CH - 282 Daimyo's request.

This kid has definitely gotten smarter, hasn't he? Where did the old Obito go—the one who was pure, kind-hearted, innocent, and always eager to help his friends?

How did he turn into this? The old Uchiha Obito would've jumped at the chance to help a friend in need, without asking for anything in return. He would've pounded his chest and agreed without a second thought.

What on earth has he been learning at the academy these past few years? Where's the selfless spirit of Kusagakure that he should be embodying? Did he skip all the ethics classes?

After finalizing the transportation fee with Obito and seeing the satisfied grin on his face, Akihiko couldn't help but shake his head with a sigh. What has this shinobi world come to?

Black Zetsu's become a bully, the legendary shinobi is a deadbeat, Danzō's suddenly generous, and now Obito has... gotten smarter? Can Black Zetsu's mom even come back at this rate?

Just thinking about it was depressing. With a sigh, he glanced at the letter from his friend, Danzō, still lying on the table. Oh well, at least someone else is covering the transportation fee, so it's not such a big deal.

After a moment of contemplation, Akihiko sighed and said, "Inform the Allied Shinobi Forces that Sand Village still requires an additional one billion Ryo..."

But Before he could finish his sentence, Baki burst in with a peculiar expression. "Akihiko-sama, Hanzō-sama, Chiyo-sama, Ebizō-sama, and Pakura-sama, there's a message from the Daimyō of the Land of Wind."

"Daimyō?" Everyone looked up in surprise, particularly Chiyo, who furrowed her brow and said, "What is Daimyō doing sending a message now? Does he think Sand Village isn't disbanding fast enough? Tell the Daimyō that Sand Village is no longer under his control and that we no longer need to heed his directives!"

Isn't the Daimyō being unnecessarily meddlesome? Sand Village has already made its decision to disband, but he is still sending messages at this time?

However, before Chiyo's words could fully land, Baki, still wearing that peculiar expression, hesitated for a moment before speaking. "The Daimyō sent a message asking if we could... not disband after all and instead continue as we were before?"

What on earth? First, the Daimyō wanted them to disband, and now he wants them to stay the same? The room filled with irritation as everyone turned to Baki, disbelief and frustration evident in their eyes. Is this supposed to be some kind of cruel joke at Sand Village's expense?

Even Ebizō, who had been silently supporting his sister's decisions, couldn't hold back his anger any longer. "This is ridiculous! What does the Daimyō think he is doing? Does he really believe that Sand Village is so dependent on the Land of Wind that we can't survive on our own? Tell the Daimyō... it's too late for that!"

"I understand, Lord Ebizō," Baki replied with a heavy sigh. "However, it seems the Daimyō made this decision due to... some unforeseen circumstances."

"Unforeseen circumstances? And what does that have to do with Sand Village?" Chiyo scoffed, her voice laced with sarcasm. "What kind of unforeseen circumstances? Don't tell me he ran out of money to hire the Four Great Shinobi Villages!"

Baki, caught off guard by her sharp remark, hesitated before nodding with a mix of disbelief and resignation. "Yes, Chiyo-sama. According to intelligence... the Daimyō of the Land of Wind recently suffered a major financial setback. It seems funds are indeed tight, and as a result, he no longer intends to disband Sand Village."

Everyone in the room was left speechless, their thoughts unified in a collective, What the f*?

…

"Stop the operation? This is war! Does he even understand what that means?" The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, roared as he slammed his hand on the table, his mustache bristling with fury. The message from the Daimyō of the Land of Wind, requesting to withdraw from the mission, had clearly pushed him to the edge. "Does he really think war is something that can just be called off like a mere inconvenience? This is utterly ridiculous!"

The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of Onoki's words hanging in the air. How much have they earned so far? Only about three billion Ryo. When divided among the villages, each would only receive a few hundred million. And now, this Daimyō wanted to pull out? Where else could they find such an easy way to make money? Onoki's anger was shared by the other leaders, who nodded in agreement. They all understood the truth: there was no way they could end this operation now.

In just a few days, they had made more money than they could have imagined, and all without suffering any real losses. The profits from this mission were staggering, and it wasn't from annihilating Sand Village that they were raking in the cash. The real money was coming from blackmailing the Daimyō of the Land of Wind, squeezing him dry with the threat of continued war. The thought of letting that golden opportunity slip away was unthinkable.

As the discussion intensified, the gathered Kage couldn't help but admire Shimura Danzō's cunning strategy. Known as an advisor and close confidant of the Third Hokage, Danzō's plan to use Sand Village as leverage against the Daimyō of the Land of Wind was nothing short of audacious. Who would have thought that a shinobi, bound by the code of honor, could devise such a shrewd and ruthless tactic?

Though they had shared some of the profits with Sand Village, the investment was worth every Ryo. The money had kept Sand Village in the game, and if the need arose, they could always find a way to "retrieve" what they had given. After all, Sand Village was now more dependent on the Allied Shinobi Forces than ever before. They had no other options, no allies to turn to, and no means to resist. The village was theirs to manipulate as they saw fit.

As for the Daimyō of the Land of Wind… The Fourth Raikage, A, let out a cold snort, his muscular fist slamming down on the table with a resounding thud. "The Land of Wind has forfeited the right to negotiate with us after losing Sand Village. Things have escalated too far; there's no turning back now. Relay to the Daimyō that Sand Village harbors extreme hostility toward him. If not for the restraint imposed by the Allied Shinobi Forces, their shinobi would have already marched on him!"

He paused, his sharp eyes scanning the room, a knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Where's our advisor? Let's see what Danzō suggests as our next move."

Even the Fourth Raikage, A, couldn't help but feel a grudging respect for Danzō. Though he had long considered the Fourth Hokage his greatest rival, he had to admit that this advisor from Konoha was just as formidable. In matters of strategy, Konoha truly seemed to be filled with talent.

However, despite the respect he felt, a slight unease gnawed at him. The vast sums of money they had extorted from the Daimyō of the Land of Wind were still in Danzō's possession. Yet, the Fourth Raikage still trusted the current arrangement. After all, now wasn't the time to discuss the distribution of funds. Dividing the money unevenly could foster dissatisfaction among the villages and any dissatisfaction among the villages could spell trouble for the Allied Shinobi Forces, and now wasn't the time for internal conflict.

Therefore, For the moment, it seemed wiser to let Danzō, who had not only proposed the scheme but also carried the weight of his seniority and reputation, hold onto the funds.

Turning to one of the guards stationed at the entrance, the Raikage ordered, "Quickly, go and invite Advisor Danzō here."

"Yes, Raikage-sama!" the shinobi responded, immediately sprinting off to fetch Danzō. The urgency in his steps reflected the importance of the man he was sent to retrieve. After all, who among the Allied Shinobi Forces didn't know of Danzō's growing reputation? He was the mastermind behind their current strategy, the one who had turned a precarious situation into an opportunity for profit.

As the shinobi departed, the room settled into a tense silence. The other Kage exchanged glances, each waiting for the arrival of the man who had become the architect of their current success. The anticipation was palpable, for Danzō's next move could very well determine the course of the war—and the fate of Sand Village.

The shinobi arrived at Danzō's temporary quarters and called out loudly, "Lord Danzō! The Fourth Raikage requests your presence!"

However, Before he could finish his sentence, a series of strange, hurried noises—thud-thud-clang—echoed from inside the room.

Startled, the shinobi instinctively moved to rush in and investigate, but before he could act, a voice from within called out, "I know, I'll be there shortly!"

Concerned, the shinobi hesitated and tried to ask if something was wrong, "Lord Danzō, are you..."

But before he could finish, Danzō's voice cut him off, understanding the worry in the shinobi's tone. "I just caught a cold, probably from not being accustomed to the local water and soil. I just slipped a bit, but there's no need for concern. I just need a bit of rest. I'll be there soon."

"Understood," the shinobi replied, still somewhat puzzled but reassured by Danzō's words. He turned and left to report back.

Inside the temporary quarters, Danzō let out a sigh of relief as he confirmed that the shinobi had finally departed. He turned to Kakashi, who had been assigned to assist him, and grumbled, "What are you doing? Move with more caution! With skills like yours, how did you even become a jōnin of Konoha?"

Danzō's frustration was palpable. Was this really how far Konoha had fallen? With a resigned sigh, he lowered his voice and said, "Get ready. It's time for us to leave."

Kakashi's hand froze mid-motion. He looked at Danzō, who was now packing his belongings, with a conflicted expression. Internally, Kakashi couldn't help but wonder, 'Danzō-sama, isn't what we're doing... a bit questionable?'