That day, all of Konoha learned the great Hokage-sama had spent the entire day getting punched and kicked around by the three advisers.
Right after that, word of the 3.5 billion-sized crater spread like wildfire.
For a moment, the whole village sucked in a cold breath.
By the Will of Fire…
How the hell do you even pay that back?
What?
The culprit was that blockhead Asuma?
Listening in on the gossip, Sasuke reflexively hunched his shoulders and tried to make himself smaller.
What a disaster…
His little brother was really that bold, huh?
Business? You think you can do business?
Who do you think you are, some kind of genius?
Doesn't everyone know Konoha only has one top student—Kangetsu?
Clan after clan started piling on, talking over each other.
This time the Third was probably going to cough up blood paying it back…
Underwear?
This isn't "lose-your-underwear" territory anymore.
At this point, even if you sold your ass, you still wouldn't cover that much money.
This whole mess sent the Uchiha clan into a cold sweat.
Especially Fugaku.
"Scalp numb" didn't even begin to cover it.
Thank goodness. Thank goodness…
Thank God they hadn't gone that big before.
If the Uchiha had done what that idiot Asuma did, the entire clan would've ended up selling their asses together.
After that, Konoha gained a brand-new scenic attraction.
What kind of scenery?
The three adviser clans, plus the Sarutobi clan, all collectively selling off ancestral property.
Land got sold as land. Businesses got sold as businesses.
Even furniture, décor, and household goods were dragged out and put on display with price tags.
That humiliation-soaked spectacle made the three advisers angrier the more they looked at it.
Damn it, Hiruzen!!
This isn't over!
If the clan members were selling assets to fill the hole, then the clan elders personally marched over to the Third's place to collect.
Where the hell is Asuma? Drag him out here!
When the kid blows up the business, the kid doesn't crawl out to take the blame—so now the old man is supposed to cover for him?!
And that, right there, was why the Third was Hokage-sama.
Even after getting "welcomed" by three advisers working together, he still had enough life in him to brace his body against the door and keep them from forcing their way in.
Feeling that violent shove from behind the door, the Third—black-and-blue and swollen-faced—could only tilt his head back and let out a long, tragic sigh.
He refused to let the tears fall.
What a disaster…
Asuma, that fucking brat.
If he'd just stayed at the daimyo's court, that would've been fine.
But no—he had to stick his hands into the tobacco business.
Sticking his hands into it wasn't enough—he'd even cut Kangetsu out.
Cutting Kangetsu out wasn't enough—he'd managed to lose money on a massive scale.
Losing money would've been bad enough—he even ran.
Brat. Absolute brat…
"Open up, Hiruzen! Open the door! This old woman knows you're in there!!"
"Don't think you can hide! Get out here! I'll beat you again!"
"Come out, Hiruzen!! Give me an explanation!"
Homura was so furious his face was red up to his ears.
He didn't have a choice.
Both Homura's side and Koharu's side had emptied the family coffers into the tobacco fields.
To the point where the two advisers were now staring down something as basic as dinner.
From yesterday until now, they hadn't even dared to take a single bite of a plain bun.
They had to collect this debt.
If they didn't collect from the Third, someone else would come collect from them.
Only Danzo was standing there being the sneakiest bastard alive, quietly delighted.
Thank God his elder had been sharp.
He'd pulled the money out early.
He hadn't let that idiot Asuma drag them into the pit.
So the "selling ancestral property" thing was mostly for show.
But a chance to crater Hiruzen's authority?
That didn't come around often.
Danzo had to grip it with both hands.
Whether he could climb into the Deputy Hokage seat depended on how much leverage he could stack up on the Third.
For days, the Third got chased for debt until he was a wreck.
Every time they caught him, he got a fresh beating.
If they didn't catch him, that was fine too—they'd just block the door.
It got so bad that Sasuke didn't even dare go home.
He was afraid Danzo would take advantage of the chaos and beat him up too.
That old bastard didn't fight fair at all, just swinging and kicking a young guy.
And Sasuke couldn't fight back.
If he fought back, he'd have to pay.
If he couldn't pay, he'd better take it.
In the end, the Third couldn't stand it anymore and decided to go to his good kid for ideas.
Kangetsu, my boy…
How could you hand the business over to that brat?
What?
He demanded it?
He demanded it and you just gave it to him?
What?
He leaned on his status and forced you?
Even if he forced you, you still shouldn't have given it to him…
Right now, the Third hated Asuma so much his teeth ached.
You used my flag to pressure Kangetsu, huh?
You exploited Kangetsu's loyalty to me and forced an honest man to back down, huh?
The Third hurriedly sent letter after letter, urging him to come home.
Asuma… no, listen—Asuma, my son, come back. Your father misses you.
Really. I miss you so much I could die.
Come home. Your father is waiting for you.
The advisers are waiting for you too.
Pay money?
Oh, you're one of Hokage-sama's own, how could we possibly demand you pay money?
You're overthinking it. Come home.
Outside isn't as good as home.
Heh.
Far away at the daimyo's court in the Land of Fire, Asuma read the letters without expression, then casually burned them to ash.
Did they think he was stupid?
He'd seen the ledger.
A full 3.5 billion.
At that kind of number, "family" becomes a big question mark.
He was certain of one thing.
If he dared return to Konoha, his old man would absolutely beat him to death.
Because the impact was just too nasty.
Back when Konoha went to war—three entire Shinobi World Wars—none of that cost as much as this.
So Asuma didn't even dare think too hard.
What if his old man decided the only way to force the damage down was to kill his own son and bury it?
It wasn't impossible…
After all, his old man had more than one son.
There was an even better older brother.
After causing a calamity this big, Asuma made his decision.
Starting today, he would "temporarily" sever the father-and-son relationship with Hiruzen.
When the letter about "temporarily severing ties" made it back to Konoha, the Third's face turned green.
Good. Great.
That brat was really something now…
He left a mountain of garbage for his old man to clean up, then ran and cut ties.
How unbelievably "loyal."
Still, Kangetsu was loyal.
Even after getting indirectly screwed over by Asuma, he was still racking his brain for a way out.
He said Hokage-sama could only grit his teeth and endure for now.
Once the tobacco was planted again and the business restarted, Kangetsu could revive it.
At the very least, they could fill part of that 3.5 billion crater.
It wouldn't stay like this—hanging by a thread and drowning every day.
That made the Third finally breathe out, hard.
He couldn't help grabbing Kangetsu's hand and refusing to let go.
Good. Good!
It's all on you, my boy!
If someone didn't save him soon, the three advisers were going to drive him insane.
Nobody could stand living with debt collectors blocking their door.
Debt was one thing.
But getting punched and kicked every time they ran into him?
Not even a shred of respect for Hokage-sama!
(End of Chapter)
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