chsdbacks Chapter 96, Three Peaks, Do You Want to Rebel Against the Great Ming?
Chapter 96, Three Peaks, Do You Want to Rebel Against the Great Ming?
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Tsunade's gaze, sharp as a scalpel, swept back and forth across the faces of Uchiha Mitsunori and Nara Shikaku.
She knew this trick all too well; Uchiha Mitsunori was just a little pervert.
As the saying goes, no one visits a temple without a reason; his eagerness must mean he has something to hide.
"Uchiha Mitsunori, is it because you yourself want to take this opportunity to marry wives and concubines, that you made Nara Shikaku the scapegoat?"
Tsunade deliberately emphasized the words "marrying wives and taking concubines".
Although Tsunade saw through his thoughts, Uchiha Mitsunori had already come up with an excuse.
He suddenly gave a shy smile, his voice tinged with youthful awkwardness: "Lady Tsunade is joking. I'm only seventeen. Even if we were to... well... it would have to wait until next year... when I turn 18... that would be a matter for later."
He lowered his eyelashes, casting a small shadow on his cheek, looking like an innocent boy who had been wronged.
Tsunade's nails dug deep into her palms, but the pain couldn't suppress the surging anger within her: That little lecher... he's definitely eyeing... some woman again... and it's probably... a widow...
The newly appointed finance minister, Senju Natsuki, suddenly spoke up: "Lord Mitsumine is right... For the sake of the village's future... a change is indeed necessary."
"I've also heard that many women who lost their partners after the war... fell into depression..." Logistics Minister Kurama Tenma chimed in.
Public Relations Director Tomohiko Kazami pulled out a roll of posters: "Recently, our Public Relations Department has also produced some posters to encourage childbirth, featuring heartwarming family scenes..."
"Enough!" Tsunade slammed her hand on the table and stood up abruptly, her voice echoing in the room.
She saw the fleeting curve at the corner of Uchiha Mitsunori's mouth... the expression of someone who had succeeded in their scheme.
The meeting room fell into dead silence.
Tsunade looked around at the men's feigned serious faces and suddenly realized that she was standing in a carefully woven net.
She took a deep breath and forced out the words through gritted teeth: "The proposal...passes...but with restrictions: first, the woman must consent; second..."
Nara Shikaku took notes rapidly, as if granted a pardon, his pen scratching across the paper like a premeditated rain.
Seeing Tsunade's anger, Uchiha Mitsunori wanted to change the subject immediately.
"Advisor Shikaku, could you please calculate how much money Iwagakure and Kumogakure spent on their attacks on the Land of Fire during the Third Shinobi World War?"
Nara Shikaku gently tapped his forehead, pondering for a moment: "War supplies, medicine, wages, casualty compensation... conservatively estimated at over 1000 billion taels."
Uchiha Mitsunori gave a meaningful smile: "In other words, even the Five Great Shinobi Villages, without the support of the Daimyo, do not have the ability to wage war, because the village's finances simply cannot support a war."
He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room before finally settling on Tsunade.
"Advisor Shikaku, please recalculate. Before the Third Shinobi World War, Konoha had 24163 ninjas. With these ninjas, how many ordinary soldiers could we defeat?"
Nara Shikaku's fingers tapped the table unconsciously: "It's hard to calculate, but a ninja's chakra reserves are also limited. I estimate it could take down more than a million ordinary soldiers."
Uchiha Mitsunaga placed his hands on the conference table, his voice carrying a sense of pressure: "So, have any of you considered who was the mastermind behind the Third Shinobi World War?"
A murmur of discussion arose in the room, and even the usually composed Nara Shikaku frowned.
The Uchiha Mitsurugi didn't give them much time to think: "Suppose you were the daimyo of various countries, and more than a million soldiers within your country were out of your control, how would you deal with it? The answer is to weaken and eliminate them."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the room gasped!
"How to weaken and annihilate in a legitimate way? By instigating war, using the power of the enemy nation to eliminate and weaken this force. So this is the truth behind the Third Shinobi World War... The Daimyo of the Five Great Nations used money to instigate war, causing the various ninja villages to fight and weaken each other, thereby achieving their goals!"
The meeting room erupted in commotion. Hyuga Hiashi and Nara Shikaku exchanged a meaningful glance.
Even Tsunade showed a shocked expression.
Uchiha Mitsumine continued, "Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, Danzo Shimura, and others ruled for 32 years, seeing through the hidden secrets. Therefore, during the Third Shinobi World War, they let their clansmen slack off and do nothing! Only we were seriously fighting, being worn down, and dying!"
"Uchiha Mitsunaga, stop talking!"
Tsunade slammed her fist on the table again, causing a tiny crack to appear in the mahogany surface. This time, her voice carried not only anger but also a hint of barely concealed panic.
If these words were to spread, it would not only shake the foundation of Konoha's rule, but also plunge the entire ninja world into chaos, leading to another bloody storm.
Uchiha Mitsunori, however, did not back down, meeting Tsunade's gaze directly: "Tsunade, I'm just stating the facts! The more ninjas there are, the stronger they become, and the more suspicious the daimyo will be—this is an age-old truth! Kirigakure's Blood Mist policy, requiring students to kill a classmate upon graduation, isn't that controlling the number of ninjas? And Sunagakure's elite policy, deliberately limiting the scale of ninja training, preferring to lose talent rather than expand recruitment, is essentially all to cater to the daimyo's needs and avoid suspicion!"
Logistics Minister Kurama Tensō's expression was extremely serious, his gaze fixed intently ahead: "Advisor Mitsumine, since you've put it this way, what should we do? Are we just going to continue being the daimyo's pawns, manipulated and waiting to be used and consumed again?"
Silence fell again in the meeting room, and everyone's face was solemn and confused.
The wind outside the window suddenly picked up, howling and rattling the windowpanes, as if foreshadowing an impending storm.
Uchiha Sanfeng surveyed the crowd, his eyes filled with pity: "The vast land of the Land of Fire was won by our ancestors, led by the First Hokage Hashirama Senju, through countless battles and sacrifices. Now, we, their descendants, have become the target of the Daimyo's purge. He has already recruited over 5000 ninjas to form the Protectorate Ninja Army, and there will only be more in the future. If this continues, Konoha will eventually be gradually under his control and completely wiped out! Therefore..."
He paused deliberately for a moment, giving everyone time to process what he had to say.
Watching their faces shift from shock to solemnity, and then to confusion, I said, "If you don't have any good suggestions, go back and think them over carefully, considering your own family's situation and weighing the pros and cons. Note: The content of our discussion is top secret in Konoha and must not be leaked! Meeting adjourned!"
"Uchiha...Mitsumi!"
Tsunade suddenly stood up, causing the chair to slide backward a short distance with a screeching sound.
Her right fist clenched tightly, her arm trembling slightly: "Do you want to rebel against the Daimyo? Don't forget, I am the Fifth Hokage of Konoha! This is not your place to give orders. I haven't even said the meeting is adjourned, what right do you have to steal my lines!"
Faced with Tsunade's anger, Uchiha Mitsunori gracefully stood up and gestured for her to speak: "Lady Tsunade, I misspoke. Now, let's invite our Fifth Hokage to speak."
Tsunade's chest heaved violently as she stared intently at Uba Mitsunori, her eyes seeming to want to devour him alive.
After a few seconds of silence, she gritted her teeth and spat out a few words: "Meeting adjourned..."
After saying that, Tsunade turned around and walked to the door without looking back. She suddenly opened the door and slammed it shut with a loud bang, making the paintings on the wall shake slightly.
The many high-ranking employees inside looked at each other, momentarily at a loss for what to do.
Their gazes fell on Uchiha Mitsurugi without prior arrangement, their expressions extremely complex.
Some were shocked by his bold remarks, while others wondered about his true motives, but no one dared to speak up and break the awkward silence.
Uchiha Mitsunori leisurely sat back down in his chair, crossed his legs, and put his hands behind his head, looking completely nonchalant.
He glanced at the crowd still standing there, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "What are you all standing there for? It's well past closing time. Don't you want to leave? Do you really enjoy working overtime so much that you want to stay and have tea with me?"
Many high-ranking officials looked at each other, and finally shook their heads helplessly.
They stood up, tidied up the documents on the table, and left the conference room in twos and threes, each with a preoccupied expression.
The analysis by Uchiha Sanfeng just now planted a seed of doubt in their hearts.
Soon, only Uchiha Mitsumine remained in the large conference room.
He stared at the closed door, the mockery on his face gradually fading, and a meaningful smile slowly crept onto his lips.
"Tsunade! Tsunade! I didn't want to rebel against the daimyo, I wanted to become the daimyo and then marry dozens of queens... Hehehe!"