Another month passed.
With a greenish pallor on his face, Shimura Danzō fled early to the Hokage's office.
Inside were the Third Hokage and the three clan heads of Ino–Shika–Chō. The atmosphere between them was so tense it felt ready to snap.
After all—
Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Chōza had been bled dry. They were glaring at Danzō as if they wanted to devour him alive. If this weren't the Hokage's office, they would have grabbed him by the collar and forced him to cough up their blood-earned money.
One month.
An entire month.
Did he know how the Ino–Shika–Chō clans had survived these past thirty days!?
They had nearly been reduced to selling their own dignity just to get by!
The three clans were major pillars of Konoha. They had large households—many mouths to feed. After being tricked by Danzō into investing everything, they were left with nothing.
The result?
For the past month, nearly every shinobi from the three clans had been borrowing money frantically from colleagues and friends. It reached the point where other ninja began avoiding them on sight.
These were hard times. No one had surplus grain lying around.
Akimichi Chōza had finally snapped and come directly to complain. His hand trembled as he grabbed the Third Hokage, who was smoking in sullen silence.
"Hokage-sama! Look at me—just look at me! Have you ever seen an Akimichi this thin? I'm starving to the point I've lost my shape!"
"Exactly, Hokage-sama!"
Before Hiruzen could even process Chōza's accusation, Yamanaka Inoichi's reaction made it worse. Tears streamed down his face, his old eyes red and swollen.
"Hokage-sama! You must have heard about my family—we've been borrowing money just to survive!"
Ah, this…
"Cough. Well. I will make Danzō reflect properly. Reflect thoroughly—"
"Hokage-sama! Do you know that I haven't eaten a proper meal since the day before yesterday!? Creditors keep coming to collect! Our three clans are in misery!"
The Third Hokage's pipe trembled in his hand.
If only I hadn't trusted Danzō's nonsense…
How had he allowed him to take over the clothing enterprise?
He shot Danzō a dark look. The man sat there with eyes lowered, nose and heart aligned in false composure, which only fanned Hiruzen's anger.
You had the nerve to seize control, but not the courage to bear responsibility?
Look at them! Just look!
Chōza was truly gaunt. The Akimichi clan's secret techniques relied on body mass—this was directly weakening Konoha's combat power!
And Nara Shikaku—the village's strategist—dark circles hung under his eyes. He clearly hadn't slept properly. How could he advise Konoha like this?
And Inoichi—the lynchpin of their formation—looked haggard, clothes rumpled, hair in disarray. Clearly harassed relentlessly by creditors.
Danzō said nothing.
He knew he was at fault.
Greed had clouded his judgment.
He now understood that specialized matters must be left to specialists.
At least in business, aside from Shimizu Kanzuki, Konoha had no such talent.
He found himself missing that boy desperately.
If the clothing enterprise truly collapsed because of him—
The Third Hokage might appear calm now, but when truly angered, he would strike more ruthlessly than anyone.
At last—
Just when Danzō felt he might go mad under the pressure, a Nara chūnin rushed in to report.
Seeing the man's flushed expression, Danzō's eyes lit up.
That familiar look!
He knew it—Kanzuki had it handled!
Even the three clan heads stopped shouting, their gazes burning as they stared at the chūnin.
"Loss or profit?"
"Profit! Massive profit! Please take a look, honored sirs!"
Banknotes.
Stacks of crisp banknotes.
Three hundred million ryō.
"Good!" Hiruzen exclaimed. "When Kanzuki returns, I'll make sure to commend him properly!"
The boy was truly remarkable.
He had even cleaned up Danzō's mess.
And preserved the clothing enterprise.
There was money of Sarutobi Hiruzen's in that venture, after all…
Danzō let out a long, shuddering breath. He nearly wept.
This past month, he had almost been driven insane by the Ino–Shika–Chō clan heads blocking his door daily, demanding repayment.
Who could endure that?
And he, too, had lost money!
Now things were finally turning around…
Three hundred million…
Kanzuki hadn't deceived them.
After dismissing the Nara chūnin, the men stared at the mountain of banknotes, feeling both grounded and exhilarated.
"Hokage-sama! According to the contract, our Ino–Shika–Chō share—"
"Rest assured. You won't be shorted."
"Cough… Hiruzen, about my portion—"
"You still have the face to ask!?" Hiruzen snapped. "Koharu and Homura first. Yours can wait!"
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu had also been dragged into Danzō's disaster. The elderly advisors had been tightening resources within their own clans, only to be thrown back to square one.
"Now, now—"
"Hiruzen! Don't listen to this old fool's nonsense again!"
Koharu and Homura arrived in a rush. When they heard that the Nara chūnin had delivered profits instead of condolences, they hurried over immediately.
Danzō still wanted a share?
Spare them.
Maybe next month.
This month would first cover their losses.
Though three hundred million far exceeded the deficit, watching Danzō receive money left a bitter taste.
Knowing he had no standing, Danzō kept quiet, obediently watching the distribution.
His eyes followed every movement of Hiruzen's hands as he counted.
"One for you, one for me. One for him, one for me…"
"Hm. Danzō, considering your outstanding debts, I'll hold onto the remaining balance for you."
Hiruzen waved the remaining several tens of millions of ryō before Danzō's eyes, making him dizzy.
His hands twitched uncontrollably, reaching—
Only for Hiruzen to pull it back with an amused "Ah," slipping it into his own pocket.
Danzō trembled with rage.
Outrageous.
Absolutely outrageous.
But when he noticed the simmering anger in the gazes of the three clan heads and the two advisors, he instantly composed himself.
He had no desire to be blockaded again.
Even after everyone else had taken their shares, Danzō did not dare leave alongside them. He waited until they were long gone before standing up stiffly.
"Remember," Hiruzen said casually, once the room was empty, "only this once."
He was, in his way, preserving his old comrade's dignity.
If you lack the ability, do not touch that bowl of rice.
Smash everyone's livelihood, and no one can save you.
Why did Sarutobi Hiruzen sit in the Hokage's seat?
Balance.
Balancing the interests of all factions.
Disturb that balance—
And the first one to strike you down would be the Third Hokage himself.