Faced with the silent Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura spoke bluntly, his voice cold as a blade.
"That damn Sakumo Hatake! How dare he accept the Hokage Armlet from the Daimyo? Doesn't he know only the Hokage has the authority to grant the Hokage Armlet?"
"Say something, Hiruzen!"
"This time, the Daimyo has truly gone too far. Granting the Hokage Armlet to someone without permission—this is an overstep."
In Danzo's eyes, the Daimyo's actions were a direct challenge to the Hokage's authority—an unforgivable crime.
Although the Daimyo held supreme status and no one could openly question him, Danzo cared only about the village.
To him, the Daimyo's behavior endangered the village itself. It was practically a death sentence.
Had he not been the Fire Daimyo, Danzo would've already sent assassins after him.
And then there was Sakumo Hatake himself, who not only belonged to the village but had grown far too close to the Daimyo.
He accepted the Hokage Armlet today—would accepting the Hokage title be next?
For Danzo, who secretly desired the Hokage seat himself, this was utterly unforgivable.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, a pipe clenched tightly between his teeth, remained silent, his face betraying no emotion.
Just as Danzo was on the verge of exploding in anger, Hiruzen slowly exhaled a puff of smoke and said calmly, "It seems the Daimyo has forgotten the One Village, One Country doctrine—it clearly states neither side should interfere in the other's politics."
The One Village, One Country doctrine was a policy personally established by the First Hokage, the Sage of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju.
One Village referred to Konoha.
One Country referred to the Land of Fire.
They supported each other. Konoha did not handle labor or production, focusing solely on missions and combat.
Meanwhile, the Land of Fire didn't need a standing army, only had to pay money to maintain Konoha's ninja army.
There was no subordinate relationship between them, only an equal mutual aid arrangement.
Yet now, the Daimyo had broken those limits, infringing upon the Hokage's authority, which greatly displeased Hiruzen.
Still, being the Hokage, he was far more reserved than Danzo, revealing little outwardly.
After a moment of silence, Hiruzen finally spoke again. "The Daimyo still holds some value; we can't act against him. However, Sakumo Hatake definitely shouldn't have accepted the honor. I'll reassign him to the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind for disciplinary reasons."
"Hmph. That punishment is still too light," Danzo muttered in dissatisfaction. "If it were up to me, I'd ensure Sakumo Hatake understands the consequences of taking what isn't his."
As they exchanged words, the two decided on their countermeasure against the Fire Daimyo.
Their chosen measure was to send Sakumo Hatake away from Konoha—to the most dangerous frontlines.
This would undermine the Daimyo's dignity while warning any restless clans within the village.
The next day,
Sakumo Hatake, who had just recently returned to Konoha, received another urgent mission and was dispatched to the border for a secret operation.
The matter spread widely and soon caught the attention of high-ranking officials among many ninja clans.
Upon learning that Sakumo left Konoha the very next morning for this so-called secret mission, they immediately understood—it was a warning from the village.
Satori Hyūga of Konoha also learned of the matter.
Reflecting on Sakumo Hatake reminded him of Kakashi, and considering Sasori of Sunagakure made him think of the decades-long conflicts and their chain reactions.
"Should I save him?" Satori mused, chin in hand, sinking into deep thought.
After all, it would be a pity for a Kage-level expert to die merely from rumors and gossip.
Moreover, Satori had taken interest in Sasori from Sunagakure—he might even go there and try to recruit him.
In the future he envisioned—filled with mechanical creations—there was still a vital place for such people.
Sasori was an excellent candidate who could serve as an expert in that field.
Ever since acquiring the Tenseigan, Satori's mindset had begun to shift.
It was no longer about protecting the ninja world, but protecting *his* ninja world.
He realized that with the Tenseigan and control over key individuals, he could bend the world to serve him.
After making his decision, Satori immediately contacted Hama and others, and began plotting against the Fire Daimyo while still in Konoha.
At this time, aside from Chiriku, no one else remained by the Daimyo's side.
Even if Asuma Sarutobi returned from visiting his family, he wouldn't be able to stop Satori either.
That same night, Chiriku was off-duty.
The sky turned jet black, thick clouds blotting out the moonlight, shrouding everything in darkness.
In this environment, an eerie silence hung over everything, cloaking it in mystery.
The Daimyo put down his newspaper, preparing to retire when suddenly the main door burst open.
"I said not to disturb me unless it's urgent," the Daimyo's tone carried mild reproach.
He lifted his head, ready to reprimand the offender.
Only to find a tall, strikingly handsome man striding in.
The Daimyo was certain—he didn't recognize this person.
"Who is this gentleman? Why have you come here so late?"
His voice brimmed with anger, staring sharply at Satori with the commanding aura he'd carried through decades as a daimyo.
Satori smiled slightly, as if unaffected, walking forward directly.
He immediately noticed the Daimyo signaling secretly toward the shadows where the Twelve Guardian Ninja hid—but received no response.
Seeing this, a smirk crossed his face.
"What's wrong? Are you wondering why none of your guards have come yet?"
At those words, the Daimyo's expression darkened immediately, an ominous feeling rising within him.
Still, facing an enemy, he maintained the composure of a daimyo.
"You're quite impressive indeed, managing silently to eliminate all my Twelve Guardian Ninja."
"How about joining me? I can grant you noble status along with abundant land and wealth."
Seeing his subordinates helpless before this opponent, the Fire Daimyo began attempting to entice Satori with fame, fortune, and titles.
Ordinary men might have surrendered easily to such temptations of wealth and power.
But Satori was different—he had no interest in any of it.
As a Huaguo native, Satori scorned the so-called daimyo, much less anyone below him.
Wealth, too, was something Satori Hyūga already had more than enough of.
During his conversation with the daimyo, the factories under his command had likely already amassed a fortune.
In his eyes, violence was the bedrock of everything.
Once he gained control over the daimyo, the entire Land of Fire would be in his grasp as easily as placing something into a bag.
"No need. I only need you."
Satori Hyūga strode forward powerfully. Each step pressed down on the daimyo like a weight on his chest, deepening his sense of dread.
How could this man be so utterly unshaken?
In one last attempt to leverage fear, he threatened, "This is Konoha — the strongest village in the ninja world! If you attack me here, Konoha won't let you walk away!"
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