bookbashuk Chapter 107 The Plan: Praise a Great Name to Death, Send Him to His End!
Chapter 107 The Plan: Praise a Great Name to Death, Send Him to His End!
Several months passed quickly, and news of Kirigakure's Blood Mist policy had not yet arrived, but the Daimyo of the Land of Fire had caused quite a stir.
When the intelligence unit's secret service presented the latest roll.
Tsunade's fingers almost crushed the thin sheet of paper.
Her angry voice echoed in the Hokage's office: "Daimyo, are you trying to build your own ninja army...? You've recruited over seven thousand ninjas?"
Shizune stood to the side, her face somewhat pale: "Lady Tsunade, also... our mission share in Daimyo Prefecture... has been reduced to 30%."
Tsunade abruptly stood up, slamming her hands on the table: "Call all high-ranking officials for a meeting, immediately!"
Soon, the Konoha leadership gathered in the conference room, whispering amongst themselves with somber expressions.
Tsunade looked around at everyone, suppressing her anger, and said loudly, "Everyone knows the situation. The Daimyo recruited the Tsuchigumo clan through Hiruzen Sarutobi, and also absorbed at least twenty other minor ninja clans. Now he has more than 7000 ninjas under his command, which is more than Konoha in terms of numbers."
Finance Minister Senju Natsuki added worriedly, "The most fatal thing is that the Daimyo Prefecture's quota has been reduced by 70%, which will drastically reduce the village's income."
The conference room was deathly silent.
Hiashi Hyuga hesitated before interjecting, "Could we consider... extending an olive branch to the daimyo?...renegotiating?"
Nara Shikaku stopped his closed-eye contemplation: "It's no use. The Daimyo is determined to weaken Konoha this time. According to my intelligence, he has been frequently meeting with merchants from various countries recently, seemingly secretly purchasing military equipment."
Uchiha Mitsunori suddenly chuckled, the sound standing out starkly against the heavy atmosphere.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "Advisor Mitsumine, you seem to have a different opinion?"
Uchiha Mitsumon remained calm and composed, exuding confidence: "Those whom Heaven wishes to destroy, it first makes mad. The Daimyo may seem powerful, but in reality, he is digging his own grave."
Nara Shikaku narrowed his eyes: "You mean...?"
Uchiha Mitsumine slowly walked to the center of the conference room: "The Fire Country's daimyo is recruiting ninjas and suppressing ninja villages. Do you all think the higher-ups of other countries' ninja villages will stand idly by? If the daimyo of the Wind Country and the Earth Country were to follow suit, how would those ninja villages react?"
Publicity Minister Tomohiko Kazami immediately realized: "They will feel threatened...and are very likely to unite against the instigator."
Uchiha Mitsunori nodded slightly: "Exactly. The Daimyo thought he had control of the power, but he didn't know that he had broken the balance of the ninja world that had lasted for decades. This imbalance... will inevitably trigger a chain reaction."
Nara Shikaku pondered: "Recent intelligence also indicates that while the nobles under the daimyo appear compliant, there are undercurrents beneath the surface. Nobles who originally belonged to different factions have been forced to unite under the daimyo's oppressive policies, but this unity... is built on fear."
Uchiha Mitsunori smiled and replied, "Fear is the weakest bond; once a crack appears, the entire system will collapse."
Tsunade crossed her arms and rested them on her chin: "So, your suggestion?"
Uchiha Mitsunori stretched and cracked his neck: "Secretly procure supplies, stockpile food, strengthen defenses... but don't provoke them. The daimyo's madness will eventually backfire, and then..."
Tsunade interrupted him: "Remember, Konoha is the Land of Fire's last bastion."
The meeting continued into the evening.
Ultimately, it was decided that Natsuki Senju and Ama Kurama would be in charge of secretly purchasing supplies, Tomohiko Kazami would be in charge of guiding public opinion in the village, and Shikaku Nara would be in charge of strengthening intelligence gathering.
After the meeting ended, everyone went home one after another.
Uchiha Mitsuhide used the Flying Thunder God Technique to send Tsunade back to her own home.
Looking at her familiar bedroom, Tsunade let out a long breath, as if exhaling all the fatigue of the whole night.
"You look exhausted," a deep voice said.
Uchiha Mitsunori stood by the window, having taken off his outer robe with the fan-shaped family crest, as if he were at home.
Tsunade didn't answer, but walked barefoot across the soft carpet and straight toward him.
As she approached, Uchiha Mitsunori naturally opened his arms and embraced her.
Tsunade buried her face in his chest and muttered, "Hyuga Hiashi is such a stubborn old man... Apart from Shikaku, no one else can see the essence of the problem."
Uchiha Mitsunori's fingers ran through her long golden hair, the movement gentle, as if caressing the most precious silk.
"Because they are afraid of change, and fear can blind people."
Tsunade looked up, her expression worried, and asked, "Do you really think the Daimyo of the Land of Fire will bring about his own destruction?"
Uchiha Mitsumine's upturned lips formed a meaningful smile.
He took Tsunade's hand and made her sit on his lap: "I don't think, I'm certain. The fates of all dictators in history are pretty much the same; when they think they're at the top, they're often only one step away from their downfall."
Tsunade frowned slightly: "But before that, Konoha might be crushed first."
Uchiha Mitsunori leaned close to Tsunade's ear, his voice extremely low: "I've devised a plan: to flatter a daimyo to death, and then send him to his demise!"
Tsunade leaned back slightly, meeting his gaze: "To flatter to death?"
A hint of smugness flashed in Uchiha Mitsunori's eyes as he aggressively moved closer.
His lips brushed lightly against her soft lips, his breath hot as he gently kissed her.
"I... have already sent people to the Daimyo's residence to secretly spread the word that there is only one 'jade' in the Land of Fire, and that is the Daimyo. I've been advocating that the ninja village system is outdated and that the Daimyo should directly rule over all ninjas."
Tsunade's breathing quickened slightly. She gently bit her lower lip, a hint of worry in her eyes: "Mitsubone, a daimyo isn't easily swayed. Do you have any other tricks up your sleeve?"
Uchiha Mitsunori extended his right hand and gently lifted Tsunade's chin, while his left hand began to fidget restlessly.
"Of course we have a backup plan. We can pretend to be influenced by public opinion and gradually relinquish all of the mission's share to the Daming Prefecture. Give the Daming Prefecture time and opportunities to intervene, let him taste some success. When everything goes smoothly as he expects, he will become bold and arrogant."
Tsunade braced herself against his arms, temporarily stopping his restless intrusion: "Are you crazy? The Daimyo's capital is the wealthiest city in the entire ninja world. The mission commissions there have always been the lion's share for Konoha! Giving up the entire share would mean losing so much profit, and the ninja clans in the village will never agree to it!"
Uchiha Mitsunori grasped her hand, leaned in, and forcefully kissed her.
Afterwards, he lightly licked his upper lip and said with a confident air, "The Uchiha can offer some of the mission compensation, and we're not short of money for the time being, so we won't be in trouble for a year or two. The key is that the Daimyo has long coveted the power of the Hokage, so our apparent concession is actually a trap. Seeing us back down will only embolden the Daimyo further. And the other ninja villages, seeing this situation..."
Upon hearing the detailed account, Tsunade's body gradually relaxed, and her eyes began to brighten.
She gently hooked her arm around his neck, pressing her body against his chest: "They will feel threatened, worried that their own country's daimyo will follow suit... and then strip them of their power. At that time, even if those ninja villages don't ally with us, they will secretly sabotage the fire country's daimyo, and external pressure will naturally come."
Uchiha Mitsunori gently brushed against her lips; the touch was so soft that she couldn't bear to part.
He chuckled smugly, "If the Daimyo wants to seize all of Konoha's missions, he'll inevitably need to expand his private army and purchase military equipment. But the Land of Fire's resources are limited. If he spends money on the army, the interests of other nobles will inevitably suffer. Before long, the nobles of the Land of Fire will split due to the unequal distribution of benefits. With internal divisions and pressure from the external ninja villages, can the Daimyo still hold onto his position?"
Seeing his confident demeanor, Tsunade seemed to be captivated by his charm, her cheeks flushing slightly.
She tiptoed and pressed her lips to his ear, coquettishly saying, "Sanfeng...you're such a dangerous guy...I love you just the way you are!"
Uchiha Mitsunori's smile deepened, and he reached out to put his arm around her waist, gently lifting her up.
He brushed his nose against hers, their breaths mingling. "Hokage-sama, are you praising me... or seducing me?"
A tempting blush rose on Tsunade's face as she gently pushed him away with her hand: "No...we haven't washed up yet!"
As he carried her along, he kissed her eagerly, and their passion quickly intensified.
"Then... let's shower together..."
The bathroom door was opened quickly.
Then, the sound of rushing water came from inside the room... and a woman's coquettish complaints...