Kazekage Ninja-Chapter 47: Yahiko Stands Up to Danzō

"Bastard! Ungrateful little wretch!"

Danzō Shimura stormed out of the Amekage Building, face twisted with anger, his robes snapping behind him.

"Lord Danzō, there's no need to get so worked up. Wasn't this kind of resistance within our expectations?" whispered Sakumo Hatake, disguised as a retainer, hurrying to calm him down.

"That brat Yahiko—still wet behind the ears—dares to put on airs in front of me! Who does he think he is, Hanzō of the Salamander?!"

Seeing Danzō's temper flaring out of control, Sakumo wisely fell silent. Though both were Konoha 'standing committee' members, Danzō outranked him by far, and he had no intention of getting on Danzō's bad side.

Deprived of a convenient target for his rage, Danzō felt as if he'd punched a pillow. He spun on his heel and set his sights on another attendant—Fugaku Uchiha.

But Fugaku was oblivious, completely absorbed in fiddling with a tiny straw doll.

"Play, play, play! All you ever do is mess with that damn straw doll! I'll show you playing!" Danzō snapped, snatching the doll from Fugaku's hands, hurling it to the ground, and stomping on it twice for good measure.

Fugaku shot Danzō a look of quiet resentment, shook his head, and—without a word—pulled another straw doll from inside his robes.

"You little—!"

Danzō was about to explode. Was this kid trying to mess with him on purpose? Just as he was about to let loose, Sakumo tugged discreetly at his sleeve.

Only then did Danzō realize this wasn't the place to vent his fury. He spat, "Let's go. Back to the inn!"

With that, he stormed off in a huff. Sakumo and Fugaku exchanged a glance, then hurried after him.

What could possibly make the famously cold, rigid, and unreadable Danzō lose his composure like this?

It all came down to the issue of establishing an "overseas military base" in Amegakure.

For Danzō, securing Amegakure was non-negotiable. It wasn't just about giving Konoha the upper hand in the ninja world's geopolitical chess match—more importantly, it was a golden opportunity to plant his own loyalists in Konoha's "military" and expand his personal power.

So Danzō had come bearing what he considered exceptionally generous terms: three main points—economic aid, mutual defense, and cultural exchange.

First, economic aid: Konoha would provide Amegakure with an interest-free loan of 800 million to 1 billion ryō, to be repaid over ten years—enough to revitalize the local economy and improve the lives of its people.

Second, mutual defense: Konoha and Amegakure would form an offensive-defensive alliance, present a united diplomatic front, and—crucially—Konoha would establish a military base in Amegakure, stationing more than three thousand ninja to "assist" with national defense.

Third, cultural exchange: Konoha would send experienced ninja instructors to teach at Amegakure's ninja academy, raising the tactical and technical standards of their shinobi. In return, Amegakure could send outstanding young ninja to Konoha for exchange and training.

To Danzō, these conditions were almost too generous.

He never expected that the leader of Akatsuki, Yahiko, would light up at the mention of the interest-free loan—only for his face to darken the moment the second and third terms were raised.

"So, Konoha wants to buy out Amegakure's national defense, diplomacy, and education for a measly billion ryō? Heh. That's a bit cheap, don't you think?"

The words left Danzō momentarily speechless. Was he hearing things? A little backwater like Amegakure, dirt poor, barely a thousand ninja in the whole village—faced with Konoha's 'generosity,' instead of groveling, this kid wanted to posture? Where did he get the guts?

Danzō's voice turned cold.

"Leader Yahiko, you're mistaken. Konoha and Amegakure are neighbors—we should look out for one another. Right now, Amegakure is impoverished and weak. Without the strong support of Konoha, I fear you won't last long. We're offering this aid for the sake of the hundreds of thousands of lives in Amegakure. I hope you won't spurn our goodwill."

It was a threat, plain and simple.

Yahiko arched an eyebrow, his tone steely.

"Danzō Shimura, is that a threat? Let me tell you: ever since Akatsuki overthrew Nōshin Kongō's corrupt regime, freedom and independence have been our unwavering goals. Don't try to pull rank on me—I'm not buying it!"

He fired back without hesitation, leaving Danzō red-faced and slamming his hand on the table.

"Don't you slam tables at me! However small or weak Amegakure may be, we're still an independent ninja village. We don't need a puppet master, and we don't need a self-appointed teacher. If you want to cooperate, sit down and talk. But if you're trying to meddle in our sovereignty, I suggest you back off. On this matter, we will never compromise."

Danzō struggled to suppress his anger, forcing a more measured tone.

"I think you misunderstand, Leader Yahiko. Konoha has no interest in infringing on Amegakure's sovereignty—"

Before he could finish, Yahiko cut him off.

"Does Lord Danzō take me for a child? Establishing a military base, stationing three thousand ninja—how is that not an invasion of Amegakure's sovereignty? That's already twice the number of ninja we have!"

"But didn't Sunagakure once station troops in Amegakure as well?" Danzō countered.

"Sunagakure's so-called 'factory guards' at the Hourglass Group never numbered more than 120, and those ninja were hired during Nōshin Kongō's era. Akatsuki never recognized those humiliating terms, and after we reclaimed the Shule River industries, they withdrew."

No matter how Danzō threatened or tempted after that, Yahiko stood his ground, refusing to yield an inch. In the end, Danzō was so furious he stormed out.

After a long walk, Danzō finally cooled off. Back at the inn, he began to reflect deeply.

"Something's off about this."

"What do you mean?" asked Sakumo Hatake.

"I had ANBU gather intelligence on Yahiko and Akatsuki beforehand. He may be young, but he's no reckless hothead. And according to the reports, Amegakure's finances are on the brink of collapse. They even took bounties from Iwagakure to make ends meet, and after losing so many men in Sunagakure, even Yahiko himself was captured by the Third Kazekage, Jinghang, and sent to The Abyss to work for a year. With things this desperate, he should have jumped at my offer. Why refuse such generous terms?"

Sakumo fell silent, lost in thought.

After a while, he said, "It's definitely strange. I can't say exactly what's going on, but I'll go poke around Amegakure and see if I can dig up anything useful."

"Good. Be discreet," Danzō nodded. Sakumo changed into plain clothes and slipped out of the inn.

"How about it? Did you use genjutsu on Yahiko?" Danzō turned to Fugaku Uchiha.

"I did, but it didn't work," Fugaku replied, putting down his straw doll.

"Oh? Why not?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm certain it has something to do with that red-haired guy beside Yahiko."

Danzō fell silent, deep in thought.

"Him, huh? I never expected a tiny place like Amegakure to have someone like that…"

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