Naruto: The dungeon I developed went viral throughout the entire ninja world.

Chapter 31: The Daimyo's Urgent Letter, the Threat of Budget Cuts

Top of Hokage Rock.

Hiruzen Sarutobi knelt on the ground, the dull pain in his chest making it difficult for him to breathe.

What just happened completely drained his energy and spirit.

Embezzlement and mistreatment of orphans of martyrs—these two charges weighed him down like two mountains, making it impossible for him to stand up straight.

But he was, after all, a ninja hero, a politician who had ruled Konoha for decades.

As long as people are still around, as long as power remains, even black can be whitewashed.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath. He forcefully circulated his chakra within his body, suppressing the surging blood and qi.

He slowly stood up, seemingly quite philosophical about it. Since his reputation was already ruined, there was no need to pretend to be a kind elder anymore.

The primary task now is to control Naruto, which means controlling the Nine-Tails.

We must not allow this uncontrolled weapon to fall into the wrong hands, nor can we allow it to be used by people with ulterior motives.

"Naruto."

"Your current state is very unstable."

"The Nine-Tails' chakra is eroding your sanity; you're talking nonsense."

"Come back with me, the sealing team needs to check your seal."

This is an order, and of course, an excuse.

If Naruto's condition is attributed to a loss of mental clarity caused by the Nine-Tails' chakra going berserk, then those accusations can be dismissed as madness.

Naruto was not surprised when he heard these words.

"Are you crazy?"

Naruto gripped his trident kunai tightly, already preparing himself.

"I think you're the one who's gone crazy."

"They can even come up with this kind of excuse to cover up their crimes."

Hiruzen Sarutobi ignored Naruto's taunts and made a subtle gesture.

The shadowy figures in the surrounding woods suddenly stirred.

A dozen or so dark figures leaped down from the treetops, surrounding Naruto in a fan shape.

They are the Hokage's personal guard and only obey the Hokage's orders.

Even if he had doubts about the Third Hokage's actions, even if he felt guilty towards Naruto.

But when faced with orders, ninjas are merely tools.

"Let's do it."

Hiruzen Sarutobi coldly gave the order.

"Don't hurt him, knock him out and take him away."

"If you don't listen..."

The old man's eyes suddenly turned vicious.

"Powerful sealing techniques are permitted."

The ANBU drew their ninja swords, preparing for a full-scale attack.

Naruto looked at the approaching Anbu members but did not retreat.

The vortex bloodline within his body was boiling, and his enormous chakra was looking for an outlet.

"Trying to arrest me?"

Naruto held the kunai across his chest.

"Then let's give it a try."

Four golden chains burst forth from his back, forming a Vajra Lock.

Chains swung through the air, each one adorned with golden runes, radiating a terrifying aura that suppressed the chakra of the tailed beasts.

The ANBU members stopped in their tracks. They recognized the technique; it was the signature ninjutsu of the First Hokage's wife, Mito Uzumaki, and the Fourth Hokage's wife, Kushina Uzumaki.

It is also the nemesis of the Nine-Tails.

If they can handle the Nine-Tails, then they can certainly handle these ninjas.

However, after a moment's thought, the captain of the Anbu realized that Naruto was still young and might not have mastered the technique perfectly.

"superior!"

The commander of the secret service gritted his teeth and gave the order.

They couldn't retreat, so several secret agents rushed forward.

Just as the two sides were about to clash, and just as Konoha was about to stage a farce in front of the entire Ninja World—the Hokage capturing the son of a hero—

A loud eagle cry tore through the sky, and everyone instinctively looked up.

A giant ninja hawk swooped down from the night sky.

Its feathers have a noble dark gold color, and it wears a golden cylinder around its neck.

He is the personal messenger of the Daimyo's Mansion in the Land of Fire.

The Ninja Hawk ignored the barrier above Konoha and the tense atmosphere on the Hokage Rock.

"This is……"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression changed.

An urgent dispatch from Daming Prefecture? At this time?

The ninja eagle circled low in the sky, then loosened its claws, and a scroll descended from the heavens.

The scroll landed on the open ground between Hiruzen Sarutobi and Naruto.

Without pausing, the ninja hawk flapped its wings and flew to a high branch, coldly watching the crowd below.

Its eyes seemed to be watching something for its owner.

The entire area fell silent. The Anbu members stopped what they were doing, and Naruto's chains hung suspended in mid-air.

All eyes were focused on the scroll, the surface of which bore the family crest of the daimyo of the Land of Fire.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the scroll, a very ominous premonition rising in his heart.

The daimyo usually doesn't concern himself with the internal affairs of the ninja village unless something major happens that threatens the very foundation of the country.

Now, this letter has arrived at such a crucial moment that it makes him uneasy.

"Pick it up."

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke to the ANBU member beside him.

The secret agents were about to step forward.

"etc."

Store manager Roy's languid words were broadcast throughout the entire venue via the sky screen system.

"Since it's a letter from a daimyo, there's no need to hide it."

"Everyone is concerned about the future of Konoha."

"Why don't you... read it aloud and let us hear it?"

Inside the Illusionary Dojo, Roy sat in front of the control panel.

System notification: [S-rank story item detected: Letter of Inquiry from the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.]

[Will a full online announcement be made?]

"Yes."

Roy pressed the Enter key.

On the Hokage Rock, the scroll on the ground suddenly lit up.

Immediately afterwards, lines of text appeared on the giant light screen in the sky.

It's the contents of the scroll.

The handwriting was messy and the strokes were sharp, revealing the writer's rage at that moment.

Without any embellishment or concealment, the wrath of the highest ruler of the Land of Fire was directly displayed before everyone in the entire ninja world.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi!"

They started by calling him by his name.

"As Hokage, you hold a position but fail to fulfill your responsibilities!"

"Minato Namikaze is the Fourth Hokage, personally appointed by me. A pillar of the nation, a hero of the ninja world!"

"I was deeply saddened to hear that he had sacrificed his life for his country."

"Indeed!"

"Today, as I gaze upon the heavens, I realize that his orphan suffered humiliation in Konoha for a full seven years!"

"They were starving! They had no clothes to wear! They suffered endless bullying!"

"This is deceiving the emperor! This is utter disrespect!"

Every word was like a slap in the face to Hiruzen Sarutobi's old face.

I saw Da Ming's name.

The daimyo, who spent his days indulging in pleasure in the palace, also saw the live broadcast and became very angry.

He appointed the Fourth Hokage.

Slapping the face of the fourth generation of sons is slapping the face of the great name.

Konoha is the military headquarters of the Land of Fire, and the Hokage is a retainer of the Daimyo.

The mistreatment of a hero's orphan, who was bestowed a title by the late emperor, by a subject is not only a political scandal but also a provocation against the authority of the daimyo.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the words on the sky, his hands and feet turning ice-cold.

He had expected Daming to be angry, but he hadn't anticipated that Daming would react so quickly and make such a fuss.

What I didn't expect was that there was something even more ruthless coming up.

"Konoha belongs to the Land of Fire, not to your Sarutobi family's Konoha!"

"Unless you give me a satisfactory explanation, severely punish those responsible, and return Minato Namikaze's legacy!"

"Starting next year!"

"The Land of Fire's financial allocations to Konoha, as well as the budgets for all military operations, will be cut by 50%!"

This last line was more terrifying than any of Naruto's accusations.

A 50% reduction is not just a number; it's the lifeblood of Konoha.

Although Konoha Village is powerful, it does not produce food or cloth.

The ninjas' tools, explosive tags, rations, and even their daily food, clothing, and supplies all depend on the financial allocations from the Land of Fire and the mission assignments issued by the Daimyo's office.

What does cutting the budget in half mean?

Mission rewards have been halved, ninja tool supplies have been halved, many junior and junior ninja will go hungry, and the village's defenses will be unable to be maintained.

Konoha will fall from its pedestal as the number one village in the ninja world and become a second-rate power.

The inability to pay wages could even lead to ninja defections and the disintegration of the village.

"Oh dear, Hokage-sama, it seems your storage fee isn't quite to the daimyo's liking."

"With this 50% budget cut, Konoha's paychecks are probably going to be worthless, right? I wonder if your 300 million ryo of personal savings is enough to cover the food expenses of all the village's ninjas?"

Inside the illusionary dojo, Roy took a sip of iced cola and chuckled into the microphone, seemingly enjoying the spectacle.

"No……"

"This is impossible..."

On the street, a Chunin slumped to the ground.

He was just feeling guilty about what happened to Naruto.

Now, he only feels fear about the future.

When one's own interests are not harmed, everyone feels that it doesn't really matter, but when it actually happens to them, the feeling becomes very real.

"Cut it in half? What will we eat then?"

"I still have a mortgage to pay! My child is in ninja school, how are we going to pay the tuition?"

Panic spread through the crowd.

This panic is more real than the shame of learning the truth. Shame can't put food on the table, but money can.

Without money, you really can starve to death.

The world of ninjas is very realistic. Without money, there is no loyalty.

All eyes were once again focused on the Hokage Rock.

This time.

Everyone's gaze changed; they looked at the Third Hokage as if he were an enemy who had cut off their source of income.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi!"

Someone in the crowd shouted.

They didn't call him Hokage-sama, but addressed him by his given name.

"Look what you've done!"

"Because of your greed, we're going to go hungry too?"

"On what grounds?"

"You embezzled three hundred million taels, and now you expect us to foot the bill?"

Anger stemming from self-interest.

This anger is more intense and longer-lasting than a sense of justice.

If the villagers were silent just now only because of their moral guilt...

When faced with the threat from the daimyo and when their own interests were threatened, they panicked and became furious.

The conflict has completely shifted. They no longer care how much Naruto has suffered. What they hate even more is that Hiruzen Sarutobi has led the village into a mess.

"Step down! Make him step down! Go to the Hokage Building!"

"We demand an explanation!"

Someone took the lead and shouted, and echoes of response followed.

The roars of thousands of people combined to form a terrifying sound wave.

"Go to the Hokage Building! Spit out the 300 million ryo!"

"Don't drag us into this!"

The crowd began to move, like an out-of-control torrent, surging towards the Hokage Building.

The Uchiha clan stood by the roadside, watching coldly.

Fugaku crossed his arms and gave a cold laugh.

"This is the will of the people of Konoha."

"As long as their cake isn't touched, they can turn a blind eye to evil."

"Once you touch their money, they're fiercer than anyone else."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the commotion below and listened to the jarring slogans, still trying to figure out how to smooth things over.

However, the daimyo's letter was public, and the entire ninja world saw it.

If no substantial changes are made, and no explanation is given that satisfies the Daimyo and the entire ninja world, then...

That 50% budget will really be cut.

When that happens, Konoha will be finished, and he will be finished too.

"How could it have turned out like this..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered to himself as he looked at Naruto in front of him.

"It seems so."

Naruto spoke.

"Your golden age is about to collapse."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked down at the surging crowd below. The villagers who once worshipped him had now turned into man-eating beasts.

The situation is completely out of control.