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Chapter 107: Forcing the Palace in Konoha (1)
Upon Orochimaru's arrival, George not only allocated substantial funds for his research but also provided prisoners from state jails as experimental material. Yet, these incentives alone wouldn't have swayed Orochimaru.
What truly won him over was a research document George had brought with him, a modern cytology thesis from another world. Orochimaru had seen many things in his lifetime, but this knowledge, its theories centuries ahead of anything in the Shinobi world, enraptured him.
To Orochimaru, it wasn't merely science; it was the first honest glimpse into something purer than jutsu: biological mastery untainted by chakra's restrictions. For the first time in decades, he felt as though he'd found a peer.
If one had the option to walk in the light, who would cling to the shadows? For all his infamy, Orochimaru, like George, sought eternal life, not through conquest, but through understanding. George didn't condemn him. On the contrary, he saw in Orochimaru a reflection of his own ambition: a life devoted to higher pursuits.
A year passed swiftly. It was now Konoha Year 55, a peaceful year in public, but within the Land of Fire, transformation was underway.
Agricultural overhauls, targeted industrial investment, and personalized tax reform each initiative chipped away at the traditional power of the nobility.
Some nobles protested, but George offered them options: modern industries, technology firms, and access to land reform. Those who clung to their old ways were stripped of their estates and titles.
Yet George wasn't a tyrant. He simply enforced change. In this age, the ability to adapt was the only guarantee of survival.
By now, his control over the Land of Fire's politics and economy was near absolute. None questioned his authority.
During this period, George's intelligence network uncovered traces of a man named Shinno in a coastal town. Curious, George personally traveled there and discovered an ancient structure, Angkor Fortress, hidden within a sea cave.
Though the base had no power supply and couldn't be moved, George didn't need it to.
Using the portable scanning tech he'd stored in his space, he recorded the fortress in its entirety. Upon returning to the Marvel Main Universe, George handed the scans to his AI assistant, Monday. Together, they redrew the entire design. The fortress would serve future plans.
Meanwhile, Tsunade, who had lived next door to George for some time now, had undergone a subtle transformation. Initially annoyed by the nighttime sounds from George's chambers, she gradually grew indifferent. Eventually, perhaps out of curiosity or inevitability, she visited him. Their relationship evolved.
With Princess Miyuhana clearly no match for George's intensity, Tsunade, who understood him better, aligned with him in more ways than one.
While George occasionally returned to the Marvel world to be with Alice, the Naruto world had grown accustomed to his rare public appearances. On one such return, George reviewed a new budget request from Konoha. The document asked for 2 billion ryō, double the previous year. George's smile, subtle and unreadable, never reached his eyes.
To his subordinates, he appeared furious.
That night, with Tsunade draped loosely in his arms, George said, "Tsunade, I'm going to Konoha."
Still half-asleep, she murmured, "Did something happen?"
"I received a secret report—Shimura Danzo has started moving against me. Three civilians from my hometown have disappeared."
Tsunade sat upright. "That bastard!"
"Heh. I understand their suspicions. My succession wasn't traditional. The deaths of Miyuhana's father and brother left many questions. But I gave them a year to investigate. They've found nothing, yet still treat me like a criminal. It's time to end this."
"I'm coming too," she said.
"Of course. And Orochimaru as well. I promised to clear his name, and now's the time."
Tsunade showed no objection. As a master of medical arts, she understood the necessity of human research in advancing jutsu. Besides, Orochimaru was a fellow Sannin—a connection she hadn't forgotten.
The next morning, two guards at the Daimyō's estate fell unconscious. Orochimaru's doing.
That afternoon, George led a formal procession: Tsunade, Orochimaru, the Twelve Guardian Ninja—all marching under the Daimyō's flag straight into Konoha.
Konoha – Hokage Building
George sat upon a raised platform. "Are all the Jōnin present?"
"Yes, My Lord," came the chorus. The room bowed in unison.
"Heh. I hope that's sincere," George said, scanning the faces of Konoha's elite. "Two days ago, I received your annual budget request. Last year, you asked for 1 billion. This year, 2 billion. I'd like to know why."
The crowd stirred. Several Jōnin exchanged glances. One of them, a younger commander, was confused. He hadn't even been briefed.
Hiruzen and Koharu looked at each other. Then Koharu stepped forward.
"My Lord, this year's request includes long-delayed reparations related to the Kumo and Iwa conflicts. Also, extensive damage from prior battles remains unrepaired."
George smirked. "Funny. You're issuing pensions and doing reconstruction two years after the war ended?"
He raised his hand to silence the murmurs.
"I won't ask about the past. But when I approved last year's budget, I requested to see the full accounting this year. So, where are the ledgers?"
"This…" Koharu hesitated, but only for show.
"I will fetch them immediately."
She exited swiftly. They had planned for this.
While she was gone, George turned to Hiruzen. "The 'Will of Fire.' Tsunade mentions it often. What does it mean to you?"
Hiruzen stood. "It means: where the leaves dance, fire burns. The flame lights the village and lets new leaves grow. The young are the future. The old must protect them."
"Beautiful," George said. "Then tell me, who are the young leaves?"
"Kakashi Hatake, Anko Mitarashi, Itachi Uchiha…" Hiruzen listed. "Most are on missions."
"Pity."
Just then, Koharu returned with a stack of ledgers. A secretary passed them to George.
He flipped through them rapidly, page after page, faster than any eye could follow. Within minutes, he'd read them all.
Then he laughed.
"Heh heh… My Lord?" Koharu asked nervously.
George held up one page. "Can someone explain why Konoha paid a shipment of supplies to Sunagakure?"
"They purchased supplies post-war," Koharu said. "Kumogakure's payment was delayed, so we fronted it."
George raised an eyebrow. "So… Konoha won the war, yet paid the defeated party, and never set a repayment deadline?"
"That's… an oversimplification."
"Is there a contract? A receipt? A clause?"
Silence.
George reached into his sleeve. "Then explain this."
He tossed a sealed document before Hiruzen.
The Hokage opened it and blanched.
It was the original peace agreement with Sunagakure. The one Homura had claimed was destroyed. Its presence here meant one thing: Sunagakure had leaked it.
Hiruzen passed the document to Homura, who froze. It stopped in Danzo's hand.
"This is a forgery!" Danzo snapped.
George's smile returned, but colder now.
"To forge a peace treaty… would require intimate knowledge of both parties. And their seals. Would you like me to summon Sunagakure's delegation to verify it?"
No answer came.
For the first time, the entire hall fell truly silent.
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