10 o'clock.
The sky was a clear, deep blue, without a single cloud.
In the gradually rising temperature.
A gentle breeze blew across the village in the forest.
Wearing the Hokage hat, a red robe, and a white coat, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood quietly on the rooftop of the Hokage Building, watched by the two iconic Konoha sculptures behind him.
Looking at the vast Senju Clan Compound, not too far from the heart of Konoha, and the bustling Konoha Main Street, one could see...
After a long period of contemplation, a smile slowly appeared on his lips as the breeze lifted the white curtains on both sides of his straw hat.
Not long ago, Konoha expanded again.
The number of merchants from various countries traveling to and from the destination and the volume of missions have once again reached a new record.
The number of Ninja and newborns has also exceeded previous levels.
All of this, all of this beauty, was under his leadership and arrangement.
So, Senju!
Why don't you want to disappear? Why do you remain like a fishbone in someone's throat?
Wouldn't it be better to disband, merge into Konoha, and live a peaceful life under your own rule?
Why shatter all this beauty upon waking?
It's easy to take the jump, but the price can be very high...
" Hiruzen, the intelligence has come back." Wearing a white inner garment and a black outer robe Utatane Koharu jumped onto the rooftop from the side and said with a smile to the person whose smiling face was revealed as the curtain was lifted by the breeze.
With a slight nod to indicate his understanding and willingness to continue, Hiruzen Sarutobi patiently awaited his friend's next piece of good news, showing no surprise whatsoever.
The idea of making the Senju pay the price that he had previously conjured up in his mind was not just a figment of his imagination!
Rather, it was the sight of Utatane Koharu that filled him with intense confidence.
Having been companions for decades, he had already foreseen a positive outcome regarding the Land of Grass before he even arrived.
With the plan in place and him able to envision the future, he finally gained the confidence to make those people pay the price.
Seeing his old friend's unwavering composure, and recalling the good news from the intelligence report, he felt a surge of emotion.
Utatane Koharu, smiled even more brightly.
She couldn't help but think to herself, " Hiruzen is as reassuring as ever."
Then she thought of the past... if her father hadn't been the clan chief, then...!
She sighed inwardly and simultaneously banished the image of her current husband from her mind.
The smile on her face slowly faded, and she took out Scroll from her waist, recounting intelligence from the Front Line: "The affairs of the Land of Grass have been completely resolved. The total value of the spoils that can be transported back is around 20 billion, and the real estate and other assets are worth around 10 billion."
"In the search of the Land of Grass, over 70,000 children with Ninja talent have been gathered. Due to the excessive number, Yan has now arranged for them all to undergo more detailed aptitude testing in a temporary valley."
After hearing the numbers reported by his friend, Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile widened even further.
This information is the source of his confidence!
The information from his contacts had been fragmented, but he could still discern the general gains from this trip.
We have so many thanks to those fat pigs.
He never imagined that killing pigs from a Small Countries would yield so many!
Upon seeing Hiruzen, he displayed the same expression as when he first received the information.
As Utatane Koharu closed the Scroll and handed it over, she said softly, "Besides this good news, there are two problems at the Front Line."
"Yan, when you send back the message, ask if you want to increase the number of children in the program? We already have too many children; it would be a waste if we didn't increase the number!"
" Danzo, in sending back the message, also suggested that we completely occupy the Land of Grass!"
" Hiruzen, what do you think we should decide?"
Just as I was feeling pleased, I heard these two questions from the Front Line.
Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately regained his senses, composed himself, and began to ponder with a furrowed brow.
Continue adding?
Occupied?
I calculated the amount of funds I had and the current situation of Senju.
He considered the situation in the Shinobi World and the possible attitudes of the various Daimyō.
Having made his decision, he turned to look at the Senju Clan Compound and slowly said, "Add another 15,000, besides the plan."
"But the total number of periods shouldn't change. Let him make a plan based on what he needs, and we'll cooperate!"
"Tell Yan to hand over the rest of the selections to Danzo."
"Okay, I'll send a message later!" After hearing the reply to the first question, Utatane Koharu it in mind.
Having settled one matter, Hiruzen Sarutobi continued with the second, "Send a message to Danzo, telling him that the Land of Grass cannot be occupied, but he can develop and establish a base there."
"The reason is simple. First, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire won't allow us to occupy so much land unless he's willing to give it to Daimyō."
"Secondly, even if he were willing to send it, that guy Ōnoki wouldn't let it succeed. The Land of Earth won't just watch this buffer disappear."
"That shorty is only interfering now because he wants to watch the show, but he'll get involved once the Land of Fire decides to annex it."
"Now, we cannot afford to make enemies abroad; we must first resolve our internal problems."
"Finally, you should transfer those billions of dollars in assets from the Land of Grass that you can't take back to him, and tell him that no matter how much of it is converted into cash, it will be Root's funding and rewards for next year!"
After he finished speaking, he withdrew his gaze from the Senju Clan Compound.
Yan is obedient and sensible, so there's not much to explain.
Danzo, while useful, was also quite disobedient.
If we don't give him a clear explanation, he'll be hard to accept, and he might even do something reckless behind the scenes.
Therefore, for the sake of peace of mind, he clearly explained the reasons for his refusal.
However, the reason I keep it even though it's difficult to use is because it's so useful.
Danzo will certainly make good use of the remaining children, funds, and the Land of Grass to squeeze out their last bit of value.
Upon hearing the second reply, Utatane Koharu immediately wrote it down on the Scroll.
She was afraid that she might have misremembered or used the wrong words, causing that stubborn person to misunderstand her meaning.
So, except for the last sentence which she modified, she used Hiruzen's original words for everything else.
After finishing writing and putting away the Scroll, he thought of the two people he had seen in the village before coming here.
She asked with some curiosity, " Hiruzen, haven't you made arrangements for your two disciples yet?"
"When I came here before, I saw the two of them loitering around. If you don't have any suitable people or tasks on your end, you can transfer these two to my place to help out."
"Recently, several of my senior staff members have gone to the Front Line or the base, and I'm short of people who can help out."
Just as I looked away, I heard my friend suddenly mention his two disciples.
After hearing the details, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and said, " Tsunade has left the team. With their combined talent, there aren't any suitable teammates right now, so we gave them a break!"
"However, they both had time to stroll around, so it seems they've rested well. I'll ask them what they think this afternoon before making any arrangements."
Upon hearing this, Utatane Koharu immediately shut her mouth.
She only mentioned it casually because she saw two geniuses who were idle and because they were her friend's disciples.