Extorting forty million from the Hokage!

The atmosphere in the Hokage Office froze.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's pipe hand stopped in midair, a thin stream of tobacco smoke rising straight upward.

He had never imagined that he, the esteemed Third Hokage, would personally humble himself to entrust a civilian Chunin with a vital mission, only to receive a flat refusal.

"Qian Ye! You insolent brat!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face turned livid as he slammed his palm onto the mahogany desk.

The inkstone and documents jumped half an inch, splashing ink over the pristine white deployment scroll.

"Do you realize what nonsense you're spouting?"

"The village raised you, and Orochimaru himself was your squad leader and mentor!"

"Now Orochimaru is surrounded, and our army at the front is in mortal danger, yet you stand here making excuses—even refusing the Hokage's orders!"

Beside him, Mitokado Homura could no longer remain seated. He pointed at Qian Ye's nose and berated him.

"Qian Ye, this is cowardice! You're betraying the Hidden Leaf!"

"With so much at stake, everyone in the village is making sacrifices for the war. As a shinobi, you should devote everything to the village!"

"If you lack even that resolve, do you deserve to wear the Hidden Leaf's forehead protector?"

Mitokado Homura's shrill voice echoed around the room.

Qian Ye stood without so much as blinking. The mockery on his face only deepened.

"Devote everything?"

Qian Ye sneered, pulled out a nearby chair, sat down, and casually crossed his legs.

"Lord Hokage, Advisor Mitokado Homura, anyone can make grand speeches. But you still have to be reasonable."

"When did the village ever raise me?"

"After I graduated from the Ninja Academy, I was assigned to a logistics squad to transport explosive tags to the front as bait. I earned my war merits by barely escaping death."

"As for the South