Ōnoki and his team departed with a mix of frustration and reluctant acceptance written on their faces, leaving the Konoha contingent in an awkward silence.
"Lord Hokage, was there something else?" Yuto asked with a smile.
"Lord Hayashi…"
"You can just call me Yuto, like before."
"Very well, Lord Yuto." Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent for a moment before deciding to stick with the formal title. "Actually, we wanted to discuss the matter of labour reassignment with you."
"Oh?" Yuto raised an eyebrow.
"Compared to Kirigakure, Konoha possesses superior ninja resources," Hiruzen stated solemnly, his tone firm. "I believe we are better suited for cooperation with your nation!"
"What you say is true, but the Land of Waves doesn't require extensive ninja resources," Yuto replied, a gentle smile playing on his lips as he spoke. "The assistance from Kirigakure is more than sufficient."
Hiruzen's shoulders slumped almost imperceptibly. Yuto saw right through it—this wasn't about helping the Land of Waves; it was pure envy over Kirigakure's drastically reduced debt.
"This…" Hiruzen faltered before softening his tone. "Surely there's room for negotiation, Lord Yuto? Konoha is, after all, the village that raised you."
Well, well, playing the emotional card, are we?
A mocking smile curled at the corner of Yuto's lips.
Just as he was about to respond with a sarcastic refusal, a golden option interface popped up before him.
[Choose.]
[1. Demand they hand over Uzumaki Mito's remains in exchange for a twenty-billion reduction.]
[2. Demand they hand over Hatake Sāya's remains in exchange for a thirty-billion reduction.]
[3. Demand they trade Danzo's ass in exchange for a forty-billion reduction.]
'Hatake Sāya…? Isn't that Kakashi's mom?'
'Damn system, you've really outdone yourself this time! Do you even have a shred of decency left?"
'And most importantly, what's this about Danzo's ass?'
'Is that thing even worth forty billion? a stray dog wouldn't touch it!'
Screaming internally, he kept his face a perfect mask of calm. "I do have one proposal," he said, his voice even. "I wonder if you'd be willing to consider it?"
"Please, go on!" Hiruzen urged, a spark of hope reigniting in his eyes. He'd already decided—short of outright treason, he'd agree to almost anything. The financial strain was crushing Konoha.
Five billion in reparations over five years—the thought alone was giving him headache.
"Uzumaki Mito…" Yuto paused for a moment, feigning calm.
"What about her?" Hiruzen was stunned.
"Bring me her remains, and I'll reduce your debt by twenty billion," Yuto said his gaze drifting to the side.
"???"
This time, it wasn't just Hiruzen; Homura Mitokado and Danzō Shimura were also wide-eyed.
Uzumaki Mito's remains?
This kid… he really has the nerve to ask—
Wait a minute!
Could it be that his "thing for mothers" is acting up again?
But come on, at least have some respect for basic decency!
That's the wife of the First Hokage, Tsunade's own grandmother! How can you even consider something like this?
What an absolute degenerate!
Hiruzen and the others silently raged internally, their faces gradually darkening.
—
—
As the setting sun cast its dying light over the evening, Yuto returned to his office to continue refining the "Valley of the End" game.
Mikoto stood behind him, massaging his shoulders with wifely tenderness, On the couch, Kushina had her bare feet kicked up onto his lap, a mischievous, knowing glint in her eyes.
"I know that look," Yuto said without turning from his work. "Don't even start. It was the curse."
"Heh heh." Kushina's only response was a low, eerie chuckle that seemed to vibrate through the room.
"Ugh, that laugh," Mikoto shuddered, rubbing her own arms. "It's creepy. Stop it, you're giving me goosebumps."
"Really?" Kushina swung her legs down, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "Here, let me rub them for you~"
"Get away from me," Mikoto waved her off dismissively, rolling her eyes. "Who knows what'll happen if I let you touch me! If you have something to say, just say it. Why all the theatrics?"
"We know it's the curse, and that this little rascal isn't serious… but does old man Third and his minions know that?" Kushina raised an eyebrow, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "I bet they took it seriously!"
"So what if they did? There's no way they'd agree to something like that," Mikoto said, blinking in confusion.
"That's hard to say," Kushina replied, spearing a piece of apple from the dish on the desk and popping it into her mouth, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
"No… surely not," Mikoto frowned, now slightly unsettled by her expression.
Kushina let out a light laugh, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "They even used the First Hokage's cells for research. Why wouldn't they hand over his wife's remains if it suited them?"
"But…"
"Little rascal, switch the screen! Show us what the old man is up to!"
Yuto hesitated for a second but ultimately complied.
—
Inside a dimly lit cell.
Hiruzen, Danzō, and Homura had gathered in a corner to discuss the condition Yuto had proposed.
"Well?" Hiruzen's voice was gravelly with stress. "What are your thoughts?"
"The boy's insolence knows no bounds," Danzō stated flatly, his single visible eye narrowed.
"It's unconscionable!" Homura sputtered, his face flushed with indignation. "The wife of our founding Hokage! How could she become some plaything for him?"
"So we refuse?" Hiruzen said, letting out a relieved sigh.
Silence.
It stretched on, heavy and uncomfortable. Both Danzō and Homura refused to meet his gaze, their eyes fixed on the floor or the wall.
Hiruzen's eye twitched. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked, his anger simmering. "Why won't you answer me?"
"You're the Hokage, Hiruzen."
"The decision is ultimately yours to make."
They spoke in near unison, their voices carefully neutral.
Hiruzen felt a hot surge of fury. He knew this game. They all saw the same thing: a chance to wipe away twenty billion in crippling debt. A cold, clinical bargain.
But saying it out loud would brand the speaker a monster for all of history. They were waiting for him to be the one to say the unsayable, to bear the damnation so they could share the benefit.
His two oldest friends were offering him up as the sacrificial lamb.
"I've decided we refuse!" Hiruzen snapped, his voice cracking with the strain. "Konoha's honor is not for sale! We will not be remembered as the ones who desecrated Lady Mito's rest!"
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