The atmosphere inside the grand hall instantly dropped to freezing.
The music of silk and bamboo stopped at some point.
The musicians kept their heads down, not daring to make a sound.
Civil and military officials looked at each other in dismay; some showed agreement, while more looked terrified—these words were far too bold.
The daimyo's expression sank completely.
He slowly put down the newspaper in his hand, stared at the literatus, and no emotion could be heard in his voice:
"Are you saying... that the hero of my Land of Fire, the Third Hokage of Konoha, will betray the country?"
"This subject wouldn't dare!" The literatus hurriedly bowed. "This subject merely thinks that power requires checks and balances. Konoha currently possesses military force, financial resources, and prestige alike. If they are not constrained further—"
"Enough."
The daimyo interrupted him, took a scroll of account books from his sleeve, and threw it in front of the literatus:
"Open your eyes and take a good look."
The literatus picked up the ledger and opened it.
That was a record from the Land of Fire's finance department—the breakdown of taxes paid by Konoha over the past five years.
Not a decrease, but an explosion of growth.
It was a full three times more than five years ago.
More crucially, attached to the back of the ledger was what Konoha used these tax revenues to do for the Land of Fire:
They repaired twenty-seven long-neglected passes along the border;
They built dikes and embankments in areas of the south frequently plagued by floods, benefiting one hundred and thirty thousand commoners;
They refitted the capital guard with the latest ninja tools, with Konoha bearing forty percent of the military expenses;
The list of rare treasures annually presented as "tributes" to the Daimyo's Palace was