Chapter 281: Am I Fighting the Fourth Hokage?
"Rest assured, Daimyo-sama."
Anko swallowed the remaining dango in a few bites, casually tossed the bamboo skewer into the trash can by her feet, clapped her hands, and showed a confident, even slightly eager smile.
She patted her ample chest and gave a guarantee:
"Never mind the Ninjas from these surrounding small nations, even in Hidden Leaf Village, there are only a few who can steadily defeat me.
I'm actually looking forward to stretching my limbs properly! Staying here all day, my bones are almost getting rusty!"
Although Anko's words were a bit exaggerated, they weren't entirely baseless.
As a former Disciple of Orochimaru, her natural talent was not bad. After experiencing the Chunin Exams incident and subsequent training, her strength had improved further, making her a standout among Hidden Leaf Village's Jonin.
Protection missions were mostly peaceful, and she indeed had an "itch" for action.
Seeing this, Koyuki Kazahana smiled slightly, her heart feeling a bit more at ease.
With Anko by her side, along with the other guards in the manor and the trusted aides arranged by Sandaifu, her safety should be guaranteed.
She straightened her clothes and sat upright in the main seat, waiting for the arrival of the Hidden Leaf Village envoy who claimed to be Naruto's father.
Sandaifu led Minato Namikaze through the corridors, which looked brighter and warmer after the repairs, and arrived at the door of the Daimyo's reception room.
Sandaifu took a step forward, gently pushed open the exquisite sliding door, stepped aside, and respectfully made a "please" gesture:
"Sir, Her Highness the Daimyo is already waiting inside. Please."
Minato Namikaze gave a warm smile, nodded to Sandaifu in acknowledgment, and then stepped calmly into the reception room.
Warm sunlight spilled into the room through the large lattice windows, falling onto the polished floor.
Koyuki Kazahana sat in the main seat with a dignified posture.
And not far from her side was the Hidden Leaf Village Jonin responsible for security.
The moment Anko Mitarashi saw the visitor's face clearly, she froze on the spot as if struck by lightning!
The dango she was about to swallow seemed to get stuck in her throat; her eyes widened, and her pupils dilated slightly from extreme shock.
That face... that iconic bright blond hair, those azure eyes clear as the sky, that warm and approachable smile...
Fou... Fourth Hokage?
Minato Namikaze-sama!
Anko's mind went "buzz," and she instantly fell into a state of total confusion.
Eh!
Is this a joke? Didn't the Fourth Hokage sacrifice himself over a decade ago during the Nine-Tailed incident?
Wait!
Right, that bastard Orochimaru's Forbidden Jutsu.
Even Shodai-sama was... so Fourth-sama was also...
Countless thoughts flashed wildly through her mind like a revolving lantern.
Shock, doubt, and disbelief eventually turned into a sense of helplessness at the sudden appearance of a "legend" before her eyes.
Then, she suddenly remembered the guarantee she had just made to Koyuki Kazahana while patting her chest:
"Never mind the Ninjas from these surrounding small nations, even in Hidden Leaf Village, there are only a few who can steadily defeat me!"
"I'll leave my safety in your hands, Miss Anko."
Koyuki Kazahana's request still rang in her ears.
Anko's cheeks instantly flushed crimson, and a surge of heat—a mix of embarrassment, shame, and the realization of "what kind of big talk was I spouting"—rushed to her head.
To protect an ordinary person... from the Fourth Hokage?
Me?
Anko had self-awareness. She might be among the top ordinary Jonin, capable of handling small-nation elites or rogue Ninjas with ease, but against an opponent of the Fourth's caliber...
They weren't even in the same dimension!
Recalling her bold words now, it felt as ridiculous as a three-year-old waving a wooden stick in front of a giant, claiming they would protect the doll behind them.
However, this wave of self-mockery and embarrassment lasted less than two seconds before being quickly suppressed by a more sober thought.
Anko shook her head violently.
No!
Calm down, Anko!
If the person coming is truly the Fourth Hokage-sama... then is there even any need for "fighting" or "protection"?!
"Daimyo-sama, my name is Minato Namikaze. I have come by the order of the Sixth Hokage to discuss cooperation with the Land of Snow."
"You said you are Naruto's father. Is Naruto doing well?"
Minato:???
This isn't right, is it?
Why did the other party ask about Naruto right away?
It seems Naruto is really popular!
"Naruto is doing well; he is currently the Sixth Hokage."
"Eh? Didn't that old pervert called Jiraiya just become the Fifth Hokage?
Did he get caught peeping at the public baths and get forced out of office?"
Minato was a bit embarrassed hearing this. Jiraiya was his teacher, but his teacher indeed was a bit...
"It's not like that, but Jiraiya-sama did indeed resign from the position of Hokage."
Following that, Minato explained the purpose of his visit to Koyuki Kazahana.
"You want to build a train in Hidden Leaf Village? Naturally, that's no problem. However, building and running a train consumes a lot of iron and coal. If you need iron and coal, I can give you some profit and sell the Land of Snow's iron to you."
Since the Land of Snow's environment was previously harsh and difficult for growing crops, the country relied more on trade to survive.
The trade consisted of nothing more than seafood and minerals exchanged for money, food, and clothing.
The Land of Snow was a resource-based country, and after the Geothermal Generator began operating, mining efficiency had improved significantly.
Selling some to Hidden Leaf Village was certainly no problem, but as the Daimyo of a nation, Koyuki Kazahana had to be responsible for her subjects, so she couldn't give up too much profit.
For the next two hours, the two engaged in detailed negotiations regarding technical details, iron prices, transportation costs, and long-term supply contracts.
Minato demonstrated excellent negotiation skills, adhering to Hidden Leaf Village's bottom line of interests while fully understanding the Land of Snow's position; Koyuki Kazahana, on the other hand, was strategic, ensuring her country's gains while showing sincerity in cooperation at the appropriate times.
Outside the window, the afternoon light of the Land of Snow was clear.
When the preliminary cooperation plan was finally finalized, both of them breathed a sigh of relief in unison.
"Pleasure doing business with you!"
"Pleasure doing business with you!"
——————————
"Shouldn't we say it's a pleasure doing business together?"
Orochimaru leaned lazily in a large chair, long black hair draped down, golden snake pupils flickering with a playful and cold luster in the dimness.
A half-smile played on her lips as she watched Tsunade, whose expression was clearly unpleasant, with composed interest.
"The cooperation agreement has been reached, and you've confirmed the status of Kato Dan and Nawaki."
Orochimaru's voice was low and slightly raspy, possessing a seductive magnetism that now felt even more mocking.
"Why still put on this... reluctant look?"
She tilted her head slightly, her golden snake pupils locking onto Tsunade's somewhat flickering gaze.
Tsunade crossed her arms over her chest, her brow furrowed, her full bosom rising and falling with her slightly rapid breathing.
She avoided Orochimaru's gaze, which seemed able to see through people's hearts, and spoke stiffly:
"I just feel... we should respect Jiraiya's opinion."
She was trying to find a reasonable excuse for "delaying" or "going back on her word."
"After all, this concerns him personally. He isn't willing to use Cloning Technology to gain longevity or be 'resurrected,' so we should..."
"Heh."
Orochimaru let out a short, cold sneer, directly cutting off Tsunade's words.
She straightened up slightly from the chair, a flash of clear sarcasm and anger in her golden snake pupils.
"Respect his opinion? He is stubborn, insisting that my path is a wrong one, a path of depravity.
And yet it is this path of depravity that has brought your loved ones back to your side.
So now, as far as I'm concerned, his opinion doesn't exist at all.
It's quite fair, isn't it?"
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