What business could anyone run in the woods on Konoha's outskirts? There was nobody there, so there would hardly be any taxes to collect. That was what the Third thought. You might profit, but I'll never lose!
The Third's words placed a hand on the scales in Takahashi Yū's mind.
"Deal! Third, my merits are worth more than enough for a plot of land. Don't think you can get away with giving me just land!"
Takahashi Yū slapped the desk. No taxes? Wasn't that a damn village within a village?
A smile blossomed on the Third's face as well, and he spoke in a kindly tone.
"Just land would be fine too. The greater your merits, the larger the plot. That would also be acceptable."
He hadn't expected Takahashi Yū to be so considerate of the village. He could have the woods on Konoha's outskirts. Didn't the Nara Clan have a plot for raising deer too?
With that, the Third opened his desk drawer and took out a map of Konoha. It was far more detailed than the one in Takahashi Yū's home.
A circular wall connected to the mountain where Hokage Rock stood, enclosing all of Konoha. Prosperity decreased outward from the Hokage Building beneath Kage Rock.
It was now the end of Konoha Year 39, and very little of the area inside the walls had been developed. Vast stretches of woodland were visible farther out.
Even late in the original story, the area inside the walls hadn't been fully developed, because Nagato had sent Konoha back to square one with a single Super Shinra Tensei.
The Third Hokage placed the map of Konoha before Takahashi Yū and reminded him:
"Take a look, Takahashi. That boy from the Nara Clan already wrote a very detailed mission report. Converted into mission credit, your merits come to nearly forty S-rank missions."
"I'll make the call. If you only want land, I'll round it up to forty."
Ever since learning that Takahashi Yū wanted the woodland on the outskirts, the Third had been all smiles. He even generously rounded the number up for him.
S-rank missions-in the original story, Orochimaru had completed a total of 108 by the time he defected. Now, a single year of combat had earned Takahashi Yū the equivalent of forty.
That showed just how perilous the Undying Squad's year had been.
Perhaps it was precisely that level of danger that had made the Undying Squad famous throughout the Shinobi World.
Besides, wartime missions paid far more than ordinary ones. Takahashi Yū was very wealthy now.
Without hesitation, Takahashi Yū circled the woodland at the end of Hot Springs Street, right beside his home.
It was less than five hundred meters away, normally separated off by a tall wire fence.
Beside Hot Springs Street lay Konoha's own river, which the villagers generally called the Konoha River.
The plot extended up to the mountain beneath Hokage Rock, with its outer edge reaching the Konoha Sensory Barrier.
Its lower edge was neatly cut off by the Konoha River. Looking at the plot, Takahashi Yū couldn't stop smiling. Mountains, water, and farmland. Perfect!
The Third Hokage glanced at the grinning Takahashi Yū, then looked at the circled land on the map. His beard bristled with anger.
You want to carve out another village inside Konoha?
"Takahashi, this... are you planning to build a village inside Konoha? This is too big. No!"
The Third Hokage's eyes widened. He even stopped smoking as he rejected Takahashi Yū's demand.
Although it wasn't in Konoha's prosperous district, it was even bigger than the Uchiha and Hyūga residential areas combined. Like hell that would work.
"Hold on, old man Third. You said you could settle what you owe me with land. What do you mean, now it's not allowed? My merits aren't enough to buy this patch of wasteland?"
Takahashi Yū slapped the desk with a bang, jolting everything on it into the air.
"What are you planning to do with such a huge plot? Giving it to you would shrink Konoha by a tenth!"
"Don't push it, Takahashi. You can only have this section."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's beard bristled and his eyes widened too. He took a pen and drew a line straight through the land Takahashi Yū had circled.
Takahashi Yū stood up to look. The Third had excluded the mountain that connected to Hokage Rock.
"Old man Third, you damn well cut out half of it! Without the mountain, where am I supposed to hunt and grow mushrooms? Are you trying to start something? You won't give me money, and you won't let me take the land!"
Takahashi Yū's murderous intent fluctuation was already pouring out of his body, making the scattered documents rustle loudly.
It also flushed out several ANBU who had been hiding either in the room's dark corners or outside the window.
"Stand down! What are you jumping out for?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi had calmed down now. He waved a hand, signaling for the ANBU who had taken defensive positions beside him to withdraw.
"Father, but..." spoke an ANBU wearing a monkey mask.
"I said, stand down!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi turned a stern gaze on the ANBU who had called him Father.
The ANBU vanished, looking sheepish.
"Sorry you had to see that, Takahashi. They're all young and rather rash." The Third Hokage composed himself and spoke to Takahashi Yū pleasantly.
In calling his eldest son, Shinnosuke Sarutobi, a rash young man, wasn't he saying the same about Takahashi Yū?
"Shinnosuke? I heard you were blessed with another son last year, Lord Hokage. Still going strong in your old age."
Takahashi Yū plopped back down too, paying no mind to the mess on the desk.
"Haha, you flatter me, Takahashi. My son falls far short of you. All I can do is have him serve in the ANBU and keep me company each day as I approach old age."
The Third Hokage forced a smile, but he had already begun sweating. Only his own people knew that Asuma Sarutobi had been born during the war.
I underestimated this brute!
"Then give me a solution, Lord Hokage. I've still got a pile of things to do."
Takahashi Yū adopted an impatient posture in his chair.
In fact, when the Third had heard that Takahashi Yū wanted the mountain for hunting and growing mushrooms, most of his wariness had vanished.
He didn't understand the idea, but someone like Takahashi Yū disdained lying.
"Takahashi, how about I mark out a little more and give you some of the hills? But I can't give you this much. It almost reaches Hokage Rock."
"I'll convert the rest of your merits into money. How about that?"
Heaven only knew how much Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart bled as he said those words.
Although the wasteland on Konoha's outskirts wasn't valuable or important, it was still inside Konoha's walls.
It might be included in future expansion plans, though there was simply too much undeveloped land inside the walls.
Heaven only knew why the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, had built such an enormous wall.
Seeing that Takahashi Yū still didn't look very satisfied, Hiruzen Sarutobi could only earnestly persuade him:
"Takahashi, spare a thought for the village. Even with some land cut out, it's still plenty big-bigger than any shinobi clan's grounds. Converting some of it into money would help you develop it too, wouldn't it?"
Then came more incomprehensible talk about the "Will of Fire," contributing to the village, and so on.
"Fine, all right. Put it on Konoha's books for me, in a way that lets me check it whenever I want."
Takahashi Yū couldn't stand listening to Hiruzen Sarutobi babble on beside him anymore either. It wasn't perfect, but it would just about do.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was delighted to hear that, then froze. Somehow, it felt as though he hadn't gained anything either.
The shinobi clans were easier to fool. He could placate Clan One with Clan Two's ninjutsu, then placate Clan Two with Clan One's ninjutsu, and both clans would eagerly march into battle to kill the enemy.
Still, Hiruzen Sarutobi was satisfied. The hardest people to handle were precisely those who had no important bonds, no fixed interests tying them down, and nothing but martial might.
That means you, Takahashi Yū!
Before you continue