86 CH - 84 New Troubles

I am grateful to Leviathant Aviles for becoming a patron on my Patreon. Thank you for your support as they enable me to continue creating and providing valuable content

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Konoha, an emergency meeting was called, and Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen addressed the attendees with a somber expression. The main topic of discussion was the recent development involving Suna's Genin wearing ninja vests provided by the Grass Village.

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath from his smoking pipe and sighed with a sense of melancholy as he glanced at everyone in the room. "This is the situation. What are your thoughts on this matter?"

As his words hung in the air, everyone exchanged glances, their eyes eventually landing on the ninja vests placed on the table before them. They had been summoned urgently and didn't know what to expect. Now, seeing the ninja vests before them, they felt puzzled and unsure how to react.

Seeing the advertisement on the back of the vests, however, drew mixed reactions from the attendees. Some couldn't help but twitch their mouths, finding Suna's action rather shameless. To allow Kusa to put an advertisement on their ninja vests was certainly questionable.

Unlike Konoha, which had a close relationship with the Uzumaki clan, symbolized by wearing the Uzumaki emblem representing their deep friendship, there was no such friendship between Suna and Kusa. The two villages had no real bond, what friendship could they even have? Transaction of fake intelligence?

When observing the inscription "Every Ninja's dream" along with the swaying grass symbol, questions about Kusa's intentions and the 50% discount arose. Is Kusa resorting back to old methods of making money? Could they be selling fake products, just like they had sold fake intelligence in the past?

Utatane Koharu, the financial manager, stood beside them and seemed to understand their concerns. "It's not fake, and the quality meets the standards for ninjas. It's not inferior to the custom-made vests we have," he assured, with a slight pause. "However, according to the intelligence we gathered, these vests are not specially tailored for each individual like traditional ninja vests."

"Grass Ninja vests come in four sizes: small, medium, large, and extra-large. Therefore, if it doesn't fit perfectly, it might not match well. Some individuals with smaller builds or... *ahem*, more generously proportioned ones might not find a suitable size," Koharu continued, looking at the head of the Akimichi clan. "For instance, those with a more ample build might not find a proper fit."

Konoha had previously been approached by the Grass Village to purchase a ninja vest. However, upon learning that it was not custom-made and was produced by Grass Village, they had declined the offer, fearing it might be fake. They certainly didn't anticipate that Suna would make a large-scale purchase of these vests. Nevertheless, they had to admit that the quality of the vests from the Grass Village was quite commendable.

Sarutobi Hiruzen continued, addressing everyone with a hint of helplessness, "I have called everyone here to discuss how to handle the relationship with Grass Village in the future. After all, everyone is well aware of Grass Village's uniqueness."

The attendees nodded in agreement, fully aware of the reputation of Grass Village as backstabbers. They had always assumed that after selling out Konoha, Kusa hadn't done much else. But now, they were surprised to learn about their involvement in selling ninja vests.

Selling these vests to Suna, a village currently at war with Konoha, only cemented the belief that Grass Village was truly unreliable and disloyal. It was a clear betrayal to sell to a village they claimed to be allied with.

"The only consolation is that they are currently selling only to Suna," Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed once again, "If they were to extend this offer to other villages, then every genin in those villages would be wearing these ninja vests, and we would be in trouble!"

While most of the chunin and jonin in Konoha already had ninja vests, the freshly graduated genin would be greatly impacted if they started wearing the Grass Village vests. It would create a significant difference in the battlefield.

Despite some special cases, the overall strength of the new generation genin in every village was relatively similar. Since they were still in their growth period, their abilities were not vastly different from one another. Thus, wearing the same distinct ninja vests would undoubtedly make them stand out.

Thinking like this, if earlier, one strike was often enough to eliminate enemy genin. However, with the added protection of the ninja vests, it would now take two strikes. While genin's individual impact on the overall war situation might be limited, not equipping them with vests like other villages could lead to significant casualties among Konoha's genin. Moreover, over time, this disparity could breed resentment and negative sentiments among the lower ranks.

Nonetheless, it was a relief that currently, only Suna possessed these vests. The situation between Konoha and Suna had largely been decided, and even if Suna's genin wore the vests, it wouldn't alter the final outcome. The war's conclusion might be slightly delayed, but that was a minor concern.

As Sarutobi Hiruzen concluded his speech, the attendees furrowed their brows and began whispering among themselves, engaging in discussions.

After a brief moment, Homura Mitokado, standing beside them, also seemed deep in thought. Eventually, he proposed, "Why don't we consider purchasing the vests from Grass Village as well?"

However, before Homura Mitokado could continue with his proposal, Shimura Danzō, his right eye concealed by a bandage, coldly snorted and cast a stern gaze at everyone present. "In my opinion, it's just a small village. Konoha should declare war directly on them. Why waste money like this? With the current situation, what harm would it do to have one more Grass Village?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly interjected, shaking his head with a serious expression. "That wouldn't be appropriate. Grass Village is still our ally!"

"Ally? Are you joking, Hiruzen?" Danzō retorted, clearly disapproving of the notion.

Hiruzen defended his stance, "Well, although Grass Village may lack ninja morals, if we can't swiftly resolve the war, they might truly align themselves with Iwa and pave the way for them. That would be detrimental to Konoha's interests."

"They have already assisted Iwa by giving up the Kannabi Bridge!" Shimura Danzō responded sternly, emphasizing the point.

"We should focus on ending the war, not escalating it!" Sarutobi Hiruzen remained firm in his stand against attacking Grass Village.

"Iwa knows about the Kannabi Bridge already. It wouldn't be surprising if they were responsible for that. Moreover, Are you seriously considering following Suna's example and buying ninja vests from Grass Village, allowing those disgusting ads on the back of Konoha ninjas? Have you lost your mind, Hiruzen?" Danzō pointed at the back of the vests, expressing his frustration and disapproval.

"Well, perhaps there are other ways we can approach this. Remember, I am the Hokage, Danzō!" Sarutobi Hiruzen became momentarily embarrassed at the thought of the ads on Konoha ninjas but quickly regained his composure and reprimanded Danzō.

"You'll regret this decision, Hiruzen!" Angered by his friend's response, Danzō snorted and stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut with a loud "Thud!!!"

The door slammed shut, leaving a tense atmosphere in the room. Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed heavily, realizing the complexity of the situation. He understood Danzō's concerns, but he couldn't risk escalating the conflict with Grass Village further.

Homura Mitokado spoke up cautiously, "Hiruzen, Danzō does have a point. Buying the vests from Grass Village may not be the best course of action."

"I understand his concerns," Hiruzen replied, rubbing his temples wearily. He let out a long sigh and turned to address the other, "Don't mind Danzo, he's just considering things for Konoha. He'll calm down later. Now, let's discuss our own thoughts."

As they were about to delve into the discussion, a knock on the door interrupted them once more. Hiruzen and Koharu exchanged glances, wary that it might be the troublemakers causing another commotion. Hiruzen signaled for the person to enter.

An ANBU ninja, concealed behind a mask, hurriedly entered the room. He looked at Hiruzen hesitantly and said, "Hokage-sama..."

"Just say it clearly!" Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath from his smoke pipe, trying to maintain his composure. "Is it Grass Village again?"

"Yes!" replied the ANBU ninja.

"Of course... What are they up to now?" Hiruzen nodded, expecting nothing less from those troublemakers. He asked, "What have they done this time?"

"They've sold a large number of ninja vests to Iwa," the ANBU ninja replied, handing over an intelligence scroll containing the information.

Upon hearing the ANBU's report, everyone's eyebrows were raised in surprise. Kusa successfully sold ninja vests to Iwa as well? Does Kusa really want to sell their vests to the entire ninja world?

Sarutobi Hiruzen also refocused his attention, pondering the situation for a moment before sighing, "It seems that Iwa is also facing challenges in the war."

But the ANBU ninja quickly clarified, "That's not the case! According to the latest information, the lower-ranking ninjas in Iwa have not yet worn the ninja vests."

"They haven't worn them?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's tone showed genuine surprise. "Then how did you find out?"

The ANBU hesitated for a moment before explaining, "Grass Village hung a banner at the border that said, 'Thanks to Iwa for purchasing ten million ryo worth of ninja vests,' and our border-guarding ninjas saw it!"

The room fell into a moment of silence as everyone learned about the situation. The audacity of Grass Village never ceased to amaze them. Their reputation for shameless actions was well-deserved. It was indeed a brilliant and shameless tactic by Grass Village, manipulating others into making purchases out of fear of falling behind.

This was not the first time they had used such methods to their advantage, Just like when they sold intelligence in the past, they would use the tactic of peer pressure, claiming that other villages had already purchased it. As a result, other villages were left with little choice but to buy it to stay ahead.

Sarutobi Hiruzen picked up his fallen cigarette pipe with a stoic expression and dismissed the ANBU ninja, instructing them to leave the room.

Once they were alone again, Hiruzen leaned back, crossing his hands in front of his chin, and wore a pensive expression. He turned to Koharu and said, "Can the village afford this expense?"

After a moment of hesitation, Koharu reluctantly nodded, "We can manage it. We may need to cut some expenses, but we can make it work." she replied, albeit with a hint of frustration in her voice. The financial strain was evident.

With a tinge of regret, Hiruzen sighed, "In that case, we'll have to negotiate with Grass Village. We should also ask them for a discount as allies," he said, his eyes filled with concern. "We also need to find ways to keep our allies engaged, or else who knows what those guys might do next."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

.

.

.

You can read +5 chapters ahead of everyone on my Patreon

p@treon.com/Kaiszer

(replace ' @ ' with ' a ' for the link)