Marvel: Trading with Worlds

In addition to Uchiha Fugaku and Nawaki, who were on the battlefield, quite a few people attended the second Jōnin meeting. Among them, the Daimyo of the Fire Nation and his party occupied the front row.

The Daimyo was accompanied by the Minister of the Fire Nation and ten Guardian Ninjas who followed closely behind him.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was grim. He hadn't expected the Daimyo of the Fire Nation to take such a firm stance. 

Signing a peace agreement with Sand Shinobi privately seemed to tarnish the reputation of the Fire Nation, which had been built over hundreds of years. This was unreasonable!

Sarutobi Hiruzen had been thinking ever since he was notified by the envoy from the Daimyo's estate. 

The first person he suspected was Orochimaru, followed by Kain, but after some thought, he felt they were unlikely to be involved.

He acknowledged that Kain had a lot of influence in the Fire Nation, but Sarutobi Hiruzen knew the Daimyo well. 

The Daimyo was ambitious and bold. While it would be plausible for him to use the situation to vent his dissatisfaction with Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen knew the Daimyo didn't have the courage to stand directly against Konoha.

So, if the Daimyo had come to Konoha with such force, what had given him the courage? Was it the Guardian Ninjas?

Aside from Sakumo, only one of the ninjas was sent by Konoha—the others were all recruited from the wider ninja world by the Daimyo's estate.

 Sarutobi Hiruzen silently thought that the Daimyo had likely built up considerable power over the years, but with just a few middle-ranked Jōnin, did he really have the confidence to challenge Konoha?

Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't the only one thinking this way. Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Danzo all shared the same concern. 

While they often clashed in private, they were united when it came to the matter of the Daimyo.

Although the First Hokage's election had been decided with the votes of all of Konoha, from the Second to the Third Hokage, the power to appoint the Hokage had gradually shifted to their control. 

Now, the question was whether the power to elect the Hokage would ever return to the Daimyo.

This time, many prominent Jōnin attended the meeting, including Yakushi, Kakashi, and others. The venue had been changed to a larger hall to accommodate over two hundred people.

Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and the patriarchs of various ninja clans sat in the first row, kneeling. Behind them were the ministers and deputy ministers of departments like the Medical Department and the Barrier Class. 

The second row was filled with various Jōnin.

"Third Hokage, please explain the news in 'Ninja Weekly,'" the Daimyo of the Fire Nation demanded, breaking the silence in the room. 

Everyone's attention turned to the Third Hokage. The recent turmoil in the village had been sparked by the news in "Ninja Weekly," and many of the actions taken had been carried out by the Third Hokage's chief envoy, Mitokado Homura.

There had been more disturbances in the village recently than at any time before. If the reports were false, the Hokage should have stepped forward to clarify them. 

However, the Hokage building had remained silent, which spoke volumes.

After a moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen put down the tobacco pipe in his hand and said slowly, "This matter is true. In addition to the previous peace agreement with Sand Shinobi, Konoha also signed a secret peace agreement with them. It's the same peace agreement mentioned in Ninja Weekly."

When the ninjas below heard the confirmed news from Sarutobi Hiruzen, a murmur of discussion spread throughout the room. 

However, Kain, sitting next to the Daimyo, smiled slightly and made a subtle gesture toward Orochimaru.

The methods he had prepared would be rendered useless if Sarutobi Hiruzen foolishly denied the truth.

Boom!

Sarutobi Hiruzen tapped the table twice with his pipe and then spoke in a deep voice, "Signing a peace agreement is nothing to be ashamed of. If it means exchanging supplies and money to save the lives of our frontline ninjas, I would not hesitate. In my heart, nothing is more important than the lives of my fellow villagers."

"Cough~cough!"

Suddenly, a burst of coughing and laughter erupted from the room. Everyone turned to see that it was Kain, sitting next to the Daimyo.

"Sorry, I have a sore throat. Hokage-sama, please continue."

Kain immediately smiled and apologized, but after finishing, he deliberately turned his head to look at Hatake Sakumo, who was standing behind the Daimyo. The smile on Kain's face widened even further.

Orochimaru and the other sharp-eyed ninjas immediately remembered what had happened to Hatake Sakumo a few years ago when they saw Kain's expression. 

Valuing your companions—looking back, that was certainly a noteworthy incident.

Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at Kain briefly. There was no need to show hatred toward a life-and-death enemy in public. 

If given the chance, Sarutobi Hiruzen would not hesitate to rid Konoha of Kain, the "enemy of the village."

But besides Sarutobi Hiruzen, Kain also noticed Namikaze Minato's hostile gaze. However, after Kain caught his eye, Namikaze Minato immediately turned away.

"In any case, this matter has nothing to do with me. It is not the Hokage's place to deceive the ninjas of the same village. No matter how I deal with it, I have no complaints."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's words immediately moved many of the ninjas present. They didn't know much about Hatake Sakumo's situation at the time, or Sarutobi Hiruzen had hidden it well, as he had done nothing to interfere.

After hearing what Sarutobi Hiruzen had just said, most of the ninjas couldn't help but agree with him. 

Money and supplies should never be more important than the lives of their comrades. With a leader like the Third Hokage, they could feel a sense of peace.

Some ninjas looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen with approval. His words had made a strong impact.

….

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