"Let's get down to business."
The Third had already left.
Hakken couldn't be bothered with him—an old man like that posed no threat. He was retired now. Whatever he'd done before had nothing to do with him anymore.
But as for the Wall of Honor, that symbol of glory—Hiruzen Sarutobi had no right to be there!
Having Minato there was already more than enough respect for Hiruzen. There were things he'd deliberately left unsaid.
Like how the Senju clan disappeared, and why Tsunade was the only one left. That so-called mystery wasn't a mystery at all.
Integrate into Konoha? Sorry, but no great clan would ever want their bloodline tainted or diluted. No matter how much they "assimilated," a main family branch would always remain.
That was Hakken's understanding. Whether history truly happened that way—only Tsunade, who'd left Konoha, probably knew for sure.
And then there were other questions—why hadn't anyone intervened when the Uzumaki clan was wiped out? How did Sakumo Hatake really die? And so on.
In that sense, Hakken felt he'd already given Hiruzen Sarutobi more respect than he deserved.
He slumped down onto the nearby sofa, wiping his Zanpakutō as he looked at Minato. The Third showing up here was just a brief interruption. He was here today for real business.
"What about the Raikage?"
Minato's expression grew serious again. The Raikage had been captured through Hakken's joint effort with him, yet he had let all the credit go to his student.
That didn't matter. A teacher who truly cared for his student wouldn't mind such things.
But how to deal with the Raikage—that was a real problem. Capturing the Kage of a major village wasn't a small matter. One wrong move could spark an all-out war!
From Konoha's perspective, it looked like a good thing. But if word got out, the Land of Lightning would fall into chaos, and other hidden villages watching from the shadows would surely act! The balance of the ninja world could shift entirely.
Konoha had just barely recovered from the exhaustion of the Third Shinobi World War. If another war broke out now, the Fourth Shinobi World War, there wouldn't be much for them to gain. That made the Raikage's existence suddenly feel like a hot potato.
Of course, this was Minato's own concern. Afraid he might overlook something, he had come to discuss it with Hakken.
Never mistake this man before you for a child. No "child" could ever push the Hokage to the point of coughing up blood.
"What's the rush?"
Hakken shot a puzzled glance at Minato.
To be honest, the moment he walked in, he'd noticed something off about him. It was like Minato had caught someone doing something wrong, yet still felt guilty—almost as if he owed Kumogakure something.
"The Raikage."
Minato froze. Wasn't this the very question that demanded urgency?
Hakken shook his head. Indeed, it was only natural for someone like the Yellow Flash to have such an attitude. He'd watched the original Naruto anime countless times and knew that this kindness and approachability were part of Minato's charm.
But these were enemies. Cold-bloodedness toward enemies was the right approach.
Of course, from his god's-eye perspective, it was easy to say these people lacked a grand vision. Yet once you truly lived in this world, you realized that the environment itself inevitably limited their perspective.
That's why even a transmigrator with a god's-eye view had no right to arrogantly judge others for being narrow-minded. Because if you were truly just an ordinary ninja, you might not even measure up to them.
That point mattered.
So Hakken wasn't going to lecture Minato about "seeing the bigger picture." That would be meaningless. A small nudge would suffice—let Minato think it through himself, and slowly start to see things differently.
That was what someone standing in the Hokage's shadow should do.
"Sensei, it shouldn't be Konoha that's anxious."
"It's Kumogakure."
Hakken spoke seriously. "Kumogakure is more anxious than we are—because the Raikage's fate is still uncertain. Whether other ninja villages learn the news and attack Kumogakure, or Kumogakure chooses to fight to the death, either way, it's only disadvantageous to them."
"And Kumogakure is our enemy—you said it yourself."
They were the enemy.
If the enemy was anxious, why should they be?
"Just wait patiently. As for the Raikage's condition, you don't have to worry. He won't die unless I want him to. At worst, he'll suffer."
"As enemies, we owe them nothing. The moral ground is ours—they were the ones who infiltrated Konoha first. Even if we killed him on the spot, no one would dare accuse Konoha of cruelty."
"This world fears only the strong—only the might of powerful ninja villages."
Approaching Minato, Hakken noticed his thoughtful expression and chuckled softly.
"Also, don't you think Konoha is lacking something right now?"
Lacking something?
Minato's mouth opened, then closed as realization struck him.
"Money!"
He slammed his hand on the table, eyes lighting up.
"Exactly. You've seen the recovery plan for the ANBU—that same plan applies to those Konoha ninja who died in battle. Tripling the death benefits, training new ninja, stocking military supplies."
"Doesn't the Raikage's existence conveniently make up for all that?"
Konoha was indeed short on funds. The root cause still traced back to the aftermath of the Third Shinobi World War—even their humility before the Daimyō stemmed from it.
...
Most ninja villages relied on taxes, mission commissions, and the Daimyō's support for their economy.
To be humble before the Daimyō meant you received only what they were willing to give. It was unreasonable, but reforms could only happen step by step—and Hakken kept that thought to himself.
Exchange the Raikage for money.
At least it would give Konoha some breathing room. Once things stabilized, this roaring First Ninja Village would once again make the world tremble in fear.
With himself and Minato.
And the ANBU, meticulously trained at great cost.
If even that couldn't revive Konoha, then perhaps the village was doomed to fall.
"If possible, when the Kumogakure delegation arrives, I'll personally demonstrate how to handle prisoners of war."
"I believe that after this, you won't need to bother me with such troublesome matters again."
Hakken winked at Minato, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Somehow, I feel like you're going to turn Kumogakure upside down," Minato muttered, shivering slightly under his disciple's mischievous gaze.
"It won't be that bad. At worst, they'll just become sworn enemies of Konoha."
Hakken smiled innocently. "After all, I want my teacher to become..."
"The only Hokage to expand the borders of Konoha—the First Shinobi Village that's been stagnant for decades!"
At that moment, Minato's gaze changed.
...
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