"The audacity... how dare they..." The Daimyo of the Land of Fire, upon hearing the news, was so enraged that he could barely hold onto his folding fan. He was ready to call Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately, demanding an explanation. But the Daimyo knew this was impossible. Although the election of the Hokage required the Daimyo's approval, his influence over Konoha was limited. Aside from imposing economic sanctions, there seemed to be no other way for the Daimyo to pressure the Hidden Leaf.
Except for the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, who had genuinely respected the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, the other Hokages had largely ignored him. The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was especially notorious for only demanding money.
Even though the Land of Fire emerged victorious in the Second Great Ninja War, when the peace treaty was signed, Konoha had not even informed the Daimyo. Furthermore, after the war, the Land of Fire had gained nothing, yet they had to pour large sums of money into Konoha's development.
It was precisely because of this financial aid that Konoha had quickly grown during the war. Despite the Land of Fire's significant contributions in both missions and financial support, the Daimyo felt his efforts had been unappreciated.
After all, Konoha's existence had helped protect the Land of Fire, and yet, despite the taxes being under the control of the Daimyo and his nobles, the ninja villagers were not responsible for governance.
However, the assassination of the Land of Fire's Finance Minister had pushed the Daimyo beyond his limits. The Finance Minister came from an ancient noble family of the Land of Fire. Only because he had questioned the excessive requisition of war funds did he end up being murdered by Konoha's ANBU.
A ninja suddenly appeared in the room—a guardian ninja assigned to the Daimyo. There were twelve such guards, all exceptionally strong. Only those with the rank of Jonin and undying loyalty to the Daimyo could join this elite force.
"Has the situation been investigated?" the Daimyo asked, his voice trembling with both fury and apprehension. The Finance Minister was one of the highest-ranking officials under the Daimyo, and if even someone of his stature could be assassinated, the Daimyo feared for his own safety.
"Yes, Lord Daimyo," a middle-aged guardian ninja replied, kneeling. "It was indeed Konoha's ANBU. One of them exchanged his life with an exploding tag, and after confirmation from four of our guardian ninjas, the identity is certain."
The Daimyo, his voice low, asked, "And what about Jiekang?"
"Jiekang-sama likely got caught in the crossfire," the ninja continued. "Based on our analysis, the ANBU's target was the President of the Uzumaki Trade Association. However, they didn't anticipate Jiekang-sama personally inviting the president, which led to him being killed in the process."
"The Uzumaki Trade Association? Why would Konoha target them?" the Daimyo and other officials in the room asked, confused by the revelation. The officials had gathered in the room to discuss the assassination of the Finance Minister and to understand the true details.
"Why did Konoha's ANBU target the president of the Uzumaki Association?"
"Was it because of the Uzumaki clan? That old nation from over ten years ago... but wasn't Konoha allied with the Uzumaki?"
After receiving a signal from the Daimyo, the middle-aged guardian ninja spoke again, "The reason the ANBU targeted the Uzumaki president is unknown.
However, the Uzumaki Trade Association suffered heavy casualties—over a dozen of their guards were killed, and the president herself was gravely injured. It'll likely take her at least a couple of months to recover."
"What? Does that mean we can't seek the president's medical help during this time?" Once the welfare of the officials was implicated, they quickly began to voice their concerns. After all, the Uzumaki Trade Association was also a victim, and their losses were severe, so the officials turned their ire toward Konoha.
"'Killed without hesitation'..." The Daimyo shuddered as the words echoed in his mind. It was as though, in the eyes of Konoha's ANBU, the Land of Fire's Finance Minister was no more than a wild animal to be dispatched carelessly. He feared that one day, even he might meet the same fate.
"Rest assured, Lord Daimyo," the middle-aged guardian ninja spoke with solemnity. "The Twelve Guardians will swear to protect your safety." Hearing this vow, the Daimyo's expression softened slightly, but the death of Jiekang still fueled his anger.
"Send a message to Sarutobi Hiruzen and demand an explanation!" The Daimyo said with a scowl, his thoughts drifting toward the proposal made by his guardian ninja—the 'only jewel' idea. Perhaps, for the Land of Fire, that was the best course of action.
Since the time of the Second Hokage, Konoha had been aggressive—constantly waging wars and demanding funds with little to no returns.
If not for the wealth of the Land of Fire being the richest among the Five Great Nations, no other country would have been able to meet Konoha's constant financial demands. After this incident, a deep and unhealable rift had formed between the Land of Fire and Konoha.
Meanwhile, far away at the battlefield in the Land of Grass, Hyuga Mirai learned from Number 18 about the full details of the incident.
The four members of Konoha's Root were under the surveillance of Number 18. Even their planning to take action was orchestrated by Number 18, who had purposely made Uzumaki Ayaka's travel patterns known to the Root agents, luring them into striking.
As for the assassination of the Finance Minister of the Land of Fire, it was Ayaka Uzumaki's doing, and none of the others had seen it. The three surviving Root members knew they hadn't been the ones to kill the Finance Minister, but they were uncertain whether the one who died had participated.
"Dead without proof!" Although the Uzumaki Trade Association had lost several dozen warrior guards, the families of the deceased were generously compensated afterward. In an era of feudal servitude, it was likely only the Uzumaki Trade Association that would have done such a thing.
"Well done, 18, Ayaka. However, Konoha may not let this matter slide easily. You need to stay vigilant. And Ayaka, during your 'recovery,' you should quickly awaken the Adamantine Chains."
Hyuga Mirai spoke into the communicator. When talking to 18, he always activated his Byakugan to observe his surroundings. He preferred to hold conversations in quiet, isolated areas.
"Understood, Lord Mirai. I will hasten the activation of the Adamantine Chains!" Ayaka Uzumaki replied with determination. Once she mastered the Adamantine Chains, her strength would undergo a qualitative leap.
The Adamantine Chains was not just effective against tailed beasts; it was also incredibly powerful when used against ninjas. Anyone ensnared by it would be nearly incapable of fighting back. Even the mighty tailed beasts couldn't escape the Adamantine Chains' grasp, let alone ordinary ninjas.
"18, how's the second branch of the trade association coming along?"
"Everything is ready except for the branch manager, Sir." 18's voice remained neutral, yet he executed Hyuga Mirai's orders flawlessly. "The bio-body cultivation will still take 13 days, 4 hours, and 36 minutes."
Hyuga Mirai nodded. "Let it be for now. However, you can start recruiting. Anyone who can contribute to the association's development is welcome. The bio-body cultivation process is too slow."
"This is my priority for now. I will send you the recruitment standards shortly, 18."
"Understood, Sir. Good luck."
Hyuga Mirai was momentarily stunned by 18's rare words of encouragement, but he quickly regained his focus. He had to get back to the camp soon since he was now the assistant at the medical camp.
Upon his return, Hyuga Mirai found that the medical ninjas had already handled the routine matters, like setting up tents and arranging medical supplies. He had initially planned to help, but there was no need now.
"Mirai-kun, you're just in time. Lord Danzo sent orders for all the responsible parties to gather and discuss matters. You should come with me."
It was his old colleague, the medical Jonin Aoki, who spoke.
"Do I need to go as well?"
"Of course," Aoki replied confidently. "You're the assistant at the medical camp. If something happens to me, you'll have to take over the camp's responsibilities."
By the time they arrived at the meeting tent, Hyuga Mirai realized they were the last to arrive. However, since medical ninjas were only responsible for treating the wounded and not for military strategy, they had little say in the discussions. In truth, both Aoki and Hyuga Mirai were only there to listen and follow orders.
Hyuga Mirai noticed that Hyuga Kiyo was also attending the meeting, following another clan ninja.
"Now that everyone is here, I'll explain the plan to repel the Rock ninjas," Danzo said, clearing his throat before addressing the others in the tent. He seemed quite pleased with himself. Compared to the shadows of the ninja world, he preferred the spotlight as Hokage. After all, who wanted to remain in the dark, nameless?
Hyuga Mirai wasn't interested in Danzo's plan. He was content just completing his duties as a medical ninja. However, seeing Danzo's smug attitude, he couldn't help but find it amusing. If Danzo only knew that Mirai had framed him for the assassination of the Fire Country's minister, he might be furious enough to break his cane.
The more Danzo tried to put on a show, the angrier he would be when he was recalled to the village by Hiruzen Sarutobi. This would be a stain on his reputation, one that would stick to him forever. Even if he managed to repel the Rock ninjas without casualties, he could never wash away the suspicion of being involved in the assassination.
After the meeting, Hyuga Mirai returned to the medical camp, remaining silent.
"Mirai-kun, are you feeling down?" Aoki asked as he walked back with him. To Aoki, a young ninja's first participation in a strategy meeting should have been an encouraging experience, a sign of recognition from his position. But Hyuga Mirai was uncharacteristically quiet, likely due to the actions discussed during the meeting.
"Why do you ask, Aoki-senpai?" Hyuga Mirai, momentarily distracted from his thoughts about combining new elements and nanotechnology, turned to Aoki with a puzzled expression.
Aoki responded gravely, "Mirai-kun, sometimes we must make sacrifices. After all, we are Konoha ninjas. We bear the responsibility of protecting the Land of Fire."
Upon hearing this, Hyuga Mirai understood that Aoki likely believed he was troubled after hearing about Danzo's plan to disguise themselves as Rock ninjas and attack the people and nobles of the Land of Grass, forcing the Grass Village to side with Konoha. The thought of harming civilians might have made him uneasy, which was why he hadn't spoken much on the way back.
Mirai shook his head. "I don't have any particular thoughts, Aoki-senpai. For now, I only need to fulfill my duties as a medical ninja."
Aoki patted his shoulder. "One day, you'll understand, Mirai-kun."
(End of Chapter)
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