Chapter 47: Hiruzen Sarutobi Is Basically Selling Out the Country!
The Hokage's office was filled with the heavy, burnt smell of tobacco. Sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting mottled shadows across the desk.
Hiruzen Sarutobi pushed the crystal ashtray toward the corner of the table, revealing the financial report underneath.
The edges of the paper had already curled and yellowed, with ink smudges spreading into patches of blue stains, looking exactly like dried bloodstains on a battlefield.
Hiruzen Sarutobi walked to the window, smoke from the pipe in his hand curling in the morning light.
His gaze suddenly froze... Over a dozen villagers dressed in mourning clothes were gathered on the stone steps in front of the Hokage Building. They held portraits of fallen ninjas in their hands, standing as silent as statues.
"They're here again..." The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, furrowed his brows into a tight knot.
A few days ago, tens of thousands of villagers had stormed the Hokage Building. The furious families had nearly broken into the Hokage's office.
That riot had left seventeen Anbu heavily injured—a shameful incident that the Konoha higher-ups still refused to mention.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice echoed in the empty office: "Someone! Immediately notify Advisor Koharu, Advisor Homura, and Elder Danzō to come for a meeting!"
Less than a quarter of an hour later, the four highest authorities in Konoha gathered around the round table.
Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting streaks of shadow across their faces.
"How serious is the situation?" Koharu Utatane asked impatiently as soon as she sat down. She had deliberately worn her formal advisor robe today, but it couldn't hide the exhaustion in the corners of her eyes.
Below the building, the number of gathered families had grown to over ninety. The white banners in their hands swayed gently in the morning breeze, like an ominous field of snow.
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a ring of smoke: "The compensation issue for the Sunagakure front casualties continues to grow."
The office fell into brief silence. Outside the window, the cawing of crows sounded like an ill omen.
Koharu Utatane's fingertip traced the final line of numbers on the list: "On the Sunagakure front, our Konoha forces suffered 3,823 deaths and 598 severe injuries. The total compensation required is 17.68 billion ryō."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's fingers unconsciously stroked the edge of his pipe as he suddenly asked: "How much is left in the treasury?"
The account book Homura Mitokado spread out was filled with dense red figures.
He pushed up his glasses and said: "The treasury currently holds 3.14 billion ryō."
Koharu Utatane's fingertip tapped lightly on the tabletop, producing a dull sound: "17.68 billion… We don't even have enough for the loose change."
She curled her lips into a cold smile and gave Hiruzen Sarutobi a meaningful look.
"Thud!"
Danzō Shimura's cane suddenly struck the marble floor. The sound was especially piercing in the closed office.
The bandage over his right eye looked particularly sinister in the shadows: "Given the current situation, the possibility of Uchiha Fugaku becoming the Fourth Hokage is very high. We can create some trouble for him."
Koharu Utatane thought for a moment and said: "Then we'll allocate 3 billion ryō to silence the families of the fallen. For the rest, we'll say it will be paid in installments. Anyway, Hiruzen… is about to step down… Let the Fourth Hokage deal with the remaining headache."
Danzō Shimura's voice was like a snake hissing, deliberately dragging out the tone: "This method is good. We'll say it will be paid in full within two years. If Uchiha Fugaku can't complete it… we'll join forces with those bereaved families to impeach him… and force him to step down."
Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his pipe halfway between his teeth, the exhaled smoke blurring his expression. "Then… let's do it that way."
His voice carried exhaustion, yet also a certain sense of relief.
...
When Uchiha Sanpō led over a thousand ninjas retreating from South Sand City into Konoha's main street, he spotted the dense crowd in front of the Hokage Building from afar.
"Strange…"
The chaotic scene he had anticipated did not appear. Thousands of families of ninjas who had died on the Sunagakure front were lined up in orderly queues, each holding a numbered plaque.
His sharp gaze swept across both sides of the main street and noticed that every ten meters stood two Anbu members. The number of ninjas maintaining order was three times more than last time.
Uchiha Sanpō's lips curled slightly, a cold light flashing in his black eyes: "Hiruzen Sarutobi, that old man has learned to be smart."
He raised his hand to signal the team behind him to stop and walked forward alone.
Turning the final street corner, the scene on the high platform made his pupils shrink slightly.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing his familiar Hokage robe, was bowing to the public in apology.
Beside him, Homura Mitokado held a scroll, his voice amplified by a sound-enhancing technique and spreading across the square: "The first batch of 3 billion ryō in casualty compensation will be distributed. The remaining compensation will be paid within two years…"
Uchiha Sanpō's fist tightened inside his sleeve, his nails digging deep into his palm.
He let out a cold laugh, his voice so low only he could hear: "Installment payments? What a clever calculation. Now that the war is over, Hiruzen Sarutobi is about to step down, and the Konoha Elder Council will likely be replaced as well. This move of theirs is clearly meant to drain Konoha's finances and leave a pile of mess for Clan Head Fugaku."
His gaze swept across every window of the Hokage Building like a hawk.
Suddenly, a figure flashed past the fourth-floor window… That bandaged right eye— even if turned to ash, he would still recognize it.
Danzō Shimura… Previously, Hiruzen Sarutobi had shifted the blame for forcing the students to graduate early onto Danzō and then locked him up.
His voice was filled with suppressed anger: "I didn't expect that after just a few days, that old bastard 'Danzō' would be released."
On the distant high platform, Hiruzen Sarutobi was handing compensation money to an old woman who had lost her son.
The old woman's trembling hands and Hiruzen Sarutobi's feigned sorrow formed a deeply ironic picture.
Uchiha Sanpō knew that beneath this surface harmony lay even filthier political games.
He turned and walked toward the waiting team, thinking to himself: "To deal with Hiruzen Sarutobi, we must first find a way to eliminate Danzō and his Root. For now, I can only complete the mission first, then return to the clan grounds and discuss it with Uchiha Yadai."
Inside the mission handover hall, Uchiha Sanpō stood at the front of the line.
Akimichi Haru spoke in a dry, mechanical tone, his Adam's apple rolling unnaturally: "South Sand City garrison mission, records verified… Wages will be issued after the daimyō allocates funds… Please wait at home for notification."
The hall instantly erupted in an uproar.
Uchiha Tetsuka slammed his hand on the counter: "This isn't right… The daimyō's funding… has never been delayed before… Otherwise, how could there still be ninjas willing to risk their lives on the front lines…"
Uchiha Sanpō raised his hand to stop his clansman's agitation: "Tetsuka, no need to argue. Just finish verifying the mission and return to the clan early!"
His voice was calm, but it carried killing intent.
Seeing his older brother's eyes, Uchiha Tetsuka immediately understood his thoughts: "Looks like Brother Sanpō wants to kill someone… I wonder which unlucky bastard it will be…"
Early access to upcoming chapters is available on Patreon.
Support the translator and binge ahead! patreon.com/arthursink Means a lot – thank you! ✍️