"This was just a minor noble, yet the money and treasures he had stashed away were worth at least two hundred million ryō. It's hard to even imagine how much wealth the great nobles must possess."
"And to think, Kirigakure receives only a pittance in funding each year—it's laughable."
Not long after, Jūzō Biwa returned, two storage scrolls clutched in his bloodied hands.
There was no need to guess—the scrolls were undoubtedly stuffed with the treasures looted from the noble's estate.
"Hahaha! You're still thinking about Kirigakure? You've killed nobles now. You think you can just go back home? Don't be ridiculous."
The one mocking was Mangetsu Hōzuki, his voice carrying a bitter edge. Ever since being assigned the weakest of the relics—what he sarcastically called an 'Imperial Arm'—he'd been displeased with the others.
Mangetsu never missed a chance to jeer, especially now that they were officially rogues. Dead men walking had nothing left to fear.
"Enough. Let's not linger here. Notify Susanoo-no-Mikoto to retrieve us. We need to head to the next target and… deliver some warmth."
"But let me be clear," Mangetsu continued coldly, "the next noble is mine. I'll handle them personally."
And so, the bloody days continued…
---
Several days later, Kawaki Aoba was summoned to the Hokage's Office for an emergency high-level council meeting.
"Calling me in such a rush… something serious must've happened again," Aoba muttered, though he already had a solid guess. Still, he pretended to be clueless.
"Let's wait until everyone is present," said Minato Namikaze, his voice a little hoarse. Even the ever-smiling Yellow Flash seemed worn down lately.
Soon, all the clan heads arrived—leaders of the Hyūga, Uchiha, Aburame, Nara, and others. Notably, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the former Hokage, was also in attendance.
Once the room settled, Minato addressed the gathering.
"Some of you may have heard already—over the past week, multiple nobles across the shinobi world have been assassinated. The culprits? Former members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—three of them, to be precise."
He paused.
"They now call themselves the Underworld Organization, and their leader is someone known as Smoker. He's a terrifying figure."
"There's no doubt these killings are part of a coordinated revenge campaign. In response, the noble houses of the Five Great Nations have posted a combined bounty on his head—both through official channels and the black market. But so far, their efforts have only provoked him further."
"Worse, they've mastered space-time ninjutsu, making pursuit nearly impossible."
Minato's gaze swept across the room. "As of yesterday, seventeen noble families have been eliminated."
Kawaki Aoba: …
Everything up to that point was in line with what he had ordered. But seventeen? He distinctly remembered authorizing only sixteen missions.
He had counted every ryō of the spoils himself. There was no way the trio—whom he privately dubbed the Three Lucky Treasures—had gone off-script. They were greedy, but they were loyal.
So… who killed the seventeenth family?
Was it a copycat? Another group taking advantage of the chaos to stage a murder and frame them?
Aoba had anticipated such a possibility but expected it later—not this soon.
The room remained silent. No one dared speak. This situation had grown beyond what any single village could manage.
Minato exhaled slowly and added, "This morning, I received a formal letter from the Fire Daimyō."
Everyone stiffened.
Aoba grimaced. When a minor noble died last year, the Fire Daimyō had lambasted Hiruzen Sarutobi. And now the aristocrats of the Fire Country itself had been struck.
Who could have guessed that Aoba's fiscal retaliation plan—never meant to be a true act of revenge—would escalate like this? He hadn't intended to drag Minato into political fallout.
"The Daimyō intends to increase his personal security force. He's demanding that we assign six elite jōnin from Konoha to serve as his full-time guards."
Minato looked around.
"Furthermore, several prominent noble families have submitted long-term guard requests. These will be S-ranked missions distributed through the village. I'd like to hear the clan leaders' thoughts."
Aoba smiled faintly.
Maybe his plan wasn't a total disaster. These guard requests were prestigious and lucrative—Minato now held the power to decide which clans would receive them.
Despite the Daimyō's anger, the political leverage gained here was undeniable.
Across the table, Hiruzen was quietly puffing on his pipe, lost in thought. He looked more troubled than usual.
The room shifted to mission allotment. Unlike earlier meetings—where silence reigned and everyone avoided responsibility—today, the clan leaders jostled to speak first, eager to secure missions.
But Minato didn't flinch. He said little, offering no decisions yet. Clearly, he intended to negotiate these matters privately.
Aoba observed silently. In just a few days, Minato had already begun to exude the quiet pressure of a true Hokage.
Unbeknownst to him, others were noticing the same about Aoba himself. His demeanor had grown cold, calculating. Some said he now resembled Danzō Shimura more than anyone else.
Just sitting there, he radiated an aura that made others uneasy.
Suddenly, Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed twice, drawing everyone's attention.
"Minato," the old professor began, "have you chosen the six elite jōnin for the Daimyō's guard detail yet?"
Minato shook his head. "Not yet. Is there someone the Third Hokage wishes to recommend?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was, after all, the former Hokage, and Minato Namikaze still had to show him some respect.
Minato had already made up his mind. As long as Hiruzen didn't push for more than three nominations, he was willing to agree.
"Anbu member, Inu. He once served as my bodyguard. Becoming a Guardian Ninja shouldn't be an issue," Hiruzen stated.
"And my youngest son, Asuma Sarutobi. His strength has grown rapidly, and he's even begun to manifest a unique chakra nature. Regular elite jōnin shouldn't be a match for him anymore."
Minato's expression grew hesitant. "As for Inu—Kakashi Hatake, if I'm not mistaken—his abilities are certainly dependable. But Asuma... Lord Third, isn't he still officially ranked as a chūnin?"
If it were just a political favor, Minato wouldn't mind yielding. But Guardian Ninja were tasked with protecting the Daimyō of the Land of Fire—especially now, when Akatsuki had begun targeting nobles in revenge-driven attacks.
"Cough, cough." At that moment, a man named Kawaki Aoba cleared his throat and spoke:
"Minato, I served on the same squad as Asuma. I know his strength well. Though he hasn't been formally promoted to jōnin, I believe he's already surpassed many elite jōnin. He's a natural in wind release, and even among the five great nations' Kage, he might be able to briefly contend."
Aoba was still being modest. In his eyes, Asuma's proficiency with wind nature transformation, paired with his trench knives and growing experience, made him more formidable than people gave him credit for. Unless he was facing someone proficient in sealing techniques or sage arts, there were few who could corner him.
Minato nodded slightly. With Aoba's recommendation, he could accept Asuma's appointment. Political concerns aside, he didn't want to stifle promising talent.
And just like that, Sarutobi Asuma, who had only recently been recognized as an elite chūnin, was promoted directly to elite jōnin—a promotion that came without ceremony, discussion, or his own presence. It was unusually swift, but not entirely undeserved.
With Kakashi and Asuma occupying two of the Guardian Ninja slots, Minato reserved the remaining two for his own candidates.
One of those would be a Hyūga clan member—after all, the Byakugan was ideal for security and surveillance.
For the final candidate, Minato proposed selecting a capable Uchiha.
But before Uchiha Fugaku could respond, Shimura Danzō interjected.
"The Uchiha are too prideful," Danzō said coldly. "Stationing one in the capital for an extended period could provoke the Daimyō or offend the other nobles. We're sending guardians to protect—not intimidate—them."
His words quickly gained support from others. Even Fugaku, who had begun to rise in protest, sat back down, silent.
Watching this unfold, Aoba shook his head. Fugaku really isn't fit to lead the clan, he thought. He can't even fight for a clear invitation. Minato gave him an opening, but he let it slip. Even if he couldn't secure the Guardian slot, he could have asked for something smaller in return.
In the end, the fourth Guardian Ninja slot remained vacant, to be decided later through internal negotiations.
Minato was about to adjourn the meeting, but then brought up another pressing issue—the status of the Five-Tails.
"Yesterday, an envoy from Iwagakure arrived in Konoha requesting the return of the Five-Tails. I'm still new to the position and unaware of any prior arrangements. So I delayed answering and told them I would consult with the elders," Minato explained.
He turned toward Hiruzen. "Lord Third, was there ever an agreement to return the Five-Tails?"
"The Five-Tails was captured during the Third Shinobi World War," Hiruzen replied. "At that time, we did agree—formally or informally—to return it after the war ended. But as of now, I believe it's in Orochimaru's possession."
Minato's headache deepened. Orochimaru, he thought grimly. The man wouldn't relinquish the Tailed Beast willingly, not after he had likely begun experimenting on it.
And if Minato returned it now, just after becoming Hokage, some might see him as weak—willing to give away Konoha's strategic assets under pressure.
"Hmph," a voice grunted from the side. It was Shimura Danzō again.
"That Tailed Beast was seized by our forces in battle. If Iwagakure wants it, they can go earn it on the battlefield. What agreement? I don't recall Konoha signing anything. Did you sign it, Hiruzen? Or you, Minato? No? Then any such agreement must be a forgery!"
For once, Danzō's brazenness earned approving nods. He was infamous for many things, but his hostility toward rival villages often struck a patriotic chord.
Aoba, however, remembered the truth. The agreement had been signed by Akimichi Torifu and Tsuchikage Ōnoki—during a discreet, off-the-record negotiation.
But Akimichi Torifu had long retired and held no formal position in the village. His existence could be quietly erased from the records if needed.
In other words, Konoha could easily deny the agreement existed and keep the Five-Tails. Iwagakure could protest, but in its current weakened state—especially after the recent disasters—it wasn't in a position to retaliate.
Even if they mustered their forces, they wouldn't stand a chance against Konoha.
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