The Daimyō said nothing, his expression utterly calm.
Faced with Senju Haruto's direct challenge, he didn't even bother replying. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Sarutobi Hiruzen, as if to ask: What about you? What's your stance?
Yes, Haruto might well be Konoha's hero, a shinobi who had achieved brilliant victories.
But in the present Konoha, the Hokage was still Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Only his words carried true weight.
Hiruzen's eyes met the Daimyō's directly. Their gazes locked, and with the old retainer at the Daimyō's side pressing so aggressively, the atmosphere had grown razor-sharp.
A man as skilled in politics as Hiruzen could easily see through the hidden intent.
Haruto had inherited not only the power of Senju Hashirama, but also the methods of Senju Tobirama.
To the Daimyō, that wasn't just dazzling talent — it was a looming threat.
If he wished to keep his authority from being overshadowed, he had no choice but to rein Haruto in.
"Hiruzen, you've grown old," the Daimyō said suddenly, his voice smooth but cutting. "Perhaps it's time to retire, enjoy your twilight years… spend time with your grandson."
Hiruzen's brow furrowed sharply. He realized at once that the Daimyō was alluding to his newborn grandchild — Konohamaru.
What he hadn't expected was that even he had now become a thorn in the Daimyō's side.
"My suggestion is that we send someone to bring Tsunade back," the Daimyō continued in a low, heavy voice.
This was the strategy he and his advisors had carefully crafted.
With this excuse, they could send Haruto away from the village for a time, weaken Hiruzen's faction, and then install a new Hokage of their choosing.
After all, no one knew where Tsunade was.
And according to the Daimyō's understanding of her personality, even if Haruto found her, she would hardly be persuaded to return with him.
"Tsunade…?"
Hiruzen froze in surprise. He had not expected the Daimyō to say that.
Even if he really was too old and had to step down from the Hokage's seat, there were candidates far more suitable than Tsunade.
No—
There was one far better suited than her.
Jiraiya.
He had inherited the true Will of Fire, his skills were extraordinary in every respect, and he carried the legacy of Mount Myōboku.
Tsunade, by contrast, had been broken by the deaths of Dan and Nawaki, and had left the village plagued by a crippling hemophobia.
No… Hiruzen's gaze sharpened. This was hardly a secret; the Daimyō couldn't possibly be ignorant of it.
Is he hinting that I should yield power?
But then the Daimyō revealed his true intent.
"Haruto, you and Tsunade are both of the Senju clan. I believe there is no one better suited than you to seek her out."
"And while you are away, traveling a while will be good for you. After all, it was your misjudgment that led to the annihilation of the Uchiha clan."
"Staying in the village will only harm you further. I don't want to see you crushed by public criticism and forced down the same path as White Fang."
"You can see this as a chance to atone for your mistakes."
"As for Root — let Uchiha Fugaku oversee it for now."
The moment Fugaku's name was spoken, Hiruzen froze again.
He had gone to great lengths to eliminate the Uchiha problem, and now, with a single sentence, the Daimyō was inviting Fugaku into Konoha's power center.
This was far too great an intrusion.
In that instant, both Hiruzen and Haruto understood the Daimyō's true design.
He was worried Haruto had grown too strong, too ungovernable.
So he intended to prop up Uchiha Fugaku as a counterbalance.
What mattered most was this: although the Daimyō was the leader of the Land of Fire, he cared nothing for whether the Hokage embodied the Will of Fire.
What he cared about was power — the lofty authority above all.
And back when the Second Hokage had ruled, that authority had already been weakened.
Now, faced with Haruto, how could the Daimyō not be plagued by the same fear?
Yet even knowing this, Hiruzen could not erupt in anger.
Whatever else, the Daimyō's authority outweighed even that of the Hokage.
"…I understand."
After all, the Daimyō had only ordered Haruto to search for Tsunade.
If Haruto truly brought her back, then the Daimyō would find it hard to object further.
Haruto was only twelve or thirteen years old. So young still — perhaps wandering outside for a while would not be such a bad thing.
But locking horns with the Daimyō here and now? That would be foolish.
Countless thoughts whirled through Hiruzen's mind. In the end, compromise — and a sliver of wishful thinking — won out.
Even if Fugaku were handed Root for the time being, he could not launch a coup.
The shinobi of Root were not merely Uchiha — they were loyal to the village above all.
And Fugaku himself knew well the measure of Haruto's strength.
To repeat past mistakes would gain him nothing.
Besides, Fugaku was not by nature a man of violence. He loved peace. He had only been swept along in the tide of his clan's will when he took part in the coup.
And so, in that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded his assent to the Daimyō's decision.
Nara Shikaku cast a sidelong glance at Haruto, sympathy flickering in his heart.
The Nara clan prided themselves on their intelligence. With a mind as sharp as his, how could he fail to see the truth?
Haruto, dazzling and formidable, had simply become a sacrifice on the altar of politics.
It was understandable.
The Daimyō might rule the nation, but he and the village were never in the same boat.
The stronger a village's Kage grew, the more restricted the Daimyō's power became.
And Haruto now possessed both unrivaled strength and unshakable reputation.
If he were in the Daimyō's position, Shikaku admitted, he might have done the same — suppress Haruto to remind everyone who truly ruled.
That the man covering the sky with his hand was not the Hokage, but the Daimyō.
Koharu and Homura remained utterly calm, as if they had known the Daimyō's plan from the beginning.
Haruto let his gaze sweep across everyone seated in the room.
Not a single voice rose in his defense.
Even Hiruzen had fallen silent.
He had thought that after everything, perhaps Hiruzen would have grown sterner, more resolute.
But no — he was still the same indecisive, weak-willed Hokage.
Heh.
The corners of Haruto's mouth curved upward in a cold smile.
Leaning back against his chair, he began to laugh — a slow, mocking sound that grew louder and louder, as though ridiculing them all.
"What are you laughing at?!"
The elder on the Daimyō's right barked harshly. To him, Haruto's laughter was filled with open hostility.
"What's so funny? This is a direct order from the Daimyō!"
Another elder slammed his palm onto the table, voice booming as he pressed the assault.
"Tell me, Senju Haruto — do you intend to defy the Daimyō's command? Do you mean to…"
"…become a rogue ninja?"