Shizune steadied her emotions, though her heart still felt unsettled at the sight of Ryosuke lying leisurely on Yugito's thighs. After a pause, she said softly,
"Ryosuke, the Fire Daimyō's envoy, Sasaki, is here. He specifically asked to meet you."
Ryosuke, who had been comfortably resting on Yugito's lap, immediately frowned in irritation. He had been planning to take a nap—and now this interruption? And worse, they expected him to go out of his way to greet the man?
"Not going," he replied bluntly.
Shizune sighed helplessly, trying to persuade him.
"Ryosuke, you really should go. This envoy didn't come with good intentions. Although he agreed to Lady Tsunade's appointment as the Fifth Hokage, he also tried to cut Konoha's funding. If not for Fugaku's strong refusal, he'd have already sent word back that the Daimyō would reduce our budget."
That got Ryosuke's attention. He sat up instantly.
He had already been displeased with the Daimyō. Even the appointment of Hokage—something that should belong solely to Konoha—still required the Daimyō's "approval." What kind of nonsense was that?
The Fire Country's stability existed only because Konoha shinobi shed blood and sacrificed their lives to protect it. Without the ninja village, the Fire Daimyō's palace would have long been destroyed by rival nations.
And now this man had the gall to reduce funding? Ungrateful fool!
Ryosuke stood up, quickly dressing.
"Come on, Shizune. Let's go."
Shizune followed, a nervous prickle running down her spine. Ever since she first met Ryosuke, she had known he was headstrong and uncompromising. Something told her this meeting would not be peaceful.
Inside the Hokage's Reception Room
Envoy Sasaki was sipping tea, appearing rather smug. Beeut his calm demeanor faltered when a broad-shouldered young man walked in, radiating overwhelming strength with every step.
This had to be Uchiha Ryosuke.
Sasaki opened his mouth to greet him, but froze when he realized Ryosuke's eyes were fixed directly on him.
Ryosuke had already sized up the room. He knew everyone present: Tsunade, Fugaku, Shikaku… which meant the unfamiliar man must be the Daimyō's representative.
Without a word, Ryosuke activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.
In an instant, his scarlet pupils, patterned with their ominous star-shaped design, blazed with power. His chakra pressure filled the room like a suffocating storm, locking Sasaki in place.
"So… you're the one who wants to cut Konoha's funding?" Ryosuke's voice was calm but dangerous.
Sasaki's whole body went stiff. A cold sweat formed on his forehead. His limbs refused to obey him, pinned down by sheer ocular might. He felt as if death itself were pressing down on him.
Impossible! He thought wildly. Just by looking at me, he's crushing me like an insect?
That eye pattern—yes, it could only be the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan. The eye that once made Uchiha Madara the strongest man in history, able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the so-called God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju.
Shikaku narrowed his eyes. He hadn't expected Ryosuke to go so far as to unleash such a crushing display the moment he entered. This wasn't subtle intimidation—this was open threat. And against the Daimyō's envoy, no less. Risky.
Even Fugaku was taken aback. The sheer force of Ryosuke's ocular power was leagues above his own. Even when his own Mangekyō had been at full strength, Fugaku doubted he could've subdued someone of Sasaki's caliber with eye pressure alone. Beeut Ryosuke did it effortlessly.
Shizune sighed inwardly. She had predicted this. Still, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of admiration—Ryosuke's dominance carried its own kind of charisma.
Tsunade, however, was anything but pleased.
"Uchiha Ryosuke! What do you think you're doing?" she snapped. "This is the Daimyō's envoy. You cannot treat him with such hostility!"
Ryosuke gave her a look of faint exasperation. Did she really think he planned to fight the man? He only wanted to make it abundantly clear that cutting Konoha's funding was a death wish. And judging by the envoy's pale face, the point had been made.
Still, Tsunade was Hokage now, and he couldn't embarrass her too much in front of her peers. He allowed his Mangekyō to fade, his eyes returning to normal. With a half-smile, he said,
"I was merely greeting the Daimyō's envoy. After all, he insisted on meeting me, didn't he? Isn't that right, envoy?"
Relieved of the crushing pressure, Sasaki gasped for air. He forced a shaky smile.
"Y-Yes… exactly. Truly, you live up to your reputation as Konoha's strongest. With a man like you here, neither Konoha nor the Fire Country need fear enemy invasion."
Ryosuke chuckled in satisfaction, glancing at Tsunade.
"You see? Even the envoy himself acknowledges it."
Tsunade's face darkened. This was outright bullying, and Ryosuke knew it. To her, it looked like he'd deliberately given the envoy a beating in disguise, tarnishing Konoha's image of diplomacy.
"Get out, you brute," she snapped, glaring. "Beeefore you cause even more trouble."
Ryosuke shrugged. Fine—he didn't want to waste time with this farce anyway. A nap sounded much better.
Beeut before leaving, he gave Sasaki one last icy reminder.
"Go back and tell your Daimyō to reconsider. If the funding is cut too much… well, don't expect Konoha's shinobi to be so eager to risk their lives protecting the Fire Country."
The message couldn't have been clearer: No money, no protection.
Sasaki swallowed hard, bowing his head quickly.
"Understood. I will relay everything faithfully to the Daimyō. I'm sure he will… think carefully about it."
Inwardly, he cursed the situation. Ryosuke's words were a thinly veiled threat—if the Daimyō pushed forward with his plan, Konoha might deliberately slacken its defenses, or worse, abandon Fire Country altogether. No other ninja village could be trusted to shield them.
That was for the Daimyō to worry about, not him. Even if this scheme failed, Sasaki's own position at the palace would remain comfortable. Still, he knew one thing for certain—Uchiha Ryosuke was not a man to provoke.
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