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"Elder Danzō," Kakutree asked with grave seriousness. "What do you believe is most important to a village?"
From the moment he'd started dangling that bureaucratic biscuit under Danzō's nose, the direction of this conversation had been firmly in his grasp. All he needed to do now was lay on the charm, and Danzō would fold.
"Shinobi!" Danzō declared.
Was Kakutree about to hand him complete control over shinobi deployment? Danzō's eyes burned with renewed fervor.
"…" Kakutree sighed inwardly but shook his head with profound solemnity. "No. Not shinobi."
He lowered his voice, lending his words an air of portentous secrecy. "It's resources!"
His expression was a mix of agitation and tension, unconsciously infecting Danzō's own mood.
"Resources?" Danzō mulled it over, his mind sinking into deep thought. That… actually made sense. Every aspect of the village's development seemed tied to resources.
Kakutree clenched a fist. "To control resources is to grasp the very lifeline of the village!" He sighed, a note of helplessness creeping in. "Even as Hokage, this issue weighs on me."
He turned to Danzō, his gaze brimming with deep trust. "And compared to others, I naturally place more faith in you, Elder Danzō."
Danzō nodded gravely. "You can count on me. I will not betray your trust."
"I believe that completely," Kakutree said, offering a moved smile.
"The village's resources come from three channels. First, stipends from the Land of Fire's Daimyō. Second, commissions from shinobi mission rewards. Third, revenue from trade and commerce within the village."
Kakutree shook his head, worry creasing his brow. "But these are all external. They are not resources we produce ourselves."
Danzō was used to this system. He didn't have a rebuttal, but to appear knowledgeable, he listened with an expression of utmost seriousness.
"If the Daimyō cuts funding, if something happens to our shinobi, if trade slows… What would become of our village? I dare not imagine!" Kakutree rubbed his temples, radiating exhaustion and concern.
Danzō finally grasped the point, and a chill ran down his spine. He'd never considered this angle before. The vulnerability was terrifying.
"Elder Danzō," Kakutree declared, his face solemn. "I want to entrust the authority over our village's self-sustaining resources to you!"
Danzō's expression mirrored the gravity. His mind was already calculating. Controlling the village's own production resources… that was gripping its lifeline.
"Very well," Danzō agreed with a heavy nod.
Kakutree's smile was sincere. "I'll be counting on your hard work, Elder!"
"Hard work? Pah," Danzō scoffed dismissively.
The Danzō of the future would dearly wish to strangle the Danzō who agreed so readily.
After Danzō left, Kakutree summoned the clan heads: the Nara, Akimichi, Hyuga, Uchiha, and others.
"Lord Hokage." They bowed, hearts fluttering with a mix of anticipation. Was the Hokage about to announce some new reform?
"I've called you here today to discuss a matter," Kakutree said, sliding a proposal across the desk.
Uchiha Fugaku stepped forward to take it, his face unable to hide his surprise. "This…?"
"Let me see!"
The document was passed around. Kakutree enjoyed watching their expressions shift.
Half an hour later, the clan heads wore varied looks.
"Well?" Kakutree asked.
The document outlined his plan for Konoha's economic development. The village would hold the majority share, with each clan contributing capital for smaller shares, jointly funding Konoha-based enterprises. The clans were numerous, each with unique advantages, and none were short on funds. Letting that potential go to waste was a crime.
Besides, he'd promised Danzō a taste of real power. He couldn't disappoint the man's perfect 100-point Favorability score. In all of Konoha, Kakutree was now the only person whose sight could improve Danzō's mood and bring a benign smile to his face. Sometimes, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane, fishing by the river, would see Danzō looking positively radiant and wonder if the sun had risen in the west.
The golden sun dipped low. Evening light streamed through the windows. The clan heads, who had been engrossed, finally blinked back to reality. It was already so late.
"Alright, that covers the broad strokes. Detailed files will be sent to each of you," Kakutree said.
"Understood."
As they filed out, the clan heads wore ecstatic grins. They walked into the sunset, faces bathed in a blissful glow.
Money!
Who didn't want more of it?
Overnight, several enterprises quietly took root in Konoha.
The Akimichi clan took charge of food service and hospitality. The Aburame clan oversaw transportation and—after Kakutree carefully explained the concept—a new postal service.
The Nara clan, besides their traditional medicinal herbs, added wholesale and retail sectors. Kakutree was confident no one could outsell the shrewd Nara.
The largest sectors, agriculture and forestry, had immense potential in the Land of Fire's fertile climate. Kakutree entrusted this golden opportunity to the Hyuga clan.
Hyuga Hiashi's face clearly showed his overwhelmed gratitude… and deep suspicion. What was the Hokage's true intent here?
And so, leveraging each clan's strengths, Konoha took its first decisive step toward comprehensive development. Once I bring the scientist Orochimaru back, we'll see if he can give productivity a boost.
The next day, a restless Hiashi came to see Kakutree.
"Lord Hokage." Hiashi stood before the desk, feeling profoundly awkward. The role reversal was just too rapid.
"Clan Head Hiashi. What can I do for you?" Kakutree asked, knowing full well.
After handing the agriculture and forestry venture to the Hyuga yesterday, he'd expected this visit. Since Kakutree became Hokage, the Hyuga had been walking on eggshells. Gone was the proud stance they'd shared with the Uchiha as Konoha's two great clans. Now, they kept a much lower profile.
Hiashi cleared his throat. "I came to express my gratitude, Lord Hokage. Thank you for not holding our past… disagreements against us." He finished with a respectful bow.
Kakutree regarded him leisurely. "You flatter me, Clan Head. The Hyuga are part of this village. As Hokage, how could I possibly bear a grudge?"
Hiashi pressed his lips together. "The Hokage is magnanimous."
Kakutree: "…"
He had to admit, this version of Hiashi was a bit unsettling.
"But you must understand, Clan Head Hiashi," Kakutree continued. "As Hokage, I cannot fail the village's expectations. I must lead Konoha to greater prosperity."
Hiashi nodded earnestly.
"Therefore," Kakutree's tone shifted, "certain feudal relics and outdated customs within the village… they must be abolished. Don't you agree?"
Hiashi's smile froze. He looked up at Kakutree, palms growing damp.
Abolish outdated customs?
In all of Konoha, besides the Hyuga clan's 'Caged Bird' seal and the Main/Branch family system, there were no other such "customs." The Hokage's target was glaringly obvious.
But… a system that had sustained the Hyuga for a thousand years? How could it be changed overnight?
"Lord Hokage, that's…" Hiashi's expression was troubled.
It wasn't that he was unwilling to reform the clan's decaying traditions. But the Caged Bird and the branch family system were like roots dug deep into darkness. Uprooting them risked collapsing the entire Hyuga clan. The conservative elders would resist with everything they had. The most terrifying outcome was possible: rebellion. For a millennia-old feudal clan like the Hyuga, rebelling over ancestral rules was not unthinkable.
"Clan Head Hiashi, don't feel pressured," Kakutree said, rising and walking over to him. "You have your Hokage's full support in this reform, don't you?"
Hiashi's head snapped up. He stared at Kakutree, his white eyes wide with shock.
He was the one who'd broached the subject! How had this suddenly become Hiashi's reform?
Kakutree watched him with a faint smile, calmly awaiting his answer.
Reforming the Hyuga's rules meant directly meddling in their most vital internal affairs. If Kakutree forced it openly, it would panic every other clan. But if the reform was spearheaded under Hiashi's name, Kakutree remained merely the supportive Hokage in the background. It would even increase the trust other clan heads placed in him.
"Clan Head Hiashi, consider this carefully," Kakutree said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Which clan will thrive and grow? One that adapts with the times? Or one that clings to its decaying and declining traditions?"
He patted Hiashi's shoulder, his meaning clear. Konoha's current reforms meant clans that embraced freedom and democracy would surge ahead. A clan like the Hyuga would only expose more and more problems, inevitably falling behind. That was a foregone conclusion.
Hiashi fell silent.
"…Alright." The word finally came, after a long pause. A firm light shone in his eyes. Since he'd decided to do this, he would see it through to the end, and do it well.
"Proceed with confidence, Clan Head. Your Hokage stands with you," Kakutree said brightly.
Hiashi's cheek twitched. Even if he was eager for clan reform, being used as a pawn still left a bitter taste.
As Hiashi left the office, he saw Hyuga Hizashi waiting outside. Remembering the conversation inside, he called out to his increasingly distant younger brother. "Hizashi. Let's have a drink."
Hizashi frowned, about to refuse.
"It's about the Caged Bird. And the Branch Family system," Hiashi added.
The refusal died on Hizashi's lips.
"Let's go," he said curtly.
They walked side by side, no words passing between them. Hiashi glanced at his brother's profile, memories of their childhood closeness surfacing unbidden.
The Hokage is right. This system… it really must change.
Ten Days Later
The clans, working with terrifying efficiency, dispatched teams to various nations.
At Konoha's main gate, a Hyuga team stood ready.
"Elders, why aren't we moving out?" a Hyuga clansman asked from the crowd.
The elders at the front remained silent, faces like thunder.
Soon, another elderly figure approached.
"Elder Danzō," the Hyuga elders greeted.
Danzō's scrutinizing gaze swept over them. He raised a hand. "Move out." With that, he shot the Hyuga elders a brief, dismissive glance and strode to the front of the column.
The elders' expressions darkened further. Respected figures within their clan, they were unaccustomed to such treatment! The indignity! To be sent on a field mission at their age!
Agriculture and forestry development would happen close to home. Farming crops and livestock, logging local timber. After some thought, Kakutree had simply assigned the Hyuga old guard to the task. Worried they might be unruly, he'd sent Danzō to oversee them. For Danzō, controlling resources so vital and close to Konoha was a dream assignment. He'd taken the job with glee.
Removing the Hyuga's conservative elders also smoothed the path for Hiashi's reforms, significantly reducing resistance. It was just… not very friendly to the elderly.
"This is the place," Danzō announced, holding a map drawn by Kakutree's order. He surveyed the stretch of wilderness before them and commanded the shinobi behind him. "First, erect basic shelters."
"Yes, sir!"
The other Hyuga, excited by the novel mission, scattered to obey.
Danzō frowned at the motionless old men behind him. "Why aren't you working?"
The Hyuga elders' eyes bulged.
Excuse me?
They were supposed to do manual labor?
"Are you not Konoha shinobi?" Danzō's eyes narrowed, a dangerous aura leaking out.
"…"
"…"
The elders exchanged looks, swallowing their rage, and reluctantly joined the wood-cutting.
Seeing even the elders pitching in, the Hyuga clansmen worked with renewed vigor.
Danzō had already spread the map, lost in grand planning. Resources—the more, the better. Looking at the untamed land and vast forests, his mind filled with visions of bountiful harvests. Soon, all of Konoha would depend on his supply.
He suddenly reined in his smile. First things first. Develop this place.
"This plot for wheat…"
"Near the river, rice paddies…"
"This hillside is inconvenient. Pig pens."
"This gentle slope at the mountain's foot for grazing sheep…"
He muttered to himself, crouched under a tree, a brush sketching on a scroll.
Ryōma Aburame, standing guard behind him, wore a deeply complex expression.
What has become of Lord Danzō?
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