"Haha! This old geezer is truly naive!"
Jaxon's face remained stoic and serious, but deep down, he was struggling not to laugh.
If not for his remarkable self-control, he would've been doubled over, clutching his stomach from laughter by now.
Beside him, the three elders—excluding Hiruzen Sarutobi—from Konoha's so-called "F4" looked as if they had swallowed bitter pills. Their expressions were dark and unreadable.
None of them had expected this brat to be so… eloquent.
No, that was putting it mildly.
His flattery bordered on divine.
"I never imagined that you, a noble of such high status, would also resonate with the Will of Fire," Hiruzen said with a broad grin, puffing his pipe. "It humbles me. But as the Hokage, I fully endorse your words!"
The self-satisfied smirk on Hiruzen's face showed he had momentarily forgotten the reason he had summoned this young noble in the first place.
"Sarutobi, don't forget why we called him here in the first place!"
Utatane Koharu finally couldn't take it anymore. Her tone was sharp, and her face was a map of frustration as she snapped at Hiruzen.
"Oh—yes, yes!" Hiruzen jolted slightly, hurriedly regaining his composure. His face straightened as he puffed his pipe again, then turned a serious gaze toward Jaxon.
"I heard you visited the Hyuga Clan and plan to visit other families in the Village. What is your intention?"
He paused, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"Did your father put you up to this?"
"Please don't misunderstand," Jaxon replied calmly, his posture straight and his voice even. "It was my own decision to come to Konoha. I wanted to see this Village firsthand—reputed to be the most powerful in all the Great Nations."
He looked around, meeting the eyes of the elders without fear.
"And more importantly, in the future, I will inherit and manage the industries under my father's name. Our cooperation with Konoha will be extensive and long-term. My visit is about mutual understanding and potential partnerships."
Though his tone was respectful, it carried no hint of submissiveness.
Even under the pressure that filled the room—especially from Danzo's unrestrained chakra—Jaxon didn't flinch. The old man's oppressive aura felt like a weight pressing on his shoulders, but he didn't back down.
Danzo stood up slowly, eyes sharp and voice heavy.
"Then what exactly is your purpose in visiting the various clans? If your answer doesn't satisfy us, don't think the Daimyo can meddle in the internal affairs of our Village."
Jaxon raised an eyebrow, the corners of his lips tugging into a cold sneer.
Oh?
Was that a threat?
He looked up, locking eyes with Danzo, his tone turning icy.
"Are you threatening me?"
Danzo narrowed his eyes. "Do you want to die?"
"Then guess," Jaxon snapped back, his voice sharp as a blade, "what would happen to Konoha if I died right here, right now?"
Silence fell like a curtain. Even the ever-puffing pipe of Hiruzen paused mid-draw.
Unafraid, Jaxon continued, voice thunderous.
"If I die here, the entire political and economic balance of the Land of Fire will collapse. Without our family's financial support, the major villages would devour Konoha alive."
He straightened his back, voice now booming with confidence and power.
"My family—House Jaxon—has nothing but money. If I said we controlled hundreds of billions of Ryo, I wouldn't be exaggerating. Not only could we bring down Konoha, but we could obliterate the four noble families sitting in this room ten times over."
"INSOLENCE!"
Danzo's chakra surged, and his eyes glowed with killing intent.
But before he could move—
"Danzo! That's enough!"
Hiruzen's furious voice cut across the room like a whip.
"Third Hokage-sama!" Jaxon's voice rang out, firm and unshaken. His earlier respectful mask was gone—now replaced by raw emotion, his expression fierce and resolute.
"I have always held deep admiration for Konoha. The Will of Fire that you uphold inspired me. I even admired your leadership as the Hokage."
The room held its breath.
"But—" Jaxon's voice suddenly rose, roaring like a storm.
"What happened here today—if you, as Hokage, cannot give our House a satisfactory explanation—then don't expect this matter to be resolved easily!"
Before Hiruzen could open his mouth, Jaxon turned on his heel.
The boy stormed toward the door, his cloak swirling behind him like a banner in battle.
With a loud bang, he slammed the door shut behind him. The entire Hokage office trembled from the force.
Outside the door, Sakumo Hatake stood silently like a statue. His silver hair swayed slightly as his eyes caught the storming figure.
He looked at the slammed door, then quickly followed behind the small figure now walking ahead without a word.
His orders were simple: protect Jaxon.
Everything else?
Irrelevant.
---
Back inside the Hokage office...
Bang!
Hiruzen slammed his palm onto the desk so hard that the papers scattered.
"Danzo! Don't forget—I am the Hokage!"
His hoarse voice echoed through the room, trembling with fury.
It was rare—almost unheard of—for Hiruzen to lose his temper with his old comrade.
But today, he was truly furious.
Danzo, however, wasn't one to back down.
"I acted for the Village. Will you just sit there and watch that brat cause disorder in Konoha?" Danzo's tone was unwavering, cold and proud.
"The Village isn't even fully stabilized yet, and you let him stomp all over us in this office! Should I explain this failure to the clans, or will you?"
"You two, stop it!"
Utatane Koharu's voice cut in, once again slipping into her self-assigned role of peacemaker.
"Arguing now won't solve anything."
Yes—it was Year 28 of Konoha's calendar.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had held the Hokage title for 12 years. His influence had grown tremendously, his leadership nearly uncontested.
Nearly.
Just because few dared to oppose him didn't mean he had complete control.
The internal structure of the Village was still volatile. If a rift broke out between Konoha and the nobles, the alliances holding everything together would snap in an instant.
After all, most of the major clans had only sworn loyalty for one reason: security and prosperity.
If the Hokage couldn't ensure that—then what reason did they have to stay?
And if the public turned against him...
Then Hiruzen's reign as Hokage would be over before he realized it.
"Sigh..."
The long, weary sigh came from the man who had remained silent this entire time—Homura Mitokado.
The most low-key and soft-spoken of the Konoha F4, he finally stood up.
His eyes swept across the room before resting on Hiruzen and Danzo.
"Danzo, you were wrong today," he said in a flat yet authoritative voice. "You publicly humiliated the heir to the Land of Fire's most powerful noble family. Don't tell me you couldn't predict the consequences of that."
Danzo's lips tightened.
Homura continued, "Jaxon plans to visit the Senju Clan tomorrow. I suggest we take a different approach now. Go to Lady Mito first—see if she can help mediate and calm this situation."
He paused, eyes narrowing.
"Right now, the Village is on thin ice. The last thing we need is unnecessary internal conflict. If we alienate the nobility, especially someone like Jaxon, we might not recover from the fallout."
Silence followed his words.
No one dared argue with that logic.
Even Danzo, though visibly displeased, didn't speak.
Hiruzen slowly sat back down, rubbing his temples.
The situation had taken a dangerous turn. One wrong move now, and everything they had built could unravel.
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pàtreøn (Gk31)