"Have we arrived already? That was fast," The curtain of the carriage was lifted, revealing a middle-aged man seated inside, dressed in extravagantly noble attire.
This was an extraordinarily lavish procession, with several hundred attendants fore and aft.
Around the most ornate carriage, twelve individuals dressed as ninja stood guard, each wearing a sash with the character for "Fire" around their waist.
The middle-aged man stepped down from the carriage using a human footstool. Looking at Konoha's main gate before him, he had to admit it was indeed more impressive than the average town.
"Lord Minamoto."
The Third Hokage, leading a group of ninja, had been waiting for some time. Upon seeing the middle-aged man, Sarutobi immediately stepped forward to greet him.
"Third Hokage, it has been a long time," the middle-aged man said with a faint smile.
"The Daimyo's personal visit brings great honor to Konoha."
This middle-aged man was indeed the current Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
When Sarutobi learned of the Daimyo's intention to visit Konoha, he had been quite surprised but immediately prepared to receive him.
"No need for such formalities," Lord Minamoto waved dismissively, a folding fan in his hand.
He turned to look at the entourage that had accompanied him. "The current Konoha is under much financial strain, so there's no need to host all of you with this many ninja's around. Go rest in a nearby town instead."
Sarutobi found these words rather awkward.
Except for the Twelve Guardian Ninja, the rest of the procession changed course and departed.
"Shall we go, Third? You must give me a proper tour of Konoha."
"Of course."
News of the Fire Daimyo's arrival spread quickly throughout Konoha, leaving many puzzled.
Why would someone as noble as the Daimyo come to a remote place like Konoha?
The man had claimed he wanted to pay respects to heroes who had sacrificed themselves for the country. It was something unprecedented.
Apart from the Hokage and a small portion of Konoha's leadership, few members of Konoha's major clans ever had close contact with the Daimyo.
Their feelings toward him were complicated; they regarded him simply as the lofty sovereign who ruled the vast Land of Fire and governed the nation.
However, gaining the Daimyo's favor was certainly beneficial for Konoha, especially during these difficult times.
At the Daimyo's request, the Third Hokage took him directly to the Memorial Stone.
Looking at the surrounding graves and the countless names engraved on the Memorial Stone, Lord Minamoto couldn't help but feel deeply moved.
He stood there silently with his hands behind his back, opening and closing his folding fan.
"Third."
"Lord Minamoto."
"I heard that Konoha initially had the upper hand in the war against Iwagakure."
Sarutobi was suddenly alarmed by these words, a sense of foreboding rising within him.
He could only respond, "Lord Minamoto surely understands that battlefield situations change rapidly. Temporary victories or defeats don't mean much."
"Is that so?" Lord Minamoto turned to face Sarutobi, the smile on his lips carrying an ambiguous meaning.
"What I've heard is that internal sabotage is what caused Konoha to suffer so many defeats."
Sarutobi could no longer sense any goodwill in these words.
Reluctantly, he responded, "Lord Minamoto truly sees through everything."
Lord Minamoto continued pressing: "Third, how do you think these fallen would feel if they knew of the for their death? Who should take responsibility for the life of the fallen?"
Sarutobi's heart sank. Then he replied, "It was my failure to govern strictly, so I shall bear the responsibility.
"After we repel Kirigakure, I will step down from the position of Hokage. At that time, Lord Minamoto can punish me as he sees fit."
Lord Minamoto watched as Sarutobi shouldered all the blame.
After observing him for a moment, he suddenly smiled and said, "The Third is being too harsh on himself. The emergence of a traitor is something no one wants to see.
"How can we punish ourselves for someone else's scheme? Wouldn't that be playing right into the enemy's hands?
"Konoha still needs your leadership, especially in these troubled times. The war against Kirigakure depends on you, Third."
"Thank you for your understanding, Lord Minamoto," Sarutobi bowed deeply.
Lord Minamoto approached Sarutobi, still wearing a kind smile. "However, this matter of the traitor should be resolved as soon as possible. If it affects the war against Kirigakure further, the blame would truly be unforgivable."
"Rest assured, Lord Minamoto, we are doing everything in our power to thoroughly investigate the traitor."
"That's good." Lord Minamoto nodded with satisfaction.
He stood there, surveying the scenery around him. The burial grounds were surrounded by dense, lush forests. Looking back, one could see Konoha's main road through the red torii gate.
"Third, I plan to stay in Konoha for a few days. What do you think?"
"Lord Minamoto jests. Konoha is under your rule; you may stay as long as you wish without needing my opinion. I only fear our humble village might be beneath your dignity."
"Hahaha, then it's settled."
With such an important figure in Konoha, Sarutobi felt deeply uneasy.
He couldn't understand why the Daimyo would neglect his state affairs to visit their village, yet he couldn't show the slightest negligence.
After all, the current war against Kirigakure depended entirely on Lord Minamoto's support from the rear.
Regarding the traitor, Sarutobi had few leads.
All he could be certain of was that this person held a high position in the village and had cleaned up all traces meticulously, leaving him no place to start searching.
He had mentally reviewed the list of village leaders countless times, placing certain names on his list of suspects only to remove them again.
Some had privately hinted to him about who might be involved, but without any evidence, he was unwilling to believe such claims.
Now that the Daimyo had come to pressure him about this matter, he needed to produce results quickly.
News from the front lines reported that Minato's troops had encountered Kiri ninja, but only a small contingent that they easily defeated.
Minato had taken the initiative to seek out the enemy, but the Kiri ninja kept circling around, consistently avoiding direct confrontation with Konoha.
Unlike Iwagakure, Kirigakure had the sea at its back, preventing Minato's forces from advancing deeper. They were playing a cat-and-mouse game with the Kiri ninja at their own border.
Though the Kirigakure ninja were constantly in the hiding, they were not easy to deal with.
The famous Seven Swordsmen of the Mist had caused enormous trouble for Konoha's ninja, and Minato had failed to encounter them many times.
When ordinary squads met them, the outcome was disastrous as they were no match for these seven individuals.
This situation left Minato feeling helpless despite his strength.
He wrote back to the village, stating his plan to establish a temporary camp at the border and requesting support from the village.
This letter reached the Daimyo's hands, and Lord Minamoto immediately ordered his ministers to prepare supplies without hesitation.
Sarutobi felt a little emotional at this.
Perhaps the Daimyo's visit was a good thing after all. Previously, he had been reluctant to request resources in his letters, but now he could explain the situation directly.
The Daimyo did not involve himself in Sarutobi's military command or the village's internal affairs, serving merely as a purse and mascot in Konoha.
When bored, however, he would occasionally summon theater troupes, geisha, and dancers to the village.
Sometimes he invited Sarutobi to enjoy these performances with him, making Sarutobi reflect on the decadence of rulers.
It was… great.