Naruto Card King

The Trap Set by Hiruzen Sarutobi

Hiruzen Sarutobi had dug an enormous pit for Haruto Saito, and Haruto had already jumped in—about to be buried alive! He never expected that the Land of Iron had already offered such a high price!

"Lord Hokage, the Land of Iron is offering a hundred million ryō, yet you're only giving me fifteen million? That's…" Haruto's eyelid twitched. Hiruzen Sarutobi was way too ruthless!

And also, how could the Land of Iron possibly offer such a high price?!

"You need to understand—this price is only this high because Konoha is negotiating," Hiruzen said matter-of-factly. "Because Konoha has the strength to protect the Black Samurai Armor, eliminating the possibility of the Land of Iron taking it by force. But if you were the one negotiating alone, do you think they'd offer you even a fraction of that? Or do you think they'd offer you anything at all?"

That logic was hard to argue against. The Land of Iron was only negotiating because they feared Konoha's strength.

If the Black Samurai Armor had fallen into the hands of a minor ninja village or some small faction in the Land of Rain, the Land of Iron wouldn't have sent diplomats to negotiate. They would have sent assassins.

Even so, a hundred million ryō was an astronomical amount!

"Make your choice! Are you backing out?" Hiruzen asked, standing up. He walked to the window, hands clasped behind his back, and looked out over the village. "Either you represent Konoha in negotiations with the Land of Iron and secure greater benefits for Konoha—at least 150 million ryō—or you back out now. If you back out, I'll give you fifteen million ryō, you'll hand over the Black Samurai Armor, and the rest of this matter will have nothing to do with you."

Hiruzen was laying everything out on the table—he was deliberately making things difficult, forcing Haruto to give up!

Haruto could tell that Hiruzen was not in a good mood.

After all, he had been threatened by Haruto. But he couldn't just take the armor by force, or perhaps there were other considerations at play that prevented him from doing so. So, instead, he set up a trap.

Tsunade suddenly appeared behind Haruto, hooked an arm around his neck, and whispered urgently, "Brat! Sensei is already angry—don't push your luck! Fifteen million ryō is a lot of money!"

Haruto glanced sideways at Tsunade, then turned his gaze to Hiruzen's back, deep in thought.

This won't do.

He didn't care about money. Even if Hiruzen offered him fifty million ryō, he still wouldn't agree to hand over the armor. But now, he had already agreed to represent Konoha in negotiations…

Damn old fox! Haruto cursed internally as he stared at Hiruzen's back. But then, his eyes suddenly flashed with an idea. He spoke up, "Lord Hokage, I have a question."

"Speak," Hiruzen replied.

"Why is the Land of Iron offering such a high price?" Haruto asked. "They're determined to get the Black Samurai Armor, aren't they?"

"Yes, absolutely," Hiruzen sighed. "Because the last generation's Black Samurai, Mugaimaru, was the great-grandfather of the current general of the Land of Iron, Mifune."

"Oh?" Haruto was stunned.

So that's why!

To Mifune, the Black Samurai Armor wasn't just a powerful relic—it was a family heirloom! It held deep significance! Hiruzen was right—if negotiations failed, the Land of Iron would inevitably become Konoha's enemy! Konoha wouldn't fear them, but with so many enemies already, adding the Land of Iron to the list would be a major hassle.

"In that case…" Haruto murmured, narrowing his eyes as he thought for a moment. A sly glint flickered across his gaze. "Lord Hokage, what if I secure even more than 150 million ryō? What then?"

Hiruzen, still gazing out the window, froze for a moment before turning to look at Haruto with suspicion.

He had only been trying to pressure Haruto, but this kid was thinking even bigger—he was already considering securing more than the agreed amount.

"Are you saying that 150 million isn't enough? I mean, hypothetically, what if I manage to get even more?" Haruto asked casually, as if anything was possible.

"Hah!" Hiruzen suddenly laughed and shook his head. "If you can secure more benefits for Konoha—if the Land of Iron agrees to a sum exceeding 150 million ryō—then you can take half of the excess."

Hiruzen agreed readily.

After all, Haruto was only able to negotiate using Konoha's power and military deterrence. Without that, there wouldn't be any negotiation. The main factor determining the final amount was Konoha itself, not Haruto.

By offering a 50-50 split on any additional amount, Hiruzen was making it clear—he didn't believe Haruto could get any more money.

He assumed Haruto was just bluffing.

"Then we have an agreement, Lord Hokage!" Haruto said confidently. "I will represent Konoha in negotiations with the Land of Iron and secure greater benefits."

Hiruzen's eyebrow twitched. He actually agreed?!

"My bottom line is 150 million ryō. If you fail—if negotiations break down—you know the consequences," Hiruzen warned.

"I understand," Haruto said with a smile. "Actually, Lord Hokage, you don't have to be so roundabout—I know exactly what you're thinking. If I fail, I'll hand over the Black Samurai Armor to you, you'll give me fifteen million ryō… and then you will negotiate with the Land of Iron, right? 'Failed negotiations' would only be temporary, and eventually, Konoha would still make the deal."

Haruto exposed Hiruzen's true intentions.

That was exactly Hiruzen's plan. He had already accepted the 100-million-ryō offer in his mind—he just hadn't expected Haruto to extort him first…

"Hmph!" Hiruzen snorted coldly and waved his hand dismissively. "Go. You'll be notified this afternoon."

Haruto and Tsunade left the office.

As soon as they stepped outside, Tsunade urgently pulled Haruto aside and whispered, "Brat, stop messing around! If you screw this up, you're dead!"

"Have I ever screwed up before? How about we make a bet?" Haruto smirked.

Tsunade stared at him for a moment—then quickly shook her head. No way! I am never betting with this brat again!

"Oh yeah, what exactly did you ask Sensei for?" Tsunade asked curiously.

"What else?" Haruto replied. "A training method for a forbidden jutsu."

"A forbidden jutsu?" Tsunade's eyes widened. "Wait… you don't mean Edo Tensei?!"

"You think I'd be that reckless? That's a completely forbidden jutsu!" Haruto scoffed. "I asked for Flying Thunder God! The teleportation technique created by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju."

Tsunade's eyes were still wide with shock.

Trading the Black Samurai Armor for Flying Thunder God?!

Only this brat would come up with something like that!

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