"Ken-san, what did you say to Father?"
Outside the Uchiha Clan compound, Itachi finally gathered the courage to ask.
Tap.
A finger pressed against his forehead.
Itachi stared blankly at the other, as if asking what Hakken meant.
"You really want to know?"
Hakken raised an eyebrow and leaned his forehead close to his.
The bare-chested youth carried a natural sense of pressure that left Itachi dazed. He had just finished washing Ken-san's clothes and had planned to hand him a shirt, but Ken-san said it was cooler without one.
Still, he definitely wanted to know what they'd talked about.
"From today on, your father won't be sitting at home with that gloomy face."
"See for yourself, Itachi."
Hakken patted his shoulder and smiled.
With Itachi's intelligence, he would surely notice the change. Hakken had done what needed to be done. He had done his best.
If even this couldn't change the Uchiha situation, then he would have to use force to eliminate the problem at its root.
Father won't be frowning anymore?
Itachi parted his lips slightly, as if realizing something.
"Ken-san…"
"Come on, train with me. Tonight, you're joining me for a bath."
Cutting off whatever Itachi was about to say, Hakken grabbed him by the collar and dragged him outside.
There was no need for more words.
A hard training session was enough. That was how men communicated.
…
In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.
The calm in the Ninja World persisted. Yet that eerie atmosphere only intensified as intelligence reports circulated between the villages.
Within Konohagakure, however, the mood stood in stark contrast to the outside world. After the defeated supplies from Kumogakure were delivered to Konoha in batches, the people's spirits soared to their peak. Many would often stop by the Wall of Honor to pay their respects, expressing their deep reverence for Hakken.
At the Konoha training grounds, after a month of rigorous drills, the ANBU members' morale and energy had reached their limit. Though the initial number of three hundred and fifty had been reduced through rounds of selection to three hundred, with the rest reassigned to other ANBU positions, the result still fell short of Hakken's expectations.
What he demanded was an absolute elite force. As it stood, the current formation was far from effective and lacked the overwhelming presence he sought. The remaining members still required further tempering—but not at the same intensity. Maintaining such extreme pressure for too long would only make them overly tense, risking the opposite effect.
After the day's training ended, Hakken made his way to the Hokage's office.
During Konoha's current period of development, there was always an endless stream of matters requiring attention. The only ones Minato could truly rely on for assistance were Inoichi Yamanaka and Shikaku Nara; everyone else was of little help. Over the past month, Minato had been completely exhausted. Yet his mental state was better than ever.
Now, he was the true Hokage.
The matters he handled all concerned the growth and prosperity of Konoha, and that gave him a sense of fulfillment. The reforms were progressing smoothly, everything unfolding exactly as planned. It was deeply satisfying.
"I never imagined the Land of Lightning would really be willing to cede such a vast territory."
Handing a map to Hakken, Minato spoke with a touch of emotion.
"They certainly would."
Hakken glanced over the map and replied calmly. With the nation's strongest military village in ruins, would the Land of Lightning still dare to resist? Unless they had lost their minds, they would never challenge Konoha.
"But the Daimyo of the Land of Fire has also sent an envoy."
Minato sighed bitterly, rubbing his temples. He had summoned Hakken precisely to discuss how Konoha should handle the daimyo's envoy—especially since the daimyo had already assigned an official to oversee that newly acquired territory.
The daimyo's intent was clear: he wanted that land.
"What business does the Land of Fire have with Konoha's spoils of war?"
Seated on the sofa, Hakken let out a cold laugh. He had foreseen this outcome. After all, the daimyo had always been interested in expanding the Land of Fire's borders.
But this was only possible because the daimyo had no idea why the Land of Lightning had so willingly surrendered that territory. The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning understood that without a shinobi village, his nation was nothing. Unfortunately, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire had no such awareness.
"But we can't be too forceful with the daimyo either," Minato admitted. "He provides Konoha with a great deal of resources each year. That's what makes this difficult.
We can't let the Land of Fire take away what we earned through blood without paying a price. And since you were the one who secured that land, I need to hear your thoughts."
"Simple."
Hakken raised his flask, took a swig, and yawned, looking somewhat disinterested. Minato always lacked flexibility.
This matter wasn't particularly troublesome. Since Hakken had already expected the daimyo to send envoys, he had naturally prepared a countermeasure.
"The daimyo can have that land—and he'll have to take it."
"We can't send them back empty-handed now that they've come."
Standing up, Hakken spoke words that left Minato puzzled.
"Konoha has only two demands. Remember—demands, not negotiation terms. These must be fulfilled."
Extending his hand, the young man smiled faintly. "First, from today onward, the Land of Fire's subsidies to Konoha must triple."
"Triple?"
Minato froze, completely unprepared for such an outrageous demand.
"I'm not finished yet."
Hakken shrugged. "Second, Konoha will take ninety percent of all profits generated from that region every month."
"The daimyo values his pride—it's not impossible to give it to him—but this is the price."
"We don't have enough people in Konoha to manage such a vast territory anyway. If he accepts, good. If he refuses…"
"Then let him think about why the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning so willingly handed over his land. If he can't figure it out, Konoha will help him understand."
Exchanging a dispensable piece of land for triple the supplies and ninety percent of its profits was far more profitable than simply claiming the territory.
Hakken's calculations were sharp, and his final words carried a clear threat.
His methods were ruthless—undeniably so.
No wonder the Raikage had said it before: Hakken possessed a level of decisiveness that surpassed every Hokage before him.
…
While Minato was busy securing Konoha's interests in the Hokage's office, not far from the Hokage Building, inside a quiet room, Hiruzen stared at Danzō in shock.
Just moments ago, Danzō had said something completely unexpected.
"Hiruzen."
"Do you still wish to become Hokage again?"
What did he mean?
The Third froze.
...
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