141 The Storm Is Coming

At the heart of the Land of Fire's capital stood the grand Daimyo Mansion, a symbol of supreme power.

Once, the daimyo carried himself with effortless grace, exuding the dignity of nobility.

But today was different. His face was dark with fury, his presence more like a raging beast than a composed ruler.

"In just one month, so many riots what the hell is going on?!"

He slammed a stack of reports onto the table, his expression growing colder as he read through them.

Even his own cousin had been subjected to a public trial during one of these uprisings.

A trial!

That was the exact word the rebels had used "judgment."

The daimyo wasn't particularly concerned about his cousin's complaints. What infuriated him was the audacity of these lowly commoners.

How dare they rise against the nobility?

The ministers seated before him wore equally grim expressions.

"My lord, we cannot allow these uprisings to continue. If they persist, this year's tax revenue will take a serious hit."

No taxes meant less wealth flowing into their pockets—an outcome they could not accept.

The daimyo cast a cold glance at the nobleman who had spoken.

"I know we can't let this continue. But tell me what do you suggest?"

The nobleman hesitated for a moment before his eyes lit up.

"Why not send the Guardian Ninja Force?"

The daimyo narrowed his eyes.

"The Guardian Ninja Force... it's not impossible. But what if they suffer heavy losses?"

He tapped his fingers on the table, deep in thought. The Guardian Ninja Force was his key tool for keeping Konoha in check. If they took too much damage, it would weaken his influence over the village—a risk he wasn't willing to take.

Sensing his hesitation, another noble spoke up.

"Why not let Konoha handle it? They can crush the rebellion for us, and at the same time, it'll wear down their forces."

A strategy that could kill two birds with one stone—if Konoha agreed.

The daimyo turned his gaze toward the minister responsible for Konoha relations.

The minister bowed and spoke carefully.

"I've already sent a request, but Konoha's forces are currently focused on preparing for war against Iwagakure and Sunagakure. They don't have the manpower to suppress the rebellion."

The daimyo's face darkened.

"I think Konoha just doesn't want to help—they're stalling to squeeze more military funds from us!"

"But if we don't provide Konoha with military funds..." the minister hesitated.

This was the real dilemma.

Without funding Konoha, they would have to handle the uprising themselves, which carried a lot of risks. 

But if they did provide military funds, Konoha would only grow stronger, making them even harder to control.

"My lord, why not let the Guardian Ninja Force handle it first?" 

"As far as I know, this so-called [Freedom Fighter] is just a band of wandering ninjas and taijutsu users from who knows where."

"They've made a lot of noise, but their high-level combat power is lacking."

"The Guardian Ninja Force should be more than enough to take care of them."

He then glanced around the room before continuing.

"In comparison, Konoha is the real long-term threat.

"They've been ignoring the Daimyo Mansion's authority more and more. If this continues..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

The daimyo rubbed his temples, deep in thought, preparing to make a decision.

Another minister suddenly spoke up.

"My lord, Konoha isn't completely united. Why not invest funds in Danzo's faction?"

The daimyo's eyes lit up.

Danzo's Root was far more aggressive than Hiruzen's forces.

If they could secure Danzo's help, they'd have a better chance of crushing the rebellion.

More importantly, funding Root while ignoring the Hokage's forces would inevitably create tension between them.

Danzo had hinted more than once that he wanted to be Hokage.

If played right, this could be an opportunity...

Meanwhile, within the Land of Fire.

Simu had just finished dinner with Mikoto and stepped out of the room when a figure emerged from the shadows.

Silver hair. Black mask.

It was Kakashi.

"Teacher Simu, the intel is here."

Simu took the intel from Kakashi and asked casually,

"Have you eaten?"

Kakashi scratched his head. "I was in a rush. Haven't had time yet."

Simu slung an arm around his shoulder. At 1.9 meters tall, his arm rested comfortably on Kakashi.

"Then eat here."

He led Kakashi inside and called out to Mikoto, who was tidying up in the kitchen.

"Mikoto, warm up the food and let Kakashi finish it off."

…So I'm here to clean up the leftovers?

A black line appeared on Kakashi's face.

Mikoto peeked out from the kitchen with a gentle smile.

"Kakashi? I'll make you a fresh bowl of ramen."

Kakashi rubbed his nose, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"It's fine, I can just eat the leftovers."

Simu clapped him hard on the shoulder.

"Nonsense. Kakashi's not an outsider, no need to trouble yourself."

"Right, Kakashi?"

Kakashi sighed helplessly. "Yeah..."

With a teacher like this, what else could he say?

Soon, Mikoto served the meal, while Simu lounged on the sofa, skimming through the intel Kakashi had brought.

"The daimyo is working with Danzo?"

For years, the Aster Flower Merchant Association had been doing business with the nobles in the Fire Country's capital, secretly building connections with many of them.

Of course, for now, no one knew about the link between the Freedom Fighter Organization and the Aster Flower Chamber of Commerce.

Kakashi spoke while eating.

"Well, it's only natural. No one would just sit back and watch Konoha grow unchecked."

Today's Konoha was nothing like before.

With the Sannin, the Golden Combination, Kato Dan, and other top-tier shinobi, Konoha's strength was undoubtedly the highest in the ninja world.

The Daimyo Mansion wouldn't just stand by and watch its power decline. Suppressing Konoha was inevitable.

"I just wonder how far Danzo is willing to go for the daimyo," Simu mused. "The Third Hokage should be aware of this too, right?"

Kakashi nodded. "I may have... accidentally let this slip to some Anbu members."

Since Anbu reported directly to the Hokage, the information had surely reached the Third's desk by now.

Simu glanced at the intel in his hands and suddenly smirked.

"I didn't expect we'd even get the guardian ninja troops' marching route."

The report detailed their entire movement plan.

Kakashi chuckled. "For those nobles, as long as you have money, wine, and women, there's no secret they won't sell."

Simu set the papers aside and said calmly, "Then let's get moving. Have Shikaku gather our forces. You and Kakuzu will lead the team… and teach those guardian ninjas a lesson."

The vanguard of the Guardian Ninja Troops will likely include Kazuma, one of the Twelve Ninja Guardians. He's a formidable opponent, having mastered secret techniques that make him a serious threat.

"Understood," Kakashi responded without hesitation.

Over the past days, he had undergone a significant transformation. The once inexperienced youth was steadily maturing, both in mindset and power.

Not only had he refined his Armament Haki to a higher level, but he was also beginning to develop the basics of Observation Haki.

Kakashi wasn't just a prodigy in ninjutsu—his talent in Haki was equally remarkable.

If he fought at full strength, he could already take down a standard Jōnin.

With Kakuzu at his side, the mission should go smoothly.

Besides, Simu had left a Katsuyu clone with him. If things went south, he could always use Reverse Summoning to escape safely.

Of course, unless absolutely necessary, Kakashi likely wouldn't need to ask for Simu's help.

Meanwhile, in Konoha—deep within its darkest corner—the headquarters of Root.

Danzo sat in his chair, listening to Aburame Ryoma's report.

"The materials and funds from the daimyo have arrived. The first installment is 500 million Ryo."

Danzo's eyes opened slightly, his voice low and raspy.

"What does the daimyo want from us?"

He had no reason to reject the Fire Daimyo's offer.

After all, the daimyo was providing a total of two billion Ryo for this operation, along with a significant amount of supplies.

With these resources, Danzo could train more Root ninjas, further solidifying his influence within Konoha.

As for the daimyo's true motives, Danzo—an old fox himself—could see through them easily.

But it didn't matter.

These petty schemes would be swallowed by the darkness of his ultimate plan.

Aburame Ryoma knelt on one knee.

"The Daimyo Mansion requests at least 50 Root ninjas to support the vanguard and reclaim the seven border towns."

Riots had broken out in too many places over the past month.

To regain control, the Guardian Ninja Force had sent a vanguard to suppress the most severe uprising in Liangshan—a show of force meant to intimidate the rebels.

Danzo closed his eyes again.

"Select fifty ninjas and send them. Prioritize their safety."

As Danzo's longtime guard, Aburame Ryoma immediately understood the unspoken message—don't go all out.

If the rebellion was crushed too quickly, how would they continue extracting funds from the daimyo?

Meanwhile, in the Hokage building…

The aging fingers of the Third Hokage tapped the table lightly.

Konoha's financial situation at this time is really worrying.

The daimyo's suspension of funding, combined with the wars of recent years, had drained Konoha's resources.

The cost of supplies and manpower was astronomical.

Even the rewards from Pakura's mission weren't enough to cover the expenses.

Rumors had begun spreading in the village—whispers that the Third Hokage was incompetent, incapable of leading Konoha to a better future.

But his authority remained unshaken.

Leaning back in his chair, he narrowed his eyes as two names surfaced in his mind.

"Shimura Danzo..."

"Hanyu Simu..."

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TO BE CONTINUED

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