Hokage Can't Sit Still
Listening to Utatane Koharu's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed silently in his heart. Why didn't I think of that sooner? But even so, it wouldn't help! People like him knew Danzo wouldn't do such a reckless thing, but would the daimyo believe that?
"Hiruzen, what are you going to do now?"
Considering his own situation, Danzo was no longer calm. He looked at Hiruzen with trepidation and asked.
"It's not about what I want. It depends on what the daimyo thinks," Third Hokage replied, fixing his gaze on Danzo. "Tell me honestly, Danzo. Did you send anyone to the daimyo's mansion?"
As long as the individuals who infiltrated the daimyo's residence had nothing to do with Danzo, there would still be room to maneuver. He could shift the blame onto Uchiha Kamasu, perhaps even gain some sympathy from the daimyo.
"No!" Danzo's expression twitched. He knew Hiruzen too well. If the truth came out—that he had sent Root operatives to target Uchiha Inabi near the daimyo's mansion—it would cross the line. Hiruzen may be tolerant, but if it threatened the survival of the village, even Danzo would be abandoned.
So now, he had no choice but to deny it. As for what those Root members might reveal... that was out of his hands.
"Phew! That's good. If there's no hard evidence, the daimyo won't be able to prove anything definitively," Hiruzen exhaled slowly. "Now that the matter is somewhat clarified, we need to discuss how to solve the real crisis."
"The financial crisis of Konoha is the most urgent matter!"
Konoha couldn't afford to wait any longer. The village was broke. Originally, Hiruzen had planned to ask the daimyo for funds after paying the compensation to Uchiha. But now, not only was there no money, he was worried the daimyo might demand accountability!
"Let's deal with the funding first," he declared. "Let's keep everything under wraps for now. Get through the crisis first—does anyone object?"
Danzo and the elders exchanged glances and shook their heads. They all knew how serious the economic situation was. After all, they had enjoyed great benefits from the village's prosperity, and their clans still had some hidden reserves.
"Next is the daimyo," Hiruzen continued. "We need to soften his attitude. But aside from Uchiha, the daimyo no longer trusts the village. I'll need to speak with Uchiha—Danzo, you don't mind, do you?"
He cast a sharp glare at Danzo. It was Danzo's actions that brought the village to this point. If he hadn't persecuted Uchiha Inabi so relentlessly, none of this would've happened.
"Do as you see fit, Hiruzen... this time..."
Danzo gritted his teeth at the mention of Uchiha. Hiruzen and the others suspected Uchiha might be behind the manipulation, but Danzo knew the truth. And now, he had to cooperate with the clan he despised most. To someone like Danzo, who lived only to destroy the Uchiha, this was humiliation.
"Fine. Uchiha Fugaku has retired from clan affairs. The current decision-maker is Uchiha Kamasu. He's not someone who's easy to negotiate with. If we want his cooperation, we'll have to pay. Danzo, be prepared to suffer some embarrassment."
Danzo opened his mouth but couldn't speak. Compared to being eliminated by the daimyo, swallowing this humiliation was a small price to pay.
"That's settled then. Once I negotiate with the Uchiha, I'll go meet the daimyo myself. Until I return, keep everything under control—don't act on your own!"
That final warning was pointed, especially at Danzo, but he had no way to refute it.
[Ding! Congratulations to Host for exchanging daily random products and receiving a Chakra Internal Combustion Engine design blueprint!]
Andrew, who had been buying random items daily, was surprised when he saw the blueprint in his hand. A new idea immediately sparked in his mind.
"If I have a Chakra Internal Combustion Engine, why not spark an industrial revolution in the ninja world?"
The technology tree of this world was chaotic. Orochimaru had computers in his lab, yet people still traveled by foot or horse. Mist Shinobi had scuba gear, but their boats were wooden and rowed manually.
The ninja world was riddled with class divisions. Those at the top had no incentive to improve life for the lower classes. As a result, all technological development was designed to serve the elite.
With no incentive to promote tech, innovation remained fragmented. In a world where power dictated status, the idea of improving life through science was laughable.
But Andrew saw an opportunity. Uchiha enterprises had already expanded: the Uchiha Hotel led the service sector, their fashion designs had taken off, and their chain model was succeeding. Their security services were limited due to political tensions, but they thrived within the Fire Nation.
In the future, they'd manage shipping too. If all these branches were integrated, the Uchiha Group would become a dominant force in the entire ninja economy.
When he considered the Chakra engine, Andrew's first thought was building a car. But not just any car—one that symbolized luxury and power.
He wasn't going to mass-produce it. The key was controlling the core technology. He wouldn't share the engine blueprint; it had to remain proprietary to retain competitive advantage.
There weren't many people in the ninja world who could afford such luxury. So the vehicle would target the elite—a commodity that even the rich would struggle to acquire. It would become a status symbol.
"Looks complicated," Andrew muttered, examining the blueprint. It seemed puppet tech might be relevant, possibly Sand Village's specialty.
He decided to investigate further another day.
Still, the blueprint was too advanced for him. Andrew admitted he lacked the time and expertise to handle the research himself. So he stored it for later.
Just then, a thought crossed his mind: Why has Konoha been so quiet? After what happened at the daimyo's mansion, the Fire Daimyo hadn't made any public statements. Was he just going to let this slide?
But while Andrew was feeling uneasy, letters from the Fire Daimyo had already reached other nations.
In Iwagakure…
Onoki of the Stone sat holding the daimyo's letter, his expression thoughtful. The Third Shinobi World War had ended in a way that left him deeply unsatisfied. Konoha kept claiming victory, which only fanned the flames of resentment in his heart.
"Konoha's strength has clearly declined after the conflict with Uchiha. Now that even the daimyo is at odds with them, their financial support might dry up. This could be our opportunity," the Land of Earth's daimyo said.
Unlike Fire and Wind, the daimyo and the ninja leadership in the Earth Country shared power harmoniously. Sometimes, it felt like Tsuchikage was just part of the daimyo's cabinet.
"You're suggesting we show solidarity with the Fire Daimyo?" Onoki asked flatly.
"Exactly. But also... what Danzo did—targeting a daimyo—is something I can't tolerate."
Before Onoki could reply, his assistant Huang Tu entered with breaking news.
"Tsuchikage-sama! The Thunder Daimyo and Cloud Village have issued a joint statement condemning the Third Hokage for shielding Shimura Danzo's actions!"
"In that case, let's fan the flames! I hope Konoha burns brighter..."
Soon, both the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind released similar statements. In the span of days, Konoha's international reputation collapsed.
The world was convinced that Danzo had indeed attempted to assassinate the Fire Daimyo.
Back in Konoha…
When Hiruzen heard the news, he could no longer sit still. He rushed to the Uchiha district.
He could have gone directly to the daimyo's court—but the daimyo likely wouldn't meet him. After all this, who would trust Sarutobi Hiruzen was coming to negotiate and not deliver a killing blow?
If he forced his way in, not only would the misunderstanding deepen, it might seal Konoha's fate forever.