The Fifth village Hokage:Uchiha Douhuan

Chapter 25: Do You Think the Daimyō Will Believe You?

After a night of drinking and feasting, the group exited the high-end restaurant in high spirits.

"The night is still young. How about we continue the fun at the red-light district?" Uchiha Douhuan suggested, surrounded by his teammates.

"Since Lord Douhuan has spoken, I have no choice but to risk my life and accompany you!" Inuzuka Kaze laughed, already slightly tipsy.

The alcohol had loosened everyone up. Even the usually stern Hyūga Kirito and Hyūga Kenya had somewhat mischievous smiles on their faces.

"Douhuan-sama! There are ladies on the team, you know!" Uzuki Yūgao scolded playfully.

"Oh? That was inconsiderate of me!" Douhuan chuckled. Without hesitation, he pulled out a thick stack of cash from his sealing scroll and shoved it into Gekkō Hayate's hands. "Hayate, why don't you take your little girlfriend out for a nice date tonight?"

"Haha! Just make sure you're back before dawn," Kuroki Ryota teased.

Laughter erupted among the group as Hayate and Yūgao blushed furiously. However, Hayate still accepted the money, and the two left to enjoy their own evening.

As for the rest, they made their way toward the entertainment district.

Once the group had walked off, a shadow emerged from a nearby alley—Douhuan's real body. Without a sound, he turned and headed in a different direction.

---

Shortly After, in the Lord's Manor of Tanzaku Town

Tanzaku Town was home to the largest gambling den in the Land of Fire. Its castle lord, Yamamoto Tarō, was no ordinary man.

In addition to holding an aristocratic title granted by the Fire Daimyō, his manor housed hundreds of samurai and a dozen shinobi. With connections to various ninja clans in Konoha, his position was as solid as a mountain.

After an evening of entertaining high-profile guests, Yamamoto Tarō, now slightly drunk, swaggered toward his bedroom with a beautiful woman in each arm.

"Tonight is going to be a wonderful night," he chuckled lecherously.

However, as he stepped into his lavish bedroom, he froze.

In the moonlit room, a figure sat casually on a chair by the window, methodically wiping a kunai. The gleaming blade reflected the cold moonlight, sending chills down Yamamoto Tarō's spine.

One of the women instinctively opened her mouth to scream, but before she could make a sound, the stranger's crimson eyes flickered—three tomoe spinning ominously.

The woman instantly collapsed, unconscious.

The alcohol in Yamamoto Tarō's system evaporated in an instant.

Whoever this person was, they had entered his heavily guarded bedroom unnoticed and had subdued someone with just a glance. Their intentions were undoubtedly hostile.

"Who... who are you? Why are you here?" Yamamoto Tarō asked, his voice trembling as he instinctively backed away.

"I'd advise against stepping any further back," the intruder said lazily. "See that little thing behind you? If that goes off, things might get… messy."

Yamamoto Tarō froze mid-step. He turned his head slightly and saw a paper bomb affixed to the wall just inches from his right foot.

A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.

For the first time in his life, he found himself face-to-face with death.

"If you're here for money or something, we can talk…" Yamamoto Tarō tried to buy time while subtly knocking over a large porcelain vase near the door, hoping the noise would alert his guards.

However, no one came.

The figure by the window let out an amused chuckle. "Waiting for your samurai and shinobi to save you?"

The man stood up, walking toward him at an agonizingly slow pace. Though his footsteps were nearly silent, each one echoed like a death knell in Yamamoto Tarō's ears.

"The two jōnin from the Homura clan, twelve rogue ninja, 271 samurai—eliminating them took a little extra effort, but nothing too troublesome."

As the stranger approached, he casually flicked on the room's light, revealing his face—sharp features, a faint smirk, and, most strikingly, a pair of spinning crimson eyes.

"Uchiha…?" Yamamoto Tarō gasped.

"Good guess," Uchiha Douhuan replied nonchalantly, tapping the blunt side of his kunai against the lord's pudgy cheek.

"As a Konoha ninja, aren't you violating the village's rules?" Yamamoto Tarō forced himself to remain calm. As a noble of the Fire Nation, he had political immunity. Even the Hokage himself wouldn't dare touch him without severe consequences.

"Rules?" Douhuan smirked. "Fine, let's talk about rules then."

"In the past four years, you have secretly provided eighteen billion ryō in funding to the missing-nin Shimura Danzō and his criminal organization, attempting to support his control over the Fire Nation's military. What do you think the Daimyō would say if he learned about this?"

The color drained from Yamamoto Tarō's face.

"Lies! I merely hired guards!" he blurted out. And it was true—he had spent money to hire rogue ninja for his own security, but orchestrating a coup? That had never crossed his mind.

"Oh? Just guards?" Douhuan's smirk widened. "Do you think the Daimyō will believe that?"

Yamamoto Tarō clenched his fists. He was caught.

"What… do you want?" He swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I personally believe in your unwavering loyalty to the Daimyō," Douhuan mused, twirling his kunai elegantly in his fingers. "But our Daimyō, well… he's a rather suspicious man, you see."

Yamamoto Tarō felt a chill crawl down his spine.

"So, tell me… do you still want to discuss rules?"

The noble finally broke.

He dropped to his knees, bowing his head so low it smacked against the polished wooden floor. "Please, my lord, I beg for your mercy! Spare me, and I will offer you a generous reward!"

Douhuan watched him grovel for a moment before finally speaking.

"I must say, you've built quite the empire here in Tanzaku Town." He tilted his head slightly. "How much does this place bring in per month?"