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Fortunately, Hanabi had always maintained her taijutsu training, so she hadn't gained weight despite her love for food.
Only after sending Hanabi off could Naruto and Hinata properly enjoy their date. And on their way back, Naruto never forgot to bring some snacks for Chōji.
If there were a favorability system, Chōji's score might have been higher than Hinata's by now.
Since he had been to the capital many times, Naruto was familiar with the area, especially the food and shopping streets. However, he had never visited the Daimyō's residence before.
Under Minato's lead, the group arrived at the entrance of the Daimyō's estate. The guards, after verifying their identities, went inside to report. After a short wait, they returned and guided Naruto and the others inside.
From the outside, the Daimyō's estate looked even more grandiose than the Uchiha and Hyūga compounds. Inside, the lavish decorations screamed of wealth and extravagance.
Unlike the Hokage, who had separate living quarters and an office, the Daimyō had an entire building designated as his office, while his residential area was located beyond artificial hills and a man-made lake.
Following the guards, they arrived outside the meeting room. A guard knocked loudly and announced, "My Lord, the Hokage has arrived!"
A slow, deliberate voice responded from within, "Enter."
The guards opened the door, allowing Minato to step inside. Only Naruto and Shisui followed him, while the rest of the entourage was led to a waiting area.
Inside the meeting room, in addition to the Daimyō, four high-ranking ministers were present. It was unclear whether they had been in the middle of a meeting or had gathered specifically for Minato's arrival.
"Lord Daimyō." Minato removed his Hokage hat and held it to his chest as a gesture of respect.
"Ah, Minato, it's been a while," the Daimyō greeted warmly, seated at the head of the meeting table, smiling as he observed the Hokage.
Naruto took the opportunity to scrutinize him. The Daimyō of the Land of Fire appeared to be in his fifties not too fat or thin, clean-shaven, and dressed in a style reminiscent of the previous era.
He also wore an ornamental headpiece resembling a fan, adorned with flame patterns. It was likely a symbol of office, much like the Kage hats.
As Minato had described, the Daimyō exuded a friendly and approachable demeanour.
Perhaps noticing Naruto's gaze, the Daimyō turned to him and said, "This must be your son, right? He looks just like you. I've heard he became a Jōnin at a young age and has even inherited your 'Yellow Flash' moniker. Quite remarkable."
"Nice to meet you, Daimyō-ojisan," Naruto greeted politely, a bit surprised. He had assumed the Daimyō would be more of a figurehead, yet he seemed well-informed about his exploits.
Shisui almost choked "Daimyō-ojisan?!" Only Naruto could come up with such a casual address for the Daimyō.
"Hoh hoh hoh~" The Daimyō chuckled behind his folding fan. "That's a fresh one. No one has ever called me that before. What an amusing child."
Minato quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Apologies, Naruto is still young and somewhat lacking in refinement."
The Daimyō waved it off. "That's what makes him interesting. Come, take a seat."
After a bit of small talk, Naruto and Shisui sat alongside Minato, facing the four ministers.
The Daimyō snapped his fan shut and lightly tapped it against his palm. "I've already heard about the Five Kage Summit. Have you reached a decision?"
Minato nodded solemnly. "Yes. The Akatsuki seek to overthrow the entire shinobi world. The Five Kage have decided to form an Allied Shinobi Force to launch an assault on the Hidden Rain Village and eliminate the Akatsuki. The samurai of the Land of Iron and the shinobi of the Hidden Waterfall Village will also be joining us."
The ministers immediately began murmuring among themselves. The Daimyō asked, "Is the situation truly that dire?"
Minato replied gravely, "Yes. I'm sure you've heard about what happened to the Hidden Cloud. The Hidden Stone has also lost all of its Jinchūriki. Even the Kazekage and Mizukage have been targeted. Their objective is to capture all of the Tailed Beasts. Konoha cannot afford to stay uninvolved."
The Daimyō pondered this for a moment before asking, "I trust your judgment. What do you need from me?"
Minato felt a weight lift off his shoulders. While he had expected the Daimyō's support, hearing it directly still provided reassurance. "We only require your backing. However, considering the worst-case scenario, the Akatsuki might attempt to use you as a hostage to force us into submission. For that reason, we request that you go into hiding before the war begins."
"They would go that far?" The Daimyō was visibly surprised. He had witnessed wars before, but while assassinating Kage was common, targeting the Daimyō was unheard of.
It was an unspoken rule one no one had ever dared to break. The idea seemed unfathomable.
Minato confirmed, "Yes. These individuals no longer care about the established order of this world."
The Daimyō's expression darkened. He slammed his fan onto the table. "Understood. I'll cooperate with your plan. Whatever funds you need, just ask those lunatics cannot be allowed to run rampant!"
In previous shinobi wars, the Daimyō had simply acted as a financial backer, much like placing a bet on an outcome. If his side won, he reaped benefits.
If they lost, it wasn't a major issue the Land of Fire was wealthy enough that he didn't mind. Konoha had never lost, even when outnumbered.
But this was different. These maniacs wanted to involve him personally. That was unacceptable.
Just imagining shinobi using their absurdly versatile jutsu to sneak into his palace and abduct him made the Daimyō uneasy. Why would they target someone as harmless as me?!
Resolving himself, he declared, "As the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, I formally approve Konoha's alliance with the other shinobi villages to form the Allied Shinobi Forces and wage war against the Akatsuki."
Then, he turned to his ministers and commanded, "You are to fully support the Hokage's efforts."
"Yes, sir!" the ministers responded in unison. The Daimyō's safety was at stake, so they took the matter very seriously.
Minato then added, "There's one more thing I'd like to ask for your assistance with."
The Daimyō replied, "Go ahead."
Minato proceeded to explain his vision. If the shinobi world truly sought peace, it wasn't just up to the Kage cooperation between the Five Great Daimyō was just as important.
He hoped that during their time in hiding, the Daimyō would take the opportunity to discuss matters with his counterparts.
As Minato spoke, the Daimyō's expression gradually became more solemn. After a long pause, he exhaled deeply and murmured, "Peace, huh… Even your First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, failed to achieve that. Do you really think you can do better than him?"
Minato didn't claim he would become the greatest Hokage or make grandiose declarations. Instead, he simply smiled with quiet confidence.
"Someone has to try. I can't guarantee the outcome, but if I don't strive to surpass those before me, then what was the point of the First Hokage entrusting the village to us?"
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