Bab 180: Chapter 180
Asuma once again stepped into the Hokage Building. Being the son of a Hokage, he had always been able to come and go as he pleased, but now each visit weighed him down with an unbearable pressure.
He had already made up his mind, and in recent days, he had pulled out all the stops to win over anyone he could. He convinced those who already wished to sever ties with Sarutobi Hiruzen; reaching out to them given his own status wasn't as easy as it sounds to earn their trust.
But Asuma was clever, no room for probing or pointless talk. He directly told them this was Kaito's plan. "Make a clean break and bring over whoever can be won over. Otherwise, await collective death when those guys lose it!"
Decisions between life and death are the cruelest, but also the most resolute.
The thing that most easily sows doubt in people is indecisiveness and waffling. While it's often said that action is better than overthinking, the practicality of such advice is often dictated by environmental factors. And the most extreme environment is choosing between life and death.
After all, there's no room for hesitation here; one wrong choice means collective death for the entire clan.
Uchiha Fugaku probably felt the same way. Knowing how unfit he truly was, he seized the opportunity without a shred of hesitation.
And now, after learning that Asuma had met with Kaito and that an irresistible offer was on the table, those loyal to Hiruzen knew what they had to do. They knew they had to seize this opportunity.
To be honest, they felt some sympathy for Asuma; after all, he was burdened with much more in this situation.
After gaining their support and trust, Asuma put the pedal to the metal to persuade others. Because as he came to understand, things were far worse than he had imagined.
The entire clan was reaching its breaking point. With Kaito's blockade, and the freeze on all clan assets, they were on the verge of collapse.
He knew clearly that if he didn't act swiftly, these people would make the first move. And when that happened, not one but three clans would be annihilated.
So, in doing this, Asuma had no intention of hiding his thoughts. He unambiguously told everyone that as the son of Sarutobi Hiruzen, he had decided to reconcile with Konoha.
"My father poured his heart and soul into Konoha, and what the village needs now is stability. Setting aside whether we can succeed, plunging Konoha into warfare is something that absolutely should not be done. I think even if my father were alive, he would not agree!"
Asuma's stance garnered some nods of approval. Quite a few people clearly understood that Sarutobi Hiruzen had erred, and they too hoped to cut ties with the old Hokage.
However, they were also bound by the decisions of their clan, which left them wavering, even leaning towards those with thoughts of revenge.
But now with Asuma stepping up, they too could make choices that sat well with their own hearts.
Bluntly put, the Sarutobi clan had now split into two camps. One yearning for peace and the other yearning to personally reclaim what they had lost.
This déjà vu, it's almost identical to what happened with the Uchiha clan back then. Sadly for them, no strong figure like Kaito had emerged.
Therefore, they had no choice but to obey, to grudgingly accept this new reality.
As he walked into the Hokage's office, Asuma saw not only Jiraiya but also Nara Shikaku, the Minister of Konoha's Political Affairs.
Shikaku appeared to be submitting some documents. Not that Asuma paid much mind; he quickly knelt halfway in front of Jiraiya.
"Lord Hokage, Minister Shikaku, I apologize for the intrusion. Please forgive me."
"Asuma, no need to be so formal; get up."
Jiraiya sighed softly as he saw Asuma approach. He knew why Asuma was here. Konoha's forces had imposed a complete lockdown on all three clans, naturally keeping an eye on every move within.
In this, Konoha was indeed a master. They didn't even need the Anbu; clans like the Inuzuka and the Hyūga were more than capable of handling the surveillance.
And Asuma was anything but low-key. Perhaps this was his way of sending a message to Konoha, to all of its inhabitants.
So, both Jiraiya and Shikaku knew that today would bring good tidings. Still, Jiraiya couldn't help but sigh internally; he knew what the outcome would ultimately be.
"I already know the reason for your visit, and I'm sorry you have to bear these burdens."
Though Jiraiya sighed inwardly, he spoke earnestly, "If there's anything you need help with, you can tell us."
Jiraiya did not offer empty platitudes like, "Don't do it if the pressure's too high," or "We haven't reached that point yet."
Everyone understood that this matter was likely beyond alteration. Kaito and his group had already shown the greatest leniency.
When his own teacher had dealt with the Uchiha, there was never talk of leaving any survivors. Keeping Sasuke alive was probably only done to keep Itachi Uchiha in check.
Now, Kaito had at least given them an opportunity, the power to choose. All he aimed to do was to eliminate the most extreme among them. This was already quite merciful.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage. However, this is something Konoha should not, and cannot intervene in," Asuma said, his head still bowed. Slowly, he reached into his pouch for ninja tools.
In that instant, he distinctly felt several auras lock onto him, yet he did not halt. Perhaps because his movements were slow and did not appear hostile, he completed the action smoothly.
Soon, he had withdrawn a scroll and offered it up. His voice remained steady as he continued to bow. "Additionally, Minister Kaito had spoken to me about the matter concerning the Daimyo. I have written down all the intelligence I know in advance. Please review it, Lord Hokage, and Minister Shikaku."
"Daimyo?"
Jiraiya's eyebrows twitched upon hearing this. He then involuntarily looked towards Nara Shikaku. He knew that Kaito seemed to have some thoughts about the Daimyo, but no specific details had ever been shared.
Not to mention Kaito, even Shikaku, whom he saw nearly every day, had never mentioned this. Now, it seemed the situation was far from ordinary.
"I see, thank you, Asuma," Jiraiya said, having given Shikaku a long look before finally addressing Asuma with a smile.
"You should go for now, and when you have time, meet with Tsunade. Although we can't do much, we can still offer something. Meeting with her could be beneficial for you."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Asuma nodded, then rose to his feet and left the room without a backward glance.
As the door closed behind him, Jiraiya's gaze once again focused intently on Nara Shikaku, his tone somewhat somber as he held the scroll.
"Minister Shikaku, can you elaborate on this matter?"
"Since things have come this far, there are some matters that naturally need to be communicated to the Hokage."
Nara Shikaku remained neither servile nor overbearing as he nodded and said with utmost gravity, "Lord Hokage, do you still remember the reforms I told you about?"
"Of course, I remember. But what does this have to do with the Daimyo... You mean, have the Daimyo fund us?"
"Exactly. Defending the Land of Fire is Konoha's responsibility. And when Konoha needs to develop, the Daimyo should provide greater support. That's his duty."
"That's true; it seems we have no reason not to..."
"Lord Hokage, I suggest you carefully read the scroll first. If the intelligence recorded by Asuma is trustworthy enough, then I believe you will find your answers."
//
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