Naruto Card King

"Say no more! Since Haruto Saito is the one who discovered and currently owns the Black Armor, he should have a say in this matter," Hiruzen Sarutobi said firmly. "Moreover, allowing him to negotiate directly with Mifune is merely a test! As the new generation's Black Warrior, he is not just some insignificant figure to Mifune. Furthermore, he has already made a military pledge, promising to secure at least 150 million ryo in the transaction. If he fails, I will personally punish him. This will not affect our dealings with the Land of Iron afterward!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's ability to twist facts was truly impressive. The 150 million ryo wasn't Haruto Saito's promise—it was something Sarutobi himself had proposed!

However, since Haruto had already accepted the challenge, what Sarutobi said didn't really make a difference anymore.

"This is absolute nonsense!" Koharu Utatane lost her patience. "Hiruzen! I strongly object! He will ruin everything!"

"I second that!" Danzo Shimura promptly agreed with Koharu's opposition.

A moment ago, the two of them had been at odds, but such disputes were common during meetings. They never held grudges over these disagreements—business was business. They only cared about what was right or wrong, not personal conflicts.

Additionally, Koharu was always bold. Perhaps because she was the only female among the higher-ups, when pushed to the edge, she dared to yell at anyone.

"Agreed!"

"Agreed!"

Both Torifu Akimichi and Homura Mitokado voiced their support, siding with Koharu in rejecting Sarutobi's decision.

It did indeed seem like a reckless move!

However, they were unaware of the true agreement between Sarutobi and Haruto Saito, nor did they understand what Sarutobi was plotting. There were many things he didn't need to disclose to them because, as Hokage, he was the ultimate authority in Konoha. In a way, the Konoha advisory council and Sarutobi were in an internal power struggle.

The purpose of the advisory council was twofold: to provide counsel to the Hokage and to keep his authority in check.

In fact, the advisory council even had the power to propose the removal of the Hokage! Of course, such an event was highly unlikely unless Sarutobi made a serious mistake or led Konoha to a disastrous defeat in war. Given Sarutobi's current reputation in the village, no one could realistically remove him.

"My decision is final!" Sarutobi declared, pressing his hands against the table and standing up. His voice was slow but carried immense resolve. "There is no need for further discussion! Also, Koharu, you will not be participating in this afternoon's negotiation. Just wait for the results."

Bang!

Koharu slammed the table and abruptly stood up, her face dark with frustration. Without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room!

Though all five of them had been childhood friends and were direct disciples of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, their personal bonds didn't stop Koharu from openly showing her displeasure.

Sarutobi watched Koharu leave. Only when she slammed the door behind her did he finally say in a calm voice, "Meeting adjourned."

That afternoon, in the reception room of the Hokage building.

Mifune arrived on time with two subordinates. Hiruzen Sarutobi, however, had already been waiting for a while. Since Koharu had refused to participate, Sarutobi was the only representative for Konoha in the room.

"Lord Hokage, have you reached a decision?" Mifune asked directly, showing a sense of urgency. "If Konoha agrees to our conditions, we will not only provide the 100 million ryo as a token of gratitude, but we are also willing to sign a perpetual friendship treaty with Konoha."

"Hmm, we have given it some thought." Sarutobi's expression was serious. "100 million ryo is indeed a reasonable price."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage!" Mifune's face brightened, and he bowed slightly.

"Wait!" Sarutobi raised a hand slightly. "I haven't finished speaking. 100 million ryo is indeed acceptable to Konoha, but someone disagrees! If he refuses, there's nothing we can do."

"Who?" Mifune's expression changed. If even the Hokage had agreed, who else could possibly object?

"I object!" A mysterious voice suddenly echoed through the room.

In an instant, a flash of black smoke swirled next to Sarutobi, and Haruto Saito materialized out of thin air!

"The Black Warrior!" Mifune's pupils contracted in shock.

Haruto had appeared in the guise of the Black Warrior, his body shrouded in dark mist, resembling a demon emerging from the abyss. Since the delegation from the Land of Iron had been closely monitored since their arrival in Konoha, they had been restricted to designated areas and unable to interact with most of the village. As a result, even though the villagers of Konoha already knew Haruto was the Black Warrior, Mifune and his men remained unaware.

"Greetings, Lord Black Warrior!" Mifune maintained his formal kneeling posture and inclined his body slightly in respect.

This was a standard etiquette, unrelated to status, but simply a gesture of respect. Clearly, he wasn't respecting Haruto as a person—he was respecting the title of the Black Warrior.

"Greetings, Lord Mifune!" Haruto reciprocated the gesture, though his cross-legged sitting position made it look slightly awkward.

Of course, no one cared about such details at this moment.

"The armor was found by him and belongs to him personally," Sarutobi explained. "Therefore, many matters require direct negotiations between you and him. He will represent Konoha in these discussions."

Sarutobi's words were carefully crafted! He wanted to distance himself from the negotiation so that if Haruto failed, he could shift the blame entirely onto him. Even though he framed it as Haruto representing Konoha, his earlier statements suggested that Haruto was personally dissatisfied with the price.

Mifune gave Sarutobi a long, assessing look.

He wasn't a fool—he understood that Sarutobi was playing mind games. Was it truly possible that the Hokage of Konoha had no say over the Black Armor's ownership? Impossible!

However, Mifune didn't understand why Sarutobi had chosen to let the Black Warrior take charge of the negotiation.

"Lord Black Warrior, may I ask why you refuse our offer? 100 million ryo is already our limit!" Mifune said. "In fact, the true value of the Black Armor is not that high. We offered this much only to compensate Konoha for its losses related to the armor."

"May I ask Lord Mifune a few questions first?" Haruto asked seriously.

"Please go ahead!" Mifune gestured for him to continue.

"Lord Mifune, if you obtain the Black Armor, do you intend to restore the Black Samurai Nation?" Haruto asked. "Or at least, have you ever considered it?"

"Of course, and if it were possible, I would certainly do it." Mifune answered directly.

"Then, would it be easy for you to rebuild the Black Samurai Nation? Especially if you possessed the Black Armor?" Haruto continued.

"That..." Mifune hesitated. After a brief pause, he shook his head and said, "It wouldn't be easy."

"Oh? Why not?" Haruto asked. "With your status, combined with the Black Armor, how could it be difficult?"

"This..." Mifune hesitated again, uncertain of Haruto's intentions.

Sarutobi also frowned slightly. Discussing such matters seemed unrelated to negotiating a higher price.