Chapter 155: Just Restoring the Glory of the Previous Hokage

Hearing Yamanaka Chujiu's rebuke, the older generation of Konoha Ninja were all dumbfounded.

Wait, since when could our ninja point at the Daimyo and nobles' noses and directly curse them for being less than human?

Shouldn't it be that when the Hokage faces the Daimyo's aggressive pressure, being able to respond calmly, neither servile nor overbearing, neither compromising nor recklessly starting a war, is already worthy of praise?

Yamanaka Chujiu smiled: "It seems the predecessors have not yet forgotten the Third Hokage, still treating his every action as the norm of the Ninja World and Konohagakure."

"Honored predecessors, I ask just one thing: have you ever seen the First Hokage humbly beg the Daimyo?"

"Have you ever seen the Second Hokage swallow his pride and ask the Daimyo for more money?"

Humans are a very forgetful kind of animal; some people forget what they had for dinner yesterday the moment they wake up in the morning.

Let alone that Yamanaka Chujiu was asking about things from a full 20, even 30 years ago.

The old ninja instinctively didn't want to recall, but in front of Yamanaka Chujiu, their emotions were no longer under their own control.

The faintest curiosity was stirred by the Thought Threads, rapidly swelling into an irresistible impulse, forcing the old fellows to earnestly recall and think.

Finally, they dug out some residue-like images from their settled memories.

The First Hokage of those days merely went to see the Daimyo once, told him the Land of Fire was already pacified, Konohagakure had been established, and the Daimyo no longer needed to worry about security.

After that, the First Hokage never paid the Daimyo any attention again.

Even when the Daimyo eagerly delivered money of his own accord, the First didn't see him, only having Konoha's then-grand steward Senju Tobirama step out to take the money and send him away.

The last time they met was when the Daimyo sent his most beloved daughter Matsuki, shamelessly insisting she become the First Hokage's son's wife.

No matter how one looked at it, the Hokage and Daimyo families marrying was a major event showcasing the political stability of the Land of Fire.

After Senju Tobirama's repeated persuasion, the First Hokage was finally convinced and met her once at the wedding — this was also the last time they saw each other in their lives.

What about the Second Hokage?

Heh, the Second Hokage was far more excessive than the First.

The First Hokage merely couldn't be bothered with the Daimyo; the Second Hokage, whether there was business or not, would send people, and his opening and closing lines were always three things: you owe me money, and you've got ideas above your station!

Of course, the main thing was demanding money. The Second's words were very polite, summarized as:

The Daimyo earns a hundred taels, should give me ninety-five!

In-laws weeping is wasted effort, my methods you know well!

The remaining five taels don't squander, ninja running errands takes four taels!

Save that last bit well, one day when there's trouble I'll come asking!

What oppressing Konoha, what skimming military funds, what privately pocketing war profits — none of it existed.

The Daimyo's estate was just the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama's personal piggy bank!

When the Second Hokage demanded money too fiercely, the Daimyo would also feel very uncomfortable and start making little moves.

Then he would be in for terrible misfortune.

Senju Tobirama's eyes could not tolerate a single grain of sand; the moment the Daimyo made any little move, he would immediately discover it and beat the Daimyo severely.

The Daimyo estate's ninja army was disbanded, and the most loyal ninja could only go to Fire Temple to become monks.

The most rambunctious noble, who put forward the theory that "the Jade of the Land of Fire can only belong to the Daimyo," died with his entire family without a sound.

Even though the chickens and dogs in his house were clearly poisoned to death, the Daimyo could only accept the explanations of "serious illness" and "epidemic prevention," watching his loyal minister's corpse be burned to ashes.

I remember now, I remember everything!

The older generation of ninja grew excited — so our Konohagakure was once this arrogant, this domineering, this proud!

Then how did we end up in our current state?

Oh, it's all Sarutobi Hiruzen's fault!

Yamanaka Chujiu asked the old ninja to rise and tell, one by one, the history they recalled.

The Konoha Jonin listened dumbfounded, yet their blood boiled with passion.

Yamanaka Chujiu struck while the iron was hot: "Therefore, we are not rebelling against the Daimyo, but restoring the former glory of Konohagakure — make Konoha great again!"

The 8 squad leaders of the Rising Sun Organization excitedly jumped up.

They raised their hands high and cheered: "Make Konoha great again!"

The Konoha Jonin were also infected: "Make Konoha great again!"

Yamanaka Chujiu stood up: "I propose that from today onward, we publicize the Daimyo's greedy and selfish deeds among the common people, minor nobles, and merchants of the Land of Fire, and comprehensively arrest the Daimyo's tax officials and tax clerks, to disintegrate his ruling foundation and the people's support."

"Mobilize the sensory units and mobile units, strictly guard the border lines, and prevent interference from other ninja villages."

"Hmph, the Fire Daimyo has long lived in his deep palace, lived in comfort, timid and cowardly, relying only on a handful of ninja monks under his command, as well as Wandering Ninja and rogue ninja he has taken in."

"I very much look forward to His Excellency the Daimyo being tough for once, uniting foreign powers such as the Land of Earth, Land of Wind, and Land of Lightning, and declaring war on our Konohagakure."

"If he can be that tough, I can directly dispatch troops to attack the Land of Fire, cleanly and decisively ending the Daimyo's rule, making the Land of Fire a nation directly controlled by Konohagakure."

Nara Shikaku reminded him: "Acting Hokage-sama, your judgment of the Daimyo is very correct — he is cowardly and timid, and would never dare provoke our Konohagakure."

Yamanaka Chujiu regretfully sighed: "I know, that's why I said 'if.'"

"What a pity, Konohagakure still has to drag along such a huge burden and continue to press forward under its weight."

Next, the Konoha Ninja took the initiative, arresting tax officials and tax clerks, cutting off the Daimyo estate's financial source, and also spreading the Daimyo's criminal deeds to destroy his reputation.

Just as Nara Shikaku had said, the Daimyo only fumed at home, yet did not utter a single word about dealing with Konohagakure.

He also did not contact the Wind Shadow, Tsuchikage, or Raikage abroad, only writing letters to foreign nobles to weep and complain that his life was growing ever more difficult, that he couldn't even buy a new golden toilet that he wanted.

Three months later, the Fire Daimyo was completely out of money, silently disbanding the Guardian Shinobi Twelve, sending the chakra monks back to Fire Temple for training, and himself reducing the number of banquets and lowering the standard of every meal.

The Daimyo used this method to tell Yamanaka Chujiu: I accept Konoha's new policies, I accept that Konoha has completely broken free of the Daimyo's economic control — I only ask that you spare my life.

Don't kill me!

Shisui Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha, Hyuga Hiashi, and Hyuga Hizashi asked in disbelief: "The Daimyo just bowed his head and admitted defeat like that?"

Yamanaka Chujiu countered: "What else?"

"He certainly didn't want to admit defeat, and still wanted to suppress our Konohagakure again, but what could he do?"

"The Daimyo is just a person, not the strongest ninja in the Ninja World, and certainly not a god who controls fate. Even if he fights with everything he has, there's nothing he can do to our Konohagakure."

"Then why was he able to before…"

"Before, he had the Third Hokage as his trump card. In many matters, it was Konohagakure's Hokage-sama himself who was dealing with Konohagakure's ninja."

"What we've achieved now is merely restoring the glory of the previous Hokage."

"Keep up the good work, everyone!"

"From here on, we still have to create a brilliance that belongs to us!"

"Yes! Acting Hokage-sama!"