Shiki asked flatly.
Obviously, not everyone could be like Shiki, who didn't care about the daimyo at all.
"Uh…"
Shikaku was a little speechless.
With Lord Shiki's strength, he really didn't need to care about any daimyo.
However, Konoha still depended heavily on the daimyo's purse strings, and Shikaku simply didn't want the village to end up on bad terms with him.
"L-Let's talk about what conditions the daimyo put forward first," he said.
Waving his hand, Shiki showed he had no intention of making things difficult for Shikaku.
Just as well—Shiki also wanted to know what conditions the daimyo had set for this mission.
"Uh…"
Shikaku hesitated for a moment. He felt that if he said it, Shiki might get even angrier.
But now, with both Shiki and Senju Tsunade staring straight at him, he really had no way out.
After hesitating for a while, Shikaku finally spoke honestly.
"The daimyo… hopes we send a few elite shinobi. Preferably with Hokage-sama personally leading the team."
"Hah?"
Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise.
"Do I really look that idle to him?"
What kind of joke was that?
She was the Fourth Hokage.
And he wanted her, the Hokage, to act as a guard for some daimyo's precious princess?
Whether it was because he'd lost his mind, or because she hadn't woken up from a dream yet—either way, he really dared to think big.
Shiki was slightly surprised as well, but soon understood.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen sat in that seat for so many years that the daimyo doesn't take Konoha seriously at all anymore," Shiki said.
Reality was just like that.
If you showed incompetence over and over, no one would pity you.
On the contrary, they would simply see you as weak and useless.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, that damn old guy… he really messed everything up!"
Tsunade slammed the table in anger, her fist making it rattle.
Nara Shikaku and the others exchanged looks, then wisely kept their mouths shut.
When Tsunade was this fired up, the only one who dared provoke her was Shiki.
"Shiki, what do you think we should do?"
Tsunade turned her gaze to him.
After all, she had only just become Hokage and hadn't been in the position for long.
Facing something like this so soon, she couldn't help relying on Shiki a little—she was still a bit unsure.
"Heh. The daimyo doesn't take Konoha seriously, right?"
Shiki smiled.
He had just wanted to live a quiet life, to train in peace.
But they just wouldn't let him be quiet.
In that case, he had no choice.
"I can only destroy them."
"Gather about a hundred jōnin," Shiki said calmly. "In two days, follow me to level the daimyo's mansion."
"Ehh…?"
It wasn't just the Ino–Shika–Chō trio— even Tsunade was stunned.
Although she was angry, she truly hadn't expected Shiki to go straight to "destroy the daimyo's mansion."
"Shiki! Isn't that going too far?" Tsunade couldn't help but ask.
"No matter what, the daimyo is still Konoha's source of funding. And you're saying we should destroy him just like that?"
"Che. It's just a daimyo," Shiki said, clicking his tongue. "If this daimyo is gone, there'll just be another one. All we need is an obedient daimyo."
It wasn't as if there was only one possible daimyo.
In reality, there were many people in the daimyo's family—only one got to sit on the throne.
"I see…"
Shiki's words made Tsunade fall silent for a while, then she finally nodded.
Right.
Even if this daimyo disappeared, a new one would take his place. And that new daimyo clearly wouldn't dare act as arrogantly as this one.
"Give the order," Tsunade said at last.
"Yes!"
Shiki turned his head to look at Nara Shikaku.
Without any hesitation, Shikaku and the others immediately left the Hokage Building to start gathering shinobi.
More than a hundred jōnin—
For Konoha, that number still wasn't enough to shake the village's foundations.
…
Two days later, at Konoha's gate…
More than a hundred jōnin had already assembled.
"Do you really not need me to go?"
Looking at Shiki, who was standing at the front, leading the team, Tsunade couldn't help but ask.
"I'm the Hokage, after all. For something this serious, I can go instead," she said.
"It's fine," Shiki replied lightly.
Tsunade couldn't insist any further.
After all, when it came to "destroying the daimyo's mansion," it really wouldn't look good for the Hokage herself to personally step forward.
"Don't worry," Shiki added. "If nothing unexpected happens, I'll be back tonight."
He waved his hand once, then turned around and led the team out.
It was just destroying the daimyo's district.
How much time could that possibly take?
"Shiki! Tsunade! You're going to ruin Konoha!"
At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly rushed over, shouting.
No one knew where he'd gotten the information, but as soon as he heard that Shiki was preparing to attack the daimyo, his very soul had nearly flown out of his body in fright.
Without a second thought, he ran straight over.
Unfortunately for him, not a single person present cared about the former elder.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's reputation had long since crumbled.
Seeing that none of Konoha's shinobi looked at him with admiration anymore, his expression turned rather ugly—but even so, he still didn't dare say too much.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen."
Hands clasped behind his back, Shiki turned his head slightly and looked at him.
His gaze swept once over the Third Hokage's ceremonial robe still draped over Hiruzen's shoulders.
"You're no longer the Hokage," Shiki said calmly. "Next time I see you running around wearing the Hokage's robe, I'll cut you down."
"I…"
He really wasn't giving Hiruzen any face at all.
More importantly, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't dare provoke Shiki in the slightest.
Even if he was no longer Hokage, even if he no longer had the qualifications to fight for anything, he still habitually wore the Hokage's robe whenever he went out—perhaps because, deep in his heart, he couldn't let go of that position.
"Let's go."
Shiki didn't give him any chance to say more nonsense.
With one last glance at Sarutobi Hiruzen, he raised his hand.
The more than one hundred Konoha shinobi immediately followed Shiki and, in the blink of an eye, left Konoha, heading toward the daimyo's domain.
After Shiki led the team away, Sarutobi Hiruzen's panic only grew worse.
But now that Shiki had already gone, he couldn't catch up even if he wanted to.
All he could do was turn back toward Tsunade.
"Tsunade, you're the Hokage of Konoha now. You have to think about the village!" he said anxiously.
"Since you already know I'm the Hokage of Konoha," Tsunade replied, "then why are you still wearing the Hokage's robe?"
"I…"
Faced with that faint, unimpressed tone, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt completely helpless.
He didn't even know how to refute her.
He couldn't exactly say, "Because I still want to be Hokage," could he?
"I understand," he sighed at last. "I'll put this robe away at home from now on."
He shook his head as he spoke. Beyond that, there was nothing more he could say.
…Sigh.
Now, he didn't even dare have thoughts about the Hokage's seat anymore.
Tsunade shot him a contemptuous glance, clearly not wanting to deal with him any longer. She turned around, ready to leave.
The three advisers who had come with Shiki earlier followed after her.
There were still a lot of documents piled up in the Hokage's office, all waiting for Tsunade to handle.
Just thinking about it made her head start to ache.
"Wait! Tsunade, you—"
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