Chapter 189: Chapter 189
The Daimyo's words were not harsh, seemingly logical even, but Shisui and others couldn't help but furrow their brows.
They all sensed the undertone in the Daimyo's speech: a refusal! Even worse, there was a subtle air of threat emanating from him. His posture seemed to suggest that Konoha had taken too much and he needed to reconsider.
This response was not something they could easily accept, though it was what they'd expected.
Shisui pondered for a moment, his eyes shifting to a member of the Nara clan beside him. The man gave Shisui a subtle nod, prompting Shisui to finally speak up.
"Lord Daimyo, while we are grateful for your financial support,
Let us not forget, without Konoha's protection, your family's business would not thrive so smoothly.
You fund Konoha, thus enabling its flourishing development, while Konoha, in turn, shields your assets, offering you more wealth and glory.
It's a symbiotic relationship—each entity aids the other. We have an obligation to protect Konoha and the Land of Fire, just as you have a duty to facilitate our growth.
Think about it, Lord Daimyo, if we ceased protecting your assets in certain areas, would they continue to prosper?
Local elements might cast envious eyes and resort to various means of harassment and plundering. Surely that's not a scenario you'd welcome?"
"You—"
The Daimyo found himself choked by Shisui's words. Though grudgingly, he had to admit Shisui had a point.
Without Konoha's protective arm, his family business would indeed falter.
However, deep within, he was truly reluctant to be under Konoha's thumb any longer. After all, he was the Daimyo of this nation.
But even a Daimyo is only human. Faced with the imposing stance of Shisui and his companions, he felt a tinge of hesitation.
Fortunately, a silver-haired ninja standing behind him stepped forward and spoke up.
"What do you lot mean by this? Are you threatening the Daimyo?
Don't forget, the real sovereign of the Land of Fire is not you ninjas; it's the Daimyo standing before you.
Know your place. Don't assume you ninjas can affront your own master!"
The words of this individual instantly made the faces of Shisui and his team change ever so slightly. Thanks to intel from Asuma, they already knew who this man was.
He was the most extreme among them—hoping for the Daimyo to be the sole "Jade" leader, and he was the one specifically marked for elimination!
According to Kaito's directives, only five people needn't be handled lethally: a squad of four Raijin users and a monk.
As for the rest, in Kaito's words, none should be spared—all must be sent "below."
Even the Daimyo, in a necessary circumstance, could be sent "below"!
Of course, this final directive was relayed privately to Shisui by Kaito. Some things can be done but shouldn't be declared so brazenly.
"And what are you, barking in my presence?"
Shisui set his gaze on the individual, and unconsciously he began to adopt some of Kaito's terminology.
His words instantly twisted the face of Homa into an exceptionally ugly expression.
But Shisui gave him no chance to speak. He just cast a cold glance at Homa, then turned his eyes back to the Daimyo.
"Lord Daimyo, I ask you—Is this your decision?"
"I—"
The Daimyo felt the pressure coming from Shisui. And not just Shisui; everyone else now radiated an aura that gave the Daimyo an almost suffocating sensation.
"How audacious!"
Homa also noticed the actions of Shisui and his team. With a flash, he positioned himself directly in front of the Daimyo.
Not just him, the other ten also charged forward, either willingly or reluctantly, forming a line in front of the Daimyo.
At this moment, inside the Daimyo's palace, the tension was palpable, like drawn swords and cocked crossbows.
But it seemed Shisui and his team had anticipated this outcome; each looked extraordinarily calm.
Especially Shisui, he hadn't even activated his Sharingan. He just looked at the Daimyo indifferently, not giving a whit about the others around him.
"I ask you once more, Lord Daimyo—Is this your final decision?"
The Daimyo remained silent. Though his face appeared particularly conflicted, he gave no response.
"I think I understand. I must say, this is an unfortunate first meeting," Shisui let out a subtle sigh. His eyes began to narrow slightly, and his chakra started to surge.
"But problems always have solutions, albeit solutions that may change depending on Lord Daimyo's choices. Lord Daimyo, I've said before that Konoha stands with you. Without Konoha's protection, your business would face unimaginable disturbances.
Yet, even without the Daimyo's funding, Konoha can find others to sponsor us.
Someone once told me that, in this world, it is the shinobi who are the true power. Chakra distinguishes ordinary people from ninjas.
However, the heavens are fair—anyone can attempt to become a ninja, to become a person wielding power.
It's a special pathway, an opportunity to change one's fate. And when an ordinary person becomes a ninja, they must follow specific rules—just because you've become a ninja doesn't mean you can discriminate against non-ninjas.
Because we respect ordinary people; any ordinary person can become one of us.
But if someone tries to break this rule, if someone believes they can challenge the ninja system simply because they wield life-and-death power among ordinary people—
Then they're gravely mistaken. For what they will face—"
At this point, Shisui's eyes were wide open, and a crimson light flickered continuously within them.
"—will be the backlash of the entire ninja system. Lord Daimyo, I must say, you are truly audacious."
The term "audacious," having been often used and mocked by a certain top cabinet secretary, was no longer a term of praise in Kaito's understanding.
Kaito had privately joked with Shisui about similar phrases. For instance, Kaito once told Shisui that Sarutobi Hiruzen had made many "audacious" decisions.
Such as opposing the entire Konoha ninja clan system or ignoring everyone's opinions and stubbornly making a final decision that hugely damaged Konoha's reputation to avoid war.
Although Shisui sometimes felt uncomfortable about the twisted usage of these words—a good word turned grotesque is hard for anyone to accept—
One has to admit, sometimes using what appears to be praise carries an even deeper irony.
What Shisui doesn't know is that far away in the Land of Earth, Ōnoki has indeed made an incredibly audacious decision! Within the Tsuchikage's building, Ōnoki stands at the center of a meeting room, surrounded by a somewhat stunned group of high-ranking Iwa-nin.
They were thoroughly shocked byŌnoki's audacious plan because they never expected Ōnoki to actually decide on waging war against Konoha! Granted, Konoha's situation is currently not very good, having lost a significant number of people in an epic impeachment operation.
According to their spies hidden in Konoha, that impeachment operation practically eradicated the entire Anbu.
Besides that, an untold number of ninjas lost their lives, making it clear that Konoha is in a weakened state at the moment.
Striking at Konoha now might actually yield some surprising results.
Not to mention, wouldn't complete control over the Land of Grass likely fall into their Iwa hands?
However, many present at the scene are psychologically unwilling to start a war. Partly because Konoha's resilience during the Third Great Ninja War left an indelible impression on them.
They held off four enemies and still ultimately triumphed—such grit and tenacity are not something commonly found in villages.
Furthermore, once they act, it's hard to say whether this could ignite another great Ninja War, which is not a favorable outcome for them.
Certainly, handling Konoha in a one-on-one situation is not a problem, but let's not forget their deep-rooted animosity with Kumogakure.
They once ambushed the Third Raikage, and that grudge has been set.
Had Kumogakure not given them an ultimatum, they wouldn't have immediately given up warring with Konoha and quickly surrendered, turning their attention to defend against the Cloud.
If they act now, who knows what Kumogakure's situation would be.
Of course, the main reason is that Ōnoki made a mistake.
If this were the past, no matter how outrageous Ōnoki's mistakes were, they wouldn't dare harbor any second thoughts.
But now, someone has already provided them with a perfect example, and they all have some of their own thoughts, you know.
"Tsuchikage-sama, this doesn't seem like a very good reason," said an elder Iwa-nin, who was obviously a senior member and spoke in a somewhat calm tone.
//
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