"Hokage-sama!" Naoto hurried into the Hokage's office. "Something happened!"
Funan held the red wine and glanced at Naoto.
Naoto took a deep breath and said firmly, "Hokage-sama, listen to me. The number of missions sent to Konoha shinobi is increasing at an alarming rate."
"The number of missions is increasing? That's good!" Funan still didn't care and said: "More missions means more money. With that I will be able to expand our military force even further."
"Hokage-sama!" Naoto's tone became heavier, and he said, "Do you understand what this means? The Chunin Exam is in progress, and the Five Kage Summit is approaching. In this context, such a drastic increase in missions forces our shinobi to abandon Konoha. What will happen to the village's safety if something happens?"
Funan did not immediately respond. With his glass in his hand, he sat in his chair, silently staring out the window.
At some point, Funan had developed the habit of observing Konoha through his office window.
He liked to watch how, little by little, Konoha changed and transformed into something he really liked.
"Hokage-sama!" Naoto's tone became heavier again.
Funan stretched out a hand.
Naoto quickly handed over the report.
Funan flipped through the report, smiled slightly, and said, "Naoto, it's amazing. The other party has been increasing the number of missions in Konoha since a few months ago, and it's very covert. It's amazing that you can find it."
Naoto said frankly, "I noticed that several shinobi I was on good terms with had left the village at the same time. This coincidence seemed suspicious to me, so I looked into the mission records. The numbers are alarming; there are even dozens of Jonin outside the village. That's why I decided to look into the matter further."
Funan left the report on his desk with disdain. "Everything will remain as it is in Konoha."
"If we keep things as they are, and the enemy keeps sending missions, what will we do then?" Naoto asked directly. "If this continues, we could lose fifty more Jonin and a considerable number of Chunin. If the enemy attacks us, our forces will be spread thin."
"I know!"
"Hokage-sama!" Naoto's voice suddenly became louder. "We don't know how many of the other shinobi villages are our allies or enemies. In the meantime, we're leaving our village unprotected. And let's not forget that Orochimaru and Danzo are also waiting for the right moment to act!"
"I know!"
It was the same answer as always.
Naoto stared at Funan. Finally, he nodded slowly and said, "I understand."
"You may leave."
"Yes!"
Although he didn't get the answer he wanted, Naoto regained his resolve. He chose to believe Funan.
Since Naoto decided to break the balance of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans, he had bet everything on Uchiha Funan.
And that confidence remained intact.
Perhaps the doubt came from the fear of losing what he had already achieved.
So, all he could do was do what he had to do.
Naoto walked out with firm steps.
"Oh, what an excellent subordinate!" Funan smiled and said, "It is because of such subordinates that Konoha will become stronger and stronger."
Yako, who was writing a report at the side, looked up upon hearing this.
"Hokage-sama, I hope you really have that much confidence in yourself. I want to remind you that there are many people in Konoha who believe in you. You won't let us down, will you?"
Funan's response was to raise his thumb, showing his white teeth in a bright smile.
At that instant, Yako felt as if she had heard a resounding [Ding!].
...
[Boom! Boom! Boom!]
A fireworks display lit up the night sky.
Tomorrow would be the decisive day: the final round of the chunin selection exam.
At the same time, Konoha would host the Five Kage Summit.
The Kage of each shinobi village, as well as their guards, had arrived in Konoha today. Tonight's fireworks were a tribute in their honor.
A welcoming gesture!
"It's so beautiful!" Mei was lying on a recliner, looking at the fireworks outside, and sighed. "Konoha now is really enviable."
Beside her, the Raikage, the Tsuchikage, and the Kazekage were all there.
The place where they were staying had been prepared exclusively for them: a luxurious residence with hot springs.
It was a three-story building with every imaginable amenity, truly an example of opulence.
Even the five Kage couldn't help but praise Konoha's attention to detail and hospitality. It was like being on vacation.
Moreover, the wealth of Konoha shocked them.
Ordinary villagers lived in large, well-maintained houses, with radiant faces and healthy bodies.
Many of the village structures were also incomprehensible to them.
They never imagined that a village could be run in such a way.
"Loyalty." Rasa suddenly uttered this word.
The other Kage were silent.
The villagers of Konoha felt a deep sense of pride and belonging towards their village.
It was something that the other villages had not managed to instill in the same way.
"Uchiha Funan, is really a genius." Onoki couldn't help but exclaim.
He had witnessed the founding and development of every village. He had seen charismatic leaders and legendary shinobi fight fiercely.
But he had never met anyone like Uchiha Funan.
An all-round talent.
Funan possessed not only extraordinary combat strength, but also outstanding political skills. In addition, he was a master in economic development and village management.
"What a pity he is our enemy," Onoki muttered. "Otherwise, I would really like to learn from him."
The other Kage fell silent.
Mei's expression was cold, and her eyes flashed with a trace of killing intent. "The chunin exam will soon be over."
The Kage exchanged glances and nodded silently before returning to their rooms.
Only Rasa remained in place.
"Gathering all the Kage in one place, giving them the opportunity to interact and conspire… Bold or confident?" he muttered with a sarcastic smile.
...
Konoha launched fireworks for three consecutive hours.
The entire night sky was tinged with bright colors.
Under the cover of fireworks, several shinobi began to move.
Funan, surrounded by his women, also watched the spectacle.
Although, unlike him, they seemed to be distracted.
"Hehe, don't worry." Funan smiled and reassured them, "No matter if it's the chunin exam or the Five Kage Summit, everything is under control. I assure you that nothing will go wrong."
Kurenai stared at him. "Really?" she asked seriously.
"Of course!"
"Okay," she replied, gritting her teeth. "So can you stop sticking your hand where it doesn't belong?"
From the side, Shirayu, with a cold expression, added, "Cut off his hand."
Funan laughed awkwardly and slowly withdrew his hand.
The night was lovely.
And the women, even more so.
Knowing that the next day would be troublesome, and with the tension building up during this time, Kurenai, Yugao, Shizune, Yako and Shirayu were more passionate than ever. None of them seemed worried about whether Funan would end up exhausted the next day.
For a moment, Funan had his doubts.
Might not these women also have conspired with the enemy to exhaust them before the final battle?
And even if they had, how could he resist such a temptation?
...
At dawn.
With the first ray of light, the shinobi were already prepared.
The day of the final selection for the chunin exam had arrived!
At the event venue, nobles from various nations walked to their seats.
Although some of them tried to keep a smile, their discontent was evident. They had discovered that the area for the commoners was close to theirs. That was not all, technically there was not much difference with the area of those untouchables.
In addition, above them was an even higher dais: the seats reserved for the Five Kage.
This infuriated many nobles, who could barely contain themselves.
If it weren't for the fact that they wanted to avoid trouble, some would have already exploded.
...
Funan, meanwhile, was making the final adjustments to his outfit.
"Are you all ready?" Funan asked calmly.
"Yes," Naoto replied, though his face reflected concern.
"What's wrong?"
Naoto said bluntly: "During this time, the nobles of the various nations have issued numerous missions. As a result, we still have thirty more jonin abroad on errands, and the number of chunin abroad has increased to over two hundred."
"In addition, the area of the new villages under our jurisdiction has suffered multiple attacks by renegade shinobi. We were forced to send Shisui to resolve the situation. You know how important that area is to Konoha."
"I know. I was the one who approved Shisui's mobilization." Funan showed no concern as he adjusted his clothes in front of the mirror.
"Shisui is one of Konoha's greatest combat powers..." Naoto continued.
Funan smiled slightly and said: "We still have a lot of fighting forces to use, don't worry, Naoto."
He put his hand on Naoto's shoulder and looked down at him. "Besides, even without Shisui, I have you, my brave and loyal subordinates. Konoha has nothing to fear!"
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