Chapter 172: A Clash of Ideals

The Third Hokage was satisfied with Itachi's answer.

He never stopped testing Itachi.

Itachi is an Uchiha after all.

He will never give the other party 100% trust.

It will be the same in the future.

"Itachi, you are right, but we have no choice." Hiruzen sighed and said: "Konoha has already fallen completely into Funan's hands. Some of his measures seem to strengthen the village, bringing wealth and power, but in reality, they are sowing seeds for future problems."

"He has promoted many civilian shinobi to the rank of Jonin. This will inevitably lead to chaos in Konoha."

"You may think I'm being selfish, but for those civilian shinobi, being a Jonin isn't a blessing. Especially when that's their ceiling."

"If you are not worthy of your position, you are destined to become a hidden danger."

Hiruzen's eyes were a little blurred, and he muttered to himself: "The rank of Jonin should be reserved for shinobi clans. They have their own systems that ensure there are no problems. And the civilian shinobi? They have nothing. If they are suddenly given power, will they be content with their situation?"

"No!"

"They will want to rise, and those already at the top will suppress them, which will inevitably lead to conflict."

"In order to win over these civilian ninjas, Uchiha Funan is destined to split Konoha in the future."

"Shinobi clans belong to the ruling elite, while civilian shinobi maintain order at the Konoha base. Together they contribute to the well-being of the village."

Itachi, hearing this, felt his brain go numb.

It doesn't matter if what you say is true or not, you would only say this in front of me. Try saying it in front of the civilian shinobi, and if you survive until you see the sun tomorrow, I'll change my name to whatever you want!

And from what you say, that Hokage position should never have fallen into your hands, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Your Sarutobi clan belonged to the small shinobi clan back then. According to what you said, you barely managed to hang on to the edge of the middle level of Konoha. If you become the Hokage, it would be a great rebellion!

I'm so mad!

Why can't those at the bottom rise?

Are the top positions predestined to always belong to the same people? Can they not change?

What kind of twisted logic is this?

As Itachi grumbled internally remembering the conversation with Hiruzen, he realized something when he looked at Funan. Suddenly, he froze.

A fleeting thought crossed his mind: The Daimyo!

His body instantly went cold.

The entire Land of Fire, isn't it run exactly according to the logic that Sarutobi Hiruzen sets forth?

The Daimyo is always at the top, regardless of whether he has skills or not, he is destined to be the ruler.

And civilians will always be civilians, resigned to being at the lowest level of society.

Working tirelessly!

Funan has changed Konoha, showing that he considers the entire system of the Land of Fire to be unfair and is determined to change it.

This is why he never went to the Daimyo Mansion.

The day he goes, he will probably take the shinobi army with him.

"What's wrong?" Funan looked at Itachi in surprise, not knowing what happened to him, and his emotions seemed to fluctuate violently.

"No, nothing!" Itachi whispered: "Sarutobi Hiruzen has been testing me constantly, with no results. Now he has decided to reveal some secrets to us, and possibly sacrifice some people. Who do you think they will be?"

"Whoever it is, it doesn't matter. If you send them, we'll take care of them."

Funan didn't care at all and chuckled. "I wish I would send more. Actually, dying today or tomorrow makes no difference."

"What are you going to do with the daimyo?"

"For now, keep putting it off." Funan still didn't care and said: "We will let him wait a few years. As a Daimyo, he needs to be patient. I am teaching him to be calmer."

Itachi couldn't help but say: "The rumors outside are getting stronger and stronger."

"Hehe, that's on purpose. Hiruzen and the others are almost desperate. If we don't give them a little hope, who knows what they might do?"

In the past year, Funan's influence had grown rapidly.

Hiruzen and his people had completely lost any chance.

That was why Funan had kept Itachi close to Hiruzen, to continue sending them information from his side.

Letting rumors spread unchecked also had its reason for being.

He was still in the process of attrition, slowly chipping away at Hiruzen's power. If he could win safely, why risk having his opponent fight to the death?

Furthermore, Hiruzen, after so many years as Hokage, if he decided to fight to the death, could cause chaos that would bring him more than one headache.

[Knock! Knock! Knock!]

A series of knocks on the door interrupted his thoughts.

A red-haired woman with a charming face entered the room.

Itachi's expression became even more strange, and he whispered: "I'll go back first."

"Yes, yes, go, go." Funan waved his hands repeatedly.

Itachi's face darkened and he left in an instant.

The pretty woman laughed. "Itachi didn't seem very happy."

Funan waved to her and said: "Come here!"

The red-haired woman didn't care and sat directly on Funan's legs, hugging Funan's neck with both hands.

"Yako, you are getting more and more beautiful."

"Hehe, how flattering. Karin is almost six years old now, and as a mother I am already getting older."

Uzumaki Yako smiled brightly.

In the second month since Funan took over as Fifth Hokage, he appointed her as his secretary, helping him handle some of Konoha's affairs.

Of course, she also had to take care of certain 'tasks' that a secretary must do...

That was inevitable. Without this special relationship, how was Funan going to keep her so close to him?

"Oh, please! Don't touch there... Don't be naughty." Yako gave Funan a reproachful look. "Have you forgotten that there are still ANBU here?"

Funan chuckled and said: "The ANBU has been reorganized, and now the one who stays with me is..."

Funan snapped his fingers, and an ANBU appeared in response, looking at him unhappily.

Yako looked at the ANBU's figure and asked cautiously: "Miss Yugao?"

"Yeah!"

The ANBU nodded sullenly.

"It's really you!" Yako smiled slightly and said: "I said, how could he bear to let you leave."

Yugao said sullenly: "He is a bastard."

"Hehe, that's also the bastard you like!" Yako laughed.

Yugao looked at her strangely and sighed. "Laugh? We'll see how long you can laugh. If I'm not mistaken..."

Your precious daughter...

"Okay, let's not talk about this." Funan interrupted them and said: "You're already prepared on your side, right? Tell Shirayu, I don't want any trouble to arise."

"Don't worry!"

Both women nodded seriously.

Currently, Yako was Funan's secretary.

Yugao was the captain of the ANBU, in charge of protecting Funan's safety.

Shirayu, meanwhile, was a captain of the Konoha Police Force, responsible for protecting Funan in public.

Seeing the protective forces he had, Hiruzen and the others couldn't help but feel depressed.

"By the way..." Yugao suddenly said. "Not long ago, Shikaku approached the Hokage Residence."

Funan didn't even raise his head. "And nobody told me?"

Yugao said: "He didn't come in at all. He walked around here and left. It's strange. His expression was full of determination, but when he came here, he was full of hesitation."

Funan's hand, which was writing, paused slightly, as if thinking about something.

"Do you want me to call him?"

"No, it's not necessary." Funan smiled slightly, lowered his head again, and said: "Let's wait for him to come to me."

Can't make a decision, Shikaku?

Don't worry, you'll make one.

At that moment, Yako let out a cry of surprise.

"What's wrong?" Yugao looked at her in surprise.

Yako looked at the document in Funan's hands, and with difficulty said: "Hokage-sama, I'm afraid I have to inform you that due to the new projects you proposed, Konoha's budget is running very short. Do you really want to undertake such a large project?"

"No money?"

"Yes!"

"How could it be?" Funan looked surprised. "Didn't the daimyo allocate funds?"

Yako rolled his eyes, then looked at Funan and said: "Don't you know what our relationship with the daimyo is like? We haven't even received the money."

Funan's face darkened.

"Have we only been given money twice since you took office?"

"Yes!"

At the beginning of Funan's rise to power, the daimyo agreed to give a sum of money as a support for Funan.

That sum was to be divided into four parts, but so far, they had only received the first two.

"The daimyo is really a problem..."

Funan crossed his arms and fell into deep thought.

"How about..." Funan hesitated and said: "How about we ask the Third Hokage for a little more? Not much, another 400 million ryo would be fine."

Both women looked at him with their eyes rolled back and said: "Are you crazy? Do you want to kill them?"

A possible source of money was the Daimyo.

The daimyo mansion must have money.

Of course, Funan's idea is not to go to the daimyo mansion to pay homage to the daimyo, but to take it down.

To Funan, the daimyo is just a piece of rotten meat with a rancid smell.

Funan felt that he would be ruined if he let such a guy boss him around.

But it wasn't the right time.

Funan pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes.

Sarutobi Hiruzen!

This guy was really a headache. It was because of his existence that Funan had to change many of his plans.

Funan slowly got up, looked out the window, and suddenly said: "The plan is still being implemented."

"The money..."

"It will come soon, don't worry!"

"Understood!"

After the two women left, Funan muttered to himself.

"The richest woman and the most profitable man in the entire shinobi world are in my hands. How is it possible that I don't have money?"

"It's impossible!"

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