Gazing at the frustrated Daimyo, Danzo felt no internal stirrings.
As for the Daimyo's supposed defiance unto death, preferring to sacrifice his life for dignity?
Save it. Such a notion was entirely alien to these old nobility.
To encapsulate it with a phrase Danzo had heard in his previous life—
The aristocracy is inherently cowardly.
Born into privilege, they are accustomed to a life of luxury and superiority.
They simply lack the courage to face death.
Thus, even if Danzo placed a blade against their throats, as long as they had breath left, they would not choose death.
Not to mention that Danzo had not been utterly ruthless; he had merely increased the military funding a bit.
A mere pittance, really.
Once assured that Danzo had no intention of eliminating him, the Daimyo finally spoke up weakly.
"Elder Danzo, while I am keen to support Konoha, the truth is, the treasury is genuinely depleted of such funds.
Moreover, the noble ministers may not concur."
Though the Daimyo was the most prominent noble of the Land of Fire, in matters of detail, he still required the assistance of other noble ministers.
Thus, he had to delegate a portion of his power and respect their opinions.
Danzo, however, was unfazed.
"That is of no concern. You simply need to provide me with a list of the opposing nobles.
The Hannya Group has yet to be fully eradicated.
I am certain their wealth could suffice as Konoha's military funds for several years."
Danzo's blunt and menacing words instantly paled the Daimyo once more.
After successfully reaching a 'compromise' with the Daimyo, Danzo had Kakuzu escort him back to another residence and left two Root ninja for close protection.
Though the future seemed bleak, on this night of chaos, with Root's protection, the Daimyo felt oddly reassured.
At least he didn't have to worry about being suddenly assassinated.
And with the deal struck with Danzo, he wouldn't be eliminated by Root either.
But soon the Daimyo clenched his fists again.
I am the Daimyo of the Land of Fire; how could I stoop so low!
I must cultivate my own power and break free from Danzo's control!
Suddenly, a violent explosion sounded from outside.
The Daimyo looked out.
A burst of fire shot up from the direction of the Minister of Finance's residence.
He sighed and said,
"Forget it, it's getting dark. Reviving the noble spirit will have to wait for another day."
That night seemed to stretch into an exceptionally long nightmare.
The avenging Hannya Group rampaged through the city, killing countless nobles in their wake.
It wasn't until dawn broke that the assault finally came to an end.
The Tenshukaku, symbolizing the highest power of the Land of Fire, was now in ruins.
Nearly half of the residence was burned down, turning into pitch-black ruins, with many nobles perishing in the fire.
Ironically, the civilian district outside suffered little impact.
Fortunately, the nominal highest leader of the country—the Daimyo—was still alive.
At the noble meeting convened the next day, he also made a determination regarding the incident.
"Those damned enemy spies from foreign countries, daring to invade our capital and assault the Daimyo and the nobles, are truly unforgivable!"
The Daimyo stood above, venting his anger freely.
Then, changing his expression, he took a deep breath and continued,
"Fortunately, Elder Danzo of the Hidden Leaf was here, protecting the Daimyo and driving away the bandits."
Upon hearing this, the assembled nobles exchanged glances.
Yesterday, His Majesty seemed intent on flaying this Darkness of Shinobi, didn't he?
Why the change of heart today?
However, they were not fools.
Last night's experience was a nightmare for these pampered nobles.
The feeling of cowering under the bed, awaiting their fate, was utterly dreadful.
And the one capable of controlling the situation, leading everything, was probably none other than the Darkness of the Shinobi.
Even if he wasn't the mastermind, he was surely involved somehow.
Didn't you see how many people were missing from the court today?
They were the poor souls who perished in the flames last night!
At this thought, all the nobles shuddered in unison and spoke up:
"Elder Danzo is mighty!"
"Thank you, Elder Danzo!"
Watching the crowd of nobles bowing to him, Danzo's lips curled into a cold, insincere smile.
These nobles dared not voice any discontent and obediently returned to their places.
Fortunately, the Daimyo spoke up at this moment.
"Considering Elder Danzo's great contributions last night, I am prepared to appoint him as the Grand General of the Land of Fire. I wonder if any of the ministers have objections?"
Upon hearing this, everyone was initially stunned.
After all, the Grand General is the highest position below the Daimyo, a position of great power and influence, and the dream of many nobles.
If it were under normal circumstances, the Daimyo's proposal to hand over this position to an 'outsider,' even if he was from Konoha, would definitely face a lot of opposition.
But now...
"Lord Danzo's contributions are immense and his martial virtue is abundant. The position of Grand General is rightfully his!"
A noble stepped forward first.
Then more nobles stood up to express their agreement.
"General Danzo's combat prowess is unparalleled. With his protection, the Daimyo will surely sleep soundly."
Seeing the unanimous support from the ministers, the Daimyo felt a hint of bitterness for some reason.
But despite the bitterness, he still wore a proper smile and handed the sword symbolizing the Grand General to Danzo.
From this moment on, in addition to the titles of Darkness of Shinobi, War God of Konoha, Heavenly Eye, and many others, Danzo acquired another one—that of Grand General of the Land of Fire!
The nobles hurriedly congratulated Danzo.
They had completely forgotten that just yesterday they were discussing how to punish this rebel.
As for Danzo, he didn't have time to make small talk with these people.
He just glanced coldly at the first person who spoke in favor, and then closed his eyes.
Then, the Daimyo announced the second order.
"To prevent a recurrence of last night's incident, the capital has decided to triple the military funds of Konoha! And to crack down on all illegal forces within the borders of the Land of Fire."
No one dared to oppose this.
It was better to sacrifice some wealth and endure a bit of hardship than to perish in the flames, right?
At worst, they could just collect more taxes from their fiefs later.
Seeing no opposition, the Daimyo announced the third matter.
"Formally appoint Minato Namikaze as the Fourth Hokage of Konoha. Here is the appointment document."
The Daimyo forcefully stamped the document with his seal that he had 'regained' overnight, officially appointing Minato as the Fourth Hokage.
With this, the era led by Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, came to a complete end.
The new Konoha led by Minato Namikaze was about to step onto the historical stage.
The newly appointed Hokage, Minato, modestly stated:
"Konoha will certainly fulfill its duties, do its utmost to eliminate illegal forces within the country, and ensure the safety of the Daimyo and the nobles."
Once again, the nobles stepped forward to congratulate Minato.
Minato had no choice but to exchange a few pleasantries with them.
After all, since Elder Danzo had been so indifferent, it wouldn't be polite for him to continue being indifferent.
"Since His Majesty has spoken so much, I suppose I should add a word as well."
As soon as Danzo's hoarse voice sounded, the entire hall fell silent instantly.
Everyone obediently pricked up their ears and listened attentively to his words.
"As the Grand General, I will reconstruct the capital's defense system and assign two ninja to protect the Daimyo's safety.
I hope everyone will cooperate well and avoid any more disrespectful acts such as reckless horse riding.
Otherwise, don't blame me for letting the guards enforce the law."
Danzo's few words instantly sank the hearts of the nobles present to the bottom.
Because this statement meant that Danzo was truly preparing to exercise his power as Grand General and extend his influence into the capital!
This made the free-spirited noble ministers feel somewhat displeased.
But looking at Danzo, whose murderous intent had not yet completely dissipated, they silently swallowed their saliva.
Perhaps it was best to endure a little longer.
_
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