Konoha Village – Hokage's Office
"The Fifth Hokage, your village's former Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, is now in the hands of the Sand Village!" declared the Sand Shinobi messenger, his voice filled with pride and triumph.
Uchiha Fugaku's eyes flickered slightly.
So the old man Sarutobi Hiruzen is still alive. Not only that, he even ended up in the Land of Wind and got captured. How unexpected.
Still, this was good news. Let him die in the Sand Village—less trouble for Konoha.
Fugaku took a calm sip of his tea and looked at the envoy expressionlessly. "Oh? And then?"
The Sand Shinobi emissary blinked. "???"
Something's wrong—very wrong.
Wasn't the Hokage supposed to slam the table in rage, demand Hiruzen's release, maybe even threaten retaliation?
Why was he so calm? Why did he look like he couldn't care less about Sarutobi Hiruzen's life?
No... never mind. Just follow the plan. Get the money first!
The Sand envoy raised two fingers and said arrogantly, "Two hundred million ryo. Pay that, and you can have Sarutobi Hiruzen back. If not... hehehe."
He let out a sinister chuckle, suggesting all kinds of dark possibilities.
But Uchiha Fugaku didn't even flinch.
He slowly poured himself a second cup of tea, casually took a sip, and ignored the envoy entirely.
The Sand Shinobi messenger's eyes widened in disbelief.
Wasn't this supposed to be a high-pressure negotiation? He was throwing out threats, for heaven's sake! Why wasn't the Hokage reacting?
Finally, unable to hold back, he asked, "Fifth Hokage, are you truly going to give up on Sarutobi Hiruzen?"
Fugaku nodded without hesitation. "Mhm. We don't have the money. Just kill him."
His tone was flat—like he was commenting on the weather.
The envoy was stunned.
This was the Third Hokage! A legendary figure of Konoha! Someone who had led the village for decades!
How could Fugaku discard him so casually?
The Sand ninja frowned, completely baffled. Was he bluffing? Or maybe... the price was too high?
That must be it!
He remembered Chiyo's instructions before leaving the village. She had warned him: "If Konoha wants Hiruzen back, ask for at least 100 million. Bid high at first—we can always go lower."
After all, Konoha had always been wealthy. The goal was to profit from the transaction. He had started at 200 million just to see if the Hokage would take the bait.
But Fugaku clearly wasn't playing along.
Time for step two.
The envoy sighed theatrically. "Very well. Since 200 million is too high... I'm willing to reduce the price. One hundred and fifty million."
He gave Fugaku a hopeful look, pretending the decision pained him deeply.
Still no reaction.
Fugaku calmly set his cup down and looked out the window.
The envoy gritted his teeth. This Uchiha really was a tough nut to crack.
"Fifth Hokage," he said, steeling his voice, "this is the lowest we'll go. One hundred million. Any less, and there will be no deal."
He raised one finger, making the demand crystal clear.
This time, Fugaku turned to face him.
The envoy's heart leapt. Was the Hokage finally agreeing?
But then came Fugaku's cold response: "We can't even afford one million."
His voice was firm, his face unreadable. "Konoha Village has no money. You're wasting your time here. Why not try offering Sarutobi Hiruzen to another country? Maybe someone else wants him."
The Sand Shinobi envoy's jaw dropped. This couldn't be happening.
He had walked into Konoha expecting to walk out with a fortune. Now the Hokage was telling him to shop around the Third Hokage like some useless hostage?
The tension in the room thickened.
"Fifth Hokage... are you really not going to ransom Sarutobi Hiruzen?!" the envoy asked angrily. "He was Konoha's Hokage!"
Fugaku looked him dead in the eye.
"So what?" he said coldly. "The village has no money. Sarutobi Hiruzen understands our situation. He knows how tight funds have been since the war. If he blames us for not rescuing him, then so be it. Whether you want to kill him, cut him up, or feed him to vultures—it's up to you."
He shrugged indifferently.
The Sand Shinobi envoy stared at him in shock.
"You... you'll regret this!" he shouted, now trembling with frustration.
"Escort our guest out," Fugaku said.
At once, several masked Anbu agents appeared, surrounding the envoy.
The envoy turned and stormed out, fuming. He had to report this to Lady Chiyo immediately.
This was beyond strange.
Why was the Fifth Hokage so willing to abandon Sarutobi Hiruzen?
---
Ninja All-Things Services Limited – CEO's Office
A white figure burst through the door.
"Boss! Something terrible has happened!"
Black Zetsu, sitting in a plush leather chair behind a desk cluttered with money-counting machines, shot to his feet.
"Don't tell me—it's Obito and Shisui again?!"
He slammed his fist on the table. "Damn it! Why now?!"
All the company's thugs were out on missions. They had no defense left. If Obito attacked again, all the hard-earned ryo would be gone—again.
"Oh gods, can't you give me a break?" Black Zetsu muttered in despair.
"No, boss, you misunderstood!" White Zetsu quickly waved his hands. "It's not Obito!"
Black Zetsu froze. "Then why are you yelling?"
"It's... it's about Sarutobi Hiruzen! The new trainee we just hired yesterday—he got captured on a mission!"
Black Zetsu blinked..
The guy they just roped in yesterday was already in enemy hands?
"Who caught him?"
"Fourth Kazekage—Rasa. He's being held in the Sand Village's dungeon."
Black Zetsu's face darkened.
"How much for the ransom?"
"They're asking for one hundred million."
"..."
A long silence passed.
White Zetsu fidgeted. "So, boss, should we save him?"
Black Zetsu sighed. "Nope. Not worth it. We don't have the money. Just let him rot in the Sand Village."
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