incident was standing right before him.

"Ahem... that is not exactly what I meant. I also think this is far too humiliating."

He coughed lightly and briefly stated his opinion.

"Lord Tokugawa feels the same way? Your thoughts happen to coincide with those of most of the Hyūga Clan!"

The moment Ryosuke heard that, he shot to his feet with a slap of his hand. "You are absolutely right. This is far too humiliating."

"Perhaps we should hurry back now and persuade Third-sama to retract such a self-humiliating idea, mobilize troops, assemble the shinobi forces, and begin preparing to..."

"No, no, no, Young Master Ryosuke, do not get worked up."

Tokugawa Shigemomo's heart, which had just settled, instantly leapt back into his throat. He hurriedly rose as well, walked over to Hyuga Ryosuke, and softly soothed him. "Although I also find it humiliating, you know that the Land of Fire's national strength truly cannot support another war."

"But the Land of Lightning, Kumogakure—they are humiliating the Land of Fire, humiliating Konoha!"

Ryosuke stretched out his hand and emotionally grasped the hand Tokugawa Shigemomo had been about to use to pat his shoulder. "The Land of Fire has never taken a step back. Even if we no longer possess the prosperity of old, I believe our spirit must not lose!"

"From Konoha to Kyoto City, all along the way, everything I saw and heard showed me that every citizen was proud to belong to this nation. But now the enemy nation has gone this far—must we swallow this insult whole, even take the initiative to go to them for peace talks?!"

Behind Ryosuke, Souji and Seisai, who had been eating, stared blankly.

It was their first time seeing Young Master Ryosuke, who had always been refined and smiling, this agitated.

Yet his words had indeed ignited the fire in their hearts.

Souji viciously flung down the pastry in his hand, smashing it onto the expensive carpet. "That's right! Young Master Ryosuke, Kumogakure has gone too far. We should hurry back to the village now and have the clan head persuade the Hokage to retract his previous decision!"

Thinking carefully, those Kumogakure shinobi had intended to kidnap the young lady of the Hyūga Clan. She was from the Main Family!

Even if she was only an immature child, she still represented the name Hyūga!

There had long been many dissatisfied voices within the clan over handling this matter so lightly.

If they could obtain the Daimyo's support this time, perhaps they really could make the Third Hokage change his decision.

"No, no, no, you... you all need to calm down!"

Tokugawa Shigemomo looked at the filthy carpet, then at the three wildly agitated people before him. He wished time could turn back so he could take back that seemingly supportive remark in time.

"Besides, I heard that the advisors Konoha sent to Kumogakure to negotiate compensation do not seem to have achieved very good results. They have been stalling and have yet to give a definite answer."

But at that moment, Ryosuke spoke again. "It is laughable. Such a great clan as the Hyūga, with every member striving to defend our homes and country, is now being treated so unfairly. Some people in our clan can barely even afford to eat."

"Do you know that, Lord Tokugawa? We cannot even afford food!"

As he spoke, he took hold of Tokugawa Shigemomo's hand.

That emotional delivery, that mastery of dialogue—it left Tokugawa Shigemomo utterly stunned. Though he felt something was off, he could not immediately tell exactly what the problem was.