Yes, the Hokage!

“You’re different from Obito. You don’t need Wood Release. You just need the one that can reduce the side effects of the Mangekyou Sharingan. So don’t try it on a large scale. Prioritize your own safety. It’s best if you can control it, but don’t force it if you can’t, understand?”

"Yes, I will try my best." Shisui nodded.

"Yes, take care of yourself."

Feng Lan patted his shoulder for the third time, then picked up the heavy ninja umbrella and put it into the sealing scroll, nodding at Obito: "Pay up."

Obito took out the payment he had prepared when he left Kamui dimension and placed it in front of the Four Heavenly Kings.

"This..." However, despite receiving money, the four of them were not happy. Peacock hurriedly said, "What about the agreement to exchange ninja tools for the Peacock Twin Swords?"

"Once you've successfully made this umbrella able to control the iron sand, I'll naturally return it to you." Feng Lan waved her hand. "To avoid you being lazy, I'll keep this thing in my hands for a little while longer."

"you!"

The most hot-tempered Water Tiger couldn't help but step forward, and the beast mask on the chest of his infinite-hole armor suddenly opened its eyes.

"Um?!"

But at that moment, two pairs of cold Sharingan eyes instantly fixed on him. Shisui and Obito didn't even make a move; their mere killing intent caused this burly man, who was essentially a craftsman, to stagger back several steps, his face covered in sweat.

"Please rest assured, Lord Fenglan." As the leader, the Treasure Turtle had a better grasp of the bigger picture, and bowed deeply. "We... will definitely do our best."

"This is it." Feng Lan smiled. "Don't worry, you won't lose a single penny of the money I promised."

He could see the resentment and unwillingness in the eyes of the four people, but he didn't take it to heart.

There was another reason why I left Orochimaru here. This guy has already been publicly recognized as a rogue ninja by Konoha, so whatever he does won't be blamed on Konoha. If he stays here, we can kill any envoys from other countries who come to order ninja tools. If they come in twos, we can kill them both. In the long run, Takumi Village will only be able to do business with Konoha.

This is the tragedy of small countries. Small countries with Kage-level powerhouses stationed there are a little better off, but if they don't, they will be easily held hostage like this, and no matter how much they resent or hate, there is nothing they can do.

"Oh, by the way, I'll take these ninja tools back to show the elders. If you can mass-produce them, you might be able to get the Nine-Tails' chakra."

Of course, the ability to make empty promises is still necessary. As long as these guys are given a little hope, they will lack the courage and determination to fight to the death. Eventually, when they can only survive by relying on Konoha, the peaceful evolution will be complete.

……

Today, the gates of Konoha were shrouded in a thin layer of mist, and the crisp sound of bells could be heard in the air, which made the two loyal Konoha gatekeepers on their guard alert.

Soon, two figures dressed in red robes with black cloud patterns and hoods slowly emerged from the mist.

"Who goes there!" The two gatekeepers immediately drew their weapons. "This is the main gate of Konoha. Remove your hoods and state your identities. Unauthorized personnel..."

"Don't be nervous." Feng Lan took off her hood and smiled reassuringly. "It's me and Obito."

Okay, he just occasionally had a fit of chuunibyou and wanted to experience what Itachi and Kisame's Homecoming in the Mist felt like. Now that his playful side has been satisfied, he's naturally stopped causing trouble.

"Feng, Lord Fenglan?!"

The two gatekeepers immediately showed surprise and admiration. With the return of the barrier team and the delegation, the news of what Feng Lan had done had spread throughout the village (of course, he had specially arranged for people to spread it). He had accomplished so much on just one mission to Amegakure, even binding the Eight-Tails to severely strike at the arrogant and domineering Cloud Village. All these stories had pushed his popularity to a whole new level.

Walking down the street, those Konoha scoundrels who had once bullied him could only cast longing, fear and adoration in his eyes, and some young girls even began to flirt with him.

Obito followed behind him, knowing those gazes weren't directed at him, yet he still felt a little carried away, involuntarily indulging in daydreams: [If one day I could achieve such great merit, or even become Hokage… how prestigious that would be! Rin would definitely love me, wouldn't she?]

"Feng Lan!"

However, the next second, a rushing figure and an angry roar interrupted Obito's reverie: "I'm going to kill you!"

"Teacher?!"

Obito was stunned. The sunny, handsome, and reliable Fourth Hokage in his mind, his teacher Minato Namikaze, seemed very different from the angry creature who was now roaring like a gorilla. Usually, this state of being so angry that his hair was flying should be what his teacher's wife Kushina often showed.

What exactly happened during the months that Lord Fenglan and I were away?!

"Yo." Feng Lan greeted him with a smile, "Looks like you've had a good rest these past few days. Ready for the Five Kage Summit?"

Facing the fist that Minato swung at him, he neither dodged nor avoided it, but put his hands behind his back, looking calm and composed. Minato also stopped in time, stopping his fist 0.01 centimeters in front of Feng Lan's nose.

【Wow……】

Obito, witnessing this scene, was thoroughly entertained: [Sensei, he's completely outmaneuvered by Lord Fenglan! Is this how the Hokage and his advisors always interact? Am I going to end up like this...?]

He pictured Lin as his advisor, reminding him of various matters with a mix of indulgence and helplessness every day, and couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

It felt... pretty good.

Clearly, this kid is confusing the concepts of consultant and secretary. The image of Rin in his mind is more like the job of Raikage's secretary.

Chapter 106 Each with their own ulterior motives

Feng Lan's return was like a hurricane, sweeping across the entire Hidden Leaf Village and stirring up a thousand waves.

In the tea room of the third generation, F3 silently drank his tea.

After a long pause, Koharu Tsurugi slowly spoke up: "That kid really did come back alone."

"This is an understanding between him and me," the Third Hokage said calmly. "He will not allow those two lords to set foot in Konoha."

“But he is, after all, the Hokage of Konoha. What kind of person is he, guarding the gate of Amegakure?” Mitokado Homura frowned.

“Yes.” The Third Hokage picked up his pipe, lit it, and exhaled a puff of white smoke. “But he has a way of getting the two previous Hokage to guard his door. Do you think that kid would just bring back such an important hostage as the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki so easily so that we can interfere? Besides… hmph, if I were Kumogakure, I would never attempt to attack Amegakure to rescue him.”

He had clearly seen through Feng Lan's subsequent plans, but there was nothing he could do about it anymore, so he could only accept his defeat.

After a moment of silence, Xiaochun, who was turning the dorm, said coldly, "This kid is increasingly disregarding us."

The Third Hokage didn't reply. He just looked out the window at the Hokage Rock and said in a low voice, "He has never taken us seriously. He used to do it secretly, but now he does it openly... because he has the power to do so."

……

In the Nara clan's encampment, Shikaku lay lazily under the eaves basking in the sun, but he no longer had the leisure and enjoyment of the past, and kept tossing and turning.

Seeing this, his wife couldn't help but say, "If you're worried, why don't you go directly to the Hokage's office and take a look?"

“I’m not going.” Lu Jiu turned over. “When Feng Lan comes back, there will definitely be a celebration banquet tonight, and I will naturally see him then.”

"Aren't you going to pick him up?"

"Pick him up?" Shikaku opened his eyes helplessly. "Wouldn't that just further confirm that I'm part of the Fourth Hokage's faction? Why didn't I think of that back then... Sigh!"

Regarding Fenglan's entrustment, Shikaku originally thought that he only needed to give Minato some advice occasionally, since the Hokage's office had never had any problems handling various aspects before.

But he never expected that the Hokage's office document processing would not be a matter of Feng Lan assisting Minato, nor would it be a matter of Feng Lan and Minato working evenly together; rather, Feng Lan would handle 80% of the documents by himself!

In other words, Shikaku never expected that Minato, who appeared mature and composed and was very reliable and had leadership qualities during the war, would be so incompetent in political affairs!

As a result, their group... couldn't leave. The Third Hokage was already very dissatisfied with them, which was completely different from the neutral position that the Ino-Shika-Cho trio had originally envisioned!

In fact, as clever as he is, he naturally knows that the wisest choice now is to make a tough decision. Since he has already been suspected by the third generation, he might as well abandon the so-called principle of neutrality and join Fenglan's side completely, and fight for a position in a wealthy family.

But reason is reason. No matter how smart Shikaku is, he is still a person. The absolute neutrality tradition that the Ino-Shika-Cho trio has always adhered to is not so easy to break. Even if he has this idea, what will he say to the other two?

It's important to understand that once this choice is made, the risks are shared by all three families, but the Nara clan will ultimately benefit the most, since there is only one spot on the council of elders!

Even though the three families have been close for a century, Haiyi and Dingzuo know that they are not ungrateful people who would turn their backs on someone after they have served their purpose, but others will inevitably have their own thoughts.

Once the relationship between the three parties is strained, it will be difficult to repair.

His wife came over and placed the tea next to Lu Jiu: "You smart people just think too much."

"Ugh!"

Lu Jiu sighed deeply, but did not get up. He continued to toss and turn in the same spot.

……

While Shikaku was caught in a dilemma, the Uchiha clan was overjoyed.

Having learned from Itachi, who had returned with the mission, that Danzo was dead, and that Obito had awakened Susanoo, Fugaku, who was usually very restrained, got incredibly drunk for the first time. Now, upon learning that Fenglan had returned, he was even more excited and discussed with his wife, Uchiha Mikoto, "What do you think of my previous plans?"

“I naturally have no objection.” Mikoto’s personality was gentle, but at this moment she frowned slightly. “But… what if Lady Fenglan disagrees?”

"We have to give it a try, even if we disagree. This is a great opportunity to reach a higher level." Fugaku pondered for a moment. "Anyway, even if we fail, it's just a loss of face. Before Lord Fenglan made his move, how many times has the Uchiha clan lost face?"

Itachi, who was playing with his two-month-old brother nearby, overheard his parents' conversation and couldn't help but open the door and ask, "Father, Mother, what are you talking about?"

“Itachi, it’s good that you heard this.” Fugaku had never intended to carry his son’s back. “You’ve been following Lord Fenglan for so long, help me analyze whether this is possible.”

"What is it?" Itachi asked curiously.

"It's just..." Fugaku glanced at Itachi's youngest son, "...the matter of having Sasuke recognize Lord Fenglan as his adoptive father."

……

The atmosphere within the Inuzuka clan was quite bleak and somber.

After the Angels brought back news of the murder of the rogue ninja Danzo, they had been living in constant fear since being reprimanded by Inuzuka Tetsuya. They were afraid that Fenglan would come back to settle scores with them. Now that Fenglan had returned, they were naturally even more panicked.

"iron……"

Sensing this fear and unease, Inuzuka Tetsu's mother, Inuzuka Aoi, couldn't help but look at her son.

She understood that her son harbored resentment and hatred, but she had grown up in the Inuzuka clan since childhood. Even though she had a child out of wedlock, the clan leader, Inuzuka Tsurugi, still protected her. Although she was often looked down upon by other clan members, at least she had a place to stay.

In the days since she returned from the mission, those who used to gossip behind her back and give her the cold shoulder now only dare to avoid her from afar, as if they had seen some kind of plague god. The clan leader and others who used to take good care of her can only show a slightly ingratiating smile when they see her again. She felt a mix of emotions.

Ultimately, unlike her son, Inuzuka Aoi still has feelings for the Inuzuka clan.

"Mother, don't worry."

In front of his mother, Inuzuka Tetsuya showed no sign of violence: "Leave this matter to me."

"Iron." Inuzuka Aoi touched his scarred cheek. "Don't push yourself too hard... As long as you are safe and happy, I don't ask for anything else."

"Yes, I will." Inuzuka Tetsu gave a reassuring smile, but as soon as he turned around, the smile on his face turned into a wolf-like ferocity, startling Tetsumaru, who was following at his feet, into whimpering.

He pushed open the gate and walked out. A lot of people had already gathered in the courtyard, all looking at him expectantly, with a mixture of hope, fear, disgust and even a few people showing a little admiration.

"This is the feeling..." Bathed in that gaze, Inuzuka Tetsuya's body trembled slightly with pleasure. "I'm sorry, Mother, only such a reverent gaze can bring me joy."

A disdainful sneer curled at the corner of his mouth. Ignoring everyone, he strode out.

"Iron." Inuzuka Tsuru frowned. "Where are you going?"

Inuzuka Tetsu deliberately stopped at the gate, turned his head slightly and sneered: "Naturally, I'm going to report to Lord Fenglan."

"Then, you..." Inuzuka Tsuru hesitated before speaking, as if he wanted to ask Inuzuka Tetsuya to put in a good word for him.

"To gain the master's favor, you need not words, but actions." Inuzuka Tetsu sneered, his gaze sweeping over these clansmen who had once treated him coldly. "Before I return, you might as well think carefully about what you can do for the master."

"Boom!"

The gate closed behind him, and the light in Inuzuka's eyes surged even brighter: [The Inuzuka clan is nothing more than a pledge of allegiance to Lord Fenglan. You who once looked down on me will only become my stepping stones… to help me climb higher!]

……