Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 463 Today's Victory - Konoha's White Fang Wins!

Sakumo pulled out a wooden chair, sat down opposite Danzo, and placed the bamboo basket at his feet.

"Good morning, Lord Danzo."

Sakumo picked up the teapot on the table and filled the rough earthenware cup in front of Danzo with hot water.

"Just finished inspecting the sewers?"

"It's an underground pipe network project for separating rainwater and sewage."

Shimura Danzo corrected him, placing his hands folded on the table, "Director Sakumo seems to be having a leisurely day. Instead of overseeing those few acres of land in the fields, he's wandering around near this building."

"Crops have their own growth cycle. There's no use in being impatient."

Sakumo picked up his teacup and blew on the steam. "As for the construction projects, Lord Danzo's blueprints keep coming up one after another, and the funding gaps are getting bigger and bigger."

"hehe."

Danzo picked up the teacup, but didn't drink it; he just twirled it halfway in his hand.

Neither of them raised their voices.

The diners around them were all eating their steamed buns with gusto, and no one noticed the verbal exchange between the two top leaders of the two villages.

The shop assistant came over with a wooden tray and placed the fried dough sticks and steamed buns in front of the two people respectively.

"Please enjoy your meal, gentlemen." The shop assistant withdrew.

Shuo Mao picked up a fried dough stick and took a bite.

This guy was definitely after that money. He must have prepared a whole bunch of blueprints to persuade Hiruzen to allocate the lion's share to the Ministry of Construction.

I won't feel at ease unless we raise the grain reserve rate to twice the wartime demand.

We must secure the expansion funds for the Constant Temperature Barrier Farm today, no matter what.

Sakumo swallowed the food in his mouth. "The soil on those newly cultivated plots of land still needs time to improve; it's truly a bottomless pit. However, the First Hokage's research on Wood Release has accelerated our progress considerably."

When the First Hokage was mentioned, Danzo pressed his fingers slightly harder against the edge of the table.

"Technological power can also improve the soil. Orochimaru's laboratory already has a preliminary plan. You might as well focus your energy on how to optimize the feed."

Shuo Mao stopped chewing.

He bent down and rummaged around in the bamboo basket at his feet for a while.

"Oh, right."

He took three bright red fruits, each no bigger than a thumb, from the bamboo basket and placed them on the empty plate in front of Danzo.

The fruit has a smooth surface and is covered with fresh dew.

"This is a newly cultivated variety that was just picked from the farm yesterday. Orochimaru combined some of the First Hokage's cell culture medium with our own and the Yamanaka clan to accelerate its ripening."

Shuo Mao picked one up, popped it into his mouth, and chewed it with a crunching sound.

"It's sweet and sour, and aids digestion. I sent a basket of these to Hiragan a couple of days ago, and he ate them and kept praising them, saying they're great for his stomach."

Danzo stared at the two red berries on the plate.

What is this?

To showcase the latest achievements of the collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Scientific Research?

Using Hiruzen's evaluation to put me in a bad light?

If I don't eat it, it would make me seem petty, as if I wouldn't even dare to accept a piece of fruit offered to me.

Danzo picked up a red fruit.

The skin has a very faint, pleasant fragrance.

Put it in your mouth.

Take a bite.

The juice bursts in your mouth. It definitely has a sweet and sour taste, and the flesh is soft and melts in your mouth.

I ate two of them.

"The taste is acceptable." Danzo pulled out a tissue to wipe his hands. "But it's just a little thing to satisfy your appetite. You can't govern a country with these things."

Shuo Mao nodded and continued eating his meat bun.

"Lord Danzo is right. I'm just a farmer. When we go to the Hokage's office later, I'll have to trouble Lord Danzo to make some concessions."

"Follow official procedures. Ri-chan will make his own decision."

Danzo stood up, placed the money for the meal on the table, and said, "I'll take my leave now. There are still a few things that need to be revised in the blueprints."

Danzo turned around and walked steadily toward the end of the street.

Sakumo sat in his seat, watching Danzo's back, and stuffed the last bite of fried dough stick into his mouth.

Memory interruption.

The scene shifts back to the restroom.

The intense pain subsided slightly, followed by a feeling of exhaustion.

Danzo sat on the toilet, his hands gripping the fabric on his knees.

Promotes digestion...

Promotes digestion!

This isn't aiding digestion at all; it's practically a colon cleanse!

Could something cultivated by that madman Orochimaru be just an ordinary fruit?

The cell culture medium of the first generation of adults contains extremely violent vitality. How could the digestive system easily absorb that level of stimulation!

Shuo Mao, that guy, eats all sorts of strange plants on the farm every day, and has long since developed an iron stomach.

Sakumo Hatake!

So that I'd be late when submitting my budget request?

"That damn white-haired bastard..."

Danzo gritted his teeth and squeezed out each word, "Sakumo Hatake, you tricked me."

My stomach churned again.

He dared not stand up. The slightest movement would bring back that feeling of danger and loss of control.

The blueprints for the hydroelectric generator set were still in his briefcase.

Budget approval meeting...

Today is completely ruined.

In stark contrast, the Konoha Building has a bright and spacious lobby on the first floor.

Sakumo Hatake changed into a clean green vest, with the white short cloak that represented his identity draped over it.

He walked in through the automatic sensor door with light and energetic steps.

His tall and straight figure was reflected in the marble floor.

The two ninjas on duty at the front desk immediately stood up.

"Good morning, Lord Sakumo."

Good morning.

Shuo Mao hummed a folk tune without lyrics as he walked toward the elevator lobby.

The two people on duty looked at each other.

One of them lowered his voice and whispered to his companion.

"What's going on today? Half an hour ago, when Lord Danzo rushed in, he was faster than a teleportation technique, and his face was so dark it could drip ink. Why is Lord Sakumo so happy now?"

"Don't try to guess what important people are thinking. I heard today is the day the budget is submitted. It's probably a sure thing for Lord Sakumo."

"But isn't Lord Sakumo usually quite serious? He's actually singing today."

"You've hit the jackpot!"

Sakumo stood in front of the elevator door and pressed the up button.

"bite"

With a crisp sound, the metal door slid open to both sides.

He stepped into the elevator car and pressed the button for the top floor.

The elevator car ascended smoothly.

He mentally went over what he was going to say to Hiruzen later.

The heating system of the barrier farm needs to be upgraded, and the chakra conversion rate needs to be improved.

The second production line also needs to be set up.

I wonder if Danzo is still in the toilet right now.

This amount of time is enough to take away more than half of the money.

The fruit of a variant of the Red Jade tomato has outstanding effects.

The pigs on the farm ate it and were able to defecate five times a day, growing fat very quickly.

Today's outcome—Konoha's White Fang wins!

The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened.

Sakumo straightened his cloak and strode toward the heavy wooden door of the Hokage's office.

It's thousands of miles away.

At the border of the Land of Lightning, the wind and rain had stopped, but the sky was still shrouded in thick, leaden-gray clouds.

The damp air was filled with the smell of swirling soil and burnt wood.

In the Konoha Peacekeeping Force camp, Minato Namikaze cut off the communication of the silver metal cube in his hand.

The blue light went out.

The Hokage's highest permission has been granted.

Hanzo's secret alliance and the gathering of his main forces were all within Konoha's calculations.

Minato put the metal cube into the hidden compartment of his ninja tool bag and tightened the zipper.

Turn around.

He faced the various family representatives and the core of the new generation inside the tent.

"Communication ended. The Hokage has approved all action plans."

The air inside the tent instantly tensed up.

Fugaku Uchiha crossed his arms and raised his chin. "It's time to break camp. I don't want to wait a moment longer for those rats on the eastern front."

Nara Shikaku stood in front of the tactical sand table, holding a sharpened wooden stick in his hand, pointing to a narrow gap between two sand dunes.

"Attention all squads. From here, proceed covertly along the western ridge. Do not use large-scale fire or lightning techniques for fire or lighting..."

Choza Akimichi patted his stomach. "No problem. I'm full now, so we can get going. That wild boar we just roasted was really good."

Yamanaka Inoichi stood by, confirming the formation of the sensing troops.

Outside the tent.

Obito deftly stuffed a cooking pot into the sealing scroll.

Kakashi, gripping the hilt of a short sword in one hand, stood on a fallen, withered tree, keeping watch over his surroundings.

"Hey! Kakashi! Stop standing there looking cool, come over here and help roll up this tent! Help me pull down a stake that won't move!"