Chapter 51: The Fire Daimyo Reaches Out to the Other Four Kingdom Daimyos

"I'm fine... how did this news come?"

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, took a slow, deep breath to steady himself. Though he was rattled, he maintained the composure expected of a Kage. His hand waved away the concerned Anbu as he tried to assess the situation.

"After all," he thought grimly, "this could be a ploy by another hidden village."

"Hokage-sama, this was delivered by the ninja hawk stationed in the Daimyo's residence. The seal is correct. It was sent by the Daimyo himself."

Hiruzen closed his eyes as the truth sank in. His clenched fists trembled slightly.

"Danzo… what have you done?"

He waved his hand again. "Send a team to quietly monitor Danzo. Don't confront him—just observe. Also dispatch scouts to the Daimyo's Mansion and confirm what happened on the ground."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

When the Anbu vanished, Hiruzen slowly reopened the scroll, re-reading the contents with a grave expression.

"Danzo… you reckless fool."

While Danzo had never respected the Fire Daimyo, Hiruzen found it hard to believe he'd attempt assassination. More likely, Danzo had tried to steal a Sharingan from one of the Uchiha stationed nearby. But it no longer mattered—the Daimyo believed he was the target, and he had named Danzo directly.

"Now the Daimyo is furious, the Uchiha are enraged, and the entire village is about to suffer the fallout. And in the end… it's me who takes the blame."

Just then, a voice called from outside the office.

"Hokage-sama, Uchiha Inabi requests an audience."

Hiruzen grimaced. Right… the Uchiha clan was still owed 500 million ryo in back payments. There couldn't have been a worse time for this.

Moments later, Uchiha Inabi, one of the clan elders, entered with a subtle smile.

"The clan head asked me to retrieve the overdue payment, Lord Hokage."

"Elder Inabi… it's been a while." Hiruzen forced a polite expression and retrieved a thick document from his drawer. "This is the village's official disbursement certificate. You can exchange it for the full amount."

Five hundred million ryo. Hiruzen's hands nearly trembled as he passed over the scroll. That kind of money could fund a military campaign.

"Much appreciated, Hokage-sama. I'll take my leave."

Inabi's smile widened as he accepted the certificate. "Andrew was right," he thought with amusement. "Money is only yours when it's in your pocket."

Just before he left, Hiruzen called out, "Wait, Elder Inabi. Has the Uchiha clan made any major movements recently?"

Inabi raised a brow.

"Two movements, Lord Hokage: making money… and making babies."

Hiruzen blinked, utterly unprepared for that answer. "Ah… I see."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "If the clan encounters difficulties, don't hesitate to bring it to me. The village will assist."

Of course, that was easier said than done. Since Andrew had thrashed an Anbu squad that tried to spy on the Uchiha, surveillance had become a nightmare. Some of those Anbu still suffered psychological damage.

Now, the Uchiha and Hyuga even patrolled together, rotating shifts and sealing off any chance for covert monitoring. Konoha was blind to what went on inside the Uchiha compound.

"Well…" Inabi's eyes twinkled. "We do have one problem. And it might be something only the Hokage can resolve."

Hiruzen sighed inwardly. "Let's hear it."

"Last night, Itachi sent word from the Daimyo's Mansion. Apparently, the Daimyo wants to hire hundreds of Uchiha as his personal guards. Naturally, we respect village protocol—only 40% of a clan's ninja can be deployed outside the village. We can't fulfill the request unless it's cleared."

He bowed slightly. "Would you kindly send a letter to explain this to the Daimyo?"

Hiruzen almost choked.

"Hundreds?!"

There were already thirty Uchiha Jōnin at the Daimyo's side, and even a Mangekyō Sharingan user among them. The request wasn't for defense—it was a cry for help.

"He's terrified. He truly believes his life is in danger."

If this had only been about Danzo attempting to take a Sharingan, the Daimyo wouldn't react like this. But if he was asking for hundreds of elite guards… that meant he felt death was imminent.

"Understood. I'll send a formal explanation," Hiruzen muttered.

Inabi bowed again and took his leave.

Left alone, Hiruzen sat down hard, massaging his forehead.

"Danzo, what the hell have you done?!"

Daimyo's Mansion, Land of Fire

Three days passed.

Three days without a single reply from Konoha.

The Fire Daimyo stood by his balcony, his hands clenched behind him, eyes burning with fury. The silence was deafening.

"They've abandoned me… Sarutobi and Danzo are working together!"

All the signs were there: the lack of response, the subtle obstruction of Uchiha reinforcements. Konoha was no longer an ally.

He turned sharply. "One-Seven, what did your clan say?"

The hidden shinobi bowed. "My lord, the Uchiha said they can send up to ten more guards. Anything beyond that would require village approval. Their standing with the village is… delicate."

The Daimyo's face twisted into a snarl.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen! First you ignore my plea, then you block my guards?! Do you want me dead?!"

He strode to his desk and slammed a fist onto its surface. "That's it. I'm done waiting."

He snapped toward a scribe. "Prepare letters. I will write to the Daimyos of the Land of Lightning, Earth, Wind, and Water. If Konoha won't protect me, I'll turn to other powers."

The attendants froze. Even Itachi, standing at the edge of the room, showed a flicker of alarm.

"My lord," he said, stepping forward, "please reconsider. Hokage-sama is not a man who ignores threats lightly. He may still be investigating."

"Investigating?!" The Daimyo shouted. "I've been nearly assassinated, and he's still playing chess in his office? No! My life is on the line. I will not be a passive target."

"You're Uchiha, aren't you? Hiruzen treated your clan like criminals—and still you defend him? Where is your pride?"

Itachi bowed his head in silence.

"Enough. Prepare the letters. The Fire Daimyo is taking matters into his own hands."

Highlights:

The Third Hokage realizes the Daimyo is genuinely terrified for his life.

Uchiha Inabi requests compensation and relays the Daimyo's plea for more guards.

The Fire Daimyo, feeling abandoned, decides to contact the other four great nations for aid.

Itachi fails to convince the Daimyo to wait—sparking a potential diplomatic crisis.

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