At three in the afternoon, Yamanaka Kenta, the guard at Konoha's East Gate, was startled awake by a commotion.
The line of people entering the village, stretching for a hundred meters, already reached the limits of his vision.
Nobles dressed in opulent attire sat in lavishly decorated palanquins, impatiently fanning themselves.
Merchant caravans' packhorses snorted, laden with heavy goods on their backs.
There were even ninja representatives from several small countries, their headbands gleaming in the morning light.
"W-what time is it already?" Yamanaka Kenta fumbled for the registration book, only to find the ink had dried.
He quickly called out to his companion, "Hurry! Go notify the Military Police Force!"
"I was here first. Why should they go in before me?"
"Do you know who my master is? The Land of Fire Daimyo's cousin!"
"Move aside. We are nobles. We have priority passes."
Nobles, merchants, and ninjas from various countries crowded the entrance to the village.
But by then, Konoha's main thoroughfare was already impassable, with noisy arguments erupting one after another.
A Chunin from the Military Police Force, drenched in sweat, struggled to maintain order. The back of his uniform was completely soaked.
In front of Ichiraku Ramen at the street corner, Teuchi wiped sweat from his forehead.
He bowed repeatedly to the queuing customers. "My apologies, everyone, today's tonkotsu broth has run out."
Before he could finish, a noble youth angrily overturned the table in front of him. "Do you know who I am? My father is..."
Bang!
A figure suddenly descended from the sky, landing steadily on the overturned tabletop.
Inaho's chilling voice instantly silenced the noisy street. "No matter who you are, in Konoha, you must abide by Konoha's rules."
...
Inside the Hokage Office, the atmosphere was unusually heavy.
Fugaku stood by the window, looking at the bustling crowd below, his brows deeply furrowed.
Bang!
His fist slammed heavily on the desk, making the teacup jump and splashing dark green tea onto the open map.
Fugaku turned and glared at the Logistics Director. "Unkai! How did you guarantee me three days ago? That all VIP needs would be absolutely met? Is this the result now?"
Unkai lowered his head, beads of sweat sliding down his nose, he dared not speak his anger now.
Three days ago, a noble had complained to Fugaku about the poor accommodation conditions in Konoha.
Fugaku then ordered the Logistics Department to purchase some high-end household items. According to Fugaku's instructions, the Logistics Department purchased a batch of high-end household items.
But the nobles were caught in a trend of mutual comparison, making them not so easy to satisfy. They continuously complained to Fugaku, followed by various demands for purchases, and eventually, the 3 billion ryo budget was quickly depleted.
Then, Unkai applied to Fugaku for funding, which Fugaku approved, but it got stuck with Yashiro in the Finance Department, because the Finance Department also had no money.
The thick stack of procurement lists in his hand was already crumpled. "Hokage-sama, I did purchase high-end household items as you requested. But those nobles are competing with each other. Today clan A changed to silk bed curtains, tomorrow clan B wants gold-embroidered ones. Some complained about the craftsmanship of the beds and cabinets. In the end, we ran out of money."
Finance Director Yashiro cleared his throat and said, "As you all know, the village's treasury was long emptied by Hiruzen and his people. The 3 billion ryo for the Logistics Department's purchases was even diverted by me from the profits of the gambling houses and ticket sales, so the village truly has no money left."
Shikaku rubbed his temples and pushed a document to the center of the table. "The latest statistics show that 42,518 people have poured in over the past five days, and an estimated 30,000 more are expected to arrive in the next three days. The village's capacity for visitors is already saturated. How to accommodate these 30,000-plus people is the real challenge."
Veins bulged around Hiashi's Byakugan. "I have already dispatched all the Hyuga clansmen I can mobilize, but due to accommodation and food issues, there are at least seven or eight conflicts brewing on the streets right now."
Then, the conference room was filled with another round of bickering discussions.
It wasn't that there was no way to solve the problem, but it was a thankless task, so no one wanted to take responsibility.
Fugaku was somewhat at a loss, so he gave a signal.
Shun was a bit helpless, but still stood up. "I have a proposal."
His voice was not loud, but it instantly silenced the noisy conference room.
"First, from now on, suspend civilians from entering. Set up temporary living areas on the north and south sides of the village's outskirts, providing cheap accommodation and food."
"Second, among the former Root ninjas, there is a 13-year-old boy named Yamato who can use Wood Release to build houses. Have him construct some houses for nobles and wealthy merchants."
"Third, on the day of the competition, release a limited number of tickets, and entry into the village will be by ticket only."
Seeing someone take the lead, Shikaku immediately echoed, "Diversion and control... It is indeed feasible. But the construction of temporary living areas outside the village will require a large amount of manpower and resources."
Unkai said, "After the war, many military tents remain, which can meet the civilians' demand for cheap accommodation. As for food, it's also easy to solve. Many civilians within the village can provide food for sale."
Fugaku pondered for a moment, then made a decision. "Let's do this. Shikaku will be responsible for overall planning, Unkai for execution, and Shun... the Military Police Force will manage public order."
...
After the meeting, Shun had just walked out of the Hokage Building when Tekka rushed over. "Director, Asuma injured a noble and we've arrested him."
Shun's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as he asked, "What is the identity of the injured person?"
Tekka handed over a brief report. "A noble from the Land of Fire, the young lord of the Hikawa clan, Hikawa Hideaki, 18 years old. Three broken ribs, minor splenic bleeding, currently being treated at Konoha Hospital."
Shun sneered, "Where is Asuma now?"
"He's held in the Military Police Force's interrogation room."
Just then, Inaho rushed over and said, "Director, people from the Hikawa clan have complained to Fugaku-sama, demanding severe punishment for Asuma. But Fugaku-sama said that Asuma was sent by the Daimyo to inspect the safety of the temporary station. He's asking us to release Asuma, what should we do?"
Shun frowned slightly and said, "How many people did the Daimyo send in total to inspect the safety of the temporary station?"
Inaho thought for a moment and said, "There are 24 people in total, 12 ninja and 12 samurai."
Shun chuckled. "There's nothing to worry about. Lock Asuma in the dungeon and guard him strictly. As for Fugaku-sama, just reply: The Daimyo sent 24 people, so one less Asuma won't matter."