chsdbacks Chapter 47 Anyway, Sarutobi... is going to step down soon too.
Chapter 47 Anyway, Sarutobi... is going to step down soon too.
The Hokage's office was filled with the strong smell of burning tobacco, and sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting dappled shadows on the desk.
Hiruzen Sarutobi pushed the crystal ashtray to the corner of the table, revealing the financial statements underneath.
The edges of the paper were curled and yellowed, and the ink had smudged into patches of blue stains, much like dried bloodstains on a battlefield.
Hiruzen Sarutobi walked to the window, the smoke from his pipe swirling in the morning light.
His gaze suddenly froze... A dozen or so villagers dressed in mourning clothes were gathered on the stone steps in front of the Hokage Building, holding portraits of fallen ninjas in their hands, as silent as stone statues.
"Here we go again..." The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, frowned deeply.
A few days ago, tens of thousands of villagers besieged the Hokage Building, and angry family members almost stormed into the Hokage's office.
The riot resulted in the serious injury of seventeen ANBU members, a humiliation that the Konoha leadership still refuses to mention.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice echoed in the empty office: "Someone! Immediately summon the advisors for a meeting: the Tateru advisor, the Mito advisor, and Elder Danzo!"
In less than fifteen minutes, the four highest-ranking officials of Konoha gathered around the round table.
Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting shadows on their faces.
"How serious is the situation?" Koharu asked impatiently as soon as she sat down. She had specially worn a formal consultant's robe today, but she couldn't hide the fatigue in her eyes.
The number of family members gathered downstairs had increased to more than ninety. The white banners in their hands fluttered gently in the morning breeze, like an ominous snowflake.
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a smoke ring: "The number of people receiving compensation for their injuries from the Sunagakure battlefield continues to rise."
A brief silence fell over the office, broken only by the cawing of crows outside the window, like some ominous premonition.
Koharu Utatane traced the last line of numbers on the list with her fingernail: "On the Sunagakure battlefield, our Konoha suffered a total of 3823 ninja casualties and 598 seriously injured. The total amount of compensation to be paid is 176.8 billion ryo."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's fingers unconsciously traced the edge of his pipe when he suddenly asked, "How much is left in the vault?"
On the ledger that Mitokado Yan had spread out, there were countless deficits.
He adjusted his glasses and said, "The treasury currently holds 31.4 billion taels."
Koharu's fingertips tapped lightly on the table, making a dull sound: "176.8 billion... We can't even come up with a fraction of that."
A cold smile curled at the corner of her lips as she gave Hiruzen Sarutobi a meaningful look.
"Thump!"
Danzo Shimura's cane suddenly struck the marble floor, the sound particularly jarring in the closed office.
The bandage around his right eye looked particularly sinister in the shadows: "Given the current situation, there's a high probability that Fugaku Uchiha will become the Fourth Hokage. We can cause him some trouble."
Koharu Utatane thought for a moment and said, "Then let's take out three billion ryo to shut up the families of the victims. As for the rest, we'll say it's an installment payment. Anyway, Sarutobi... is going to step down soon... let the Fourth Hokage worry about the rest of the money."
Danzo Shimura's voice was like a viper's hiss, deliberately drawing out the tone: "This method is good. We'll say we'll pay in full within two years. If Fugaku Uchiha can't finish it... we'll join forces with the families of the injured and deceased to impeach him... forcing him to step down."
Hiruzen Sarutobi twirled his pipe halfway between his teeth, the smoke blurring his expression.
"Then... let's do it this way."
His voice was weary, yet also carried a sense of relief.
......
When Uchiha Sanfeng led more than a thousand ninjas who had retreated from Nansha City into Konoha's main street, they could see a large, dark crowd in front of the Hokage Building from afar.
"strangeness......"
The anticipated chaos did not materialize. Thousands of family members of Sunagakure ninja who died on the battlefield lined up in an orderly fashion, each holding a numbered tag.
His keen eyes swept across both sides of the main street and found that there were two ANBU members standing every ten meters, and the number of ninjas maintaining order was three times that of last time.
Uchiha Mitsunaga's lips curled slightly, a cold glint flashing in his dark eyes: "Hiruzen Sarutobi, that old man has learned his lesson."
He raised his hand to signal the group behind him to stop, and walked forward alone.
As he turned the last street corner, the view from the high platform made his pupils shrink slightly.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing his familiar Hokage robe, is bowing to the people.
Beside him, Mitomon Homura held a scroll, his voice amplified throughout the square: "The first batch of compensation, amounting to 3 billion taels, will be distributed, with subsequent compensation to be distributed over the next two years..."
Uchiha Mitsunaga clenched his fists tightly in his sleeves, his nails digging deep into his palms.
He sneered, his voice so low that only he could hear it: "Installment payments? What a clever scheme. Now that the war is over, Hiruzen Sarutobi is about to step down, and the Konoha Elder Council will probably be replaced as well. Their plan is to first drain Konoha's finances and leave a mess for Clan Chief Fugaku."
His gaze swept across every window of the Hokage Building like that of a hawk.
Suddenly, a figure flashed past the fourth-floor window... He would recognize that figure with a bandage wrapped around its right eye even if it turned to ashes.
Shimura Danzo... Previously, Sarutobi Hiruzen shifted the blame for the students graduating early onto Shimura Danzo, and then imprisoned him.
His voice was filled with suppressed anger: "I never expected that after only a few days, that old bastard 'Danzo' would be released."
On a distant high platform, Hiruzen Sarutobi is handing out a pension to an elderly woman who has lost her son.
The old man's trembling hands and Hiruzen Sarutobi's feigned grief created an ironic scene.
Uchiha Mitsunori knew that beneath this facade of harmony lay an even more sordid political game.
He turned and walked toward the waiting line, thinking, "To deal with Hiruzen Sarutobi, I must first find a way to kill Danzo Shimura and his Root. Right now, I can only go and turn in the mission first, and then return to the clan compound to discuss it with the Eighth Hokage Uchiha."
In the hall where the mission was handed over, Uchiha Mitsunori stood at the very front of the group.
Sarutobi Inoue spoke dryly, his Adam's apple bobbing unnaturally: "The garrison mission at Nansha Castle has been recorded and verified... Salaries will be paid after the Daimyo allocates funds... Please go home and wait for further instructions."
A commotion immediately erupted in the hall.
Uchiha Tekka slammed his fist on the counter: "This isn't right... The Daimyo never delays paying salaries... Otherwise, why would there be ninjas risking their lives on the front lines..."
Uchiha Sanfeng raised his hand to stop the clansmen's agitation: "Tetsuka, there's no need to argue. Let's finish verifying the mission and return to the clan as soon as possible!"
His voice was calm, but it was filled with murderous intent.
Seeing his elder brother's expression, Uchiha Tetsuka immediately understood his thoughts: "Looks like Brother Sanfeng wants to kill someone. I wonder which unlucky guy it is..."