Naruto: With Favorabiltity System

Chapter 250: The Daimyo's Arson Case, Calling a Deer a Horse

"You're just not working hard enough. You've been an elder for so long, yet you still haven't fully adjusted to your responsibilities."

"Shikaku, for the sake of Konoha, you must strive harder, work more!"

Haneda pushed open the door to the office and comfortably reclined in the Hokage's chair.

Hearing this, Shikaku was stunned by Haneda's shamelessness.

Not working hard enough?

I start work at 7 AM, work overtime until midnight, and barely sleep six hours a day.

And yet you, the Hokage, clock in and out like it's a part-time job, working less than two and a half hours a day, and you have the audacity to tell me I'm not working hard enough?

But under the overwhelming authority of Haneda as the Fifth Hokage, Shikaku chose to remain silent.

Haneda wasn't just here to motivate Shikaku. He took out an intelligence scroll and tossed it to him.

"The Daimyo's residence was attacked by an unidentified organization."

"The entire palace complex, spanning 120,000 square kilometers, has been burned to the ground, save for the main hall."

Shikaku glanced at the intelligence scroll, then at Haneda, instinctively asking, "You did this?"

"Don't make baseless accusations! I'm the Hokage—I would never stoop to such petty acts!" Haneda declared, pounding his chest in mock righteousness.

Then, lowering his voice, he added, "I had another organization do it. None of them were from Konoha."

"…"

Shikaku had expected as much. After a brief pause, he asked, "Lord Hokage, what's your plan now?"

"Obviously, we'll head to the Daimyo's residence. The Daimyo was attacked by a terrorist organization. As the military force of the Land of Fire, how could we not step in to investigate?"

With that, Haneda stepped closer to Shikaku, placed a hand on his shoulder, and in an instant, activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.

The two of them appeared at the Daimyo's residence.

What had once been an extravagant and luxurious palace now lay in ruins, charred black from the flames. Only fragments of walls and debris remained.

Everywhere, people were frantically trying to extinguish lingering fires, fetching water in basins from outside.

Haneda climbed to a high point and announced loudly:

"I am Uchiha Haneda, the Hokage of Konoha. I vow to bring justice to the Daimyo for the arson attack on his residence last night!"

After speaking, Haneda created a shadow clone, which used Fire Release and Water Release techniques to generate a massive amount of steam.

The spectacle caught everyone's attention.

Soon, dark clouds gathered over the Daimyo's residence, and rain began to fall, extinguishing the remaining flames.

Amid cheers and expressions of gratitude, Haneda walked toward the main hall.

On the way, the ministers he passed avoided him, making detours to avoid getting too close.

Everyone understood the implication of the attack. The Fifth Hokage arriving mere hours after the fire? It was impossible not to suspect Haneda's involvement.

Amidst whispers from the ministers, Haneda and Shikaku entered the relatively intact main hall.

Inside, the Daimyo, still shaken, sat on a throne resembling a dragon chair.

When he saw Haneda approaching, he instinctively scrambled over the chair, hiding behind it like a frightened child.

It was clear that he was terrified of Haneda.

"Lord Daimyo, I, Uchiha Haneda, the Fifth Hokage, have arrived. Why don't you come out to greet me?"

Haneda walked calmly to the center of the hall, where all the ministers could see him.

The Daimyo, suppressing his fear, cautiously peeked out from behind the throne.

He knew all too well what had happened last night.

A terrifying woman had infiltrated the residence and set it ablaze. Anyone who tried to attack her was reduced to dried corpses, their bodies utterly drained.

Another figure, wielding a massive blade, had traced the edge of the Daimyo's neck while casting a genjutsu. In the illusion, he had once again been tormented by Haneda's devilish visage.

Trembling, the Daimyo stammered:

"I—I'm here… Please don't kill me. I swear, I will dedicate all the resources of my nation to Konoha's prosperity!"

"I won't dare defy you again, Lord Fifth Hokage!"

All the ministers witnessed the Daimyo's pathetic and cowardly display.

Some were disappointed, others glared angrily at Haneda, while a few began calculating how to profit from the situation.

Haneda ignored the Daimyo, his gaze sweeping across the ministers to observe their reactions.

Satisfied, he clapped his hands, and a ROOT shinobi carried in a deer.

"The Daimyo was attacked by a terrorist organization. As Konoha's Hokage, I've brought this horse as a gift to express my condolences."

One honest minister immediately pointed out, "Lord Hokage, you must be mistaken. This is clearly a deer."

Haneda squinted his eyes and smiled. "You must need new glasses. This is obviously a horse."

Pointing at the deer, Haneda addressed the hall:

"So, gentlemen, is this a deer or a horse?"

The room fell into silence.

While many ministers had inherited their positions through nepotism, they were well-versed in the art of choosing sides.

It was clear what the Fifth Hokage was implying.

Yet, one stubborn and loyal minister stepped forward, glaring at Haneda with youthful defiance.

"The affairs of the Daimyo's residence are the Daimyo's and his loyal ministers' concern. You are merely the Hokage of Konoha!"

"I say it's a deer. What will you do about it?"

Haneda, here to make a statement, showed no mercy.

Drawing the blade at his waist, Dawn Breaker, he pointed it at the defiant minister.

"Would you like to test the sharpness of my sword?!"

"And I would like to test the strength of mine!" the minister retorted, drawing his own blade and pointing it at Haneda.

This scene stunned not only the silent ministers but even Haneda himself.

In three years, this was the first time since Zabuza that someone had dared to draw a weapon against him—and it wasn't even a shinobi!

Slash!

The blade flashed, and the minister's head hit the ground.

Haneda, holding his bloodied blade, turned to the Daimyo and asked:

"Lord Daimyo, what is the punishment for defying one's superior?"

"Death! Death! It must be death!" the Daimyo stammered, terrified by the swift execution.

The Daimyo had no use for a dead minister and quickly sided with Haneda, eager to send the "plague god" away as soon as possible.

Haneda turned back to the remaining ministers, his voice calm yet chilling.

"I say this is a horse. Do you have any objections?"

The hall was silent.

Seeing the loyal minister's death and the Daimyo's betrayal, the remaining loyalists lost heart.

One by one, the opportunists began agreeing, declaring it a horse.

Haneda, smiling, acknowledged their support.

After a few minutes, the dissenters were all eliminated, and the rest had made their positions clear. Haneda finally declared:

"As the Hokage, I take full responsibility for investigating the arson attack on the Daimyo's residence!"

"I will uncover the truth and restore order to the Daimyo's court!"

...…