Ch 184: Uchiha will protect Daimyo

After Tatsumi finished describing the mission in detail, he quickly left the office.

He had to leave because the four people in the room were staring at him incessantly, making him feel a great deal of pressure. Especially the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi—if it weren't for the others being present, Tatsumi was certain he would have rushed over and given him a good beating.

However, he couldn't really blame Hiruzen Sarutobi. The amount of information was simply too overwhelming. The old man even said he needed to take two quick-acting heart pills just to continue the meeting.

"What do you think about this matter?" After a while, Hiruzen finally asked the others.

"I absolutely refuse to believe that the Daimyo was unaware of something like this!" Shimura Danzo, as always, was the first to speak out.

He said it with absolute confidence. After all, sacrificing part of the village's interests to gain greater benefits, then pushing the blame onto others while feigning ignorance, was a strategy he himself was well-versed in.

So Danzo claimed he could see through this kind of trick at a glance. The only difference was that this time, the Daimyo chose to sacrifice Konoha's interests to dramatically increase his own wealth. Being the one sacrificed, Danzo was naturally furious.

Damn it! If something like this is going to happen, I should be the one doing it. How dare someone else use me! The indignation burned in him.

"But now is the most critical point of the war. Is it really wise to sever ties with the Daimyo?" Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses thoughtfully. "Look at what happened to Suna."

Yes, Suna was indeed a cautionary tale. The Third Kazekage had become the laughingstock of the ninja world.

His fallout with the Daimyo led to funding being cut off. As a result, he had to drag young Rasa all over the desert panning for gold—while claiming it was to help him train ninjutsu.

So now, if you wanted to be Kazekage in Suna, the most important qualification wasn't raw power but a talent for gold panning. A "noble tradition" passed down from the Second Kazekage.

"Homura, you're right. We can't afford to cut ties with the Daimyo now," Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed heavily.

From his tone, everyone present could tell that Hiruzen was once again trying to smooth things over. The Daimyo controlled vast wealth. In times of peace, Konoha could rely on ninja missions to sustain itself, but in war, financial support from the Daimyo was crucial.

Danzo slammed the table, doubling down on his stance. "Precisely because it's a critical moment, we need to warn the Daimyo to restrain himself! This is the Great Ninja War! Every day it continues, the village bleeds resources. We can't be held hostage by the Daimyo's office—we need to knock some sense into him and remind him who really protects the Land of Fire."

Danzo's passionate words were delivered with such force that spittle sprayed all over Hiruzen's face, forcing the old Hokage to avert his gaze.

"What do you think, Koharu?" he asked, wiping his face.

Sure enough, shifting his gaze to her helped Hiruzen regain some composure.

"I also believe we can't let this go on," Koharu said after a pause. "What we need now is to wrap up the war with Suna quickly, not get bogged down in internal politics."

Danzo immediately donned a nonchalant expression, but the smugness in his eyes was hard to miss.

As the brains of the council, Koharu's words usually swayed the discussion.

"However," she continued, "now is not the time to openly confront the Daimyo."

"Then what do you suggest?" Hiruzen asked, puzzled.

"We can't cut ties, but that doesn't mean we can't monitor him. Didn't the Daimyo send a letter requesting ninja protection? Then let's give him what he wants," she said coolly. "Not only that, but we'll secretly allow his dealings with Suna to proceed."

"If there's any suspicious movement, we'll ambush the transaction site."

"Brilliant idea. You really are the most cunning—ah, I mean, the most strategic mind in our group," Hiruzen said, wiping cold sweat from his brow after almost blurting out his true thoughts.

But the idea was indeed clever. After wiping out the Suna ninjas, they could seize their supplies, send the loot back to Konoha, and then sell the excess to the surrendered Land of Earth at a high price. A tidy profit on the side. The thought made Hiruzen's smile stretch dangerously close to his ears.

"Then who should we send to protect the Daimyo?" Mitokado Homura asked, his eyes gleaming behind his glasses.

Choosing the right candidate wasn't simple. Guarding the Daimyo might seem easy—away from the battlefield—but it was actually exhausting. Assassination attempts had happened before. If anything happened to the Daimyo, the guarding ninja would bear full responsibility. It was, without a doubt, a thankless task.

That's why Hiruzen had long resisted assigning his people to guard duty. Letting the Daimyo form his own guard unit was far more convenient and less risky.

So, who should take on such a difficult, unpleasant job?

Anbu?

Root?

The four elders exchanged glances. They all knew what the others were thinking.

That's right—the Uchiha Police Force.

"Let the Uchiha clan handle it. Root won't fight for this credit," Danzo said, feigning modesty.

"Yes, Syōma Uchiha has kept Konoha's police affairs running smoothly. Since those with talent should shoulder more responsibility, this is a good opportunity for him," Mitokado Homura added with a seemingly thoughtful expression.

"Well, the Daimyo wanted a big name to guard him. Who's more well-known than the Uchiha?" Utatane Koharu concluded.

"Alright, it's settled. The Uchiha clan will take on this assignment," Hiruzen announced.

Syōma Uchiha had requested deployment to the battlefield more than once. He had long envied the Hyuga clan for gaining prestige. Though war brought danger, it also offered opportunity. Great accomplishments brought fame, and with fame came influence.

If you wanted to become Hokage, you couldn't do it without prestige. Though his son, Uchiha Fugaku, was still young, the Uchiha clan's backing gave him immense potential.

A few well-publicized acts of bravery, and a new genius would be born in Konoha.

That's why Syōma had repeatedly brought this up with Hiruzen. As the leader of the most powerful clan, his desire to go to the front lines was reasonable. If Hiruzen refused, what would the people—and the Uchiha—think of him?

Of course, the Uchiha had to go to the battlefield… but they couldn't be allowed to gain too much credit. That had been an unspoken rule since the time of the Second Hokage—one known only to the highest echelons of Konoha.

Still, now was the perfect time. Sending the Uchiha elite to protect the Daimyo would give them face, and Syōma would definitely leap at the chance.

"Call the head of the Uchiha clan," Hiruzen ordered.

Then he picked up his pipe. Wisps of blue smoke rose slowly into the air as his thoughts wandered.

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